Customer Reviews

The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource, New Edition

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Somewhere in America, a Salesperson is working the phones. They've dutifully memorized their "red hot cold calling" scripts and are dialing the 99 phone numbers that may allow them to set an appointment or take an order when they dial the 100th. They're playing the numbers game and they are surviving.

They're in the minority.

Meanwhile, another Salesperson who is well-versed in "closing techniques" is mesmerizing his or her prospect with a fully scripted and rehearsed presentation, each PowerPoint slide exuding the features and benefits that will certainly lead to a firm handshake and a signed order.

They're also in the minority.

This is the age of selling that's articulated in books like Escaping the Price-Driven Sale: How World Class Sellers Create Extraordinary Profit. The economy has changed, the rules have changed, and your prospects have the Internet at their fingertips. They don't need you and don't want to deal with you unless you bring something to the table that they can't get on their own. You need to be a problem-solver, one who crafts solutions and never wastes the time of your prospects.

Gitomer covers it all...the techniques that work today as well as the ones that have limped off to the elephant's graveyard. Along with his six "little books" on selling, the revised Sales Bible forms a body of work that can be summed up in one central message, found on page 18:

"You often hear people say that they wouldn't or couldn't go into sales. The reason is they can't tolerate the risk involved. The uncertainty. The unknown. Or, perhaps more fundamental, they can't handle the challenge."

Selling...as an art and a science...is a moving target. The economy changes, the playing field changes, the needs of each of your prospects-slash-customers changes. A decade or two ago you might have gotten by with reading Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale or Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere before hitting the pavement or dialing the phone, but today your education needs to evolve daily. Gerhard Gschwandtner's "Selling Power" magazine and Web Site offers daily audio and video tips from experts. Gitomer publishes his weekly "Sales Caffeine" eZine. The degree to which the modern salesperson realizes that his or her education is perpetual and never-ending is the degree to which they will taste significant success.

If you own the six "little books" and former editions of The Sales Bible, if you read "Sales Caffeine" or listen to Gitomer as the host of Gschwandtner's monthly "Selling Power Live" audio program, you may not find an abundance of "new" material in this revised edition. The cartoons make it consistent in format with the "little books." I consider the book to be a five-star effort, and especially enjoy the fact that it is available as an audio book. Gitomer has carefully included his own unique personality as a central element of his branding, and this is one effort that benefits from presentation in both the written and spoken word.

Imagine a sales trainer looking over your shoulder as you work, telling you specifically what you should be doing. He's endlessly optimistic but also incredibly driven and intense. He loves to bark out list after list of advice. He quotes himself, often.

Sound irritating? In person it would be, but as a book it works. I got my copy this afternoon, and it's already full of Post-it notes, each one marking an intriguing idea I can't wait to try.

Here's one. When you call someone and they're not there, "leave a partial message that includes your name and phone number, then pretend to get cut off in mid-sentence as you're getting to the important part of the message. Cut it off in mid-word." Some examples: "I found your..." or "Your competition said..." The person won't be able to resist calling you back.

There's no index, and the table of contents is hard to find, but those are quibbles. This book delivers on its promise: The Ultimate Sales Resource.

Here's the chapter list:

1. The Rules. The Secrets. The Fun.
2. Preparing to WOW! the Prospect
3. Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself
4. Making a Great Presentation
5. Objections, Closing and Follow-up. Getting to YES!
6. Woes and Foes
7. All Hail the King... Customer
8. Spreading the Gospel
9. Networking... Success by Association(s)
10. Prophets and Profits
11. Up Your Income!
12. Can I Get an Amen?

Overall Great book on fundamentals. You will not find any fancy techniques in this book, & very biased to the b2b side of selling. This book is very good on the fundamental level, which for me is the most important. I use the fundamentals more then anything on a day to day bases. You should buy this book if you are serious about the career of selling.

okay, well my entire review just got deleted. all i can say is this book says WHAT without saying HOW
(general principles) without getting into finer details.

For instance one of the points in sales presentations says to use a FUNNY slide as opposed to a HUMOROUS slide, well these two words are (and can be used) synonymously. so, what does the author mean? Why are there few examples sparsely populated throughout without in-depth examination of any of this authors 230948234082340842380 points. Without substantiation and examples, the author just peppers the reader with useless advice.

It would be like Michael Jordan telling an aspiring NBA player "just practice"
"Just dribble"
"just shoot"

Okay, How do I dribble? What are the best dribbling techniques, drills, etc?
The hardest angles at basketball? When you just lifted (weights) and your muscles are fatigued, is it good to shoot? How do I best simulate a game-situation?

Or a Chef saying, "key to good food is good ingredients"
or "put your heart into it"

How the **** do I put my heart into it? What does it mean? How do I externalize this?

I really enjoy reading the sales bible because it has a very nice languaje to explain concepts, even for people who doesn't speak english and also it goes direct to the point so I fully recomended.

Have you been in sales? Just getting started? In a slump? Breaking all the records? A new sales manager? Someone who wants to be able to influence better? Great this book is for you. Yes no matter what your story is this book can help you remember what to do and when to do it. Sales come down to communication, questions and stories. Typically when sales slumps happen there is something basic that is not being done, this book is a great reference to find that basic idea. If sales are going great it is a superb way to stay on the top. From novice to professional there is something in here for you and you can get better at your job and make more money. This is the anthology of sales if you have a question or need a list to work from it is in here. If you have read any of Jeffery's book you know he is straight forward blunt and to the point so is this book.

I think the latest Sales Bible is outstanding. Although there is substantial overlap from his prior books, The Sales Bible presents ideas and concepts that maximize the potential to complete a sale and retain a customer. Jack I. Hyatt

Great Book. I purchased both the audio and printed version because of the amount of time I spend in my car. I have also purchased a copy for every member on my sales team.

Good, timely material that is a must for all sales people.

Another great sales book to read. As a sales person you never agree 100% with what is written in all of these sales books but you need to take what you've read find the things that you need to work one and work hard to make yourself better. This book definately gave me some good things to work on and think about and so I would strongly reccomend you read it.

Ty Wilde, Author of
"Everything I Touch Turns to Sold (Advice on How to Become a Top Sales Professional From a Top Producer)"

Jeffrey Gitomer has a passion for selling; even his name suggests that, almost saying "Get over here, I'm trying to sell you something!" Of course, he usually succeeds in his mission.

Gitomer also has a passion for writing and a clever marketing strategy that delivers results. Who else would even think to break everything up in .5 segments? Genius.

This particular effort is designed to help anyone in sales get better results, by being doggedly persistent; never taking no for an answer. That's great advice; somebody may tell you "it can't be done", but an hour later, you've done it anyway. Since persistence is a necessary component to any sales process, incorporating that attitude is the first major step forward.

The book is filled with an optimistic and very pragmatic approach to the art of selling. It's based on Gitomer's real life experiences, which may or may not always be helpful for the reader; after all, not many personalities are as strong as our hero, Jeffrey's. His words ooze with a confident braggadocio, but his actions match the rhetoric.

While this may not quite live up to the hype of being the "ultimate sales resource", it certainly comes close. If you are even remotely involved in any type of sales environment (and who isn't?) you'll want to have a copy of this Sales Bible. Amen.