How do stellar sellers work their magic? From the first cold call to closing the deal, discover the top sales secrets of some seriously successful salespeople.

By Chris Penttila

How to sell more, better and faster: It’s what keeps salespeople awake at night, no matter what they sell. And in an economy that’s still soft around the edges, selling well is more important than it’s ever been. So how can you and your sales team excel at turning prospects into long-term customers? Here are 10 how-to secrets and words of wisdom from sales experts and entrepreneurs for mastering the entire sales process.

How to Make a Crafty Cold Call
“A cold call is not a time to make a sale. It’s [a time] to give something. The first question: ‘Is it OK if I share with you what we do and why people use us? Then, we can decide whether it makes sense to go further.’ Be as discerning of the prospect as they are of you. No one’s going to do business with a beggar.” —Bill Caskey, author of Same Game, New Rules: 23 Timeless Principles for Selling and Negotiating and founder of Caskey Achievement Strategies, a B2B sales training and consulting firm in Indianapolis.

How to Get Past the Gatekeeper
“Voice mail is today’s gatekeeper. The [most important] part of an effective voice mail is establishing your credibility by referencing a referral, your research or some newsworthy event in their company. The secret is to not talk about your product or service; focus on results. Talk like a businessperson, not a salesperson.” —Jill Konrath, founder of Selling to Big Companies, a St. Paul, Minnesota, sales training firm, and president of Leap-frog Strategies

How to Write a Stellar Sales Letter
“The secret to a successful sales letter is making it look just like a typical business letter. You want to position yourself as a peer who has a great idea and a helpful offer. In working with sales consultants at IBM, we coach them to start where the last conversation left off—something like, ‘After your comment to me on the phone last month, I’ve been thinking about a way to X.’ Your opening shot can’t be a misfire.” —Dianna Booher, author of E-Writing: 21st Century Tools for Effective Communication and founder of Booher Consultants Inc., a Dallas/Fort Worth-area communication training firm.

How to Generate Repeat Business
“Our customers aren’t customers; our customers are owners. That sets a certain bar. If one of our owners is going to take a flight, a sales vice president may be helping with the luggage and the catering. We feel like if we get in front of our customers and we hustle, at the end of the day, it will be translated into re-peat business.” —Kenny Dichter, founder of New York City-based Marquis Jet, a global leader in private jet cards whose Marquis Jet Card Program has a 90 percent customer renewal rate.

How to Close a Sale with Class
“At the end of a sales conversation, the customer knows everything [he or she] needs to know to make a decision. The key is to ask the customer to take action. Simply ask, ‘Why don’t you give it a try?’ Don’t sit there hoping that some-how, sometime, somewhere, the customer will take action on [his or her] own. Like a dentist’s job is to pull the tooth, the salesperson’s job is to ask for the order at the end of the presentation.” —Brian Tracy, author of The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible and founder of Brian Tracy International, a Solana Beach, California, sales consulting firm.

How to Meet a Prospect in Person and Leave a Lasting Impression
“This is your big chance to make an impression. Don’t have your cell phone and your pager on, and don’t have anything in your notebook that doesn’t have to do with that customer. Ask follow-up questions, clarify that you understand what they’re saying, and give them feedback that [shows] you’re listening. You don’t want an hour to go by where [the prospect] didn’t feel it was valuable spending time with you.” —Seleste Lunsford, co-author of Strategies That Win Sales: Best Practices of the World’s Leading Organizations.

How to Give a Great Sales Presentation in Five Minutes or Less
“Whether you have six minutes or 60 minutes to make a presentation, always organize your content, adapt to the moment and dialogue with your audience. Reveal your core statement early and clearly, and support it with no more than three main points. If pressed for time, leave anecdotes and stories on the sidelines.” —Bob Lipp, president of Better Business Presentations, a Great Neck, New York, firm that helps executives improve their presentations and public-speaking skills.

How to Surpass a Sales Quota
“People sit back and relax when they’ve made their quota. But that’s when you [should] really pour it on. At 5 o’clock, make 15 more calls. When you have a lot of business coming in and you are doing well, that is the best time to make calls to surpass your quota. Your actions are much more powerful when you’re doing well than when you’re trying to get started.” —Barry Farber, Entrepreneur’s “Sales Success” columnist and president of Farber Training Systems, a Livingston, New Jersey, sales management and motivational company.

How to Create Customer Loyalty
“The hardest thing is getting somebody to trust you. After you build a relationship, the trust comes. Going the extra mile, being a good communicator, letting them know if there are problems—that makes people feel good. Be consistent. Do what you say you’re going to do. When I see a parent bring a second child to me, that’s when I know I’ve created customer loyalty.” —Kara Vample Turner, president and CEO of 7-year-old Primary Colors day care in Durham, North Carolina.

How to Follow Up With a Prospect
“I learned the importance of follow-up early on. I probably lost several projects because I was shy. [Now], we look for reasons to call back. If we get a sense of what they want, we’ll sketch something, call them and try to get them back in. If you don’t care enough to [take the initiative and] call, I can’t imagine people wanting you to build their dream homes.” —Lambert Arceneaux, owner of Allegro Builders, a 9-year-old Houston home builder with nine employees and $12 million in sales for 2005.

Chris Penttila is a freelance journalist in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, area.