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Joanne Black

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Founder, No More Cold Calling

284 points

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling. A captivating speaker and innovative seminar leader, Joanne is changing the business of sales. Referral selling generates revenue faster than any other business development method—while decreasing costs, aceing out ...

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling. A captivating speaker and innovative seminar leader, Joanne is changing the business of sales. Referral selling generates revenue faster than any other business development method—while decreasing costs, aceing out the competition, and gaining new clients more than 50 percent of the time.

Joanne is the author of NO MORE COLD CALLING™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust from Warner Business Books. In this groundbreaking book, Joanne outlines her powerful, proven, step-by-step system for building a referral business.

Some of Joanne’s views are contrarian, and in the established school of traditional sales, considered heretical thinking. But for Joanne Black, and her clients, the only smart approach to client acquisition is referral selling.

True to her commitment and philosophy, Joanne has built her business solely on referrals.

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May 25, 2012

Joanne Black recommends this answer by Axel Schultze

What's your reaction to cold calls?

I never bought anything (business or personal) from a cold call. I would actually never even take a cold call. And as such I don't ask my team to do any cold calls - not any more :)
Yes, referrals are no.1 - 60-80% of ... more

Business Development

May 24, 2012

Joanne Black and 2 other people answered this question

What is the most effective way to engage with new potential customers?

Hi Jo:
Engaging with sales prospects happens in a variety of ways. You can begin an online communication through social media. However, the most effective method to engage is to receive a referral introduction from a trust source of the prospect.
Use social media and ... more

Small Business Advice

April 25, 2012

Joanne Black and 11 other people answered this question

What are the most effective sales techniques and what are some alternatives to cold calling?

Yes, we need to do research and document the client's problem first. But the best alternative to cold calling is asking for referrals and receiving introductions to your sales prospects.
So many salespeople assume their clients and others will refer them. Sometimes they do, and ... more

March 19, 2012

Joanne Black and 11 other people answered this question

How do you stay focused?

Do what's closest to cash first, and everything else falls into place. Patrick, start by outsourcing your administrative tasks. That will free up a lot of your time. I outsource the tasks I don't want to do. That frees me up to focus on the ... more

Personal Productivity

Feb. 8, 2012

Joanne Black recommends this answer by Nancy Nardin

How to make cold prospects warm customers?

Find a way in - through an introduction. You can do this by searching LinkedIn for connections. But there are other tools, like IntroRocket which make the job much easier and faster. With LinkedIn alone, you would have to be connected to each one of ... more

Jan. 24, 2012

Joanne Black is now following Marcel Sendejo and 9 other people

Jan. 22, 2012

Joanne Black and 3 other people answered this question at this roundtable

FSI Sales Office Hours: Sales People Need To Be More Pushy! [1/19 @ 1 pm]

Is there a difference between being pushy and being persistent?

There's a fine line between pushy and persistent. Clients appreciate persistence. Following up with sales prospects and clients is persistence. Attempting to contact prospects too frequently and pitching product is pushy. more

Future Selling Institute

Jan. 4, 2012

Joanne Black answered this question at this roundtable

Power of “Face-to-Face” in a Technology World [1/24 @ 11 am]

I trust that there will be several success/ actual case studies?

Hi Bruno:
Yes, we plan to include some amazing real-world examples. If you have one to share, let us know. more

Dec. 29, 2011

Chris Casel selected a best answer for

What was your favorite Lead Generation tool you utilized in 2011?

Content Marketing

Lead Generation

Dec. 27, 2011

Joanne Black and 13 other people answered this question

Is offering discounts the right strategy to attract customers?

I agree with Michael 100%. One wise salesperson said to me: "Would you like me to discount my effort?" Beware of price buyers. They will continue to chip away at you. Price your products fairly and make the business case for why people should buy. more

Dec. 8, 2011

Joanne Black and 3 other people answered this question

What tips do you have to help sales reps get more creative with their prospecting efforts?

I agree with Sam that every salesperson must identify potential problems and connect the dots between the problem and our solution. It's never about us.
However, sales reps don't need to be creative. The prospecting approach that works every time is a referral introduction. When you ... more

Nov. 2, 2011

Joanne Black and 46 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Customer 2.0 Is Mad as Hell [11/3 @ 11 am]

Are face-to-face conversations still the most powerful way to connect with a prospect?

People buy from people, not from technology. Technology is a great tool, but the personal connection seals the deal. Face-to-face means different things today. Yes, jumping on a plane, driving, or catching a train all make sense in many situations.
New technology from iMeet, gives face-to-face ... more

Nov. 2, 2011

Joanne Black and 5 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Customer 2.0 Is Mad as Hell [11/3 @ 11 am]

Isn't sending an unsolicited email to someone the same thing as cold-calling them?

Hi Craig:
The answer is yes. Unsolicited emails, phone calls, and knocks on the door are all cold calls. Why? Because a cold "call" is contacting someone who does not know you and does not expect your call. It's really that simple.
With so much sales ... more

Oct. 27, 2011

Joanne Black and 6 other people answered this question

What's the best way to ask your clients for referrals?

Hi Catelyn:
Actually, I prefer ABA--Always be asking...

Sept. 27, 2011

Joanne Black and 2 other people answered this question

If you could change 1 thing about sales today, what would it be and why?

Actually, I have two answers, and they're connected.
1. Stop cold calling and implement a strategic, disciplined, measurable referral program. Referrals are gold. We arrive pre-sold, have credibility, ace-out the competition, and convert sales prospects to clients more than 50% of the time.
2. Stop relying on ... more

Sales Management

July 12, 2011

Joanne Black and 6 other people answered this question

What are some of the most common mistakes salespeople make in their presentations?

You nailed it, Jeff. Too many presentations start with the history of the company and the services they provide. Forget it. One of the best strategies we used at a consulting firm I used to work for was to summarize all of the issues we ... more

Sales Management

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