Sales Improvement for Business 2

The second method for learning how to sell involves reading about it. One of the things I advise my clients to do is spend one hour a day reading about selling.

I assure them that if they do this, they will (over the course of a year) not only have read 12 books, but they will be far more knowledgeable in sales than the people they are competing against.

Since reading requires time in an already busy schedule, be sure and bring your book with you as you travel. You can also read during breakfast and lunch, while riding in a bus or cab, and when waiting for an appointment.

As for books to read, I would recommend just about any book that pertains to sales. Even if it is just one idea that you gain and into practice, I can assure you the time and effort will have been well worth it.

To get you started, allow me to recommend just a few: “Swim with the Sharks” by Harvey Mackay; “Selling for Dummies” by Tom Hopkins; “Selling to VITO” by Anthony Parinello; and “Changing the Game” by Larry Wilson. All of these books and many more are available on web sites such as www.amazon.com, www.betterworld.com and so forth.

The third way to learn involves listening to CDs and audiotapes when you drive, run, or walk.

Did you know that each year, a person’s average time spend driving is the equivalent of a full semester of college? Imagine what kind of impact you would have on your sales efforts by attending a semester of college each year. Do you think that your competition is gaining that kind of knowledge?

As for audiocassettes, I began by listening to Brian Tracy’s “The Psychology of Selling” years ago. I still enjoy listening to it and, any tape by Brian Tracy would be beneficial.

I have also found tapes by Napoleon Hill, Rick Petino, and John Wooden to be both motivational and educational.

Tapes on time management, customer service and business management would also be good topics to listen to before a sales call or major presentation.