Book Description

First published in 1989 by Warner, HOW TO CLOSE EVERY SALE is back with timeless sales advice.Teaching readers how to overcome objections and how to close even the most difficult sale, here are the inside tips, the philosophies, the fundamental principles, and the crucial fine points many salespeople overlook. Joe Girard explains how to make a prospect feel obligated to buy the product. He discusses how to recognize the right times for subtle high-pressure tactics and how to go double or nothing-and close that sale now or never! Whether it's casual browsers or professional buyers, the world's greatest salesperson will show readers how to turn every prospect into a closed sale, double-even triple-their income, and become the number-one salesperson in their field. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Must Read For Every New Car Salesperson
If you're new to the auto sales business get this book and read it and use the techniques that Joe describes and you will see your sales/closes increase dramatically- on the other hand if you've been in the business for some years-don't bother because you have developed so many unprofessional and negative habits to the point that you would not understand the value of this book and will continue your gypsy like existence of going from dealership to dealership for employment. But if you're new,young,fresh and open minded, this book will be a great aid to selling and above all respecting the customer.

The Sage Speaks
I have read some of the reviews for this book and thought I would throw in my 2 cents. I have had the audio version of this book in my car for the last two years. I imagine it is like having your successful uncle ride along with you, giving you information and tips you immediately understood were priceless but did not have time to write down or were desperate to remember later. Sure his information is very basic. Yet, it serves as a constant reminder to any sales professional that selling is really about understanding some very rudimentary motivations and making sure your product/service meets those needs. Oh by the way, thanks Joe - I am #1 in my territory and customer referrals bring in a constant flow of new business.

Highly Recommended!
Author Joe Girard provides a view of traditional sales strategies. He presents every step in the sales process and offers advice about every obstacle that you are likely to encounter. While his impressive credentials and experience qualify him to speak and write about successful sales techniques, these strategies, as presented in this book, may backfire when used on today's savvy consumers. Nearly every one of the author's suggestions involves obvious sales one-liners, maneuvers, and psychological tricks that today's marketing-saturated consumer is either immune to or would see right through in an instant. Although written in great detail with plenty of useful examples, this book serves best as an adjunct to other reading material on the subject. We at getAbstract recommend this book to anyone who has to sell a product or service and wants basic information.

Why car salesman have lousy reputations
I got this hoping to find some new ideas on how to help more people get our services. Mr Girad is talked about quite highly in sales circles. I commend him for his acheivements. This book may work well for small ticket items, but I personally found it offensive. It treats prospects as if they are incapable of having independent thought, and enjoy being manipulated. The single redeeming idea I got from the book was how well he kept in touch with past sales. By the way...Since Mr Girad did so well in his sales career, I would recommend to him to hire someone to read his books for him in the future. His monotone voice is distracting.

With respect to selling, this book has it all.
I was assigned this book by my boss to gain any information usefull to me for selling purposes.

This book had so many great tips and usefull common sense reminders that I was just amaized.

Anyone in sales will learn something from reading this, guaranteed! ... Read more

Book Description

Proven counselor sales techniques and problem-solvingmindset. ... Read more

Book Description

"As usual, Tom Stanley hits the nail squarely on the head. No one better illuminates the 'who, where, and how' of the affluent market in America."-J. Arthur Urcioli, Chairman and Chief Executive, Merrill Lynch, Business and Financial Services, Inc. "This book is the best guide to success that I've seen."-Mary B. Lehman, Managing Director, Banker's Trust Company, The Private Bank. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very Illuminating
I never realized how easy it is to network with the high profile people. Like anythingelse, it can be learned.

Networking With The Affluent is a must read for all entrepeneurs, sales and business people. This is the book that your most successful competitors are reading, using and applying.

Especially good for people in financial services
I work for one of the big 3 insurance companies and getting to know the affluent and working their nests is critical to my success.

In Networking with the Affluent, Dr. Stanley shows how to get into this market and offer quality financial products and services. To serve the affluent and others in their network.

You won't find any tricky techniques. But you will find some powerful ideas on how to substantially increase your production.

I have recommended this book to dozens of people over the years. And I can tell by their productivity if they have actually read it.

Get this book. It's great.

Excellent book to penetrate the affluent market
Dr Stanley goes over and above the call of duty with this great work. Networking With The Affluent will show you how to penetrate the affluent market...network with it's members and key players within their group.

This book will create relationships that many have heretofore, been unable to penetrate.

Great book by Dr. Stanley.

A very under-rated book! Where are the readers?
I cannot believe that there is not at least three pages of reviews for this great book.Being able to link up with "Mr/Mrs High Credibility" is so essential to successand this is the only book that shows the why, who, where and how.Severall years ago I joined toastmasters and as a result was invited to join other organizations as well. I have to admit that I was [initially] very uncomfortable sitting with some of the top CEO's, Board Members and social elite of my city. This book was recommended to me then and I have never looked back.As a result, I have been able to increase my client base, penetrate the affluent market and network with their associates.As I said in the heading, I cannot believe that there are not more reviews here. Perhaps readers are hoping to keep this their secret. I know that when I first heard about this book, I was hoping that none of my competitors would find out about it.I also recommend Dr. Stanley's excellent "Selling To The Affluent" and "The Winners Circle" by Robert Shook.

Some good advice on how to be useful to the affluent
If you need to rub elbows with the affluent, who better to learn from than the man who made a career of studying the wealthy? Thomas Stanley, bestselling author of "The Millionaire Next Door," teaches us the networking methods of individuals who cater to the rich in "Networking With The Affluent And Their Advisors."

Stanley writes: "...always remember that you will succeed in marketing if you focus on the needs of your targets." What are the needs of the affluent? Stanley focuses upon eight valuable services that individuals can provide to the affluent.

According to Stanley, the "Eight Faces of Networking" are:

* Being A Talent Scout
* Being A Revenue Enhancer
* Being An Advocate (to your clients' industries)
* Being A Mentor
* Being A Publicist
* Being A Family Advisor
* Being A Purchasing Agent
* Being A Loan Broker

Noticeably missing from Stanley's list is walking poodles. What sort of pets do the rich have anyway? Are they largely cat people or dog people? Or do they tend to avoid pets altogether due to the cost of caring for the furry little fellows? Stanley is silent on the issue.

But, I guess offering to walk a potential client's poodle wouldn't enhance the image of a serious business professional anyway. So, we'll let Stanley off the hook on this point of omission. Each of his other networking suggestions would tend to enhance a businessperson's reputation as a savvy businessperson with the client.

Being a talent scout means providing your network with information about reliable suppliers and people who might be able to provide valuable services. For example, Stanley notes that the majority of the wealthy are business owners, so they are constantly looking for sources of supply for their businesses.

Suppose the fat cat you want to do business with owns a bakery chain. If you've focused your attention upon the food industry, you might just know a good supplier of doilies. That information will come in handy when fat cat laments the lack of reliable doily suppliers. By asking fat cat about his most important goals and concerns, you learn how you can be of service to him.

Of course, if the doily supplier delivers deformed doilies, you might lose the goodwill of the fat cat. Stanley tells us to only endorse people who provide quality services and products, otherwise we compromise the value of our personal network.

Stanley says that it's often wisest to focus upon networking within a few industries because positive word-of-mouth flows more rapidly through inter-industry communication than through intra-industry communication. We learn that one of the best places to learn about an industry are the industry's trade publications and associations.

So, while you're browsing through "Gingersnap Today," in addition to learning about the industry, you'll learn about the movers and shakers of the baking industry. More people to add to your potential food network.

What do most bakers really care about? In fact, what do most wealthy people care about? Dough, of course! Business owners, especially, are always looking to grow their revenue. So, if you enhance a business owner's revenue, you will become a valuable member of his or her network.

Would doily supplier dare drop doing business with you in favor of your competition if you are providing many referrals and enhancing his doily revenue? Especially, if other people providing the same core service don't enhance his revenue at all?

Stanley gives us the example of a financial advisor who was talking with the wealthy owner of a welding company. Rather than focusing upon the financial advisor's "me, me, me" interest of getting as much money under his grubby management paw as possible, the advisor focused upon his potential client's real concerns and priorities.

Upon meeting the wealthy welder, the financial advisor immediately said that he had several clients who owned oil rigs which needed welding services. He put the welder in contact with the oil riggers. The welder received much business and opened a multimillion dollar account with the financial advisor.

Of course, savvy networking is sometimes derogatorily referred to as "The Old Boy's Network," where members only tend to do business with other members. But, everyone has the opportunity to create their own network. Building networks is an equal opportunity endeavor. Unfortunately, sometimes, people have network envy.

Also, notice that financial advisors and others offering core services to the wealthy tend to benefit most from such networking. This is especially true if the basic service provided is largely undifferentiated, as it typically is with accounting services or financial advising, for example.

Stanley argues that the core service provided clients must be worthwhile to secure and retain business. But, core services being equal, the provider who excels at revenue enhancement will probably win.

While revenue enhancement is crucial, maybe, top dog's greatest concern is building his new home. He's a successful doctor who hates negotiating and doesn't have the time for it. But, it so happens that you know the building contracting business and are a strong negotiator. By acting as a purchasing agent for members of your network, you can save members money. And, as they say, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Stanley relates the story of a successful CPA who saved his wealthy client about [money] on the purchase of a new home. When the successful doctor told Mr. CPA about his new home plans along with its 15% builder's fee and extra fees and commissions here and there, Mr. CPA offered to negotiate the final purchase on behalf of his client. Knowing construction, Mr. CPA knew that a 10% builder's fee was fair. But, the commission, paid to the builder, on the sale of the lot, owned by the builder, had to go.

Saving members of your network money on expensive purchases is one more way to benefit them.

Overall, if you provide a service to wealthy individuals and you wish to increase the value of your networking skills, you might find this book useful.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur" and "Becoming An Investor." ... Read more

Amazon.com

People always remember the times they encounter great service, as well as those encounters that aren't especially pleasant. In Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, Fortune 500 consultant Gary Goodman offers advice for ensuring customers recall the former rather than the latter when they think of your company. "Excellence in customer service doesn't come about accidentally," he writes at the outset. He then outlines the basic ingredients that make it an "everyday experience" over the telephone or in person--factors such as an eagerness to solve problems, delivery of performance or satisfaction guarantees, and presentation of unexpected extras. Goodman spells out specific ways to foster such proactive behavior among your work force, along with practical methods that measure their effectiveness. His tips include explicit suggestions for improving communication (i.e., have voice tones crest rather than decline, make sure pronunciation is clear, use "active listening" techniques); checking up on employee conduct (through techniques like customer surveys and direct observation, with the pros and cons of each process examined); and gauging the ultimate effectiveness of these efforts (through detailed assessment procedures for employees, team leaders, and managers). --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Monitoring and evaluating Customer Service in detail!
At a Call Center environment the Customers Service Representatives (CSR) are measured thru two main factors: Productivity and Quality. This books relates about CSR Quality and how to measure it. Mr. Berry's teach the reader what's the meaning of each evaluated aspect, like: Pitch, professionalism, courtesy, empathy and much more. When you give feedback to a CSR the most important is define with precision the boundaries of these factors.

When I was a newcomer in Call Centres Quality Assurance, this book was like an angel and I could established a QA Evaluating Form since the first read pages. This is not a theory book this is a very practical one!

Even though this is a must-consult book, I highly recommend it to Quality Managers and Analyst who are starting their careers in a Call Center and have to face a CSR for coaching purposes. For those who are pro's this book must be in their "favourites always consulted" bookshelves.

Best Customer Service Management Books I have EVER Read!
I have read a lot of books on Management, Customer Service and Call Center Management. This is by far the best.

This book gives step by step easy to follow instructions on how to hire the right people and create an excellent training program. The sections on monitoring and measuring service will help you take the mystery out of getting tangible data to evaluate your team.

If you want to know that your customer's are satisfied at the end of every call read this book!

Focused specifically on call center management
Goodman's book provides a wealth of information for managing a customer service call center. While some of the content may be transferable to other customer service settings, the majority of the book is directed soley at call center issues, such as telephone skills, call monitoring, etc. I would recommend the book only if you are managing a customer service call center. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Getting the SECOND APPOINTMENT

"Another great book from Tony Parinello! If you’ve ever lost a sale between your initial presentation and the second visit where you get their approval on the paperwork, this book is for you! Learn how to keep more of the sales you thought you made."
–Tom Hopkins, sales trainer and author of How to Master the Art of Selling

"Finally, here is a powerful, practiced, no-nonsense book that tells you exactly what to do and say to make more sales faster.A masterpiece!"
–Brian Tracy, author of Create Your Own Future

"Tony Parinello’s new book, Getting the Second Appointment is terrific. It is jam packed with solid sales strategies and tactical tips that will improve any sales professional’s top line!"
–Don Hutson, CEO, U.S. Learning and author of The Sale

"This is Tony at his best–nonstop and high value."
–Dave Stein, author of How Winners Sell

"Tony’s style and approach has made him one of the most popular speakers, radio hosts, and authors. Through his book, he deftly teaches the salesperson what to ask, say, and when to say it in order to get the second appointment and effectively perform the two-call close."
–Dave Mattson, VP Sales, Sandler Sales Institute

"Tony Parinello has done it again! Another original book full of practical examples, useful step-by-step strategies, and compelling insights to help salespeople be more successful. This book has a wonderful mix of practical examples and interconnected sales principles drawn from the author’s extensive experience in the sales profession that anyone can relate to and immediately apply to their sales approach."

–Madelyn Burley-Allen, President, Dynamics of Human Behavior

"If you need bigger sales in the shortest possible time while getting customers to love and trust you for life, then Tony Parinello is the only author who can guarantee you will reach your goals."
–Nance Rosen, author of Why Customers Buy

"After reading Getting the Second Appointment, I’m convinced that if I had had this information when I started my business in 1987, we would be hundreds of thousands of dollars richer today. This is a wonderful, clearly laid out, step-by-step system for anyone who wants to build lifelong, profitable relationships with their customers. Tony really demystifies what it takes to be successful in selling. Valuable for both start-ups and mature businesses, this book should be in the library of every entrepreneur."
–Susan Berkley, President, The Great Voice Company, Inc., and author of Speak to Influence: How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The techniques shared in this book have brought me success.
I have had this book for 2 months now and I am starting to see the return. The book has a tremendous amount of content and can be utilized as a guide for years to come. I sell in the IT industry and here is what I have accomplished with many of the techniques in this book.
I have reduced my pipeline by 40% with an increase in my sales of about 25% by having quality business and opportunities.
I have become more successful when I get in front of a C-level exec by talking "their" language and not getting sent down to their staff all the time.
I have used the squeeze technique in his book and it works like a dream.

I will admit, ADD gets in my way of reading. This book gets right to the point. How to get there and what to say when you do.

A wonderful how-to on getting the second appointment!
I love this book because it has a practical feet-in-the-street style and you immediately learn all of the how-to's of getting the second appointment. I recommend this book to everyone!

A must read for ALL Salespeople
Based upon reading Tony's new book I have instructed my sales team to "either get a committment on the second appointment from your prospect or move on!" Tony's techniques in this book has already saved us time and significantly decreased our cost of sales! Why couldn't he have written this sooner!

very helpful!
I'm a big fan of Tony Parinello and was happy to see this book come out. I like his books because he is very clear and helpful as he explains how to handle clients and how to better manage yourself. I rely heavily on sales experts like Tony to improve my pitch and my work in general. This book is a great addition to my library. ... Read more

Book Description

The author of the bestseller Selling to VITO returns with a 10-step plan for getting to the Very Important Top Officer's top of mind, top of wallet, and top of their "to-do" list
Anthony Parinello's Selling to VITO introduced salespeople everywhere to the Very Important Top Officer-and taught them the precise steps of how to sell to the person with the ultimate veto power. Now, Parinello returns with Getting to VITO, a one-of-a-kind sales resource that offers proven, best-practices advice on how-to get into VITO's head, get into their budgets, and get on their team as a "trusted advisor."
Based on Parinello's own extensive sales experience-as well as the experiences of the more than one million salespeople who've studied his VITO process-Getting to VITO shows salespeople how to:
* Find and pre-qualify the real VITO
* Establish real value in VITO's eyes
* Cut to the chase with seven different correspondence modalities
* Disarm every first-call objection a salesperson may encounter
* Deliver the show-stopper "elevator" pitch for every industry
* One-on-one coaching from Parinello's own professional coach!
Anthony Parinello (San Diego, CA) is the country's foremost expert on selling to top officers. His bestselling book and audiotape program Selling to VITO (The Very Important Top Officer) has sold more than 500,000 copies. Parinello's Secrets of VITO: Think and Sell Like a CEO was a Wall Street Journal bestseller and his most recent book Getting the Second Appointment has been accepted by his following as the new sales process of "choice." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Parinello Turns the Sales Game into an Art Form
Anthony Parinello is at it again.The sales training guru and author of several sales-related books, including the excellently written "Getting the Second Appointment" leads the way once again into the office of Very Important Top Officers (VITO).In his latest book, "Getting to Vito," Parinello elaborates even more on why it is important to reach and sell to VITO.

In this new book, the author stresses the importance of pre-planned calling, prioritization, correspondence, and many other topics that are designed to get salespeople talking with and selling to executive level officers.Not only does the book serve as a must-have reference guide but also as a motivator to all salespeople who go through the rigmarole of sweet talking gatekeepers, leaving tons of voicemail messages, and making sales presentations, and getting no results.

The chapter on how to leave voicemails (The Art of the Voice Mail Message) is a humorous and inspiring treat.Though the method he suggests requires energy, tenacity, and above all, courage, readers should expect to notice a higher number of returned calls in no time after using this technique.

Though the book contains lots of material from some of Parinello's earlier work, it should still be a useful tool for anyone who reads it and wants to sell to executives, especially those who have never read his previous books.This book is a must-have for sales folks who want to get out of the rut of performing below quota and want to make a powerful impact in sales.Parinello turns the sales game into an art form.

Recommended.
... Read more

Book Description

Life is not fair. Selling is not fair either. Look around and you will see that the salesperson with the best product doesn't always win the sale. It's because every salesperson out there claims to have the best service, the highest quality, and the best deal. As a result, customers are quick to commoditize these similiar-sounding claims of greatness, and they instead gravitate toward products, companies, and salespersons who can differentiate themselves in some way.

Fortunately, you don't need a huge advantage. Most sales are won or lost by very small margins. That means you simply need an edge--a differentiable advantage that will set you apart from everyone else. That's what you will find in this book--100 chapters, each designed to give salespeople a one-percent advantage over their competitors. After all, it only takes 1% to have a competitive edge in sales. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A resounding endorsement .....
..... ..... of Tom Freese's book - "It Only Takes 1%".

As a salesman, have you ever inquired of yourself:

1) why would the president invite me into his office ? 2) once in the president's office, how does one add value causing the president to openly discuss corporate issues? 3) how does one control the sale's process through the entire cycle - cold call, first meeting, beating the competition, adding value to the sale, looking for additional opportunities to sell, closing the deal? 4) have you ever witnessed your prospect assume a blank facial expression during your elevator pitch? Could this be because your pitch sounds like blah....blah....blah (the same as every other competitor's pitch of adding value, speed, functionality, scalability, etc)? 5) well then, how do you differentiate yourself?

Tom's book challenges all traditional sales methodology that I have been taught throughout my 15 year sales career. I have used several of Tom's techniques in my technical sales job. The customer response is phenomenal.

There is a lot to learn from this book!!!!

It's that little extra that makes the difference
Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned veteran this book provides simple and effective ways to improve your sales efforts. By applying these common sense (but many times forgotten) lessons you too will have a competitive edge in sales. This is a great book that is a quick and easy read. I highly recommend it. Good selling... ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing on his more than forty years of sales experience, master motivator Zig Ziglar provides a wealth of inspirational and practical information for making it in today's fast-paced selling world. Ziglar’s primary aim is to help sales professionals persuade their customers more effectively, more ethically, and more often! In this motivating book, he discusses:

• Where, when, and how to find prospects.
• How to deal with rude, angry, and disgruntled people.
• Why 70% of sales are made between 7:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M.
• How top-selling pros manage stress.
• How to best utilize the telephone.

Book Description

Selling is the second oldest profession, often confused with the first.

The notion of selling carries a lot of baggage. As it has developed, sales has often become a fear-based relationship. Customers are afraid that they will be "sold" a bill of goods, or that a salesperson will talk them into something that doesn't help them succeed.

On the other hand, salespeople fear they won't make the sale. If they "lose" enough sales, they won't make quota, and they won't personally succeed. In their quest to "close the deal," even some of the world's largest, quota-crazed organizations have, at times, developed a reputation for salespeople who are illusive, ignorant, and arrogant.

Buyers don't trust sellers. Because they aren't trusted, sellers have to guess, and often guess wrong. Buyers prove themselves right and create higher hurdles. And so it goes, with neither client nor consultant achieving success.

Helping Clients Succeed™ is fundamental to the success of any business. This program teaches you to become totally client-focused, break down the barriers of dysfunctional business development, and find rewarding, productive business relationships. With honesty, clarity, and authenticity, Mahan Khalsa cuts through the nonsense and focuses on getting results and helping clients succeed. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A great book for selling large deals
There are literally thousands of books on selling and most leave you with the feeling that you need to shower after you have read them. This one does not. Lets get real has a reality about it and a discussion of a simple process that reenforces all the things you knew about selling. The book hits the right blend of anedotal stories -- so you can see how it would apply to you and discussion of the process elements -- so you can figure out how to apply it yourself. This is no Zig Ziglar book -- this is something I want to conciously try to use every time.

The book is very clearly written and highly usable, breaking each aspect of the approach into small digestable chunks. Its something you can read and more importantly re-read/refresh yourself easily.

There is one limitation of the book. It seems to be geared more toward longer multiple call sales cycles, rather than transaction selling. At least that is the way I read it. I could not see my local car dealer selling this way -- although I wish they would.

This book is one that is going into my frequently read shelf. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to build commercial relationship with a client.

A way to do "this" and not be sleazy, slick or cheesy
It wasn't until I read this book that I felt anything positive about being in "sales". I had done it in my past and I was about to do it again and thank god for this book or I'd still be uncomfortable and tossing and turning in my sleep.

We need a new word, "sales", as this book so aptly puts it, is something you do to someone else. You "sell" them on something. Nobody wants to be sold, we all avoid salespeople and we all feel stupid selling other people on something. And those who do enjoy "selling" someone are almost always in pursuit of their own "victory", oif beating the other person into buying from them, overcoming obstacles, leaping hurdles and getting the BIG CLOSE.

They aren't really focused on the other person, an urge I sometimes fall prey to myself. Our culture makes competition and personal victories very seductive, it is what we talk about, sports teams are rarely congratulated on their effort or fine play unless they win. We view so many things as black and white, which is not natural, throughout human history you can see cooperation as a dominant and prudent way to survive and thrive, not competition (see a dense, but brilliant book on this "Nonzero : The Logic of Human Destiny" by Robert Wright). Sales is a no-win game for everyone.

Maybe there isn't any word, the "trick", the "gimmick" that this book extols is genuiness, simply being real, if you will. You meet someone, you listen, you ask some good questions so that you understand them well and what they are trying to accomplish, if you think there might be a way that you or your company can help them you offer it to them, if not, you wish them well and part graciously.

What is that? Being human? Being real? "being real" has a vaguely cheesy sound to it too, my only complaint about this book is it's title which can turn people off before they even open it. Again maybe there is no word. Many of us will simply go out and meet people and listen well and feel good about what we are doing and be personally successful as well...or are those the same thing anyway :-)

The real value of this book is some excellent exercises you can do in a meeting with someone, things to really challenge you to break out of old patterns, very, very deeply ingrained patterns.

A great no holds bar book
Mahan Kalsa is the master of knowing when to walk away and when to go for the jugular in sales. This no holds bar book will teach you to recognize that your customers and your prospects are no more important than you. His strategies and techniques ensure you will be treated as a consultant, and not just another salesperson. Why is it that salespeople often would rather have a "maybe" than a "no?" Mahan teaches us that to be the best of the best means knowing when to walk away and focus on other priorities. His system will increase your sales immensely, by speeding up your process. 5 stars all the way!

Good Book; Could have been a GREAT book
This book is one of the most accessible, erudite and informative books on consulting I've ever read. The conversational writing style makes the complex topic understandable. Having said that, the book has more spelling errors than any published book I've ever read. Some of them are GLARING errors too. I'm not sure if they rushed this book to press in 1999 to capitalize on the tech (read: consulting) boom that was happening at the time, but the book is very poorly edited in that regard. These are rookie mistakes. That speaks -- at some level -- to the overall credibility of the book. One of the assertions made in the book is to make sure your written proposal is well-written. If your resume (proposal) has spelling errors, that's just one more reason to disqualify you -- even if you're qualified for the job.

But that shouldn't be enough to keep you from buying this book. Khalsa lays out an easy-to-follow (if not complex) framework for getting to the bottom of a client's problem and finding the right solution for them.

It's a must-read if you're a consultant or if you purchase consulting services.

The guru in salesmanship
I first picked up the auditio tapes from one of Franklin Covey stores as recommend by the store manager. I listened to the tape. I think the book concept is very applicable and great. I really like his part on issue, evidence, and impact when it comes to analyzing issues. I use it in my consulting work now. I would recommend this to everyone who loves to learn the art of salemanship or marketing. I later went back to the USA and bought CD and the book. I bought more than 200 books in 3 years. This is the only title I bought 3 sets of the same title. Mahan is the man. If you want a book on marketing a consulting service. LETS GET REAL with Mahan Book and LETS NOT PLAY WITH OTHER BOOKS TOO MUCH. Go right into the sfuff in the book Mahan has to offer. ... Read more

Book Description

Today's buyers are tougher, more knowledgeable and more willing to play hardball than ever before. This practical, field-tested guide demonstrates that understanding the customer is the key to making the sale. With an introduction by Dr. Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, this is a unique book on selling for sales professionals and sales managers. Illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Superb selling process for serious sales professionals.
Getting Into Your Customer's Head is an excellent compliment to SPIN Selling and Xerox' Buyer Focused Selling. Understanding the buying process from the customer's point of view is critical to a sales rep's pocketbook as we approach the Millennium. The old sales processes are not working in the information age. Kevin Davis does an excellent job identifying the new criteria and psychology of today's customer. This book is a must for serious sales professionals who are committed to excellence

An ABSOLUTE "Must Have" book!!!!!!
Mr. Davis thoroughly outlines the key roles that all sales professionals should play daily. This book captures the very basic principles of buyer behavior at all stages of the buying process. Through "real life" examples in a variety of industries, Getting Into Your Customer's Head pinpoints the contemporary way to sell and to keep the customer.

Business Development Coordinator - SPSI
Everybody TALKS about "Putting the customer FIRST", but Getting into Your Customers Head is a blueprint to do it best.

Kevin Davis' work is strictly for those who truly strive to attain the level of "Solution Provider" and Business confidant; the highly regarded "Go To" person to whom customers are comfortable in divulging all the intimate details.

"Getting into your Customers Head" eliminates the "Commission Breathe" that all prospects and customers smell a mile away, and turns them off from the moment you open your mouth.

Forget the rest. "Gettting into your customers head" is SPIN Selling, Strategic Selling, Consultive Selling, Visionary Selling and Solution Selling all rolled into one.

It's a methodology to operate at the highest level of sales productivity. Better yet, it's easy to read, easy to learn, and easy to use.

BUY IT, absorb it, "walk it", "talk it" and "OWN IT", and you'll generate more business than your company can handle.

Drop all the other sales method books, NOW.
I wish I had read this sooner! No more sales cycle for me

The book was great!
After 20 years leading sales organizations, both large and small, I thought there was very little new that I could learn about selling. And I was right! What I had been missing until I came across "Getting Into Your Customer's Head" was understanding how customers buy. "Getting Into Your Customer's Head" provides sales representatives with the ability to act like a consultant who is working in the best interest of his/her customers. A tremendous book which can help the entry level sales rep all the way up to the President of the company. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A must read for anyone in the business!!!
I've read this book twice and took notes the whole way through. Very well written. It's clear the author understands the call center inside and out. His techniques on how to supervise people are well thought out. The books deals with the human element of call centers, and that's what the call center is all about. Very on the money! I'm buying copies for my team leads."

Very Informative Book
I found this book to be right-on-the-money. It covers people to people skills real well. The book is all about call center supervision. It's real life. More importantly, there are literally dozens of fantastic tips that call center managers can utilize to manage and motivate their teams. I found Building Call Center Culture to represent every call center I've ever been in!

Helpful for newbies like me
I'm a new call center director, and have enjoyed this book, and taken it to heart. I plan to use a lot of the ideas in the book in our call center. It has accelerated my knowledge by years, probably. I'll probably make fewer mistakes thanks to the insights he relates.

Very informative!
I manage call center agents and I found the motivational tools and training programs to be very helpful. There are several books about call centers that I have read. This book speaks directly to the call center manager.

Very pertinent to call center management
The ideas are perfect for building a call center management program. We love the performance development plans, the coaching techniques, etc. ... Read more

Book Description

THE MARKET-PROVEN PRINCIPLES OF SOLUTION SELLING FOR TODAY'S HIGH-SPEED, HIGHER-PRESSURE SALES ENVIRONMENT

The long-awaited sequel to Solution Selling, one of history's most popular selling guides

Nearly 10 years ago, the influential bestseller Solution Selling literally rewrote the rules for selling big-ticket, long-cycle products. The New Solution Selling expands the classic text's cases, examples, and situations and sharpens its focus on streamlining the sales process to achieve greater success in fewer steps and a shorter time frame. Much in sales has changed in the past decade, and The New Solution Selling incorporates those changes into an integrated, tailored approach for improving both individual productivity and organizational return on investment. Written to enhance the results and careers of sales pros and managers in virtually any industry, this performance-focused book features:

• A completely revamped, updated sales philosophy,management system, and architecture
• Tools to increase the quality and velocity of sales pipeline opportunities
• Techniques that "Best of the Best" use to prospect for success

Solution Selling created new rules for one-to-one selling of hard-to-sell items. The New Solution Selling focuses on streamlining the proven Solution Selling process and quickly differentiating both oneself and one's products from the competition while decreasing the time spent between initial qualifying and a successful, profitable close.

Reviews (10)

Solutions that work.
In my business humor book, "A Job Ain't Nothing But Work," I made a joke about everyone selling solutions these days. "My wife won't give me any. Got a solution for that?" But in the new book "The New Solution Selling," solutions are all business. It begins with a clear definition of what a solution selling is: "a system of methods that includes tools, job aids, techniques, and procedures that help salespeople and sales teams navigate the selling steps that close more sales faster." After this clear definition is given, author Keith M. Eades, founder and president of Sales Performance International and Solution Selling Inc, uses his expertise in sales for teaching the reader the necessary steps of selling, including pre-planning, cold calling, and the very important closing of the deal.

"The New Solution Selling" is not your run of the mill business book that typically renames and regurgitates business practices that have been in place for years. Instead, the book not only gives valuable information on the sales process but it also gives reliable examples. This includes sample pre-calling letters, thank you letters, and letters that ask for more business. Examples can be put into place immediately after reading the related chapter. It is perfect for the salesperson looking to penetrate the Fortune 500 market.

The book addresses major issues in the sales world, including what to do when your top salespeople are promoted to management, how to respond when you're not the first in line, and how to identify and respond to the pains your customers are facing.

Having graduated from business school and worked in sales for a number of years, I can tell you that this book is the real deal. It has found a permanent place on my business book shelf right next to "Who Moved My Cheese?" and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." This is the kind of book that should be on college campuses all across America. It is a very informative and easy to follow book that every salesperson should own.

Juani V
Solution Selling helped me clarify what I was doing right and wrong a little over 10 years ago. Over the years my company sent me to workshops to coach the methodology and reinforce it into my psyche. It was a great experience and I would have to credit this sales methodology with making me a lot of money in selling and managing technology distributors/business partners

I am disappointed that Keith Eades did not have the insight or maybe it is the ability to write something new that would have been beneficial to Solution Selling practitioners.

Easy read!
Finally a version of solution selling that is not condesending. Keith takes a different approach to Solution Selling that is very conversational, talking to the reader, not "at" the reader. I found that this is a book where you can take a yellow marker and capture important pointers that can be used in the sales process. Different than the original Solution Selling (and Customer Centric Selling for that matter)where they were much more like a text book. I like how he took the orignal Solution Selling thoughts (excellent ones might I add) and updated it to include many of the needed tools for modern day selling. If you are a Solution Selling customer now, READ IT and live it! If you are not a current Solution Selling customer you may want to read it for the excellent ideas, suggestions and data Keith presents to enhance your sales abilities and sales process.

Comprehensive and Actionable
Great book, I highly recommend it.

Here are some of the points I liked:

1) Provides actionable steps to take
2) Provides a detailed process from buyer's and seller's perspective
3) Covers just about every scenario in a complex buying/selling situation.

Oh, come on, a review from the authoring company???
Tim Sullivan, VP of Marketing at Sales Performance International gives the "New" Solution Selling book five stars. Could it have anything to do with the fact that his boss, the CEO of the company that now owns Solution Selling is the one who wrote it????
Real objective, I'm sure... ... Read more

Book Description

"Finding out what customers can’t or won’t say is key to improving the customer experience. Dan Hill’s terrific book shows you how to accomplish this challenge."
–Bernd Schmitt
author, Customer Experience Management

"Hill takes marketers beyond the traditional consumer decision process and shows the importance of experiential branding. Not only does he describe the fundamental process of creating emotional connections with consumers, he gives tons of practical examples to show how to do it."
–Roger Blackwell, PhD
Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University
and coauthor, Brands That Rock

"Body of Truth provides the conceptual framework and tools for marketing professionals to use to connect with consumers on an emotional level. Emotions drive behavior and rational thought validates behavior. I can fully endorse this fact based on personal experience with over 3000 research studies. Dan Hill provides the sensory foundation that sets the framework for influencing emotions. If you can influence the senses you can influence emotions and subsequently drive consumer behavior. How does this benefit marketing professionals and ad executives? It provides you consumer insight that will increase the probability that your marketing strategies will impact behavior and ultimately drive revenue for your firm."
–Lawrence Denaro
Chief Executive Officer, Q2 Brand Intelligence

"Body of Truth contributes a fresh and welcome perspective to the discipline of marketing. Dr. Dan Hill’s work will be enjoyed by all intellectually inquisitive professionals who seek to build better relationships with their customers, employees, and channel partners. Synthesizing recent developments from biology and psychology, the book highlights the primary role that sensory-emotive connections play in creating authentic relationships that drive business results. In the end, Hill reminds us that emotions enrich all of the associations that enliven a brand."
–Mike Kust
Chief Knowledge Officer, Carlson Marketing Group

"Buyers are liars! When it comes to traditional research, what consumers SAY and what they DO are often world’s apart. These revolutionary research techniques help uncover the true behavior behind all the words."
–Rob Wallace
Managing Partner, Wallace Church Inc.
global brand identity strategy and design consultants ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It changed my thinking about consumer research.
You might think a book about measuring sensory responses to advertising stimuli would be either A) dry and boring or B) a soft-peddle pitch to get you to buy some expensive consulting gig rigged for sensory measurement...but this book is neither. It's a well-written, entertaining, thought-provoking and practical guide to re-thinking your approach to message development. Dr. Hill shares his experience and rich data with you in an easy-to-read book that breaks down his thinking in short, chewable chunks. I carried the book with me in my briefcase for a week, biting off 5-10 pages at a time between appointments and finding myself itching to get back into it at every available interval. All along the way, I was scribbling notes in the margins and underlining lots of material in anticipation that this would be a book I'd refer back to again and again in my travels with clients and creative types. Dr. Hill's "story line" approach to brand building is something I was able to put into play immediately upon finishing the book. I had a large campaign I was working on for a client and was able to integrate some of the "story line" thinking into our presentation in a way that made me sound like a visionary in consumer research! The client was impressed, the campaign turned out great and now we're anticipating additional work. More than just fad research, this book has staying power. And the examples Dr. Hill gives in each chapter create a veritable checklist for creating ad campaigns that not only circumvent conventional thinking, but resonate with the audience. I highly recommend "Body of Truth" to anyone in advertising, especially the creatives who are responsible for building brands and getting the message through in a cluttered media environment.

Paradigm shift
Interesting to see that what we've learned in depth-psychology and mythology is finding its way into market-research insights. Hill's book is a good read with colorful examples, a conversant style and keen insights. He's offering the industry a paradigm shift that is sure to attract the next generation of achievers.

Insightful read!
I thought Hill's book was a marvelous exploration of the new vistas currently being opened by marketing research. I was especially sympathetic to the central premise that consumers don't really largely make their decisions "rationally." I know a lot of lip service is paid these days to acknowledging that consumers aren't the rational agents supposed by classic economic models, but this book actually takes this proposition seriously enough to go on to suggest how to USE it. I mean the book explains how understanding that people make purchase decisions to a large extent for irrational, emotional reasons can be used to your advantage in a business environment (and is ignored at your peril).

Plus it's really well-written. A great read!

Decent review of research and of some basics
If you're an experienced marketer who keeps up with psychological studies relevant to marketing, you won't find anything new or any blinding insights here. (At least I didn't.) However, if you don't know much about how the brain works and how people respond to different emotionally laden factors like color, stories, images, etc., then you'll find this a useful way to catch up on a lot of scientific findings that have implications for branding. ... Read more

Book Description

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketing has become a struggle between manufacturers and retailers for control of Mindspace and Shelfspace. Partnership is seen as an Indian wrestling match between manufacturers and retailers: co-operation can only be gained from a position of strength. Marketing for FMCG manufacturers now involves understanding retailers, their business and marketing strategies, their strengths and their limitations. The major aim of modern marketing is to affect the balance of power between retailers and their suppliers. Store Wars sets out to equip the reader to thrive in this climate.

"Advertising agencies are in a unique and sensitive position as mercenaries in the battle between manufacturers and retailers. They work for both sides. This book provides, with its concept of mindspace and shelfspace, a profound and contemporary insight into the anatomy of branding on both sides of the divide." Martin Boase, Chairman, Omicom UK plc

"The battle for mindspace and shelfspace provides a practical framework within which FMCG managers will need to test, adjust or even fundamentally change their strategic address. It describes the new reality." Dominic Cadbury, Executive Chairman, Cadbury Schweppes plc

"Marcel and Judy have brought to bear their intellectual prowess and institutional knowledge to provide an enlightening view of issues in modern retailing. A book full of thought-provoking ideas for academics and practitioners alike." Rajiv Lal, Professor of Marketing, Stanford University ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Keep this a secret.
This is the first book I have read about grocery where the battle between manufacturer and retailer is examined for the dirty little war that it really is - too many pass over this as just another compeitive issue, when it is a fight that will see one side losing big time.

Buy a copy and keep it a secret - you will appear to have mastered the major strategic issues in grocery, this book is that good.

The issues are examined in a balanced way and the conclusions are well drawn. Be warned, it takes time to read as every three or four pages gave me so many ideas that I would put it down and write a paper inside my business from the ideas and options the book had generated.

Well worth the cost, but keep this between just us.

Clear, Deep and fun to read
I have been reading books on retailing for at least five years, and I have no doubt this is the one book that everyone in Retailing should read. It is clearly written (with some anglo french words which give flavour), and though Corstjean its a great acdemic researcher , this book can be read by anyone. Its deep, because they go into deep analysis of the real problems facing food stores today. Its deep because their explanations go always to the basic understanding of the problems. Its not a book full of superficials facts, its arguments are always supported by basic consumer behaviour theory.

A Contemporary Marketing "Must Read" Book
The Corstjens have produced a rare book. It's not -as it's commonly the case- an extended article. It's a book full of precious content with several deep insights about the trade. By the way, that's another accomplishment of them: they talk about real things, not about academia concepts, although they do have deep fundaments in all their arguments. It's a dense and high level reading for all of those interested in understanding the naturally existent bargain disputes between manufacturers and retailers.

Excellent read for Grocery Suppliers
Although this book contains a bit too many references to European brands/retailers, overall it's a very frank, up front discussion of who controls the power in grocery retailing. I recommend it to anyone involved in Category Management. Brand Managers especially will benefit from the discussions about extensions, Private Label (called "own label" in this book)and competition at the street level. Reading this book is a great investment.

This book is relavent to anyone selling anything
The introduction alone would suffice as a history of marketing 101 class. This book is relavent to anyone selling anything. Clear consise and fun to read, it left me with the burning question What next? ... Read more

Book Description

GET IT, SET IT, MOVE IT, PROVE IT: 60 Ways to Get Real Results in Your Organization Mark Graham Brown If you seek to produce measurable results in your organization, this book is for you. It provides practical and useful methods that you can use immediately and points out habits you should avoid. Get It, Set It, Move It, Prove It is about getting real results and being able to prove them. The distinct feature of this book is the four-phased model: "Get It" focuses on your leadership’s vision and values; "Set It" improves your goals and strategies and their deployment in regard to ethics and regulatory requirements and performance measurement; "Move It" strengthens your relationships with important customers and the management of employees and key work processes; and "Prove It" helps you supply the evidence that your systems are producing high-performance results. ... Read more

Book Description

Whatever good or service you're selling, five likely customers are worth a hundred random names. No one can help you find new business by finding those five -- or five hundred, or fifty thousand -- best-qualified customers better than Bill Good.

For over a decade, Bill Good's guide to increasing new business by finding the right prospective customers has been an invaluable resource to people in every imaginable profession involving selling. Now completely revised and updated to include lessons on how email, fax machines, and the Internet can be incorporated into an effective prospecting and selling campaign, it is the most valuable tool a salesperson can own.

Anyone who does any prospecting or selling by phone -- from securities, insurance, and real estate to fund-raising -- knows the frustrations and rejections inherent in "cold calling." Many people come to fear it. But why should this be so? Certainly there are people out there who need and want the product you're selling. If only you could more efficiently generate a list of just those people, weed out the hopeless cases, and launch a simple and highly effective campaign to win them to your side. Prospecting Your Way to Sales Success shows you how to do just that. Bill Good draws on all he's learned from a long, successful career teaching companies and individual entrepreneurs how to create successful prospecting campaigns. He jettisons the stale, old-school, don't-believe-a-customer-who-says-no philosophy for a plan of attack that finds good prospects while quickly screening out unqualified, uninterested customers. From the first contact to the final close, Bill Good will help you design a complete, customized prospecting campaign.

In this new revised edition, bursting with fresh ideas for incorporating new media and new technologies into his proven campaign strategies, Bill Good has updated a classic and given salespeople everywhere a book they can't afford to live without. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Practical Ideas Abound
This has more practical useful ideas per page than any sales book I have ever read. I recommend it to clients and people I meet all the time. I have probably given away 10 copies! A better book for sales people than for sales manager, it gives you everything you need except ability, a work ethic, and a good list broker, to make you successful in selling. If you are sick of trendy stuff like Who Moved The Cheese, and you just want something that will help you be effective in sales and make more money, Bill Good and Tom Hopkins are the best resources out there other than your own hard work. Hope he does another book soon!

Great book! Buy it! He has a great series of techniques
I have bought all that I could of Bill Good's previous materials. This book is an update on his previous book on sales prospecting. I also bought a tape set which was excellent. And I even paid his secretary to copy off some of his articles from his syndicated magazine column. His concept of a "transactional database" was eye-opening for me. He calls it "the change principle" and it deals with building your lists with people who are going through a change. For example, people who have just bought a pickup (a change) would be logical candidates for truck accessories. These types of people are higher probability buyers. In this Bill Good's book I averaged about 10 underlines per page. This is not a GENERAL how to, but a very specific one with lots and lots of examples and techniques. It's also fun and humorous to read. He also offers more material that can supplement the book via his web site. But you must buy the book to get the password to this material. This alone was a great idea that I hope to use myself. See, this guy is just full of great marketing ideas. I highly recommend this book, even if you have his previous version. John Dunbar

Get This Book to Keep as Reference for Prospecting Success
A number of years ago, I fortunately stumbled upon Bill's book - PROSPECTING YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS. I was so incredibly impressed by the book that I phoned Bill and told him I was interested in writing an article about him & his book. (I am the Publisher of AboutBizz Magazine and www.AboutBizz.com)
I arrived in Salt Lake City and spent 4 days with his staff and new as well as old users of Bill techniques and software package. What I found amazing is the system that Bill spells out in his book is literally automated in his software package that he markets primarily to the Financial services industry. People use his system and make money. That's all that counts...bottom line results.
Here's what you'll find in pages of PROSPECTING YOUR WAY TO SALES SUCCESS.
1) He helps you discover the mindset needed for prospecting
2) He shows you how to create a system for prospecting using only 4x6 cards, various colored stickers and tracking sheets.
3) He gives you a simple script to use when prospecting
4) He shows you his approach to constantly "touch" you prospects with various letters, phone calls, faxes, etc....
5) Most importantly, he teaches you how to teach that same system to someone else so you can leverage your time and make money (or as he calls it Muh-Nee) with the people who are interested in selling you and buying your services or goods.
I have never found another book that spells out such a powerful system. The only thing wrong with the book is it is somewhat dated...why use card files when you can use ACT, Maximizer or Salesforce.com? But if you are new to business or sales and pennies are tight, then using Bill's book, you CAN make a system with simple cards and stickers and in short time, you can buy whatever computer you desire.
I know Bill sells his software system to the Financial services industry and only wish he had a generic version to sell to the others of us who could use his system. I tried to customize Maximizer to do what his system does...but quickly found the real value of Bill Good's expertise.
It is definitely worth your time to check out his website at www.BillGood.com ON his site you'll find audio programs from his Bill Good Radio.com programs where he interviews successful users of his programs. Tell them Wayne Clayton from AboutBizz Magazine told you about their site...they do have some restrictions of who can get into the site...maybe that'll help get you in.
What's the real value of a book like this? Well, when gasoline gets to $2-$3-$4 bucks a gallon, it is the person on the phone who can get make appointments and grow relationships using technology (email, fax, letters, phone calls -- and with a real reason to contact them, not just send them worthless literature) that will succeed and make money. Go out and guy this book today.
As a closing note, I have appreciated this book so much that I have personally bought and gave away 10 copies to people who I want to have success in sales...(and I NEVER buy that many of the same book!) Hopefully someday, Bill will get the chance to update his book and incorporate more examples of technology used to help implement his wonderful system.

Wow...a classic in prospecting!
Coming to the States, after been in sales management in Europe for over 15 years, this is definitely the prospecting bible of financial services in the US. The book can be very useful in other sectors, but has its optimum momentum in financial areas.
Not only does it appeal to a straight forward, from the gut approach to non-nonsensical prospecting, it also empowered me with a comprehensive marketing structure, to build upon an iron-stable structure.
Bill teaches how to 'get through' the consumer shield that the marketeers themselves created. His 'below the radar' approach to contact a prospect, and 'drip' in a gentle, escalating way, makes all the sense. I am looking forward to lay my hand on anything that comes from this mastermind of marketing for financial professionals. This book will be a must for every rookie that I will train.

Go For The Gold -- Prospecting in the 21st Century!
I'm an executive sales coach, and I'm a big fan of intensive prospecting, especially in "hard economic times." This is the prospecting text I recommend to all my clients! In addition to great step-by-step directions for how to run a prospecting campaign, when you buy the book, you get passwords to the author's web site, which contains all of the tools, forms, sample letters and such that are found in the book.

The author uses the analogy of prospecting for gold, which I think is a great one! Here's a small quotation from page 24:

"Once gold was discovered in California, people came by the millions. They came to California because gold had been found there. They didn't stop at Ft. Lauderdale or detour through Rio de Janeiro or Easter Island. They were heading for gold-rush country! ... After the old prospector staked his claim, he would shovel the sand into his gold pan, and from that point on his primary interest was in getting rid of the dirt. Gold prospecting was and still is primarily the art of discarding that which is not gold. The prospector gets rid of such things as dirt, grit, gravel, mud and twigs." ... Read more