Tough Calls: Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult Customers [Paperback]

Josh Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 1997

"Tough Calls" shows salespeople how to effectively work with problem clients. The book clearly identifies 20 difficult personalities and gives readers specific selling strategies for each, including how to understand what not to do when selling to each personality type; persuade the client to buy by following proven approaches; close the sale, no matter how difficult the client; and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gordon is president of his own company, which represents publishers, and he sells advertising space for trade magazines. Instead of offering the usual advice for overcoming sales resistance, he provides this practical manual on handling 20 specific types of problem or difficult customers. Among the types profiled are those who are indecisive, abrasive, or incompetent. Gordon warns of possible pitfalls in handling each type, and he details a dozen or more selling and closing strategies for each circumstance. Without resorting to the motivational exhortation found in many guides to selling, Gordon offers straightforward, usable advice--advice that might even be helpful on occasion at the circulation or the reference desk! David Rouse

Review

"A lot of books on sales claim to have all the answers. This one does. -- Bill Keenan, Editor: “Selling Magazine”

Reviews: "Josh Gordon has added new ideas and perspective to the subject of selling." -- Sales & Marketing Management” magazine (UK)

Tough Calls is the most thorough, genuinely useful sales book that I’ve seen...I don’t give compliments freely." -- Kurt C. Kemmerer, Associate Editor, “The Competitive Advantage”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (January 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814479251
• ISBN-13: 978-0814479254
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,811,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, April 19, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tough Calls: Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult Customers (Paperback)

While most books about selling focus on the salesperson's behavior, this book focuses instead on the client's behavior and the sales approaches you should use depending upon just how weird or annoying - excuse us, that should be "challenging" or maybe "eccentric" - the client becomes. Josh Gordon clearly and effectively presents 20 different classic, difficult behaviors, including everything from "The Client Who Lies to You" to "The Client Who Knows It All." Gordon offers useful strategies for dealing with such personalities and situations, strategies that can help you make your sale and then make a clean getaway. The book is written conversationally and includes no filler or fluff, just plenty of well-organized and helpful ideas. We [...] recommend this book to anyone who has to sell a product, service or idea, because sometimes it is nice to know that you aren't the problem.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical advice, September 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tough Calls: Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult Customers (Paperback)

Found "Tough Calls" to be excellent and filled with street smarts. Unlike most sales books, this one is filled with real world issues faced by today's salesperson. We all have problem clients. This book effectively tells us how to recognize them and deal with them. The sales world is a challenging place today. You need this book to succeed. It has helped me immeasurably.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough Calls is a practical book with "news you can use"., August 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tough Calls: Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult Customers (Paperback)

Tough Calls is the most practical, no nonsense book on selling I have ever seen. Instead of the usual positive attitude stuff that wears off after a day or two this book is stuffed with great ideas that actually helps you make a sale. No jargon. No long useless stories. Just page after page of useful selling ideas.