Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness (Hardcover)

~ Jeffrey Gitomer (Author) "Why do people buy?" is a thousand times more important than "How do I sell?..." (more)
Key Phrases: kick your own ass, The Little Red Book of Selling, Free Red, Michael Michalko (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If salespeople are worried about how to sell, Gitomer (The Sales Bible) believes they are missing out on the more important aspect of sales: why people buy. This, he says, is "all that matters," and his latest book aims to demystify buying principles for salespeople. From the red cloth cover to the small trim size to the amusing (but not cloying) cartoons on almost every page, this is an appealing and accessible book. The author is obviously enthusiastic, if not manic, about sales, and though some of his mantras verge on hokey, much of his prose is straightforward and realistic. Each chapter includes a mini table of contents, pull quotes and takeaway sound bites, examples of typical whines from salespeople (e.g., "the client said they spent their whole budget") paired with a positive response (e.g., "Decision makers make the budget. Non-decision makers spend the budget"), and plenty of advice and ideas that can be taken in and studied as a whole or referred to at random for inspiration.
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Review

This isn't just a red book; it's a Red Bull of high-energy sales tips & counsel. -- David Dorsey, The Wall Street Journal (May 3rd 2006)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Bard Press; 1st edition (September 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885167601
• ISBN-13: 978-1885167606
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,164 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

110 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rah Rah without substance, April 20, 2005

By	mruseless "mruseless" (Highlands Ranch, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This book is one of dozens out there that should go in the motivation section rather than the sales section. If you need motivation, this book is great. But if you are looking for solid advice on how to improve your sales technique, don't waste your money. The book is littered with cute phrases like "Kick your own ass", and "the more you love it, the more you will sell".

I bought the book because there are small nuggets of good information in it. I kept it because I know someday I will need motivation. But I quickly became tired of "Rah-Rah, I'm the best salesman ever, and you suck unless you work harder." Don't get me wrong, everyone could stand to work harder. But that wasn't what I was looking for.

If you want motivation, read this book. If you want solid sales advice, read "SPIN Selling", or "Soft Sell".

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be titled, "Little Red Book on How to Be a Salesman", March 19, 2006

By	David Brown (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mine is obviously a dissenting opinion, but I vehemently disliked this little book. As one of the previous reviewers so aptly pointed out, it is not about selling, it is about personal motivation. If you need somebody to tell you the obvious things you need to do to be a successful sales person, then this book may help you. But if you're interested in learning about the sales process, there's just not much here.

The bombastic and cutesy writing quality is a big put-off for me, from the numbered lists that all end in ".5" to the use of semi-outrageous language. The author warns his readers that, "This book contains language used by real people used <sic> in real situations in sales." I don't know what crowd he is selling to, but I have been in sales for thirty-five years and I don't recall anyone ever using the word "puke" in a business conversation. The author must really like that word, as he overuses it throughout the book.

My biggest disappointment was that he actually hooked me in the introduction with the concept that we really should be studying how customers buy rather than how salesmen sell. That seemed like a clever and viable to way look at the selling/buying process, but there was unfortunately no follow up on that idea throughout the remainder of the book.

If you're trying to pump yourself up or have work ethic issues, then maybe it's worth the purchase, but if you appreciate good writing and thoughtful analysis, don't waste your twenty bucks.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Irritating at times, some good stuff, May 25, 2005

By	Scott Reed (Louisville) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Some of this stuff isn't practical, like having your kid leave voice mail messages for hard to reach prospects (note to Jeff...it didn't work!).

However, the section about power questions was right on the money. 95 percent of all salespeople ask stupid, pointless questions. Power questions work.

A strong 3 1/2 stars. Not the best I've read, but worth the $$$.