Anda di halaman 1dari 10

Business Book Review

usiness

vie
Re w

Book

We Select and Review Only the


Best Business Books You Should Read.

Volume 20, Number 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

How Winners Sell


21 Proven Strategies to Outsell Your
Competition & Win the Big Sale

Dave Stein
2002 Dave Stein
Adapted by permission of Bard Press
ISBN: 1-885167-55-5

Reviewed by Lydia Morris Brown

Introduction
Because technology has changed business so drastically, Stein believes that the sales principles and strategies
professional salespeople learned in school, the techniques they read in books, and the tips, tricks, and secrets they picked
up when they were new on the job are either too stale to be effective or demand an entirely new perspective. They represent
answers that do not fit a selling environment that requires the sales professional to: manage information as working
capital, protect their sales proposition from the competition, establish credibility with the prospect, gain and maintain
access to key people, and position their offerings as uniquely valuable. How Winners Sell fills that gap by presenting a
comprehensive plan with specific strategies and tactics that will give the sales professional an effective and sustainable
advantage in outselling the competition in todays hypercompetitive business-to-business marketplace.

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

How Winners Sell

PART I: GETTING READYRETOOLING SALESWINNING SKILLS, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS

Strategy #1. Understand the Timeless Truth About Sales:


Its All About Money. According to Stein, money, whether
it is measured as economic value added, ROE, ROA, ROI,
top-line revenue, margin, contribution, increased market
share, earnings per share, quickness to market, a reputation
for quality, or something else, is the main reason companies
do business. All the best relationship building, competitive
positioning, and negotiating skills are useless if a prospect
does not have solid, measurable business reasons to work
with a supplier. Thus, winning-sales professionals do their
homework and gain a clear picture of the prospects past,
current, and future financial position, as
a means of knowing how, and by how
much, their offerings can contribute to
a prospects ability to make more money,
spend less money, or mitigate risks that are potentially
costly.
The author views this strategy as a business skill
and believes that being a businessperson, rather than
a salesperson, is the critical attribute that will propel
individuals to new levels of effectiveness and financial
reward in their selling careers. In his experience,
mastering Strategy #1 lays the foundation for success and
for mastering the other 20 strategies.

About the Author


Dave Stein is president of The Stein Advantage,
Inc., a sales consultancy that coaches companies to win large accounts in highly competitive
sales environments. During his career, he has
been employed by several leading-edge high-tech
companies in such diverse roles as programmer,
systems engineer, sales representative, sales manager, and director of worldwide sales development,
and he has held several vice presidenciesof
sales, marketing, international operations, client
services, and strategic alliances. Stein is a dynamic
speaker who has been quoted in leading business
publications.
For more information, please visit:
www.HowWinnersSell.com
www.TheSteinAdvantage.com

Dave Stein

Strategy #2. Learn to See Things Objectively. Stein says


that objectivity is critical for sales success. Winning sales
requires outward-focused objectivityan understanding
of the true state of ones sales campaigns and of the
motivations, intentions, and capabilities of the people to
whom one is selling. Sales success also requires an inwardfocused objectivitya clear assessment of ones skills and
abilities. Winners constantly self-assess so that they can
work on the areas needing improvement.
Strategy #3. Get Into shape for Selling Bigger.
Although the customer ultimately determines the specific
skills, attitudes, and behaviors (SABs) that sales reps need
to gain the selling advantage, these individuals must, at the

very least, make education a habit and develop their own


research tools. They must become capable of assessing
where they have been spending time in an account (Tooles
Model is an effective tool for identifying the key executives,
managers, and operations people who have been involved in
evaluating, deciding upon, and approving an offering). Sales
professionals must also broaden their audience of interested
executives, including (in many cases) the board of directors.
In all likelihood, because a product/service is no different
from that of the competition, the value the customer
receives must come from the individual rep rather than
from the product/service. And, if they are to be successful at
selling to executives, they must exhibit executive behavior.
In addition, Stein notes that it is important that sales
professionals develop and maintain their communication
skills, business know-how, and competitiveness, and they
must expand their perspectives.
Strategy #4. Enhance Your Communication Skills. Poor
communication skills can be fatal for sales professionals
seeking to influence those making decisions at the executive
level. The quality of ones communication reflects both
ones competence as an industry expert and ones ability to
apply that competence to achieving business goals. Thus, it
is essential to improve both written and oral communication
skills.
The author believes that proficient questioning is also
essential for communicating well. For example, individuals
must ask themselves: What obstacles are keeping me from

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 2

How Winners Sell

setting specific goals? What obstacles are preventing me


from planning and formalizing those plans? What strengths
can I leverage to make myself more effective as a sales
professional? What professional weaknesses are keeping
me from achieving my goals and objectives?
Winners also ask themselves questions in pursuit of
essential information about sales opportunities. Thus,
early in the qualification process, a key question might be
Does this prospect have money to invest in my offering?
If the answer is no, consider putting the deal on hold until
something changes. If the answer is yes, continue to ask
the question to make sure nothing changes. And, when
it comes to the competition, effective questions are: If a
new competitor were to come into this deal right now, how

would they be able to jeopardize my position? What would


they do and say? How would I prevent them from making
any progress?
Top sales reps are also skilled in asking questions of
their prospects. Every question has a purposeeither to
obtain information, demonstrate understanding, or to build
personal rapport. In addition, they know that questioning
also works well in reverse. They are able to qualify
prospects almost immediately by the questions prospects
ask of them.
In the final analysis, however, the most critical
perspective is that of the businessperson. Winning
salespeople always ask one essential question: If I were
an executive in my prospects company, knowing what I
know about that business, industry, and the competition,
would I be persuaded by someone like me? Stein contends
that to answer this big-picture question properly requires
that an individual be a businessperson rather than merely
a sales professional.
Strategy #5. Transform Yourself from a Salesperson
into a Businessperson. Because it is all about money,
businesspeople make the most effective salespeople.
A businessperson can transcend the product/service
being offered and demonstrate the ability to understand,
articulate, and drive the contribution his or her business
can make to the prospects business. This requires using

Dave Stein

business competencies to view and present an offering as


a medium for delivering business value. And, this comes
down to differentiating ones offering from the competitors,
which is essentially a matter of perception. Clients tend to
believe that whereas salespeople are interchangeable and
just after a quick buck, businesspeople are professionals
and there for the long term. Thus, it is important to expand
ones general business knowledge, including understanding
how financial statements represent a companys financial
position.
Strategy #6. Become an Expert in the Industry in
Which You Sell. Stein identifies four basic approaches
to becoming knowledgeable about prospects: (1) Wishful
thinkers are in the puddle. They know very little about a
few industries and depend on luck, rather
than on focused expertise, to win business.
(2) Those in the bayou know a little bit
about a lost of industries. They think they
are doing well if they have potential clients
in any industry, and 10 percent of them buy. However,
with this approach, they are wasting 90 percent of their
efforts on unpaid work. (3) Those who sell to the ocean
believe that they can sell anything to anyonethat being a
generic expert is effective. The problem is they are unable
to generate credibility in an industry because they do not
have the time or energy required to achieve expert status in
any industry. (4) Those who concentrate their attentions on
the well find that their selling efforts, like their knowledge
is deep, narrow, focused, and credible.
The author recommends this last approach because
executive-level buyers want proven solutions from experts
rather than generalists. Moreover, being an expert in one
industry garners the individual a network of business
contacts, new opportunities, visibility, information, an
understanding of industry history, knowledge of critical
business issues, a vision of the future, the opportunity
to build references and, most importantly, the ability to
propose exactly what a client needs in order to achieve its
objectives.
Strategy #7. Get into a Competitive State of Mind. Stein
notes that sales is a zero-sum game in which there is no
second placeone is either a winner or a loser. Thus, what
salespeople do not know about the competitionwho it is
and what it is doing to take away customerscan hurt,
badly. Outselling the competition over the long term means

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 3

How Winners Sell

knowing the rival companies, their products/services, and


the habits of each salesperson one must go up against.
PART II: TAKING AIMSALES LEADS,
QUALIFICATION AND TRIAGE

Strategy #8. Move up the Sales Lead Value Ladder.


Stein notes that an effective way of thinking about different
kinds of leads is to see them as a ladder. At the lowest
rung, the salesperson has entered the evaluation late, and
contacts are at the lowest level of the organization. In this
situation, the individual is just cannon fodder, included in
the process just to prove someones case for another vendor.
Up the ladder a few notches is the early lead with low-level
contacts. And, though this is a little better than coming
in late, there is still a long way to go to sign the contract.
The next rung up is where the salespersons contacts are
at a high level. Even if one is entering late, this is a better
position in which to be. Nonetheless, best of all is to get
into the game early, and at the highest level of access. This
is about using ones industry knowledge and experience to
find an unmet need that is either known or unknown by
the company, in an existing account. Once individuals have
established themselves as experts, they can follow their
networks into companies they have never
sold to but where their reputations precede
them. This is high-level actionit is where
the top guns, the sales winners who earn a
million dollars a year, play.
Strategy #9. Understand That Qualification Is a
Process, Not an Event. Stein observes that, more often than
not, the business value of the offerings a company delivers,
if installed, and implemented correctly, will be far greater
than the clients investment. Thus, the salesperson is in a
position of strength. Right up to contract signing, the sales
rep can decide that the quantity and quality of the prospects
business is too small to warrant spending any more time,
energy, or money going after the sale. Understanding this
position, the sales rep should have the confidence to take
control of evaluation early in the process.
Effective qualification requires relentless outwardfocused objectivity in applying the following criteria: Will
the prospect be able to pay at the time the vendor is selected?
What evidence is there that the budget will remain intact?
Do other initiatives or contingencies threaten the budget?
What are the decision criteria, and their priorities, for each
key decision maker, influencer, recommender, or buyer?

Dave Stein

Who is the competition, what is it selling, and to whom


is it selling? Is the real competition in the CFOs office?
How are you, the vendor, your company, your offering,
and your proposed business contribution perceived by key
decision makers, influencers, recommenders, and buyers?
How is the competition perceived? Is there evidence that
the prospect will actually make the purchase when it says
it will? What effort will be required from your company
to sustain your efforts and win the deal? Are the resources
available? What internal politics are influencing the
evaluation? Is the prospect simply looking for a vendor on
demand, or does it desire a long-term strategic partner?
Strategy #10. Become Adept at Performing Triage.
After performing objective, diligent qualification, the
next step is to use the information acquired to perform
triageto weigh one opportunity against another so as
to determine where to invest time and resources in order to
get the greatest return. Salespeople must look realistically
at all their opportunities and, using the above criteria,
categorize the opportunities as locked up or likely, going
or gone, or possible.
Strategy #11. Scrutinize Your Prospect. According to
Stein, information is not only an asset, it is the salespersons

essential tool for gaining and maintaining differentiation and


credibility as the clients trusted advisor. In this role, three
kinds of information are needed: (1) general and specific
information about the prospects industry, (2) general and
specific information about the prospects company, and
(3) advance information about the prospects executives.
Selling a strategic solution requires that the product/service
be tied specifically, and in measurable financial terms, to
the prospects goals and objectives. Moreover, acquiring
this information allows the sales rep to expand his or her
network into new areas both inside and outside the target
company. And, the growth of this network will increase
short-term and long-term selling success.
Strategy #12. Know What Your Customer Is Buying
Before You Begin Selling. Winning sales professionals
know how to create and maintain a dynamic balance
in positioning their offerings. They provide enough
information to keep the prospect interested, but not so

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 4

How Winners Sell

much that the offerings cannot be repositioned as the


prospects unstated needs are revealed. Thus, as a general
rule, the rep should not irrevocably position an offering
until he or she knows: whether the prospect will be enticed;
if the positioning will meet expectations, raise concerns,
or change the prospects mind for or against the offering;
and whether the offering will educate or threaten. This
approach requires one to understand the prospects vision of
the solution before one makes assumptions and prescribes
what one thinks the prospect needs. Stein notes that by
avoiding pre-prescribing [you avoid commoditization
of your offering] and youre more likely to gain access to
organizational leaders with whom you can discover new
issues and develop unique approaches. As any successful
consultant will tell you, thats where the big bucks are.
PART III: PLANNING TO WIN

Strategy #13. Plan Every Sales Campaign. It is


especially important to plan for contingencies when the
outcome is unknown. Planning charts the best route to a
successful outcome, it enables everyone to communicate

and coordinate team activities, it acts as a kind of rehearsal,


and it allows for advance troubleshooting.
Stein believes that the simplest and most effective
sales planning template is a four-part model that involves
assessing the situation, setting the objective, devising a
strategy for achieving that objective, and choosing the
tactics that will be used to implement the strategy. All
the information that the salesperson has been gathered so
farfinancial statements, company information, interview
notes, organization charts, analysts reports, competitor
information, and information that will help qualify the
prospectmust be written down. This gives others on the
sales team access and helps the salesperson keep track of
the details.
The objective must include precisely what one intends
to sell to the prospect, for how much, and by when. The
author warns that if any part of this objective is left
undefined, an effective strategy cannot be formulated,
and it will be difficult to achieve the sale under favorable
terms.

Dave Stein

The strategy must be based on the key values or


benefits the offering has for meeting the prospects business
needs, the prospects ability and willingness to buy, and
the prospects perception of the seller and the sellers
competition.
Once the strategy is in place, tactics are simply
the events, meetings, phone calls, presentations,
demonstrations, proposal submission, contracts, requests
for proposals (RFPs), referral calls, visits, and informal
discussions needed to reach the objective.
Strategy #14. Deliver Compelling Executive
Presentations. Stein notes that even seasoned sales
professionals sometimes have trouble differentiating
themselves from the competition, do not get the credibility
that feel they deserve, and/or are often challenged to make
their presentations work for them, even those requested
by executives. When this is the case, he advises using
the inverted-presentation approach. With this approach,
one begins a presentation to an audience of executives
by talking about them, their world, and their company.
The more knowledgeably and confidently this is done, the
more credible the sales rep appears. Once
reps have demonstrated their intelligence
and insight by talking about things the
executives are familiar with and can
identify with and corroborate, they will be
believed when they begin talking about the product/service
they are selling. To use this approach effectively, however,
sellers must first know their prospects, understand the
objectives of the meeting, talk only about executive-level
issues, avoid presenting to a multilevel audience, rehearse
the presentation at least twice (spend ten ours of preparation
for each hour of presentation), and communicate like an
executive.
Strategy #15. Invest the Time to Build Business
Relationships. Winning sales professionals master the skill
of building win-win, mutually beneficial relationships with
people in their accounts that lead to win-win relationships
between their companies. They show the buyer that there
is both business and personal value in investing in and
maintaining a good relationship with them and their
companies.
In addition to the business benefit of using the sellers
products/services, in a win-win relationship, the customer
gains added value, which includes: a sales professional

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 5

How Winners Sell

who is interested in the customers best interests; the


professionals knowledge of, experience with, and insight
into, the industry; the professionals ability to understand
the customers business plan and to propose how he or she
can help achieve its goals and objectives; and a network
of executives who overcame similar challenges with the
professionals help.
The benefits of a win-win relationship for the sellers
company are things the customer can do to further the
sellers best interests, including: providing leads that
help the seller expand his or her business; guaranteeing
a baseline revenue stream that contributes to the sellers
business goals; fostering a solid, long-term business
partnership; and enhancing the sellers competitive position
by being an active proponent of the sellers company to
other buyers.
PART IV: AN ARSENAL OF SELLING SKILLS

Strategy #16. Pay Meticulous Attention to Detail.


Stein notes that the quality of an
offering should always be a selling
point, and that the attention the sales
professional pays to executing the
details of the sales plan translates
into the prospects perception of the quality of the offering,
the quality of the sellers company, and the quality of the
seller herself. Thus, the seller and/or the sales team must
carefully and conscientiously execute the tactical details.
For example, they must: know what their best reference
thinks about them and their company; be familiar with
the finer points of the prospects requirements; consider it
to be worthwhile to contact all the prospects executives;
investigate all the objections the prospect raises; and
rehearse presentations by asking themselves, and
answering, tough questions. According to the author, a
checklist, customized for each sales opportunity, and based
on customer requirements and processes, and the sellers
objectives and strategy, is best tool for helping the sales rep
pay more attention to this kind of detail.
Strategy #17. Raise Your Competitive IQ. In order
to thrive, sales professionals must raise their level of
competitive intelligence. They must acquire timely,
accurate, and comprehensive information about the
capabilities and behaviors of rival companies and about
rival sales reps so that their future actions can be anticipated
and more effective sales campaigns planned to counter

Dave Stein

these actions. Stein identifies three levels of competitive


information that are necessary and available. Level 1
information is information about a rival company. Level
2 intelligence is product/service information. And, Level
3 information is information about the competitions sales
strategy and execution, and about how the sales rep plays the
game. Gathering, analyzing, maintaining, and distributing
Level 3 information takes time, resources, motivation,
and money. However, this intelligence is especially useful
because sales reps typically run up against the same people
repeatedly, but know little about them.
Strategy #18. Enlist and Train an Influential Ally.
Allies, coaches, and supports are the three types of
people inside the prospects company who can help sellers
promote their products/services. Allies will sell on a sales
reps behalf; coaches will provide information that will
help the rep win, but will not actively and openly favor
the individual; and supporters will vote for the rep, but
will avoid doing anything to give the person an advantage

before voting occurs. Stein notes that because these same


classifications apply to the competition, part of sales reps
continuing qualification process should to identify the
names, responsibilities, and influence of the allies, coaches,
and supporters who will back the competition.
Strategy #19. Harness the Power of Your Virtual
Sales Team. Winning sales is not an individual activity;
explaining and managing the complexity of differentiation
is well beyond the capability of even the most skilled,
articulate sales rep and requires a team effort. This team
is not only made up of the people who work directly for
or with the sales rep, but includes specialists, technicians,
and professionals in other companies and industries.
According to Steve Waterhouse, president of Waterhouse
Group, this virtual sales team will succeed if the
following components are part of the process: effective
communication, team understanding of the mission, a
clear understanding of each members role, planning,
smart use of each members knowledge and skills, good
leadership, focus, the support and motivation of team
members, active participation and collaboration, integrity,
and conflict resolution.

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 6

How Winners Sell

Strategy #20. Dont Stop Selling After the Decision


Is Made. After the decision is announced, and before
the contract is signed, the first thing reps must do is to
make sure they know exactly what has to be done to get
the contract signed (this usually includes getting approval
from legal, purchasing, the board, and the CEO). They
must ascertain what the steps are in the final approval
process, who is responsible for each step, and when those
steps must be taken to ensure that the contract gets signed
when the prospect promised. The next thing to do is to
advertise the orderreassure the buyer that it has made
the right decision, find out what concerns still exist about
the competition, and give assurances that support will be
available as long as it is needed.
All of this is necessary because some competitors
truly believe that losing is not an option and will offer a
dramatic price cut, will use their CEO to do some lastminute power bonding with the prospects CEO, or will
dig up some unflattering information about the seller. If
the competition has done any of these things in the past,
sales reps must build an ironclad shield against these tactics,
and well in advance.
Strategy #21. Transform Key Customers into
Unassailable References. Stein views the practice of turning
customers into solid references as a 12-step program: (1)
Earn the clients business and respect by winning the
evaluation ethically and creatively. (2) Target someone in
the account to develop as a reference (preferably the highlevel buyer who wrote the check for your product/service).
(3) Stay visible after the sale. (4) Work in cooperation with
your post-sales team, not against them. (5) Keep track of
the value the product/service is providing. (6) Understand
the references personal agenda for recommending you to a
new prospect. (7) Train the reference about your company.
(8) Keep the reference informed about your plans to make a
reference call. (9) Establish back-up reference relationships
in the account (10) Make sure the post-sales team gives the
reference special treatment. (11) Use the reference regularly.
(12) Make sure the reference is credible.

* * *
A subject index is provided.

Dave Stein

Remarks
Stein begins How Winners Sell by advising us that
in selling, what worked then doesnt work now. This
is because, as he reminds us, buyers are really smart
today. They know a lot about the vendorits fees, prices,
financial condition, weaknesses in its offerings, and its
unhappy customers. They know all the sales approaches
and how to take advantage of them. They know that many
of the sales pitches they hear are just a lot of hype. And,
they know that there are more companies than ever, trying
to sell very similar products/services to the very same
businesses. This knowledge makes it a buyers market and
increasingly difficult for sales professionals to compete,
and theres more. Information technology has resulted in
the Internet, which gives prospects almost infinite sources
of free or cheap information about products, services,
markets, technology, and people. This technology as also
led to the expectation that the sales rep will be available
and well-informed 24/7. Sellers unable to meet those
expectations can quickly be replaced by clients and by
their own companies. Nonetheless, as Stein demonstrates
with almost every one of his 21 strategies, this infoglut
challenge holds a golden opportunity, providing the sales
professional with the chance to become a thought leader
or trusted advisor to the client.
Essentially, How Winners Sell is a strategic-selling
training manual, geared to increase business strategy,
customer satisfaction, marketing, and personal growth
skills. It provides practical, relevant, and substantive tools
that sellers can use to establish themselves as separate and
distinct sources of competitive advantage. The strategies,
tactics, and tips (theres not a lot of theory here) are offered
with the goal of helping individuals transform themselves
from vendors into business partners, who are able to
share and manage risk. It is a partnering that goes far
beyond peddling offerings toward: gaining knowledge
of the customer and knowledge of where value can be
added; uncovers needs and diagnoses problems; designing
customer-focused solutions that resolve the prospects
issues and locks out the competition in the process; and
planting perennial seeds that not only grow the account
over the long term, but that also permit the vendor to reap
more accounts throughout the industry.

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 7

How Winners Sell

Thus, Stein manages to provide, in one place, simple


business lessons that show how to carve out a unique
image (differentiation), create competitive advantage by
providing world-class value for well-defined customers
(building brand identity), winning desired customers and
keeping them forever (relationship marketing), and simply
working smarter. In addition, the author reveals a very
effective way of adapting to changing technology via his
detailed guidelines on how to leverage the Internet to win
the sell. It is straightforward, nontechnical, and easy to
implement information that even Willy Loman, with all
his issues about learning and change, could assimilate
quickly and painlessly. However, this book not only holds
valuable lessons for beleaguered sales professionals, but
also provides key insights for any business professional, in
any arena, at all levels of the organization.

Reading Suggestions
Reading time: 13-15 hours 255 Pages in Book

How Winners Sell is not only a book about how to


win the big account, its an entire course in which you
should expect to take notes; do exercises at your desk and
in the field; do homework, which includes intensive and
extensive research; take tests; and maybe even form a
study group.
The book consists of 21 chapters, each containing
one proven strategy, and presented in the order in which
Stein expects you will use them when preparing and
implementing a sales campaign. He has structured the work
this way to allow you to read only one chapter at a time,
in the event your schedule is too crowded to do otherwise.
Nonetheless, heres where the real time investment begins,
for each chapter contains a lot of stuff to do: (1) There are
websites to visit (lots), either while youre reading or at a
later time, depending on how Stein suggests you use the site.
(2) There are tactics to employ such as reading the 10-Qs
and 10-Ks of your most important customers and their most
troublesome competitors. (3) Numerous words of wisdom
are posted, for example: The buck stops with the guy who
signs the check. and Excellence is a habit, not an event.
We strongly recommend copying these gems and placing
them where you can see them easily. Or, perhaps you can

Dave Stein

make a daily word kind of journal for quick inspiration. (4)


You will find many, many things to do, such as delivering
a speech at an industry or association meeting, taking a
course in reading and interpreting financial statements, etc.
(5) There are tips to remember, like asking executives how
they like to communicate (some prefer email; others detest
it). (6) There are lists to compile. (7) You will be asked to
answer specific questions about yourself, your offering,
your prospects, your competitors, your own company, and
your sales team. (8) You will be referred to other books for
further information on various subjects. (9) And, you will
find page after page of cross-references that you can either
access immediately or mark for future exploration.
Whether you plan to read the entire book, or just those
chapters that provide guidance on a particular area, we
strongly suggest that you not even open the book before
youve devised some sort of notebook (either hard copy or
electronic), divided into sections for keeping notes in each
of these nine areas (you might decide on more sections,
but we dont recommend less). Otherwise, you might find
yourself losing track of, or forgetting, some very valuable
insights.
If you are, indeed, planning only to read certain chapters
(an approach we do not advocate unless you are a winning
sales professional, par excellence, on the order of a superstar
rainmaker), we suggest using the table of contents and the
sales tactics checklist in chapter 16 to guide your reading
choices. We also advise being prepared to spend at least
several days with each chapter (our estimated reading
time is based on reading the book without stopping to do
anything). Depending upon how much of Steins guidance
you intend to follow, and to what extent, those days could
easily turn into weeks. However, we believe that whatever
time you spend, it will be well worth the effort and also a
pleasure. Although sales manuals tend to be rather matter of
fact and dry, Stein is an excellent writer, who is accessible,
compelling, and colorful. He knows his subject and he is
passionate enough about it to elicit that same passion from
his readers. Thus, we predict that a great deal of your reading
time will be spent just savoring how well the information
is imparted.

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 8

How Winners Sell

Dave Stein

CONTENTS
Selling: What Worked Then Doesnt Work Now
Chapter 1: What Its All About
PART 1: RETOOLING YOURSELF TO WIN

Chapter 2: Can You Handle the Truth?


Chapter 3: Take Inventory, Then Stock Up
Chapter 4: Let Me See if You Understand
Chapter 5: The Business of Selling
Chapter 6: Sell Deep and Rich, Within Your Niche
Chapter 7: If It Werent for the Competition
PART 2: CHECKING OUT THE SALES OPPORTUNITY

Chapter 8: Please Respond on or Before


Chapter 9: They Evaluate You, You Qualify Them
Chapter 10: No Matter What, Ill Never Give Up!
Chapter 11: Correct Me if Im Wrong, But
Chapter 12: Where Does It Hurt?
PART 3: GETTING INTO THE GAME

Chapter 13: Plan to Win the Sale


Chapter 14: Do I Have That About Right?
Chapter 15: Scratch My Back & Ill Scratch Yours
PART 4: THE STUFF WINNERS DO

Chapter 16: The Devil Is in the Details


Chapter 17: Know Your Rival
Chapter 18: Hold On While I Close My Door
Chapter 19: Team Up to Win
PART 5: THE DECISION AND BEYOND

Chapter 20: And the Contract Goes To


Chapter 21: Let Me Put You in Touch With
Chapter 22: The Book in Review
Appendix 1: How to Bet Your Project Funded
Appendix 2: Resources

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 9

How Winners Sell

Dave Stein

Continue to Enjoy Business Book Review.


Remain current with best practices in business, and learn from
the biographies of the people and companies shaping business today.
Subscribe to BBR and receive 40 quality reviews
via convenient email links throughout the year.

A Note to Our Readers


We at BBR encourage our readers to purchase the business books we review. BBR Reviews are intended as
a service to busy professionals, as we recommend only those books that are worth your time to read in their
entirety. We apply stringent criteria in selecting only the best business books, and in that selection process,
strive to help you make informed book-purchasing decisions.

This book is available at bookstores and online booksellers.


Business Book Review is a service of Business Book Review, LLC
For more information about BBR, past library of book reviews,
or to provide us feedback, visit our Web site.
Business Book Review, LLC
1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 205
Decatur, GA 30033
Copyright 2002 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved
No copies may be made of this review unless appropriate license has been granted.
ISSN 0741-8132

Business Book Review Vol. 20, No. 2 Copyright 2003 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 10

Anda mungkin juga menyukai