Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank our agent, Neil Salkind of Studio B (www.studiob.com), and our editor at John Wiley & Sons, Shannon Vargo, for breathing new life into one of Ralph’s first and most successful books. Thanks also to Lois Maljak, Ralph’s second in command, without whom this project would not have been possible. Special thanks to Ralph’s wife (and girlfriend), Kathleen Roberts, who read and critiqued the entire manuscript and added her own personal touch. Thanks also to Ralph’s team of dedicated and talented professionals who work side-by-side with Ralph in the trenches every day:

• Sue Bernier

• Lisa Doroh

• Paul Doroh

• Sarah Hodges

• Michele Milam

• Ismeta Preldzic

• Jessica Ruddle

• Jeannie Sample

• Steve Sample

• Joy Santiago

• Frank Sattler

• John Selby

• Michele Selby

• Lauren Wroblewski or McDowell or McDowellski or Wroblewski-McDowell (she can’t decide since she just recently got married)

Thanks to the team at Wiley, including Jessica Langan-Peck and Linda Indig, for transforming a high-quality manuscript into an exceptional finished product and tying up any loose ends.

Numerous salespeople and other inspirational souls generously shared their ideas and stories with us (and ultimately with you, the reader). You will meet many of these individuals as you take the 52-week journey that is this book.

We would also like to thank the numerous salespeople who shared their ideas about their profession, reviewed specific chapters, and inspired some of the content. This book would be poorer without their help. Among those we want to thank specifically are the following:

• Mikal Belicove is a seasoned freelance writer, ghost blogger, and new media corporate communications consultant who’s hotwired to the Internet and the Internet community. Mikal contributed his expertise to the chapters on corporate blogging and social media marketing. For more about Mikal, visit his blog at www.belicove.com.

• John Featherston, president and CEO of RISMedia (www.rismedia.com), was instrumental in the creation of Week 47, “Build Your Own Sales Team.” John is an expert on building power teams for the real estate industry and publishes the monthly Power Team Report for RISMedia. Look for John’s book, co-authored with Ralph R. Roberts, Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team.

• Michael Soon Lee, MBA, is a diversity expert who speaks around the world on selling to multicultural customers. Michael’s insights on multicultural marketing and cross-cultural selling inspired some of what we include in Week 45, “Expand into Multicultural Markets.” Look for his book, co-authored with Ralph R. Roberts and Joe Kraynak, Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies. To find out more about Michael and his multicultural approach, visit his web site at www.EthnoConnect.com.

• Terry Wisner, “The Life Saver Dude,” created the Personal Partnering Process™ to help people become more successful both personally and professionally. He also inspired Week 33, “Team Up with a Personal Partner.” To learn how to bring clarity, focus, and accountability into your life, visit Terry’s web site at www.TheLifeSaverDude.com or www.p2s.us.

• Terry Brock is a professional speaker and a columnist for business journals around the United States. He writes about technology, marketing, and the Internet in his weekly column, Succeeding Today. Terry’s insights on R-commerce (relationship commerce) inspired Week 36, “Nurture Relationships.” For more about Terry and what he has to offer, visit www.terrybrock.com.