Anthony Iannarino, didn’t plan to become a salesman, sales manager, or the author of the world’s most followed sales blog.
Iannarino approached this profession with curiosity and with the sole purpose of earning something while trying to break into the world of rock ‘n’ roll.
Once he understood that he would never become the next Eric Clapton, he decided to focus on an issue that had been waiting for an answer since the dawn of time: how come very few salespeople enjoy extraordinary success, while others get mediocre results?
More than twenty years have passed since that doubt, during which he studied and tested an infinite number of strategies through his roles as commercial director, interviewing and studying many salesmen to understand what distinguishes the most successful ones.
Everything he knows and has studied is finally summed up in a useful book: The Art of Selling (HOEPLI, 2017), full of valuable information for both beginners and veterans of sales.
According to the author, success in sales does not depend on what you sell or where you sell it; it comes solely from who you are and how you build and use your skills, talents and attitudes. To be a successful salesperson, you need to focus on the elements that all “master salespeople” have in common, regardless of the sector or type of company: the right mentality and a range of indispensable skills.
Just as the periodic table of elements has 118 elements, the “periodic table of sales” has 17 elements: nine attributes that characterize the right mindset and eight necessary skills.
The right mentality for every seller
Starting from mentality, Iannarino explains how our attitudes and our vision of the world can influence the sales process: potential customers buy from sellers they love and respect, with whom they feel comfortable.
Nowadays, consumers want to buy from people with good character and a positive and proactive view of the world, and have similar behaviors and attitudes – the right mindset.
So what are the nine attributes that a salesperson needs to improve and refine?
The skills that each salesperson should develop
A winning mind is not enough, sales results also depend on skills.
Salespeople cannot be excellent without specific skills, which can be acquired through diligent study and intense practice on prospects.
The eight skills needed by salespeople are:
Whether your company sells to large companies, small businesses or individual consumers, this is a book to recommend to all your sellers that they will come back to consult and reread for valuable lessons, strategies and advice.
Once you have learned the mentality and the strategic “skills” presented by Iannarino, it will become much easier to understand customers from different points of view, with a single central objective: to sell.
Takeaway: