Thanks to everyone who shared their stories in the post below. You were all entered into the drawing (along with those who didn’t follow instructions and posted at the Facebook page) and I drew the names of Tammy, and Carol Raynor. So, Tammy and Carol, please email me your shipping address and we’ll send the [...]

At today’s Top Sales Awards Ceremony,  Smart Calling was named winner of Top Sales Book of 2010. There were 10 total book finalists in the running. Public voting, which comprised 50% of the final winning outcome began on 11/24.
[...]

If you place prospecting calls (hopefully Smart Calls) you probably often hear, "I already buy from X-Company," or, "We’re happy with who we’re using."
I know, at this point you feel like saying,
"X Company! What a bunch of losers. How can you be so dumb?"
Almost as bad–and what many salespeople actually do–is data-dumping a pitch explaining [...]

Here’s an interesting article from the Software Advice blog, "Why Won’t Anyone Return My !*#@$% Call?",  pointing out the fact that many buyers do their research prior to speaking with sales reps, and are quite knowledgeable about products and services. As the author, Don Fornes, says, it’s wise to be well-represented in the places where [...]

We’re now almost five months into the launch of "Smart Calling-Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling," and well into our quest to eliminate "cold" calling for professional sales reps. For those who might not be fully aware, let’s look at what Smart Calling is, and why it is, well, smart.
First, say the words, [...]

Here’s a good article from INC magazine about David Rosen, a sales rep who "gets it" regarding prospecting. In the article, they refer to it as "cold calling," but he really exemplifies Smart Calling, which is, well, the smart way to do it.

Hard to believe a salesperson could make so many mistakes in a short period of time, using so few words.
But it happened. I’ll explain in detail.
I overheard Steve, my marketing guy, who also answers the phone in my office, talking to the caller:
"Well, that would be Art. I’ll transfer you."
He put the call on hold [...]

A few months ago I was introduced to a young, but rapidly-growing group, the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals. I was impressed. They are dedicated exclusively to advancing the profession of Inside Sales.
If you are involved in inside sales, and I’m assuming you are using the phone in some way in sales since you [...]

Most sales reps hate prospecting by phone. Part of the reason is that they believe some of the many myths that have been perpetuated over the years about “cold” calling.  Most of these are nonsense, and just plain wrong. Perhaps you’ve heard them:
Cold Call Myth: “It’s just a numbers game.”
Smart Calling™ Truth: It’s a quality [...]

Today is the official release of "Smart Calling-Eliminate the Fear, Failure,and Rejection from Cold Calling." If you do any prospecting at all, this will flat out help you avoid the dumb cold calling mistakes that so many sales reps make, and show you exactly what to do and say instead to get success.
And, as part [...]