KAPLAN Beyond Selling Value

300 pages on do your research and present to the c-suite, which is already intuitive to anyone who has given the sales profession even an hour of thinking, let alone to anyone in Sales already... Amazing how the authors can write an entire book about nothing. I was looking for looking for some insight about what selling "value" actually is, but there is no insight beyond the title.

This has been a great read and provides superb advice for any sales person who wishes to be successful. Clearly one can go overboard with it but applying a little common sense gives the perfect framework to succeed where other have not.

Just because your company says "We provide value," that doesn't mean that you deliver it! You have to define it and prove it in the Customer's terms.I read this book in a weekend and took copious notes. On Tuesday, I was flying to meet with a new client. I used the book to prepare for my call.The customer was blown away.He actually laughed and said "I have never met a sales guy like you." When I asked what he meant, he said that he expected a salesman to show up with a handful of brochures and push the latest and greatest products.I spent the entire time understanding the challenges facing him, his management, and the company. I walked away establishing my credibility, developing a solid relationship, and I had a very clear understanding of their needs and what they VALUE.I keep the Beyond Selling Value notes in my Daytimer and refer to them for almost every sales call.This essential for anyone who sells value (or thinks that they do!).

Having worked for IMPAX for over six years, I've had a chance to learn and work around numerous sales training methodologies before and since.Mark Shonka and Dan Kosch present a detailed step-by-step how to approach for understanding the customer's point of view, getting credit for what you know about them, and leveraging that knowledge to communicate your value in the customer's terms. Many other so-called "sales processes" from sales training companies fall short for several reasons, and this book fills many of those gaps:1) Many so-called "sales processes" simply present ways of analyzing customer situations (such as Miller Heiman's 'Blue Sheet'). They do not show HOW to accomplish your objectives in an account situation as Kosch and Shonka do.2) Other "sales processes" (such as Solution Selling or SPIN Selling) get tangled up in complex questioning processes that can be difficult to master in the field. I'm not saying there is no value in them (some of these offer techniques for prospecting or demonstrating that IMPAX does not address). What I'm saying is their complexity makes them somewhat unwieldy to implement by many salespeople so they can be less than totally effective.3) Finally, many other sales processes from training companies make a dubious assumption: that everything the salesperson does should be calculated to close the deal. I hate it when salespeople do that to me, and you probably do too.Some environments are more opportunity focused than relationship focused, but certainly building relationships is a critical component of any selling environment. IMPAX provides step-by-step approaches for doing that, so that when qualified opportunities arise you can leverage the relationships you have built. It provides the context in which you can be recognized for the value you truly offer, and close deals based on a wider context and on future value potential, rather than (inadvertently) forcing salespeople into "peddler mode," constantly conniving to close (perhaps when prospects are not yet ready).4) One of the most valuable things about the IMPAX Process is that while speaking the language of practical tactics salespeople love, Shonka and Kosch are really teaching salespeople a powerful strategy that can be scaled from telesales to Global Account Management to talking to your five year old.IMPAX may not be the only thing you'll need to make your sales organization more successful, because selling skills are just one of many factors at play. However, as far as selling skills go, especially for complex B2B environments, IMPAX has a lot to offer.Michael Webb

Most companies are under incredible pressure to join the herd, and "your product is a commodity" is a mantra on the lips of many of our customers. Beyond Selling Value delivers the tools and processes that your company needs to set it apart from the crowd. Chock-full of stories that illustrate each key concept, this book lays out a step-by-step roadmap that will help you win customers for all the right reasons.Unlike many similar books, Beyond Selling Value has a nice balance of material - conceptual explanations, stories, and clearly-written how-to instructions. You will find this book both readable and useful, if you are in sales (or run a business, as I do).This is just a super book - as I read it, I found myself saying "I can't wait to do this!" Not only are the concepts and processes laid out elegantly, but the highly relevant stories do a great job of supporting the key points. I will definitely be sending copies of this book to my clients!As sales has gotten more and more competitive in my industry, I have found it incredibly useful to use Dan and Mark's process to sell my company's services. Simply put, there is amazing correlation between sales people using these processes and their success in the marketplace. This book has definitely helped put more money on the bottom line for my company!