Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance

by Mike Esterday, Derek Roberts

Sales success begins with yourself.

You can’t sell without listening to your customers—and yourself. In Listen to Sell, sales coaches Mike Esterday and Derek Roberts draw on their decades of industry experience to reveal the conversations, mindset, and skillset needed to amplify your sales confidence and bring purpose back to your customer relationships.

As executives at the Nashville-based Integrity Solutions, Esterday and Roberts have crafted a proprietary sales coaching program that has helped clients in 130 countries and multiple industries, from financial services to manufacturing to healthcare. Their unique sales philosophy is rooted in a values-based, customer-centered approach, where authentic business relationships matter above all else.

With self-analysis exercises and customized strategies, you’ll learn how your mindset—which encompasses your attitude, what you believe about yourself, and the confidence you have to succeed—is the foundation of top sales performance. You’ll then learn how to hone your skillset—the daily tools and tactics that make or break sales—by creating a personal sales plan and taking action in your immediate environment and beyond. In addition to real-world success stories demonstrating the concepts’ practical application, each chapter ends with a Coaching Corner segment that supports your growth.

If you’re a sales executive, manager, or rep who has hit a plateau or who just doesn’t think they’re cut out for sales, this book is your breakthrough.

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Tony Gilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading “Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance”

As a seasoned facilitator of the Integrity programs, I found “Listen to Sell” by Mike Esterday and Derek Roberts to be a harmonious companion to the principles I’ve been teaching. Here’s how these two worlds intersect:

Listening as a Core Skill: In Integrity Selling and Coaching, we emphasize the power of active listening. “Listen to Sell” reinforces this idea, emphasizing that sales isn’t about pushing products but about understanding our customers deeply. When we truly listen, we build trust and uncover hidden needs.

Empathy Bridges: The book’s insights on empathy resonate with the Integrity approach. As facilitators, we know that empathy bridges gaps and fosters authentic connections. “Listen to Sell” reinforces the importance of understanding our customers’ emotions, fears, and aspirations.

Silence Speaks Volumes: Just as we teach in Integrity programs, silence is a powerful tool. The authors remind us that sometimes the most impactful moments occur when we pause and allow our customers to express themselves fully. Silence invites trust and opens doors to deeper conversations.

“Sales isn’t about convincing; it’s about connecting.” This aligns perfectly with the book’s philosophy. As a facilitator, you’ve likely witnessed how genuine connections lead to long-term partnerships. “Listen to Sell” reinforces this truth.

Practical Application: The book provides practical strategies that complement our Integrity frameworks. Whether it’s creating personalized sales plans or honing communication skills, the actionable advice resonates with what we teach.

In summary, “Listen to Sell” isn’t just a book; it’s a mindset shift. As a facilitator, you can weave its principles into your workshops, reinforcing the importance of listening, empathy, and authentic relationships.

[Bob McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can be successful in a sales role without having to change who you are, without betraying your values.

Tired from years of hearing talk on how to 'manipulate' the customer into making a decision and hearing that there's no longer a need for professionals in sales roles, this book is a refreshing reminder that sales is still all about understanding human-beings.

And, as long as human-beings make buying decisions, professional sales people will be necessary.

Paradoxically, with the increase in digital interactions and data, the opportunity to excel in professional sales is greater than ever before. Customers are desperate to have a relationship with someone who understands them, who they trust and who are authentic. These professionals are becoming harder to find.

Listen to Sell - essential reading to enjoy, take pride in and excel in our profession!

[Rachel Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're tired of the same old sales spiel and want to up your game, "Listen to Sell" is a must-read. Written by sales coaches Mike Esterday and Derek Roberts, this book flips the script on what we've been taught as traditional selling.

Forget about flashy tactics and pushy pitches. Esterday and Roberts dive deep into the power of listening―not just to your customers, but to yourself too. They've packed this book with practical exercises and real-life stories to show how understanding your mindset and skills can skyrocket your sales performance.

From boosting confidence to crafting killer sales plans, "Listen to Sell" has got you covered. It's like having your own personal sales coach right at your fingertips. So if you're ready to break through barriers and forge meaningful connections with your customers, read this book

[Carl Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on the Integrity Selling - Aid,Inc approach. I’ve most like the first part, ie the different steps of the progress. I lacked some structure on the 2nd part (sales coaching possibilities etc): it feels like an addition but doesn’t really fit in. It’s rather basic, yet great for starters on the methodology or if you are more experienced: as a benchmark for how you are doing.

[Nick Nystrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Addresses some aspects of selling most other books do not. A+

[Will Milano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes a compelling case for the importance of salespeople in business today even in the face of AI and other trends that give buyers more information faster. Helps bust preconceived myths and stereotypes about being in sales. Unique in that it is far more than how-to’s about selling and goes deep into the mindset and beliefs pieces of succeeding in the role. Written to help both the individual salesperson and people leading todays sales teams. Really insightful whether you’re in sales or not.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a companion to the Integrity Solutions course I took at work. This puts a very positive spin on the noble art of Sales from the perspective of matching solutions to people's needs. This involves the development of something called Emotional Intelligence and breaks down 4 different Behavioral Styles which aid in uncovering what people's needs are and matching them to practical solutions in an honest, ethical, and respectful way. This involves partnering with people, asking highly impactful questions to bring forward things they may not have thought about before, and being willing to admit when you may not have the best solution. This includes believing in yourself, your company, and your product enough to feel that you have earned the right to ask for an actionable commitment at the end.

This book is good at helping even the most experienced and seasoned sales representatives find ways of tweaking their own mindsets.