Rating: 
Summary: Advance Praise for Selling the Wheel
Review: "After SELLING THE WHEEL, even the veterans of sales and management will better understand what they are about. Most people in business can't see the whole product life cycle, because it extends over such a long period of time. Reading this book is like going up in the space shuttle and being able to see the world in its entirety - the sales world, that is. You'll be able to look down and say, 'That's my kind of country; that's where I'm going to succeed.'"- RICHARD FALCONE, VICE-PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, AT&T "SELLING THE WHEEL is one of the best books on sales and marketing that I have ever read. Dozens of business books cross my desk, but this is one of the few that can truly teach the selling process. WHEEL will be required reading at my company." - MICHAEL F. SNYDER, PRESIDENT, ADT SECURITY SERVICES, INC. "This book is wonderful to read, and the wisdom is profound!" - WILLIAM J. LOVEJOY, VICE-PRESIDENT, GENERAL MOTORS "Everyone in business should ask themselves the Oracle's Bedrock Questions. The ending of the book is particularly strong in the way it ties together the diverse types of salespeople and business strategies." - DONALD A. MCMULLEN, JR., VICE-CHAIRMAN, FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK "SELLING THE WHEEL is thoroughly enjoyable. I cannot say enough about how well the book describes the different styles of selling and their respective strengths and weaknesses. This book is for everyone in sales, marketing and senior management positions. It's terrific!" - TOM VANHOOTEGEM, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, BOISE CASCADE OFFICE PRODUCTS "SELLING THE WHEEL demonstrates the critical role of marketing and sales in securing business success and enhancing shareholder value. Perhaps even more importantly, it reinforces the point that as markets evolve, management must affirmatively address their evolution. The authors are perfectly clear: 'that's the way we do things around here' is a prescription for disaster." - PROFESSOR NOEL CAPON, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Rating: 
Summary: Half-hearted update to the Quadrant Solution
Review: All of this is covered in "The Quadrant Solution" by the same authors. TQS was better in that it covered a technology example. Also, it has lot more detail on how to discern the quadrant the product/customer relationship is in (without some of the,IMHO,distracting "ancient-egyptian" spin on things). The best in TQS (also covered here) is a description of the four personality types that are effective in each of the quandrants. Recommend TQS as a second read, if you don't have time skip this just go to the TQS.
Rating:
Summary: Half-hearted update to the Quadrant Solution
Review: All of this is covered in "The Quadrant Solution" by the same authors. TQS was better in that it covered a technology example. Also, it has lot more detail on how to discern the quadrant the product/customer relationship is in (without some of the,IMHO,distracting "ancient-egyptian" spin on things). The best in TQS (also covered here) is a description of the four personality types that are effective in each of the quandrants. Recommend TQS as a second read, if you don't have time skip this just go to the TQS.
Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: Best marketing and sales book I have ever read until now! It's a nice story about selling innovation and market evolution.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting treatment of a boring topic
Review: Business self-help books are rarely lively. And books about sales are usually the most boring of all. And yet, "Selling the wheel" is fascinating. I enjoyed it even though I am not a sales professional, nor a businessman of any kind. What makes the book a quick read is that the practical sales information is couched in the form of a fictional narrative. This story, about the efforts of the ancient inventor of the wheel to sell his invention, is funny and engaging. But all the while, you are learning valuable information about the various types of salesman required to sell products at different stages in a product's technolgoical development: a "closer" for new products; a "wizard" for developed products that require a high-degree of technical expertise to select, install and service; a "builder" for standardized products that are purchased primarily by large, bureaucratic organizations; and a "captain" for products that are so common they have become commodiztized. If only all business self-help books were this interesting and well-conceived!
Rating:
Summary: An interesting treatment of a boring topic
Review: Business self-help books are rarely lively. And books about sales are usually the most boring of all. And yet, "Selling the wheel" is fascinating. I enjoyed it even though I am not a sales professional, nor a businessman of any kind. What makes the book a quick read is that the practical sales information is couched in the form of a fictional narrative. This story, about the efforts of the ancient inventor of the wheel to sell his invention, is funny and engaging. But all the while, you are learning valuable information about the various types of salesman required to sell products at different stages in a product's technolgoical development: a "closer" for new products; a "wizard" for developed products that require a high-degree of technical expertise to select, install and service; a "builder" for standardized products that are purchased primarily by large, bureaucratic organizations; and a "captain" for products that are so common they have become commodiztized. If only all business self-help books were this interesting and well-conceived!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Story
Review: In the beginning, I had no idea what to expect from this audio book. I only casually glanced at the front cover and popped the tapes in the player. When I first heard the beginning of the story, I thought this was really corny! As I continued to listen, I began to become enthralled by the story. Its teachings are "ON TARGET" and funny. I liked it so much that I'm trying to find a hardcopy of the book and the audio-book version. I hope you will find as much enjoyment in this book as I have in hearing it.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Story
Review: In the beginning, I had no idea what to expect from this audio book. I only casually glanced at the front cover and popped the tapes in the player. When I first heard the beginning of the story, I thought this was really corny! As I continued to listen, I began to become enthralled by the story. Its teachings are "ON TARGET" and funny. I liked it so much that I'm trying to find a hardcopy of the book and the audio-book version. I hope you will find as much enjoyment in this book as I have in hearing it.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and entertaining
Review: This book is a companion to "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore and also, surprisingly, "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell and "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham. Having read a ton of books on technology sales, this one is easily the best. The story format works as pure entertainment - you turn each page to discover how it will all turn out - and deep insight borne from many years of research. At times I laughed out loud as I recognized sales people I had worked with in the past. Individual sales people will discover themselves and realize that they are right for different sales situations. The faster they put themselves in companies whose phase matches their style, the more successful and happier they will be. This relates to "First, Break All the Rules" which also suggets that our core talents are more fixed than we realize. As a VP of Sales, technology CEO or venture capitalist, you should read this book. You will be challenged to think about where your company is in its evolution. Then you can figure out if you have the right sales approach, team and culture to be successful. Beware of your own inclination! If you are a "Cassius" and your company is in need of a "Ben" you must be able to step out of your comfort zone and mental models. While "Crossing the Chasm" outlines the different kinds of customers a technology company encounters in its life, STW tells you how you should be during these different stages. As an entrepreneur, this book will guide you. If you are a natural evangelist, find yourself a Max (what Gladwell calls a "maven") who will give you a product worth getting into the world. If you are a Max, find yourself a Cassius as soon as you can! Your journey will be easeir and more fun once you discover and apply the wisdom contained in Selling the Wheel.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and entertaining
Review: This book is a companion to "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore and also, surprisingly, "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell and "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham. Having read a ton of books on technology sales, this one is easily the best. The story format works as pure entertainment - you turn each page to discover how it will all turn out - and deep insight borne from many years of research. At times I laughed out loud as I recognized sales people I had worked with in the past. Individual sales people will discover themselves and realize that they are right for different sales situations. The faster they put themselves in companies whose phase matches their style, the more successful and happier they will be. This relates to "First, Break All the Rules" which also suggets that our core talents are more fixed than we realize. As a VP of Sales, technology CEO or venture capitalist, you should read this book. You will be challenged to think about where your company is in its evolution. Then you can figure out if you have the right sales approach, team and culture to be successful. Beware of your own inclination! If you are a "Cassius" and your company is in need of a "Ben" you must be able to step out of your comfort zone and mental models. While "Crossing the Chasm" outlines the different kinds of customers a technology company encounters in its life, STW tells you how you should be during these different stages. As an entrepreneur, this book will guide you. If you are a natural evangelist, find yourself a Max (what Gladwell calls a "maven") who will give you a product worth getting into the world. If you are a Max, find yourself a Cassius as soon as you can! Your journey will be easeir and more fun once you discover and apply the wisdom contained in Selling the Wheel.
| 
