Everyone plays the game; maybe that’s why customers are more accepting of the end of month full-court press and even wait to profit from the end of the quarter push for orders with potential lucrative discounts on the table.
Why do we go through this dance?
Most salespeople have this internal battle between how they like to buy and how they ‘need’ to sell to satisfy their corporate leaders. This book is a refreshing look at this disconnect. It suggests that maybe we should look to science, experiments, and other evidence to aid the selling process rather than use outdated passed-down rituals of a sales routine that is even feeling its age in the sprawling car lots of this world.
I don’t know David, but I like him. He has an uncanny resemblance to a relatively well-known actor and has an upbeat, realistic persona (seen through various YouTube videos) and provides a refreshing alternative to the copycat sales advice prevalent in today’s world.
I judge a book based on how it makes me think as well as act. There are many good books I have read, and maybe the timing helps, but I have since picked up a few more books that delve into sales science as well as general psychology based on the foundation provided by David.
There will be many reviews that break down this book into its parts. I did re-read the text and make notes, and it was my intention to write the same kind of review – but I don’t think that would be helpful. The investment of time in reading books (or lately, listening to audiobooks) and allowing the mind to wander and create is what is really valuable.
I did want to pick up on a couple of points.
David outlines the competitive nature of the market and the trap in the sea of sameness – both efforts in selling and marketing (customer perceived value proportion) help push you to a better place in this box. This is something worth noting. Other books also indicate you just need to ‘outsell’ your competition – sometimes we forget this (not just about product features). If you work your way through the book, you can find valuable gems to help you outsell. Part of this starts with really understanding the customer and using proven techniques to have better discussions. To me, this is the value in the book. David will say this is not a cookbook to just learn the tactics and apply – but as a start, you could always use this as a handy reference guide, use some of the tactics (timing and context matters!), and I would hope you would see significant results.
Thanks David.