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Selling The Wheel: Choosing The Best Way To Sell For You Your Company Your Customers
Jeff Cox displayed his remarkable gift for translating complex theories into entertaining stories as the coauthor of Zapp! and The Goal. Now, in collaboration with sales and marketing guru Howard Stevens, CEO of the H. R. Chally Group, he tells a story in the style of an ancient parable to reveal vital lessons gleaned from decades of research on salespeople and customers -- lessons that will help you identify the right way to sell successfully.
Selling the Wheel recounts the story of Max, the resourceful fellow who invented the Wheel and found himself faced with the challenge of convincing people to accept his breakthrough innovation. In so doing, it demonstrates four essential selling styles, each requiring a distinctly different type of salesperson and selling approach. As Chally's research clearly shows, no company can be all things to all sales tactics and strategies must change as technologies and markets mature to reflect new values demanded by customers. Written with humor and filled with practical insights, Selling the Wheel will be treasured by managers, salespeople, and entrepreneurs everywhere.
Selling the Wheel recounts the story of Max, the resourceful fellow who invented the Wheel and found himself faced with the challenge of convincing people to accept his breakthrough innovation. In so doing, it demonstrates four essential selling styles, each requiring a distinctly different type of salesperson and selling approach. As Chally's research clearly shows, no company can be all things to all sales tactics and strategies must change as technologies and markets mature to reflect new values demanded by customers. Written with humor and filled with practical insights, Selling the Wheel will be treasured by managers, salespeople, and entrepreneurs everywhere.
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
33 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
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May 23, 2018
Я не очень люблю бизнес-литературу, написанную в формате "бизнес-романа" (и уж тем более стилизованного под историю из жизни древнего Вавилона)). Тем не менее, Джеф Кокс (если вдруг кто не помнит) - один из соавторов первой книги Элияху Голдратта "Цель". Т.е. книга написана близко к методологии ТОС, но применительно к узкой сфере продаж. И это уже очень весомый аргумент в пользу того, что её стоит прочитать.
Книга построена вокруг ЖЦП (жизненного цикла продаж), состоящего, по мнению автора, из 4 этапов. На каждом этапе рассматривается комплекс факторов: продукт, клиент, маркетинговые мероприятия/реклама, система продаж и управление сбытом, компетенции и типы "идеальных продавцов" и т.п. Всё очень подробно расписано, но если нет желания продираться через псевдохудожественные подробности, то можно сразу заглянуть в конец книги ;) , где вся полезная информация сведена в несколько табличек.
По моему мнению, главным недостатком книги является "слишком широкий размах" модели. Авторы предполагают, что продажи начинаются с оригинального (инновационного) продукта, который сначала выводится на рынок, становится сначала нишевым, потом массовым, потом дифференцируется. Эта некая идеальная динамика, которую не каждый продукт и не на каждом рынке осилит :( .
Для людей из малого-малого бизнеса книга средней полезности; а вот руководителям отделов продаж/сбыта из средних и крупных компаний читать обязательно.
Книга построена вокруг ЖЦП (жизненного цикла продаж), состоящего, по мнению автора, из 4 этапов. На каждом этапе рассматривается комплекс факторов: продукт, клиент, маркетинговые мероприятия/реклама, система продаж и управление сбытом, компетенции и типы "идеальных продавцов" и т.п. Всё очень подробно расписано, но если нет желания продираться через псевдохудожественные подробности, то можно сразу заглянуть в конец книги ;) , где вся полезная информация сведена в несколько табличек.
По моему мнению, главным недостатком книги является "слишком широкий размах" модели. Авторы предполагают, что продажи начинаются с оригинального (инновационного) продукта, который сначала выводится на рынок, становится сначала нишевым, потом массовым, потом дифференцируется. Эта некая идеальная динамика, которую не каждый продукт и не на каждом рынке осилит :( .
Для людей из малого-малого бизнеса книга средней полезности; а вот руководителям отделов продаж/сбыта из средних и крупных компаний читать обязательно.
April 28, 2020
This is a fantastic book of modern sales techniques told as a Fable in ancient times. If you get past the initial hang-up of the anachronistic setting(a modern concept in olden times), you will love everything the book has to say. This is a must-read for anyone new to sales, in sales, and entrepreneurs. This book definitive guides you on how sales would work in different stages of the company.
Takeaways from selling the wheel:
For a product builder like me, it’s important to understand and respect the aspect of Sales. No matter how revolutionary your invention, even as great as the wheel is, it’s important you augment it with a matching sales strategy
Identify the stage of your company and it’s sales arch
Recognize and build for the right marketing and sales approach
Ensure your product evolution, market maturity and sales approach all match
Constantly question the value you add to the customer and what business you want to be in. I am glad to have read this book.
Takeaways from selling the wheel:
For a product builder like me, it’s important to understand and respect the aspect of Sales. No matter how revolutionary your invention, even as great as the wheel is, it’s important you augment it with a matching sales strategy
Identify the stage of your company and it’s sales arch
Recognize and build for the right marketing and sales approach
Ensure your product evolution, market maturity and sales approach all match
Constantly question the value you add to the customer and what business you want to be in. I am glad to have read this book.
August 30, 2012
My dad first showed me this book around the age of seven (I'm an avid reader so not so odd). I'm fourteen now and I've read many books on business but this is one of the best. For someone who doesn't understand much it makes the explanation humorous as well as simple unlike many other books. It's explanations on innovating and expanding were great and yet again simply explained.
November 24, 2024
Great little book on selling. Really enjoyed it
November 29, 2022
I have read this book many times. First, the paperback. Today, most often I have Alexa read it to me as I own the Kindle version as well.
Jeff Cox was part of two amazing books, this one and Eli Goldratt’s “The Goal.”
The title is amazing and hit you right between the eyes. Until you stop and think about it, you probably thought selling the wheel was easy. It wasn’t.
Here’s the spoiler alert: If you don’t know that a start up should and could pay 50% commission (or a referral fee) to get the fly wheel spinning, then you need to consume this book. Today.
Jeff Cox was part of two amazing books, this one and Eli Goldratt’s “The Goal.”
The title is amazing and hit you right between the eyes. Until you stop and think about it, you probably thought selling the wheel was easy. It wasn’t.
Here’s the spoiler alert: If you don’t know that a start up should and could pay 50% commission (or a referral fee) to get the fly wheel spinning, then you need to consume this book. Today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2015
Selling the Wheel is a humourous yet educational story about a man, living in the days of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, that invents a wonderful new technology that nobody wants or even understands, and how he eventually overcomes many obstacles to create a profitable market for it. The book explains how a new technology moves from birth to fast growth to incremental growth, and finally to maturity. How different types of customer, such as progressive customers, relationship customers, gateswingers, and world customers, have fundamentally different needs. How different types of salespeople, such as the wizard, closer, relationship builder, and captain and crew need to differ in terms of their character, drivers, and skills. How a successful business needs to tailor its strategy, approach, marketing, sales, and service to not only the specific needs of its customers but also to the current maturity level and competitiveness of the market. Illustrated.
February 2, 2021
For a book that was presented as an alternative to a textbook with a story, I was disappointed. It felt like I was reading a story straight out of a second grade language arts textbook with the morals out on the sleeves. BUT, it is not horrible. Integrating learning in a more engaging way and not-so-subtly sneaking in definitions and scenarios, it did its job. On top of that, it gives a good laugh as story time with college roommates. Still mad at Imum the bum and "MaxImum".
April 17, 2014
it is one of the best books to understand how marketing should be done for a product. the author has a unique and a funny way of explaining concepts . This book is definitely for MBA's and non MBA's as well. An amazing read!!
April 10, 2019
Came across a book that I just could not keep down. Great selling strategies in built into a beautiful fable, this is one of the best combinations of management principles and story-telling that I have read in a long time.
January 5, 2018
I listened about this book over podcast. It was clearly written explaining different selling strategies for different stages of product. Very inspiring and interesting!
November 26, 2021
Superbly presented!!!
March 30, 2020
(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)
Довольно уникальная книга по продажам и маркетингу. Изначально книга включена в список Игоря Манна, как лучшая в сфере продаж/маркетинга. Книга отличается от всех остальных книг данной тематики тем, что она написана в стиле истории, рассказа.
В общем и целом авторы вместо сухого текста предложили увлекательный рассказ о том, как продавалось бы колесо, если бы в те давние времена, (т.е. когда оно появилось), люди бы использовали бы методы маркетинга и продаж.
С помощью самого простого примера – колеса – авторы показывают, как теория реализовывается на практике. Вся книга состоит из глав, которые являются описанием жизненных циклов товара (а также фирмы). На всём протяжении книги авторы, в лёгкой и местами смешной манере показывают, как меняется товар, окружающая среда и сами продавцы, т.е. люди непосредственно занятые продажей товара (в нашем случаи колеса). Так, в первой части книги авторы достаточно точно показывают, как зарождается революционный или абсолютно новый товар. Показывается, что на данном этапе невозможно успешно применять те методы, которые потребуются на других этапах. К примеру, нельзя абсолютную новинку продавать сразу через розничную сеть. Вторая глава посвящена теме, когда новый товар уже попробовали инноваторы и когда им уже начинают интересоваться люди из группы «ранние последователи». Тут, как пишут авторы, важна роль PR, сервиса и обучения сотрудников клиента. По существу, это - «преодоление пропасти», то о чём писал автор книги «Преодоление пропасти. Как вывести технологический продукт на массовый рынок». В третьей главе товар начинает пользоваться популярностью уже у «раннего большинства» и тут колесо впервые встречается с конкуренцией, происходит закрепление брендирования и покупатели начинают диктовать свои правила, т.е. они уже требуют, каким теперь (после всех модификаций) должен быть товар. Четвёртая глава посвящена сегментации, стимулированию сбыта, созданию цепочки ценности, маркетинговым исследованиям. И заканчивается всё это переводом товара в раздел ширпотреба, когда конкуренции столько, что товар продаётся практически только через сети розничной торговли, по минимальным ценам и ограниченным вариантом типа товара. Для компании-первооткрывателя - это этап поиска и ответ на вопрос: чем заниматься дальше. Т.е. либо стремиться стать ��идером по продажам этого ширпотреба или отказ от розничных продаж и, следовательно, от созданного товара и концентрация на следующих новинках, модификациях, а иногда даже на совершенно новых товара��. Круг замкнулся. Жизненный цикл товара пройден, как и цикл компании, которая превратилась из маленькой никому не известной фирмы, сначала в среднюю, потом к крупную (один из гигантов), а после в самую крупную поглотив всех или часть своих конкурентов. После чего – распад, т.е. создание отдельный бизнес-единиц, отказ от определённой части рынка и возвращение к истокам, т.е. к небольшой фирме (создание совершенно новых товаров) или средней фирме (модификация товаров и создание товаров под конкретные нужны потребителей).
И как итог: наверно одна из самых лучших книг созданных для закрепления материала, т.е. как дополнение к академическим учебникам по маркетингу в частности и бизнес-литературе в целом. Она не рассматривает все вопросы маркетинга и продаж, но она – один большой пример. А, как известно, изучать что-то без примеров, совершенно невозможно. Не зря все удачные книги написаны так, что примеров в них всегда с избытком.
Quite a unique book on sales and marketing. The book differs from all other books on this subject in that it is written in the style of story.
In general, instead of dry text, the authors offered a fascinating story about how a wheel would have been sold if, in those old days (i.e. when it appeared), people had used marketing and sales techniques.
With the simplest example - wheels - the authors show how theory is implemented in practice. The whole book consists of chapters that describe the life cycles of a product (as well as a firm). Throughout the book, the authors, in an easy and sometimes funny manner, show how the product, the environment and the sellers themselves, i.e. people directly involved in the sale of the product (in our case the wheels) are changing. Thus, in the first part of the book, the authors show quite accurately how a revolutionary or completely new product is born. It shows that at this stage, it is impossible to successfully apply those methods that will be required at other stages. For example, it is impossible to sell an absolute novelty at once through a retail network.
The second chapter is devoted to the topic of when a new product has already been tested by innovators and when people from the group of "early adopters" are already beginning to be interested in it. Here, as the authors write, the role of PR, service and training of the client's employees is important.
In the third chapter, the product begins to be popular among the "early majority" and here the wheel for the first time meets with competition, there is a consolidation of brands and customers begin to dictate their rules, i.e. they already require what now (after all modifications) should be the product.
The fourth chapter is devoted to segmentation, sales promotion, value chain creation and marketing research. And all this ends with the transfer of the product to the consumer goods section, when there is so much competition that the product is sold almost only through retail chains, at minimum prices and a limited version of the type of product.
For the pioneer, this is the stage of search and the answer to the question: what to do next. That is, either pursue to become a leader in the sale of this consumer goods or abandon retail sales and, therefore, of the created product and focus on the following novelties, modifications, and sometimes even completely new products. The circle is closed. The life cycle of the goods has passed, as well as the cycle of the company, which has turned from a small unknown firm, first into a middle one, then into a large one (one of the giants), and then into the largest one, absorbing all or part of its competitors. After that - disintegration, i.e. creation of separate business units, abandonment of a certain part of the market and return to the roots, i.e. to a small firm (creation of completely new products) or to an average firm (modification of products and creation of products for specific needs of consumers).
And as a result: probably one of the best books created to consolidate the material, i.e., as a supplement to academic textbooks on marketing in particular and business literature in general. It does not cover all marketing and sales issues, but it is one big example. And, as you know, it is absolutely impossible to study something without examples. It is not for nothing that all successful books are written in such a way that there is always an abundance of examples in them.
Довольно уникальная книга по продажам и маркетингу. Изначально книга включена в список Игоря Манна, как лучшая в сфере продаж/маркетинга. Книга отличается от всех остальных книг данной тематики тем, что она написана в стиле истории, рассказа.
В общем и целом авторы вместо сухого текста предложили увлекательный рассказ о том, как продавалось бы колесо, если бы в те давние времена, (т.е. когда оно появилось), люди бы использовали бы методы маркетинга и продаж.
С помощью самого простого примера – колеса – авторы показывают, как теория реализовывается на практике. Вся книга состоит из глав, которые являются описанием жизненных циклов товара (а также фирмы). На всём протяжении книги авторы, в лёгкой и местами смешной манере показывают, как меняется товар, окружающая среда и сами продавцы, т.е. люди непосредственно занятые продажей товара (в нашем случаи колеса). Так, в первой части книги авторы достаточно точно показывают, как зарождается революционный или абсолютно новый товар. Показывается, что на данном этапе невозможно успешно применять те методы, которые потребуются на других этапах. К примеру, нельзя абсолютную новинку продавать сразу через розничную сеть. Вторая глава посвящена теме, когда новый товар уже попробовали инноваторы и когда им уже начинают интересоваться люди из группы «ранние последователи». Тут, как пишут авторы, важна роль PR, сервиса и обучения сотрудников клиента. По существу, это - «преодоление пропасти», то о чём писал автор книги «Преодоление пропасти. Как вывести технологический продукт на массовый рынок». В третьей главе товар начинает пользоваться популярностью уже у «раннего большинства» и тут колесо впервые встречается с конкуренцией, происходит закрепление брендирования и покупатели начинают диктовать свои правила, т.е. они уже требуют, каким теперь (после всех модификаций) должен быть товар. Четвёртая глава посвящена сегментации, стимулированию сбыта, созданию цепочки ценности, маркетинговым исследованиям. И заканчивается всё это переводом товара в раздел ширпотреба, когда конкуренции столько, что товар продаётся практически только через сети розничной торговли, по минимальным ценам и ограниченным вариантом типа товара. Для компании-первооткрывателя - это этап поиска и ответ на вопрос: чем заниматься дальше. Т.е. либо стремиться стать ��идером по продажам этого ширпотреба или отказ от розничных продаж и, следовательно, от созданного товара и концентрация на следующих новинках, модификациях, а иногда даже на совершенно новых товара��. Круг замкнулся. Жизненный цикл товара пройден, как и цикл компании, которая превратилась из маленькой никому не известной фирмы, сначала в среднюю, потом к крупную (один из гигантов), а после в самую крупную поглотив всех или часть своих конкурентов. После чего – распад, т.е. создание отдельный бизнес-единиц, отказ от определённой части рынка и возвращение к истокам, т.е. к небольшой фирме (создание совершенно новых товаров) или средней фирме (модификация товаров и создание товаров под конкретные нужны потребителей).
И как итог: наверно одна из самых лучших книг созданных для закрепления материала, т.е. как дополнение к академическим учебникам по маркетингу в частности и бизнес-литературе в целом. Она не рассматривает все вопросы маркетинга и продаж, но она – один большой пример. А, как известно, изучать что-то без примеров, совершенно невозможно. Не зря все удачные книги написаны так, что примеров в них всегда с избытком.
Quite a unique book on sales and marketing. The book differs from all other books on this subject in that it is written in the style of story.
In general, instead of dry text, the authors offered a fascinating story about how a wheel would have been sold if, in those old days (i.e. when it appeared), people had used marketing and sales techniques.
With the simplest example - wheels - the authors show how theory is implemented in practice. The whole book consists of chapters that describe the life cycles of a product (as well as a firm). Throughout the book, the authors, in an easy and sometimes funny manner, show how the product, the environment and the sellers themselves, i.e. people directly involved in the sale of the product (in our case the wheels) are changing. Thus, in the first part of the book, the authors show quite accurately how a revolutionary or completely new product is born. It shows that at this stage, it is impossible to successfully apply those methods that will be required at other stages. For example, it is impossible to sell an absolute novelty at once through a retail network.
The second chapter is devoted to the topic of when a new product has already been tested by innovators and when people from the group of "early adopters" are already beginning to be interested in it. Here, as the authors write, the role of PR, service and training of the client's employees is important.
In the third chapter, the product begins to be popular among the "early majority" and here the wheel for the first time meets with competition, there is a consolidation of brands and customers begin to dictate their rules, i.e. they already require what now (after all modifications) should be the product.
The fourth chapter is devoted to segmentation, sales promotion, value chain creation and marketing research. And all this ends with the transfer of the product to the consumer goods section, when there is so much competition that the product is sold almost only through retail chains, at minimum prices and a limited version of the type of product.
For the pioneer, this is the stage of search and the answer to the question: what to do next. That is, either pursue to become a leader in the sale of this consumer goods or abandon retail sales and, therefore, of the created product and focus on the following novelties, modifications, and sometimes even completely new products. The circle is closed. The life cycle of the goods has passed, as well as the cycle of the company, which has turned from a small unknown firm, first into a middle one, then into a large one (one of the giants), and then into the largest one, absorbing all or part of its competitors. After that - disintegration, i.e. creation of separate business units, abandonment of a certain part of the market and return to the roots, i.e. to a small firm (creation of completely new products) or to an average firm (modification of products and creation of products for specific needs of consumers).
And as a result: probably one of the best books created to consolidate the material, i.e., as a supplement to academic textbooks on marketing in particular and business literature in general. It does not cover all marketing and sales issues, but it is one big example. And, as you know, it is absolutely impossible to study something without examples. It is not for nothing that all successful books are written in such a way that there is always an abundance of examples in them.
December 15, 2020
One of the best books that is describing sales strategies but in a such easy and captivating way! I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to find out what's next. I was recommended this book by my father, who has also told me to read Dale Carnagie book "How to Win Friends And Influence People". After reading Cernagie, I was expecting "Selling The Wheel" will have the same writing mannear but was pleasantly surprised to find out a real story telling.
November 29, 2020
Great book! Easy reading. Very profound.
Does a great job of explaining different sales styles and when they are appropriate based on the lifecycle of the product and business.
Helped me realize that there is more than one way to do sales and empowered me to find the methods/style that work for my business.
Does a great job of explaining different sales styles and when they are appropriate based on the lifecycle of the product and business.
Helped me realize that there is more than one way to do sales and empowered me to find the methods/style that work for my business.
April 21, 2022
I first read this years ago, and it was the best book on situating sales in the business cycle. Why do sales and marketing even exist? What is the salesperson's role? Cox and Howard put it to a parable, and it's super helpful.
August 13, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Reminded me a lot of ‘The Goal’ by Elijah goldratt but even more entertaining. Certainly a bubble gum book. I took notes in the book the whole time which I’ve never done before. That was interesting.
If you are in any type of business or engineering g role I suggest this book.
If you are in any type of business or engineering g role I suggest this book.
Want to read
December 23, 2018Ultimate book for beginners who want to explore the career in sales. Pure logical book
December 29, 2020
Bought this book a long back in 2014 but picked up to read only now (2020).
Nice book to learn about different types of sales techniques and strategies. Explained in a very simple and effective way with the help of ‘wheels’. An interesting read.
Glad I read this book at last.
Nice book to learn about different types of sales techniques and strategies. Explained in a very simple and effective way with the help of ‘wheels’. An interesting read.
Glad I read this book at last.
Read
July 8, 2022Nothing new
Read
September 13, 2022i had to read this for college… i’m still counting it towards my reading goal
January 31, 2023
Great, easy and quick to read book. Takes a (literal) novel approach to teach about the various selling archetypes and which market types they excel in.
Definitely recommend.
Definitely recommend.
April 30, 2025
didn’t finish it. if you read/listen to content about sales techniques- it is nothing new. also I didn’t really like the style of writing
August 1, 2023
A business novel that’s also funny, that’s new. And it’s set in ancient times (sometime around 500 BC) somewhere in the Middle East, that’s original.
The actual sales advice seems rather simplistic, but then again, I’m not in Sales, so what do I know? (More than a little, TBH.)
The actual sales advice seems rather simplistic, but then again, I’m not in Sales, so what do I know? (More than a little, TBH.)
June 14, 2017
Two words to describe this book: Hilarious & Substantial
Jeff Cox did a great job not just through describing different types of sales people through an interesting story, strategy and building a long term relationship with customers but also by helping me understand a different view of my job. It's very easy to read and it's not a conventional book about selling.
Jeff Cox did a great job not just through describing different types of sales people through an interesting story, strategy and building a long term relationship with customers but also by helping me understand a different view of my job. It's very easy to read and it's not a conventional book about selling.
November 18, 2007
If you've never heard of the adoption curve, or don't believe that it's real, maybe this will be helpful. Personally, I wasn't about to make the mistake of opening a big box retail store to sell my new widgets, and I didn't get much out of this. A lightning fast read.
November 19, 2012
Excellent read. Atypical of books on sales, this book blends a simple yet interesting story with key sales point. Overall, instead of a being a book with case studies put together to drive home selling tactics, the story is beautifully told.
November 19, 2012
Excellent book on sales, salesman and sales management. Best part it teaches selection of Salesman, sales channel, compensation.
Howard Stvens experience, research blended as fiction novel by Jeff Cox is must read for anybody interested in selling anything.
Howard Stvens experience, research blended as fiction novel by Jeff Cox is must read for anybody interested in selling anything.
July 19, 2014
Jeff Cox does a great job explaining the different types and personalities of salespersons and their affect on a business. Anyone in business should read this. Good for salespeople too but slanted more to benefit management/ownership in my opinion.
March 25, 2008
Very interesting and entertaining. Helped me learn a lot about marketing and sales.....but was funny, too.
June 17, 2009
the book is so wonderfully written. a must for people who like management specially marketing or sales. characters well casted.
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