The One Minute Sales Person (Paperback)

by Spencer Johnson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The nameless protagonist of this slender motivational parable originally published in 1984 suffers from the existential predicament of the salesman: "the quiet fear of rejection" caused by the nagging suspicion that "the customer did not want to buy the product." From a succession of sales gurus he learns the One Minute secret-it's not selling, it's "helping people...to feel good about what they buy." Johnson, author of the business mega-seller Who Moved My Cheese?, offers practical suggestions ranging from sensible (treat customers like people, listen carefully to their needs, use after-sale calls to generate good will and referrals) to questionable (use one-minute positive-thinking rituals to visualize successful sales calls) to sort of depressing (paste sales goals beside your shaving mirror). The "eighty/twenty rule" is paramount: "Eighty percent of our results are produced by about twenty percent of what we do." Unfortunately, the book embodies this rule a little too well: about twenty percent is truly solid advice, while eighty percent feels more like filler ("The man took out his notebook to record what he sensed was going to be useful information") padded further with extra-large type.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"Follow the wise adive in this great book and become the great sales person of your dreams!" -- Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman in the World

"Follow the wise adive in this great book and become the great sales person of your dreams!" -- Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman in the World

"This book can quickly help a person increase his or her income." -- --Frank Santo, National Sales Manager, Household Products 3M company

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (August 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380716038
• ISBN-13: 978-0380716036
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #446,738 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Less Is More...Much More, January 9, 2003

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: One Minute Sales Person, The: The Quickest Way to Sell People on Yourself, Your Services, Products, or Ideas--at Work and in Life (Hardcover)

Of the hundreds of books now available which offer guidance on sales, this is one of the most valuable because -- carefully adhering to the "one minute principle" -- Johnson compresses an abundance of practical advice within just 109 pages. He creates a hypothetical situation in which "a very successful sales person" reflects back on his career and recalls specific people from whom he learned how to succeed. They include a wealthy and respected "salesman" who was now chairman of the board of a major corporation and several others, he explains, who also had become a One Minute Sales Person. The eager young man then seeks each out, schedules a meeting, and thereby sustains his learning process. By the end of the book, the New One Minute Sales Person receives a call from a "brand-new sales person" eager to obtain his advice. He agrees to meet with her, willing to share with her what so many others had shared with him. That in the proverbial nutshell is how Johnson organizes his material but such a brief description cannot possibly do full justice to the value of that material.

It would be a disservice to both Johnson and to those who read this review to say much more about this book. (I found myself in precisely the same situation when reviewing Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese?) I highly recommend it to anyone involved in significant relationships with others. Yes, yes, I know: That includes most of the adult population on the planet Earth. Permit me to explain. The core principles which Johnson advocates are relevant to any situation in which the objective is communication (e.g. explanation and/or persuasion) or providing service to others (helping them to solve problems, fill their needs, achieve their own objectives, etc.). Moreover, I totally agree with Johnson that everyone is a sales person, that selling to one's self and to others are interdependent, and that the most important "pay off" should be measured in spiritual rather than in material terms.

My strong suggestion is that anyone involved with sales or customer service in any organization (regardless of size or nature) should read this book. All of the workshops I devise and conduct for my own corporate clients are based on this assumption: That it is a great privilege to serve others. Those who disagree are strongly encouraged to seek opportunities elsewhere.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It keeps things in perspective!, May 2, 2001

By	D. Fischer "A Tech Yuppie!" (Chula Vista, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is designed to give the concept of "sales" a simple perspective. Big time sales folks would have you believe that there is a sense of mystery associated with sales, or that it is somehow magic. This book brings the entire concept down to simple levels, and points out how much of everyday life for ALL OF US... is sales. Whether one sells products, organizations, or sells oneself, it's ALL sales. Much of the book is simple and logical, and it gives its lessons by way of telling a story of a person that ultimately meets with various sales "experts." Each expert offers a point to remember which culminates at the end of the book with a summary of all the lessons learned. It may prove to be truly basic for some, but the majority of us don't think with such clarity and experience, so the book will certainly be a treasure for most of us. The bottom line, it puts things in perspective... and it's a perspective that a lot of us lack.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Light on content, but focuses on important basics, May 8, 2006

By	Patrick D. Goonan "www.meaningful-life.us" (Pleasanton, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: One Minute Sales Person, The: The Quickest Way to Sell People on Yourself, Your Services, Products, or Ideas--at Work and in Life (Hardcover)

I think this is a worthwhile book for someone who is beginning a sales career or has an antagonist attitude toward the profession, but wants to change that maybe because they are starting a business, doing consulting, etc. It is particularly good for people who don't feel comfortable with the whole idea of selling, but realize it's an important skill and is even required in daily life e.g. to sell an idea, convince a child to do something in their best interests, etc.

I have read some reviews of this book that sound harsh; I think that some of them may be overstated. While this book is short, simple and a quick read, it does a very good job of driving the basics home in a way that represents the sales profession well and honors an ethical approach to business. While the ideas themselves are simple, their application on a daily basis is not. If you read this book and embody the principles, it will make a big difference in your attitude toward sales as a profession, to your customers and to your personal income.

I think almost everyone reading this has probably been on the receiving end of a bad or unscrupulous salesperson. They unfortunately are not rare and give the profession a bad name. Their tactics are coercive and manipulative. This is not the kind of sales that this book talks about.

Personally, I think a good salesperson earns their money by helping a customer to understand their needs, asks powerful questions that bring out the implications of their customer's business situation and presents options that the customer will feel good about. They also build relationships based on trust, superior product knowledge and professionalism. They keep their commitments, follow through on promises and know the difference between persuasion and manipulation.

This book is a book that uses story to demonstrate what makes a professional salesperson in the best sense of the word. In a nutshell, it's about mastering the basics and doing them from the heart, not with a desire to manipulate. I think this is a worthwhile message to get out there and it really does work, espeically in the long run.

Golfers, bowlers and other athletes revisit the basics frequently, often practicing them on a daily basis. The same principle applies to sales and this book does a good job of driving home the importance of mastering fundamental sales skills.

I agree with some reviews that this book is light on content. However, if a potential salesperson learns even one thing from this book that helps them to do their job better, they will easily pay for the cost of a new copy. If they form one good habit as a result of reading it, it will pay for itself many times over. With that said, why not buy it used if you are skeptical and worried that it will be a quick read? The words are the same and you might learn something. (I do agree that this book is overpriced, however.)

Personally, I have read this book more than once and I have periodically reviewed the material throughout the years. I don't think it's as good as the "One Minute Manager," but it's good. It's difficult to be a GREAT salesperson. You need to study the principles, embody them and maintain your balance, integrity and ethical principles often in the face of tempting or difficult situations. Given this reality, I think a book like this that inspires is a worthwhile read. This is especially true in a profession where a lot of people slam doors in your face and you need to deal well with rejection every day.