32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only sales book you'll ever need., August 27, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: No B.S. Sales Success: The Ultimate, No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, and Make Tons of Money Book (Self-Counsel Business Series) (Paperback)
I bought this book on the advice of a friend after months of nagging. Although it's inexpensive, is quick and to the point, and not terribly large, it contains a great deal of information.
I've listened to the Tom Hopkins tape set "Low Profile Selling," and I thought that was great, which it is. Although using all of Tom's techniques at once would most likely send a customer running. And using only a few might not be enough. I felt something was missing.
Back to Dan's No B.S. Sales... Dan shows you how to "Position not Prospect" (chapter 17). This is a technique that you may use to AVOID PROSPECTING. Who wants to knock on doors anyway? I don't.
Dan discusses how to POSITION yourself through writing, speaking publicly, and getting free publicity to establish yourself as an expert in the eyes of the consumers in your market. In this way, they discover you, and SEEK YOU OUT. They're not on the defensive, as they would be had you discovered and approached them.
You establish yourself as more than "just another salesperson." Perhaps most importantly, you establish trust. They've been told by the newspaper reporters, radio talkshow hosts, and others that you're the one and only expert in your field. You're the person to solve their problems. (There's a lot more too it in Dan's book.)
He provides several examples on how to get in the paper (through your own writings and others'), how to gain speaking opportunities, and how to get the papers to write about you.
After reading this book, I'm surprised that I don't see very much of this in my market. More salespeople should be "Positioning not Prospecting." This book is a great investment!
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36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what everybody (not just salespeople) needs, May 22, 2000
I bought this book purely because I like Dan Kennedy. I am not a salesperson by training or profession, but I always know that I can get something good out of what Dan says.
One of the most interesting points he brings up is that of "takeaway selling." This is basically, where instead of covertly begging for the sale like so many salesepeople do, you take it away by playing "hard to get." This is part of his overall plan of positioning yourself, so people respect you. People want to do business with you, so you don't have to go beg for business, which brings me to my next point.
This book is a little misleading in the sense that people think it only applies to salespeople. I disagree. We all sell in some way shape or form in our lives. The key is to position yourself in such a way that people seek you out instead of you having to advertise. How many "ads" does Harvard University place to recruit students?
I give this book 5 stars purely because it is short and packed with very good useful information. 5 stars because it is great for anyone who owns a business. If you're tired of underpricing your services and having to advertise heavily, this book is just what you need. And if you don't own a business and are not a salesperson? I still think it is a useful book because it causes you to conduct yourself in a different manner. You have more self-respect and self-worth which is something we all need regardless of our profession.
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33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A few nuggests of info, but basically one long commercial, April 17, 2005
I should have known better when I thought this sales book would be any different from the others. No new ideas here. At least you will find that Dan Kennedy's writing style is easy to read and often funny. Ultimately though, I felt like this was one long commercial to sign up for a subscription to Dan's "Inner Circle" club. Skip the book, just go to www.dankennedy.com.
This book is just like one of those sales seminars that pack 15,000 people into an arena under the guise of a "leadership" conference and then just sell you $300 tape collections.
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