What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secrets of Closing the Sale: BONUS: Selling With Emotional Logic
Zig shares tips and techniques from his vast wealth of sales experience. His insights will prove to you over and over why this is the definitive how to sales program. This powerful series of twelve timeless sales sessions will help you close more sales today as you build a career for tomorrow! Whether you're a seasoned sales veteran or just now beginning your first sales position, Secrets Of Closing The Sale provides you with practical advice and effective questioning techniques that you can use to transform prospects into clients. Learn step by step over 100 specific closes and over 700 questions that lead the prospect to the decision table.
In this newly updated recording, not only will you get to hear timeless lessons on closing the sale from Zig Ziglar that have helped hundreds of thousands of salespeople for more than a generation, but you will hear Zig's son, Tom Ziglar, discuss how these ideas are even more relevant in 2015. Tom is the president of Ziglar Training Corporation, the author of the newly released book Live to Win, and a successful platform speaker in his own right.
You'll Learn:
The ABC's of Closing
Professional Persuasion and Common Sense Selling
Buyer-Based Closing Techniques
Voice Training for Effective Presentations
Honesty and Empathy for Sales Success ... the basics
Empathy, Sympathy and Self-image In Selling
Using Word Pictures To Sell
Objections: A Salesman's Best Friend
Asking Questions To Close The Sale ... the basics
Positive Projection For Closing More Sales
And much more!
PLUS A BONUS RECORDING: *How to use emotional logic in the selling process to increase your closing ratio.
In this newly updated recording, not only will you get to hear timeless lessons on closing the sale from Zig Ziglar that have helped hundreds of thousands of salespeople for more than a generation, but you will hear Zig's son, Tom Ziglar, discuss how these ideas are even more relevant in 2015. Tom is the president of Ziglar Training Corporation, the author of the newly released book Live to Win, and a successful platform speaker in his own right.
You'll Learn:
The ABC's of Closing
Professional Persuasion and Common Sense Selling
Buyer-Based Closing Techniques
Voice Training for Effective Presentations
Honesty and Empathy for Sales Success ... the basics
Empathy, Sympathy and Self-image In Selling
Using Word Pictures To Sell
Objections: A Salesman's Best Friend
Asking Questions To Close The Sale ... the basics
Positive Projection For Closing More Sales
And much more!
PLUS A BONUS RECORDING: *How to use emotional logic in the selling process to increase your closing ratio.
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1984
1148 people are currently reading
15961 people want to read
About the author
Zig Ziglar
399 books1,376 followersZig Ziglar was a motivational teacher and trainer who traveled the world over, delivering his messages of humor, hope, and encouragement. As a talented author and speaker, he had international appeal that transcended every color, culture, and career. Recognized by his peers as the quintessential motivational genius of our times, Zig Ziglar had a unique delivery style and powerful messages that earned him many honors. Today he is considered one of the most versatile authorities on the science of human potential. Ten of his twenty-eight books have been on bestseller lists, and his titles have been translated into more than thirty-eight languages and dialects. He was a committed family man, a dedicated patriot, and an active church member. Zig lived in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Jean.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
April 7, 2024
Zig Ziglar is an entertaining speaker with a memorable voice. He is proud of his work and his career, as well he should be, and it shows.
He offers a good explanation of the importance of salespeople in society and his tried and true techniques will bolster any flailing salesperson’s sales numbers. I am not in sales, but I found that Zig’s advice can be applied to other career paths as well. His sound moral advice is the cornerstone of good conduct and character and an upstanding life.
I enjoyed learning how salespeople work to make a sale and what makes people buy. The fundamentals are the same no matter what you are selling, and a successful sale where all parties come out feeling good is achieved through honest, earnest, and diligent effort. Such effort will gain the sale and leave the buyer with a favorable impression of a hard-working individual, and not one of a sleazy salesperson just out to make a buck.
Zig’s methods offered insight not only into the salesperson’s role in the process, but also insights for me as a buyer. I understand what may or may not motivate me to buy, and see how a good salesperson can respond to my questions, concerns, and considerations with diplomacy and respect.
I listened to this book on audio cd and the only drawback for me was that Zig was a bit all over the place. I would have preferred something orderly and logical. At several points I was thinking that Zig could have easily used his sales techniques to “sell” his sales techniques! I definitely recommend that you take notes if you are a salesperson as there is so much to reflect upon.
He offers a good explanation of the importance of salespeople in society and his tried and true techniques will bolster any flailing salesperson’s sales numbers. I am not in sales, but I found that Zig’s advice can be applied to other career paths as well. His sound moral advice is the cornerstone of good conduct and character and an upstanding life.
I enjoyed learning how salespeople work to make a sale and what makes people buy. The fundamentals are the same no matter what you are selling, and a successful sale where all parties come out feeling good is achieved through honest, earnest, and diligent effort. Such effort will gain the sale and leave the buyer with a favorable impression of a hard-working individual, and not one of a sleazy salesperson just out to make a buck.
Zig’s methods offered insight not only into the salesperson’s role in the process, but also insights for me as a buyer. I understand what may or may not motivate me to buy, and see how a good salesperson can respond to my questions, concerns, and considerations with diplomacy and respect.
I listened to this book on audio cd and the only drawback for me was that Zig was a bit all over the place. I would have preferred something orderly and logical. At several points I was thinking that Zig could have easily used his sales techniques to “sell” his sales techniques! I definitely recommend that you take notes if you are a salesperson as there is so much to reflect upon.
January 29, 2015
Let me start out with the negative first because there just isn't much. Some parts it was a little dull and outdated(at least IMO) but then again a lot of the old closes still work today. Some people may be turned off because a lot of this book is common sense but it is always good to be reminded and I find that one of the appealing things in this book because he states it in a way that opens your mind.
I would recommend this book for ANYONE and EVERYONE that has a career in sales and a career in anything else. Simply because everyone sells. A teacher sells their topics to their students, you sell yourself when you go on a job interview and even when you're selling your beliefs and ideas to your family and friends. And also selling what you have to give when you're courting someone. Hey! Maybe you're just trying to convince your husband to buy that home you've been dreaming about for so long! You get the idea, you sell everyday. Especially your child when he wants you to buy that toy. Mr.Zig gives very good insight on the psychology and what goes through peoples minds when they're being "sold" something. I believe if you deeply indulge in this "Bible of Persuasion" you will greatly improve the quality of your life and relationships along with an increase in sales(and yes everyone has sales…like the students that are sold onto your topic) and a happier life. And isn't that what you truly want?
I would recommend this book for ANYONE and EVERYONE that has a career in sales and a career in anything else. Simply because everyone sells. A teacher sells their topics to their students, you sell yourself when you go on a job interview and even when you're selling your beliefs and ideas to your family and friends. And also selling what you have to give when you're courting someone. Hey! Maybe you're just trying to convince your husband to buy that home you've been dreaming about for so long! You get the idea, you sell everyday. Especially your child when he wants you to buy that toy. Mr.Zig gives very good insight on the psychology and what goes through peoples minds when they're being "sold" something. I believe if you deeply indulge in this "Bible of Persuasion" you will greatly improve the quality of your life and relationships along with an increase in sales(and yes everyone has sales…like the students that are sold onto your topic) and a happier life. And isn't that what you truly want?
September 10, 2021
A comprehensive guide to in-person sales techniques. Ziglar, clearly experienced, teaches through a multitude of examples. It's about in-person selling, which is different from online in some ways. But, the fundamentals of persuasion apply to any sales situation.
Ziglar is often more long-winded than necessary, but it's made more bearable by his humorous and lively writing style.
Ziglar explains that he wrote the book “to help salespeople from all walks of life be more professional and successful.”
Ziglar summarizes his approach early in the book:
A main idea is that you must believe deeply that what you offer is in the best interests of the prospect. Then you can sincerely encourage them to buy for their benefit.
It was recommended by Seth Godin in All Marketers are Liars.
Below are my notes.
The Psychology of Closing
Don’t argue, since “it’s difficult to antagonize and positively influence at the same time.”
Be optimistic that your prospect can handle the purchase. Your expectancy influences the prospect's decision.
“You can sell more by asking than telling.” Use the Socratic Method. Don’t attempt to “tell” or “sell,” since that leads the buyer to resist. By asking them questions, they won’t get unhappy with you because they’re giving the answers. The customer ends up persuading himself.
“If your prospect wants to invest X dollars but his needs come to X-plus dollars, then your real sale is the amount beyond what the prospect had already committed, in his own mind.”
“Make it easy for them to buy.” “Break it down into small amounts so your prospects can afford it.” Tell them if they think about the life of the product, it only costs X per month, day, etc.
If a prospect asks for something specific and you can’t provide it, offer an alternative. Often they’ll be open to one.
Use your imagination (get creative) to help the prospect get what they want.
In many cases, the prospect says no because they don’t know enough to say yes. Prospects who say no are actually asking for more info, so they can feel secure that they’re making the right decision.
People buy when they want the item more than they want the money it costs.
When someone objects to your price, say, “The price [pause] is too high?” That forces them to defend their statement instead of you justifying the price.
Handle objections by asking, “If there were a way I could show you that the price is fair and the product worth every penny, would you take advantage of the offer today?” That helps determine if the objection is the price or something else. If they answer no, ask, “Then there must be some other reason you’re hesitating. Would you mind if I ask what that reason is?”
Say, “Price is a one-time thing; cost is something you’ll be concerned about as long as you have a product. Some companies can beat us on price, but we win on cost. You’re obviously cost-conscious, so can you think of any reason you shouldn’t immediately start enjoying the lowest cost?”
Say, “Cost can go on forever, as long as you have the product. Wouldn’t it be better to pay a fair price one time than to keep paying the little costs of a product that’s not as good as what I’m offering?”
Say, “We decided years ago that it’d be easier to explain price one time than to apologize for poor quality or poor service forever [pause] and I’ll bet you’re glad we made that decision, aren’t you?”
If you can make the prospect feel about your product the way you do, they’ll buy if they can come up with the money.
You must transfer the feeling of “I believe in this product so strongly that I bought it myself.”
If you don’t honestly feel the prospect will lose out by not buying, you won’t be nearly as effective in sales.
Never confuse your situation with your prospect’s. Your wants, needs, desires, tastes, and capacity to pay have no bearing on the prospect.
The Heart of Your Sales Career
Point out the big picture cost. For example, “If you can’t afford to repair your roof, won’t it be even more difficult to replace your furniture and repaint, and still have to afford the new roof?”
It’s highly likely that you can use the prospect’s reason for not buying as the reason they should buy. For example, “If you’re serious when you say you can’t afford this sales training course, may I gently suggest that you need to take whatever steps are necessary to take it? This course will help you sell more. How many extra sales would you need to make to get your investment back?”
You tell people from your head, but you persuade, and sell, from the heart.
If you use all logic in a sales presentation, the prospect will be educated and buy from someone else. If you use all emotion, you’ll likely make the sale, but the prospect will cancel the order. Use both logic and emotion to make a sale today and have a happy customer for the future.
Logic appeals to the eye; emotion appears to the ear. Tell people what your product will do, but also demonstrate it.
“Words alone will often fail, so he demonstrates to make the sale.” A demonstration increases believability. If the buyer only hears something they’ll forget, if they only see it they’ll remember it, but if they hear, see, and do, they’ll understand and be more inclined to buy.
When you’re talking to a prospect, remember that in most cases they’re happy to give info if you just ask.
Don’t put down the prospect’s previous purchase or previous salesperson, or they may take it as an attack on their judgment. Say, “In retrospect, most of us would make decisions differently. At that time you made this choice, most people would’ve done the same thing you did, so don’t feel bad.” The best way to get a prospect to make a favorable new decision is to make him happy with an old one.
Lack of trust is the major reason a prospect won’t buy from you.
The Sales Professional
People often buy not because they understand the offer, but because they feel you understand them.
Let the prospect use the product temporarily so they become attached to it.
"You make the sale when the prospect understands that it will cost more to do nothing about the problem than to do something about it." Say, “If you buy the item the savings will pay for it. If you don't buy it, your daily losses will soon be more than the cost. In other words, you can get it and let it pay for itself or you can choose not to get it and still pay for it through losses. Since you’ve got to pay for it either way, doesn’t it make sense to get it?
“Don't just tell them – show the figures at the same time. Prospects make the decision to buy based on what they understand and believe.”
Imagination and Word Pictures
Words that sell: your prospect’s name, understand, proven, health, easy, guarantee, money, safety, save, new, love, discovery, right, results, truth, comfort, proud, profit, dessert, happy, trust, value, fun, vital, you, security, advantage, positive, benefits.
Words that unsell: deal, cost, pay, contract, sign, try, worry, loss, lose, hurt, buy, sell, sold, price, decision, hard, difficult, obligation, liable, liability, fail, failure.
"Learn how to take the verbal paint brush and paint them (your prospects) right into the picture. You have got to put your prospect in the car and show him enjoying the luxury, comfort, or economy of driving your particular car. … the picture must be in color and in the present tense.” … Word pictures should “paint beauty, luxury, love, satisfaction, enjoyment, success, performance.”
When the benefits are delayed for years, "it is important that an emotional picture of those delayed benefits be burned indelibly into that prospect’s mind. This greatly reduces the possibility of cancellation."
In most cases involving significant purchases, if you do not encounter objections from the prospect … you do not have a prospect.” They wouldn’t object if they weren’t interested.
When the prospect keeps objecting, it could be that they’re not the decision-maker. Ask, “If I can answer your question to your satisfaction that this is the right product, at the right time and at the right price, are you personally in a position to give me an order for the product today, and would you be willing to do so?”
If prospect asks about price before you’re ready, say, “There are so many factors involved in price, such as size, model, terms, and deliver, I hesitate to answer before we have narrowed down the choices I am about to offer you.”
When prospect says they need to think about it, say, "Sometimes when people say, ‘let me think about it,’ what they're really saying is they don't like the idea. Let's speak frankly for a moment. Please – don't just be polite. Is there something you feel uncomfortable about? Something else you want to know?”
“Offer the tangible as the reason for buying, but emphasize the intangible as the excuse for buying.” Example: the reason for buying is a beautiful lake lot and the excuse for buying is relaxed living, longer life, etc.
The Nuts and Bolts of Selling
Ask, “Do you want this single unit, or would you like three for a 15% discount?” In many cases you can sell a larger order by simply asking that.
If prospect asks, "Does it come in green?" ask, "Do you want it if it comes in green?" When he responds, he's bought. Your tying him down with that.
Create a pro-con list in front of the customer. Put "you like it" as number one under pros. If you've done your job, you'll have far more pros than cons. Show the prospect the list and ask, "Which of these weigh heaviest?” This helps not only make the sale but keep the sale.
Ask, "Can you see how using this would increase your sales? Are you interested in increasing your sales? If you were ever going to start increasing your sales, when do you think would be the best time to start?"
The Keys in Closing
Be an assistant buyer. Help the customer solve their problem by acquiring your products or services.
Listen with your eyes with CHEF:
C: chin or cheek. When prospect rubs or holds in hand, it's a satisfaction/gratification sign. Now's the time to close.
H: hands. If they're gently massaging each other, prospect is ready to buy.
E: eyes. The wider the eyes, the more he's listening and buying. If eyes are wide, with crow's feet, and they begin to relax, it's time to close.
F: friendly. When prospect smiles, uses friendly phrases, relaxes, or becomes quiet and considering, close the sale.
Listen for questions that show the prospect is ready to buy, such as questions about model, warranty, payment, etc.
"Treat everyone as if he is a valuable customer. He is - or he could be if he's treated like one."
Ziglar is often more long-winded than necessary, but it's made more bearable by his humorous and lively writing style.
Ziglar explains that he wrote the book “to help salespeople from all walks of life be more professional and successful.”
Ziglar summarizes his approach early in the book:
Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information. Learn how to use voice inflections, which we will thoroughly cover throughout 'Secrets.' Break the price into small segments. Optimistically sell, and be hard of hearing. Ask questions to identify the problem and lead the prospect to the decision. Find out what he needs to solve his problem, and show him how he can solve his problem with your product.
A main idea is that you must believe deeply that what you offer is in the best interests of the prospect. Then you can sincerely encourage them to buy for their benefit.
It was recommended by Seth Godin in All Marketers are Liars.
Below are my notes.
The Psychology of Closing
Don’t argue, since “it’s difficult to antagonize and positively influence at the same time.”
Be optimistic that your prospect can handle the purchase. Your expectancy influences the prospect's decision.
“You can sell more by asking than telling.” Use the Socratic Method. Don’t attempt to “tell” or “sell,” since that leads the buyer to resist. By asking them questions, they won’t get unhappy with you because they’re giving the answers. The customer ends up persuading himself.
“If your prospect wants to invest X dollars but his needs come to X-plus dollars, then your real sale is the amount beyond what the prospect had already committed, in his own mind.”
“Make it easy for them to buy.” “Break it down into small amounts so your prospects can afford it.” Tell them if they think about the life of the product, it only costs X per month, day, etc.
If a prospect asks for something specific and you can’t provide it, offer an alternative. Often they’ll be open to one.
Use your imagination (get creative) to help the prospect get what they want.
In many cases, the prospect says no because they don’t know enough to say yes. Prospects who say no are actually asking for more info, so they can feel secure that they’re making the right decision.
People buy when they want the item more than they want the money it costs.
When someone objects to your price, say, “The price [pause] is too high?” That forces them to defend their statement instead of you justifying the price.
Handle objections by asking, “If there were a way I could show you that the price is fair and the product worth every penny, would you take advantage of the offer today?” That helps determine if the objection is the price or something else. If they answer no, ask, “Then there must be some other reason you’re hesitating. Would you mind if I ask what that reason is?”
Say, “Price is a one-time thing; cost is something you’ll be concerned about as long as you have a product. Some companies can beat us on price, but we win on cost. You’re obviously cost-conscious, so can you think of any reason you shouldn’t immediately start enjoying the lowest cost?”
Say, “Cost can go on forever, as long as you have the product. Wouldn’t it be better to pay a fair price one time than to keep paying the little costs of a product that’s not as good as what I’m offering?”
Say, “We decided years ago that it’d be easier to explain price one time than to apologize for poor quality or poor service forever [pause] and I’ll bet you’re glad we made that decision, aren’t you?”
If you can make the prospect feel about your product the way you do, they’ll buy if they can come up with the money.
You must transfer the feeling of “I believe in this product so strongly that I bought it myself.”
If you don’t honestly feel the prospect will lose out by not buying, you won’t be nearly as effective in sales.
Never confuse your situation with your prospect’s. Your wants, needs, desires, tastes, and capacity to pay have no bearing on the prospect.
The Heart of Your Sales Career
Point out the big picture cost. For example, “If you can’t afford to repair your roof, won’t it be even more difficult to replace your furniture and repaint, and still have to afford the new roof?”
It’s highly likely that you can use the prospect’s reason for not buying as the reason they should buy. For example, “If you’re serious when you say you can’t afford this sales training course, may I gently suggest that you need to take whatever steps are necessary to take it? This course will help you sell more. How many extra sales would you need to make to get your investment back?”
You tell people from your head, but you persuade, and sell, from the heart.
If you use all logic in a sales presentation, the prospect will be educated and buy from someone else. If you use all emotion, you’ll likely make the sale, but the prospect will cancel the order. Use both logic and emotion to make a sale today and have a happy customer for the future.
Logic appeals to the eye; emotion appears to the ear. Tell people what your product will do, but also demonstrate it.
“Words alone will often fail, so he demonstrates to make the sale.” A demonstration increases believability. If the buyer only hears something they’ll forget, if they only see it they’ll remember it, but if they hear, see, and do, they’ll understand and be more inclined to buy.
When you’re talking to a prospect, remember that in most cases they’re happy to give info if you just ask.
Don’t put down the prospect’s previous purchase or previous salesperson, or they may take it as an attack on their judgment. Say, “In retrospect, most of us would make decisions differently. At that time you made this choice, most people would’ve done the same thing you did, so don’t feel bad.” The best way to get a prospect to make a favorable new decision is to make him happy with an old one.
Lack of trust is the major reason a prospect won’t buy from you.
The Sales Professional
People often buy not because they understand the offer, but because they feel you understand them.
Let the prospect use the product temporarily so they become attached to it.
"You make the sale when the prospect understands that it will cost more to do nothing about the problem than to do something about it." Say, “If you buy the item the savings will pay for it. If you don't buy it, your daily losses will soon be more than the cost. In other words, you can get it and let it pay for itself or you can choose not to get it and still pay for it through losses. Since you’ve got to pay for it either way, doesn’t it make sense to get it?
“Don't just tell them – show the figures at the same time. Prospects make the decision to buy based on what they understand and believe.”
Imagination and Word Pictures
Words that sell: your prospect’s name, understand, proven, health, easy, guarantee, money, safety, save, new, love, discovery, right, results, truth, comfort, proud, profit, dessert, happy, trust, value, fun, vital, you, security, advantage, positive, benefits.
Words that unsell: deal, cost, pay, contract, sign, try, worry, loss, lose, hurt, buy, sell, sold, price, decision, hard, difficult, obligation, liable, liability, fail, failure.
"Learn how to take the verbal paint brush and paint them (your prospects) right into the picture. You have got to put your prospect in the car and show him enjoying the luxury, comfort, or economy of driving your particular car. … the picture must be in color and in the present tense.” … Word pictures should “paint beauty, luxury, love, satisfaction, enjoyment, success, performance.”
When the benefits are delayed for years, "it is important that an emotional picture of those delayed benefits be burned indelibly into that prospect’s mind. This greatly reduces the possibility of cancellation."
In most cases involving significant purchases, if you do not encounter objections from the prospect … you do not have a prospect.” They wouldn’t object if they weren’t interested.
When the prospect keeps objecting, it could be that they’re not the decision-maker. Ask, “If I can answer your question to your satisfaction that this is the right product, at the right time and at the right price, are you personally in a position to give me an order for the product today, and would you be willing to do so?”
If prospect asks about price before you’re ready, say, “There are so many factors involved in price, such as size, model, terms, and deliver, I hesitate to answer before we have narrowed down the choices I am about to offer you.”
When prospect says they need to think about it, say, "Sometimes when people say, ‘let me think about it,’ what they're really saying is they don't like the idea. Let's speak frankly for a moment. Please – don't just be polite. Is there something you feel uncomfortable about? Something else you want to know?”
“Offer the tangible as the reason for buying, but emphasize the intangible as the excuse for buying.” Example: the reason for buying is a beautiful lake lot and the excuse for buying is relaxed living, longer life, etc.
The Nuts and Bolts of Selling
Ask, “Do you want this single unit, or would you like three for a 15% discount?” In many cases you can sell a larger order by simply asking that.
If prospect asks, "Does it come in green?" ask, "Do you want it if it comes in green?" When he responds, he's bought. Your tying him down with that.
Create a pro-con list in front of the customer. Put "you like it" as number one under pros. If you've done your job, you'll have far more pros than cons. Show the prospect the list and ask, "Which of these weigh heaviest?” This helps not only make the sale but keep the sale.
Ask, "Can you see how using this would increase your sales? Are you interested in increasing your sales? If you were ever going to start increasing your sales, when do you think would be the best time to start?"
The Keys in Closing
Be an assistant buyer. Help the customer solve their problem by acquiring your products or services.
Listen with your eyes with CHEF:
C: chin or cheek. When prospect rubs or holds in hand, it's a satisfaction/gratification sign. Now's the time to close.
H: hands. If they're gently massaging each other, prospect is ready to buy.
E: eyes. The wider the eyes, the more he's listening and buying. If eyes are wide, with crow's feet, and they begin to relax, it's time to close.
F: friendly. When prospect smiles, uses friendly phrases, relaxes, or becomes quiet and considering, close the sale.
Listen for questions that show the prospect is ready to buy, such as questions about model, warranty, payment, etc.
"Treat everyone as if he is a valuable customer. He is - or he could be if he's treated like one."
October 16, 2020
I'm in sales and I never thought that I'd read this book. I simply had no interest to really hear out and learn from the old school "sales gurus." When I first started my sales gig, I bought the CD set of Brian Tracy's Psychology of Selling from B&N; I thought that surely would be enough 20th century selling skill to get me going. Well, there's no doubt that knowledge is a continuing process, and not a product, and Zig really expands on that selling knowledge.
Despite this book being nearly 40 years old, the wisdom is so passionately and humorously conveyed that its hard not to learn something even if what you do has nothing to do with "selling." Although he makes up a "close," and a cheesy name for that close, out of nearly any act of persuasion or agreement ("Is that fair enough close"), he is specific, detailed and very creative in his lessons and examples. He tells hilarious stories and keeps you drawn in, even if there are occasional points of redundancy.
"You can have everything you want in life, if you just help enough people get what they want."
He's a savant at questioning and really breaks down the power and versatility of questions. A point, an argument, and a sale can each be made through a series of questions rather than an aggressive pitch, and he's got stories on stories to back that up, exemplifying the specific, and rather simple, questioning that got him the sale.
He also presses on characteristics that make a great salesman (and a decent human being): credibility, sincerity, and a positive/resilient attitude can separate the wheat from the chaff.
This is all just the tip of the iceberg of what he goes over, and what immediately sticks out as my favorite parts of the book. I have Tim Ferriss and Seth Godin to thank for the recommendation. Would definitely recommend anyone to read/listen to this book whether they're in sales or not.
Despite this book being nearly 40 years old, the wisdom is so passionately and humorously conveyed that its hard not to learn something even if what you do has nothing to do with "selling." Although he makes up a "close," and a cheesy name for that close, out of nearly any act of persuasion or agreement ("Is that fair enough close"), he is specific, detailed and very creative in his lessons and examples. He tells hilarious stories and keeps you drawn in, even if there are occasional points of redundancy.
"You can have everything you want in life, if you just help enough people get what they want."
He's a savant at questioning and really breaks down the power and versatility of questions. A point, an argument, and a sale can each be made through a series of questions rather than an aggressive pitch, and he's got stories on stories to back that up, exemplifying the specific, and rather simple, questioning that got him the sale.
He also presses on characteristics that make a great salesman (and a decent human being): credibility, sincerity, and a positive/resilient attitude can separate the wheat from the chaff.
This is all just the tip of the iceberg of what he goes over, and what immediately sticks out as my favorite parts of the book. I have Tim Ferriss and Seth Godin to thank for the recommendation. Would definitely recommend anyone to read/listen to this book whether they're in sales or not.
March 1, 2013
What hasn't Zig sold in his life?? By the end of this book, I wanted to buy some Tupperware from a slick, southern salesman in a nice suit!
Zig is a master storyteller and wordsmith. He had me chuckling out loud (not quite LOL) with his endless stories, smooth selling techniques and southern charm.
I may start using language like "Mr. or Mrs. Prospect" thanks to him.
The audio book was definitely more enjoyable with Zig himself doing the reading.
RIP, Zig. I learned a lot from the Salesman of salesman.
Zig is a master storyteller and wordsmith. He had me chuckling out loud (not quite LOL) with his endless stories, smooth selling techniques and southern charm.
I may start using language like "Mr. or Mrs. Prospect" thanks to him.
The audio book was definitely more enjoyable with Zig himself doing the reading.
RIP, Zig. I learned a lot from the Salesman of salesman.
December 21, 2013
Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:
1- "If, in your heart, you really feel the sales process is something you do t0 the prospect, then you are a manipulator. The dictionary defines manipulate: "To control the action of, by management; also, to manage artfully or fraudulently. Manipulation: Skillful or dexterous management, sometimes for purpose of fraud, state of being manipulated." I'll be the first to admit that manipulators make sales, but in my thirty-six years in the profession I have never known even one manipulator who was successful in the profession. If, in your heart, you feel the sales process is something you do for the prospect, then this book could represent a significant addition to your sales library. Your benefits will be considerable because you are truly interested in benefiting others."
2- "You've got to establish that trust and respect with your prospects if you expect to be a sales professional. This should be obvious. but for fear it's not, I'll spell it out. Again, you cannot be one kind of person and another kind of salesperson. You must be consistent in all areas of life if you are going to achieve maximum results in building your sales career. That's one of the major reasons we deal with the entire person rather than just the salesperson throughout this book. This is one of the "not-so-little" things that make the buying difference in the prospect's mind."
3- "People forget price but they'll never forget poor quality or a poor choice. They generally give the salesperson a generous portion of the blame. Some of that goes with the territory, but too much blame means you won't have the territory for long."
4- "High performers in the world of selling establish trust with customers by one-on-one, eye-to-eye communication skills. They maintain n trust by personally assuming responsibility for completing the sale, which means servicing the account on an ongoing basis and utilizing their company support people in the most effective manner. High performers demonstrated great integrity with their follow-through and belief that the sale is not complete until the product is installed and functioning satisfactorily."
5- "The critical step: in the world of selling is this step of honesty which is your total conviction, your complete belief that the product or service you sell is the best buy for the prospect."
6- "Sympathy means you feel like another person feels. Empathy means you understand how the other person feels, though you do not feel the same way...To be truly professional you must be able to comfortably move from the seller's side of the table to the buyer's side. If you know how your prospect thinks and feels, you're definitely going to sell more of what you're selling because you will communicate more effectively."
7- "One myth—that a salesperson should not get involved with customer concerns other than the purpose of the sales call—was exploded, as was the concept that price isn't important and that you should "promise them anything" to close a sale. Customers want and expect heir salespeople to be able to act as trustworthy resources who respond directly and provide them expertise, backed by effective recommendations. One significant characteristic of the high producer is his willingness to explain product drawbacks."
8- " H in the heart of your sales career is honesty, E is ego and empathy, A is your attitude toward you your prospects and profession, R is for physical, mental, and spiritual reserve, T is for tough—and the toughest thing is love"
9- "When the inner man speaks, the I not speak from the heart unless he truly believes in his product and/or service. This means that he must have paid the price by obtaining profound knowledge of his product or service. One must also believe this product/service is unquestionably what the customer/patient needs."
10- "Almost without exception, every product or service can be sold by painting word pictures, especially if the pictures are in the present tense. As I've previously stated, we think in pictures and we buy pictures if we are painted into the picture as satisfied customers."
11- "It's better to have the no today than tomorrow for the simple reason it clears your mind. You can now pursue new prospects and not count on that one for a future sale. Once you do, you fall into the trap of not prospecting for new prospects and the sale you miss today will cost you sales tomorrow."
12- "There is one specific point, however, when I throw in the towel and withdraw my efforts to close. That point is when the prospect makes it clear—after seeing the benefits—that he has no interest and cannot or will not buy. Until that point, however, I am going to make an honest effort to close the sale."
13- "I deal with and use questions in every segment of Secrets of Closing the Sale. There is no doubt in my mind that your career as a salesperson will move forward faster as a direct result of learning how to ask questions and how to use the proper voice inflection than from any other skills you might develop."
14- "To build a sales career, you need to acquire the knowledge made available through sales trainers, books, recordings, and seminars. With that knowledge you should weave in a poetic philosophy of life which says that "you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." To the knowledge and poetic philosophy, add the common sense of the old farmer which says, "Friend, I don't care what you do, know you've got to work and work hard at seeing new prospects and servicing old customers." You have a moral obligation to work so hard at building your sales career and becoming truly professional that as my friend John Nevin from Australia says, "If anyone ever sees you coming and says, 'Here comes a salesman,' you won't let him down.'"
1- "If, in your heart, you really feel the sales process is something you do t0 the prospect, then you are a manipulator. The dictionary defines manipulate: "To control the action of, by management; also, to manage artfully or fraudulently. Manipulation: Skillful or dexterous management, sometimes for purpose of fraud, state of being manipulated." I'll be the first to admit that manipulators make sales, but in my thirty-six years in the profession I have never known even one manipulator who was successful in the profession. If, in your heart, you feel the sales process is something you do for the prospect, then this book could represent a significant addition to your sales library. Your benefits will be considerable because you are truly interested in benefiting others."
2- "You've got to establish that trust and respect with your prospects if you expect to be a sales professional. This should be obvious. but for fear it's not, I'll spell it out. Again, you cannot be one kind of person and another kind of salesperson. You must be consistent in all areas of life if you are going to achieve maximum results in building your sales career. That's one of the major reasons we deal with the entire person rather than just the salesperson throughout this book. This is one of the "not-so-little" things that make the buying difference in the prospect's mind."
3- "People forget price but they'll never forget poor quality or a poor choice. They generally give the salesperson a generous portion of the blame. Some of that goes with the territory, but too much blame means you won't have the territory for long."
4- "High performers in the world of selling establish trust with customers by one-on-one, eye-to-eye communication skills. They maintain n trust by personally assuming responsibility for completing the sale, which means servicing the account on an ongoing basis and utilizing their company support people in the most effective manner. High performers demonstrated great integrity with their follow-through and belief that the sale is not complete until the product is installed and functioning satisfactorily."
5- "The critical step: in the world of selling is this step of honesty which is your total conviction, your complete belief that the product or service you sell is the best buy for the prospect."
6- "Sympathy means you feel like another person feels. Empathy means you understand how the other person feels, though you do not feel the same way...To be truly professional you must be able to comfortably move from the seller's side of the table to the buyer's side. If you know how your prospect thinks and feels, you're definitely going to sell more of what you're selling because you will communicate more effectively."
7- "One myth—that a salesperson should not get involved with customer concerns other than the purpose of the sales call—was exploded, as was the concept that price isn't important and that you should "promise them anything" to close a sale. Customers want and expect heir salespeople to be able to act as trustworthy resources who respond directly and provide them expertise, backed by effective recommendations. One significant characteristic of the high producer is his willingness to explain product drawbacks."
8- " H in the heart of your sales career is honesty, E is ego and empathy, A is your attitude toward you your prospects and profession, R is for physical, mental, and spiritual reserve, T is for tough—and the toughest thing is love"
9- "When the inner man speaks, the I not speak from the heart unless he truly believes in his product and/or service. This means that he must have paid the price by obtaining profound knowledge of his product or service. One must also believe this product/service is unquestionably what the customer/patient needs."
10- "Almost without exception, every product or service can be sold by painting word pictures, especially if the pictures are in the present tense. As I've previously stated, we think in pictures and we buy pictures if we are painted into the picture as satisfied customers."
11- "It's better to have the no today than tomorrow for the simple reason it clears your mind. You can now pursue new prospects and not count on that one for a future sale. Once you do, you fall into the trap of not prospecting for new prospects and the sale you miss today will cost you sales tomorrow."
12- "There is one specific point, however, when I throw in the towel and withdraw my efforts to close. That point is when the prospect makes it clear—after seeing the benefits—that he has no interest and cannot or will not buy. Until that point, however, I am going to make an honest effort to close the sale."
13- "I deal with and use questions in every segment of Secrets of Closing the Sale. There is no doubt in my mind that your career as a salesperson will move forward faster as a direct result of learning how to ask questions and how to use the proper voice inflection than from any other skills you might develop."
14- "To build a sales career, you need to acquire the knowledge made available through sales trainers, books, recordings, and seminars. With that knowledge you should weave in a poetic philosophy of life which says that "you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." To the knowledge and poetic philosophy, add the common sense of the old farmer which says, "Friend, I don't care what you do, know you've got to work and work hard at seeing new prospects and servicing old customers." You have a moral obligation to work so hard at building your sales career and becoming truly professional that as my friend John Nevin from Australia says, "If anyone ever sees you coming and says, 'Here comes a salesman,' you won't let him down.'"
January 2, 2015
Yikes - I almost feel sacrilegious in rating this lower than a 4 star, but bear with me on this.
First - the good. Zig was one of the fathers of sales. When in that context, you can't help but give this guy amazing props for his groundbreaking (at the time) ability to get to the nut of the sales process. This is at a time when sales was learning to be about the customer and much about getting the sale. From an educational standpoint, if you are in sales, this is a must-read. He really got things from a psychology perspective and understood how to move them to a position of making a decision. You can't miss on that front. He even often mentioned how important it was to meet the customers' needs and drive the sale to that conclusion, although it was inevitably going to be closing the sale, because obviously they need your product. And let's just say - the guy was a word-magician - he could take any objection and show you with math or other way why buying the product is the right choice for you. To see him in action in person would have been something to watch for sure - like a TV show!
So now, the 'but'. All those things were wonderful, but I couldn't help but feel queasy in my stomach while reading it. In the end of the day, because of the perspective, I couldn't get past feeling like it was manipulation. Today's sales often are about finding true "fits" for the products that you sell. Finding the people you can help, and selling to them in a way that it's a win-win. While there are a lot of 'tricks' you can pick up in this book, I just can't help but feel that the world is changing, and tricks just aren't going to cut it. Reading a book like the "Apple Experience" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) really gives the alternative point of view on how a company can approach sales, and I guess for me, this is the method I prefer to use with my team.
So - amazing book for Zig's time - truly a groundbreaking leader in sales, and was instrumental in getting to where we are in sales today. A must-read for those who like to see 'the big picture' of how sales got to where it is today. But I think there are better books out there for salespeople today that get closer to the nut of working with your customers for a win-win. (See my profile if you want to find my recommendations!)
First - the good. Zig was one of the fathers of sales. When in that context, you can't help but give this guy amazing props for his groundbreaking (at the time) ability to get to the nut of the sales process. This is at a time when sales was learning to be about the customer and much about getting the sale. From an educational standpoint, if you are in sales, this is a must-read. He really got things from a psychology perspective and understood how to move them to a position of making a decision. You can't miss on that front. He even often mentioned how important it was to meet the customers' needs and drive the sale to that conclusion, although it was inevitably going to be closing the sale, because obviously they need your product. And let's just say - the guy was a word-magician - he could take any objection and show you with math or other way why buying the product is the right choice for you. To see him in action in person would have been something to watch for sure - like a TV show!
So now, the 'but'. All those things were wonderful, but I couldn't help but feel queasy in my stomach while reading it. In the end of the day, because of the perspective, I couldn't get past feeling like it was manipulation. Today's sales often are about finding true "fits" for the products that you sell. Finding the people you can help, and selling to them in a way that it's a win-win. While there are a lot of 'tricks' you can pick up in this book, I just can't help but feel that the world is changing, and tricks just aren't going to cut it. Reading a book like the "Apple Experience" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) really gives the alternative point of view on how a company can approach sales, and I guess for me, this is the method I prefer to use with my team.
So - amazing book for Zig's time - truly a groundbreaking leader in sales, and was instrumental in getting to where we are in sales today. A must-read for those who like to see 'the big picture' of how sales got to where it is today. But I think there are better books out there for salespeople today that get closer to the nut of working with your customers for a win-win. (See my profile if you want to find my recommendations!)
April 13, 2015
Super entertaining and fun book to read plus Zig is a genius at sales. The biggest idea I took from this book is having the belief and being proud of your product, there's also tons of other cool stuff but when Zig Ziglar talked about belief it felt really powerful. Really cool book if you're into sales or marketing, definitely check it out!
December 10, 2018
In one word: outdated.
This book received two stars because there were some (minor) tidbits that can be applied. However, Ziglar's attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. Some will argue he was "just the product of his time." And while this might be true... I'm not really interested in becoming much like him.
This book received two stars because there were some (minor) tidbits that can be applied. However, Ziglar's attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. Some will argue he was "just the product of his time." And while this might be true... I'm not really interested in becoming much like him.
August 28, 2014
This has a lot of great ideas and good info. I would like to make closing not feel like "selling" at all. I want to help people. Zig has a good starting point for that by encouraging honest and trust and faith in what you are doing. So a good read, but it did get kind of tedious by the end.
December 24, 2025
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Древний артефакт эпохи, который потерял актуальность лет 50 назад. Впрочем, сама книга плохая по причине неумения автора лаконично и чётко передавать свои мысли. В книге очень много пустословия (90%) и невероятно мало конкретики (10%). И ещё. Эта книга воспринимается таким образом, что как будто она была написана, когда в США была широко распространена практика продаж по системе от двери к двери, т.е. книга ориентирована на коммивояжёров начала XX века.
Очень трудно найти что-то ценное у автора, т.к. вся книга наполнена историями из жизни автора или совершенно придуманными историями, которые якобы должны продемонстрировать практику эффективных продаж. Получилось ужасно и в духе книг по самопомощи написанных в начале XX века. Рискну предположить, что сегодня в такой литературе нет никакой надобности (на книжном рынке полно книг по продажам без всех этих придуманных историй).
What I'm suggesting is basic. Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information.
<…>
I asked that Redhead of mine (she is a "decided" redhead, meaning that one day she just decided to be a redhead!) to marry me and she said no. I asked her the second time; she said no. Third time, no. Fourth time, no. Fifth time, no. Sixth time, yes. No, she did not change her mind. What she did was very simple. She made a new decision based on new information which produced a new feeling.
<…>
No, the prospect won't change his mind, but he will be delighted to make a new decision, based on new information.
<…>
Lesson: Don't lie or mislead by omission.
<…>
In my judgment, voice inflection is the most important single undeveloped skill you need to concentrate on in your pursuit of professional sales excellence.
<…>
The professional learns his product, his job, and his clientele. He learns how to use the right words and body language to persuade people to take action. Then he makes absolutely certain he delivers everything he sells and then some.
Как видим, идеи здравые, но оформлены они просто ужасно. Все эти бесконечные истории призваны лишь увеличить объём книги, а не помочь читателю усвоить материал. Впрочем, возможно в те годы такой способ написания книг по бизнесу в стиле самопомощи был самым популярным. Всё это, тем не менее, создаёт образ клишированного продавца, цель которого не чтобы клиент остался доволен, а чтобы он расстался со своими деньгами, т.е. продать свой продукт чего бы это ни стоило, любыми средствами всучить товар покупателю. Это особенно видно в нижеследующей цитате, после которой я бросил читать книгу.
Bill understood how the prospects felt, but he did not feel the same way, because he had bought his own set of cookware. He had made the sacrifice so he could look them in the eye and say, "I know how you feel, but I know from experience it's worth the sacrifice. You’ll never regret it."
Results were dramatic. His sales skyrocketed because he was selling from a belief base tied directly to his heart.
Ну вот прям типичный образ продавца прохвоста. И как итог: лучше найти что-то более современное, учитывая, что содержание книг на данную тему не сильно изменилось.
An ancient artifact of its time, which lost its relevance 50 years ago. However, the book itself is poor due to the author's inability to convey his thoughts concisely and clearly. The book contains a lot of empty talk (90%) and very little substance (10%). And another thing. This book gives the impression that it was written when door-to-door sales were widespread in the United States, i.e., the book is aimed at salespeople of the early 20th century.
It is very difficult to find anything valuable in this author's work, as the entire book is filled with stories from the author's life or completely fictional stories that are supposed to demonstrate effective sales practices. The result is terrible and reminiscent of self-help books written in the early 20th century. I would venture to suggest that there is no need for such literature today (the book market is full of books on sale without all these fictional stories).
What I'm suggesting is basic. Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information.
<…>
I asked that Redhead of mine (she is a "decided" redhead, meaning that one day she just decided to be a redhead!) to marry me and she said no. I asked her the second time; she said no. Third time, no. Fourth time, no. Fifth time, no. Sixth time, yes. No, she did not change her mind. What she did was very simple. She made a new decision based on new information which produced a new feeling.
<…>
No, the prospect won't change his mind, but he will be delighted to make a new decision, based on new information.
<…>
Lesson: Don't lie or mislead by omission.
<…>
In my judgment, voice inflection is the most important single undeveloped skill you need to concentrate on in your pursuit of professional sales excellence.
<…>
The professional learns his product, his job, and his clientele. He learns how to use the right words and body language to persuade people to take action. Then he makes absolutely certain he delivers everything he sells and then some.
As we can see, the ideas are sound, but they are presented in a terrible way. All these endless stories are only meant to increase the volume of the book, not to help the reader absorb the material. However, perhaps in those years, this method of writing self-help business books was the most popular. All this, however, creates the image of a clichéd salesperson whose goal is not to satisfy the customer, but to part them with their money, i.e., to sell the product at any cost, by any means necessary. This is particularly evident in the following quote, after which I stopped reading the book.
Bill understood how the prospects felt, but he did not feel the same way, because he had bought his own set of cookware. He had made the sacrifice so he could look them in the eye and say, "I know how you feel, but I know from experience it's worth the sacrifice. You’ll never regret it."
Results were dramatic. His sales skyrocketed because he was selling from a belief base tied directly to his heart.
Well, this is a typical image of a crooked salesman. And the bottom line is: it's better to find something more modern, considering that the content of books on this topic hasn't changed much.
Древний артефакт эпохи, который потерял актуальность лет 50 назад. Впрочем, сама книга плохая по причине неумения автора лаконично и чётко передавать свои мысли. В книге очень много пустословия (90%) и невероятно мало конкретики (10%). И ещё. Эта книга воспринимается таким образом, что как будто она была написана, когда в США была широко распространена практика продаж по системе от двери к двери, т.е. книга ориентирована на коммивояжёров начала XX века.
Очень трудно найти что-то ценное у автора, т.к. вся книга наполнена историями из жизни автора или совершенно придуманными историями, которые якобы должны продемонстрировать практику эффективных продаж. Получилось ужасно и в духе книг по самопомощи написанных в начале XX века. Рискну предположить, что сегодня в такой литературе нет никакой надобности (на книжном рынке полно книг по продажам без всех этих придуманных историй).
What I'm suggesting is basic. Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information.
<…>
I asked that Redhead of mine (she is a "decided" redhead, meaning that one day she just decided to be a redhead!) to marry me and she said no. I asked her the second time; she said no. Third time, no. Fourth time, no. Fifth time, no. Sixth time, yes. No, she did not change her mind. What she did was very simple. She made a new decision based on new information which produced a new feeling.
<…>
No, the prospect won't change his mind, but he will be delighted to make a new decision, based on new information.
<…>
Lesson: Don't lie or mislead by omission.
<…>
In my judgment, voice inflection is the most important single undeveloped skill you need to concentrate on in your pursuit of professional sales excellence.
<…>
The professional learns his product, his job, and his clientele. He learns how to use the right words and body language to persuade people to take action. Then he makes absolutely certain he delivers everything he sells and then some.
Как видим, идеи здравые, но оформлены они просто ужасно. Все эти бесконечные истории призваны лишь увеличить объём книги, а не помочь читателю усвоить материал. Впрочем, возможно в те годы такой способ написания книг по бизнесу в стиле самопомощи был самым популярным. Всё это, тем не менее, создаёт образ клишированного продавца, цель которого не чтобы клиент остался доволен, а чтобы он расстался со своими деньгами, т.е. продать свой продукт чего бы это ни стоило, любыми средствами всучить товар покупателю. Это особенно видно в нижеследующей цитате, после которой я бросил читать книгу.
Bill understood how the prospects felt, but he did not feel the same way, because he had bought his own set of cookware. He had made the sacrifice so he could look them in the eye and say, "I know how you feel, but I know from experience it's worth the sacrifice. You’ll never regret it."
Results were dramatic. His sales skyrocketed because he was selling from a belief base tied directly to his heart.
Ну вот прям типичный образ продавца прохвоста. И как итог: лучше найти что-то более современное, учитывая, что содержание книг на данную тему не сильно изменилось.
An ancient artifact of its time, which lost its relevance 50 years ago. However, the book itself is poor due to the author's inability to convey his thoughts concisely and clearly. The book contains a lot of empty talk (90%) and very little substance (10%). And another thing. This book gives the impression that it was written when door-to-door sales were widespread in the United States, i.e., the book is aimed at salespeople of the early 20th century.
It is very difficult to find anything valuable in this author's work, as the entire book is filled with stories from the author's life or completely fictional stories that are supposed to demonstrate effective sales practices. The result is terrible and reminiscent of self-help books written in the early 20th century. I would venture to suggest that there is no need for such literature today (the book market is full of books on sale without all these fictional stories).
What I'm suggesting is basic. Learn as much as you can about your prospect and capitalize on that information.
<…>
I asked that Redhead of mine (she is a "decided" redhead, meaning that one day she just decided to be a redhead!) to marry me and she said no. I asked her the second time; she said no. Third time, no. Fourth time, no. Fifth time, no. Sixth time, yes. No, she did not change her mind. What she did was very simple. She made a new decision based on new information which produced a new feeling.
<…>
No, the prospect won't change his mind, but he will be delighted to make a new decision, based on new information.
<…>
Lesson: Don't lie or mislead by omission.
<…>
In my judgment, voice inflection is the most important single undeveloped skill you need to concentrate on in your pursuit of professional sales excellence.
<…>
The professional learns his product, his job, and his clientele. He learns how to use the right words and body language to persuade people to take action. Then he makes absolutely certain he delivers everything he sells and then some.
As we can see, the ideas are sound, but they are presented in a terrible way. All these endless stories are only meant to increase the volume of the book, not to help the reader absorb the material. However, perhaps in those years, this method of writing self-help business books was the most popular. All this, however, creates the image of a clichéd salesperson whose goal is not to satisfy the customer, but to part them with their money, i.e., to sell the product at any cost, by any means necessary. This is particularly evident in the following quote, after which I stopped reading the book.
Bill understood how the prospects felt, but he did not feel the same way, because he had bought his own set of cookware. He had made the sacrifice so he could look them in the eye and say, "I know how you feel, but I know from experience it's worth the sacrifice. You’ll never regret it."
Results were dramatic. His sales skyrocketed because he was selling from a belief base tied directly to his heart.
Well, this is a typical image of a crooked salesman. And the bottom line is: it's better to find something more modern, considering that the content of books on this topic hasn't changed much.
August 12, 2020
One of my favourites to go back to. You simply won’t get everything you want from this in one passing. You’ll want to go back to it many many times. I find myself completely engrossed in the stories he tells, which are funny, fast-paced and absolutely crammed with sales wisdom. But it’s not just about sales. It’s about personal and professional development, too. It’s a classic, don’t miss it. I feel good every time I revisit it.
October 31, 2021
This is the best sales book I've ever read!
January 21, 2014
You cannot help but love Zig as he tells you the anecdotes behind each close. Pretty inspiring and helpful when you're brand new to the world of selling (or when you're "officially" a salesman). Highly recommended.
June 9, 2014
Great content but terrible layout. The author was all over the place and at times incredibly redundant. This book should be half the size. People in my field swear by it and I was super disappointed.
July 26, 2020
The first time I started reading this book I stopped quite quickly. I felt it was dated and didn't contain too much that was useful to me. And I was probably also a little put off by the salesy techniques.
I'm now glad I gave it a second shot and I must say I enjoyed it.
Zig structures his book up around a series of different sales topics, but what it's mostly about is conversational techniques, which he calls "closes".
I personally wouldn't take these too literally, as many of them seem too artificial and salesy for modern times, but rather consider them an inspiration on how to improve your sales conversations.
Overall a good long read for anyone who wants to get better at selling.
I'm now glad I gave it a second shot and I must say I enjoyed it.
Zig structures his book up around a series of different sales topics, but what it's mostly about is conversational techniques, which he calls "closes".
I personally wouldn't take these too literally, as many of them seem too artificial and salesy for modern times, but rather consider them an inspiration on how to improve your sales conversations.
Overall a good long read for anyone who wants to get better at selling.
March 26, 2024
I learned a few new tactics but most of the advice I was already doing, and the rest felt very outdated.
August 23, 2019
Generally a book full of good tips for selling, convincing, and coming to an agreement. Human nature continues to stay the same and so the tactics utilized are pretty much timeless.
August 23, 2021
Để thực sự trở thành những chuyên gia bán hàng, bạn phải có khả năng tách mình ra khỏi vị trí người bán để đặt mình vào vị trí của người mua. Nếu bạn hiểu đc khách hàng cảm nhận và nghĩ như thế nào, chắc chắn bạn sẽ bán được nhiều hàng và đáp ứng đúng nhu cầu của họ hơn.
Câu chuyện bán bảo hiểm cho binh lính: nếu các anh mua và tử trận, bảo hiểm-nhà nước phải đền bù 10k usd. Vậy thử nghĩ xem nếu ra trận với nhiệm vụ nguy hiểm, giữa những người phải đền 10k và người không phải đền đồng nào, chính phủ sẽ cử ai vào nhiệm vụ?
Thuyết phục khách hàng thử sp của mình khi họ đang trung thành với đối thủ: hãy đặt cạnh nhau, và khi họ tới, nhìn thấy ông đang sd song song, họ sẽ phải ý thức nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ của mình. Và thế là ông nhận được giá trị cạnh tranh tốt nhất, đồng thời có thời gian thử nghiệm và so sánh.
Khi khách hàng nói không, họ chỉ từ chối sp chứ không phải từ chối bạn. Hãy đối xử thật tử tế với khách hàng, tạo cho họ cơ hội để cảm nhận giá trị của sự hoài nghi để từ đó (biết đâu) thay đổi qđ sai lầm của mình.
Không ai sinh ra đã có sẵn khiếu bán hàng. Do vậy, hãy biết rằng, người chiến thắng trong mỗi cuộc giao dịch luôn là người được đào tạo tốt nhất.
Khi ai đó đưa ra một phản đối mang tính chất lí trí, hãy giải quyết vấn đề bằng tình cảm. Còn phản đối mang tính tình cảm thì hãy dùng lí trí để giải quyết nó.
“Tôi chỉ xem thôi”-> cười, lùi lại một bước, tỏ ra không có ý thức ép j họ cả, “vâng, chúng tôi rất vui khi được phục vụ ông, ông cứ xem tự nhiên ạ.” Và như kiểu sực nhớ ra “à, và nếu chúng tôi không có đúng những j ông muốn, tôi có thể chỉ cho ô chỗ để mua nó. Như thế có đc ko thưa ông?”
Niềm tin tích cực: luôn tin rằng mình bán được hàng ngay cả trước khi mình gặp khách hàng đó. Hiện thực hoá cảm xúc ngay trong tâm trí. Hình dung thương vụ thật chi tiết, giải quyết trước mọi trở ngại có thể gặp phải, giải đáp mọi câu hỏi bằng câu trả lời tốt nhất. Luôn quan sát mọi lúc mọi nơi. Đánh giá khách hàng, tìm ra điểm yếu của họ, tin rằng họ chắc chắc sẽ mua hàng trước khi bạn đến gặp họ. Bán hàng là quá trình cần giả định và tưởng tượng rất nhiều.
Bán hàng giống như cua gái 😝. Bạn đã bao giờ xin phép nắm tay bạn gái / hôn và bị từ chối thẳng thừng, nhưng sau đó ko lâu 2 người lại tay trong tay đi dạo phố không ? Đôi khi xin phép lại mất đi sự lãng mạn đấy ! Cốt lõi nằm ở sự tinh tế và tự nhiên.
Câu chuyện bán bảo hiểm cho binh lính: nếu các anh mua và tử trận, bảo hiểm-nhà nước phải đền bù 10k usd. Vậy thử nghĩ xem nếu ra trận với nhiệm vụ nguy hiểm, giữa những người phải đền 10k và người không phải đền đồng nào, chính phủ sẽ cử ai vào nhiệm vụ?
Thuyết phục khách hàng thử sp của mình khi họ đang trung thành với đối thủ: hãy đặt cạnh nhau, và khi họ tới, nhìn thấy ông đang sd song song, họ sẽ phải ý thức nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ của mình. Và thế là ông nhận được giá trị cạnh tranh tốt nhất, đồng thời có thời gian thử nghiệm và so sánh.
Khi khách hàng nói không, họ chỉ từ chối sp chứ không phải từ chối bạn. Hãy đối xử thật tử tế với khách hàng, tạo cho họ cơ hội để cảm nhận giá trị của sự hoài nghi để từ đó (biết đâu) thay đổi qđ sai lầm của mình.
Không ai sinh ra đã có sẵn khiếu bán hàng. Do vậy, hãy biết rằng, người chiến thắng trong mỗi cuộc giao dịch luôn là người được đào tạo tốt nhất.
Khi ai đó đưa ra một phản đối mang tính chất lí trí, hãy giải quyết vấn đề bằng tình cảm. Còn phản đối mang tính tình cảm thì hãy dùng lí trí để giải quyết nó.
“Tôi chỉ xem thôi”-> cười, lùi lại một bước, tỏ ra không có ý thức ép j họ cả, “vâng, chúng tôi rất vui khi được phục vụ ông, ông cứ xem tự nhiên ạ.” Và như kiểu sực nhớ ra “à, và nếu chúng tôi không có đúng những j ông muốn, tôi có thể chỉ cho ô chỗ để mua nó. Như thế có đc ko thưa ông?”
Niềm tin tích cực: luôn tin rằng mình bán được hàng ngay cả trước khi mình gặp khách hàng đó. Hiện thực hoá cảm xúc ngay trong tâm trí. Hình dung thương vụ thật chi tiết, giải quyết trước mọi trở ngại có thể gặp phải, giải đáp mọi câu hỏi bằng câu trả lời tốt nhất. Luôn quan sát mọi lúc mọi nơi. Đánh giá khách hàng, tìm ra điểm yếu của họ, tin rằng họ chắc chắc sẽ mua hàng trước khi bạn đến gặp họ. Bán hàng là quá trình cần giả định và tưởng tượng rất nhiều.
Bán hàng giống như cua gái 😝. Bạn đã bao giờ xin phép nắm tay bạn gái / hôn và bị từ chối thẳng thừng, nhưng sau đó ko lâu 2 người lại tay trong tay đi dạo phố không ? Đôi khi xin phép lại mất đi sự lãng mạn đấy ! Cốt lõi nằm ở sự tinh tế và tự nhiên.
January 1, 2018
It's hard to distinguish if he is a snake oil salesman. The audio version is fun because he can talk so fast when he gets on a roll. I'm just gunna jot down my notes:
Questions lead people to a decision. A lot of people don't know what they want because they don't know what's available.
5 reasons your prospect won't buy from you: People don't buy what they really need, money, hurry, desire, trust.
If you repeat to the prospector why the price is rediculous they will tell why they think it is instead of you having to explain yourself.
The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.
"It's better to invest a little more than you planned then a little less than you should. If you invest a little less than you should in the product doesn't do what you wanted it to do then you've lost everything.
You can be beat on price but not on cost. Price is a one-time thing and cost as a lifetime thing. Kinda like the "you get what you pay for" phrase.
It's easier to explain price one time then apologize for quality later.
Selling is a transference of feelings.
I think he confuses empathy with sympathy and the two definitions. Or maybe society has changed the definitions to fit their agendas and motives because of this whole trendy empathy kick we got going on.
Salesmen have the most secure job.
I like that technique of not undermining the other person's judgement. For example when he was going to buy a car the dealer told him he made a good decision with his current car and asked if he got a good deal out of it. Zig said it's the same with raising kids. If you have a kid that is going out with a boy or girl that you don't approve of you don't want to undermine your kids judgement by saying he has a crappy boyfriend/girlfriend. Abraham Lincoln would likewise present the defendants case before presenting his own.
If someone will compromise once they will do it again and it's easier the second time.
Ask the prospector what they think a fair price is.
Questions lead people to a decision. A lot of people don't know what they want because they don't know what's available.
5 reasons your prospect won't buy from you: People don't buy what they really need, money, hurry, desire, trust.
If you repeat to the prospector why the price is rediculous they will tell why they think it is instead of you having to explain yourself.
The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.
"It's better to invest a little more than you planned then a little less than you should. If you invest a little less than you should in the product doesn't do what you wanted it to do then you've lost everything.
You can be beat on price but not on cost. Price is a one-time thing and cost as a lifetime thing. Kinda like the "you get what you pay for" phrase.
It's easier to explain price one time then apologize for quality later.
Selling is a transference of feelings.
I think he confuses empathy with sympathy and the two definitions. Or maybe society has changed the definitions to fit their agendas and motives because of this whole trendy empathy kick we got going on.
Salesmen have the most secure job.
I like that technique of not undermining the other person's judgement. For example when he was going to buy a car the dealer told him he made a good decision with his current car and asked if he got a good deal out of it. Zig said it's the same with raising kids. If you have a kid that is going out with a boy or girl that you don't approve of you don't want to undermine your kids judgement by saying he has a crappy boyfriend/girlfriend. Abraham Lincoln would likewise present the defendants case before presenting his own.
If someone will compromise once they will do it again and it's easier the second time.
Ask the prospector what they think a fair price is.
June 9, 2018
FINALLY I'm through with this book! This whole read is largely outdated and sooooo... American. Most of it won't help you when dealing with customers who have a modicum of common sense left in them.
The author finds the most obnoxious ways to turn the spotlight on himself in every anecdote he tells and it seems the only purpose of this book is to serve as an ode to his magnificence and brilliance as a superior salesman and human being.
You grind your teeth and carry on reading, hoping to get to the core of some of this wishy-washy stuff he is trying to sell you as the best thing since sliced bread.
The bitter truth is that you could have condensed the entire book down to about 30 pages.
What feels like the remaining 90% of the book are phrases typically starting on "If you read this book you will...", "You will become the best salesperson if you follow my advice: ...", "Read this book more than once because my information is so valuable you can't possibly grasp it the first time".
All in all, if you have an IQ of about room-temperature, this book might just blow your mind. Go for it. If not, save yourself the money, time and absolute fury of having to dig through this pile of crap.
The author finds the most obnoxious ways to turn the spotlight on himself in every anecdote he tells and it seems the only purpose of this book is to serve as an ode to his magnificence and brilliance as a superior salesman and human being.
You grind your teeth and carry on reading, hoping to get to the core of some of this wishy-washy stuff he is trying to sell you as the best thing since sliced bread.
The bitter truth is that you could have condensed the entire book down to about 30 pages.
What feels like the remaining 90% of the book are phrases typically starting on "If you read this book you will...", "You will become the best salesperson if you follow my advice: ...", "Read this book more than once because my information is so valuable you can't possibly grasp it the first time".
All in all, if you have an IQ of about room-temperature, this book might just blow your mind. Go for it. If not, save yourself the money, time and absolute fury of having to dig through this pile of crap.
July 18, 2019
I listened to the audio version of this book and I enjoyed it a lot. Zig was an amazing story teller and he provides tons of insights and tips for closing sales within real-life situations. This book is a must-read for salesperson and even if you are not into the sales business, a situation will come where you will be selling an idea, a project or yourself to someone.
One thing that makes a great difference between one salesperson and another is the ability to uncover the real reason or need of the prospect—sometimes even the prospect doesn’t know it!
Also, a lot of salesperson make their prospect feel bad on their last purchase—because they chose the competition or a product the salesperson personally dislikes—and this is terrible because you will make him/her feel like he/she was taken advantage of and will have an extra critic approach to you.
"The critical step: in the world of selling is this step of honesty which is your total conviction, your complete belief that the product or service you sell is the best buy for the prospect"
One thing that makes a great difference between one salesperson and another is the ability to uncover the real reason or need of the prospect—sometimes even the prospect doesn’t know it!
Also, a lot of salesperson make their prospect feel bad on their last purchase—because they chose the competition or a product the salesperson personally dislikes—and this is terrible because you will make him/her feel like he/she was taken advantage of and will have an extra critic approach to you.
"The critical step: in the world of selling is this step of honesty which is your total conviction, your complete belief that the product or service you sell is the best buy for the prospect"
August 10, 2019
I give the 5 stars not because of the many different closing techniques presented, but rather his philosophy on selling from a moral and ethical viewpoint. Also terrific is his philosophy on professional development and how you have to be a lifelong learner to expect any results that are above average.
January 18, 2014
At first I was off put by this book because it was written so long ago for a business book and because Zig can be over the top, but I forced myself to continue. I am so glad I did! I quickly realized that even though my job is not technically "sales," I sell (or fail to sell) everyday. We all do. Realizing this and then learning from the top sales man in the world will help us all go along way. We must decide to serve our customers. We must listen to them to understand what they need. We must do whatever we can to fill their need. We must believe in what we are selling. As Zig says, selling is transfer of feelings. If you don't believe in what your selling you won't sell it.
I listened to the Audio version which is performed live in front of an audience. Zig is truly one of the most inspiring speakers I've heard. I highly recommend everyone listen to the audible version. He is the master. Learn and make the world a better place!
I listened to the Audio version which is performed live in front of an audience. Zig is truly one of the most inspiring speakers I've heard. I highly recommend everyone listen to the audible version. He is the master. Learn and make the world a better place!
February 13, 2008
Sales is such an uncomfortable field for me despite my confidence in the areas of communications and networking. Like negotiating, we are repeatedly told and described to be selling (ourselves or something) all the time. I don't see it in such a strict sense, but I grasp its underlyings. This book eased some tensions I had about sales and sales people. And, there are some helpful tips that many readers, like myself, may never forget. For example, it explains that you can change the decision-making process to derive at a different, more desired response rather than keep forcing the same question/focus.
December 21, 2020
One of the most and amazing book i’ve ever red, valuable book with nice storytelling style which make you would love to finish the story and got the point
Although Ziggler is a great teacher, experienced professional sales man, but he started his book with story of his wife and how she convinced him to buy an out of budget house, finished with story of how his young son convinced him to buy him a ball although they had 12 balls at home!
It’s a real life examples book, started by himself examples and mirror all of his experience to others
It’s not only for sales people, it’s for anyone need development in convincing skills
Although Ziggler is a great teacher, experienced professional sales man, but he started his book with story of his wife and how she convinced him to buy an out of budget house, finished with story of how his young son convinced him to buy him a ball although they had 12 balls at home!
It’s a real life examples book, started by himself examples and mirror all of his experience to others
It’s not only for sales people, it’s for anyone need development in convincing skills
August 9, 2019
It provides a lot of techniques about various aspects such as closing the sale, how to maintain the relationship. Although some techniques are obsolete, the essences are great.
November 11, 2022
As a snapshot to an era where men are treated as the heads of house and women "like getting all dolled up", the book is somewhat entertaining. And as a sales guide, the book has a few compelling cases (though not enough to justify 400 pages). But for the most part, this felt like reading your senile grandpa's journal, full of dad jokes and musings about how life was grand when women wore dresses and men loved Jebus.
I could have Googled "outdated advice from the 1960s" and learned about as much. Extra star for the author's alliterative name making me think of Marvel characters a few times (Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Reed Richards, Otto Octavius, Zig Ziglar, etc).
I could have Googled "outdated advice from the 1960s" and learned about as much. Extra star for the author's alliterative name making me think of Marvel characters a few times (Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Reed Richards, Otto Octavius, Zig Ziglar, etc).
February 21, 2021
A great book for somebody who is just starting sales to learn some basic closing and resclosing techniques and also for an experienced sales person to learn something new. At some point it got a little overwhelming for me, because of the amount of strategies and ideas.
I really enjoyed the stories. Zig is a really great story teller.
Would recommend to read, but definitely make sure that you are taking notes all the time.
I really enjoyed the stories. Zig is a really great story teller.
Would recommend to read, but definitely make sure that you are taking notes all the time.
September 24, 2018
There's a lot to learn about closing techniques in this book. But what I most liked was Zig Ziglar's stories and his respect for the profession of the salesman.
He's so funny that I laughed out loud so many times listening to this book. Be prepared to be amazed by his sense of humor.
I'd love to have him selling something to me.
He's so funny that I laughed out loud so many times listening to this book. Be prepared to be amazed by his sense of humor.
I'd love to have him selling something to me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews