What is the best strategy to avoid hard coded SQL statements

Question

The other day I was showing a colleague some code I was working on, and in the passing he commented on the fact that I have hard coded SQL statements. Now these SQL Statements a

Answer 1

I avoid harder coded SQL at all costs. I prefer to call Store Procedures.

If you are using .NET 3.5 and MS SQL Server you might look at LINQ, which then your SQL statements are in code.