Writer Overcomes Fears to Achieve Success in Business

By Jonathan Farrell

In his new book "Conquering Cold-Calling Fear - Before and After The Sale," KTVU - Channel 2 media consultant Don Surath shares some important gems of wisdom about the business world.

With the economy in a downturn and the nation facing uncertainty, Surath's insight goes beyond the issues involved in making a sale over the phone. Written in an easy to read format, the concerns he highlights are universal to everyone trying to conduct business despite rejection. The first objective for successful cold-calling is for the caller to have a love of the job.

"To accomplish your goals in business you have to just do it," Surath said.

"I was a teacher in Detroit, Michigan, and it was during that time that the business my father owned was going through some dire circumstances," Surath explained.

He intended to simply get his father's business back on its feet and then go back to teaching. Yet once into business, Surath learned things that were "totally different from teaching." "You have to get tough and have courage to be in business," he said.

Courage seems to have paved the way for Surath's new business venture because Surath and some friends set out for California to sell comfort shoes during the '70s.

"Our shoes were Root Shoes, similar to the Earth Shoe," he said.

What Surath learned is that a business has little chance of success if you do not stand for something. In Surath's case, it was always having the newest styles of shoes that fit. With business experience gained, he continued in sales after he left the shoe business. From shoes it was on to media sales.

"I learned sales training while working at the shoe store. I always paid attention to sales training people," Surath said.

His accumulation of experience and training is what the book is all about.

"What I talk about really works. I don't tell people things that don't work," Surath said.

Surath then spoke of something very important in the business world - trust.

"The moment trust is broken the relationship between business sales and the customer will not last," he said.

It is trust and relationships that Surath sees as foremost, including relationships with other sales people and your boss. One way to face competition and avoid resentment is to try and be helpful. It is this helpful pursuit of contacts and relationships that keep Surath in stride.

Clients, fellow sales people, and former bosses agree.

"Don is in the top five percent of sales people. There are only a handful of really outstanding sellers and he is one of them," said Margot Martin, who has had the opportunity to hire Surath twice, once at the KFRC radio station and then again at UPN network affiliate KBHK TV in San Francisco. Martin works at Mill Valley Media, a global company he started in 1997.

"He was one of my most successful hires because, to Don Surath, the word 'no' is the beginning of the sale," Martin said.

He explained that in media sales many sales reps wait for the phone to ring to take orders from potential customers. But not Surath.

"Don will go out there and create business. He will bring in a sale from a company that had no idea they wanted to advertise on TV or radio before Don walked in their door. That is the definition of a seller versus an order taker," Martin said.

"Rejection is a necessary part of sales and should get a real seller's motor going. What it takes to be in sales is to either be fearless or take your fear and let it drive you right back in the door," he added.

Betty Tafoya, at J. Stokes and Associates, has been a client of Surath's for many years.

"Don is a great salesman as well as a great person. He has always been great about keeping in touch with me over the years," she said. "Don's been an asset wherever he has worked. He really did well even when it was a hard sell."

It is his ability to face obstacles that makes Surath a better sales person. As real estate agent Sarah Southwick said, "He takes a problem most people would shy away from and keeps at it until it's solved."

And those times when something is not solved and it's a bad day, Surath has a strategy for that too. "Do something good for yourself like buying and eating your favorite chocolate. Then clean up your desk, he said. "When in doubt, clean up."

For more information about workshops and seminars by Don Surath or where to purchase his new book, call (650) 224-4010 or e-mail YFDS@pacbell.net.