What do winners of major sales do differently than the sellers who almost won, but ultimately came in second place? Mike Schultz and John Doerr, bestselling authors and world-renowned sales experts, set out to find the answer. They studied more than 700 business-to-business purchases made by buyers who represented a total of $3.1 billion in annual purchasing power. When they compared the winners to the second-place finishers, they found surprising results.
Not only do sales winners sell differently, they sell radically differently, than the second-place finishers.
In recent years, buyers have increasingly seen products and services as replaceable. You might think this would mean that the sale goes to the lowest bidder. Not true! A new breed of seller—the insight seller—is winning the sale with strong prices and margins even in the face of increasing competition and commoditization.
In Insight Selling, Schultz and Doerr share the surprising results of their research on what sales winners do differently, and outline exactly what you need to do to transform yourself and your team into insight sellers. They introduce a simple three-level model based on what buyers say tip the scales in favor of the winners:
Level 1 "Connect." Winners connect the dots between customer needs and company solutions, while also connecting with buyers as people.
Level 2 "Convince." Winners convince buyers that they can achieve maximum return, that the risks are acceptable, and that the seller is the best choice among all options.
Level 3 "Collaborate." Winners collaborate with buyers by bringing new ideas to the table, delivering new ideas and insights, and working with buyers as a team.
They also found that much of the popular and current advice given to sellers can damage sales results. Insight Selling is both a strategic and tactical guide that will separate the good advice from the bad, and teach you how to put the three levels of selling to work to inspire buyers, influence their agendas, and maximize value. If you want to find yourself and your team in the winner's circle more often, this book is a must-read.
MIKE SCHULTZ is Co-President of RAIN Group and a world-renowned consultant, speaker, and expert in sales training and performance improvement. His articles and work have been featured in a variety of publications, such as Business Week, Inc. magazine, and Fast Company. He is also on the faculty in the Marketing Division at Babson College and writes at www.RainGroup.com/Blog.
JOHN E. DOERR is a leading authority on the skills and strategies that make for sales success. As Co-President of RAIN Group, he has consulted with, trained, and coached thousands of sales professionals, leaders, and business executives, helping them improve sales performance and succeed with insight selling.
Mike and John are bestselling authors of Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation and the groundbreaking research “What Sales Winners Do Differently.” To learn more or to contact Mike or John directly, visit www.RainGroup.com.
