Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling

"Smart Calling should be on the desk of all sales managers so that they can empower their salespeople with a highly professional approach for engaging prospects and turning them into customers. When it comes to creating a salesforce that can prospect, Art Sobczak delivers the best results."

—Gerhard Gschwandtner, CEO, SellingPower.com and Selling Power magazine

"If you make cold calls, and want to make them smarter, better, more fun, and actually convert them to sales, this is the book! Buy it to increase your call-to-sale ratio, and your sale-to-bank account ratio."

—Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Little Red Book of Selling

"You get only one chance to make the right impression in sales. If a top prospect gets a hundred calls a week, you want to be the one he remembers and buys from. Art's proven methods create a unique brand for you and position your offering as the best option. Art's advice isn't just smart, it's priceless."

—Bob Silvy, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, American City Business Journals

"Smart Calling effectively enables inside sales reps and organizations to accomplish a top priority: acquiring new customers. Art's pragmatic and actionable techniques will increase productivity, success, and professional satisfaction."

—Bill McAlister, Senior Vice President, Inside Sales, McAfee

"Finally, a sales book that makes sense! As a master sales trainer, Art nailed—no, obliterated—the number one fear of selling in this great book: cold calling! Let him teach you to stop cold calling and start Smart Calling!"

—Larry Winget, television personality and New York Times bestselling author

"A must-read, must-own book for anyone who wants to increase their sales right away with less effort and more fun. I'm so sure this book is a winner for anyone who needs to call prospects that I'll personally assure you that your results will increase noticeably after reading it, or I'll send you your money back."

—Mike Faith, CEO and President, Headsets.com, Inc.

"If you need to make a first call to anyone, for whatever reason, this book is for you. More than common sense, it's a real world, no-fluff, simple approach that anyone can use to be successful."

—Darci Maenpa, President, American Teleservices Association West Coast Chapter; Director of Member Support, Toastmasters International

While other books on cold calling dispense such long-perpetuated myths as "prospecting is a numbers game" and salespeople need to "love rejection," Smart Calling empowers you to take action, call prospects, and get a yes every time. No matter whether you're a sales professional, freelancer, sports recruiter, or fund raiser, anyone who calls people they don't know with the objective of persuading that person to take action will learn from this book.

Cold calling is dumb. But telephone prospecting is essential for business sustainability and growth, and Smart Calling provides the answer. This proven process systematically prepares you for your calls and allows you to create a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere in which to do business over the phone. This indispensable guidance equips you to:

• Create your possible value proposition
• Gather intelligence to make your calls smart
• Use "social engineering" to get insight on your prospect
• Work with screeners, gatekeepers, and assistants
• Perfect your opening statement
• Minimize resistance
• Get a commitment for the next action
• Stay motivated
• And more!

This Second Edition also includes additional examples, tips, techniques, and success stories from readers, as well as information about new technology that will help you smarten up your calls. Get a "win" every time. Conquer your fears and master the art of the cold call through the genius of Smart Calling, Second Edition.

Cold calling is not only one of the fastest and most profitable ways to initiate a new sales contact and build business; it's also one of the most dreaded—for the salesperson and the recipient. Smart Calling has the solution: Art Sobczak's proven, never-experience-rejection-again system. Now in an updated 2nd Edition, it offers even smarter tips and techniques for prospecting new business while minimizing fear and rejection.

While other books on cold calling dispense long-perpetuated myths such "prospecting is a numbers game," and salespeople need to "love rejection," this book will empower readers to take action, call prospects, and get a yes every time.

• Updated information reflects changes and advances in the information gathering that comprises the "smart" part of the calling
• Further enhances the value and credibility of the book by including more actual examples and success stories from readers and users of the first version
• Author Art Sobczak's monthly Prospecting and Selling Report newsletter (the longest-running publication of its type) reaches 15,000 readers, and Smart Calling continues to rank in the Top 20 in the Sales books category on amazon.com and has sold over 20,000 copies

Conquer your fears and master the art of the cold calling through the genius of Smart Calling, 2nd Edition.

SECTION ONE The Smart Calling Concept 5

CHAPTER 1 Cold Calling Is Dumb, but Prospecting Is Necessary: Smart Calling Is the Answer 7

SECTION TWO Pre-Call Planning 19

CHAPTER 2 Creating Your Possible Value Proposition 21

CHAPTER 3 Intelligence Gathering: Making Your Calls Smart 37

CHAPTER 4 Using Social Engineering to Gather Intelligence 57

CHAPTER 5 Setting Smart Call Objectives and Never Being Rejected Again 65

CHAPTER 6 More Smart Ideas for Prior to Your Call 73

SECTION THREE Creating and Placing the Smart Call 85

CHAPTER 7 How to Be Smart with Voice Mail 87

CHAPTER 8 Working with Screeners, Gatekeepers, and Assistants? 99

CHAPTER 9 Opening Statements: What to Avoid to Minimize Resistance 109

CHAPTER 10 Creating Interest with Your Smart Call Opening Statement 123

CHAPTER 11 Handling Early Resistance on Your Smart Calls 133

CHAPTER 12 Using Smart Questions 143

CHAPTER 13 The More Important Side of the Question: Listening 159

CHAPTER 14 Recommending the Next Step 165

CHAPTER 15 Getting Commitment for the Next Action 175

CHAPTER 16 Wrapping Up Calls and Setting Up the Next Action 185

SECTION FOUR Putting It All Together 195

CHAPTER 17 How to Sound Smart: Effective Telephone Communication 197

CHAPTER 18 Getting and Staying Motivated 203

CHAPTER 19 More Smart Calling Success Tips 215

CHAPTER 20 A Smart Call Case Study and Makeovers 221

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 233

INDEX 235