Book Review - Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Sales Answers
Category Book Reviews
While I'm not "officially" in sales as a career, one of my jobs in software development is "selling" the technology. To that end, I'm always open to new ideas to become a better "salesperson". Jeffrey Gitomer has a very nice, fun little book that has a wealth of practical advice... Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Sales Answers : 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money. It's targeted to sales professionals, but you can glean quite a bit from it for all areas of your career.
Contents: Part 1 - Personal Improvement That Leads to Personal Growth; Part 2 - Prospecting for Golden Leads and Making Solid Appointments; Part 3 - How to Win the Sales Battle AND the Sales War; Part 4 - Sales Skill Building... One Brick at a Time; Part 5 - Building the Friendship. Building the Relationship. Earning the Referral. Earning the Testimonial. Earning the Reorder; Part 6 - Building Your Personal Brand; Part 6.5 - The Final AHA!
Each of the "parts" consists of a number of two and three page questions that Gitomer proceeds to answer. It starts out with basics like "What is the meaning of sales?" and "How do I make a cold call?" to "Am I available to my customers when they need me?" and "What do the leaders in my industry say about me?". Using cartoons, a range of fonts, and a very direct, conversational style of writing, the essential points that answer the question are spelled out for the reader. Gitomer uses his experience in sales to help you understand the steps you need to take to be successful at this thing called "sales". He also includes a number of references back to his website where you can get additional information and/or freebies to help you along. In fact, you can judge the effectiveness of his answers by looking at how he's practicing what he preaches by writing a book like this.
I mentioned I am a software developer and *still* found this book useful. If you're a consultant, a book like this is a no-brainer. You need to be selling your services and talents, and this book can help you do that. And given you're probably a techno-geek, most of the information here won't be intuitive to you (or comfortable, either). Regardless, mastering these skills can ensure that you have a steady flow of customers. Even if you're not a consultant but a regular employee at a company, you should still view yourself as a "sellable" item. Applying these ideas can separate you from your coworkers and make your position much more secure than the guy who is keeping his head down, hoping not to create waves...
This is a small investment of time and money that can pay off in large returns down the road. Even implementing two or three ideas from the book might change your career. If you've never considered "selling" yourself on the job, this book might just change your perspective in a positive way...
While I'm not "officially" in sales as a career, one of my jobs in software development is "selling" the technology. To that end, I'm always open to new ideas to become a better "salesperson". Jeffrey Gitomer has a very nice, fun little book that has a wealth of practical advice... Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Sales Answers : 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money. It's targeted to sales professionals, but you can glean quite a bit from it for all areas of your career.
Contents: Part 1 - Personal Improvement That Leads to Personal Growth; Part 2 - Prospecting for Golden Leads and Making Solid Appointments; Part 3 - How to Win the Sales Battle AND the Sales War; Part 4 - Sales Skill Building... One Brick at a Time; Part 5 - Building the Friendship. Building the Relationship. Earning the Referral. Earning the Testimonial. Earning the Reorder; Part 6 - Building Your Personal Brand; Part 6.5 - The Final AHA!
Each of the "parts" consists of a number of two and three page questions that Gitomer proceeds to answer. It starts out with basics like "What is the meaning of sales?" and "How do I make a cold call?" to "Am I available to my customers when they need me?" and "What do the leaders in my industry say about me?". Using cartoons, a range of fonts, and a very direct, conversational style of writing, the essential points that answer the question are spelled out for the reader. Gitomer uses his experience in sales to help you understand the steps you need to take to be successful at this thing called "sales". He also includes a number of references back to his website where you can get additional information and/or freebies to help you along. In fact, you can judge the effectiveness of his answers by looking at how he's practicing what he preaches by writing a book like this.
I mentioned I am a software developer and *still* found this book useful. If you're a consultant, a book like this is a no-brainer. You need to be selling your services and talents, and this book can help you do that. And given you're probably a techno-geek, most of the information here won't be intuitive to you (or comfortable, either). Regardless, mastering these skills can ensure that you have a steady flow of customers. Even if you're not a consultant but a regular employee at a company, you should still view yourself as a "sellable" item. Applying these ideas can separate you from your coworkers and make your position much more secure than the guy who is keeping his head down, hoping not to create waves...
This is a small investment of time and money that can pay off in large returns down the road. Even implementing two or three ideas from the book might change your career. If you've never considered "selling" yourself on the job, this book might just change your perspective in a positive way...
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