What do you think?
Rate this book
Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative
Accelerate your sales career with this how-to book from an expert in sales
In Elite Sales Strategies, expert sales leader Anthony Iannarino offers his philosophy about becoming a commercial success. This guidebook provides unique insights into how to approach every sale by serving your clients from a position of authority and expertise. As Iannarino himself notes, this technique speaks to an ethical obligation towards your client, combining ethics and tactics to help place you in a position where your strengths can be fully utilized.
This guidebook suggests putting yourself in a "one-up" position, where you, as the salesperson, come to a client in a position of authority and strength, where you yourself are qualified to offer nuanced and helpful advice to companies that have put themselves in a "one-down" position, whether that be by bad decision-making, poor understanding of the marketplace, or bad luck. At its heart, this book suggests you find the advantages that you can provide that will, in turn, help your client become "one-up" themselves in their own field and ensure they achieve the better results they need. In addition, Elite Sales Strategies provides readers with:
A step-by-step approach for how to become "one-up" yourself and what you provide to your clients A healthy analysis of what makes a person or a company "one-down" and tips on how to course correct Strategies, tactics, and talk tracks that will provide you with what you need to become "one-up" Terminology and vocabulary so that you can approach your client with tact and decorum while still addressing the weaknesses of their system
As a successful international speaker, author, and sales leader, Anthony Iannarino brings a unique set of skills to bear in this book. Iannarino's tried-and-true methodology is an ideal resource for sales professionals in all fields, as well as for executives and managers looking to improve their sales success and position within the business world.
In Elite Sales Strategies, expert sales leader Anthony Iannarino offers his philosophy about becoming a commercial success. This guidebook provides unique insights into how to approach every sale by serving your clients from a position of authority and expertise. As Iannarino himself notes, this technique speaks to an ethical obligation towards your client, combining ethics and tactics to help place you in a position where your strengths can be fully utilized.
This guidebook suggests putting yourself in a "one-up" position, where you, as the salesperson, come to a client in a position of authority and strength, where you yourself are qualified to offer nuanced and helpful advice to companies that have put themselves in a "one-down" position, whether that be by bad decision-making, poor understanding of the marketplace, or bad luck. At its heart, this book suggests you find the advantages that you can provide that will, in turn, help your client become "one-up" themselves in their own field and ensure they achieve the better results they need. In addition, Elite Sales Strategies provides readers with:
A step-by-step approach for how to become "one-up" yourself and what you provide to your clients A healthy analysis of what makes a person or a company "one-down" and tips on how to course correct Strategies, tactics, and talk tracks that will provide you with what you need to become "one-up" Terminology and vocabulary so that you can approach your client with tact and decorum while still addressing the weaknesses of their system
As a successful international speaker, author, and sales leader, Anthony Iannarino brings a unique set of skills to bear in this book. Iannarino's tried-and-true methodology is an ideal resource for sales professionals in all fields, as well as for executives and managers looking to improve their sales success and position within the business world.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 11, 2022
86 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 17, 2022
Gartner has shared research recently that customers are only spending 17% of the time in their buying journey with the vendors they are considering. Think about that, if they are looking at you and 2 competitors, you are only getting about 5% of their ENTIRE buying journey to make an impact for your product and service.
So how are you going to differentiate?
I would recommend you dive into Anthony Iannarino's new book Elite Sales Strategies. This book focuses on the skills for being truly consultative and helping your customers move from a position of "One Down" to a position of "One Up". What is One Up and Down?
When you are One Up, you have insight that can help the person you are with effectively navigate their journey. Your mission is not to hold being One Up over their head, but to help them move from a position of One Down to One Up by sharing that insight.
In many sales situations, this may be the first time (or if you are lucky second) that your customer has made this specific purchase. You on the other hand, are helping people navigate this journey everyday so you have One Up insight that will benefit them in being as successful as possible.
Several years ago, Gartner started discussing the concept of Wayfinding. No they weren't giving a review of Disney's Moana, they were focused on Sales Pro's helping their clients navigate their own buying journey. In this book Anthony can arm to you be that Wayfinder.
So how are you going to differentiate?
I would recommend you dive into Anthony Iannarino's new book Elite Sales Strategies. This book focuses on the skills for being truly consultative and helping your customers move from a position of "One Down" to a position of "One Up". What is One Up and Down?
When you are One Up, you have insight that can help the person you are with effectively navigate their journey. Your mission is not to hold being One Up over their head, but to help them move from a position of One Down to One Up by sharing that insight.
In many sales situations, this may be the first time (or if you are lucky second) that your customer has made this specific purchase. You on the other hand, are helping people navigate this journey everyday so you have One Up insight that will benefit them in being as successful as possible.
Several years ago, Gartner started discussing the concept of Wayfinding. No they weren't giving a review of Disney's Moana, they were focused on Sales Pro's helping their clients navigate their own buying journey. In this book Anthony can arm to you be that Wayfinder.
August 29, 2022
Overall, I was positively challenged by his premise to become consultant and provide value to my buyers, especially at the outset.
—
Required reading for work.
Written for B2B selling which doesn’t necessarily translate into my field of sales (Ed tech).
Found his use of data that proves his ideas to be underwhelming and lacking, ie. Not provided often.
Some stories were provided, but stories can be cherry picked. If an author is going to make claims about the superiority of a particular sales method over another, be ready to prove it in a variety of ways.
I found his other previous book on closing to match my criticisms above, too. That book was also required reading for my job.
—
Required reading for work.
Written for B2B selling which doesn’t necessarily translate into my field of sales (Ed tech).
Found his use of data that proves his ideas to be underwhelming and lacking, ie. Not provided often.
Some stories were provided, but stories can be cherry picked. If an author is going to make claims about the superiority of a particular sales method over another, be ready to prove it in a variety of ways.
I found his other previous book on closing to match my criticisms above, too. That book was also required reading for my job.
October 12, 2024
It was OK. The basic premise of being a smart, trusted advisor that adds value as a sales rep seemed solid. I didn't really get his concept of one up and one down sales strategies.
I felt that he trashed older sales strategies which have parts that are old and crap, but he also didn't give any parts like needs cycle or closes any attention where knowing the old basics, and adapting it to a trusted advisor skill is more powerful.
That said, Zig Ziglar was saying that in the 50s...
Anyway.I possibly was tired and not as attentive and maybe the long version is better.
Listened via Blinkest at 3x 18 mins.
I felt that he trashed older sales strategies which have parts that are old and crap, but he also didn't give any parts like needs cycle or closes any attention where knowing the old basics, and adapting it to a trusted advisor skill is more powerful.
That said, Zig Ziglar was saying that in the 50s...
Anyway.I possibly was tired and not as attentive and maybe the long version is better.
Listened via Blinkest at 3x 18 mins.
September 5, 2022
I wanted to like this more as it is so relevant to my career. I did takeaway a few items from this book, but, it slogged on and quite honestly, it was hard to get through.
November 7, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and burned through it. I am excited to put some of these ideas into action and also share them.
November 24, 2022
Whether or not you adopt the one-up approach by name, this book has helpful perspective for modern versus legacy sales approaches.
May 5, 2025
Excellent read for upgrading consulting skills
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews