Archive for January 3rd, 2010

How to Sell to an Idiot. 12 steps to sell anything to anyone. John Hoover & Bill Sparkman

DEDHAM, MA - SEPTEMBER 30: AT&T Area Retail Sa...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

How to Sell to an Idiot. 12 steps to sell anything to anyone. John Hoover & Bill Sparkman. 2006. ISBN 0471718548.  It does not take too long when reading this book to realize there is only one idiot in the sales prccess and that person is liklely you , not the customer.  A decent job of revisiting the basics that get forgotten. I appreciated their take on the different personalities of customers. They use these categories:

  • Machiavellian
  • Sadist
  • Masochist
  • Paranoid
  • Greek Gods
  • Best Buddy
  • Decent Souls

Quite hilarious but I am sure we have met all these types in our day  Using these personlaity types the authors lead you through understanding their i-story, and how to talk to them during each of the 12 steps:

  1. Be prepared or be the idiot
  2. Connect
  3. Confuse with clarity
  4. matching
  5. Showtime
  6. Ask for the business
  7. Circle again
  8. ask again
  9. Appreciate
  10. Referral
  11. Follow-up
  12. Practise

Not a heavy read and decent for a 3 hr plane ride.  Good motivating language.

Related articles by Zemanta

Category: Sales Efficiency

No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback URI