22 Keys to Sales Success: How to Make It Big in Financial Services (Hardcover)

by James M. Benson (Author), Paul Karasik (Author) "THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTS..." (more)
Key Phrases: money selling lots, own sales manager, selling financial products, Johari Window, Pareto Principle, True El False (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A 'must read' for new sales professionals and a 'you better read' for seasoned sales professionals." -- Albert J.

"Provides the next generation of producers and leaders the tools they need to be successful in this ever-changing industry." -- David Stertzer, Executive Vice President, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)

"This belongs on the shelf for every sales professional in the financial services business." -- Robert B. Plybon, Plybon & Associates, and past president, Million Dollar Round Table

Product Description
In the past few years, the financial industry has undergone dynamic structural changes that have deeply affected the sales process. Bruised by market volatility, today’s consumer is skeptical and demands more for less. You need fresh approaches to sell in today’s tough marketplace.

Here are the 22 Keys that can help any financial professional make more money, work less, and maximize their potential. Industry leaders James Benson and Paul Karasik combine their personal experience with the shared wisdom of the masters. Each key contains proven, actionable sales guidelines, including:

* The four primary fears that could destroy your sale—and how to help your prospects overcome them * The nine most effective strategic approaches to "target marketing" success * Five guidelines for qualifying prospects more effectively * Sixty-five ways to snap a sales slump * Ten ways to get your clients to say "Yes" * Four simple steps to generate new business with current clients * Five guidelines for overcoming objections * Six sample scripts to make your closing ratios soar

Whether you’ve been in business for years or are just beginning, each key will unlock a new door on your path to sales success.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press (April 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576601498
• ISBN-13: 978-1576601495
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #372,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Narrow Your Focus and Do More of What Works, May 10, 2004

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Review Summary: 22 Keys to Sales Success has some very fine material in it. The book would have been much improved if it had focused on one type of sales professional in one type of organization looking for one type of client (a new life insurance salesperson in a small agency dealing with owners of small businesses, for example). That would have allowed the material to have been more focused and customized for immediate use. At the same time, some of the material just doesn't fit certain classes of sales professionals. If you are wise enough to ignore what doesn't fit, this book can greatly improve your success.

Review: The authors are clearly well read and have had a lot of experience going to seminars. The many references to the works of others are appropriate and add depth to this otherwise simple book. From that authority, they provide many helpful suggestions that will be essential to newcomers to financial sales and valuable to experienced people who aren't using the advice.

I thought that the advice to Create Your Compelling Vision, Position with Mission, Energize Your Success, Open the Johari Window, Market Yourself as the Expert, Focus on Clients (Not Compensation), Demand Objections, and Be Your Own Sales Manager were superb. I was skeptical about the strong emphasis on continuing efforts to close, scripts and the suggested ways to get referrals. The material in the book seemed inauthentic to me in these areas as a professional, and I graded the book down accordingly.

It seemed like the book was aimed more at those selling insurance products for life and retirement than anything else. So if that's what you sell, this book is probably good for you. If you are a financial planner who looks at all dimensions of planning, this book is probably too sales-oriented to meet your professional standards. If you are an attorney, you will probably find much of what the book says to be appalling in its commercial focus.

One of the ironies of this book is that the authors suggest that you focus in as narrow a niche of services and customers as possible. I wonder why they didn't follow their own advice in writing this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible value for your money, August 31, 2004

By	R. Bly (Dumont, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Books that give genuinely new ideas -- or utterly practical tips -- on sales are worth their weight in gold. This one does both. The instructions on how to create your own One-Minute Positioning statement alone are worth 10 times the price of the book -- it is absolutely the best technique around for explaining to people in a brief statement what you do and why they should be interested.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Basic Review for Financial Planners, July 24, 2005

By	Vivek Thoppay "Financial Advisor" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a financial planner for a little over three years and I was reading this book to get some new ideas on growing my practice. Many of the ideas in this book I have read elsewhere. They just reinforced them in me, which is always good. I liked the Johari window idea in which you let everyone and remind everyone you meet what you do. I know sometimes I forgot exactly what some of my friends do. In the financial planning industry, I feel it is important to let everyone know all the things you can do and perhaps ask them to let their friends know about your services. Of course, don't push it - just give them a gentle reminder by weaving into the conversation every now and then.

This book would have been better if they had included more real life experiences from the people they have mentored. Hearing directly from them in their own words how they used each of these 22 keys would have made them more powerful.

In summary, this book is for someone who wants to reinforce the principles of sales success in the financial and insurance industry. For others who want new ideas they want to utilize in their practice, I would suggest looking elsewhere.