Customer Reviews

Sales 2.0: Improve Business Results Using Innovative Sales Practices and Technology

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I disagree with most of the other reviewers in that I didn't find this book very good at all.

I stared to read the book hoping to find practical tips or valuable concepts on sales applicable in this new electronic age. I got very little of value.

Firstly, the whole concept of 2.0 used in this book as nothing more than a synonym for new. They might as well have called it New Sales, but probably wanting to sound trendy opted for 2.0 instead. The term 2.0 is overused as it is. Also, I conceive of it as at least related to user generated content or user interaction, something not referred to in the book.

Secondly, the sales 1.0 as presented in the book is a straw man. If we are to believe the authors of this book, sales before they came along consisted of people dropping by random companies to talk to random people in an attempt to sell them something. By contrast, the authors explain sales 2.0 involves innovative practices such as actually figuring out who to talk to. And then monitoring what works and what doesn't. Novel concepts indeed! I don't have a lot of sales experience, but I'm sure sales wasn't as primitive as the authors suggest.

Thirdly, the book contains very little practical advice at all.

Fourthly, the entire book presents a view on sales derived from very few cases, mainly Oracle. They present the theory and then illustrate the theory with examples from the cases, the same cases, over and over. The book would have worked a lot better if they would have described the Oracle case in detail and deduced theory from that, instead of the other way around.

Overall, very disappointing.

Having rolled-out the first Oracle web site in the 90's, in a (very successful) effort to increase the penetration of the Oracle database in the mid-market, I had the opportunity to work very closely with Oracle's inside sales organization. I later took advantage of this experience to design Siebel's enterprise CRM software, which gave me the privilege to work with some of the most talented companies on the planet. Companies trying to build great sales organizations and striving to integrate successfully the multiple channels of customer communications!

I certainly wish that Anneke Sele's book had been available at the time as it very clearly and realistically explains and underscores how successful sales organizations need to use contemporary technology, and be displined in codifying and measuring meaningful processes and outcomes from prospect inquiry to customer close. Anneke's emphasis on a common lead framework between sales and marketing is right on! Don't wait to implement a low-latency sales cycle: Implement Sales 2.0 now.

Laurent Pacalin
CMO at FICO

Full disclosure - I am a 1.0 sales guy, where the reasgle sales folks can do it all. 2.0 Clearly represents a departure from the tried and true and representqs a process to leverage the outside sales organization. It only makes sence to utilize 2.0 tools to maximize the the power of the sales org. Every sales leader needs to have this one on thier reading list.!Sales 2.0: Improve Business Results Using Innovative Sales Practices and Technology

It is very hard to write an excellent book for sales techniques. All too often, authors fall into the trap of writing a book that includes everything for beginners to seasoned pro's, which fails for both camps. This did not go too far for the beginner, which is fine with me.

This book is not great, but has some new ideas on how to use new tools. I am always looking for a new idea for my tool bag and this had some ideas. The use of WebEx, for instance, is a way that will allow the client to gain more information in less time from the sales person. Since our role is to make sure the client is the hero, anything that can help the client do their job quicker and more efficiently is important. I have participated in WebEx presentations, but have not created one, so this will be a good challenge.


Finally, was the time spent worth it to read it? I picked up so new ideas, so the answer,for me, is yes.

Sales 2.0 is an indicator as to the growing interest in modernizing the customer acquisition process. The books arrival demonstrates that there is an audience for the best practices in this emerging field. Brent and Anneke have made a valuable contribution to our profession.

I highly enjoyed reading this book. Once you start, you don't want to stop. It is well-written and a treasure trove for real-world pragmatic examples and new ideas.

As a 25 year sales professional, I was simply amazed at the new wave of sales and sales management techniques outlined in this book. It all makes sense and I can see how productivity (and profitability) can be enhanced by large measure compared to my rather "dinosaur" sales 1.0 experience. Seley and Holloway also present their ideas in an extremely practical manner and show you step-by-step how to implement them. Every company selling any product today will benefit greatly from these 2.0 sales practices. I loved the book and recommend it highly to all sales professionals who want to learn about how to change and adapt in the new on-line sales 2.0 world!
Nora Holloway

Makes the sales process of the future seem so common-sensical. Good explanation on why the world has been plunged into 2.o land. Easy read for both salespeople and sales idiots. Clearly any company that wants to succeed in this changing and challenging economy will need to follow the principles set forth in this book. The Afterward is particularly good, as well.

This is a must read for anyone in (or aspiring to) sales management, from the front line manager to those developing channel strategies. This is a peak at the future of sales. There are numerous innovative ideas on the people, processes, and tools necessary to achieve extraordinary results. Best if all, the book is well-written and concise, perfect for that long plane ride to your next big sales meeting.

This is a must read for anyone in an executive level in sales and marketing. Anneke and Brent provide concrete examples of how companies today to rethink and refocus their sales and marketing strategies. The authors provide real life examples of how companies can increase their sales revenues and decrease their overall sales and marketing costs. This book gets right to the point of what companies need to be thinking about today. Anneke and Brent have the real life experience to prove their points!