Selling Change: 101+ Secrets for Growing Sales by Leading Change

by Brett Clay

THE HANDBOOK OF CHANGE LEADERSHIP

Change happens fast in today's global, Internet-driven economy. Learn how to get ahead of these changes—and your competitors—by creating irresistible value for your customers and stakeholders.

In an era of globalization and internet commoditization, salespeople (and the companies they work for) are in danger of becoming irrelevant. In this Darwinian environment, the traditional approach of selling solutions to problems no longer creates profitable differentiation. To survive, salespeople and business leaders must become agents of change and help customers or stakeholders achieve their goals rather than simply solve their problems. This new, change-centric approach is the next evolution in selling, enabling companies to develop deeper, more profitable customer relationships and to be more agile and adaptive to changing conditions.

With twenty years of experience, most recently with Microsoft Corporation, Brett Clay has developed a complete tool-set for change-centric salespeople and executives, including 101 secrets for growing sales and delivering high value to customers.

Readers will understand the five disciplines of change leadership and the secrets of change psychology that will turn them into vital assets for their customers and help them achieve explosive business growth.

Selling Change will help Successfully lead projects and change initiatives
Increase your revenue and income
Lock out your competitors
Maintain higher profit margins
Improve the competitiveness of your sales force
Become a strategic resource for your customers
Have buyers calling you instead of you calling buyers
Develop strong, long-term relationships with your customers
Bust the myth that sales people and leaders have to be pushy to be successful
Achieve your financial and personal goals

Genres: Business

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[MrsEnginerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selling Change is one of those books that will stick with you as you gain leadership and change management experience. Used as part of the Negotiations class at UW Bothell's MBA program, Professor Clay uses his vivid storytelling talents to paint a cohesive picture about the real strengths and value of forward thinking sales strategies: You have to help the customer achieve their goals through and with your products since their success will drive yours. He stresses the fact that low margin sales efforts should be conducted over the internet, on websites, opening up your salesforce to seek higher paying, greater investment firms to partner with as a company or service provider. I liked how he organized the principles into actionable secrets that are independently explained and can be referenced quickly and clearly when needed. You don't need to reread a chapter to get the idea behind a concept or derive next steps!

If you are not well versed in change, unconscious biases nor other psychological concepts that may help you understand marketing principles, read a bit on those subjects before starting to dive into this book. You may not get the new age way of approaching customer retention and advertising without more exposure into the subject. The method described in the book works, and I've seen it in action at major corporations and small businesses alike.

Excellent read for those who would like to be prepared when entering customer meetings or even making huge purchases. Persuasion is more powerful when both parties align and plan for the win-win.