Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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!

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.

Cross-Selling Success is a well-written book about the various techniques to developing new accounts. While that may not be critical to the advancement and promotion of every single employee in an organization, it certainly can boost the career of a significant portion.

When combined with Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which explains how to promote and assist the client, Cross-Selling Success can immeasurably boost both your client's and your bottom lines.

Don't view this book as little more than a glorified used-car salesman's style. Excuse me, I meant pre-owned sales consultant's assistance.

Rather, view it not even a guide to acquiring new accounts. For what is this skill but an insight into human psychology? A way to ascertain a person's feelings and thoughts upon a certain business relationship, size up the strengths and weaknesses of those thoughts and then offer that individual an option that better satisfies that individual's preferences.

Because of that, I recommend Cross-Selling Success.