Selling to Big Companies Blog

My Summer Reading List

What am I reading? I get asked that question all the time. Here are the books I've read this past month, with a bit of commentary on each.

Growing Great Sales Teams, by Colleen Stanley
A little book with a big punch. As a former VP of Sales, author Colleen Stanley shares practical, but high impact strategies you can use to first get your sales team back on track and then excel.

What I appreciate most about this book is that it's based on the "lessons from the cornfield" where work needed to get done, crops need to be harvested and excuses weren't acceptable. In short, it's fun to read.

(Colleen is speaking on EQ + IQ = Sales Results at my upcoming Sales SheBang conference for women in sales being held September 23-24 in Minneapolis.)

Good in a Room, by Stephanie Palmer
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but by the end I was a big fan. The author wasn't a salesperson. However, as the former Director of Creative Affairs at MGM, she evaluated sales pitches on a regular basis and became fascinated by what worked and what didn't.

Good in a Room offers a fresh perspective on sales, completely devoid of any of the traditional "sales speak" preached by gurus of the past. Lots of unique insights from a good observer. Worth getting.

Topgrading for Sales, by Bradford Smart & Greg Alexander
If you need to hire salespeople, this book is a must read. As the authors so clearly point out, the cost of bad hiring can easily be over $1/2 million when you add in hiring costs, compensation, severance, disruption, & opportunity costs.

In Topgrading, you'll learn a proven hiring/interview process that helps you clearly define what skills are needed, sorts the "A" players from the fakers - and, as a result, totally transform your business.  Plus, it comes with a complete toolkit with ready-to-use forms that can easily be modified for virtually any sales position.

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, by Daniel Pink
Pink's first two books are among my favorites: Free Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind. But when this one came out, I personally wasn't interested in the topic: a career guide for thriving in the world of work.

However, I had to get a copy because it's the first business book in the U.S. that's written in manga, the Japanese comic book format. So what do I think? A bit light on content, but fun to read. Reminded me of being a kid again. Plus, it made me realize how much fluff is in some books - just to make them impressive.

In Praise of Slowness, by Carl Honore
In our crazy, hyper-competitive business world, it seems like doing things faster is the only way to keep up. Personally, I think people have reached the breaking point. By this, I mean corporate decision makers AND salespeople.

That's why I'm studying slowness. I think that by "challenging the cult of speed," we can positively impact sales. If you have any insights on this, please share them with me.

What have you been reading lately?

Tooting Your Own Horn

You know what I hate? I hate telling people to get my book. They give me this look like, "You're just trying to get rich off me."

Ha ha! I make $1/book. That's it. I didn't write Selling to Big Companies to become a millionaire. I wrote it because it needed to be written. And, if you haven't read it yet, you're really missing the boat. Here's why:

Amazon Ranking: It's been a Top 25 Sales Book for over 2  years. Today it's #10!  That's because people keep buying it!

Amazon Customer Reviews: 47 reviews, average rating is 5 (highest)

Here's the newest from Joe Perry:

This book is easily the best sales book I've ever read. Implementing Jill's methodology has literally transformed my career and made me more money than I ever dreamed possible. I no longer view myself as a "sales person", I now view myself as a "business improvement specialist". According to Jill, this mindset is the #1 key to success. And I have to say I've seen this truth play out in arguably the most competitive business environment in the world, New York City.

The section on leveraging email as an account entry strategy has been especially helpful to me. I can't tell you how many meetings I've generated from well-crafted, customized emails and subject lines. In the age that we live so driven by technology, get this book for no other reason than just that.

Barbara Killen sent me this email:

It works! It works! Recently I left two short messages for a person I thought was the decision maker. A few days later, a more senior member of the company called and left ME a voicemail! 

She said she was very interested in … get this … the short, clear value proposition I'd stated both times in my messages! It was almost word for word! I was so excited, I couldn't believe it.  When I hung up, I let out a huge yell and my boss came running.

Startup sales experts Karl Goldfield recently wrote a detailed review on his blog - giving it his first perfect score EVER. He says:

This was a light read at 230 pages, but so packed with content I would find myself rethinking my own strategies as I finished each chapter. That is the sign of a brilliant educator is to effortlessly force the student to apply what they learned by changing their perception.

The clarity of her simple message is fantastic. What is even more compelling is that she admits her flaws, thus making you appreciate her as a fellow salesperson. It humanizes her experience and validates the insight. She feels like a colleague not a writer preaching the “way”. You can read more here.

And this is just a small sampling of the emails and messages that come my way on a regular basis.

So, if you're struggling to crack into corporate accounts it's time to get Selling to Big Companies. Don't take my word on it. The book makes a difference.

No More Excuses for Not Being a SuperStar

Today my colleague Paul McCord is releasing his newest book, SuperStar Selling. He contacted me a few months ago, asking for an endorsement. I'm pretty picky, so I asked him to send me a copy.

After reading it, here's what I wrote:

”Think top sellers are born, not made?  If so, you'll learn otherwise in this straight-shooting book by Paul McCord. He takes the mystique out of their stellar results and shows you exactly what top producers do differently from the Average Joe. Best of all, he shows you how you can replicate their achievements, capitalize on your personal strengths and take charge of your success."

If you're not achieving the results you want, check this book out now. If you buy it in the next couple days, you get a whole slew of bonuses too. Get your copy at Amazon, then go claim all your goodies.

Check out The Go-Giver

My friend Bob Burg has written a powerful little book entitled The Go-Giver which was just released. This book is a parable about a salesperson who's really struggling right now.

To get his mojo back, he seeks guidance from an older & wiser counselor who shares five laws of success that totally transform his approach to sales.

When Bob asked me what I thought of it, I wrote back:

The Go-Giver is a much-needed breath of fresh air in a business environment that's lost sight of what's really important. Og Mandino finally has some competition!

To get his message out, Bob Burg is having a one-day sale where you can get the book at a 20% discount and receive a $297 set of videos (a full day with experts like Bob Proctor, Bo Short, Cameron Johnson and Stephanie Frank) at no cost.

If you're interested in learning more, check out The Go-Giver promotion now.

Does Your Elevator Speech Need a Lift?

Do you stammer and trip over your own words when people at business functions ask, "What do you do?"  If so, that's not good.

If you're struggling to clearly articulate what you do and for whom, check out Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift."  This nifty little book, written by media specialist Lorraine Howell, gives you step-by-step directions to craft a winning one in no time flat.

As Lorraine says, "In this age of sound bites, channel surfing and information overload, getting your message out quickly and effectively is essential."

FYI: Here's my elevator speech ... "I help sellers crack into corporate accounts and win big contracts."

Jill Recommends ...

My Favorite Sales Books
Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play, Mahan Khalsa
No More Cold Calling, Joanne Black
ROI Selling, Michael Nick
Secrets of Question-Based Selling, Thomas Freese

Metaphorically Selling, Anne Miller
Sales & Marketing the Six Sigma Way, Michael Webb
Selling Against the Goal, Kendra Lee

Sales Autopsy, Dan Seidman
Selling to VITO, Anthony Parinello
Think Like Your Customer, Bill Stinnett
Why Johnny Can't Sell, Michael Nick

Good Lead Generation Resources
Lead Generation for the Complex Sale, Brian Carroll
Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing, John Coe

Sales Tools
Writing White Paper, Michael Stelzner

Books That Get You Thinking
A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink
Selling is Dead, Marc Miller

Marketing
The Marketing Manager's Handbook, Eric Gagnon
Trade Show & Event Marketing, Ruth Stevens
Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants, Mike McLaughlin & Jay Conrad Levinson
Duct Tape Marketing, John Jantsch
The Corporate Blogging Book, Debbie Weil

Book Review: Design Matters // Logos 01

This excellent book was written by the team at Capsule who designed the logo for the Sales Shebang. From the moment I saw it, I was impressed. It's a well-designed piece of art with extraordinary visual impact - and it even feels good to the touch.

If you're thinking about updating your firm's "look", you need to get Design Matters//Logos 01:

• It's filled with guiding principles and step-by-step guidance on creating a new visual icon that conveys the meaning of your company.
• You'll learn how they created numerous logos and redesigns that have had significant impact on their client's business.
• It's an incredible source of inspiration and ideas. You can look through it a gazillion times and keep seeing new things.

There's even a logo gallery at the end of the book. Design firms from across the world submitted their logos and the Capsule team picked out the "best of the best."

I've used Capsule to design two logos for me in the past few years. They're the best. And they gave away all their secrets in the book. You'll love it. I love it! Get it at Amazon now.

Top Dog Sales Secrets

Today I received my copy of Top Dog Sales Secrets: 50 Top Experts Show You Ways to Skyrocket Your Sales.

It's really good. The publisher selected excellent articles written by some of the best sales strategists I know including: Colleen Francis, Bill Caskey, Michelle Nichols, Steve Waterhouse, Al Uszynski, Mike Schulz and Wendy Weiss.

Over 80 articles are included on a wide variety of sales topics: prospecting, cold calling, phone skills, sales skills, questions, stalls, presentations, sales skills, strategies, value, closing and negotiating.

If you're looking for ideas & insights, you won't be disappointed. Check out Top Dog Sales Secrets now.

P.S. Five of my articles are in it, including several of my favorites: Passing the "Tell Me More" Test and Naked Sales Calls.

Book Review: Duct Tape Marketing

John Jantsch knows what it takes to create marketing that sticks and ultimately leads to quantifiable results. In Duct Tape Marketing, his up-to-date advice shows small business owners numerous strategies they can implement to create a systematic approach to marketing.

For companies selling into the business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, pay particular attention to these chapters

A Great Depth of Expertise

From the moment I was invited to the Author Pow Wow sponsored by premier business bookseller 800ceoread, I could hardly wait to attend. Early last week, this consortium of top business writers came together to learn, talk about the biz & have some fun.

What an incredible group!  Good folks with a great depth of expertise in their respected fields. If you're looking for well-written books, powerful speakers, or someone to help with your business challenges, start here: