I recently finished reading To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink. It offers a refreshing look into the wonderful world of sales. The book explains how selling is fundamentally a part of our every day life.
When we set out on a task to change someone’s mind about something, it in itself is a form of selling. It might not be directly selling in the tradition sense as we are exposed to but it’s selling nonetheless. Sales, to put it in a nutshell, is really an exchange. You offer something in exchange for something that they have. And its not always financial; it could be ideas, products, services or any other number of things. Here is a short piece Daniel has on his website about his book:
“Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.”
There are many sales books out there that talk about the ABC’s (Always Be Closing). Daniel challenges this by saying the playing field has dramatically changed. Consumers are armed with all kinds of information now that they did not have before. More often than not a purchasing decision has already been made before they even walk into a store or make a phone call. The game has changed and we as sales people need to evolve or risk failing.
If you are looking for a book on sales that isn’t your general “rara this is how to rock” then I would highly recommend this book. It should be a staple for any sales person at any level of their career.
Click on this link to be directed to Daniel’s site, right at the bottom there is a list of different websites that you can buy the book from.
Let me know what you think about the book!