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Ultimate Sales Machine
by
Chet Holmes
Chet Holmes has been called “one of the top 20 change experts in the country.” He helps his clients blow away both the competition and their own expectations. And his advice starts with one simple concept: focus! Instead of trying to master four thousand strategies to improve your business, zero in on the few essential skill areas that make the big difference.
Too many ma ...more
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(showing 1-30)
Some useful ideas for those of us who aren't in sales. My biggest takeaways:
*dedicate 1 hour per week on areas that need improvement that otherwise wouldn't get attention
*When pitching, always put things in terms of the customer's benefit/point if view, not you or your product's advantages
*Don't waffle when trying to make a sale. A great example was a real estate agent who told a couple about to buy their first house something like "Now buying a house is a big decision and shouldn't be rushed in ...more
*dedicate 1 hour per week on areas that need improvement that otherwise wouldn't get attention
*When pitching, always put things in terms of the customer's benefit/point if view, not you or your product's advantages
*Don't waffle when trying to make a sale. A great example was a real estate agent who told a couple about to buy their first house something like "Now buying a house is a big decision and shouldn't be rushed in ...more
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Best business book ive read in a long time. This is the type of book that gets you thinking, pumped, and read to take action all at once. No one has the ability Chet Holmes has to make this information be relevant and also help guide you to take action.
This is a book I will re-read as many times until it becomes second nature. The tips, the exercise, and the stories that are intertwined throughout the reading make this a great experience and tool for anyone creating a business, works in sales, ...more
This is a book I will re-read as many times until it becomes second nature. The tips, the exercise, and the stories that are intertwined throughout the reading make this a great experience and tool for anyone creating a business, works in sales, ...more
This book provides a decent overview of sales, with a lot of examples from a successful salesperson. As a forewarning, a large part of my brain is probably devoted to ignoring advertisements and spam, so I have a lot of negative opinions about many sales techniques.
Review of Sales Techniques
Numerous methods and types of sales are discussed, with strategies explained. I have no doubt most businesses would find one or more strategies they haven't thought of. Personally, I reject about half of the ...more
Review of Sales Techniques
Numerous methods and types of sales are discussed, with strategies explained. I have no doubt most businesses would find one or more strategies they haven't thought of. Personally, I reject about half of the ...more
I promise that this will be the first and last sales book I add to my list. The books author, Chet Holmes, claims to be "Americas greatest sales and marketing executive". That may or may not be the case. Regardless, he does not lack hubris. Just ask him who's the best. Anyway, Chet has developed "12 skill areas" that will help anyone sell stuff better than they ever have before! For our reading convienience he's broken down the 12 skill areas into 12 chapters! You will only need to read these 12
...more
Feb 23, 2013
Bart Van Loon
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
at-the-office,
non-fiction
Okay, it's another American book on business and this one is perhaps even more `American' than all the others. Everything is repeated, data is served in very small chunks, the author is shamelessly self-promoting on every single page, etc...
BUT
I do believe the content of this book and the learning you get from it are extremely useful to increase your company sales productivity. I also liked the link the author makes between business and life. Success in either one basically requires a very simil ...more
BUT
I do believe the content of this book and the learning you get from it are extremely useful to increase your company sales productivity. I also liked the link the author makes between business and life. Success in either one basically requires a very simil ...more
Mar 11, 2017
Chad Warner
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
salespeople, marketers, entrepreneurs, business owners
A world-class marketer and salesman reveals the strategies and tactics behind his success. The material is explained well, with plenty of examples. I found some of the approaches a bit slimy. He says don't lie, but don't tell the whole truth. He advocates leading prospects on, which I find disingenuous. For example, he says you should tell prospects, "We're in touch with your competitors" to imply that you're working with them, when you're really just marketing to them. I don't deny his success
...more
An excellent step by step guide to help grow any business. A great guide to be reviewed and studied again and again.
Anecdotes of Holmes' time with Charlie Munger are peppered throughout and are generally entertaining and informative, unfortunately they also become repetitive and somewhat trite. Holmes was obviously a master salesman and an excellent trainer however much of the books' advice is either overly broad (being doggedly persistent helps close deals) or too specific (providing exact phraseology).
Overall I found it an interesting read but my general sense as a non-salesman is that any number of more r ...more
Overall I found it an interesting read but my general sense as a non-salesman is that any number of more r ...more
Feb 12, 2013
Robert
added it
Great for a sales person if the only thing you care about is numbers. Call 1,000 leads and get 1 sale. Sounds logical then to pump out as many calls as possible or, in his case, have someone else do it. His dedication to system based approach would be more digestible if the purpose instead was to increase or maintain quality and let the numbers come in higher as a by-product.
Dec 20, 2016
Camilo Rodriguez
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
Loved Every single chapter! Specially the Stadium
Presentarion concept!
Presentarion concept!
Learned nothing
Re-read this book every 30 days for a year, maybe two years, and if you are not at the top of the game then it is time to find a new game.
"Touch it once"
One of the many great things I learned from this book is the "touch it once" system. Many of us have that one thing you avoid doing. On your desk you may have a project your boss told you to do but you have been avoiding it so you move it from the top of the pile to the bottom of the pile. By the time you know it you have touched it a dozen times without actually doing the task. We may have laundry at home you walk by it and say I will do it this week. Or dishes that pile up. For ...more
One of the many great things I learned from this book is the "touch it once" system. Many of us have that one thing you avoid doing. On your desk you may have a project your boss told you to do but you have been avoiding it so you move it from the top of the pile to the bottom of the pile. By the time you know it you have touched it a dozen times without actually doing the task. We may have laundry at home you walk by it and say I will do it this week. Or dishes that pile up. For ...more
Some useful ideas for those of us who aren't in sales. My biggest takeaways:
*dedicate 1 hour per week on areas that need improvement that otherwise wouldn't get attention
*When pitching, always put things in terms of the customer's benefit/point if view, not you or your product's advantages
*Don't waffle when trying to make a sale. A great example was a real estate agent who told a couple about to buy their first house something like "Now buying a house is a big decision and shouldn't be rushed in ...more
*dedicate 1 hour per week on areas that need improvement that otherwise wouldn't get attention
*When pitching, always put things in terms of the customer's benefit/point if view, not you or your product's advantages
*Don't waffle when trying to make a sale. A great example was a real estate agent who told a couple about to buy their first house something like "Now buying a house is a big decision and shouldn't be rushed in ...more
Probably the best business book I've read.
Unbelievable how many useful tips there are (and higher-order strategies!).
I've immediately implemented loads from the book and know will be going back to my notes very often.
Highly recommended!
Unbelievable how many useful tips there are (and higher-order strategies!).
I've immediately implemented loads from the book and know will be going back to my notes very often.
Highly recommended!
Excellent practical advice that suits anyone. My field is not in sales, but we all need to know what Chet tells us in Ultimate Sales Machine.
This book is fabulous! It has so many awesome things you can apply immediately into any business. RIP Chet. Thanks for the awesome book!
Considered a classic in the sales world, it certainly lives up to the hype. If you've had any sales training in the past decade you'll notice much of it comes from this book. Lots of detail.
My only slight is that it is a bit dated and could use some modernizing. Would be fantastic if the author's daughter (who has since taken over the hugely successful company and multiplied it unbelievably) would write a follow up new edition!
My only slight is that it is a bit dated and could use some modernizing. Would be fantastic if the author's daughter (who has since taken over the hugely successful company and multiplied it unbelievably) would write a follow up new edition!
I am working on audio podcast of my review of this book.Go Get AND Read it. Soul of the book is in chapter 12. Fake it till you make it. Right before you go to bet and right when you wake up, you are at your most receptive.You must state things as if they are already in existence.
Great book - even if sales is NOT your role. A lot of great thinking about strategy, goals, and simple daily actions that lead to big successes.
The author is a very talented salesman who give a lot of very practical advice on selling in marketing. In my industry, every aspect of my marketing is regulated so many of the techniques he uses can't be used in the financial services industry. However, the concept of selling by educating works well in what I do.
I thought one of the best parts of the book involved how to manage your staff and not allowing "got a minute" meeting. The author points out that if you manage a large staff and a lot o ...more
I thought one of the best parts of the book involved how to manage your staff and not allowing "got a minute" meeting. The author points out that if you manage a large staff and a lot o ...more
In Ultimate Sales Machine, Chet Holmes, karate master and sales guru lays down business advices to grow your business. Although the title is "Ultimate Sales Machine", the author touches on more than sales - he also talks about time management, executing effective meetings and also corporate training.
The book is written in a sort of conversational, light-breezy feel that seems like the author is talking to you. Some may like it, some may not. I am OK with it and would have preferred it to be more ...more
The book is written in a sort of conversational, light-breezy feel that seems like the author is talking to you. Some may like it, some may not. I am OK with it and would have preferred it to be more ...more
Lots of interesting and common sense advice here for businesses looking to build, as the title says, the Ultimate Sales machine. Much of the material here supports similarly enlightened methodology I have learned in the past from Sandler Sales Institute and others, but there are new ideas here and different ideas from those I have worked with in the past so it made for good reading and useful advice.
One of his key points is the necessity for a big ego to be successful in ensuring you stay the co ...more
One of his key points is the necessity for a big ego to be successful in ensuring you stay the co ...more
Great book for sales organizations and larger companies - not so practical or relevant for entrepreneurs and one man bands.
I picked up some great nuggets from the book, like creating an educational "training" session for potential clients.
However the majority of the book is about the policies and procedures that you must put in place to turn your sales organization into a well oiled closing machine.
I picked up some great nuggets from the book, like creating an educational "training" session for potential clients.
However the majority of the book is about the policies and procedures that you must put in place to turn your sales organization into a well oiled closing machine.
I have read many books about sales and business over my life and I wasn't ever able to find one the really explained things in a clear format with sufficient case studies and examples - until now. This is by far the best book I have read on how to structure your time, business, and sales efforts so that they all truly work in concert to become a Sales Machine. Chet's approach seems, at first, to be very arrogant & pompous but you soon realize that his approach comes from the level of confide
...more
This book is a deep diving into building a sales department in your company. It's full of practical advice and interesting stories. And it will work. But it is old school (faxes are advised at one point in the follow up because they stand out from email clutter) and hard nosed (he only hires arrogant salespeople). Some of it I totally agree with, especially his assertion that the key to success is pig-headed determination and hard work. But I think because he's been successful he feels justified
...more
I never read business books for pleasure but I had to read this for work and so also had to suspend my certainty and open my mind (in other words, check my ego at the door). There's actually a lot of good stuff in here if you can get past the ego. Nothing really earth-shattering/mind altering but good solid sales and basic marketing stuff that unfortunately gets read, trained and then put on the back shelf. Remember it's always about the implementation. So whether you're just starting out or nee
...more
The book is really geared toward a growing your business through what Holmes calls "educational marketing," and as an insurance salesman, there wasn't a ton of application for me. But the first three chapters (on time management, training and procedures, and having effective meetings) have my ink all over them. I would recommend the first three chapters for anyone that would like to improve the efficiency of their own work or the organization they're a part of.
This is probably the worst title ev ...more
This is probably the worst title ev ...more
A good set of takeaways for Sales Professional at all levels. Definitely for young professional who are looking to make a mark in Sales. Refresher and guide to experienced sales hand. Chet Holmes provides various examples to make the learning easier. As a successful sales professional, his direction is meaningful. The only concern is that the focus is fully on quantity and not quality - but then the objective of the book was to quantify the art of selling. Highly recommended for all in sales or
...more
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“Use market data, not product data. Set the buying criteria in your favor. Find the “smoking gun,” the one thing that undeniably positions you over every one else. Make sure you hit their pain points. Include your own pitch for your product or ser vice only after you have covered the education thoroughly.”
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“The one who gives the market the most and best information will always slaughter the one who just wants to sell products or services.”
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