Customer Reviews

Selling Microsoft: Sales Secrets from Inside the World's Most Successful Company

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This book is one of the best books on selling high technology products on the market. It provides invaluable knowledge on a full range of selling topics including effective time management, marketing, sales support, sales people, sales managers, and customer support. The section on time management was very helpful. When I first started reading it I was wondering why the author took the time to insert a chapter on time management when there are so many books devoted to the subject. Before I realized it I was saying to my self, "... this is happening to me every day I must take control of my schedule." The Client Centered approach to sales is the central focus of the book and is described in detail. Some of the methods presented in the Client Centered approach have been presented in other books, but the author did an excellent job of bringing together the various ideas into a well-defined plan. The forms and checklists included are a valuable addition, and help in transforming the ideas presented into a plan of action. I was so impressed with the book that I am purchasing copies for all my sales and marketing people.

This book is a nice short piece on the nuts and bolts of selling, but be forewarned: it has about as much to do with Microsoft and its methods as I do (hey, I'm running Office 2000 on my computer, woohoo!).

You get the occassional gem about taking Bill Gates along on a sales call. That's what you call a closer. But that's about it. Other than that, Dayton could be describing how to sell cardboard. Not that it's a bad thing. But if you're looking for strategic selling techniques for high technology sales, best look elsewhere.

As opposed to most "hot new" sales approaches which focus on changing your personal style, this book does a great job of providing a strategic step-by-step plan from A-Z. It's void of fluff and gets right to the point of outlining the nuts and bolts of the process including pre-sales planning, performance tracking, maintaining growth, and time management. It's worth reading in general and especially for those migrating into tech sales.