When we first published Power Base Selling in 1990, it presented a new approach to sales; one that was largely counterintuitive, focusing on science, process, and unconventional thinking. It strived to put how you sell on an equal footing with what you sell by diving into corporate politics, value chain positioning, and compete strategy with the intent of creating nontraditional sources of customer value and competitive advantage. In those days, and for a long time thereafter, it was all about engaging and defeating competition. Most will agree, it was game changing, but not easy. Just acknowledging the existence of company politics could be difficult, much less managing it to outsell competition. But, it did do one thing for everyone who read the book or attended one of our sales workshops – it provided a clear and supportable point of view.
Selling in an Anxious World, while very different, accomplishes that same thing. In our view, anyone who reads it, whether they agree with it or not, whether they like what it exposes or not, will walk away with a definitive point of view – a perspective on what their company culture is doing, good or bad, to sales. Like politics and strategy, culture is intangible – difficult to see, understand, and manage. Yet, its impact on productivity, company loyalty, customer experience, and sales is undeniable. This is a book that presents a real, but unconventional, problem that requires an unconventional solution, just as was the case with Power Base Selling, some three decades ago.
In Selling in an Anxious World, we classify corporate culture to make the invisible visible. For example, take a look at really important deals. Do the sellers tend to spend more time internally than with customers? Is there an attitude that the customer should align its internal practices to your solutions? Do your proposals and customer presentations tend to be somewhat generic and not customer-specific – talking a lot about your company and offerings, and little about the customer’s business and priorities? Well, yes to any of these questions gives you a tiny, tip of the iceberg, glimpse into a not-so-good culture.
Want the complete picture? Want to be among the first to have a point of view on your professional environment from a sales revenue perspective? If so, may we suggest you invest in this book? Like Power Base Selling, we feel that Selling in an Anxious World is a game changer!
Available now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/173556320X/ and book.holdenintl.com