Art Sobczak Profile and Articles

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1). Tips for Successful Negotiating by Phone
Most of us negotiate something every day. Whether it's getting our kids to willingly clean their rooms, or hammering out an elephant-sized contract with more details than a politician has “special-interest” donors, our ability to haggle effects our results. Here are some useful negotiating tips.

1. Define Your Negotiables Other than Price. Inexperienced, unconfident, or plain old lazy reps take the easy route and drop price at the first sign of the other person seeking to get a better deal.

2). A Review Of Opening Statements
For attendees of my Telesales Rep Colleges, and customized training programs for clients, I have a standing offer of evaluating their opening statements afterward. Here are a few submitted by the pros at Dobbs Publishing, a group of niched magazines for auto enthusiasts.

Joe Galloway faxed over several openers. The first one:
“Good morning Mr. Grabowski, my name is Joe Galloway.

3). Screener and Voice Mail Tips to Help You Get to More Buyers
Here are some ideas to help with screeners and voice mail.

Don't Get Lost in the Phone System Bermuda Triangle.
When initially trying to locate a decision maker you've never spoken with, if you detect even the slightest bit of hesitation in a screener's voice when they give you a name, continuing questioning. Nothing is as frustrating as being shoved from one unwanting soul to another like a hot potato.

4). You Are Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods made the single biggest impact on sports-any sport-anyone has made for a long time. Not only does he have the physical talent (which has been honed by years of practice), his “above the shoulders” game, at just 24 years old, is at a level many people never reach in a lifetime. Here's an example from his first year on Tour that we all can learn from.

5). How to Address the "Timing Isn't right" Objection
As with any objection, you need to break it down gradually with a series of questions. What you don't want to say at this point is, “Oh, OK, when can I call you back.” A date is of little use if they're not interested. Because they've then just given you the next date when they'll brush you off again.

Your first move needs to be,“I see. Let's talk about that.

6). How To Prepare for Cold Calls When Resistance is Likely
Many sales reps look at ads, direct mailing pieces, catalogs, the Internet, anywhere there's advertising as sources of prospects. This is wise. But I find so many of these people ill-prepared for what they inevitably hear on calls. Here's an example of what I received.

Caller: “Hello, this is Bill Jones with Video Recorders. I saw the ad for your Getting Through to Buyers video program, and we do video duplication.

7). Don’t Settle for Vague Answers
I arrived at the golf course to check in, and much to my surprise, the pro shop attendant said, “We don't have a reservation for you or the other person you mentioned.”

Shortly thereafter, my playing partner, Chuck (who had indeed called earlier for reservations), straightened things out.

Sitting in the clubhouse after the round (with just enough sweet shots to keep one optimistic about the sport) Chuck told me he had an inkling a mix-up would occur.