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Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

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Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#51

Post by mindcrime »

revorad wrote: post #21

Read and listen to everything Steli Efti says - https://twitter.com/steli His book - http://www.startupsalesguide.com/ “The Predictable Revenue Guide To Tripling Your Sales” by Aaron Ross and Jason M. Lemkin - http://www.saastr.com/the-predictable-revenue-guide-to-tripl...

+1 on Predictable Revenue. My only concern is that so much of the focus there seems to be on his one "cold emailing 2.0" technique, which is already starting to become more common, and will probably eventually lose its effectiveness due to over-exposure.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#52

Post by mindcrime »

curiousjorge wrote: post #27

I've read SPIN selling and now reading Challenger Sales. SPIN is much easier to read, know and understand while I found Challenger Sales a lot difficult to follow and put into practice. Challenger Sale's major premise is the assumption that SPIN selling doesn't work anymore for some reason because of the 2008 recession. I'm not sure how true this assumption is but I'll leave this up for the real sales people. I'm int…

I can't say that I've actually applied a lot of what's in The Challenger Sale yet, but I really liked the book, and it just feels right on some intuitive level. I'm intrigued enough that it's something I'm making a pointed effort to integrate into my approach.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#55

Post by PaulHoule »

thinkdevcode wrote: post #12

The one piece of advice I was given years ago: There is no such thing as "sales", and you aren't a "salesman". You provide a solution to a problem. Listen, understand, and then offer a solution. I forgot who told me that but it's fantastic advice. As far as understanding people, the de facto book to read is "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. I'd highly recommend that.

I think advocating Dale Carnegie is a sign that "the lights are on but nobody is home".

There is a lot of stuff in Carnegie that makes sense, but I have seen people advocate Dale Carnegie and get "upvoted" (or the equivalent) but I think the people who would benefit from Dale Carnegie aren't in a position to really benefit from it.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#57

Post by dragon88 »

Books

http://www.amazon.ca/To-Sell-Is-Human-Surprising/dp/15946319...

Best insight: The biggest misconception is that extraverts are better salesmen cause they're slick talkers. Actually, it's the exact opposite. It's better to let your prospect to most the talking while you listen. Ask them open-ended questions. The more you learn about your prospect, the more effectively you can explain your product solves their specific problems.

Articles

http://nlp-mentor.com/nlp-techniques/

Neurolinguistic programming techniques - can be manipulative if used the wrong way but in sales, they really help you gain an advantage or maintain control. Includes how to build rapport quickly, how to maintain your frame regardless of how the other person acts, etc.

http://www.artofemails.com/sales-follow-up

Money is the follow-up - creative ways to keep the convo alive without annoying your prospects

Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#58

Post by nivals »

Big fan of the http://www.salescoach.com/ methodology. I’ve done their in-person trainings and online materials.

After reading lots of sales books this is the technique that works best for me. Companies should do themselves a favor and pay for their teams to level up with better sales skills.

Re: Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?

#60

Post by curiousjorge »

rdl wrote: post #43
curiousjorge wrote: post #27

I've read SPIN selling and now reading Challenger Sales. SPIN is much easier to read, know and understand while I found Challenger Sales a lot difficult to follow and put into practice. Challenger Sale's major premise is the assumption that SPIN selling doesn't work anymore for some reason because of the 2008 recession. I'm not sure how true this assumption is but I'll leave this up for the real sales people. I'm int…

SPIN is still great. I've heard about Challenger Sales, I'll read it and should have an opinion in a few weeks.

would love ot hear what you think drop me a line at my email if yo ufinish it.
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