Little Red Book of Selling – Summary

This is a wonderfully direct book on selling. The below summary is from http://clivejones.com.au/the-little-red-book-of-selling-jeffrey-gitomer/ 

Key Points Summary

1. Kick Your Own Ass

  • Don’t go below the line – take responsibility and control own destiny.
  • Do the hard Yards – Work your ass off!
  • Train yourself – don’t wait for others to train you.
  • Get motivated – avoid negative people. Ignore idiots and zealots.

2. Prepare to Win – or lose to someone who is.

  • Research before the call, Do your homework.
  • Don’t waste time doing things like watching TV.

3. Personal Branding is Sales

  • It’s not who you know – it’s who knows you. Be seen and known as a leader
  • Give first – become a resource / centre of influence.
  • Positioning helps get you known, get in front of people you want to do business with.
  • Register “yourname.com”, get the best business card you can buy, e-magazine weekly.

4. It’s all about value / relationship – not price.

  • Give value first – don’t add it.
  • They don’t want your brochure, they want answers / solutions. Send your stuff after they ask for it.
  • Authors Philosophy – “I put myself in front of people who can say yes to me and I deliver value first”
  • Make friends first – “All things being equal people want to do business with their friends, and still do when things not so equal.”

5. It’s not Work – it’s Network

  • Go where your customers / prospects go – or are likely to go. (21 suggestions listed)
  • Spend 75% of time with people you don’t know.
  • Show up prepared.

6. If you can’t get in front of the decision maker you suck.

  • Ask compelling or engaging questions / thought provoking.
  • Talk profit / productivity
  • Ask for short time with option for longer if interested.
  • They don’t need proposals if you present a compelling value proposition.
  • Get past gatekeepers by asking for someone in sales – get to know the business through them (they’ll lead to to the CEO).

7. Engage me and you can make me convince myself.

  • Ask good quality questions that make them think / evaluate new ideas / qualify needs / separate you from competition.
  • Write answers / take notes. Improves your listening, helps follow up, makes them feel important, proves you care.
  • Asking Smart questions make you look smart, Asking dumb questions…..

8. Make them laugh

  • Pick something funny to you / genuine, – make it personal to you, nothing dirty, corny, gender or racially based.
  • Safe topics include kids, traffic, sit-coms, poking fun at self.
  • Not good at it? – study it.

9. Use Creativity to differentiate & dominate

  • Elements that help creativity include brain power, attitude, environment, observation, self belief, support group, collecting
  • ideas, mentors, study, using creative modelling, risking failure, and pride in seeing your ideas in action.
  • Get a more creative voicemail – be different.

10. Reduce their Risk – Identify and eliminate their risks of buying

  • Know your relevant risks of buying – and address them all with relevant “risk
  • removers”
  • Have them evaluate risk vs reward.

11. Saying it about yourself is bragging – someone else saying it is Proof.

  • Get testimonials with specific facts (not general… “he’s great” type comments).
  • Ask clients their reasons for buying from you.
  • Video happy clients – take them with you.

12. Antennas Up

  • Be aware of opportunities around you.
  • Elements to keep your 6th sense – the sense of selling high – Confidence, Positive
  • anticipation, determination, achievement, winning, success.

12.5. Resign your position as GM of the universe.

  • Don’t get involved in other peoples crap (TV, News, peoples sagas, etc)
  • Allocate that time to saving your own ass first.
  • “The little engine that could parable”
  • Couple of questionnaires to “Rate yourself, and some tips on “What it takes to be #1″.

FOR FREE RED BITS

Go to www.gitomer.com and under “Free Red Bits” type in the code…
1. SALES PILLS
2. DON’T QUIT
3. RESEARCH
4. BRAND ME
5. PRESENTATION
6. DIG YOUR WELL
7. PERSISTENCE
8. DECIDE
9. SMART QUESTIONS
10. HUMOR
11. RISK
12. NORRIS

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