Product Description

Salespeople hate to read. That's why Little Red Book of Selling is short, sweet, and to the point. It's packed with answers that people are searching for in order to help them make sales for the moment--and the rest of their lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3448 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 220 pages

From Publishers Weekly
If salespeople are worried about how to sell, Gitomer (The Sales Bible) believes they are missing out on the more important aspect of sales: why people buy. This, he says, is "all that matters," and his latest book aims to demystify buying principles for salespeople. From the red cloth cover to the small trim size to the amusing (but not cloying) cartoons on almost every page, this is an appealing and accessible book. The author is obviously enthusiastic, if not manic, about sales, and though some of his mantras verge on hokey, much of his prose is straightforward and realistic. Each chapter includes a mini table of contents, pull quotes and takeaway sound bites, examples of typical whines from salespeople (e.g., "the client said they spent their whole budget") paired with a positive response (e.g., "Decision makers make the budget. Non-decision makers spend the budget"), and plenty of advice and ideas that can be taken in and studied as a whole or referred to at random for inspiration.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

David Dorsey, The Wall Street Journal (May 3rd 2006)
This isn't just a red book; it's a Red Bull of high-energy sales tips & counsel.

From the Publisher
How to Make Them Want to Buy

By DAVID DORSEY

Wall Street Journal; May 3, 2006; Page D10

If you're in sales and you quote from "the little red book," you probably won't be mistaken for a communist these days. Jeffrey Gitomer's "The Little Red Book of Selling" is itself selling: more than a half-million copies world-wide since it was published.

It's not hard to see why. This isn't just a red book; it's a Red Bull of high-energy sales tips and counsel. The author's personality comes through with blunt wit he's part personal trainer, part standup comic. (If his advice doesn't work, Mr. Gitomer says, "don't be blaming me. Not only do these principles work, they work in the Northeast, where people eat their young.") The pages have plenty of white space, color-coded tips and Dilbertesque cartoons offering instruction on how to tackle complaints that would keep you from making sales FOREVER! (This sort of type treatment looms large in more ways than one.) You could read the entire book on a coast-to-coast flight, with time to spare, but it's probably better approached like a box of chocolates: Consume a few bullet points a day, because more than that is going to feel excessive.

As you read "The Little Red Book of Selling," one thing becomes clear: Ecclesiastes was right there is nothing new under the sun. Work hard! Be prepared! Ask good questions! Make friends! Does anyone need to be told these things? Well, it can't hurt. Mr. Gitomer's admonitions to get out and network, meet decision makers, use creativity and (his central principle) don't sell, make people want to buy!!! are advice that, if you're in sales, you've heard a thousand times.

Yet when Mr. Gitomer gets into details, his thinking is fresh and amusing. He offers five pages on crafting a good voicemail greeting. My favorite, though its facetiousness could wear thin after a few hearings: "Hi, this is Jeffrey Gitomer. I wish I could talk to you but I can't. Please leave your American Express number with expiration date, and I'll get right back to you." He claims three people a day dutifully recite the information into the phone and then hang up.

Now Mr. Gitomer has followed up "Selling" with "The Little Red Book of Sales Answers." Subtitle: "99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money." The sequel is just as red (outside) and white (inside) as its predecessor. And it, too, is a best seller, having spent the past two weeks on the Journal's business-books list. There's less bite-sized philosophizing, though, and more practical tips. Mr. Gitomer goes straight to tactics: How do you control a phone conversation? Ask questions. In doing so, you set the direction and begin to learn what you need to know in order to offer something of value. "If you ask enough of the right questions, you don't have to make many statements," he writes. Easier said than done, but you can put the book down, pick up the phone and see if it works.

On some matters, Mr. Gitomer is nearly useless. His suggestions for how to get over a fear of failure and a sense of inadequacy following an incident of rejection all boil down to: Think positive! But then, a few paragraphs later, he produces a wise response, gleaned from years of experience, to the question "Should I sign a non-compete?" If you're a new hire, there may be no other option, he says, but have a lawyer look at the agreement to make sure it's fair. If you're an established employee and your employer suddenly springs a non-compete agreement on you, he writes, "then something is drastically wrong."

Mr. Gitomer is at his most engaging when drawing on electronic newsletter, or e-zine, and produce material that is useful to prospective customers. (Minor problem: You have to come up with the mailing list yourself. Mr. Gitomer offers no tips here. At this point, if he were your boss, he'd be your worst nightmare: "Here's a great idea, kid! But first go out and find 5,000 people who are dying to hear what you have to say!") Now notify the person whom you would otherwise be cold-calling that you want to do an interview for your e-zine and that you will be bringing a photographer. Conduct the interview (without bringing up your product or service), publish the prospect's comments and photo, and send the e-zine to him. Not only will you get that face-to-face appointment, you've probably already made your sale.

This is where Mr. Gitomer is best: taking a problem and setting it within a startling and often uncomfortably assertive context. How do you get better leads than your competition? Network, of course. But don't just show up at an event, down a few drinks and collect a few business cards. Wrangle an invitation to be the featured speaker. Offer so much value in your talk that prospective customers will be cold-calling you.

What's especially solid about Mr. Gitomer's books is their grounding in ethics (his e-zine suggestion isn't devious; it's just smart). Success, for him, comes from the heart. He concludes his new book with the idea that you must love what you do and do it honestly. If you don't love it, you'll just be in it for the money, and that leads to short-cuts and pressure selling not to long-term friendships based on an actual exchange of value. He reminds us that top sales reps don't peddle; they solve problems and make customers laugh while offering them something they genuinely need. The highest-achieving sales folks work harder than everyone else because their job is their passion. In the end, it's hard to argue with a consultant whose guiding principle is: "If you want to be the best salesperson, first you must be the best person."

Mr. Dorsey is the author of "The Force" (1994), about a year in the lives of a top Xerox sales manager and his team.

Customer Reviews

Activity Management is Dead
I read the first line of the most recent review of this book and that is all it took for me to decide how I would explain what is wrong with this book. The reviewer said the book would help you make those 10 additional sales calls in a given day. This is old school thinking and so is this book. This is the very reason many people dislike sales people. They waste your time. Modern sales is about thinking first. Thinking where you fit. Thinking where you bring value. Thinking specifically what that value is. Then stay there. By doing that, you will no longer allow yourself to think of success as making 10 more sales calls in a day. It's about results. Count results, not sales calls or hours. "Did you get it done?" is all that matters. I'd rather make one meaningful call with a prospect that I know provides me with a ninty percent chance of success than 100 calls, hoping I'll find one opportunity for success. And this also is the key to work-life balance.

Written for those who have attention deficits?
I sent this book back. It is written in bullet points and different types of fonts and in bold. It seemed to be yelling out car salesmen pitches. Good for those with attention deficits?

Little Red Book Review
This book is well written! I love it! I'd read anything from this author. The illustrations make the book easy and fun to read.