Selling to the Top: David Peoples' Executive Selling Skills

Rating:
Summary: Useful for 1970. For 2003...?
Review: "Selling to the Top" is a well-organized presentation of the communication elements needed to stimulate organizational action from the top down. Motivating someone else to act is, after all, a matter of "selling." In turn, selling is a person-to-person dynamic. This emphasis on people is a welcome respite from the flow-chart, statistic-driven style of communication that is usually expected today.

The strategy presented in this book is predicated on empathy for the other person. "Find of what they need, then give it to them" is a singularly pivotal quote from the text. Such empathy is attained only through a great deal of preparation, and "preparation" is a major subtext of this book. In reading this book, most elements may seem familiar (if not obvious). The real value is in the way the book organizes these elements systematically to make a whole, coherent communication strategy. This is a blueprint for helping the reader to more successfully identify, engage, and sustain business relationships.

However, there are limitations. Mr. Peoples (born 1930) is of the quiet generation, and the interpersonal style that he recommends is in lock-step with the 1950s and 60s. The same is true of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." The chummy approach presented here still fits with mainstream middle-America, especially where suburban, country-club culture is resplendent. However, demographic evolution will increasingly challenge this style template. Emerging ethnic and cultural frameworks impose new verbal and visual cues. "Selling to the Top" will still be of some use in navigating new demographics in the business world, but someone needs to write a follow-up to this dated style guide.

Rating:
Summary: A must Have!!
Review: As with any book on Sales, I read this book with scepticism. I was quickly proven wrong of my assumptions. The ideas really worked!! I have recommended this book to many colleagues. A minor investment in this book has paid substantial dividends to my personal bottom-line. Get it. Read it. Read it again.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a waste of time, written by an idiot
Review: If you believe that canned enthusiasm, sucking up to clients, and other such techniques, this book is for you. The author obviously has limited business experience selling anything other than perhaps wind up clocks. I believe that this book would make an excellent "what not to do guide." Buyers today aren't idiots. They see right through those low-end techniques and will not part with their dollars because they think you are a nice guy (which I doubt they would think if you were using these transparent techniques)

Rating:
Summary: Must-Read Book for professional sales people
Review: This book is very informative. I have over 20 years of sales experience and seldom read How-To Sell books because I don't believe in theory and advices that much, preferring to do it the hard way (by the seat of the pants, intuition and personal experience and mistakes). When I read this book, I could not but agree more with David Peoples' observations and recommended systematic approach to attacking an account/opportunity. I have unconsciously (or naturally) done most of what Peoples has recommended in his book (obviously NOT as thoroughly as prescribed, we must not forget that it is always easier to say or write about than done). If nothing else, this book forces you to be more rigorous and strategic in your approach to selling and if the type of opportunity that you are pursuing justifies the efforts then its prescribed approach is certainly a very useful and effective one.
The [person] who gave this book a bad review certainly has never sold anything of substantial value in his life. This approach obviously only makes sense for selling big ticket items, Peoples has sold IBM hardware and services and not TV sets.

Rating:
Summary: Sell High - Make Money
Review: This book will change your life as a Salesperson. Customers WANT you to use this methodology. Don't waste their time. DO discuss their problems and how you can solve them. These are not gimmicks, the concepts here are real. Bottom Line: Take it from a rep that went from $100K per year in commissions to over $1M a year using these techniques.