There are just a handful of must-read new books each year that I pass along to you. I just finished an advance copy of one that should be your first read of 2018!
For almost 20 years, I have been fans of legendary leadership experts and authors, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. One of my mentors introduced me to The Leadership Challenge and Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. Those powerful principles have stuck in my mind and have been incredibly useful as a leader and consultant.
And I have known sales expert, Deb Calvert, for six years. I love Deb’s view of sales, her first book (Discover Questions), her articles, and I highly respect her character and competence. So much so that she’s one of the very few people to whom I refer clients when I don’t have availability to help them. She is also one of the invited sales experts leading a training track at the OutBound Conference being put on my Jeb Blount, Mark Hunter, Anthony Iannarino, and me next April. That’s how highly I regard Deb Calvert!
So…imagine my excitement when learning that Deb teamed-up with Kouzes and Posner to write Stop Selling and Start Leading: How to Make Extraordinary Sales Happen. This important new book is the blueprint for seller behaviors based on both buyer research and seller success stories. It covers the Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders and offer examples from sellers and research from buyers for each. In addition, the authors describe the differences between “traditional” selling and what it looks like when professional sellers lead well. The contrast is striking! If you want to up you or your team’s sales game, pre-order your copy now, particularly because Amazon is offering special pre-order pricing!
I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy for early reading. Not sure I can make the case for you to grab your copy now any better than I did is this endorsement:
“I’m a long-time fan of Kouzes and Posner’s leadership expertise and Calvert’s perspective on what it takes to succeed in sales. What a thrill to see them apply these proven leadership principles to professional selling! Stop Selling and Start Leading offers a powerful perspective on why sellers who lead well will thrive and then provides clear, practical guidance on how to gain credibility and respect that will move buyers to act. Read. This. Now. to set yourself apart from the typical, ineffective salesperson who gets perceived as nothing more than a vendor/supplier.”
Order one now for yourself and one as a holiday gift for someone in sales or sales leadership.
