Strengths Based Selling explains talent and how to identify and maximize it, and then covers the basic steps of the selling process, including prospecting/cold calling, assessing opportunity, identifying solutions, building advocacy, negotiating, closing, and servicing/retaining/growing. Thus, the reader can take the web-based Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment (access code included), discover his or her own unique strengths, learn to apply them to sales, and formulate strategies to triangulate individual talent and job role.
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About the Author
Tony Rutigliano is the coauthor of Discover Your Sales Strengths. Rutigliano consults on ways that organisations can improve their effectiveness in assessing, developing, and retaining talented contributors. A founder and leader of Gallup's sales force effectiveness practice, he has expertise in measuring the capacity for success within individuals and teams and helping organizations deploy effective systems to recruit and manage their human capital. Brian J. Brim has worked as a consultant and advisor to some of the world's leading organisations. His insights have supported many organisations to increase performance by maximising their talent and human capital systems.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Sales today is about knowing yourself because People Buy You: The Real Secret to what Matters Most in Business, knowing what you do well and knowing how that works with your potential customer. This book uses the Clifton StrengthFinder tool and applies it to those in sales through 34 themes.
To help the reader, the authors in the first chapter defined talents, strengths, skills and knowledge. Then they walked through a rather generic sales process. The authors discussed presenting solutions, negotiating to building long term customer relationships while randomly selected 5 themes within each area.
Two interesting points were the discussion at the beginning of the book on two (2) sales myths and discussion at the end of the book around changing the focus from work/life balance to work/life integration. These viewpoints helped to recognize the uniqueness of each salesperson and how alignment is crucial to the overall act of selling.
Having read and reviewed countless books on selling or sales, I was expecting more especially with regards to relationship selling such as discussion around emotional intelligence and its the integration with strength based selling. For me, this book was more geared toward the new salesperson or possibly the traditional salesperson who focused on pushing the sale instead of being pulled into the sale. I am not sure how a sales manager could use this information just from the book alone.
Additionally, I expected new quantitative data to be shared through the use of actual numbers since this book was written using Gallup research. Having taken several other tools such as DISC, Values and the Attribute Index, this tool did not tell me anything new.
As to taking the tool, I found myself with a lot of neutrals which did give me some cause for concern as a certified instrument consultant as well as trained instructional designer. The report was abbreviated to the top 5 themes and for an additional $550 or $1,750 I could receive more details and some coaching. Possibly this offer jaded me as I just invested 30 minutes of my time, the price of the book and I felt a little bait and switch going on.
This book could have been much, much more if the authors had been more specific regarding each theme instead of using the book for marketing the StrengthFinder. To be fair, at the back of the book each theme was again generically discussed with 4 action items that also were very generic and lacked the specifics necessary to be The Red Jacket in a sea of gray suits
To help the reader, the authors in the first chapter defined talents, strengths, skills and knowledge. Then they walked through a rather generic sales process. The authors discussed presenting solutions, negotiating to building long term customer relationships while randomly selected 5 themes within each area.
Two interesting points were the discussion at the beginning of the book on two (2) sales myths and discussion at the end of the book around changing the focus from work/life balance to work/life integration. These viewpoints helped to recognize the uniqueness of each salesperson and how alignment is crucial to the overall act of selling.
Having read and reviewed countless books on selling or sales, I was expecting more especially with regards to relationship selling such as discussion around emotional intelligence and its the integration with strength based selling. For me, this book was more geared toward the new salesperson or possibly the traditional salesperson who focused on pushing the sale instead of being pulled into the sale. I am not sure how a sales manager could use this information just from the book alone.
Additionally, I expected new quantitative data to be shared through the use of actual numbers since this book was written using Gallup research. Having taken several other tools such as DISC, Values and the Attribute Index, this tool did not tell me anything new.
As to taking the tool, I found myself with a lot of neutrals which did give me some cause for concern as a certified instrument consultant as well as trained instructional designer. The report was abbreviated to the top 5 themes and for an additional $550 or $1,750 I could receive more details and some coaching. Possibly this offer jaded me as I just invested 30 minutes of my time, the price of the book and I felt a little bait and switch going on.
This book could have been much, much more if the authors had been more specific regarding each theme instead of using the book for marketing the StrengthFinder. To be fair, at the back of the book each theme was again generically discussed with 4 action items that also were very generic and lacked the specifics necessary to be The Red Jacket in a sea of gray suits
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was really looking forward to this book: a test you can take to identify your top five strengths (out of 34 possible strengths) and then advice on how to apply them, how could you go wrong?
I took the online test and started reading the chapters that follow. I feel the results of the assesment were fairly accurate.
My issue is with the material in the book--it more or less says to think about how your strengths could help you in nine different areas of selling--prospecting, identifying opportunity, negotiating, closing, etc.
The authors do give examples of how certain strengths will be helpful in each area, but they don't discuss each of the 34 strengths in each area of selling--I'm sure it would have made the book impossibly thick to do so. Your specific talents probably won't be mentioned in all or even most of the areas.
Some of the applications seem pretty simplistic too--for example, the person with the strength of "competition" could compare their acheivements with others to become more energized.
I think a better approach would have been to get a more customized report online after having taken the test, showing how my top five sterngths could be used in each area of the sales process.
Overall, I would have to say that I agree with the premise of the book but it doesn't go far enough. I was looking for insight into my personality and how I could take advantage of my strengths and apply it in my daily work. Although it gave me some insight into my self, I think it requires too much of a leap on my part to figure out how to apply the knowledge I gained. You could probably get almost as good an insight from someone who knows you well.
I took the online test and started reading the chapters that follow. I feel the results of the assesment were fairly accurate.
My issue is with the material in the book--it more or less says to think about how your strengths could help you in nine different areas of selling--prospecting, identifying opportunity, negotiating, closing, etc.
The authors do give examples of how certain strengths will be helpful in each area, but they don't discuss each of the 34 strengths in each area of selling--I'm sure it would have made the book impossibly thick to do so. Your specific talents probably won't be mentioned in all or even most of the areas.
Some of the applications seem pretty simplistic too--for example, the person with the strength of "competition" could compare their acheivements with others to become more energized.
I think a better approach would have been to get a more customized report online after having taken the test, showing how my top five sterngths could be used in each area of the sales process.
Overall, I would have to say that I agree with the premise of the book but it doesn't go far enough. I was looking for insight into my personality and how I could take advantage of my strengths and apply it in my daily work. Although it gave me some insight into my self, I think it requires too much of a leap on my part to figure out how to apply the knowledge I gained. You could probably get almost as good an insight from someone who knows you well.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By CUNPDX
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a fan of these Gallup books. This one is geared for sales. I have also read 'Discover your strengths' (a prior book) and didn't find this too different. This is geared specifically for sales people who go to vendor sites, it seems. My work is in call center sales, so it is somewhat applicable but not totally applicable. Not bad, but the prior book is more universal. I recommend that you purchase 'Now, Discover your strengths' instead.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book for all salespeople
I highly recommend this book to learn more about your style and "fit" in sales.
It is a great way to improve your selling ability by learning your true strengths.
It is a great way to improve your selling ability by learning your true strengths.
Published 5 months ago by Jennifer W.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Business management is all about finding peoples strengths and pushing them in that direction. This book is great for realizing your own strengths and others. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Rusty N. Simmons
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short, easily read and immediately useful
A follow-up to Discover Your Sales Strengths. This book contains more detail on applying your strengths to various sales opportunities as well as guides for sales management. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Reg Nordman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strengths Selling, great concept
I manage a mature and established sales force so when I breach the subject of sales training eyes normally gloss over. Read more
Published on April 4, 2011 by RKR
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