Art Sobczak's Telesales Blog

Tips, strategies, processes for prospecting, telesales, and general sales

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This Was a Value-Added Call

Mar 5, 2010 8:39am

One of my vendors, 800Link.com, the company we use for voice mail service, told us on a customer service call that we could reduce the amount we are paying each month, AND get a higher level of service by switching to a new plan. THAT was a value-added call. Some might...

Voice Mail Message from a Scum Scam Artist

Mar 4, 2010 6:21am

As if using the phone in sales and prospecting wasn’t challenging enough on its own, we also have to deal with working in an environment where there are scumbag scam artists duping unsuspecting targets. The legitimate office supply dealers and document imaging companies that sell toner know what I mean,...

Want a Dose of Motivation?

Mar 3, 2010 7:43am

I’m often asked who I like to follow for pure motivational and attitude information. Well, there are so many I could publish a directory. One that is certainly in the top 1% is my friend and fellow mastermind group member, Dr. Alan Zimmerman, who’s an expert on personal peak performance. He...

Here’s The Best Time to Call Prospects By Far

Mar 2, 2010 11:51am

I always laugh when I see the the "studies"or suggestions on "Best times to call" prospects. In fact, I devote a page to it in my new book, "Smart Calling." (Have you reserved your copy yet? Amazon.com is selling it at a pre-release discount of just $14.93) To summarize, my feeling...

They Sell Barns By Phone

Feb 26, 2010 7:30am

I always laugh at someone’s comment when I hear them say, "You can’t sell that by phone." It’s ignorant. Here’s yet another example of someone doing what others have said can’t be done: selling homes and barns by phone. Sand Creek Post and Beam last year made INC Magazines’s 2009 Top...

Man Suing My KC Royals for Getting Hit in the Eye With a Wiener (insert your own punch line)

Feb 24, 2010 1:23pm

This has nothing to do with sales. But I am so upset I had to share it with you. At this time of the year I get really optimistic, since Spring Training is now starting for baseball teams, and everyone technically still has an equal chance. I will attend as many...

Taking the Plunge into Facebook

Feb 24, 2010 6:40am

As if I didn’t have enough to keep me busy, I’ve officially gotten into Facebook. I promise not to use it to tell you what I had for breakfast (energy bar) or what I’m wearing (workout clothes). No, all of my speaker/trainer/author friends and gurus say that Facebook is an...

Presenting to the Sales Superstars of Tomorrow at Ohio University

Feb 22, 2010 7:27am

Last Saturday I had the great opportunity to present my Smart Calling workshop to the student, faculty, and partners of Ohio University’s Sales Centre. The Sales Centre is a certificate program at the University that trains and prepares its students to hit the ground running after graduation, with sales as...

“Why Cold Calling is Not Dead”

Feb 19, 2010 5:43am

As you might have noticed, I’ve begun shamelessly plugging my new book, "Smart Calling-Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling." In short, it shows you, step-by-step, how to acquire intelligence about prospects, and then how to USE that information in opening statements, voice mails, and questioning to generate...

Don’t Hide the Purpose for the Call

Feb 17, 2010 1:10pm

The caller greeted me with, "Mr. Soba-E-zack?" ME: "It’s pronounced Sub-check. What do you need?" "Oh, uh, sorry. I’m Pat Jones with Trojan Golf. You’re still a golfer, aren’t you?" (I’ll normally listen to ANYTHING golf-related, even if it is a telemarketer reading from a script, as this person was. At least their target...