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Archive for April 26th, 2009

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cold Calling. Keith Rosen

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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cold Calling. Keith Rosen. 2004. ISBN 1592572278. I needed to research some sales tactics last week and re-discovered this book on my shelf. It was a treasure as the author – a sales top percentage seller as well as a clear writer has put together a good simple workbook wrto leads and lead generation/prospecting. He gives useful and succinct advice which ties in closely with the research created by Rocket Builders on Precision Sales and Marketing. There are certain things every sales person needs to know before they pick up the telephone. Eg.

What must you know about this prospect in order to decide that they are a real customer for your product? (Brian Carrolls ” a qualified lead”)
Every salesperson should be able to fluently/truthfully present 5 compelling reasons to buy his/her product – (not compelling – more than different) These should survive the “so what” response.
Prospects buy what the product does for them ( The drill creates holes). What does yours do (In English? )
Why should they care what you have to say – what is in it for them?
How are you (and your product) going to help them become a better , (e.g. Product manager, CEO CFO?) at what they do?
What is your key differentiator – that no one else/product can do?
Your no 1 (and 2,3,4,5 …) sales tools are the stories from wildly satisfied customers.–exactly like the target you are selling to! Is your tool box filled ?
Prepare to prospect more leads from the prospect before you talk to them, even if they do not become” qualified”.
Gatekeepers are more often information warehouses than barriers- how are you doing with them? Do you know what their day is like?

There is much more here. As in many sales books the essence is presented along with the necessary. So the audience who most needs to know this material (rooky, tired, jaded and wearly) , often skips over the most important parts.
if you sell – and want to do better – this is a good primary resource book

How to Do Confident Cold Calling (marketingpr.suite101.com)
Precision Sales and Marketing is more than getting better at selling (regnordman.com)
Inside Sales Hiring Strategies (thecustomercollective.com)
Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play. Mahan Khalsa (regnordman.com)
Customers Are Persuaded When They Are Part Of The Process And Not Part Of The Audience (myventurepad.com)

Category: Sales, Sales Efficiency

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buy-ology Truth and lies about why we buy. Martin Lindstrom.

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buy-ology Truth and lies about why we buy. Martin Lindstrom. 2008. ISBN 9780385523882. This is the best book on marketing I have read this year. Lindstrom (www.martinlindstrom.com) is famous world over for assisting major firms about effective marketing. So take this expertise and marry it with science i.e fMRI and SST studies of brain activities to actually measure brain response to marketing messages (no more this what I think he wants to hear feedback) The outcomes are hilarious, upsetting and completely different than what you expect. Eg

The Surgeon Generals warnings on cigarettes actually stimulate smokers to smoke more!
Only Coca Cola is really getting true value from its American Idol ads (unlike Fords $27m) .
It just goes on and on. Oh and the logo you sweated over so much – no effect considering the other things going on in your targets life!

If you have any touch points with marketing you must buy read and reread this book. If you are a consumer – you will be a better informed one if you read this book. I can think of no one who would not benefit from reading this bok, unless you are the the unlikely ad exec who “sold” a big campaign that Lindstom just blew holes in. Clearly written , well organized (and thoroughly annotated) you will really enjoy this one!