SPIN Selling

Book Description

The international bestseller that revolutionized high-end selling!

Written by Neil Rackham, former president and founder of Huthwaite corporation, SPIN Selling is essential reading for anyone involved in selling or managing a sales force. Unquestionably the best-documented account of sales success ever collected and the result of the Huthwaite corporation's massive 12-year, $1-million dollar research into effective sales performance, this groundbreaking resource details the revolutionary SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff) strategy.

In SPIN Selling, Rackham, who has advised leading companies such as IBM and Honeywell delivers the first book to specifically examine selling high-value product and services. By following the simple, practical, and easy-to-apply techniques of SPIN, readers will be able to dramatically increase their sales volume from major accounts. Rackham answers key questions such as “What makes success in major sales” and “Why do techniques like closing work in small sales but fail in larger ones?”

You will learn why traditional sales methods which were developed for small consumer sales, just won't work for large sales and why conventional selling methods are doomed to fail in major sales. Packed with real-world examples, illuminating graphics, and informative case studies - and backed by hard research data - SPIN Selling is the million-dollar key to understanding and producing record-breaking high-end sales performance.

Customer Reviews:

A classic and one of the very best.......2007-09-02

SPIN is a classic, one of the books that revolutionized professional selling. It amazes me to read some of the negative reviews of this book posted here. Some of this I attribute to lack of knowledge of the history of our "profession," which bears few hallmarks of being a profession yet. Can you get a four year college degree in SELLING, the one thing every business must do well to survive, let alone prosper? Except for programs at a small handful of universities around the country, the answer is NO. Do we have peer-reviewed journals in our profession? NO. Do we have accepted standards and professional certification? NO.

What Neil Rackham, a behavioral researcher, did for selling was huge. He applied the techniques of research and analysis to our profession. Until then, no one could say definitively that "always be closing" was bad advice. But in business to business selling, in high-tech selling to educated professionals, the "ABC's of selling" is only one of many pieces of bad information that passed for "wisdom" before Rackham showed them up for what they were. Such sales tactics are the reason salespeople have been saddled with negative stereotypes.

Some reviewers condemn Rackham by saying that companies cited, such as Kodak, IBM, and Xerox have suffered business reversals since this book came out. Sorry folks, but good salespeople using good selling techniques will not, alone, save your company. MANY companies that were at the top of their industries in the 1970s and 1980s are either out of business or have suffered serious reversals in the years since. That is a different issue altogether, and if you are looking for explanations try STRATEGY books like "Good to Great" by Jim Collins or "Strategy" by Michael Porter. Someone on this site said that IBM's loss of computer business to other PC makers was evidence of the failure of SPIN...totally ridiculous. IBM passed on the operating system that became DOS, which in turn became the engine fueling MicroSoft's ascent to the heights. In hardware manufacturing IBM ignored lots of evidence that a paradigm shift was underway and PCs were becoming commodity items.

The negative reviewers are looking for a silver bullet in many cases: SPIN will not transform you into a president's club winner by reading it. It is how you apply and practice it that will enable your success. Becoming expert in the use of this simple framework requires work and thought. What Rackham showed us is that the WORDS we use are important, along with HOW WE USE THEM. We must understand THEIR goals and focus on being part of THEIR success if we are to be successful in a sustainable, long-term partnership. Also that we must not be manipulative or treat other people (aka "customers" or "prospects") in ways we would not want to be treated ourselves. The acronym "SPIN" was coined before Washington politicians gave the word the negatie connotation it now has.

SPIN is not the only good refenence book for salespeople, but it is a landmark book, the result of research that has not, to my knowlege, been replicated since. It should be a held in great esteem by any sales professional. Rackham's concept of an "Advance" as an objective way to measure the progress of a sales call is, alone, worth the price of this book.

By the way, I have been in sales for 30 years, as a salesperson, sales manager, and director of training for a Fortune 500 company. I still have a lot to learn. But one thing I do know: there is tremendous value in this book for any salesperson with an open mind and the desire to continue growing, learning and improving as a sales professional.

Highly effective technique in high-touch Sales.......2007-07-19

This book is a simple guide to improve your effectiveness as a sales professional in high-value direct enterprise sales situations. Regardless of culture and language, people on the other side of the table from a sales person have an instinctive judgment to mis-trust any characteristic that seems contrived or unnatural. Genuineness is a pre-requisite. Therefore, like with any sales theory, rote learning and implementation of the theory is futile. Having said that, internalizing the fundamental premise of this book in my everyday life as a sales-person has been rewarding over the years and across geographies, cultures, languages and types of product/service being sold.

SPIN selling goes well with approaches that talk about Values-Based Selling, Solution Selling and Rackham's own Major Account Sales Strategy.

Huthwaite (Rackham) has done a phenomenal job of monetizing this simple concept by way of selling sales training and books. However, you may find the book too "salesy" at times. It is common idiom with any good speech, presentation or book; first you tell them what you are going to tell them, then you tell them, then you tell them what you told them. The book does a great job of steps 1 and 3, but leaves you wanting more in step 2.

The basic concepts about stages of a sales call, focus on customer needs and benefits, situation-problem-implication-need-payoff line of questioning, objection handling/prevention, sound closing techniques and post-sales are well articulated. The promise of increasing effectiveness in "major sales" is largely fulfilled. However, the emphasis on "it's based on research" goes unsubstantiated for the most part. You find the author insisting that "it's based on research" and providing simplistic graphs "based on research" than actually providing rigorous insights into the research. It also does not help that business theory is presented as a first person narrative. Blurs that fine line between theory-based opinion and opinion-based theory.

All said, the technique is highly effective and serves as a great foundation for approaching sales calls at various stages in the cycle. I've found myself going back to this book multiple times over the years. Always a good sign for books that you want to own rather than just read once.

How to Ask the Questions that Lead to Sales Success.......2007-06-30

The sales guru Zig Ziglar once said "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." To me, that means that you've got to understand people before you can persuade them. If you're to understand someone, they have to talk to you. And the best way to get them to talk is to ask questions. But are there some questions that are more highly correlated with successful selling than others?

Published in 1988 and still one of the best researched sales books on the market, SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham has the answer: Yes, some questions do increase your chances of sales success more than others. More importantly, these client interviews- what SPIN Selling calls the Investigation stage- have the greatest effect on the outcome of the sale. The book outlines the four types of questions that salespeople ask during the Investigation stage:

Situation: What is going on here? How do things work?

Problem (Pain Points): What are the problems you are experiencing?

Implication (Implied Needs): What effect do these problems have on results (cost, quality, delivery, customer service)?

Need-Payoff (Explicit Needs): What improvement in results could you make by resolving these problems with these specific capabilities (perceived value)? Are there other benefits? How important are these benefits to you?

(From page 91) "The SPIN model taps into the psychology of the buying process: buyers' needs move from Implicit to Explicit. The questions provide a roadmap for the seller guiding the call through the steps of need development until Explicit Needs have been reached. The more Explicit Needs you can obtain from buyers, the more likely the call will succeed."

Following the model gets customers to tell you how what you're selling helps them. It makes you partners instead of opponents in the value discovery process. And by helping clients develop the benefits in their own words, you avoid objections and make it easier for clients to sell internally for you.

Ultimate Sales Model for Business to Business Selling.......2007-06-25

I speak around the world on lead generation and SPIN Selling" to give you a roadmap on how to master business to business selling.

There is no other resource I can think of where you can "easily perfect" your selling approach and strategy.

Neil gives you step-by-step plan that anyone can follow in their quest to excel at selling their products or services.

The one caveat is I would adopt the "SPIN" Model to "SPAIN" with the "A" emphasizing "Agitate" to put more focus on what the problem is costing your prospect without your specific solution.

I would also add that the SPIN Field Book is a great resource.

Joe Heller, Trust Cycle Selling

Great book.......2007-06-09

Great Book. Good buy for any sales professional who has to use the phone at work.

The Psychology Of Selling: The Art of Closing Sales

Average customer rating:

a must for any sales professional
Annoying speaker.
Psychology of Sessling
Can't miss with Brian Tracy
Travel with a great teacher.

The Psychology Of Selling: The Art of Closing Sales
Brian Tracy
Manufacturer: Nightingale-Conant
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0743520696

Book Description

Find The Keys To Sales Success!

The worlds foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs offers an expanded version of Brian Tracy's sales classic.

The Unsuccessful Salesperson says, "the other guy has the best territory."
The Successful Salesperson says, "every territory is the best one."
The Unsuccessful Salesperson says, ""that company will never buy."
The Successful Salesperson says, "I can make that company buy."

Confidence and self-esteem are just two of the factors that separate the successful salesperson from the unsuccessful one. In this comprehensive program, Brian Tracy -- an expert sales tainer -- shares more than 50 practical, day-to-day techniques for increasing your confidence in your sales abilities and boosting sales profits, including:

The two major "motivating" factors in closing a sale
The three "hot buttons" to push when selling to businesses
How to avoid the five simple errors that spell the difference between success and near-success

Brian Tracy will help you master the art of closing the deal.

Customer Reviews:

a must for any sales professional.......2007-09-21

I throughourly recommend this audio cd, anyone in any form of sales related role should have this. It's perfect for listening to in the car. Brian Tracys voice and the material he delivers is superb.
I became aware of many methodologies that have been used on me in the past and have adopted many helpful techniques.

Annoying speaker........2007-07-25

He says something as if it is in "quotation marks," in EVERY sentence. Who talks like that? Gets to be distracting.

Also, he references "study after study" frequently, but I would love to hear him cite a study.

My main gripe with him is his speaking habit of quoting one-third to one-half of each sentence. You'll know what I mean when you listen to him speak about ANYTHING. No other speaker does this.

Psychology of Sessling.......2007-06-09

Having listened to this CD now 3 times I am amazed at it's challenge to my belief on how much I am worth. This CD dramatically challenged me to lift the lid on my own expectations with my earnings.

You truly do only earn what you think you are worth, and I have already now made plans to increase my earning capacity in the next year by at least 100%.

Can't miss with Brian Tracy.......2007-01-16

I found the CD's to be motivating and found a few long forgotten tidbits.

Travel with a great teacher........2006-11-10

Brian Tracy has become one of my favorite mentors as I learn how to succeed in retail sales. I repeatedly listen to this CD as I travel in my vehicle. It is well organized, rich with information, and full of the wisdom of both research and personal sales experience success. From its beginning affirmation of the nobility of the sales profession to it's masterful coverage of the selling process including the art of closing a sale, it provides a framework of understanding for the values and responsibilities of those who work in selling as it should be done, so as to serve customers well. You won't regret purchasing this learning tool.

Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale

Average customer rating:

Well ahead of it's time -- A Timeless Classic
Practical Advice from the King of Sales
Classic sales book w lots of great ideas!
Zig's book is the all time classic
What you need to know about sales

Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale
Zig Ziglar
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425081028

Customer Reviews:

Well ahead of it's time -- A Timeless Classic.......2007-09-11

If you are in sales or for that matter, have a job, you must be in a position to persuade people and/or get what you want from them.

I have about 200 sales/marketing books and this one is in the top 3 if not the TOP.

Advice: Read/ Re-Read and Re-Read again and agin.... Take many many notes

Practical Advice from the King of Sales.......2007-06-07

No matter what you do, no matter what career you may participate in, you are a salesperson. And if you want to do your job better, even as a housewife or stay-at-home dad, you need to read this book. Zig Ziglar's homespun wisdom, laid-back storytelling and down-home humor make this not only a easy read, but a must have! His words of wisdom about not just paying attention to what you say but how you say it makes this book worth the price by itself. And if you don't think you are a salesperson, think again. After you read this book, you will know you are.

Classic sales book w lots of great ideas!.......2007-02-24

In general, I am a fan of Zig Ziglar in that he is model for making money in an ethical fashion. In addition to his business books, he has also written books on raising positive children in a negative world, having a good marriage and other topics that serve a large audience.

Some of his material ranks with the best out there. This book is excellent and something that should be on every salespersons shelf. However, some of the material comes across to me as somewhat manipulative. I don't know if that is because of how it is written or if he really believes that it isn't.

On the other hand, Zig Ziglar is a master communicator and he's the only person I ever knew who got the best of the "SIXTY MINUTES" news show team. In one scene, they say how much of what you do in terms of motivation really lasts and has lasting value. Without missing beat, Zig Ziglar replied, "taking a bath isn't permanent either, you need to do it everyday are you suggesting that this isn't necessary and useful either." A brilliant and accurate response in my opinion!

Anyway, despite my reservations about some of the techniques and communication styles discussed, this book is loaded with excellent ideas for closing a sale. Communication strategies that are eventually embodied in good sales people. I wouldn't hesitate to pick this book up and take what you need from it.

Zig's book is the all time classic.......2006-05-21

Easy reading, funny, motivational and packed with powerful strategies that will take your sales career to a new level. Read and reread Zig's Secrets and you'll become a top closer too.

Also recommend Tom Hopkins classic 'How To Master The Art of Selling' Tead anad apply both and break through that six figure income easily.

What you need to know about sales.......2006-05-16

This book contains what every salesperson should know about sales. There are not reasons for not getting sales, you just didn't get past the objection. This book puts things in a whole new light. I highly recommmend it.

Average customer rating:

not his best book
ABC ALWAYS BE CLOSING!
A must-have for anyone in sales!
Tom is the Master Closer

Sales Closing for Dummies
Tom Hopkins
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764550632

Book Description

Without the close, there is no sale. Pretty obvious, right? Yet, for many salespeople, closing is the most baffling and elusive part of the selling process. All too often, salespeople meet qualified clients and charm them with an eloquent presentation, only to see the sale mysteriously slip from between their fingers in the end. Which is sad when you consider all the hard work – the prospecting, preparation, planning, and practice – done for the sake of a moment of truth that never arrives. Fortunately, closing is an art that can be mastered, and now Sales Closing For Dummies shows you how.

Packed with powerful principles that can help you become a top-producing salesperson, Sales Closing For Dummies is the ultimate guide to mastering that most mysterious part of the selling equation. Tom Hopkins, the legendary sales genius who, by age 30 was the nation’s leading real-estate trainer, demystifies closing and shows what it takes to be a champion closer, including how to:

Lead a sale without being pushy
Read the signs of an interested potential buyer
Use questioning methods that close sales, time and again
Help clients feel good about their buying decisions
Keep your clients’ business and build their loyalty
Build long-term relationships and watch your sales grow

With the help of dozens of real-life examples from a wide cross section of industries, Tom shows why professional selling is about communication, not coercion. And he shares his considerable insight and experience on:

Verbal and visual buying cues and how to recognize them
Choosing the best location for closing
Addressing concerns and creating a sense of urgency
Time-tested tactics and strategies for ending customer procrastination, overcoming their fear, closing from a distance, and more
The ten biggest closing mistakes and how to avoid them
Add-on selling and other ways of getting your clients to help you to build your business

Featuring Tom’s Hopkins’ trademark “Red Flag” key points and situation scripts, this fun, easy-to-understand guide arms you with the hands-on tools and techniques you’ll need to become a world-class closer.

Customer Reviews:

not his best book.......2007-01-19

I was disappointed in the book. It's not Tom's best book by far. I found it very boring. Using examples that I just could not relate in my sales career.

ABC ALWAYS BE CLOSING!.......2003-10-26

I've been in Real Estate sales for just over a year. This is my first "sales" job so I was looking for something to help me with my closing skills. After reading the first 10 chapters of this book, I picked up several techniques and ideas from Tom's strategies that helped me. They helped me so much in fact, that I got two listings in one week! The commission on those two listings totaled $20,610! If I could recommend any sales book for a beginning sales person, or an experienced sales person that just needs some new ideas, this would be it!!!

A must-have for anyone in sales!.......2002-12-06

I found this book to be very helpful. My close ratio has increased by 150%! But most importantly, now that I have this knowledge I can finally afford a pool table for my basement and daily veterinarian appointments for my cat!

Tom is the Master Closer.......2000-11-01

I've been involved in sales for over fifteen years and I have yet to see another speaker/author come this close to perfecting and teaching the sales process. There are many other fine teachers, but Tom Hopkins seems to be the easiest to understand and the easiest to follow - even for the newest of my salespeople. And since he applies his disciplines to all industries, this may be the only sales guide you need - what a way to clean up that library! Truly a fine compilation of the best sales closings and how to use them.

Average customer rating:

Best There Is

Secrets of Closing the Sale
Zig Ziglar
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800759753
Release Date: 2004-09-01

Book Description

Whether presenting a product or principle, service or idea, we all engage in sales. Zig Ziglar presents winning techniques for getting a positive response and establishing dynamic relationships. Readers discover how to: project warmth, enthusiasm, and integrity; effectively use 100 creative closes; increase productivity and professionalism; overcome the five basic reasons people will not buy; deal respectfully with challenging prospects.

Customer Reviews:

Best There Is.......2007-07-26

Over the last four years, I have purchased over a dozen copies of this book, in addition to the 12-disk CD seminar series based on the book. It is absolutely the best book on the market for new sales people, as well as those in sales for years. We have 12 sales offices in the state of Florida and there are copies of the book and a set of the CDs in every office. Our sales managers use them all the time to add a training component to their sales meetings.

Average customer rating:

Zigs The man
One of a kind!

The Secrets of Closing the Sale

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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How to Get What You Want

ASIN: 0743537254

Book Description

MAKE 'EM SAY YES

All of us are involved in selling every day. Whenever we present a product or a principle, inform a client, or instruct a child, we are engaging in the art of effective persuasion. Allow America's master of the art of selling explain proven, practical sales techniques all of us can use every day. He provides vital strategies for specific closes, hundred of sales questions, and dozens of persuasion procedures to help everyone sell their ideas, or themselves. No matter what your age, gender, occupation, or lifestyle, these proven techniques from America's selling sensation can work for you.

Customer Reviews:

Zigs The man.......2007-06-29

Very fun to listen to in your car when your driving to customers houses. Lots of good information and insights into selling. Not everything Zig talks about can be used in my line of sales, but for the most part this is a must have audiobook for anyone who wants to be the best.

One of a kind!.......2007-04-12

This audio book changed my way of approaching sales. It is a classic must have that will change your life.

Average customer rating:

Close the Sale Now

Instant Sales (Instant Success)
Bradley J Sugars , and Brad Sugars
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Instant Leads (Instant Success)
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Instant Systems (Instant Success)

ASIN: 0071466649

Book Description

Unleash the inner salesperson you never knew you had.

From financial advice to hairstyling, fitness training to auto parts, no matter what your product or service, you've got to sell to stay in business. A multimillionaire by age twenty-six, Brad Sugars delivers techniques for infusing your business with a powerful sales ethic and creating super sales success. Learn how to:

Deliver sales quotes that instil prospects with trust
Provide the kind of service that keeps customers coming back
Master the first crucial minute of any sales call
Set up a point-of-sale system they can't ignore

Get real results right now when you discover all that Instant Success has to offer!

Instant Advertising * Instant Cashflow * Instant Leads Instant Profit * Instant Promotions * Instant Referrals * Instant Repeat Business * Instant Systems * Instant Team Building * The Business Coach * The Real Estate Coach * Successful Franchising * Billionaire in Training

Customer Reviews:

Close the Sale Now.......2007-07-12

I found this book to be extemely helpful and valuable for anyone in sales (aren't we ALL in sales as we depend on revenue from a product or service?)

The most valuable lesson for me was the discussion regarding purpose. So many of us focus on the "how" of improving our business but we seldom think of the "why". This extends far beyond the sale today, tomorrow, next month, etc. We must understand what our true purpose is and then focus on delivering value to our prospects, thus professionally helping them to buy.

The next most useful topic was the dicsussion of different personality types from the DiSC profile and how to communicate with them. This was very helpful in realizing that, when it comes to sales presentations and strategies, "one size does NOT fit all".

The third point that I found to be very beneficial concerns the conversion rate. If I don't measure it, it's probably much lower than I think and there's a great deal I can do about it if I take the points in the book to heart.

I recommend this book to anyone who has to talk to someone else about their product or service. Read this and sell more!

Average customer rating:

Save your money
Pipe dream sales approach...
Packed With Knowledge!
Packed with Knowledge!
The BOOST you need to get STARTED!

Closing Techniques: (That Really Work!)
Stephan Schiffman
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Stephan Schiffman's Telesales: America's #1 Corporate Sales Trainer Shows You How to Boost Your Phone Sales

ASIN: 1580628575

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, America's #1 corporate sales trainer proves to readers that closing does not have to be the most difficult part of the sale. In the third edition of Closing Techniques (That Really Work!), Stephan Schiffman takes a fresh and effective perspective on closing. Closing is not a battle—it's an art form. This informative guide provides salespeople with innovative techniques that make the old closing tricks seem obsolete.

Armed with field-tested techniques and expert advice, readers learn to throw down their swords and integrate the closing process into a professional, productive sales cycle that turns prospects into allies—not adversaries. Completely revised and updated, Closing Techniques helps salespeople:

· Develop a strong opening and closing
· Know the customer
· Keep it simple
· Set objectives for in-person sales meetings

Also featuring sample cold calling scripts and sales dialogues to help hone and sharpen closing skills, Closing Techniques is sure to remain an indispensable closing tool for salespeople worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

Save your money.......2007-04-22

Very weak book. I got a free copy of the authors Cold Calling book and was extremely impressed, so I decided to check out his other work.

This book is very plain and boring, with no real advice, at many points it didn't even feel I was reading a book on closing. It's beyond me how another reader can say it is 'packed with knowledge'.

Buy Cold Calling by the same author, it has a chapter on closing that is better than this whole book.

Pipe dream sales approach..........2007-02-07

Stephan Schiffman covers quite a few strategies for closing the sale in this book but I found it to be lacking. Too much of the same old approaches to selling rather than what works (like profiling your customer by personality and catering your sale to their temperament.) If you've read any of his previous works, you'll find information recycled here.

All the best!
Bill White
[...]

Packed With Knowledge!.......2004-06-10

Stephan Schiffman, who has trained more than 450,000 salespeople, expands upon an approach he used in an earlier book about crafting sales proposals that make sense to your prospects. He stresses the need to listen so you can respond to the customer's needs, rather than just trying to convince the prospect to buy. Some of this book may give you a sense of deja vu if you've read any of his previous sales books, such as Power Sales Presentations. Otherwise, this is a fairly solid, sensible, no gimmicks approach to sales. Schiffman includes effective hands-on examples of sales approaches, including cold calling scripts and an appendix of sample dialogues. He teaches selling methods to use in different corporate settings, such as presenting to committees. We find the book's 30 short snappy chapters ideal for reading in concise, instructive bites, just right for busy sales people.

Packed with Knowledge!.......2003-10-15

The BOOST you need to get STARTED!.......2002-12-25

Being new at sales I was floundering without knowing exactly what I was doing right or wrong. Stephan provides a PLAN to try for the next 21 days. He says if you do this plan you will have success. I found the book to be very helpful. I will know by Jan. 31, 2002, if Stephan was right. E-mail me if you want to know, too.

The Art of Closing Any Deal: How to Be a Master Closer in Everything You Do

Average customer rating:

The Art of Manipulation
One of the very, very best sales books.
The best book for selling
the art of closing any deal, how to be a master closer
The Art of Closing Any Deal

The Art of Closing Any Deal: How to Be a Master Closer in Everything You Do
James W. Pickens
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 044667785X

Book Description

THE ART OF CLOSING ANY DEAL takes readers into the trenches of the psychological war called selling-and who better than sales guru James W. Pickens to give them the hard-hitting ammunition for every type of customer out there. From the 'I'm just looking' to the 'Know-it-all' to the 'I don't care' and the 'yes-man', Pickens takes aim at them all. Readers will learn to control buyers since the author's simulated conversations will arm them with winning and positive comebacks for every negative customer reply. Closing secrets include: deadly closing tips to make people buy; unbeatable closer responses to the most common objectives; how to read the customer's emotions and use perfect timing to nail the lid on the final close; and more. Readers will ultimately learn how to conquer buyers, as Pickens' take-no-prisoners techniques show them how to move in for the final attack.

Customer Reviews:

The Art of Manipulation.......2007-04-07

This book is a cleverly repackaged version of "The Closers" written many years ago by Ben Gay III. While there is some powerful sales technique in this book the book centers itself around manipulating a prospect into the buying decision and encourages the use of hi-pressure. A salesman may gain some great insights into sales but must guard against losing some of their ethical balance in the process.

One of the very, very best sales books........2007-01-09

I'm a high ticket salesman and devour sales books looking for the nuggets of gold within them. Even the most shallow of sales books have one or two things in them that you can learn, adapt, and use. Then there are books that have whole veins of gold running through them. This is one of them.
For what it's worth, here's my take on the book: If you need any help on closing, then this book is a masterpiece.

The best book for selling.......2006-11-25

This is by far the best I've ever read. Gives details on how to sell and close customers. Detailed information includes customer excuses for not wanting to buy and response to those excuses.

the art of closing any deal, how to be a master closer.......2006-03-20

exactly what you need if you consider your self weak in closing like I did. I was selling timeshare and now I'm selling real estate and insurance and I learned a lot from the book and I recommend it to anyone who needs to harden up and sell!

The Art of Closing Any Deal.......2005-12-11

This the worst book I have ever read on the Profession of selling. One can picture this bust out in white shoes, a white belt, oily hair, and checks and plaid.

This is clearly a book to read on WHAT NOT TO DO. Very smarmy....

Would have given 0 star, but you don't offer that ranking.

Consultative Closing: Simple Steps That Build Relationships And Win Even the Toughest Sale

Average customer rating:

Useful, step-by-step guide to help you finally seal the deal
Practical Plan

Consultative Closing: Simple Steps That Build Relationships And Win Even the Toughest Sale
Greg Bennett
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Consulting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Consultative Selling: The Hanan Formula for High-Margin Sales at High Levels
Questions That Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants
Secrets of Question Based Selling: How the Most Powerful Tool in Business Can Double Your Sales Results
Stop Telling, Start Selling: How to Use Customer-Focused Dialogue to Close Sales
High Probability Selling: Re-Invents the Selling Process

ASIN: 0814473997

Book Description

Traditionally strategies for closing sales have involved pressuring customers, countering their stalling tactics, and overcoming their objections -- behaviors that run in direct opposition to the philosophy of the consultative salesperson. On the other hand, consultative salespeople, afraid of damaging the relationship they've nurtured by appearing too aggressive, hope the deal will close itself -- something which rarely, if ever, happens. Consultative Closing provides the solution, breaking up the closing process into small, actionable steps that help the salesperson gain gradual buy-in and establish a long-term working relationship with his or her client. The book shows readers how to:

* recognize and address a "no" without seeming pushy
* create a "maximization program" that shows how a product or service will address the clients' problems and maximize their return on investment
* use visualization techniques that take clients past the moment of closing

Complete with effective closing phrases and questions, this indispensable guide gives readers the tools they need to make the sale, and keep their customers.

Customer Reviews:

Useful, step-by-step guide to help you finally seal the deal.......2007-08-31

Often, salespeople - even those who already practice "consultative" selling - are reluctant to ask for the sale because they don't want to jeopardize a client relationship they've worked hard to develop. Yet, the whole point of developing the relationship is to generate sales. Sales trainer Greg Bennett offers a solution to this conundrum in the form of his "mini-steps" sales approach. He explains how salespeople can break the sales process down into small, actionable steps, to help the client buy into it and advance the sale, without appearing self-serving or pushy. His system reworks existing sales practices, so some of his concepts may feel familiar, but he points out that many salespeople, and even sales managers, are too comfortable living in "Maybe-Land." He advocates taking up permanent residence in "Reality-World" by asking for an answer, even if that answer is "no." We encourage those who want to refine their consultative-selling techniques to read Bennett's book.

Practical Plan.......2007-05-08

Drawn from decades of selling situations and experiences, this book lays out a 3-part method to improving professional sales:

1. Working from a set of mini-steps to achieve buy-in
2. Recognizing that "no" is always better than "maybe"
3. A set of mini-steps for after the sale

The book also has a wonderful story on replacement window-buying, and having just lived through that "process," I found his insights spot on.

Unfortunately, the book has several minor weak points that keep it from the 5-star rating:

* Out of 200+ pages, only 10% cover the 3rd and final step in the method (post-sale mini-process).
* There is significant repetition (a paragraph or two on how clients and salesmen want to avoid conflict must be in every chapter at least once).
* Large parts of the book are written specifically for the small business owner; other sections clearly just for the dedicated salesman or sales manager. Depending on your role, you can skim.

That said, the first two out of three steps are incredibly well developed and very powerful tools. Thus, four stars.

J. Avellanet, Co-Founder of Cerulean Associates LLC

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