Best "Sales" Books

[xrac]

Prospecting Your Way to Sales Success by Bill Good
Integrity Selling by Ron Willingham
The Wedge by Randy Schwantz

 

[Guest]

I agree, his voice resonates in your bones. And his insight is simple, basic and true.

This is one of my all-time favorites.

I have it loaded in my iPod, and anytime I need a boost, I go for a long solitary walk and listen to it.

Timeless.

Plus the dude has a voice deeper than whale sh*t!

 

[GreenSky]

Normally I would say that my recommendation would go to the author's head, but I can't imagine it getting any bigger.

I strongly recommend you contact Rob Liano for his ebook on selling insurance. It is packed with great information, some humor, and absolutely zero bullshit.

Rick

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Selling to VITO

Question Based Selling

The Power of Focus

 

[Guest]

Which head are you referring to? LOL Thanks for the endorsement, I appreciate it.

Normally I would say that my recommendation would go to the author's head, but I can't imagine it getting any bigger.

I strongly recommend you contact Rob Liano for his ebook on selling insurance. It is packed with great information, some humor, and absolutely zero bullshit.

Rick

 

[77CH]

Successful Cold Call Selling by Lee Boyan
SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Successful Cold Call Selling

"Your letter reminds me very much of something I talk about often, i.e. the fact that when you put together an intelligent, organized self-marketing system, you will not merely generate leads, you will generate leads that are ready and willing to buy from you right now! No chasing, game-playing, unreturned calls, and all the other annoying things we as salespeople have unfortunately come to expect and accept as part of the sales process. Instead of treating you with that kind of disrespect, prospects show you the utmost respect. This is because YOU respected their time and dignity by not bothering them with an intrusive cold call, but instead you acted like a smart businessperson and contacted them in a way that saved everyone time and money.

The most important thing you mentioned is how short the buying cycle is with leads generated through targeted self-marketing compared with leads generated via cold calling. Cold-call generated leads typically are not pre-disposed to buy from you (if they were they would have already called you and bought). So, when you find a lead via cold calling, one or more of the following is true:

1. You're talking to someone who is bored and has nothing better to do than accept your cold call and entertain your sales pitch. 99.9999% of the time, this person is NOT the real decision maker and the appointment is a big waste of time.

2. You're dealing with a prospect who has no immediate reason or trigger event to buy, but MIGHT need what you
have sometime in the future. This is another waste of everyone's time.

3. You're dealing with someone who actually IS in a buying cycle, but chances are, if you came into the interaction via a cold call, they've already got quotes from your competitors. Furthermore, since they probably called your competitors asking for a salesperson, your competitors are automatically in a position of power, versus the salesperson who came in on a cold call and therefore is seen as the one in need. To make matters worse, you're late to the game and they may have already made a tentative decision to go with one of your
competitors.

In all 3 of those cases, you're facing a serious uphill battle. Let's look at what kind of situation you're in when you put the word out via a self-marketing system such as the one I teach in Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time and the prospect is interested in buying and contacts you:

1. The prospect is in a buying cycle, recognized that you may be able to fulfill their need, and called you. Because they called YOU, you are seen as someone who can fulfill a need rather than someone who came in on a cold call trying to make a buck. You will have a much easier time controlling and directing the sales process from here on out and will likely make a sale, and very quickly at that."

from Frank Rumbauskas, Jr.

 

[Guest]

This is interesting but the three points below are quite inaccurate when it comes to health insurance.

Many people (IHIAA members) are having great success cold calling. Actually getting one qualified buyer per hour (average).

Since health insurance is an ever present concern, and many consumers don't know where to turn, a cold call can work very well.

And with premiums dropping, HSA plans available, you can gain an interest through educating the client.

1. You're talking to someone who is bored and has nothing better to do than accept your cold call and entertain your sales pitch. 99.9999% of the time, this person is NOT the real decision maker and the appointment is a big waste of time.

2. You're dealing with a prospect who has no immediate reason or trigger event to buy, but MIGHT need what you
have sometime in the future. This is another waste of everyone's time.

3. You're dealing with someone who actually IS in a buying cycle, but chances are, if you came into the interaction via a cold call, they've already got quotes from your competitors. Furthermore, since they probably called your competitors asking for a salesperson, your competitors are automatically in a position of power, versus the salesperson who came in on a cold call and therefore is seen as the one in need. To make matters worse, you're late to the game and they may have already made a tentative decision to go with one of your
competitors.

In all 3 of those cases, you're facing a serious uphill battle. Let's look at what kind of situation you're in when you put the word out via a self-marketing system such as the one I teach in Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time and the prospect is interested in buying and contacts you:


from Frank Rumbauskas, Jr.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

It's a matter of maximizing your day.

If you have 8 hours to work and buy leads - great. Are working those leads taking you 8 hours?

If not, you have time to market - pick an activity:

*Community based - chamber of commerce, local events, plaster flyer ads everywhere

*BtoB

*Telemarketing

But sitting in your home office for hours a day is non-productive.

We do indeed have members who only telemarket for business - they will never buy a lead.

And who cares if it's 3 hours of calling to gain one client? That's one client per day for three hours of work? Almost zero expense? I'm in.

Get me on a dialer for 3 hours a day and put me head to head against an agent buying 10 leads a day - see who comes out with more profit.

 

[Guest]

Also, some people don't know they're "ready to buy" which is one reason cold calling works, if they know they have options, then an interest can be aroused.