You can use customer service as a powerful way to set yourself apart from your competition. Its one of the strengths a small business has, and by emphasizing customer service, you can compete with larger companies who may offer more variety, lower prices, and other perks you can't afford. But many small businesses fall short in the customer service category. Why? Ignorance is one reason. There simply are not a lot of examples of good customer service on which to model your company.

From sending singing telegrams and direct mail to e-mail marketing, tradeshows and mixers, salespeople go to extraordinary lengths to avoid making cold calls. The reality is that even in our internet-based world, few tools are more effective and necessary for generating sales and sales appointments than the good old telephone. And I don't think much of farming out the cold-calling to someone who does not actually sell your product or service, which probably leaves it to you.