I completely agree that those are some of the top reasons cold calls die quickly. I just have two points I thought of while reading -- depending on the size of the business you are contacting and the type of gatekeeper (admin or switchboard operator), you may want to change the name rule ie; in enterprise businesses the gatekeeper will not generally have as much familiarity with the person you are trying to contact and it's best to give a first and last name to get transferred directly to their extension. However, if you're speaking to their EA you're absolutely right! Also, speaking to your point about introductions, you're right, "how are you?" is almost never well-perceived. You probably don't really care and they know that. However, when I introduce the company I'm working for I always tag a description of what we do after the name before asking any questions, to gain trust and garner credibility. Wowza... that was more than I intended to write! Cheers! You are right, I didn't touch on the size of the company which definitely helps determine how to approach the initial cold call pitch. With a big company it can be less of a personal experience, and confusing as to who the right person to pitch would be. A brief description of what the company does as you introduce yourself is also another great tip. Unless your company has crazy brand equity, or the product or service description exists within the company name,