Doesn't matter who you ask: Cold calling is not a lot of fun. Most sales professionals know that they need to prospect but will do whatever it takes to avoid making that call.

And unless you've never walked in cold to an office where you know absolutely no one and have no idea what to expect on the other side of the door, you simply cannot understand how difficult prospecting can be.

There have been a few books and sales courses released recently that suggest that a sales professional should never need to call call. The claim is that through effective use of social media, networks and referrals, that the need for prospecting is eliminated.

I've read those books, listened to the audio books, read the blogs and even attended a seminar about the "new way to cold call." And a few weeks after I finished processing the information, I was hitting the pavement again and pounding the phone.

Was it that I was a bad student or missed some critical bit of information? Maybe, but I am more prone to believe that those touting that cold calling is dead are selling a concept that nearly every sales professional wish to be true: That they no longer need to cold call.

Here's the truth: If you are in sales and want to be successful, you will need to make prospecting a part of your everyday life.

While I strongly suggest that sales professionals read books about how to reduce their dependency on cold calling, I also suggest that they make improving their prospecting skills as strong as they can.

If you are a sales professional in the corporate world, you may love the security working for a large company offers while hating a few other things associated with being a part of the corporate world. Some sales professionals dislike more things about being in the corporate sales world so much more than they like the benefits, that they take a risk and go out on their own.

Those brave professionals who turn in their office key and quickly try to purge their employee number from their memories, seldom do so without having first providing themselves some assurances. Leaving the corporate world of sales can be both terrifying and exhilarating. And to take some of the fear out of the decision to leave, several entrepreneurs make sure that they have their ducks in a row.

Quick!- what has to happen to make a sale to a customer? If you are like many, you may have responded with "the customer has to sign the contract." Or maybe you are more advanced in your sales career and believe that "the customer must first recognize the value of what is being offered and feel that the cost of the item is less than the value expected."

Or you could be more psychological in your answer and say that "the sales professional must effectively transfer enough emotion to the customer, as all customers buy on emotion and then justify with logic."

All answers are correct and all answers are a bit lacking.

In my career, I have seen that the best sales professionals, consciously or unconsciously, go through 3 steps in every sales cycle. Miss one step and your chances of making the final step, actually closing the sale, are diminished.

Not everyone in sales wants to earn a promotion. Some are content in their current position. Others are looking to get out of the sales industry and some are interested in advancement but are unsure if management is right for them.

For those who know that they want to advance, the question is "how?" What are the best ways to advance a career, earn a promotion or reach a leadership level?

While there may not be a single best answer, I believe that looking towards those who have achieved advancement and understanding what steps they took, offers insight that we can learn from.