Sales Book Review: High Probability Selling
Written by Paul McCord on March 17, 2008
A guest post by Paul McCord.
Why in the world would I be reviewing a book that’s been on the market for more than 15 years? Why not stick with far more recently published items?
Legitimate questions.
I had read High Probability Selling by Jacques Werth a number of years ago and I had no intention of writing a review now. After all, the book has had a decade and a half to prove itself.
Yet, when I began to skim the book recently, I was reminded of the influences it has had on my thinking over the years, so I decided to pick it up again and read it in detail.
Soaked Your Blackberry? Try This!
Written by Jan Visser on March 14, 2008
Ever dropped your Blackberry or other device in the toilet? Believe it or not, it happens a lot. Before shelling out a couple of hundred bucks for a new phone, try leaving it turned off overnight in a bowl of uncooked rice.
Sales Road Warriors Get Their Answers From Google
Written by Jan Visser on March 13, 2008
Not a new service but still a hidden treasure to many.
Google SMS is a free service that provides mobile users with a quick and easy access to a wide range of useful information. You send a text message from your cellphone with a specific request - and voila, instant answers when you need them most.
This is one of those services you need to start using in order to realize how helpful it really is. I signed up last week (free, of course) and I’m hooked. To get the feel for it, why not pull out your cell or smart phone and follow along?
Below, we’ll give you some ideas on how you use Google SMS to make your mobile business life a bit easier. It’s yet another example of the many great sales tools for professionals that are out there.
Never Misplace Your Cell Phone Again
Written by Jan Visser on March 12, 2008
Coat pocket. Pants pocket. Cabinet drawer or car. Places I put my phone and forget that I did. Where’sMyCellPhone.com lets you call your phone - and it keeps ringing until you found it!
New Survey With Key Question Missing!
Written by Jan Visser on March 12, 2008
Salesdog publishes a new survey today, focused on the job satisfaction of salespeople. It would have been interesting to correlate the answers with the answer to “did you make plan each of the last 3 years”.
Are You Too Focused On The Decision Maker?
Written by Kevin Sasser on March 12, 2008
“Gentlemen, before people start filing in for your presentation, I just wanted to let you know, off the record, that there is absolutely no way that you are going to earn our business. So good luck.”
So yeah, weeks worth of phone calls, hours of internal meetings, and thousands of dollars in travel expense were rendered worthless in one sentence.
And this was before we even got started.
So what happened?
In our team’s collective “group think”, our system was so new, so cutting edge, it was obvious that anyone who witnessed a demonstration would cast away all doubts and reason and immediately hurl purchase orders in our direction.
Naturally, we took pity on those ignorant fools who refused to recognize our incredible potential and instead relied on mundane criteria such as an established client base, financial stability, or a clear, concise value statement.
When we encountered one of the “unenlightened” in a project at a mid-western company, we did the logical thing, and went above their head.
Make Your Email Messages Stand Out
Written by Jan Visser on March 11, 2008
Here’s a fun statistic for you.
Did you know that 25 billion “non-spam” email messages are sent every day? And did you know that a business person sends and receives an average of 600 emails every week?
We’d say that’s probably great news for network administrators looking for job security, but perhaps not all that great for business people trying to get a message across.
People no longer really read email and that’s a big problem for people whose core business is communication. Yes, that would be us in sales.
Instead, they skim through their messages and make instant decisions of what needs their attention and what doesn’t. If your message doesn’t capture the attention of the reader, chances are it’s not being read.
Here’s an different idea to make an impact. EyeJot is an online service that lets you send focused video messages by email. And we really liked it.
Apple iPhone: Finally A Tool For Business
Written by Jan Visser on March 10, 2008
Around June, I will finally have a reason to buy an iPhone.
Yeah, I know. It’s been out for a while. And it’s not that I haven’t looked at and played with it in the Apple Store either.
But until now, I decided firmly against the iPhone and continued to favor my Blackberry instead. To me it was more a toy (albeit a darn cool one!) than a sales or business tool.
You see, I’m a corporate guy. We use Microsoft Outlook and Exchange for email, calendar and contacts. We use a global address book that’s centrally updated by our IT department.
When I am on the road, I need to have access to email, my calendar, contacts and company address book just like I am sitting at my desk. That means that when a new meeting is scheduled, I want to see it on my calendar right away. And when a new email arrives, I need it to be “pushed” straight to my mobile device - without synching, polling, connecting cables and cradles.
Until now, only Blackberry offered a seamless solution for corporate road warriors. But that’s about to change.
Jott and Blackberry
Written by Brandon Hull on March 7, 2008
We’ve mentioned Jott before. We talk about your Blackberry frequently. How about marrying the two? Jott has done that for a few Blackberry models. Reply to emails by voice — no more thumbtyping while you drive. Check it out.
Never Lose a Business Card Again
Written by Jan Visser on March 7, 2008
Practical and pleasing to the eye. Here’s a little tool that looks cool on everyone’s desk.
A mini file cabinet that holds up to 800 business cards. Two drawers that pull out and included letter tabs to keep them organized. Measuring 6.5 x 6.5 x 4,5, it’s sure to fit every desk.
You can order it at ThinkGeek for just $12.99.
