Cross-Selling Success: A Rainmaker's Guide to Professional Account Development [Paperback]

Ford Harding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

Written especially for the professions, including accountants, architects, bankers, executive recruiters, lawyers and many more. In today's competitive workplace, companies are extending their services to keep clients happy - and attract new ones. By using the original service as a flagship to sell others services, customer loyalty is strengthened and the bottom line improved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media Corporation (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580627056
• ISBN-13: 978-1580627054
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ford Harding is president and founder of Harding & Company. He also writes for Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, The American Lawyer, Journal of Accountancy, Consulting Magazine, Consulting to Management (C2M), Mechanical Engineering, CE News and other publications. He has helped professionals in fifteen countries learn to sell. Prior to starting his own company, Ford spent fourteen years with a consulting firm where he served on the executive committee and ran the Eastern Regional Office. He has also served as the Director of Marketing at a large architectural firm. Ford is an alumnus of Harvard and J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book (By Far) On Cross Selling, August 27, 2003

By 

Robert G. Barnwell "Robert G. Barnwell" (New York City) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cross-Selling Success: A Rainmaker's Guide to Professional Account Development (Paperback)

This is the best book (by far) on cross selling that I've found. The books principles can be summarized by Mr. Harding's acronym "BEST."

(1) Buyers. Identify the key buyers in the client organization and strive to create relationships with as many -- if not all -- of these buyers as possible.
(2) Events. Create "events" such as kick-off meetings, progress meetings, and fact-finding/exporatory meetings that put you in a position to build these relationships and mine for signals (number #3 which follows) of additional needs or concerns.
(3) Signals. Listen for signals that the client may need additional services. These signals may be obvious (such as the announcement of a merger or acquisition) or may be simple comments.
(4) Techniques. Professionals should equip themselves with listening, relationship-building, and sales skills in addition to professional skills and expertise.

The book provides extensive case studies to show each principle in detail and also provides a representative list of the types of events and signals to consider. Again, this book is by far the best available on cross selling. I highly recommend it.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical answers for the #1 sales challenge!, October 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cross-Selling Success: A Rainmaker's Guide to Professional Account Development (Paperback)

At my company we have been struggling to solve the cross-selling issue for some time. Our sales organization has not been able to commit to a viable cross-selling strategy and to implement it over time. The result: money left on the table and poor customer satisfaction (or simply customer annoyance).

If you have looked around at the sales books out there, you know that there is not a lot of really good practical advice on cross-selling strategies. Harding does a great job offering suggestions which are effective and reasonable. We have used some of the strategies in his previous two books with great success and we are looking forward to implementing the cross-selling strategies as well. Another great book!

5.0 out of 5 stars a great practical guide, October 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cross-Selling Success: A Rainmaker's Guide to Professional Account Development (Paperback)

After more than 15 years experience in business and in companies large and small, I've seen plenty of cross-selling initiatives fall short of expectations. When I saw this book, I was hopeful though somewhat skeptical. But this book really delivers. It's a great practical guide to actually getting things done. The author uses real-life examples and stories to help illustrate points and this takes things from the realm of theory and makes them understandable and actionable. I don't usually write reviews but it is not often that you find a business book that actually deals with a topic in a clear and effective way. Good stuff.