Customer Reviews

Visionary Selling: How to Get to Top Executives and How to Sell Them When You're There

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read all books on selling as soon as they are released as part of my responsibilities at Rockwell Automation. I really like this book. It reads well,(And fast)and is full of great ideas, as well as a processs to call on executive level buying influences. It is exactly what salespeople selling today need to access the high level executives that control the money to sponsor visionary ideas. I liked the book so much I have hired Barbara to spend two days with her visionary Selling class with our 100 top sales people. All our sales managers and top sales people have read and evaluated this book as excellent.

Barbara's book is quite well written and clearly explains a very provocative idea of how a salesperson should interact with a CEO. As I read the book...which I did in one sitting, because it was so compelling...I couldn't help but think how much better off I would be if the salespeople of my key suppliers behaved in the manner postulated by Barbara. I could use their help. In return they would have my loyalty and wouldn't need to focus so much on low price, because they would be adding value. In fact, one of our suppliers does just as Barbara suggests. They have been rewarded with being appointed an Authorized Supplier for our entire franchise network, worldwide.

I read most business books about half way through and then place them on a bookshelf. Visionary Selling hasn't made it to my bookshelf. I take it with me wherever I go. I've read it two or three times. The reason? This book tells us that what we always believed is true: When selling, always try to get as broad & deep into your customer's organization as possible. The higher you go up the organizational chart, the better the results. What Visionary Selling does that no other book does is shows you how to penetrate the "C" level (CEO, CFO, COO). Barbara Geraghty explains why you should target these executives and how to do it. You gain an understanding of what makes them tick. As an account manager, I have always done a lot of research on my customer's organizations. After reading Visionary Selling, I realized how much I didn't know about my customers and their top officers. Most importantly, after applying Barbara's principles of Visionary Sell! ing, I have developed relationships w/ CEO's, and accomplished more than I ever have before!!!

OK this one is easy.... Geraghty has compiled a very unique primer not just in selling, but in selling to top decision makers. The book's major spin is that one incorporates the corporate vision of the target client into one's sales spin --- by identifying with common visions and common ideals. The prospective client sees more of a common interest between your company and their own company and are (surprise, surprise!) more willing to plunk money down on the botton line and hire you/use you/ use your product/ services.

For that simple, but very effective advice Geraghty has created a book at least somewhat different from the standard sales tomes that litter the shelves in the low brow business section of bookstores (usually next to Zig Zigler).

The first half of the book articulates Geraghty's visionary Philosopshy and is the best. The last part tells how to incorporate the philosophy into actual presentation details. It is also good. There is a tendancy for the uninitiated or those with no sense of self-evaluation however, to present and merely mirror the image of the client company (I have seen this numerous times). What then happens is that one gets a simple syncophantic ramble from the salesperson doing the pitch. If the punt is as simple as the presenter a sale may result, but business people are rarely as simple and lacking in irony as some would suggest. More often a client who is brazenly and badly flattered can easily see through the scam to the two-bit sales person who makes such a pitch.

The real strength of Geraghty's sales approach is that it really adds another weapon to the the sales person's arsenal: when wedded with honesty, critical appraisal, and consultative selling style, visionary selling is a powerful tool. As such it should part of every current business library.

If you want to sell more you need to call on the decision makers. Barbara's book details how to get the attention of the "C" level decision makers and then how to keep their attention.

Excellent how-to's and why's. Must read for anyone who desires to be successful in sales.

There were so many, many gems of ideas, but the one that keeps resounding in my ears is that prospects become customers after a great deal of work and attention...then they become something else...somebody else's prospect !

This is a book that encourages research and doing your homework prior to engaging a business prospect. Very much common sense in the overall approach, but common sense is very uncommon. The information you need to get ahead in the sales arena is likely at your fingertips, but you've got to invest a little time to find it and put it together in a format that benefits you throughout the sales process.

A good book that outlines a solid approach to selling in today's marketplace.

Anyone who's read any sales books at all has usually read many. And I've read many--but most are simple rehashes of the handful of original ideas found in the rest. Barbara Geraghty's Visionary Selling stands out and is a nice addition to any sales library. Uniquely, author Geraghty provides a step by step formula for getting in synch with your C-level prospect's vision. If you've successfully sold to CEOs (and I have) you'll know that they don't really care about the details of your product's features and benefits - so forget boning up on product knowledge. What they do care about is realizing their personal or corporate vision. If you can prove to a chief executive (or any other C- or Chief- level executive) that your product or service will help them do that, you're in. This book shows you, in detail, how to demonstrate you "grok" their vision, so at least you have a chance.

I'd rate this book a definite "worth reading."

Visionary Selling didn't strike me as particularly visionary. Geraghty's precept is to sell to the "C" vision. This is simply a variant of "Solution Selling" where the problem is fulfilling the executive's vision. I expected more out of Geraghty's text than the repackaging of an established idea.

What's the great thing that Barbara Geraghty do, she wrote this book. She told you somethings no one didn't. You'll see many things that you know but forgot, somethings you don't ever think that you can do.