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Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer

Improve Sales Effectiveness by Helping Customers Buy

Jerry Acuff and Wally Wood

Wiley, 2007

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Many authors have written sales books from the seller’s point of view. Relatively few take the buyer’s perspective. Salesman turned consultant Jerry Acuff (writing here with Wally Wood) provides a refreshing look at sales through the eyes of the buyer. Most salespeople never achieve their goals because they forget to sell in a way that makes people want to buy. Trying to buy from a salesperson with this attitude is almost always a negative experience. Working with the right intent, a demonstrated sales process, proper preparation and a zeal for relationship building, salespeople of all kinds can achieve their goals. Acuff’s perspective dusts off some insights you know intuitively and points to many others you may not know. getAbstract recommends this book to salespeople, sales managers, procurement officers, and anyone who wants to sell more goods, services, products or ideas.

Summary

“People Hate to Be Sold But They Love to Buy”

When people buy something they never say, “Look what I was sold!” They say, “Look at what I just bought!” Why? Because no one likes being sold to, but everyone loves to buy. Yet salespeople stick closely to their roles and rarely, if ever, put themselves in the shoes of their customers. Salespeople try to up-sell, bait and switch, or otherwise work in ways that push their agendas at the expense of potential purchasers. Most salespeople traditionally focus on how to sell and look at the “sales side” of the equation. However, focusing on how customers buy, and how you can teach them about your products and services – rather than how you can aggressively sell to them – is more effective. Follow these “five rules to buying”:

You will be a better salesperson if you put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.
How well you do is directly proportional to how much you pique your client’s desire for your product or service.
This means that your success may hinge on the questions you pose to get your prospect to think about your offering.
“High-pressure environments” hinder...

About the Authors

Jerry Acuff is the principal and founder of a sales consultancy. He has been featured in Sales and Marketing Management Magazine and Investors Business Daily. Wally Wood is a professional writer and has previously edited two business magazines.

Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer

Improve Sales Effectiveness by Helping Customers Buy

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“People Hate to Be Sold But They Love to Buy”

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