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

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