Book Reviews
A Business Classic, February 3, 2008, Review by Bob Reynolds, UK
This book is a great primer on the art of selling, not only for those who are pure sales professionals, but also for those like me, who need to have selling skills as a part of their wider tool kit. Compelling Selling was my route map for selling, as I rose through the ranks in consultancy, from project deliverer, to business developer and account manager, in the early 1990s. It helped me to make sense of the sales process; a process that previously I hadn't even recognised as a process! Technology has changed the way we do business since then, but people still buy from people, and so the messages in this book, which I consider to be a business classic, are as relevant today as they were when I first read them over fifteen years ago. Bob Reynolds, Partner & Head of Energy, Manufacturing & Infrastructure Practice, Odgers Ray Berndtson, London W1S 1JJ
Do you want to make more money selling? By DanMan "DanMan" (Northwest, Arkansas.)
This review is from: Compelling Selling - The Framework for Persuasion (Paperback)
I bought this book back in the 1970's. It's been my manual or Bible ever since. Lund knows his craft well and is able to explain it in clear concise language. This book changed my whole approach to selling, because in my opinion he began the whole principle that instead of blabbing about: product, feature, benefits; he shows how a series of questions will allow you to discover the "what" the prospect is buying from a product stand point and the "why" from his own personal and professional perspective. The "why" gives you the emotional reasons behind the purchase and this is where you can yield incredible power over the sales process.
If selling to corporate customers, purchasing large ticket items requires you to get each influential executive's needs and requirements and then address them individually. Lund is a master of questioning that permits the customer to tell you exactly the what and the why he is buying. It's kind of like the story of the 7 blind men describing an elephant. One thinks the elephant is like a large snake, because of it's trunk, another thinks the elephant is like a tree trunk, because of his large straight leg etc. This is what selling to large corporations is like, as well as, small companies and individuals.
Lund also goes over the trial close, as the key to taking the customers temperature and commitment and handling objections and all the other things you must know to be at the top of your game, but he does it in such an interesting way that you will go back to this book again and again. It made me a top 10% performer in several Fortune 100 company sale's forces and much of what is in this book helped me achieve this.
This book is also excellent for anyone who sells to individuals or is say a Loan Officer in a bank, who needs to understand that he is really a salesman, since lending money is like selling a commodity, like corn. The truly successful will utilize this book to make themselves more successful in many diverse sales and other careers where you need to capture your customer by truly understanding the unique "What" he wants and "Why".
A truly excellent sales manual., February 28, 1999 By A Customer
This review is from: Compelling Selling - The Framework for Persuasion (Paperback)
Mr Lund exudes real-selling life experience and gives a true boost to all sales professionals. Down to earth, practical, funny and inspiring, I have had this book in pride of place in my office for 10 years and it's still the best one I've ever read.