Game Changing B2B Sales Book List

One of my most common questions from my clients involves “what sales books should I read?” or “Do you have a List of Recommended Sales Books?”

So today I’m sharing what I consider to the B2B Sales Books which are all considered “Game Changers.”

Okay, someone is probably asking “what makes these books Game Changers” which is a great qualifying question (Very good if you asked this question to yourself).

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5 Reasons Team Selling Fails

Team selling is still a hot topic in the world of B2B Sales. One of the most important reasons is higher performance due to larger account buyers feeling more confident in the selling company.

The bigger the company you are selling, the more important it becomes to be seen as the “safe choice” or “low risk” provider. These big companies have a track record of firing people who make mistakes – either immediately for impact or during the next round of cost cutting.

Therefore, team selling allows your company to be seen as stable and having multiple “faces” in contact with them. Throw in an extra variable such as a complexity relative to what you are selling, and team selling becomes a necessity.

While many organizations are very successful with Team Selling, there are a larger number failing at the Team Selling effort. Why do Teams fail in the world of selling? Here are the five common reasons for Team Selling Failure…

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Stop Educating Your Buyer – Start Finding the Opportunity

Earlier I wrote an article about how the buyer does not need the b2b sales person anymore. And, this statement or information is true. Yet, there are some systematic issues which are creating confusion within the sales organization.

Okay, first, the amount of product knowledge training is still out of control. During the Great Recession, companies figured they could constraint expenses by using more product knowledge training – which could be handled by internal staff rather than outside sales advisers. The data has been showing organizations have been spending upwards of 85% of their “sales training” budgets on product knowledge.

Second, it is true product knowledge does help the sales person to be more creative in recognizing sales opportunities when they are dropped in their laps. And, a side effect is the higher confidence factor when a b2b sales person understanding their products and product lines well.

Third, the majority of product knowledge training is a total waste of time and resources!

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Are You Planning Every Customer or Prospect Contact?

One thing I noticed with high tech world we live in – few people actually plan their customer or prospect contacts. Winging it is ruling the day due to the instant or urgency tendencies of text messages and emails.

GEEZ! Winging it is a bad thing. It does not work with b2b sales presentations and it definitively does not work with phone calls, texts and emails. Okay, you Xer’s are laughing too hard about the email comment. Old Boomers enjoy calling the most, emailing next and texting is new to us.

Okay, some of you are possibly wondering why should you be planning your contacts. Look if you are planning your face to face calls, it is not very different. With the exception of being even more strategic with your phone calls, emails and texts.

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Are You Using Gap Analysis to Win B2B Sales?

Unless you are a naturally born product pusher, you should be aware of the power of gap analysis.

This tool is one of the primary techniques used by the B2B Sales Superstars. What is really great is it is a simple process. It is basically a five step process.

Yes, three steps and you can get a customer focused upon the possibilities for success due to listening and buying from you.

Here is how this simple “Gap Analysis” works…

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One Important Key for Credibility in B2B Sales

I recently uncovered an interesting fact about what executives are looking for from the B2B Sales Person that improves the level of credibility for the b2b sales person.

This key is “Knowledge of Your Own Industry.”

Yes, during the past decade and a half, executives have doubled the importance of the Knowing Your Own Industry relative to a b2b sales person gaining credibility from the executive.

So how do you Know More About Your Industry?

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B2B Sales Major Change Issue #5 – Align B2B Sales Training

Today, I will share the fifth part of a five part series on major change issues for b2b sales. Today’s topic will discuss the  major issue of a lack of alignment regarding existing sales training and development with the new model of b2b selling.

This issue touches upon the real reason so many b2b sales people are creating the wrong environment for their customers to buy. The alignment of b2b sales training and development with what is needed for sales success in the future will, well, make you  better prepared for your successful b2b sales future.

This fifth issue is related to the second part of issue number four – the training of new sales people for b2b sales. In the past, it was determined the best sales people were aggressive, goal oriented and used people to get to their goals. While this model worked very well during the presentation model years of successful selling, as Bob Dylan sang – “The Times They Are A-Changing!”

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B2B Sales Major Change Issue #3 – Presentation Model is Dead

Thia is part three of a five part series on major change issues for b2b sales. Today’s discussion will be on the third major issue of the movement away from the presentation model of b2b selling to the Questioning Model of B2B Selling.

I have been discussing the need for more and better uses of the Questioning Model during several b2b sales tips. Yet, again I believe it needs to be discussed continuously to show how important this is becoming.

The Questioning Model of B2B Selling is more important than ever and the presentation model of b2b selling is dying rapidly. Therefore, you must be better prepared to use the effective questioning, if you want to stay in the game of b2b sales.

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What is the Difference between B2B and B2C Selling?

Since this is a B2B Sales site, several people have asked…

What is the difference between B2B and B2C?

In the world of selling the difference between B2B sales and B2C Sales are very different.

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Seven Types of B2B Selling

I keep getting questions about the types of b2b selling. Then I get additional questions regarding how do the different types match up. Or what is important with each type or model of selling?

So today I want to clear the air and tell you about the seven types of b2b selling you can use. And, I will give some background to each type. What I will not do is label all the different sales training and development packages. Each seems to have added their name to one of the original b2b sales methods.

So, here you are – the seven different b2b sales methods…

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