It's amazing what you can learn about marketing if you can just find time to spend in a dentist's waiting room. I was reading a certain woman's magazine, which will remain nameless because of my allergy to lawsuits. The magazine obviously has figured out what sells well, given that it operates on a consistent formula.

For instance, one cover proclaims: "3 sizes slimmer by Memorial Day". Then, in one corner is a picture of "Cookies 'n Cream Cake", while in another corner is a picture of "'Lollipups' to brighten someone's day".

On another cover, main headline is: "Lose that BELLY FAT!", while a secondary headline asks, "Can't stop binging?" Just to make sure that readers can answer, "Yes", there is a nice picture in corner of a "Banana Split Cookie Cake" labeled "Yum!", and promise of "Family-pleasing Pasta dinners" inside.

See a pattern? Let's try one more. The big headline reads: "Lose 28 lbs by Thanksgiving". How? Perhaps big picture of a "Oreo Cookie Cheesecake" labeled "Yum!" will give us a hint. Or promise of "Best-ever Potluck recipes".

OK. By now I am sure you see pattern. That's right – poor grammar, punctuation and capitalization.

The other pattern is, of course, secret success formula:

1.Offer you a way to lose weight 2.Tempt you to put weight right back on 3.Offer you another way to lose weight

I pointed this out to my dentist, hoping he might decide to increase quality of reading material in his waiting room.

The next week, I returned to find that my observation had obviously made an impression on him. There was all new reading material: Yummy Deserts Magazine, Best Cakes Review, and The Sugar Mountain Weekly.

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The 3 C’s of Getting Your Foot in Door of a Prospect By Kathleen Gage

Are you frustrated with cold calling because of all rejection, phones slammed in your ear and being told to never call again? Wondering how some sales professionals seem to always be at right place, at right time? Feeling like you just can’t seem to get your foot in door of any new prospects? You’re not alone. These seem to be universal concerns for many sales professionals.

Getting your foot in door of a prospect often reaches beyond what most have been taught in sales training seminars and books. It is a state of mind, emotion and action.

As you think of prospects you want to meet and connect with consider following…getting your foot in door takes courage, creativity and consistency.

Courage – It has been said that courage is not absence of fear. It is ability to identify one’s fear and walk through it anyway. Where does fear come from when you try to get your foot in door? Perhaps it is fear of rejection. Maybe it is fear client is too busy. Perhaps one fears client won’t want or need product or service that is being offered.