Tough Calls
Selling Strategies to Win Over Your Most Difficult Clients
From AMACOM Books, Released 1997

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table of contents

Since it’s publication in late January 1997, Tough Calls has gained unprecedented attention for a book in the selling category. By taking “the opposite approach of most books on selling in print,” Tough Calls has added new ideas and perspective to the subject of selling. Most books on selling focus on the behavior of the salesperson (i.e. how the salesperson answers objections, closes, etc.) Tough Calls focuses on the (challenging) behavior of customers and how to deal with it.

Internationally available in native languages:
Taiwan: through McGraw-Hill, Taiwan , Released in 2000
China: through The Shanghi People’s Publishing Company, Released in 2000

Korea: through Wisdom House. Coming in September 2001

Testimonials:
“A lot of books on sales claim to have all the answers. This one does. If you’re going to buy one book on sales this year, Josh Gordon’s “Tough Calls” should be the one.” Bill Keenan, Editor: “Selling Magazine”

“Writers on sales seldom capture the real world. Josh Gordon does so brilliantly. One of the most pragmatic and on target books on selling I’ve ever read. Edward M. Satell, Publisher: “The Selling Advantage”

Tough Calls is the most thorough, genuinely useful sales book that I’ve seen hit the market in my two years at The Competitive Advantage. It is the best sales book I’ve seen in that time. This is not hot air. I don’t give compliments freely.” Kurt C. Kemmerer, Associate Editor, “The Competitive Advantage”

Reviews:
“By taking the opposite approach of most books on selling, Josh Gordon has added new ideas and perspective to the subject of selling.” Sales & Marketing Management” magazine (UK)

“Gordon has succeeded in his aim to turn the subject of sales on its head, and the book should appeal to anyone in the front-line.” “Salesforce” magazine (UK)

In addition:
The editors of “Simon & Schuster’s Professional Selling” selected their article on “Tough Calls” as one of the year’s best four articles. It was reproduced and offered as incentive to bring on new subscribers.

The editors of “The Competitive Advantage” selected “Tough Calls” to top their Editor’s Choice list of the best 16 books on selling of 1997.

“Audio-Tech Business Book Summaries” 1997 brochure read, “Over the next six months we plan to summarize the best and most interesting books on the market...” The brochure listed only 15 books from authors including Stephen R. Covey, Michael Hammer, Andrew S. Grove, Ken Blanchard, John P. Kotter, and John Kao. Tough Calls was also on that list.

Broadcast Coverage:

• The FORTUNE Business Report

• CNNfn: “Who’s in Charge”

• CNBC: “Minding Your Business”

• NPR: on PRI’s “Marketplace”

• Wall Street Journal Television “Money Works”

• Business News Network radio

• KFNN Financial News radio

• Global Voice (Canada) “The World Report”

Book Clubs & Audio Programs

• Selected by Audio-Tech Business Book Summaries as one of the best and most interesting business books of 1997, audio summary created for their subscribers

• Selected by The Newbridge Book Club Executive Program as an offering, Winter 1997

• Selected by Sound View Executive Book Summaries for their “Executive Help” offering, January 1997

• Selected by the Folio: Library Book Club, and featured with a full page promotion that mailed over the cover of the May 1, 1997 issue of Folio: magazine

• Selected by Sales & Marketing Management magazine (UK) for an in- publication offering to their readers, March 1998

• Selected for audio interview Selling Power Live! Volume 1 Number 4

Featured on the cover of the following publications:

• Cover story: Simon & Schuster’s “Professional Selling” 5-25-97

• Cover story: “The Competitive Advantage” 5-97

• Cover story: “Sell!ng Magazine“ 4-97

• Cover story: “The Selling Advantage” 4-97

• Cover story: “The Competitive Advantage” 3-97

• Cover story: “The Selling Advantage” 3-97

• Cover story: Resource Strategies Institute’s “Managing Sales & Marketing” 2-97

• Cover story: “Sell!ng Magazine” 2-97

• Cover story: “The Competitive Advantage 10-97

Other notable coverage:

• USA Today

• Fortune

• Business Week

• Success

• Crain’s New York Business

• Selling Power

• “Money” magazine’s “Your Company”

• The Costco Connection

• Electrical Marketing

• Pharmaceutical Representative

• The Sales Rep’s Advisor

• Business Marketing

• Golf Pro Operations

• Life Insurance Selling

• Work Wise,” Mildred Culp’s syndicated newspaper column

• Brooklyn’s Progress

• Darnell’s Sales & Marketing Executive Report UK

• The Mail on Sunday (UK)

• Sales Force” magazine (UK)

• Sales & Marketing Management (UK)

• Business News (Canada)

• Biz Magazine (Canada)

• Strategems” (Canada)

(buy it now!)

Press Releases from "Tough Calls"

The most common problem client, by far, is the client who grinds you on price

• Client insecurity is the motivation for most problem client behavior

• Women and men find different problem clients stressful

• Almost one third of all job related stress for salespeople comes form dealing with problem clients

• The most stressful client to deal with is the client who complains about everything

• When selling the Fortune 500 expect more problem customers