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Shelf Life
October 30, 2006
Nighttime reading for daytime success
By Tali Arbel
 Why Johnny Can't Sell ...
And What to Do About It
By Michael J. Nick and Robert F. Kantin, Kaplan Publishing, $19.95, 224 pp.
"Johnny" is a young sales executive who's had touch-and-go success selling in the past, but now suffers from lackluster performance in his new position. Authors Michael J. Nick and Robert F. Kantin, sales and marketing experts, walk Johnny through his problems, with each chapter serving as a case study of an unsuccessful sales strategy. The authors cover bad habits, misguided beliefs in old sales myths, finding fresh ways to reach leads and get through sales-blocking technologies, how to conduct effective product demonstrations and how to write winning sales proposals. For each issue-based chapter, the authors offer clear, sensible sales insights, step-by-step tools to finding solutions for complex clients and innovative approaches to connect sales training with selling power. The book's common sense tips for emotionally connecting with clients and using technology to chase down leads, and its real-life exercises illuminating the effective use of modern selling tools, may help revive flagging sales.
 Leading at a Higher Level
Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations
By Ken Blanchard, Prentice-Hall, $24.99, 276 pp.
What is Ken Blanchard's prescription for avoiding becoming an oppressive boss? Become a "servant leader." His definition of leadership—the capacity to influence others by unleashing the power and potential of people and organizations for the greater good—says the most effective, visionary leaders are those who operate ethically, compassionately and with respect for their coworkers and clients. Leading at a Higher Level also emphasizes the importance of constant training and learning, as well as having defined goals and positive attitudes within management for running a profitable business with happy employees. His managerial model directs the confused boss to invest in his workforce and create a motivating environment. Readers will learn how to merge an ethical company vision with high performance, endow company-empowering leadership skills based on trust and humbleness throughout their organizations, and create loyal customers through unwavering, respectful service. In today's era of corporate corruption and mismanagement, Blanchard's teachings incorporate inspirational advice and real-world examples to instruct managers how to realize goal-oriented, success-enabling leadership potential.
 Exceptional Selling
How the Best Connect and Win in High-Stakes Sales
By Jeff Thull, Wiley, $24.95, 230 pp.
Many salespeople believe their sales are successes or failures based on emotional connections with customers who are either too involved or too distant. Author Jeff Thull sets out to change conventional thinking. He shows the reader, through real-life conversations that occurred between skilled salespeople and clients, how to communicate effectively. His tips include interacting unemotionally with clients, making sure customers understand the possible negative aspects of your product in order to build trust, and avoiding patronizing your client when describing his or her need for your service. Exceptional Selling's approach extols the value of Diagnostic Selling: professional involvement and emotional detachment, not confrontation and persuasion. Thull advises how to deal with all stages of the sales cycle stages. He breaks down complex business-to-business sales with clear, step-based directions, easy to understand diagrams and charts, and case studies of successes and failures. Exceptional Selling gently prods salespeople toward corrective strategies for errors that often go undiagnosed in the chase for the deal.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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