How did you learn Selling?

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by maverick8

Hi Guys,
I have been looking to become a better sales person. I have been listening to the psychology of selling by brian tracey and it is not bad i think. But does anyone have any other audio books/programs that are worth listening too?

Thanks Guys.

Honestly, just do it. Nike is right...

You can read all the literature in the world about selling, psychology of selling, and different methods. But experience trumps all.

In the business world, time is key. The difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful business depends on how they use their time.

While you are reading sales books and following other programs, you could be setting your own appointments and developing your own style.

No two people sell the same. Just do it

Thanks

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shane_k

12 years ago

Here are some of my favorite sales books

Sell Yourself First
This is a great book explaining how to sell not only the product but like the title says how to sell yourself

Cold Calling Techniques that really work by Stephen Schiffman
Pretty much any book by this guy is good

High Efficiency Selling by Stephen Schiffman

How to sell anything to anyone by Joe Girard
This is a great book in my opinion, although it is more about his lead generation strategies than it is about selling. but it is a definate read.

Questions that Sell
I really liked this book because it talks about different strategies on how to gather information and find out what your customer is actually looking for and wants.
The author talks about how asking questions is like peeling an onion, that the customer might tell you one thing, but ask you ask more questions, you will peel the onion and get closer to their true goal/desire.

Check those ones out.

Thanks

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johnrone

12 years ago

If you really want to learn anything about selling, you just have to learn it by heart and then practice what works best for you.
Before you embark into this career, you need to understand the buyer and seller process, formulas for sales and profits, etc.
I learned about this from wiziq.com/tutorials/sales-training-programs

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Read How To Master The Art Of Selling by Tom Hopkins. It will give you a great overview of the sales process. In 1981, when it first came out, it changed how I sold with vast improvements.

But you need to be selling, so that you can apply what you learn. Don't read during sales time.

I literally have just about every sales and marketing book written. Over 2,000 in all.
This is the book I recommend. Study it. Use a highlighter. It will open a new world for you.

If you follow the advice of not reading sales books, and just sell to learn?....you'll never get great at it. Would you go to a surgeon that learned surgery by feel? By just doing surgery until someone survived? Never.

It takes both study and practice. In a year, you could be very good. In ten years, you'll be a god. Stick with it.

Thanks
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Jason Kanigan

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Read How To Master The Art Of Selling by Tom Hopkins. It will give you a great overview of the sales process. In 1981, when it first came out, it changed how I sold with vast improvements.

But you need to be selling, so that you can apply what you learn. Don't read during sales time.

I literally have just about every sales and marketing book written. Over 2,000 in all.
This is the book I recommend. Study it. Use a highlighter. It will open a new world for you.

If you follow the advice of not reading sales books, and just sell to learn?....you'll never get great at it. Would you go to a surgeon that learned surgery by feel? By just doing surgery until someone survived? Never.

It takes both study and practice. In a year, you could be very good. In ten years, you'll be a god. Stick with it.

Tom's approach is one way of selling, and it's the first book I read too.

However, I hated the idea of memorizing all those objections and rebuttals.

There IS another way.

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abbot

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Read How To Master The Art Of Selling by Tom Hopkins. It will give you a great overview of the sales process. In 1981, when it first came out, it changed how I sold with vast improvements.

But you need to be selling, so that you can apply what you learn. Don't read during sales time.

I literally have just about every sales and marketing book written. Over 2,000 in all.
This is the book I recommend. Study it. Use a highlighter. It will open a new world for you.

If you follow the advice of not reading sales books, and just sell to learn?....you'll never get great at it. Would you go to a surgeon that learned surgery by feel? By just doing surgery until someone survived? Never.

It takes both study and practice. In a year, you could be very good. In ten years, you'll be a god. Stick with it.

I have to respectfully disagree. Simply because

I honestly don't believe building a successful business is based on selling. And to be frank, that's why many people are on this sub-forum; To make a successful business.

As I'm sure you already know, a successful business is comprised of many other aspects besides selling.

I mean, the real idea of business is to qualify in and out right? We market ourselves, and our services to those who NEED it. If one focuses his or her attention on developing a system that successfully qualifies prospects in or out, many times there is no such thing as a "hard sale" because your system has already qualified them in.

Now...that's not to discredit your post in any way, shape, or form. I agree. Reading literature about sales is important. I recommended OP does NOT follow this path simply because over 90% of the people on this forum are simply 'readers'. They take LITTLE to NO action and wonder why they are not seeing results.

Again, it's my opinion. But unless OP has already built a structured system that generates qualified leads, I believe the time would be better spent developing that system.

To me, this business is more about marketing than selling. You can be the best salesman in the world and not sell a single sale, if you don't know how to market yourself.

Sales books help more when one understands the basics of selling AND has consistent prospects to SELL TO. I don't know OP, nor do I know if he has experience selling. I simply suggested no sales books because I wouldn't want to mislead him and get him off on the wrong foot.

Again, this is a RESPECTFUL disagreement. I'm partially disagreeing with you.

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Originally Posted by abbot

I mean, the real idea of business is to qualify in and out right? We market ourselves, and our services to those who NEED it. If one focuses his or her attention on developing a system that successfully qualifies prospects in or out, many times there is no such thing as a "hard sale" because your system has already qualified them in.

To me, this business is more about marketing than selling. You can be the best salesman in the world and not sell a single sale, if you don't know how to market yourself.

Abbott: We are not disagreeing at all. The OP wanted to know about selling, and I gave my best advice. Selling is a subset of Marketing, and Marketing is a part of running a business.

Of course, there are other skills involved.
But he was asking about selling, so I talked about selling.

Thanks

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misterme

12 years ago

Ever go into a book store and see all the books on selling? Shelves filled with them. And there'll be more next month. You could go on forever. All of them touting yet something else.

These days, I'd advise learning a more "expert authority" type of approach, only because consultative type selling (investigate needs, find dominant buying motives, show how you're the solution) has been around a while and so now prospective clients have gotten to the point where they see it coming. They know if you ask what they're looking for in a widget, and they tell you, that miraculously your widget will happen to suit their needs.

The old '101 Closes' type of stuff is also something increasingly more difficult to do on savvy people and raises resistance. Not to say it doesn't still work for some or can't be adapted. But asking someone if they want "the blue one or the red one" or if they want "a cup of coffee while I get the paperwork started" only works if they've already decided to buy a widget from you.

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Originally Posted by misterme

These days, I'd advise learning a more "expert authority" type of approach, only because consultative type selling (investigate needs, find dominant buying motives, show how you're the solution) has been around a while and so now prospective clients have gotten to the point where they see it coming. They know if you ask what they're looking for in a widget, and they tell you, that miraculously your widget will happen to suit their needs.

The old '101 Closes' type of stuff is also something increasingly more difficult to do on savvy people and raises resistance. Not to say it doesn't still work for some or can't be adapted. But asking someone if they want "the blue one or the red one" or if they want "a cup of coffee while I get the paperwork started" only works if they've already decided to buy a widget from you.

I agree. The reason I suggested the Tom Hopkins book is because this guy is a rank beginner. He should learn what prospecting, qualifying, and presenting actually are. This book gives a good overview.

But yeah, closes written in books will usually sound like closes written in books. And many business owners have had some sales training too.

I would look up (on Amazon.com) Consultive Selling, Positioning, and pretty much any book by Dan Kennedy. (The master at framing himself as the hard-to-get expert, while selling)

Pitch Anything is a book I just read that completely explains Framing, but it's pretty advanced stuff.

And I agree, closes only work if they were really ready to buy anyway.

Added five seconds after I posted; I'm sorry, I forgot the most obvious thing. I was thinking of books, and forgot about training. Get Jason Kanigan's course. It's specific to what we do, and it works. You'll even get a complete presentation outline to selling. Good stuff.

Reading threads here by John Dunham, Ken Michaels, Jason Kanigan, and a few others are also worth their weight in gold. This MRME, seems like a bright fellow too.

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maricelu

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

I agree. The reason I suggested the Tom Hopkins book is because this guy is a rank beginner. He should learn what prospecting, qualifying, and presenting actually are. This book gives a good overview.

But yeah, closes written in books will usually sound like closes written in books. And many business owners have had some sales training too.

I would look up (on Amazon.com) Consultive Selling, Positioning, and pretty much any book by Dan Kennedy. (The master at framing himself as the hard-to-get expert, while selling)

Pitch Anything is a book I just read that completely explains Framing, but it's pretty advanced stuff.

And I agree, closes only work if they were really ready to buy anyway.

Added five seconds after I posted; I'm sorry, I forgot the most obvious thing. I was thinking of books, and forgot about training. Get Jason Kanigan's course. It's specific to what we do, and it works. You'll even get a complete presentation outline to selling. Good stuff.

Reading threads here by John Dunham, Ken Michaels, Jason Kanigan, and a few others are also worth their weight in gold. This MRME, seems like a bright fellow too.

Ok, so you just made Oren one more sale, LOL

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misterme

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

The reason I suggested the Tom Hopkins book is because this guy is a rank beginner. He should learn what prospecting, qualifying, and presenting actually are. This book gives a good overview.

I knew that as soon as I read it.

That's why I wrote what I did.

Talk about how selling has changed...

When I started in sales back while in college one of my first jobs was as a licensed real estate agent selling apartment rentals in NYC. My total training consisted of one day going along with Harvey, their number one sales person, as he showed a young woman a fifth floor walkup. Harvey was about 30. Short guy with long hair. Turtleneck. And a matching face because he did look like a turtle. He opened the apartment door, ushered her in ahead of us and stood with me in the foyer as she cautiously walked into the living room looking around the bare apartment silently. After a minute Harvey yelled at her, "Ya wannit or not?" and promptly turned to me and said out loud, "ya have ta be tuff wid dese people."

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jtchaschowy

12 years ago

Reading all these books will give you a great understanding of the psychology of selling, but will it make you a better salesman? Possibly not.

I argue that almost everyone is a great salesmen already, we have been selling all our lives. The only thing that has changed is your perception of selling, and a disbelief in yourself. This is personally what I experienced and felt, it's not narrowing you out. Merely a realization I had.

You have to ask yourself; will reading the handful of books suggested in this thread help me become a better salesmen or will getting out there, pounding the pavement, making connections, stopping the procrastination and taking action make me one?

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Anthem40 12 years ago

I think it is dangerous to assert that you can learn selling simply by volume and experience. It is critical to have a framework set up where you know what you are trying to accomplish in various steps. Having intention to adhere to a system, combined with experience, will teach you to sell. Simply walking in and out of every door willy nilly will be wasting your time in the same way reading book after book will waste your time.

Browse around. Find a system that seems to make sense to you. Practice it, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and evolve it. Once you start closing sales, consider other ideas and incorporate them together. Winging it by believing the more people you talk to will increase your acumen will not work in the long term.

Good luck!
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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Originally Posted by jtchaschowy

Reading all these books will give you a great understanding of the psychology of selling, but will it make you a better salesman? Possibly not.

I argue that almost everyone is a great salesmen already, we have been selling all our lives.

Yes. When we are young we learn how to get our way. You could call it selling, but it is rough and unpolished. Then we learn to dislike selling. Every movie depicts salespeople as less than ethical. We learn to think of asking people to buy as something to be avoided. We have to unlearn all of that.

Just plowing ahead without any training at all is silly. That's how we burn out. Eventually a few strong reps survive, but it's a brutal battle that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Can you learn how to sell at high levels without reading a single book? Maybe.
But why put yourself through that? In addition to experience, reading great books on selling (written by great salespeople), will cut that learning curve for ten yeas to two years.

High level selling is counter-intuitive. Enthusiasm isn't enough. Belief in yourself isn't enough. These are real skills.

Every day I meet salespeople who are decent at making sales, but have never read a single book on selling. They stand out like a sore thumb.

I remember the first time a group of in home salespeople hired me to train their troops (after reading about me in the company magazine), I did my thing the first day, and the business owner came to me and said "I've never heard anything like that! It's the most amazing thing I've ever heard. Where did you get all of those great techniques?".

This was the first time they had ever seen anyone qualify the prospect, build value, match the product benefits to the customer precisely, and answer objections so that the answer leads closer to the sale. I thought a minute (after all, they were paying me), and said "Have you ever read a book on selling?"

He said, in absolute seriousness "Yes. I read the Bible. That's all I need"
I said (tip toeing on quicksand here), "Have you ever gone to the doctor?"
"Of course"
"Did the doctor go to medical school?"
"Sure"
"Would you be just as confident in the doctor, if he never studied any medical books?"
"That's different"
Claude the Mercilous "No different. We are surgeons. Most of the people who buy...Barely bought. A wrong phrase, a bad joke, an off comment, an unanswered question, and the sale is lost." (I'm paraphrasing here. This was 25 years ago)

The next day I asked the group (maybe 50) "How many here have read at least one book on selling?" Two or three raised their hands.

There are legendary salespeople out there. Some have written books.
In a few hours, you can benefit from what took them a lifetime to learn.

Denying yourself that huge advantage is just silly.

But reading, without testing out the ideas on real customers? You might as well stay in school. I think I've beaten this horse enough.

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kenmichaels

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

There are legendary salespeople out there. Some have written books.
In a few hours, you can benefit from what took them a lifetime to learn.

Denying yourself that huge advantage is just silly.

Your killing me.

I have only partially read a few things about sales.

Never any books by the greats.

What i have read is usually drivel.

My learning has come from being taught, being in the trenches,
trial and error and common sense... 20+ years worth.

I love reading. But i go out of my way to ignore books about sales.
But you make it sound like i am missing out.

possibly even doing my self a disservice.

I know kung fu *5

knowing that, what would be the one book you recommend?

I will read it, and see if i have been making a mistake all these years.

fyi, without reading any books, taking any classes, and working with
literally thousands and thousands of sales people over the years,

i have only met one, who was consistently better then myself.

I know, I know, big words. Probably even hard to believe
but before you recommend the book, just pretend that you do.

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Originally Posted by kenmichaels

Your killing me.

I have only partially read a few things about sales.

Never any books by the greats.

What i have read is usually drivel.

My learning has come from being taught, being in the trenches,
trial and error and common sense... 20+ years worth.

I love reading. But i go out of my way to ignore books about sales.
But you make it sound like i am missing out.

possibly even doing my self a disservice.

I know kung fu *5

knowing that, what would be the one book you recommend?

I will read it, and see if i have been making a mistake all these years.

fyi, without reading any books, taking any classes, and working with
literally thousands and thousands of sales people over the years,

i have only met one, who was consistently better then myself.

I know, I know, big words. Probably even hard to believe
but before you recommend the book, just pretend that you do.

Ken; It's not hard to believe at all. I've been reading your posts for the last many months. Based on that experience alone, you may be the most educated salesperson here.
Have you been missing something? I don't know you well enough to know.

You have a deep understanding of the sales process. You are proof that this can come from training, experience, and trial and error. But you are one person. And saying that you have found only one who is better than you at selling, shows that your sales ability is rare indeed.

But consider...if someone put everything you know about selling in a thick book, wouldn't the person reading that book learn faster?

There are very few books on selling written by true masters.

Selling Retail for retail sales is one.
The Feldman Method is the one for selling insurance.
How To Sell Anything To Anybody is for selling cars.
Pitch Anything is maybe the one you would get the most out of. It isn't strictly a selling book, but the tools of positioning and framing the conversation are about as advanced as you'll get in a book.

All these books are written by real Sales Legends. The vast majority of sales books I read, I'll get an idea or two out of them. But these books get read several times.

I have a book titled One Call Closing coming out soon. The problem with sales books is that the readership is far more general than the author's sales experience. Editing to be less industry specific is presenting a bit of a problem.

Anyway, I share your experience of not meeting better salespeople. The last time I met someone who could really outsell me in personal sales, was a young man I trained, and after picking my brain for a couple years, outsold me with sheer innate intelligence and his understanding of human nature. And then he embezzled funds, (for a nagging cocaine habit) and I had to fire him. Like you, he also never read a book on selling. He was incredible.

But that's one for me. And one for you.

Would I eventually have figured selling out without books? No. It would gave taken me too long, and I would have quit. I have no natural talent for selling, and I needed the help that a few books on selling gave me.
They shortened my learning curve.
Can anyone learn how to sell from a book? Even a great sales book? No. You need constant exposure to real selling situations so that you have someone to test sales ideas on. Can an experienced salesperson learn more about selling from a book? Yes.

I'm a reader anyway. An hour or two every evening. Old habits die hard.

Always a pleasure.
Claudius

PS. By the way, the posts by you, Durham, and a few others are as good as any book I've read...with the exception of a couple I listed above. Added much later; The authors of the books above? True Greats. But I can almost guarantee that sales books played a minor part in their achievement. Maybe no part at all. But for the vast majority of us without the inherent smarts?
Great sales books shorten the learning curve considerably.

Do you know how many sales books I had to read just to know how to write this post?

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kenmichaels 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

.

Thanks I will pick up "Pitch anything"

When your book come out, let me know
I want to check that out too.
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- Claude Whitacre 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by kenmichaels
  
  Thanks I will pick up "Pitch anything"
  
  When your book come out, let me know
  I want to check that out too.
  
  I'm going to suggest two other books too.
  The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes, is a little sales and a little recruiting.
  
  At your level it will add something, I'm sure.
  
  The Anatomy Of A Salesman by Arthur Mortell. It gives several methods for dealing with rejection that are innovative and really work.
  
  The Art Mortell book should be required reading for anyone running a call center.
  
  That's about it. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of pure selling books I own, I can count the truly useful ones on both hands.
  
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hayfj2

12 years ago

I'd try and narrow it done a bit in terms of your M.O.

What type of selling are you most comfortable with?

What type of selling do you think will generate the best results for you?

* Phone Selling?
* Direct Mail?
* Email Marketing?
* Personal Selling in person
* Social Networking
* Business Networking
* Blogging
* Video

Test different approaches, to see which is most comfortable and happiest with...

...then keep testing, tweaking etc, also watch some videos on youtube, and then APPLY what they share.

Hope that helps.

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Dan R

12 years ago

I started from scratch right here on WF. Never having sold a thing in my life, I just read night and day until I was tired of reading.

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Jarrod

12 years ago

maverick8, since you mentioned Brian Tracy, thought I'd share this video. I love the approaches he teaches here, and have implemented much of what he teaches in this video with some success. It's really helped me out.

closing the sale - YouTube

As he says, great salesmen are made, not born. Selling is a skill and all skills are learnable.

But remember, the best learning is by doing, so never spend more time studying than you do applying.

Thanks

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cdav2012

12 years ago

I worked with Brian Tracy for 2 years. I love his material but one thing I know for sure is that its outdated. Canned openers and closers don't work anymore. The old school way of selling is forcing someone to take out their wallet and buy (with huge buyers remorse). The new way to sell is relationship selling. There are definitely certain skills that transcend each error such as what Brian, Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, and even Tony Robbins but there is definitely a new way to sell.

I know a guy who is definitely becoming popular, younger sales trainer with more progressive selling techniques. He has a free membership site at salesjudo.com
Hope this helps. BTW, never stop learning and reading.

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kenmichaels

12 years ago

Originally Posted by cdav2012

I worked with Brian Tracy for 2 years. I love his material but one thing I know for sure is that its outdated. Canned openers and closers don't work anymore. The old school way of selling is forcing someone to take out their wallet and buy (with huge buyers remorse). The new way to sell is relationship selling. There are definitely certain skills that transcend each error such as what Brian, Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, and even Tony Robbins but there is definitely a new way to sell.

I know a guy who is definitely becoming popular, younger sales trainer with more progressive selling techniques. He has a free membership site at iamascammer.com
Hope this helps. BTW, never stop learning and reading.

really?, your first post and you send us to a squeeze page?

you seriously need to learn what the WF is all about .

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Jason Kanigan 12 years ago

Originally Posted by kenmichaels

really?, your first post and you send us to a squeeze page?

you seriously need to learn what the WF is all about .

Yeah, I saw that and was like, Uh huh. >.<
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mego818

12 years ago

I learned selling from Circuit City (R.I.P) and Best Buy but mostly circuit

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maverick8

12 years ago

Hey Guys,
thanks for the great responses. I have been selling web design and online marketing services successfully for over 2 years. Been doing pretty well. But i am keen to get better. I am aware experience plays a big part. But theory is important too and can speed up the experience part IMO.

I am looking to become better that is all. And thanks to you guys i think i should become a better seller as i have purchased some of the recommended books.

The one area i do struggle with is prospecting. To put it honestly i hate it. I dont have the mind set for it. When i do it i am good at it. But i still hate it.

Thanks

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Adwizard

12 years ago

Definitely DO NOT just jump out there and start trying as some have suggested here... these people are NOT real salesmen and are only mediocre at best guaranteed.

It is imperative that you get some sort of framework or presentation down first whether you get that from Jason, John, Joe Schmooo or from a book, I repeat get something down first then practice it in a mirror or with family/friends.

You will never learn like you will from experience but there is a major problem with just going out there and winging it... You will learn some very terrible habits that are extremely hard to brake when you do learn the correct way to sell. Having said that let me repeat again... action is the most important thing and will always be the best teacher but do yourself a huge favor and get a presentation down first... then refine, refine, and refine some more.

Always be reading, listening to tapes or cd's, etc.... because if your not growing... well your dying!

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Rearden

12 years ago

Fastest way to learn sales:

1) Cold call either in person or via the phone. Whatever your preference is.
2) Attend and never quit the "School of Hard Knocks." You'll learn WAY more via self-introspection and the careful guidance of a veteran than reading books or reading forums.
3) Fail forward. Failure is the quickest way to success -- assuming you have an open mind and humble spirit.

I hated sales and never imagined doing it. I'm an introvert. I learned everything through trial and error. Doing anything cold was the biggest hurdle to jump, and it took my 6 years to do it (started this summer).

I learned sales through first direct marketing, where I could target the higher probability prospects. Then I learned how to door-knock leads -- a little more stressful, but that improved my salesmanship tremendously. Lastly, I learned how to cold call in-person and via the phone this summer. Gave me a slight edge on my salesmanship; really helped me put the wedge in and see if there's an angle to sell.

It gets easier and easier (the selling part) as time goes on, as you'll pretty much run into the same damn 3 objections over time. Prospecting cold is always a little edgy, but definitely gets easier after the day's first few visits or calls.

As someone else said, just do it.

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magestore

12 years ago

There're 10 books that I highly recommend
1. “SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers” by Jill Konrath

2. “Selling to the C-Suite: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top” by Nicholas A. C. Read and Dr. Stephen J. Bistritz

3. “OutSell Yourself: Go from HELLO to SOLD with Ethical Business and Sales Techniques!” by Kelly McCormick

4. “Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand Your Customer’s Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales” by Kevin Davis

5. “7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People’s Decisions” by Russell Granger

6. “The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and David Mann

7. “The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople” by Stephan Schiffman

8. “The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies” by Chet Holmes

9. “Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers” by Craig Elias and Tibor Shanto

10. “Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes are High” by Jeff Thull

You can find these books on Amazon.

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RedShifted

12 years ago

You can become an incredible salesman just by disagreeing with people. I learned this in critical discourse in college. Then I learned it in the seduction community. Then I learned it in sales when facing rebutals.

I'm not saying go around being a dick. Its nothing like that. I do it more for "sport". As a challenge. And I do it in a lighthearted manner too.

The more you develop this skill, the better a salesmen you will be. The better you will be in social situations too. I take this pretty far myself, because for some reason it entertains me. I'm a person with deep philosophy's, so I don't believe that people are innately bad or good.

If someone says "Hitler was a horrible person", I try to sell them on why Hitler was NOT a horrible person. How he was a reflection of the state of Germany, the state of the people, and the unique state of affairs in the world. I'll talk about how humble a man Hitler really was. How polite he was to most people in his country. How much his people adored him. How he had a clean and impressive record right up untill the Holocaust. And in the end, he invoked more positive change for a country than arguably any leader who's existed.

But you see the point? I believe that going against the grain of status quo, all the time, can turn you into a competent salesman. In brain hemisphere studies this is known as "bilateral" or "right brain" thinking. You know who is really good at this?

Jacque Fresco -

Jacque Fresco - The Venus Project \| London Real -...

He is one of the smartest bilateral thinkers I know. Tell him that rapists are bad people, he will argue with you. And he will make a pretty damn good point showing you how people are really shaped by culture.

I think very similar to Jacque Fresco. Nowhere near as smart, but I always have a hard time picking sides on issues. I'm always trying to challenge conventional wisdom. Tell me that the sky is blue, and I will argue with you. I will try to sell you on why the sky really isn't blue.

Although I can sometimes wind up sounding like an idiot, when you really become good at this type of communication, you become a highly influential person. Sales will come to you naturally. A lot of things will come to you naturally. But it takes great sacrifice. You're always reaching outside your zone of comfort. To the point where you can reverse engineer any form of logic, and turn it around on people.

Learn how to be a true bilateral thinker, and you will become a great salesman. There is no doubt about it. Its the most important skill that any salesman can learn.

-Red

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

Redshifted;

I do the same thing, but silently. I'll ask employees what they think, and hint that I have an opposing thought (opposed to the opinion I really have). This brings out mental muscles that might not be normally used. They also may tell me something I haven't thought of. It's a good exercise.

But argue with customers? Take an opposing view just to hash out the thought process? Never. I'm sure that's not what you were talking about, right?

I was asked for jury duty once in a murder case. I didn't have to serve, but it started a conversation with a friend, before the trial date.. I said that I would like the arguments for guilt to be overwhelming, and then I would try to convince the jury of his innocence. Then after I convinced them, then change their minds back to guilty...without them knowing what I had done.

I was actually looking forward to it.

Here is the benefit of these arguments. It helps you step outside a particular point of view. It helps you see the big picture. You think more clearly. And clear thinking is a huge sales asset.

Every opinion is a lens you see the world through, and every lens distorts. Even magnifying is a distortion. One of my favorite quotes is "You cannot read the label from inside the bottle."

You said you have a hard time picking sides in an argument. I can say this with absolute certainty. In nearly all arguments, both sides are wrong. One of the greatest myths people believe, is that one side of an argument must be right.

Take care.

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RedShifted

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Redshifted;

I do the same thing, but silently. I'll ask employees what they think, and hint that I have an opposing thought (opposed to the opinion I really have). This brings out mental muscles that might not be normally used. They also may tell me something I haven't thought of. It's a good exercise.

But argue with customers? Take an opposing view just to hash out the thought process? Never. I'm sure that's not what you were talking about, right?

I was asked for jury duty once in a murder case. I didn't have to serve, but it started a conversation with a friend, before the trial date.. I said that I would like the arguments for guilt to be overwhelming, and then I would try to convince the jury of his innocence. Then after I convinced them, then change their minds back to guilty...without them knowing what I had done.

I was actually looking forward to it.

Here is the benefit of these arguments. It helps you step outside a particular point of view. It helps you see the big picture. You think more clearly. And clear thinking is a huge sales asset.

Every opinion is a lens you see the world through, and every lens distorts. Even magnifying is a distortion. One of my favorite quotes is "You cannot read the label from inside the bottle."

You said you have a hard time picking sides in an argument. I can say this with absolute certainty. In nearly all arguments, both sides are wrong. One of the greatest myths people believe, is that one side of an argument must be right.

Take care.

Awesome stuff. And yes I should have cleared that up, I never argue with customers. I was speaking more in terms of developing this skill outside of your business life.

That way when you're in front of customers, its much easier to think & respond "on your feet". I believe many people don't have these skills developed, because they're so use to agreeing with everyone in their normal day life. So when someone disagrees with them in business, they get emotional rather than smart. They see issues more in black and white, than gray. As much as people are aware of the problems caused by black and white thinking... so many people, still... are unilateral thinkers.

So everything you just said, imo, is the stuff that true genius's are made of.

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startup

12 years ago

Originally Posted by maverick8

Hi Guys,
I have been looking to become a better sales person. I have been listening to the psychology of selling by brian tracey and it is not bad i think. But does anyone have any other audio books/programs that are worth listening too?

Thanks Guys.

I have attended sales seminars by some of the greats and met and spent a little time with some such as Zig Ziglar and Tom Hopkins ... the bottom line is that practical trial and error will help you develop your own style and become successful much faster than any other way

Then, you can have an audio or book that you read and add some nuanced polish to what you do ..for example I am a big proponent and teacher of no pressure selling...so I would be attracted to those types of works if I was browsing a selection

I taught sales people across the U.S. for years...if I can help just pm me

Have a great holiday season !
Dr B

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karlmay1980

12 years ago

Be yourself, believe and be confident in what you do and dont sell, give value and in return they will come asking if they can give you money for more!

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Keef

12 years ago

Long time lurker, first post. A little about me:

41 years old
Career salesperson
Director of sales nationally for 10 sales representatives
My team produced $7.9 Million in revenue in 2012 (capital equipment, average sale $24K)
10% year over year growth
President's club winner in most every year at most every company
Psychology degree in college
Mostly self taught, but have read just shy of 50 'sales' books
Successfully trained ~100 sales people
Have sold B2B, B2C
Owned, operated and sold a commercial painting company

No gloating, not looking for stroke, just trying to provide background and context to my statements.

I agree with a few others in this thread. Oren Klaff's book Pitch Anything is extremely good but it is very advanced. I find it to be a bit more geared towards board room presentations and the higher end sales pitch. I suggest the following - For the beginner to the mid-level sales person Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling is a great resource. Anything from him is very good - check his website as well. For a general selling approach, I stand behind Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni. Nobody likes to be 'sold' and Lencioni preaches a true consultative style to selling.

I struggle a little with this question since I am not sure what you are selling and who you are selling to. There are similarities, obviously, but sales can be very different depending on the prospect, the nature of the sales call (face to face, phone, internet, etc.). The above references capture sales from a top level and you can usually tweak them for your particular vertical or style.

If you are looking for training seminars I can recommend only one person, Jack Daly. This is the only guy you will ever need to hear. Follow what he does and you'll be successful in whatever sales role you take on. No questions asked. Don't look at anyone else and don't bother spending a dime on any other expert. Most sales experts I know used to sell something twenty years ago but now they are a 'trainer'. Jack has an extremely long career in buying and selling businesses and growing them through the sales team. He has a very no-nonsense approach and every thing he teaches has a back story to why it works an the exact situation where he implemented it himself.

For a 'Sales 101' answer, I would say that you should listen 100% more than you speak. Ask questions - people love to talk about themselves and you will get to the root of their objections just from what they tell you in casual conversation. And lastly, people will tell you how and what they want to buy... you just have to listen and then provide them what they ask in the way they want it presented.

Good luck and happy selling!

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RentItNow

12 years ago

It sounds too simple but going out door to door and talking to people has been my greatest teacher. Change what you say, learn what people respond to then use those lessons in all your advertising and headlines and offers. I can learn more talking to 10 potential customers in an hour then a years reading.

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Bayo

12 years ago

Here's how:

By recognizing and admitting back then, that I actually was doing everything that I could NOT to have to sell.
I changed my beliefs about what selling is.
By doing some studying.
By actually selling, first online and then in person (my first face-to-face sale was when I sold a coaching service).
Discovered 'consultative selling' and mastered how to use the principles in any situation.

The real key for anyone who is afraid of selling is to understand that the easiest way to get over that feeling is to look at what you do as being about the other person...as opposed to what you are going to gain out of it.

If you really believe that what you have to offer is going to help the other person improve their condition (but they just don't know it yet), you'll do a better job of conveying your message.

Try it.

BAYO