Interview with Joanne Black

It’s easy for Joe and Roger to get excited about technology but as we all know only too well, technology is not always as good a solution as more traditional approaches. Our guest today, Joanne Black, reminds us of this point and stresses how important personal relationships and referrals are to business success. It’s smart to keep in mind that technology works best as an enabler to personal relationships. With over 30 years of sales training and consulting experience, Joanne's philosophy is that no one should ever have to make a cold call. Some may see this as heretical thinking, but for Joanne Black – and her clients – there is an alternative. It's called referral selling. Joanne has provided sales strategy consulting since 1996, when she developed the No More Cold Calling concept – that building relationships and getting referrals generates sales faster and more cost-effectively than cold-calling. Joanne began her career in the sales and management training program at Joseph Magnin, a leading fashion house in the San Francisco Bay Area. She learned the nuances of selling, customer expectations, handling problems, and working with a diverse work force. After co-founding and operating a successful retail business while in her early twenties Joanne moved on to sales leadership positions with Omega Performance and The Forum Corporation, where she served clients such as Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Gas & Electric, Shell Oil, and VISA. Joanne Black is a leader with integrity, determination, and the clarity to see how conventional sales "wisdom" isn't always so effective. Joanne guides client companies away from inefficient and ineffective business practices, and gives them clear directions towards business growth and success. Thanks for listening to the Cullinane & Green Report --- and remember, we're on the bleeding edge so you don't have to be! (tm) --------------------------------- Copyright 2006 Cullinane & Green, Inc. All rights reserved.