Stop Telling, Start Selling: How to Use Customer-Focused Dialogue to Close Sales

by Linda Richardson

In this revised edition of her best-seller, noted sales consultant Linda Richardson offers salespeople the tools they need to successfully use customer-focused, dialogue selling. Featuring real-world dialogue samples, helpful dos and don’ts, self-tests, checklists, and other useful tools, this guide offers insight on every aspect of face-to-face selling, from the initial introduction through the needs identification and the negotiation of terms and price to the successful close, with prime emphasis on the six critical skills necessary to the dialogue-driven sales call: presence, rapport building, questioning, listening, product positioning, and checking.

Genres: Business

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Mohinudheen Shabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about this book is the explanation of real life scenario and the other worldly interactions & conversations that you are most likely to have with your customer during selling.  


Unlike other books which goes on to paint broad strokes about sales and state some words of wisdoms to follow which are usually very generic and sometimes profound. This author makes a microscopic analysis of the thoughts, attitudes, customer reactions, words to say and not to say by giving you walkthrough of a sales process. She gives you a close examination of the steps that follow in her books of "dialogue or consultative selling"

[Robin Brenizer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for people who take sales seriously and have committed to it as a "profession". I have to qualify my remarks by saying that I used to work for Linda Richardson and have a very successful sales training company of my own. I went to work for Linda years ago because this was the first book that validated my own experience. In other words, there was nothing in it that made me cringe. Most sales books have something in them, that in practice, appear unprofessional. She has a great writing style that leaves ego at the door and the work of selling at the center. There is nothing more annoying that reading a book based on self-promoting stories of how to sell. This is not it. She provides examples of key behaviors and skills that must be mastered throughout the sales process. They skills and behaviors have stood the test of time and she has helped thousands of sales people and some of the largest sales organizations in the world to achieve success.

The only criticism I have for this book is that it doesn't include principles foundational to truly successful sales people. It is purely focused on behavior and skills. She has also written other outstanding books on presenting and sales coaching that I regularly recommend.

[Trent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you like to be probed with a series of questions that lead to a product, for which you see no value, but then find yourself cornered into looking like an idiot if you don't agree to buy? Neither do your customers. This method is disengenuous and leaves subpar sales people not knowing what the heck to do when it doesn't work. Read the Solution Selling Fieldbook and align with your customers and their buying process.

[Znik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly sales people need to learn to SHUT UP!

[Moira]

I read this book for work, but if I were a salesperson, it would be helpful.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sales skill building books I've ever read. I've reread it twice and probably due to go through it again.