The book in one sentence
This book contradicts popular recommendations by revealing the difference between what you might believe to be effective and what scientific evidence shows to be truly effective.
In a world oversaturated with information, many try to get your attention by being louder. They tell you what impresses you and what you want to hear. They base their claims on extraordinary anecdotes and sensational stories that are alluring but not representative of the reality many sellers face. Only facts built on scientific research can show what has worked or not for thousands of sales professionals. This book finds the most popular recommendations and compares them with research findings to dispel popular myths.
Professors often speak an inaccessible language that is difficult to apply to concrete situations. This book makes research findings easy to understand, accessible, and applicable. It translates hundreds of sales studies into practical recommendations that you can effectively implement in your daily job. At the end of each chapter, you will find an actionable summary of each recommendation so that you can immediately start bringing change to your work.
This book will give you a lot of surprises. You will find that: most prospecting tactics only work for particular types of buyers; extrovert behaviors do not help, except for one type of them; only one personality trait matters to sales; one form of empathy is good, and one is bad; a customer orientation can potentially be deleterious; inspirational appeals work only in two situations; ingratiating buyers can be dangerous unless done in a specific way; popular listening tactics don’t teach you how to listen; there is one best process to sell, and you should never use it; most sellers misinterpret buyers’ needs; there are two ways to solve a client’s problem, everyone follows the least effective; everyone has been misunderstanding value selling; widespread closing and objection handling tactics are futile.
And many, many more provocative ideas...
Each chapter introduces one myth and debunks it with evidence from research studies. Then, it explains the logic behind the evidence so that you clearly understand why some tactics work or not. Finally, it provides clear and actionable indications of what you should do.
Truth doesn’t sell. Yet only truth makes you sell.
If books can make us sell more, why aren’t we rich already?
Dream big to unlock massive success? Beware! There’s a hidden catch
There are two types of sales conversations. Most follow the bad one
What they say about the sales experience is all wrong
Getting attention to reduce uncertainty
Popular prospecting tactics are traps! Here are the mistakes to avoid
How do you approach a buyer? Here are the solutions to your dilemmas
What if it were not as good as you think?
Do you have to be talkative? Extrovert behaviors are completely irrelevant, except for one
Delighting buyers with an exclusive dinner? The hidden perils of customer leisure
Should you show excitement? There are three forms of excitement. Only one works
Inspiration is good with employees but not with clients. Yet, there is a possibility
What if I told you that one form of empathy is good and one is bad?
Popular ingratiation tactics don’t work. Yet, a couple of them might
Don’t listen to popular listening tactics. Unless...
Sellers hate them! Because they have been getting them wrong
Is there a perfect process for the sales conversation? Yes, and you should never follow it
Sellers have been identifying all the wrong needs
Sellers think they understand problems, but buyers don’t think sellers do
There are two ways to solve your client’s problem, and everyone follows the least effective
One approach is right and one wrong
Does it really work, or is it just yet another catchy term?
Everybody talks about it. Nobody knows what it really is
Clarifying common misconceptions
Is the product worth the price? Avoiding common mistakes
Why not exaggerate a bit? Using evidence in the sales conversation
Good and bad tactics for objection handling.
Which are better and which are worse?
And if there were a secret solution?