How to Sell When Nobody's Buying (And How to Sell Even More When They Are)

Guidebook on selling during a recession

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and, when it comes to selling during an economic downturn, the survival of your firm may depend on taking some radical, assertive action. Speaker, author and trainer Dave Lakhani contends that old-time sales techniques are no longer appropriate. He recommends alternative, innovative selling approaches, including some gutsy - though perhaps clichéd - ploys. Alas, the book is sometimes banal ("The best time to sell more is when people are buying") and very self-referential, and customers may perceive a few of its sales tactics as overly pushy. Nevertheless, getAbstract finds that Lakhani provides interesting recommendations and numerous valuable web resources for salespeople who want to establish or embellish their personal brands, connect with prospects and operate more efficiently. These pointers make the book a worthwhile addition to any sales professional's library.


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Welcome to the 21st Century... This is Not Your Father's Sales Book

Lakhani is a well known sales trainer, speaker and consultant, and unfortunately, it's become all too common for gentlemen like Mr. Lakhani to write books that are really not much more than fluff-filled, extended pitches for their services, leaving you with the feeling that many important details were left out. Not so with "How to Sell When Nobody's Buying."

Lakhani starts off strong in Chapter 0 with a strong "quick start" action plan that will have you systematically (and intelligently) prospecting your way to increased sales right away.

He continues with a proven, doable, and well-organized plan for you to increase business by personally branding yourself (not your company) by using some of the most cutting-edge and easy to use tools that the internet has to offer. Now, you may be thinking that your company's brand is the brand you have to put forward, and they'd never allow you to brand *yourself*. They will, believe me. Let Lakhani show you how.

Another major point of value in the book (and there are many) is a very detailed example of a "drip" marketing campaign that Lakhani personally conducted over a 12-month period to target high-value prospects for his own business. It's a plan you can emulate to target your own high-value prospects, and it is very literally worth many times the price of the book, all on its own. (After reading the details of this marketing campaign, you'll wonder how *any* of Lakhani's prospects manage to resist contacting him. Seriously.)

Lakhani shares the previous techniques and many more as part of an overall career-building sales plan that will help you differentiate yourself and your company in the eyes of your prospects and current clients. He gives detailed examples of how to add value to the relationship with these men and women in a way that will lead them to seeing you as a "trusted advisor" and not just another pitchman (or woman).

If there's any drawback to this book at all, it may be that you might feel overwhelmed after reading it, with all the new ideas it gives and possibilities it may bring to mind. That's okay. The book will be there for you to go through again, and truth be told, even utilizing a small sample of the strategies that are outlined will likely give you a BIG boost over your competition.

Buy this book, absorb it, and implement it, and it will be the best thing you'll do for your sales career and your bank account this year.

In Sales? Get Rid of ALL Your Excuses

I've read many books on selling, and I have to say, not many of them make me want to read from cover to cover without putting the book down. This book did that. I had to force myself to stop reading when I wanted to just continue on.

What makes this book so different from all the rest I've read, it really brings all of "today's" tools and resources into focus and covers how to use today's resources and tools (such as Social Media, etc) in today's selling.

No matter what you're selling, be it cars, homes, or one dollar widgets, this book will help you overcome all the excuses of today's economy and get your sales numbers out of the basement and back to the top floor.

I especially liked the chapters on "Getting Creative: Opening Old Doors New Ways" using a drip campaign, and "Get Visible: You Have to Be Seen to Sell." These were eye openers for me, and I'm in the business of being seen to sell. Great section on building your own personal brand online, and tips on how to get your personal self to the top of search engines... and how failing to build your own personal online bio is a major mistake a lot of people in the sales business fail to do. These are things most selling technique books I've read, just don't cover. I'm already making changes in my own online business to incorporate some of Dave's tips in this book.

Most books cover century old sales techniques re-hashed. This book does anything BUT that. A MUST READ for anyone in the sales industry! I have two sons in the sales business, and this book will be gifts to both of them!

Dave Lakhani Inspires!!!

I highly recommend Dave Lakhani's book How to Sell When Nobody's Buying (and how to sell even more when they are)! Any business owner wanting to increase their revenue, or any sales person who needs a jump start should read this book! It's loaded with very creative, out-of-the box ideas and resources to get you in front of your target audience. One of my favorite techniques is the sample introduction letter on page six. I don't want to spoil it, but how could anyone receive this professional letter and small gift and still say no to a meeting? It's genius.

Dave Lakhani doesn't shelter us from the hard reality of our economic times. His Quick Start section reminds us that making a living today ".means working harder, longer, and often without immediate financial reward in order to achieve great success. The payoff in the long run is that as the economy changes or as your industry changes, you'll be on the front end of profitability from all the hard work you did today."

IT'S SO MOTIVATING!

Another quote from the book states "The law of reciprocation says that people are much more likely to give you something when you've given them something first." In other words, givers gain. I have put this into practice twice since reading the book by spending hours of (unpaid) time researching a clients company, putting together a marketing strategy customized to their industry and presenting them with miscellaneous ideas, tips and strategic partners to help them build their business. My efforts didn't go unnoticed and both clients were so pleased, they switched all of their marketing jobs over to our company in order to work with me!

This book also contains valuable information on Social Media and the troubled Real Estate Industry that were helpful to me in creating strategic marketing plans for my clients. There are so many additional sales nugget take-aways in this book! I encourage you to buy it and be on your way to successful selling (and a fatter paycheck)!

Allison Ashburn
Sales Consultant & Project Manager

Selling in this day and age!

It isn't very often that I buy a book and feel like I have to go give a review, but this book is definitely one of those books I feel needs to be read by anyone and everyone in the sales business!
Right off the bat you're hit with advice that will get you rocking and rolling! Dave starts on Chapter 0 (yes, 0!) with a quick start section to Sell More Right Now! In it he walks the reader through a process to engage old prospects, create new referrals, drum up new prospects, and get you in the door and pitching the big guys within the first week. How?!?! Uh... read the book!
You're not going to find the same ole dibble about running the sales game like it used to be done...oh.... did you think that the sales game was the same, still?!?! No way! I love what Dave says about sales, "Selling changed and someone forgot to tell the sales teams." Great way to put it! And he demonstrates exactly what he means throughout his well thought out book.

Dave points out that sales in this century have a very different feel and dynamic. And the salesperson who wants to not only survive but thrive will take notes and run with the info found in How to sell when nobody's buying. I am!

Since the book was written by the master of persuasion himself you'll find information on getting your mindset ready to achieve what is possible and prosper in this day and age. In fact every chapter empowers you to do more in less time and much more effectively than you may have been doing before.

This book is also more than just how to increase your sales, it's about how to increase the value of who you are as a sales professional. Sure the economy has taken a bit of a bump, but sales are still being made, people are still in the market and still buying! If you are placed as an expert in your field (yes the book goes into this as well!) you will be the one buyers will flock to.

And for those less technically savvy, Dave devotes part of the book to taking your sales to the next level - into the digital age!

You'll find information on online sales integration like:

using free online services to market your services and draw prospects to you
using social networks to Make you Money! (I'm sure you've heard of Facebook? Twitter?)
how big corporations are using social media EFFECTIVELY! ( Shocking info that blew my mind!)
How about free conference services that will provide you with mp3's of conference calls (This alone will save you thousands if you're using standard conferencing services!)

And if all the above was enough to get you to buy the book ... there's even more!

How about interviews with leading experts on management and motivation?
In the book, Dave interviewed a genius who changed how his company ran and ended up with the company's best year ever when everyone else was suffering with downturns in the economy. And yes he shares that with the reader!

Let me tell you, this book was one I read from cover to cover. Then I got on the phone and called my friend and spent the next couple of hours strategizing and implementing the ideas.
So in the end I very highly recommend this book. Period. Buy it then send me a Christmas card from Maui. Better still look me up while you're there, we'll share a Mai Tai!
(ps. If you're in the insurance business, don't read this book! I've already teamed up with the top selling agent, in the top grossing district in the nation, and most likely we'll be calling on some of the prospects you've neglected. B

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.