As some of you know, in addition to writing this blog I’m also the co-host of a podcast about sales and sales leadership.  One of the perks of that job is the fact that people send me free books to read and talk about.  I love my job!

This week, I’ve been reading Sharon Drew Morgen‘s book “Dirty Little Secrets: Why Buyers Can’t Buy and Sellers Can’t Sell and What You Can Do About It” in preparation for an episode of the Sales Management 2.0 Podcast that we’ll be recording this weekend.  I’ve gotta say, I’m blown away by the concept of the book.

Sharon Drew (yes, that IS her first name) is out to change the face of sales, and I’m signing on to help her in any way I can (and I’m only on chapter one of the book).  She’s created a system she calls Buying Facilitation, and it’s based on a simple premise, one that readers of this blog have heard before: while salespeople may control the sales process, your prospects control the buying process.  Which of those two processes do you suppose it’s more important to understand?  Well, if you really want to succeed, Sharon Drew says you should be far more concerned about what’s going on in the buyers head.

I’m not going to ramble on too much, mostly because Sharon Drew does such an excellent job of explaining the concept on her own blog.  I’ll defer to her wisdom on the subject and encourage you to a) go read her blog posts and form your own opinions of whether she’s a madwoman or a maven, and b) pick up a copy of “Dirty Little Secrets” to enjoy.

But I’ll warn you: don’t read the blog or the book unless you’re prepared to have your sales foundation rocked.  I’m not kidding when I say this book is going to be a full-on paradigm shift for a lot of people.

Oh, and I guess there’s a c)…listen to the podcast when it posts up next week over at Sales Management 2.0.  If Sharon Drew turns out to be as much fun as she sounds, this could be one of our best episodes ever.

“That age will be rich indeed when those relics which we call Classics, and the still older and more than classic but even less known Scriptures of the nations, shall have still further accumulated, when the Vaticans shall be filled with Vedas and Zandavestas and Bibles, with Homers and Dantes and Shakespeares, and all the centuries to come shall have successively deposited their trophies in the forum of the world. By such a pile we may hope to scale heaven at last.” – Henry David Thoreau in Walden

I know he wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I’m pretty sure Thoreau was talking about the internet when he wrote those words. We have the greatest repository of information the world has ever seen, right at our fingertips. That said, we should be the best-read generation of all time…but we’re not. A study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2004 found that fewer than half of American adults read literature for pleasure. Fewer than half!

That’s a stunner, particularly considering the overwhelming evidence that being an avid reader is the one thing that most successful people have in common. Self-education by reading great books is a key to your personal development, which has to come before you can hope to make improvements in other areas of your life.

Understand this: if you want to improve your lot in life, you’re going to have to get in the habit of reading. A lot. Every day. Sorry: the fact that you don’t enjoy reading is entirely irrelevant. You’ll get used to it, and you’ll probably even start to like it after awhile. It may (and probably will) become one of your favorite activities. You’ll begin to wonder what you did all those years before you realized how delightful a good book can be.

And before you start to panic, I’m not one of those wackos advocating that you throw your TV away. I think it’s possible to do both…just not at the same time. Especially for those of you who aren’t accustomed to regular reading, you’re not going to want to start off with Moby Dick or Les Miserables to break yourself in. Try easing into the habit by reading something you know you’ll enjoy, a little at a time. If you’ll just commit to 15 minutes a day before you go to sleep, you’ll make a habit of it before you know it (and probably have more interesting dreams, too).

Once you’ve developed the habit, though, try picking up books that are a little more challenging, something that’s going to push the edges of your mind out just a little bit. Remember, the goal here is growth, so the more a book expands your intellect and forces you to think in new ways, the better. Thoreau nails it when he says that there is no difference “between the illiterateness of my townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects.” In other words, if what you’re reading doesn’t challenge your mind, you might as well go watch another episode of “Jersey Shore” (Thoreau predicted that, too).

It never ceases to amaze me that so many people neglect (or worse, refuse) to read. We have at our disposal the entire collection of human knowledge to this point in time; Thoreau would have given up his shack in the woods for the privilege to be here. He predicted that this time would come, and he said it would bring us one step closer to heaven.

Of course, that will only be true if we take advantage of our great privilege and develop a passion for reading. So what are you waiting for? What book is first on your list? Leave your current or future reading list in the comments section so we can compare notes.

I had a little time to catch up on some reading last week, and I’ve gotta tell you about two fantastic books that you should make it your goal to read as soon as possible.

The first is Og Mandino’s classic “The Greatest Salesman In the World“, and it’s one of those “life-changing” books (so read at your own peril) filled with “a-ha!” moments and epiphanies.  I’ve been hearing about what a great book this is for years, and it did not disappoint.  Mandino, through a cleverly-written business fable, reveals ten principles that will fundamentally change the way you think about selling.  I was so moved by the “secret” principles revealed, in fact, that I’ll be dedicating a post to each of them in the coming weeks.  If you haven’t read it, grab a copy and prepare to be moved.

The second is one of the “new classics” for business: “Go For No!” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz.  Richard and Andrea were kind enough to contribute a guest post here last week, and it’s a great introduction to the ideas presented in the book.  ”Go For No!” is another from the business-fable genre, and an incredibly powerful one at that.  It’s based on the idea that the difference between mediocrity and greatness, in sales or anything else, all comes down to the way you deal with hearing “No”.  Sound familiar? Now you know why I’m such a big fan!  Get your copy today, read it immediately, and start putting the idea into practice!

Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the first part of the new Og Mandino inspired series: “10 Secrets To Becoming the Greatest Salesperson In the World”.

One of my favorite things in life is a good book, and one of my favorite authors is Dean Koontz.

I first started reading Koontz novels about 4 years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.   For my money, he’s one of the best fiction writers alive today.  His books are incredibly entertaining ,and they always make me think about things I hadn’t considered or offer a new perspective on  life and death and being human.

What I never expected, though, was to write a blog post about the sales lessons I’ve learned from Mr. Koontz, but here it is.

#1 – It’s all about the story

Whatever else you might say about Koontz, there’s one thing no one can deny: the man can tell a story.  His books are at the same time thrilling and profound, but the parts that make you think are wrapped up in stories that are so compelling, it’s very likely you’re going to lose a few hours sleep.  More than once I’ve been so engrossed in a Koontz story that I’ve lost all sense of time and missed an entire night of sleep (Intensity was one such tale…read it at your peril).

Are the stories you share with your customers so compelling that they lose track of time and are surprised when they realize you’ve been chatting for an hour?  Or are they bored with your canned pitch 30 seconds into your presentations?  It’s a question worth considering, because your ability to engage your customers with great stories will directly correlate to your success as a salesperson.

One caution about stories, though: the goal should always be to move the ball forward.  When Koontz goes on a tangent, you can be sure that it has a purpose and will eventually be woven into the overall theme of the story.  Too often, salespeople tell stories that have no point and that have no correlation to the theme of their presentations.  Avoid those kind of stories.  No one enjoys them but you.

#2 – Being human means being flawed…deal with it

If there’s one thing I love about Koontz more than anything else, it’s that his “heroes” are all flawed, ordinary people, dealing with seemingly impossible circumstances.  They don’t have all the answers, and rarely do they make it through unscathed.  A Koontz protagonist is typically someone you can identify with.

I’ve talked before in this blog about the need for humility, and I think this drives that point home.  Being human means you’re going to make mistakes.  You’re going to screw up, and chances are pretty good it’ll happen again before the week is over.  And that’s OK.  Screwing up makes you human; it’s how you react to screwing up that determines the kind of person you are.

Do you take ownership of your mistakes?  Do you freely acknowledge your mistakes and humbly apologize to customers when things go wrong?  Or are you quick to point the finger, pass the buck, and play the blame game?  Your customers (at least the good ones) will appreciate your honesty and humility in admitting your mistakes.

#3 – The bad guys never give up

Usually a combination of superhuman and dangerously psychotic, Koontz’ bad guys are persistent, to say the least.  Just when you think the hero has them beat, you realize there are at least 40 pages left in the book and that the bad guy is definitely going to come back.

The “bad” guys in your own story (i.e., your competition) are every bit as relentless as Koontz’ antagonists.  They never sleep.  They are on the clock 24 x 7, looking for a weakness they can exploit.  OK…that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but a little paranoia can be a good thing.  The trick to staying one step ahead of the competition is the same one that Koontz’ heroes employ: just keep moving forward.  Don’t give up.  If you hang in there long enough, you can win.

Remember, a successful sales career is a marathon, not a sprint.

#4 – Respect the intelligence of your audience

While Koontz’ books aren’t considered “great literature” by many critics, they’re not exactly fluff, either.  Words like “ululating” and  ”sussurant” are always cropping up, forcing me to reach for the dictionary.  And that makes me feel like Koontz respects me as a reader.  He’s willing to challenge me, and he doesn’t talk down to me.  I get the sense that he believes I’m an intelligent person.

Is that how your customers feel?  Do you respect their intelligence and business savvy?  Or do you have a tendency to talk down to them, telling them what’s best for them?

I’m amazed at how many salespeople take this approach.  I’d like to point out that the business owner they are talking to was intelligent enough to build a business, whereas the salesperson still works for someone else.  Not that there’s anything wrong with working for someone else; just that they might want to show a little respect for someone who is out doing it on their own.

No matter how right you think you are or how good of a match your product is for them, you don’t ever have the right to treat your customer like a dummy when they disagree with you.

Koontz is a great author, and I love that I can get this kind of education while reading a great book.  What have your favorite authors taught you about business?

I wanted to take a minute to give a tip of the hat and a hearty congratulations to Shane Gibson and Stephen Jagger on the upcoming release of their new book, Sociable!

As you probably gathered from the title, this is a how-to guide for using social media and Web 2.0 tools to create communities and be more profitable.  In their own words, Sociable! is about “using social media to create real relationships that impact you, your business and your community in a positive fashion.”

I had the chance to read an advance copy of Sociable!, and I was really impressed with the quality of the information it provides about the impact social media is having on business.  I’d highly recommend you jump over to the book’s website and download Chapter 1, which includes a Foreword written by none other than Kyle MacDonald, the blogger who, through a series of trades carried out over the course of a year, exchanged a red paper clip for a house (if you’ve never read Kyle’s story, you have to check out OneRedPaperClip.com…it’s a hoot!).

I’m glad to see these two social media thought leaders tackling the subject head on and providing valuable guidance for those of us who sometimes feel like we’re making this up as we go along.  Sociable! is a great reminder that no sales technique in the world can substitute for building and maintaining great relationships with your prospects and clients, whether on or offline.

Thanks guys!

I just finished reading “ONO: Options, Not Obligations” by Marc Warnke and I have to say: if you have any desire to be in business for yourself and to use that business to create a lifestyle filled with the things you want to do instead of the things you have to do, you really need to read this book.

Marc is an expert in ONO, having created a life in which he is free to spend time with his wife and kids as he chooses and to pursue his passions.  This life didn’t happen by accident or some random stroke of luck, though: Marc applied the principles he writes about in “ONO” to seize the opportunities that were presented to him and leverage them into the life of his dreams.

Instead of presenting a step-by-step “how to do” approach to creating ONO, Marc focuses on “how to think”.  He helps you create a mindset of entrepreneurialism while working at your current job so that you can make the transition when the time is right.  Rather than encouraging new entrepreneurs to plunge in and “follow their passion”, Marc recommends developing a calculated, well thought out path to creating ONO.

What I appreciated most, though, is Marc’s voice.  He speaks with the compassion of someone who has been there and at the same time doesn’t allow us to wallow in our self-pity.  His inspiring words will help you find the desire to do something different, to start looking at your life and the decisions you make through new eyes: the eyes of a Family First Entrepreneur.  

I hope you’ll take my advice and order your copy of “ONO: Options, Not Obligations” today.  Once you’ve read it, I’d love to hear what you think, so head back here and leave a comment or start a discussion.

Thanks for reading!