Art Sobczak

The difference between a sales technique being effective, and sounding cheesy is sometimes like the old real estate adage: location, location, location.

For those salespeople and managers out there who whine about how hard it is to actually talk to people, and that they are contacting so many more people by email because it's more effective, here's something to chew on.

The simplest things can often yield the greatest results. Or, ignoring them can mean negative implications, including losing sales opportunities.

In today's constantly connected and always-communicating environment, why is it that—it seems to me, anyway—communication skills are worse than ever?

Ever have that prospect who doesn't follow through with what they promised to do by the next call?

When prospecting, even if you do everything I suggest in my Smart Calling tips, point-by-point perfectly, and deliver what you feel is a tailored, value-packed opening statement, you will still get people who respond with some variation of "I'm not interested," or, "We're happy with what we're doing."

On the phone you have about 10 seconds or less with your words to capture a listener's attention, break their preoccupation with whatever they were doing when you called, and place them in a positive, receptive frame of mind to share information with you and listen with an open mind.

Here's one for those of you who think that the mail and e-mail will do your selling for you. It's a call I received.