A new computer and a bright future in sales

I would like to wish an especially happy new year to all the salespeople reading BizMojo Idaho. Nobody faces a greater challenge in this economy.

Here are some bullet points from a book review of "Up Your Sales in a Down Market," by Ron Volper. I found them interesting, and maybe you will, too.

• “Top performing salespeople ask four times as many questions as their less-successful colleagues.”
• “If you call prospects cold there is only a 2 percent chance you will speak to them, if you have a referral your odds jump to 20 percent, but if you have an introduction they jump up to 60 percent.”
• “Top salespeople write out and practice their sales presentations three times more often than less successful salespeople.”
• “Seventy percent of salespeople said they failed to close business because of price, whereas only 45 percent of their customers said price was their main objection.”

That last point sounds particularly intriguing. Here's a link to the full review: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/01/review-up-your-sales-in-a-down-market.html.

Don't say I never did anything for you.