The summer is a great time to catch up on your reading. While others may be reading mysteries or romance novels, I really enjoy reading business books. No matter how much I think I know, there’s always something new to learn. Plus, the knowledge I gain helps me to be a better business coach and sales trainer. I really enjoy sharing the information I learn with my clients, and when I find an invaluable resource I love to share that too.
Last week I flew to Los Angeles to visit family and get some R & R. The five hour flight between my home town Philadelphia and LA gave me plenty of time to catch up on my reading.
No matter where you read, on the beach, in your backyard, or on a plane, this is a book I highly recommend you add to your business library, Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling: Web Search Secrets by Sam Richter.
Don’t be fooled by the title. This isn’t a book about cold calls (which I don’t recommend), this is a book about “Sales Intelligence.”
If you want to sell smarter you need to thoroughly research your prospects and clients so you best understand their business and challenges. In other words, find out what’s important to them and deliver it. Most of us do a cursory Google search to find out some information, but Sam Richter’s book goes so much further.
This is the bible on how to take advantage of what Sam calls, “Invisible Web”; web-based information tools to improve your sales performance that most sales professionals know nothing about. The best news is most of the tools Sam recommends are free. The book is filled with practical tools, real-life examples and suggested sales scripts you’ll refer to over and over again.
We all know the importance of researching our clients before we meet with them, but most promotional products sales professionals don’t know how to effectively do that. If you’re looking to excel in promotional products sales and build solid relationships that lead to much more business, I highly recommend this book. My copy is already highlighted and dog-eared from so much use. By the way, I don’t know Sam Richter, or get a commission on sales of his book, but I do love to pass on valuable information when I find it.
What are you reading this summer? What’s your favorite sales strategy book? I would enjoy getting recommendations from you. Just hit the comments button below.
Looking for more ideas to easily increase your sales? Get a free Skyrocket Your Sales audio download with non-stop ideas to increase your sales, plus hundreds in supplier discounts and my new special report “10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them and Double Your Sales,” at my website www.promobizcoach.com.
