Telesales Tips From The Trenches: Secrets of a Street-Smart Salesman (Paperback)

by Joe Catal (Author) "Before I get started showing you how to make money on the phone, you first have to know how to use it..." (more)
Key Phrases: joe cata, sending info, poor time management, Joe Catal, Hello Jim, John Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This 217-page book is for anyone who ever has to call a total stranger who has never heard of you or your company, and you're trying to ask him for money, an appointment, or get an information package in his hands on the initial call.

It's for the person whose paycheck is dependent upon producing sales. It gives hundreds of ideas and concepts showing you how to sell in a systematic and intelligent manner, learned from years of selling in the trenches. What you read today, you use today. No filler, just time-tested technique after technique.

See three actual chapters from the book on voice mail, screeners, and opening statements.

If your competition reads this book and you don't, you or your sales force won't stand a chance. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what the top sales reps are doing by phone.

Here Are Just a Few of the Hundreds of Tips

• How to write an effective opening

• Answers for any type of objection

• Callback scripts that close the sale

• Leaving voice mails that get results

• How to find hot leads

• Selling on the inbound call

• How to get quality referrals

• Sure-fire closing techniques

• How to steal accounts

• How to get past screeners

• Great questions to ask

• How to prospect painlessly

• Selling large accounts

• Why you should raise your prices 25%

And much more!

About the Author
Joe Catal is a salesperson just like you. He has averaged 100+ calls per day since 1985. He has heard over 350,000 "no's" by phone-while consistently being among the top salespeople everywhere he's worked. He has sold insurance, computer-software, websites, furniture, warranties, pet insurance, long distance services, radio advertising, and financial services. He has tested these tips "in the trenches" and they'll help you dramatically increase your own sales and appointments.

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Business By Phone (January 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188108115X
• ISBN-13: 978-1881081159
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,420 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars? A more jaded review....., June 3, 2003

By	Christian Phillips "cjphillips5" (NH United States) - See all my reviews

I was prompted to purchase Joe's book after reading the high praises the book received from past readers. Alas, after reading it, I became clear that, to paraphrase a well known saying, '50+ 5-star reviewers actually CAN be wrong'.

But first, my bias. I am involved in an inside sales position where what I call a "sale" is a just cold called prospect saying "OK, I will sit down and meet with your field sales representative". So what my clients "buy" is not a actual product or service, but rather they 'buy into' the AOK to start business discussions. So call this 'soft', 'consultative', 'strategic' selling...whatever, 40+ hours a week I am on the phone talking to people whom I have never met about businesss issues that may or may not be relevant to them.

Keeping this in mind, if I were to try many of Joe's recommendations in my daily discussions with business clients they meet with as much welcomed receptivity as a loud fart in church. Joe's sales vision and ideas simply would NOT work in my sales world. If you are a sales person making a living on your ability to entice a business person whom you have never met to discuss big money solutions/products/services/etc., this book will NOT do you any favors.

But, if you sell a service/product that can be purchased in a one time shot over the phone then definitely give the book a try. I have read a number of telesales books in the past and this book definitely gives more solid tricks of the trade, tactics you can use immediately, than most books I have read. Just make sure that what you are selling can be sold in a single call (or at least within a week and without an actual presentation).

Happy hunting!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, August 8, 2004

By	Jim Sample (California) - See all my reviews

This is a no B.S. book on what it takes to sell by phone.
Whether you're setting appointments or closing the deal by phone it really doesn't matter. This is a hard hitting book.
I like the authors no nonsense approach to selling. They're either a high probability prospect or not.
The book teaches you how to get in and out of calls quickly and find the buyers today. The best on phone sales I've ever read.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of tips, lots of typos, lots of contradictions, August 12, 2005

By	D. Miller (Wichita, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Overall, I would say it is a good book for non-sales people to buy. Joe points out many things to think about and makes many good suggestions.

Two things bother me about the book:

- It has numerous typos and grammatical errors. Sometimes I've had to re-read sections to understand what he meant to say.

- There are several contradictions. One example is on page 25. He says: "If they don't return your call, wait two days before calling back." But then 2 sentences later says that you should leave a voice mail stating: "If I don't hear back from you by the end of the day, I'll try back before I leave the office."

Personally, I don't want to buy from a sales person that doesn't do what they say they are going to do, so this is a really poor suggestion and really poor customer service (especially if the person you are calling really does want to talk to you)!