I just finished reading Jeffrey Gitomer’s The Sales Manifesto, and I loved it. In fact, I was so inspired by the book that I read it twice.  Not only that, I just ordered a box full of copies to give out to some of my clients’ salespeople. This little red book is so powerful that I would urge all of you, not just salespeople to go to Amazon and get it immediately. And while you’re at it, pick up all of Jeffrey’s books. They are not that expensive (about twenty bucks), they are not that large (that’s a good thing) and they are so full of strong and powerful advice that you are going to want to read it with pen and notebook by your side.

No, I am not Gitomer’s agent, or his cousin, I don’t know the man, except through his books, but I wish I did. And you will too, once you read The Sales Manifesto. Okay, I think that’s enough of a buildup. Now on to some of the more pertinent highlights from the book.

Here is a list of his ideas on selling: (The Bold words are  Gitomer’s the follow up words are mine)

• It is no longer selling. It’s all about the customer buying:  Nobody likes to be sold, but they love to buy. You have to make your product so valuable and interesting that people want to buy it.
• It’s not about scripts, it’s about customized and personalized presentations: You have to take your story and merge it into the customers’. Get the customer to imagine what her life would be like if she was using your product or service.
• It’s no longer about a presentation. It’s all about your performance: What do you do when you’re a captive audience to a Power Point Presentation? I know what I do, I start trying to figure out how many slides there are in the deck and how long it is going to take. But if the presentation is about me, and my company, and my specific needs…now I’m interested!
• It’s no longer cold-calling. It’s all about relationships and referrals: Think about it, how many sales do you make from cold calling? Oh, you’ll make a few maybe one or two out of one hundred calls. Now think about this, how many sales do you close when the potential customer calls you? All of them, right? At that point the sales is yours to lose. But of course, you, and your services, and products, have to be great for someone to refer you to a customer. Which is the way it should be.
• It’s no longer a sales pitch. It’s about helping the customer win: Amen, it is all about the customer. He does not care about your product until he realizes how much this product can help him and make his life easier and better.
• It’s no longer being a great salesperson. It’s about becoming a trusted advisor: People buy from people they trust. And no one ever trusted a fast-talking salesperson with a perfectly memorized pitch. Nobody wants to buy from the “Salad Master” man anymore. If you’re under thirty Google “Salad Master”.
• It’s no longer about you calling the customer. It’s all about the customer calling you: Think of how good you have to be for a customer to call you. Think of all of the social media and valuable content you have to put out for that to happen…and then make sure you’re doing all that stuff so that it will happen.
• It’s no longer about you Googling the customer. It’s all about the customer Googling you. Once again. You have to be good; you have to put out the right valuable content in the right places to have that happen.
• It’s no longer brochures. It’s all about blogging and posting real stories: Get to it now. You are your own ad agency. It’s the content you put out on the right social media platforms that is going to get you noticed. 
• It’s no longer about who you know. It’s all about who knows you: Make sure people know you and the only way to do that is to visible.
• It’s no longer cold-calling. It’s all about Linkedin: Anybody who is anybody is on Linkedin. It has never been easier to get in touch with anyone. It’s just up to you to take it seriously, to take the time to learn how to use Linkedin properly and you will be able to connect with exactly the right people. You can no longer ignore this super powerful connection tool.

Pretty good stuff right. And this is from only one chapter of the book. Really if you are truly serious about your sales career, or your business career. Then get this book and read it and study it.

And one more thing, if you are truly serious about your career, you should be reading a book like The Sales Manifesto, at a rate of one a week. It’s only common sense.