By Jeffrey Gitomer
The Little Red Book of Selling has the odd subtitle – 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness. You will have to read the book to find out why the author, Jeffrey Gitomer, chose such an odd number, 12.5. There are many great books on sales but this has to rate as one of the best.
Gitomer is a popular American author, his other famous sales book is The Sales Bible. He has written more than 15 books, all very successful. He also does training and public speaking and lectures on a range of sales-related topics.
The Little Red Book of Selling was first published in 2004 but the lessons and ideas he explains are just as important to days as when he wrote them.
The focus of the book is “Why do people buy?”. This, according to Gitomer, is the most important part of the sales process and far more important than how you go about selling. If you understand this, you are already on the right track. One of his quotes from the book is “People don’t like to be sold… but they love to buy!”
The book is easy to read and entertaining which makes getting the message that much easier and enjoyable. Many of the ideas he suggests will be new to you and some might be different from what you thought you knew. One thing you can be sure of is that the author knows what he is talking about.
It is a good book for a salesperson that is just starting out as well as one that has been selling for a while. Sales, as you probably know, is one of the most important skills you need to be successful in business.
What the book is about
He speaks about relationships and the importance of being liked by the customer. The author explains how you need to build up trust and grow relationships. Gitomer also shows you how to get the customer to understand you and your product and believe in it. Confidence and trust in you and your product are what the buyer wants.
The client also needs to believe that they are getting a fair price and value for money. They want to know what value the product or service will add to their business, what it can do for them.
The book also explains how you need to take your thinking long-term and not just the end of the month. This is a common sales issue. You want to build long-term relationships that will help you and your client.
Gitomer also guides you on believing in yourself. If you lack confidence you are not going to prosper. Networking and discovering new things are also covered. One has to be constantly learning and growing.
Planing is also important, he explains. Set goals and work towards them. Know your product and market, have ready answers for the questions you are likely to get.
He also says it is ok to make mistakes so long as you learn from them. Action is what is important. Sometimes you have to take risks. Remain focused. At the same time, you need to balance your life. You can’t work all the time. Take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Other issues covered in the book include sticking to your game, remaining positive, and not letting others drag you down.
The 12.5 principles are:
- Principle #1 – Kick Your Own Butt
- Principle #2 – Prepare to Win, or Lose to Someone Who Is
- Principle #3 – Personal Branding is Sales; It’s Not Who You
- Principle #4 – It’s All About Value, It’s All About
- Principle #5 – It’s Not Work, It’s NETwork
- Principle #6 – If You Can’t Get In Front of the Real Decision Maker, You Loose
- Principle #7 – Engage Me and You Can Make Me Convince Myself
- Principle #8 – If You Can Make Them Laugh, You Can Make Them Buy!
- Principle #9 – Use Creativity to Differentiate and Dominate
- Principle #10 – Reduce Their Risk, And You’ll Convert Selling To Buying
- Principle #11 – When You Say It About Yourself, It’s Bragging. When Someone Else Says It About You, It’s Proof.
- Principle #12 – Antennas Up! Using Your 6th Sense, the Sense of Selling.
- Principle #12.5 – Resign Your Position as General Manager of the Universe
Again, you will have to read the book to get the point of all of the principles but they are all valuable lessons that will help you improve your sales skills.
Where to get The Little Red Book of Selling
If you look around on Google you might find a free copy. Your local library might have it and you might also find it at a secondhand book shop for a bargain.
Amazon offers a free audio version if you sign up for a free trial.
Final thoughts
Most top business leaders read many books, especially business books. Even if you own a small business, the same lessons will apply to you. It is important to read and learn as much as you can. The Little Red Book of Selling is a must-read for anyone wanting to succeed in selling and business.