Book Review: Combo Prospecting

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Combo Prospecting: The Powerful One-Two Punch that Fills Your Pipeline and Wins Sales

Author: Tony J. Hughes
Amacom, 2018
$18.95

How do you get to the people who matter? How do you get to the C-level decision-makers who are literally deluged with request for their attention coming at them from all avenues? From old-fashioned phone calls to cold calling to social media, these people are being attacked from all sides.

In this book, Tony J. Hughes has come up with a series of unique techniques combining social media and traditional methods to get to the right people with the right message using the right techniques. By combining today’s communication tools with yesterday’s proven strategies, the author has created a sales process that, if followed properly, is guaranteed to work.

Covering topics from relationship selling, to creating your own on-line brand, to social listening, getting though to not only CEOs but board members as well, this important book equips today’s salespeople with every tool they will need to make their forecasts, and more.

One of the more valuable insights in the book is the section on becoming a trusted advisor of any customer, which I personally have always believed is the ultimate goal of any salesperson. As for what is the problem with most salespeople, here is some insight from a CEO: “The number one problem with salespeople is not having enough in the pipeline…"

More root issues from the book:

• Enough know-how in driving sales success through old-school high levels of effective activity combined with new school digital engagement
• Lack of customer industry knowledge or poor understanding of the client
• Inability to leverage personal networks and technologies to find the right path for connection with decision-makers
• Inadequate insight and value narrative needed for senior engagement

Other valuable insights from the book include these from a CEO (condensed):

• I only meet people after a warm introduction from someone I know and trust
• Cultivate multiple stakeholders in my company and educate them on your solution, too
• Don’t be personal; stick to business
• Do your research; seeking a conversation with me without doing your homework is unprofessional and shows a lack of respect
• Know my industry
• Don’t appear arrogant
• Take the time to know how I define success
• Aspire to be a trusted advisor…act in our best interest

This is good advice from a person who knows what he's talking about. In this case, an executive who has taken the time to educate us as salespeople on who to work with in his company. This book is filled with this kind of valuable information. But I warn you this book is only for people who are dead serious about being successful, people who are willing to invest a great deal of time and energy into being the best. If that is you, then this is the book for you!

Find it in Amazon