The Force

by David Dorsey

"If you want to know how America's business wars are waged in the trenches, The Force is for you. A gripping book."
--Newsday
"SKILLFULLY REPORTED, INSIGHTFUL...Dorsey lights up our vision of the American salesman with his own sharply reported eyewitness account."
--People
In this fascinating book, reporter David Dorsey turns a year on the Xerox sales force into an emotionally charged human drama. The Force tracks Fred Thomas and his sales team from the shiny glass office building where work starts at dawn to the rolling green country clubs where they woo customers, from the smoke-filled bars where they unwind to the plush suburban bedrooms where they try to forget the pressures of the day. And as the year unfolds, we get swept up in the burning question at the center of all of their will they make their quota?
"Meet Fred Thomas. He's a real person, working in a real job in a real company. And he's the hero of The Force, David Dorsey's brilliant chronicle of life in the real world of contemporary business. Dorsey's book draws a picture that is as intimate as a great novel. It is a book that captures in the most essential details and the most sweeping prose the cross-wired paradoxes that lie at the heart of the New Economy. Fred is Us. He's the next-generation Willie Loman working in a world put into hyperdrive...Fred is the salesman as Everyman."
--Harvard Business Review

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[doanguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a mixed feeling when reading this book. In one way, the telling story is good and enticing. But in another way, I felt difficult to get the book finished because of too many unnecessary details are given, it kept me away from my focus zone. Maybe it is only me?

[Mark Simmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written book about a single anecdote about a life in Sales in the late 1980s for a major corporation. Helpful to suggest a mindset and perspective.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction book follows one sales manager for Xerox copiers in Cleveland, in the 1980's. It details the joys and despairs of a career in sales, including all of the contests and rewards, the subtle deceptions perpetrated on customers, the sense of camaraderie that salespeople develop for their sacrifice and accomplishments. It feels a little dated in terms of the product technology, but the core insights about the sales life are still relevant. The book is best when it digs into the psychology of selling and the wild ups and downs that go with it. The parts dealing with how it impacts his marriage feel more forced.

[MICHAEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally brought to my attention by a friend at the WSJ who had read a review, and wanted my opinion (as a business to business salesperson) of its accuracy. It is closer than close can be. Dorsey did his research before selecting the industry and the location of his embed, and he nails the life of the road warrior sales class perfectly. Later in my career I had the (dis)pleasure of working for a close friend of one of the key players in the book and could not stop getting lost in the memory of the insanity that is this story.

[Lamec Mariita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a powerful book!. It makes you understand how the real life in sales looks like. It emphasizes the point that the daily business of economics is more about social relationships than simply about money and exchange. The book really captures the essence of being in sales and and what it takes to be in sales management. It's a must for anyone interested in marketing.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was included in my book: The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. www.100bestbiz.com