Are you a salesperson who loathes cold calling? Do you rationalize why you don’t need to do it, all in an attempt to protect your sales motivation and avoid rejection? If so, you are not alone. Good news is that there are tools to help, including a book by Art Sobczak titled Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure and Rejection From Cold Calling. This book is a must have. Here is my review:
The master has come down from the mountain with another set of tablets. I say this with complete respect for the true master of telephone sales – Art Sobczak. Without a doubt, no one is more qualified in the art and science of selling over the telephone than Sobczak.
Sobczak’s new book — Smart Calling — should be mandatory reading, not just for anyone in telephone sales, but for everyone in sales! Prospecting is in all of our job descriptions. His approach to the art of telephone selling applies to all salespeople, regardless if they believe they sell over the phone or not.
Sobczak gives you step-by-step instructions in how to build key phrases and how to measure if they’re going to be effective. He does this by sharing real life examples from his own career and his numerous years of working with salespeople. It’s this step-by-step approach with examples that gives you the confidence in knowing that as you implement the techniques he is describing, you will be successful.
One argument I hear is that telephone selling is no longer relevant. After reading Sobczak’s book, you’ll grasp that not only is telephone selling relevant, but it is more important than ever in the overall selling process. This is based on how he lays out his strategies and tactics. He delves into how you incorporate other sources of information into the call and how you can leverage this information in the questions you ask.
If you think this book is not for you because the majority of your sales are done face to face, you run the risk of overlooking a huge source of incremental information that can give you an edge. As an added benefit to the book, Sobczak also has a website at www.smart-calling.com. Check it out before you buy the book, but then also bookmark it as a reference tool. He is adding new information on a regular basis.
My mantra continues — never stop learning. Refining and adding to your skills on a regular basis can only increase your income potential and boost your sales motivation. Don’t settle for staying stagnant. Don’t settle for status quo. You’re better than that.
Copyright 2010, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
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