My Favorite Ideas from the Book The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

Jeffrey Gitomer is a prolific sales author and trainer with a robust catalog of books.  Jeffrey Gitomer’s books tend to be filled with no-nonsense and sometimes irreverent advice about selling, which is needed to succeed in today’s complex and saturated market.  A book I find particularly useful is The Little Red Book of Selling.

As a business coach, I frequently see ways that learning the art of the sale can help my clients succeed in their business ventures.  Regardless of whether you work directly in sales, a grasp of these techniques can help you in all areas of running your business.  Because guess what?  We all are salespeople.

Sales Tips from The Little Red Book of Selling

Sometimes referred to as the “Red Book of Sales,” The Little Red Book of Selling contains 12.5 actionable tips to help you improve your sales strategy.  While all of them have merit, here are a few that I think all business people should know. 

• Prepare to win or lose to someone who is. Business requires a strategy.  If you try to sell without doing your research, you’ll look foolish and waste your customers’ time.  You must have all the information before stepping up to the plate, or you’ll lose out.
• It’s all about value.  It’s all about relationships.  It’s not all about price. Price is not a factor when it comes to customer loyalty.  There’s a reason people are willing to pay more for name brands when the cheaper version is equally good.  Provide value and build relationships with your potential customers, and they’ll return.
• It’s not work.  It’s a network. Networking is essential.  Having connections will make your life easier in innumerable ways.  No contact is a waste of time.  You never know when it will help to see who you know.
• Engage me, and you can make me convince myself. The key to making a sale isn’t to force your product or service down your customers’ throats.  Instead, if you engage with them genuinely and anticipate their needs, you won’t have to tell them to buy what you’re selling.  Instead, they’ll make that connection on their own.
• Reduce their risk, and you’ll convert selling to buying. Risk prevents people from making a purchase.  If you can reduce the risk, they’re more likely to buy.  Give out free trials, allow returns, and ensure money-back guarantees.  These little things will eliminate your customers’ fears and allow them to clear that final hurdle.
• Antennas up. Opportunity is everywhere.  Pay attention to your surroundings and use everything at your disposal to succeed.  A door won’t stay open forever, and it’s essential to be ready to go when the right moment falls into your lap.

And tip 12.5 from The Little Red Book of Selling: Resign your position as general manager of the universe.  It would be best to let go of things that are not in your control, as in the business world, there are many. 

If these tips from The Little Red Book of Selling were a wake-up call for you, click on my contact form for a complimentary coaching call.  I can help you design and implement a sales system in your business based on the Gitomer sales training method.

Coach Dave