There’s nothing more frustrating than to go through all the effort to reach a sales prospect on the phone to schedule a sales meeting, and then on the day of the event, the sales prospect pulls a ‘no-show’ and disappears without a trace. It happened to me again last week, and I swear it has happened to me for the last time.

Halloween is almost here so let's talk about the 'bloody' business of sales prospecting. I'm referring to the sometimes frightening ways you speak to sales prospects over the phone to hook their interest in your product. Does it feel like a 'horror show' at times? Do you choke under pressure? In general, are you making a 'bloody' mess of things, and scaring away your best prospects? 

How much time does it take for you to shake someone’s hand? One second. Maybe two? Now you know how much time it takes to create the right, or in some cases, the wrong first impression of yourself.

For the record, I really like Van Halen, and I prefer the David Lee Roth version of Van Halen in particular. Last year, Van Halen toured North America, and when I received news of when tickets were to go on sale, I was determined not to miss the show.

The US Open tennis tournament has started here in New York, and it’s got me thinking about the gold call. I’ve noticed that having a dialogue with a sales prospect is similar to playing tennis.

To help make my point, I draw your attention to some terms associated with tennis that you may be familiar with:

I'm often asked the question about when to use humor in speeches, and when having a dialogue with clients. As a rule, I let people know that too much of anything, including humor, can work against you in your quest to be funny. Now a recent study proves that a bad joke, or a missed punch line can actually do more harm than good. Up until now we could only imagine the penalities of a failed attempt at humor. 

Do you like cats? Have you ever picked up a cat to suddenly find out that the cat does not like to be held? Do you remember how it felt while that cat scratched and clawed their way out of your arms, and back down on the floor where they belong?

I attended the National Speakers Association conference in New York City this past week. NSA members were treated to a host of great speakers during the three-day conference. We heard speeches from some of the real titans in the world of business and entertainment. I had an opportunity to meet Steve Forbes up close. I shook hands with Bill Marriott Jr., and met David Barger, the CEO of JetBlue Airlines.

Play the YouTube video clip on the Gold Call home page (www.thegoldcall.com) titled, "The Sales Meeting", and discover a new way to solve an expensive cost of sales problem; the growing inability to reach sales prospects on the telephone, and close new sales meetings on the calendar.

It’s one thing to gold call your way onto your prospect’s calendar, and into their office. That’s just the beginning. Now that you’ve got an appointment set with your prospect, now it’s time to hit the road and get your ‘day in court’. Just don’t forget to take your gold call, on the sales call!