Selling to the Top: David Peoples' Executive Selling Skills [Paperback]

David A. Peoples (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 11, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0471581054 | ISBN-13: 978-0471581055 | Edition: 1

David Peoples reveals how you can reach the decision makers at the top and clinch the sale. It's tougher than ever to win over today's customers, but it helps to have David Peoples on your side. This internationally known author, speaker, and sales trainer has already trained over 8,000 IBM salespeople in his highly successful sales program. He gives you proven strategies for getting your foot in the top executive's door, building a relationship, and making the sale. In Selling to the Top, he tells you:
* How to quickly identify the decision makers
* How to figure out who is the Dominant Influencer (DI)
* How to meet Mr./Ms. Big (it's much easier than you think)
* How to size up Mr./Ms. Big before you've met
* How to develop a detailed plan for calling on executives and how to talk their language by knowing their goals
* Everything you'll need to know about the art of persuasion, including how to win, three things that are necessary to persuade another person, how to build trust, and the five most powerful buying motives
* How to differentiate yourself from your competitor

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Selling to The Top "If there’s not much difference between your product or service and that of your competition, then there had better be a big difference in the way you deal with people." —David Peoples David Peoples, who created IBM’s highly successful executive sales program tells you what skills you need both to reach and sell to top executives while establishing an ongoing relationship with them. He tells you how to become your clients’ business partner—and less of a "peddler." You’ll find out how to build long-term working relationships and how to become a valued consultant to your clients. Best of all, you’ll find out how to do what your competitor does not do. Selling to the Top was written for salespeople, sales managers, consultants, CPAs, attorneys, bankers, and other professionals who market any type of service to top decision makers. You’ll find a wealth of useful tips on how to conduct the necessary up-front research and develop a continuing relationship with top management. Using People’s "Critical Success Factors," you’ll find out how to identify in advance your clients’ areas of interest and tailor your sales call accordingly. This book contains over 100 illustrations, checklists, and worksheets such as a matrix of the different types of salespeople and their characteristics, the hierarchy of business concerns of Corporate America, a form to help you predict the behavior of an executive you have never met, and an Executive Planning Guide that contains a breakthrough strategy that really works. Drawn from his popular IBM sales training program as well as his considerable experience in direct sales and sales management, David Peoples shares all of his secrets on how to successfully sell a product or service to decision makers at the top. Based on real sales experience at the highest level, David Peoples’ advice can increase sales well beyond any expectation. This book is must reading for everyone whose products or services involve big money, multiple decision makers, long sales cycles, and top management approval. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

David Peoples reveals how you can reach the decision makers at the top and clinch the sale. It’s tougher than ever to win over today’s customers, but it helps to have David Peoples on your side. This internationally known author, speaker, and sales trainer has already trained over 8,000 IBM salespeople in his highly successful sales program. He gives you proven strategies for getting your foot in the top executive’s door, building a relationship, and making the sale. In Selling to the Top, he tells you:

• How to quickly identify the decision makers
• How to figure out who is the Dominant Influencer (DI)
• How to meet Mr./Ms. Big (it’s much easier than you think)
• How to size up Mr./Ms. Big before you’ve met
• How to develop a detailed plan for calling on executives and how to talk their language by knowing their goals
• Everything you’ll need to know about the art of persuasion, including how to win, three things that are necessary to persuade another person, how to build trust, and the five most powerful buying motives
• How to differentiate yourself from your competitor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471581054
• ISBN-13: 978-0471581055
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #775,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Read Book for professional sales people, May 11, 2002

By 

Vuthy Chrun (Brossard, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Selling to the Top: David Peoples' Executive Selling Skills (Paperback)

This book is very informative. I have over 20 years of sales experience and seldom read How-To Sell books because I don't believe in theory and advices that much, preferring to do it the hard way (by the seat of the pants, intuition and personal experience and mistakes). When I read this book, I could not but agree more with David Peoples' observations and recommended systematic approach to attacking an account/opportunity. I have unconsciously (or naturally) done most of what Peoples has recommended in his book (obviously NOT as thoroughly as prescribed, we must not forget that it is always easier to say or write about than done). If nothing else, this book forces you to be more rigorous and strategic in your approach to selling and if the type of opportunity that you are pursuing justifies the efforts then its prescribed approach is certainly a very useful and effective one.
The [person] who gave this book a bad review certainly has never sold anything of substantial value in his life. This approach obviously only makes sense for selling big ticket items, Peoples has sold IBM hardware and services and not TV sets.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sell High - Make Money, March 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Selling to the Top: David Peoples' Executive Selling Skills (Paperback)

This book will change your life as a Salesperson. Customers WANT you to use this methodology. Don't waste their time. DO discuss their problems and how you can solve them. These are not gimmicks, the concepts here are real. Bottom Line: Take it from a rep that went from $100K per year in commissions to over $1M a year using these techniques.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must Have!!, July 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Selling to the Top: David Peoples' Executive Selling Skills (Paperback)

As with any book on Sales, I read this book with scepticism. I was quickly proven wrong of my assumptions. The ideas really worked!! I have recommended this book to many colleagues. A minor investment in this book has paid substantial dividends to my personal bottom-line. Get it. Read it. Read it again.