Rating: 
Summary: Get This Book to Keep as Reference for Prospecting Success
Review: A number of years ago, I fortunately stumbled upon Bill's book - PROSPECTING YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS. I was so incredibly impressed by the book that I phoned Bill and told him I was interested in writing an article about him & his book. (I am the Publisher of AboutBizz Magazine and www.AboutBizz.com)
I arrived in Salt Lake City and spent 4 days with his staff and new as well as old users of Bill techniques and software package. What I found amazing is the system that Bill spells out in his book is literally automated in his software package that he markets primarily to the Financial services industry. People use his system and make money. That's all that counts...bottom line results.
Here's what you'll find in pages of PROSPECTING YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS.
1) He helps you discover the mindset needed for prospecting
2) He shows you how to create a system for prospecting using only 4x6 cards, various colored stickers and tracking sheets.
3) He gives you a simple script to use when prospecting
4) He shows you his approach to constantly "touch" you prospects with various letters, phone calls, faxes, etc....
5) Most importantly, he teaches you how to teach that same system to someone else so you can leverage your time and make money (or as he calls it Muh-Nee) with the people who are interested in selling you and buying your services or goods.
I have never found another book that spells out such a powerful system. The only thing wrong with the book is it is somewhat dated...why use card files when you can use ACT, Maximizer or Salesforce.com? But if you are new to business or sales and pennies are tight, then using Bill's book, you CAN make a system with simple cards and stickers and in short time, you can buy whatever computer you desire.
I know Bill sells his software system to the Financial services industry and only wish he had a generic version to sell to the others of us who could use his system. I tried to customize Maximizer to do what his system does...but quickly found the real value of Bill Good's expertise.
It is definitely worth your time to check out his website at www.BillGood.com ON his site you'll find audio programs from his Bill Good Radio.com programs where he interviews successful users of his programs. Tell them Wayne Clayton from AboutBizz Magazine told you about their site...they do have some restrictions of who can get into the site...maybe that'll help get you in.
What's the real value of a book like this? Well, when gasoline gets to $2-$3-$4 bucks a gallon, it is the person on the phone who can get make appointments and grow relationships using technology (email, fax, letters, phone calls -- and with a real reason to contact them, not just send them worthless literature) that will succeed and make money. Go out and guy this book today.
As a closing note, I have appreciated this book so much that I have personally bought and gave away 10 copies to people who I want to have success in sales...(and I NEVER buy that many of the same book!) Hopefully someday, Bill will get the chance to update his book and incorporate more examples of technology used to help implement his wonderful system.
Rating: 
Summary: process important
Review: As an engineer entering sales, prospecting was a mystery .. the book teaches sales as a process .. I'm surprised that the Strategic Selling gurus haven't added this to their system .. Will Bill be the next buyout .. honestly coming from Strategic Selling and Conceptual selling ,Bill's prospecting process completes the loop .. thanks Bill ..a none infomercial summary of important points would be helpful at the end of the book ..
Rating:
Summary: Wow...a classic in prospecting!
Review: Coming to the States, after been in sales management in Europe for over 15 years, this is definitely the prospecting bible of financial services in the US. The book can be very useful in other sectors, but has its optimum momentum in financial areas.
Not only does it appeal to a straight forward, from the gut approach to non-nonsensical prospecting, it also empowered me with a comprehensive marketing structure, to build upon an iron-stable structure.
Bill teaches how to 'get through' the consumer shield that the marketeers themselves created. His 'below the radar' approach to contact a prospect, and 'drip' in a gentle, escalating way, makes all the sense. I am looking forward to lay my hand on anything that comes from this mastermind of marketing for financial professionals. This book will be a must for every rookie that I will train.
Rating:
Summary: Great book! Buy it! He has a great series of techniques
Review: I have bought all that I could of Bill Good's previous materials. This book is an update on his previous book on sales prospecting. I also bought a tape set which was excellent. And I even paid his secretary to copy off some of his articles from his syndicated magazine column. His concept of a "transactional database" was eye-opening for me. He calls it "the change principle" and it deals with building your lists with people who are going through a change. For example, people who have just bought a pickup (a change) would be logical candidates for truck accessories. These types of people are higher probability buyers. In this Bill Good's book I averaged about 10 underlines per page. This is not a GENERAL how to, but a very specific one with lots and lots of examples and techniques. It's also fun and humorous to read. He also offers more material that can supplement the book via his web site. But you must buy the book to get the password to this material. This alone was a great idea that I hope to use myself. See, this guy is just full of great marketing ideas. I highly recommend this book, even if you have his previous version. John Dunbar
Rating:
Summary: Go For The Gold -- Prospecting in the 21st Century!
Review: I'm an executive sales coach, and I'm a big fan of intensive prospecting, especially in "hard economic times." This is the prospecting text I recommend to all my clients! In addition to great step-by-step directions for how to run a prospecting campaign, when you buy the book, you get passwords to the author's web site, which contains all of the tools, forms, sample letters and such that are found in the book. The author uses the analogy of prospecting for gold, which I think is a great one! Here's a small quotation from page 24: "Once gold was discovered in California, people came by the millions. They came to California because gold had been found there. They didn't stop at Ft. Lauderdale or detour through Rio de Janeiro or Easter Island. They were heading for gold-rush country! ... After the old prospector staked his claim, he would shovel the sand into his gold pan, and from that point on his primary interest was in getting rid of the dirt. Gold prospecting was and still is primarily the art of discarding that which is not gold. The prospector gets rid of such things as dirt, grit, gravel, mud and twigs."
Rating:
Summary: I made an extra $10,000.00 the second month after reading
Review: I'm in heavy equipment sales. No I'm not a shill as the moronic idiot wrote in one of the previous reviews giving this top shelf sales book only one star. I am however a top salesman of equipment and I have to say that after using just one of the great ideas that this man has to offer I was able to generate an additional ten grand in income. Not a fluke. The hard won sales savvy that this man has given to this book is worth its weight in gold. Buy it. Read it. But most of all USE IT! It has been several years since my purchase but I refer to it again and again. I can think of no other book I have read in my sales career that has had the impact this one has on my income and my approach to database driven selling and marketing.
Rating: 
Summary: Not so great ideas
Review: More of the same old ideas. If your are new in selling might help some.
Rating: 
Summary: Unhelpful hype
Review: The clappy-happy endorsements of this book are unbelievable shills- like the book itself. Keep looking. There are much better books out there. And no, Heiman doesn't need it, and Tom Hopkins is definately not the pick of the litter!
Rating:
Summary: Practical Ideas Abound
Review: This has more practical useful ideas per page than any sales book I have ever read. I recommend it to clients and people I meet all the time. I have probably given away 10 copies! A better book for sales people than for sales manager, it gives you everything you need except ability, a work ethic, and a good list broker, to make you successful in selling. If you are sick of trendy stuff like Who Moved The Cheese, and you just want something that will help you be effective in sales and make more money, Bill Good and Tom Hopkins are the best resources out there other than your own hard work. Hope he does another book soon!
Rating:
Summary: Practical Ideas Abound
Review: This has more practical useful ideas per page than any sales book I have ever read. I recommend it to clients and people I meet all the time. I have probably given away 10 copies! A better book for sales people than for sales manager, it gives you everything you need except ability, a work ethic, and a good list broker, to make you successful in selling. If you are sick of trendy stuff like Who Moved The Cheese, and you just want something that will help you be effective in sales and make more money, Bill Good and Tom Hopkins are the best resources out there other than your own hard work. Hope he does another book soon!
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