Online Marketing Review

From one of the most highly compensated entrepreneur-speaker consultants out there come these effective tools to dramatically increase income. They include 16 proven strategies for exceptional success in sales, persuasion, and negotiation; 13 truths about selling; positioning tactics that replace prospecting; and more.

I've listened to the Tom Hopkins tape set "Low Profile Selling," and I thought that was great, which it is. Although using all of Tom's techniques at once would most likely send a customer running. And using only a few might not be enough. I felt something was missing.

Back to Dan's No B.S. Sales... Dan shows you how to "Position not Prospect" (chapter 17). This is a technique that you may use to AVOID PROSPECTING. Who wants to knock on doors anyway? I don't.

Dan discusses how to POSITION yourself through writing, speaking publicly, and getting free publicity to establish yourself as an expert in the eyes of the consumers in your market. In this way, they discover you, and SEEK YOU OUT. They're not on the defensive, as they would be had you discovered and approached them.

You establish yourself as more than "just another salesperson." Perhaps most importantly, you establish trust. They've been told by the newspaper reporters, radio talkshow hosts, and others that you're the one and only expert in your field. You're the person to solve their problems. (There's a lot more too it in Dan's book.)

He provides several examples on how to get in the paper (through your own writings and others'), how to gain speaking opportunities, and how to get the papers to write about you.

After reading this book, I'm surprised that I don't see very much of this in my market. More salespeople should be "Positioning not Prospecting." This book is a great investment!

One of the most interesting points he brings up is that of "takeaway selling." This is basically, where instead of covertly begging for the sale like so many salesepeople do, you take it away by playing "hard to get." This is part of his overall plan of positioning yourself, so people respect you. People want to do business with you, so you don't have to go beg for business, which brings me to my next point.

This book is a little misleading in the sense that people think it only applies to salespeople. I disagree. We all sell in some way shape or form in our lives. The key is to position yourself in such a way that people seek you out instead of you having to advertise. How many "ads" does Harvard University place to recruit students?

I give this book 5 stars purely because it is short and packed with very good useful information. 5 stars because it is great for anyone who owns a business. If you're tired of underpricing your services and having to advertise heavily, this book is just what you need. And if you don't own a business and are not a salesperson? I still think it is a useful book because it causes you to conduct yourself in a different manner. You have more self-respect and self-worth which is something we all need regardless of our profession.