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Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling
It’s time to forget everything you think you know about selling.
Winning new customers is the number one challenge 80 percent of entrepreneurs face—and a big reason half of small businesses fail within five years. In Buyer First, Carole Mahoney—who once struggled to pay bills and is now a top sales coach and influencer—says the reason so many of us are bad at selling is, well, we think selling is bad.
In the “book my clients have been asking me for,” Mahoney shares her revolutionary sales-success formula that draws on data from 2.2 million professional sellers, plus solid research on the psychology of decision-making and behavior change, to show you that sales isn’t something we do to others, it’s something we do with them.
With her approachable, honest writing style, Mahoney is like your personal sales coach, guiding you to tailor your current sales strategy in a way that’s consistent with your values and strengths, so you can align how you sell with how customers buy.
Complete with worksheets and exercises like exploring your own Sales Origin story, Buyer First teaches you the tactics of a collaborative selling framework. Each point is backed up with real-life stories from Mahoney’s colleagues and students as well as her own experiences.
Not only does Buyer First promise to transform your sales approach, help you change your behaviors, and get consistent results—it’ll make you feel fantastic about every transaction.
Winning new customers is the number one challenge 80 percent of entrepreneurs face—and a big reason half of small businesses fail within five years. In Buyer First, Carole Mahoney—who once struggled to pay bills and is now a top sales coach and influencer—says the reason so many of us are bad at selling is, well, we think selling is bad.
In the “book my clients have been asking me for,” Mahoney shares her revolutionary sales-success formula that draws on data from 2.2 million professional sellers, plus solid research on the psychology of decision-making and behavior change, to show you that sales isn’t something we do to others, it’s something we do with them.
With her approachable, honest writing style, Mahoney is like your personal sales coach, guiding you to tailor your current sales strategy in a way that’s consistent with your values and strengths, so you can align how you sell with how customers buy.
Complete with worksheets and exercises like exploring your own Sales Origin story, Buyer First teaches you the tactics of a collaborative selling framework. Each point is backed up with real-life stories from Mahoney’s colleagues and students as well as her own experiences.
Not only does Buyer First promise to transform your sales approach, help you change your behaviors, and get consistent results—it’ll make you feel fantastic about every transaction.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2023
22 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 6, 2023
Sales skills and strategies should be taught throughout our education system, starting in high school and continuing right through university…and Carole Mahoney should be teaching them!
Carole has a unique, authentic ability in the way that she tells stories that make them so relatable. The ups and downs, the rejections and the victories, the roadblocks and the breakthroughs…they are all woven into every lesson that she shares. BRILLIANT!
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of leading over 1,000 sales representatives, with as many as 400 at any given time. I really wish that all members of my teams had been given the opportunity to read Buyer First! It has the ability to transform a person from simply representing a company into becoming a well-rounded, strategic, sales professional.
Buyer First is filled with practical strategies that are transferable to so many areas of life. This book will help to build confidence, strengthen relationships with customers, generate results, and create a healthier bottom line.
For any sales leader who wants to inspire their people and provide them with the tool that will help to grow their numbers, they need to invest in copies of Carole Mahoney’s book for EVERY member of their team!
Carole has a unique, authentic ability in the way that she tells stories that make them so relatable. The ups and downs, the rejections and the victories, the roadblocks and the breakthroughs…they are all woven into every lesson that she shares. BRILLIANT!
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of leading over 1,000 sales representatives, with as many as 400 at any given time. I really wish that all members of my teams had been given the opportunity to read Buyer First! It has the ability to transform a person from simply representing a company into becoming a well-rounded, strategic, sales professional.
Buyer First is filled with practical strategies that are transferable to so many areas of life. This book will help to build confidence, strengthen relationships with customers, generate results, and create a healthier bottom line.
For any sales leader who wants to inspire their people and provide them with the tool that will help to grow their numbers, they need to invest in copies of Carole Mahoney’s book for EVERY member of their team!
Read
September 25, 2023I read Buyer First by Carole Mahoney and was instantly hooked.
Caroles ability to keep her reader not only engaged but provide a blueprint to operationalize her sales strategies is a game changer for anyone in sales.
Her honest stories shared from her own struggles shows she has done the work and them some.
Her ability to coach and train others is a testament to her commitment to excellence.
Whether you are a founder, sales rep or sales leader this book will change how you look at sales.
Invites you to check yourself first and show up in service for your buyer.
Caroles ability to keep her reader not only engaged but provide a blueprint to operationalize her sales strategies is a game changer for anyone in sales.
Her honest stories shared from her own struggles shows she has done the work and them some.
Her ability to coach and train others is a testament to her commitment to excellence.
Whether you are a founder, sales rep or sales leader this book will change how you look at sales.
Invites you to check yourself first and show up in service for your buyer.
June 6, 2025
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Книгу можно обозначить как книга по самопомощи для продавцов. Лично я рассчитывал, что в книге будет что-то полезное для сотрудников отдела маркетинга или что это будет книга по бизнесу, но в реальности это просто большая коллекция блог-постов.
Главная идея всей книги – работать совместно с покупателем, слышать, понимать и удовлетворять его потребности, а не пытаться любыми способами всучить товар. Что касается анализа клиента, то автор предлагает всем известные способы, включая использование Google, специальные сайты, социальные сети и пр. В принципе, эта информация содержится в любой книге по бизнесу. Автор приводит пример одного своего родственника, который был типичным продавцом, которых так часто можно увидеть в голливудских фильмах 90-х годов, когда в них показывают продавца автомобилей. Узнаваемый образ, не так ли? В принципе, эта идея не новая и об этом можно прочесть чуть ли не в каждой второй книге по продажам. Однако дальше в книге идут истории из жизни автора вперемешку с цитатами и советами из популярных книг по психологии/самопомощи. К примеру, автор рекомендует заняться здоровым образом жизни, следить за уровнем стресса, практиковать осознанность (mindset) и прочее в таком духе. Мне кажется, такие вопросы совершенно лишние в книге по продажам. Если человек захочет прочитать о нечто подобном, он купит книгу по самопомощи. В бизнес-литературе стоит придерживаться исключительно бизнес составляющей и даже истории из собственной жизни свести к минимуму.
Как итог, книга очень слабая и чем-то напомнила книгу Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro (только о продажах). Не думаю, что даже профессиональные продавцы найдут в ней что-то ценное. Автору стоило ограничиться блогом или видео на сайте YouTube.
The book could be labeled as a self-help book for marketers. Personally, I was expecting the book to have something useful for marketing staff or that it would be a business book, but, in reality, it's just a big collection of blog posts.
The main idea of the whole book is to work together with the customer, to hear, understand, and satisfy his needs, rather than trying to sell goods by any means. As for analyzing the customer, the author suggests all the well-known ways, including using Google, special sites, social webs, and so on. In principle, this information can be found in any business book. The author gives the example of a relative of his who was a typical salesman that you see so often in Hollywood movies of the 90s when they show a car salesman. A recognizable image, isn't it? Basically, this idea is not new, and you can read about it in almost every other sales book. However, the book goes on with stories from the author's life mixed with quotes and advice from popular psychology/self-help books. For example, the author recommends adopting a healthy lifestyle, monitoring stress levels, practicing a mindset, and so on. I think such questions are completely unnecessary in a sales book. If a person wants to read about something like this, they will buy a self-help book. Business literature should stick exclusively to the business component, and even stories from your own life should be kept to a minimum.
As a result, the book is very weak and reminded me of Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro (only about sales). I don't think even professional salespeople will find anything of value in it. The author should have limited himself to a blog or a YouTube video.
Книгу можно обозначить как книга по самопомощи для продавцов. Лично я рассчитывал, что в книге будет что-то полезное для сотрудников отдела маркетинга или что это будет книга по бизнесу, но в реальности это просто большая коллекция блог-постов.
Главная идея всей книги – работать совместно с покупателем, слышать, понимать и удовлетворять его потребности, а не пытаться любыми способами всучить товар. Что касается анализа клиента, то автор предлагает всем известные способы, включая использование Google, специальные сайты, социальные сети и пр. В принципе, эта информация содержится в любой книге по бизнесу. Автор приводит пример одного своего родственника, который был типичным продавцом, которых так часто можно увидеть в голливудских фильмах 90-х годов, когда в них показывают продавца автомобилей. Узнаваемый образ, не так ли? В принципе, эта идея не новая и об этом можно прочесть чуть ли не в каждой второй книге по продажам. Однако дальше в книге идут истории из жизни автора вперемешку с цитатами и советами из популярных книг по психологии/самопомощи. К примеру, автор рекомендует заняться здоровым образом жизни, следить за уровнем стресса, практиковать осознанность (mindset) и прочее в таком духе. Мне кажется, такие вопросы совершенно лишние в книге по продажам. Если человек захочет прочитать о нечто подобном, он купит книгу по самопомощи. В бизнес-литературе стоит придерживаться исключительно бизнес составляющей и даже истории из собственной жизни свести к минимуму.
Как итог, книга очень слабая и чем-то напомнила книгу Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro (только о продажах). Не думаю, что даже профессиональные продавцы найдут в ней что-то ценное. Автору стоило ограничиться блогом или видео на сайте YouTube.
The book could be labeled as a self-help book for marketers. Personally, I was expecting the book to have something useful for marketing staff or that it would be a business book, but, in reality, it's just a big collection of blog posts.
The main idea of the whole book is to work together with the customer, to hear, understand, and satisfy his needs, rather than trying to sell goods by any means. As for analyzing the customer, the author suggests all the well-known ways, including using Google, special sites, social webs, and so on. In principle, this information can be found in any business book. The author gives the example of a relative of his who was a typical salesman that you see so often in Hollywood movies of the 90s when they show a car salesman. A recognizable image, isn't it? Basically, this idea is not new, and you can read about it in almost every other sales book. However, the book goes on with stories from the author's life mixed with quotes and advice from popular psychology/self-help books. For example, the author recommends adopting a healthy lifestyle, monitoring stress levels, practicing a mindset, and so on. I think such questions are completely unnecessary in a sales book. If a person wants to read about something like this, they will buy a self-help book. Business literature should stick exclusively to the business component, and even stories from your own life should be kept to a minimum.
As a result, the book is very weak and reminded me of Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro (only about sales). I don't think even professional salespeople will find anything of value in it. The author should have limited himself to a blog or a YouTube video.
October 5, 2023
Carole Mahoney has written her first book as to how as a small business owner or entrepreneur you can start selling. She tells her own story, gets laid off, decides to start her own business and does not sell anything for 6 months. She walks you through her story, from cold calling in the car with the kids to (spoiler alert) ending up coaching MBA students at Harvard Business school.
The book, is anchored very much in the modern digital, fast paced world and there are exercises where she gets you to think about your propositions to your mindset, etc etc.
If you are thinking or running a business and the idea of selling frightens you, you are already a business owner and need to jump into the world of sales or maybe work for a company and have made a career move to sales. You will find the book puts an arm around your shoulder and guides you along.
The book, is anchored very much in the modern digital, fast paced world and there are exercises where she gets you to think about your propositions to your mindset, etc etc.
If you are thinking or running a business and the idea of selling frightens you, you are already a business owner and need to jump into the world of sales or maybe work for a company and have made a career move to sales. You will find the book puts an arm around your shoulder and guides you along.
December 1, 2023
Carole Mahoney may have come to sales later in life, but her understanding of the much misunderstood discipline holds up very well in Buyer First. I'm not personally a big fan of work-sheets as I'm reading, but that is no reflection on the author, or her decision to include them throughout the text. Mahoney does an excellent job of citing credible sources, academic, research, business, and personal, without going overboard with myriad attributes throughout. On the whole, I would recommend this book for organizations and people interested in the art and science of selling.
September 30, 2024
Necessary book to remember customer relationships and selling to and working WITH them and not talking AT them.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews