The book is a bit full of typical American self-help advice, and some of its exaggerated ‘pump-yourself-up’ self believes don’t land — but despite this, I still rate it five out of five. I read it about 6 years ago and I bought it again in China to read it again now.

Key points for me are:

• Everyone’s a salesperson; you also sell ideas or want stuff from other people
• Earning money is a goal, but you’ll have more fun & enjoy more financial success when you stop trying to get what you want, and start helping other people get what they want. This is a good salesperson’s purpose.
• Focus on your purpose, not your goals. How to distinguish between a goal & purpose? Do the Tombstone test: What do you want to have written on your tombstone?
• Good selling is just helping the customer. You are helping them achieve their goals, and make them feel good about what they just purchased. Don’t feel bad that you’re selling to them; you are helping them achieve their goals! You’ll also feel less stressed this way, because you no longer make people try to do what they don’t want.
• People don’t buy services, products, or ideas. They buy how they imagine using the product will make them feel. Let them imagine how they feel before they buy it.
• To find out what people want, ask “Have” and “want” questions.
• You need to put yourself in their position + Study features & advantages of what you may sell to solve problems.
• This sounds easy but a nice example they gave, a truck company had received dozens of phone calls of tyre companies all talking about milage. But then a salesperson saw a family photo on the CEO’s desk, and he mentioned how safe their tyres are to protect us from harm.
• Repetitively ask yourself; am I concerned with what they want (achieve their goals), or just what I want? (sales)
• Make buying as easy and risk-free as possible, for instance by offering a demo or offering a money-back guarantee.
• After the sale, follow up to solve problems or if they are happy, ask for active referrals.
• 80% of sales come from 20% of the clients. Focus on those.