Sell Or Be Sold: How To Get Your Way In Business And In Life By Grant Cardone, Book Review
One of the Top Selling Books on Sales by Grant Cardone
This was first published on my website as book four review of my top ten books
The book covers twenty two chapters from “selling is a way of life” to quick tips to conquer the biggest challenges in selling.
At the end of each chapter, there are small exercises, which are a series of questions, to see if you have comprehended the key points of each chapter. However there is no answer to the questions section, you have to figure that out and think for yourself.
Grant covers the subject matter of we are all in... sales, children sell their parents on ideas, so do boyfriends, girlfriends, husband and wife’s, we all in sales at some point in time, we are rewarded with some form of commission, so don’t be afraid of working for commission, it is the ultimate test of your abilities to survive and prosper.
The point of chapter one; is that selling is critical for survival, not just for business sales but to get your way in life, and don’t be put off by people who have never done such enterprises themselves or are giving you false information or bad data to stop you doing something they would never do or have never done.
In chapters two, three, and four; Grant suggest that all businesses need sales people, sales people make the world go around, no sales not business. Most sales people are average or poor; they have not got to professional status, when you truly have master the sales business you can predict outcomes, the amateur just hopes for the best.
True professionals are one hundred percent all in, committed, have the desire and are willing to learn, all they need to know about the art of selling. True professional status is when they have intelligence, the ability to predict through observation, able think on their feet, and respond appropriately and ultimately to have whatever it takes: to be one of the greats.
In chapters five, six and seven: Grant says the first person you have got to sell is yourself in the product, idea or service you are selling, you have to be sold, convinced and committed of the product otherwise it will show in your sales.
In the chapter called the price myth; here Grant suggests that it is not the price per say of the product, service or idea but it is other underlying objections, that stop the sale. Find and solve these underlying objections and you will get your sale.
As a sales person you have still got to have a positive outlook, and move the client up in price, if needs be, to find what the problem is and sell the solution. There is no shortage of money on this planet, once you have sold them on one item, the second sale is easier still, either through add on's or more of the same product, either way, further sales can be generated in the present or near future.
In chapter eight, nine and ten, Grant suggests sales people are not in the product business, they are in the people business first and foremost and that people are senior to products. Good communication is important to sales, listening to the customer, that the most important person to the customer themselves.
Always agree with the customer ( not that they may be right, even if they are wrong, agree with their sentiment) you are right , I agree; then persuade them in the sale with an amicable solution, without arguing or offending them, if you don’t there will be no sale. Trust and credibility are vital, to any sale, Grant give an eleven point check list on trust and describes how people trust third party data above what people just say to sell an product , service or idea to help close the sale.
In chapter eleven, twelve and thirteen, Grant says, the magic of give, give, give: the most energy, best attitude highest level of service, give all you have got to the prospect and always give one hundred percent to the customer, remember selling is helping people not another commission and service is senior to selling.
There are also times when you need to use the “Hard Sell”, this is not pressure, you are helping the customer make the right choice, and the "hard closing" part of the "hard sell" is vital, do it sitting down never standing up, because closing is a like a recipe, it has to done in the right way through constant practice and repetition to get it to an art.
Grant states that you need as a sales person to take massive action (like the 10x Rule book says, people under estimate the amount of action needed to be successful at what they do) in terms of effort, and Grant states the four types of action from non to massive, and you should use ten times the amount of action, you would have thought you needed as per the 10x Rule book.
In Chapters thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, Grant suggests using your power base, family and friends, look if you are a car sale person and your family and friends buy their car somewhere else then shame on you. You should use your power base then re-sell to your previous customers as they are part of that power base too. Everyone on this planet has the same time, don’t procrastinate, and make the best use of it, to sell at every opportunity. Take lunch for instance, you should be were your customers are, not where your colleges eat out, they are not buying your products, service or ideas.
In chapters sixteen, seventeen and eighteen, Grant says a great attitude is worth more than a great product, people want to be treat special like millionaires, they want the best and you should treat they as if they were, having a positive attitude at all times. Grant gives seven tips on having a great attitude.
Your ability to persuade other will carry you throughout all of your life especially when attracting a partner as it did with Grant and his wife Elena. Grant goes on to give what he considers to be the perfect sales process, with tips and five action points on how to sale from his perspective.
In chapter nineteen, twenty and twenty one, Grant says for success in selling, is to treat success as your duty, obligation and responsibility, not as a choice or as a job. Grant asks four questions to yourself and if you answer no then there is not much hope for you in sales. Grant says you should be honest with yourself and never justify failure and Grant gives five reasons for consistence sales.
Grant also talks about sales-training tips; practice, drill and rehearse with a six point list of criteria to adhere to and his training regimen for you. Grant stats that you must create a social media presence online or off, no excuses about time or any other reasons, use social media don’t let it use you. Grant gives a six point action list on how to handle negative social media. Grant also gives a professional sales persons list of commitments and a ten commandments of sales list.
In chapter the final chapter in the book, Grant gives some quick tips on conquering selling from a survey on selling, ranging from: how to handle rejection; don’t be sold on someone else agenda, negative surroundings; don’t tolerate negativity and be positive, discipline; show the right action every day, through to the economy, the competition; dominate with your product and show attention with use of the follow up. Product knowledge; keep up to date and credible and the follow up; stay connected and persist all the time.
He then moves on to personal organisation; keep your space organised and your success too, call reluctance; this points to a lack of training, motivation and education. Fill the pipe-line; get more sales, along with closing the deal; you need a wealth of responses and techniques, transitions, responses and strategies in your tool box. Call not returned; never bring up previous calls not returned and always leave a message on the phone ,if the client is not answering but going straight to voice mail.
Grant also covers; fear; use it do not be used by it, people’s emotions: stay calm rational and collected even when chaos is all around, negative connotations of sales; amateurs have given it a bad name , be professional and master your craft. Not having the right response; if you do not know the answer tell them and you will get them the information and showing a willingness to serve.
Being over whelmed by customer objections; get a book on responses and Grant recommends his own book on this subject. Feeling like an idiot; can happen to us all but get prepared and do not be shown as inadequate.
Meeting new people; work your network, meet and greet with new potential prospects and turn them to customers. He goes on very briefly to talks of breaking the ice with people who you do not know but could become new customers and staying motivated; attention to the future and your eyes on your goals.
Starting over with new clients; plan and then take action and about losing business to others, Grant says; take responsibility and learn from your mistakes and win the next one. Lack of consistency; this is lack of discipline, so take control and do what is needed to be consistent.
Grant on cold calling; and prospecting; a four step process , have no fear, look professional, have an action plan of prospects and visit them. Then on to commission only, no security; here Grant says this is the ultimate control over your success and it’s in your hands. On long hours; look if you want success, you have to put the time in, twelve to fourteen hour days are not uncommon even for millionaires.
Finally Grant lists ten traits in a great sales person, with two key points being one; the sales person will to be told no over and over again, but must persuasive as the sale may in the eighth attempt and then the second key point, that of point eight; the sales person is willing to pressure and persist the prospect, client or customer to get the sale ethically.
Grant is very careful to point out that a sales person must be ethical, and above all else trustworthy and be honest to themselves and to their customers.
In conclusion
This book; Sell Or Be Sold: How To Get Your Way In Business And In Life, is also available in quick read with video format (PDF booklet) with video clips of the key points, when read and watched on a suitable device, and as an extended audio mp3 download of over ten hours of content of Grant going over the information in the book and building on it, since the book was written. It is also available as webinar.This is a great book for sales people, entrepreneurs, managers, directors and people who want to sell themselves in terms of ideas, concepts and movers and shakers.
Grant also does from time to time special offers (see the links above) on his products, which I can personally recommend as I have bought them and bought into the concepts and ethos of Grants materials.
For more material on Sell Or Be Sold check out my review of the book in full HERE
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