Question

Topic: Other

#1 Book For New Outside Sales Person?

Posted by Anonymous on 7/20/2011 at 2:28 PM ET 250 Points
Good afternoon folks.

I am asking the question for myself. I have done other types of sales, phone/demonstration/retail--but my new job as a outside sales rep is relatively new.

What I would like to take away, I need a structure to how I should be going at every day.

I am not looking to be a millionaire day one, but I want to hit the ground running and make all my steps count.

If the book you have in mind does that and more GREAT. I love the self help books but before I apply my excitement and energy, I want a book that helps me focus my drive and determination, as this is all very new to me.

Make sense?

And to be clear what I mean by outside sales and in my position exactly, I am working out of my personal office for a local company, talking to old customers, making appointments and setting up new business.

Thank you for your help and suggestions
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  • Posted on 7/20/2011 at 11:16 PM Author
    WoW tough question aye? Should I have made it a 500 pointer? I thought this would be easy sauce for you pros :)
  • Posted on 7/21/2011 at 12:34 AM Moderator
    We don't respond as much to more points as we do to interesting questions that we think we can answer in a helpful way.

    We're also more focused on marketing than sales, though there are certainly several sales-oriented folks here.

    Finally, this category -- Book Club -- is one that is quite sparse. It was an experiment a few years back, and most of the regular contributors didn't find it very interesting. Only about a dozen folks ever showed up, compared to hundreds in other, more popular categories.

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/21/2011 at 12:40 AM Accepted
    Try reading: "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar" (I reviewed this few years' back at: https://www.manygoodideas.com/2008/01/01/you-cant-teach-a-kid-to-ride-a-bik...).

    Also: "No More Cold Calling" (https://www.manygoodideas.com/2006/11/01/no-more-cold-calling/)
  • Posted on 7/23/2011 at 11:32 AM Accepted
    Your public libary either has, or should be able to obtain through inter-library lending, several of the suggestions that follow.

    Jeffrey Gitomer is probably the leading sales trainer in the U.S., with a string of bestselling sales books. He emphasizes "1st, provide value." He also writes a free weekly E-zine called Sales Caffeine. Read the reviews of the books below on Amazon.com for further information.

    1.1) Arguably the best of his books is "Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Bible." If you buy just one sales book, then this is the one to get. If you buy it used, be sure to get the revised 2008 edition.

    1.2) Also very good is the shorter "Jeffery Gitomer's Little Red Book of Sales Answers, 99.5 Real World Answers that make sense, make sales and make money."

    1.3) Related to sales is networking and here too he has written a good book, albeit a little heavy on self-promotion and with some unrealistic suggestions. However the gold nuggets and its entertaining style make it well worth reading: "Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connectioins."

    Jeffrey Gitomer is against sales systems and hostile to negotiating. In both instances I think he is flat, dead wrong. The point of depature for sales systems is SPIN (Situation, Impact, Problem, Need).

    2) "Spin Selling" Neil Rackham (1988) There are workbooks and consulting firms training this technique as well.

    3) Take a look in the public library and also on Amazon.com for more recent books on "solution selling" and "consultative selling."

    4) Three excellent negotiation books, in recommended reading order, are:

    4.1) Roger Fisher and William Ury "Getting to Yes, Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In," 1981

    4.2) Chester L. Karrass, "In Business As In Life, You Don't Get What You Deserve, You Get What You Negotiate," 1996

    4.3) And, for a counter view against "win-win" (my own method of choice), Jim Camp, "Start with No" 2002, with the provocative subtitle "America's number one negotiating coach explains why win-win is an ineffective, often disastrous strategy. And how you can beat it."

    Regards,
    JH
  • Posted on 7/23/2011 at 9:19 PM Author
    Thank you Jay and Jay Roth Hamilton

    If there was a way to contact you directly and thank you I would. Looks like there isn't a way to send messages to members.

    I'd love to pick your brains every once in a while.

    Thanks again
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