5 favorite tips from the Little Red Book of Selling

I was given The Little Red Book of Selling by the CEO of my company and was told that everyone who worked for us was asked to read this book by Jeffrey Gitomer. After a few chapters, I quickly realized that this book was not just about selling, but also about strengthening your career through improving other essential business skills. These five tips stuck out to me when I went back and reviewed the book after I was done:

1. The most powerful person on your sales team is your customer.

Any satisfied customer will hopefully lead to referrals and more sales but what Gitomer describes in the book is using your best customers from the beginning of your sales process and not just after. One way to go about this is to have one of your loyal customers do you a favor and contact a potential client (if you have a strong relationship, they will be happy to). Of course, there are many other ways to get your customer involved like getting testimonials from them, but try to think of new, creative ways to spread their message to potential clients.

2. Your voicemail is a key to getting new customers and creating word-of-mouth advertising.

I don’t think many people put much thought into their voicemail away message, which is why this is a great way to stand out from the crowd. By having a creative or humorous message, your clients and potential clients will hear it, leave you a message, then most likely talk about. This should lead to a much higher overall message rate which should lead to more sales and stronger future relationships.

3. Humor not only helps make the sale - it also helps build the relationship.

Most people like to separate fun from work and I never really understood why (I am sure you probably agree). There are times to be serious and times where humor is appropriate during business hours and client meetings and I definitely think the right mix of both will lead to an increase in sales. It is up to you use your best judgment in each specific case if humor is appropriate or not and, if so, what type of humor. Just remember, it never hurts to make your potential customer laugh.

4. Creativity is a science that you can learn.

Gitomer recommends several books on creativity that have helped many people become more creative. I also believe that exposing yourself constantly to creative environments and creative individuals, you will learn how to be more creative as long as you are motivated and take notes. My favorite combination is when I come across something or someone that is both creativity and funny. Some of my favorite TV shows and movies for example are both creative and made me laugh. Once again it’s simple - exposing yourself to creative material (such as books, movies, etc.) and environments will help you learn how to be more creative.

5. Networking builds rapport that leads to appointments and sales. Lots of sales.

Everyone knows just how important networking is to having a successful career but many people avoid networking because they are too shy or afraid to meet new people. The first step is to get over this fear because it will be a major hindrance on your career advancement. Start slowly by attending small networking events with like minded people who you can talk to about your interests and not just the weather. It’s essential to keep in mind that you have nothing to loose when it comes to approaching new people at these events.

So those are just 5 out of the hundreds of tips given in his book. I recommend it to anyone, not just people in sales. Because Gitomer practices what he preaches, he has been able to become more successful from coaching people and organizations in sales. Remember, just reading and studying his sales techniques and tips is not enough to accomplish anything. It’s about hard work first, then sales techniques second.