Power Base Selling: Secrets of an Ivy League Street Fighter (Paperback)

by Jim Holden (Author) "The army a salesperson leads is a force of one..." (more)
Key Phrases: divisional approach, competitive salesperson, divisional strategy, John Andrews, Ellen Murphy, Bob Evans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Holden's book is rich with wisdom and sage advice and should be required reading for any salesperson who wants to understand how to merge a sales strategy and a political strategy to win the hearts of their customers' Power Base."—Rodney D. Cotton, Vice President, Sales-United States, Baxter Healthcare, Renal Division.

"Jim Holden's book is for serious salespeople and executives who are focused on winning. It provides insights, techniques, and everyday tools to reach the highest possible level of success. The book is most insightful and is a required reading and work tool for enterprise salespeople and executives."—Grant Evans, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Identicator Technology.

"The Holden Power Base Selling techniques have provided our sales teams with a common language from which to develop and plan strategies and tactics."— Colin Latham, President and CEO, MT&T (Canada).

"Power Base Selling is essential. . . . The book is rich with lessons such as how to avoid being defeated by desperate 'end-games,' and how to 'snatch various victories from the jaws of defeat.' The conclusion is a revealing 'self-test.'. . . [Holden's] principles are more applicable today than ever."— Glenn W. Coleman, President, South Africa Branch, Lockheed Martin Overseas Services Corporation.

From the Publisher
Focuses on competitive selling: the range of skills that sales professionals need to reach their full potential. It offers practical, step-by-step advice that salespeople can take to prevent the competition from selling their products or services, revealing the components involved in gaining full control of a sales situation. Discusses a key step in this process--the politics of selling--showing how to establish the right relationships with people who are powerful enough to give the salesperson an edge. Will help those who are already good at selling become competitive salespeople capable of strengthening their position with the customer, while at the same time weakening the competition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471327336
• ISBN-13: 978-0471327332
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,621 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great sales book...as long as it is not your only approach, December 12, 2001

By	S. Ross "sellsoftware" (Prosper, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Almost all sales books have two major flaws: 1) They give you high level advise, such as "have a strategy" without giving you the "rubber-meets-the-road" actions to take. 2) They expect you to operate within a vaccuum where their selling system or methodology will work every time.

Power Base selling does not contain the first flaw and does an admirable job of trying to avoid the second. It is the first and best book I have read attacking the problem of organizational politics and the human dynamics in a corporate or complex selling environment. It gives very practical ideas on what to do in most political/selling situations to tilt the decision in your favor.

What this book does not do, nor attempt to do, is discuss the importance of a value proposition and the solution you are trying to sell. This is a great book to complement other famous sales books such as "Solution Selling."

I recommend this book highly to anyone that sells in a complex sales world.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything is "bought and sold" for a reason..., June 11, 2001

By	E. Stafford (San Jose, Ca.) - See all my reviews

Great read. Maybe too many stories...yet they explain his point in a clear sense. If you read between the lines and get the big picture of his strategic principles you can no doubt improve you sales performance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A"How-To" that separates professionals from practitioners., April 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Power Base Selling: Secrets of an Ivy League Street Fighter (Hardcover)

The recipes for success remind the entire salesforce that "high tech" still needs "high touch." Lessons learned will be relearned if the instructions are not followed. I turn to it for insight even after 25 years of experience.