Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador
Sales Talk
Book

Sales Talk

How to Power Up Sales through Verbal Mastery

Len Serafino
Adams Media, 2003
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Most books about sales are written by people who have not sold anything in the past decade except their sales courses and their sales books. Few sales book authors have recent experience selling something concrete to the real world. This manual, on the other hand, is written like a speech by a man who got his sales talk training on the job and refined it at Toastmasters. He asks if he can tell us what he wants to tell us before he tells us. He tries several communications techniques, including a few duds that work as speeches given over rubber chicken dinners but bog down in print. Still, the voice of an everyman talking plain about sales language, sales skills and sales foibles is valuable. For its simplicity and useful anecdotes, getAbstract.com recommends this book to beginning salespeople, veterans with declining numbers, corporate communicators and entry level PR types.

Summary

A Failure to Communicate

It has taken you two weeks to secure a sales appointment with the managing partner at a company where you feel confident you can sign a six-figure contract. Throughout the process you have kept your boss, the national accounts manager, apprised. She decides to come along. You have worked in the industry 10 years, selling products to these kinds of accounts daily for five years. You know the hot buttons and you definitely know how to make a presentation to this high potential client, including features and benefits. You have done your warm up, practiced the presentation and prepared for the person you must persuade.

Although the boss has a general idea of the marketplace, she has no specific knowledge of this customer. She launches a non-specific discussion about industry problems that misses the point and dilutes your credibility. She demonstrates a severe lack of knowledge about the client’s company and its needs. The client’s body language shows she is insulted by your team’s lack of preparation and too busy to listen to more from someone who cannot improve her bottom line or save her time. While you are still in her office, she turns up ...

About the Author

Len Serafino is a successful salesmen and sales trainer who spent 10 years selling medical supplies to doctors, hospitals and HMO’s. He was also a buyer of health care services. His articles have appeared in Toastmaster Magazine and HomeCare Magazine.

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