The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource [Hardcover]

Somewhere in America, a Salesperson is working the phones. They've dutifully memorized their "red hot cold calling" scripts and are dialing the 99 phone numbers that may allow them to set an appointment or take an order when they dial the 100th. They're playing the numbers game and they are surviving.

They're in the minority.

Meanwhile, another Salesperson who is well-versed in "closing techniques" is mesmerizing his or her prospect with a fully scripted and rehearsed presentation, each PowerPoint slide exuding the features and benefits that will certainly lead to a firm handshake and a signed order.

They're also in the minority.

This is the age of selling that's articulated in books like Escaping the Price-Driven Sale: How World Class Sellers Create Extraordinary Profit. The economy has changed, the rules have changed, and your prospects have the Internet at their fingertips. They don't need you and don't want to deal with you unless you bring something to the table that they can't get on their own. You need to be a problem-solver, one who crafts solutions and never wastes the time of your prospects.

Gitomer covers it all...the techniques that work today as well as the ones that have limped off to the elephant's graveyard. Along with his six "little books" on selling, the revised Sales Bible forms a body of work that can be summed up in one central message, found on page 18:

"You often hear people say that they wouldn't or couldn't go into sales. The reason is they can't tolerate the risk involved. The uncertainty. The unknown. Or, perhaps more fundamental, they can't handle the challenge."

Selling...as an art and a science...is a moving target. The economy changes, the playing field changes, the needs of each of your prospects-slash-customers changes. A decade or two ago you might have gotten by with reading Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale or Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere before hitting the pavement or dialing the phone, but today your education needs to evolve daily. Gerhard Gschwandtner's "Selling Power" magazine and Web Site offers daily audio and video tips from experts. Gitomer publishes his weekly "Sales Caffeine" eZine. The degree to which the modern salesperson realizes that his or her education is perpetual and never-ending is the degree to which they will taste significant success.

If you own the six "little books" and former editions of The Sales Bible, if you read "Sales Caffeine" or listen to Gitomer as the host of Gschwandtner's monthly "Selling Power Live" audio program, you may not find an abundance of "new" material in this revised edition. The cartoons make it consistent in format with the "little books." I consider the book to be a five-star effort, and especially enjoy the fact that it is available as an audio book. Gitomer has carefully included his own unique personality as a central element of his branding, and this is one effort that benefits from presentation in both the written and spoken word.

Imagine a sales trainer looking over your shoulder as you work, telling you specifically what you should be doing. He's endlessly optimistic but also incredibly driven and intense. He loves to bark out list after list of advice. He quotes himself, often.

Sound irritating? In person it would be, but as a book it works. I got my copy this afternoon, and it's already full of Post-it notes, each one marking an intriguing idea I can't wait to try.

Here's one. When you call someone and they're not there, "leave a partial message that includes your name and phone number, then pretend to get cut off in mid-sentence as you're getting to the important part of the message. Cut it off in mid-word." Some examples: "I found your..." or "Your competition said..." The person won't be able to resist calling you back.

There's no index, and the table of contents is hard to find, but those are quibbles. This book delivers on its promise: The Ultimate Sales Resource.

Here's the chapter list:

1. The Rules. The Secrets. The Fun.
2. Preparing to WOW! the Prospect
3. Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself
4. Making a Great Presentation
5. Objections, Closing and Follow-up. Getting to YES!
6. Woes and Foes
7. All Hail the King... Customer
8. Spreading the Gospel
9. Networking... Success by Association(s)
10. Prophets and Profits
11. Up Your Income!
12. Can I Get an Amen?

okay, well my entire review just got deleted. all i can say is this book says WHAT without saying HOW
(general principles) without getting into finer details.

For instance one of the points in sales presentations says to use a FUNNY slide as opposed to a HUMOROUS slide, well these two words are (and can be used) synonymously. so, what does the author mean? Why are there few examples sparsely populated throughout without in-depth examination of any of this authors 230948234082340842380 points. Without substantiation and examples, the author just peppers the reader with useless advice.

It would be like Michael Jordan telling an aspiring NBA player "just practice"
"Just dribble"
"just shoot"

Okay, How do I dribble? What are the best dribbling techniques, drills, etc?
The hardest angles at basketball? When you just lifted (weights) and your muscles are fatigued, is it good to shoot? How do I best simulate a game-situation?

Or a Chef saying, "key to good food is good ingredients"
or "put your heart into it"

How the **** do I put my heart into it? What does it mean? How do I externalize this?