| Preface | ix |
| Acknowledgments | xv |
1. | 21st Century Selling | 1 |
| What Is Sales All About? | 1 |
| The 20 Biggest Errors in Selling | 2 |
| The Seven Universal Rules for Sales Success | 3 |
| The Universal Rules in Detail | 4 |
| Sales as a Profession and Where You Fit In | 13 |
| Checklist for Chapter 1 | 14 |
2. | Professional Selling: The Insider Secrets | 15 |
| Selling's Biggest Success Secret Revealed | 16 |
| The Five Characteristics of Qualified Prospects | 16 |
| It's Not About When You Need to Make a Sale | 20 |
| The Two Most Essential Components of Professional Selling | 20 |
| The Importance of a Consistent Sales Approach | 23 |
| The Six Principles That Can Guide Your Sales Career | 25 |
| Checklist for Chapter 2 | 34 |
3. | Focus, Alignment, and Leverage | 36 |
| It's All About Focus | 37 |
| Clarify Your Focus | 38 |
| Build Your Sales Philosophy | 40 |
| Leverage Your Time, Talent, Resources, and Advantage | 42 |
| Your Personal Sales Talent Audit | 44 |
| Checklist for Chapter 3 | 46 |
4. | The Investigate Step (Part 1)--Positioning | 48 |
| The Power of Personal Positioning | 49 |
| 10 Ways to Better Positioning | 50 |
| Six Ways to Misposition Yourself | 51 |
| How to Position Yourself as an Expert | 53 |
| Dress, Style, and Image | 54 |
| The Role of Self-Image and Positioning Yourself | 56 |
| Checklist for Chapter 4 | 57 |
5. | The Investigate Step (Part 2)--Prospecting | 59 |
| The Differences Between Suspects and Qualified Prospects | 59 |
| The Three Most Essential Prospecting Principles | 61 |
| What Are Your Chances? | 63 |
| Six Ways to Stay Organized | 66 |
| Approaching Your Prospects | 67 |
| Where Do You Find Prospects? | 67 |
| The Telephone | 69 |
| Setting an Appointment | 72 |
| Checklist for Chapter 5 | 74 |
6. | The Investigate Step (Part 3)--Pre-Call Planning | 76 |
| Do Your Research | 76 |
| Developing Internal Support | 79 |
| Your Prospect's Internal Support Team | 80 |
| Confirming Your Appointment | 83 |
| Mentally Prepare | 83 |
| Physically Prepare | 85 |
| Preparation: Positioning, Prospecting, and Pre-Call Planning | 86 |
| Checklist for Chapter 6 | 87 |
7. | The Meet Step: Engaging Your Prospect Face to Face | 89 |
| Engaging Your Customers | 89 |
| It's All About First Impressions | 91 |
| Maximizing Trust | 93 |
| Don't Dominate--Participate | 93 |
| Putting It All Together | 95 |
| Building a Bridge | 98 |
| How to Cross the Bridge | 99 |
| Checklist for Chapter 7 | 100 |
8. | The Probe Step: Asking Questions That Make the Sale | 102 |
| Avoid the Fatal Flaw | 102 |
| It All Starts with Listening | 103 |
| How to Discover What Your Prospect Will Buy | 105 |
| It's All About Solving Challenges | 107 |
| How Do Your Features and Benefits Stack Up? | 108 |
| Needs-Based Questions | 110 |
| Objection-Based Questions | 111 |
| 14 Winning Questions | 113 |
| Prepare Completely Before You Continue | 114 |
| The Most Powerful Word You Can Use | 115 |
| Checklist for Chapter 8 | 116 |
9. | The Apply Step: Making Your Product or Service Solve Problems | 118 |
| Application-Based Selling vs. Demonstration-Based Selling | 118 |
| Four Pointers That Guarantee Sales | 119 |
| How to Apply the Principles Behind Application-Based Selling | 123 |
| Four Proven Ways to Make a Better Presentation | 127 |
| How to Present Your Price and Get It | 129 |
| Price Pitfalls | 130 |
| Some Sample Feedback Questions | 134 |
| Checklist for Chapter 9 | 136 |
10. | The Convince Step: Making Your Prospect Believe | 138 |
| Sales Is a Worthy Profession | 138 |
| What People Believe Enough, They Act Upon | 139 |
| Prove Your Claims | 140 |
| Bring Your Own Witnesses | 143 |
| Justify Your Price | 147 |
| Relieve Your Prospect's Fear of Buying | 148 |
| Checklist for Chapter 10 | 151 |
11. | The Tie-It-Up Step: Concluding and Closing | 153 |
| Tie up the Sale, Not the Customer | 153 |
| Negotiate the Conditions of the Sale | 154 |
| Clear Away Objections | 158 |
| Ask for the Order | 160 |
| Reinforce and Cement the Sale | 163 |
| Checklist for Chapter 11 | 166 |
12. | How to Build and Sustain Sales Momentum | 168 |
| Motivation, Resilience, and Optimism | 168 |
| The 10 Essential Success Truths in Professional Selling | 169 |
| Checklist for Chapter 12 | 176 |
| Index | 179 |