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Selling to Zebras
Book

Selling to Zebras

How to Close 90% of the Business You Pursue Faster, More Easily, and More Profitably

Chad Koser and Jeff Koser
Greenleaf Book Group, 2008
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Ready to become a deal-closing machine? Jeff Koser and Chad Koser explain how B2B salespeople can use the Zebra selling approach to reach pivotal decision-makers, close more deals and save time – without the need to discount prices. By gathering, analyzing and presenting information based on complex valuation formulas, salespeople can stop wasting energy pursuing prospects who, according to the data, are unlikely to buy. The authors’ recommended level of granular consideration may seem well suited for MBA students learning sales, but their in-depth ideas about data and analysis are decidedly intriguing for salespeople in the trenches.

Summary

Experienced lions don’t waste time pursuing the wrong prey.

If lions aren’t good hunters, they starve. Young lions often spend their energy fruitlessly pursuing animals they can’t catch or easy-to-catch critters that are too small to make sustainable meals. Experienced lions never waste time on too elusive or insubstantial prey, however. Instead, they target zebras.

Zebras are the animals lions have the best opportunity to run down, kill and eat. Moreover, zebras are big enough to provide sufficient meat for a pride. 

Like lions, salespeople must focus on ideal Zebra prospects.

Inept salespeople often waste time trying to sell to lower-level executives in the wrong firms. Junior execs usually lack the jurisdiction to authorize purchases and may not know their company’s needs. Many times, badly targeted firms don’t need the salesperson’s products or services – a fact that salespeople waste time learning.

Smart salespeople don’t waste time on any targets except the most promising prospects: the Zebras of the business world. They pursue only legitimate senior-...

About the Authors

Founder and CEO of Zebrafi Jeff Koser has more than 30 years of experience in sales, operations and marketing. Chad Koser is a sales-cycle expert with more than 14 years of experience with the Zebra sales approach.

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