Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom: Proven Sales Warfare Strategies, Secrets of Persuasion, and Common-Sense Tips for Success

275 Pages·2006·0.95 MB·English

by  Steve W. Martin

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HEAVY
HITTER
SALES
WISDOM
Proven Sales Warfare Strategies,
Secrets of Persuasion, and
Common-Sense Tips for Success
STEVE W. MARTIN
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Praise for Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom
“It’s difficult to find published sales strategies that go beyond simply
reminding you of what you already know. However, Heavy Hitter
Sales Wisdom forces readers to reevaluate their own strategy, tactics,
persuasion, and sales common sense.”
—Bob Hughes, Executive Vice President,
Global Sales, Services, and Marketing,
Akamai Technologies, Inc.
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom is a practical solution selling guide,
loaded with real-world analogies, personal experiences, and modern
proof points sure to enhance the success rate of anybody selling
large complex solutions.”
—James Lewandowski, Executive Vice
President of the Americas, McAfee
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdomprovides innovative insight and inspira-
tion for anyone who practices the art and science of sales.”
—Scott Raskin,
Chief Executive Officer, Mindjet
“A great overview of strategic selling processes captured through the
effective use of history, interesting anecdotes, and personal reflec-
tions, Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom will be appreciated by novice
salespeople as well as experienced Heavy Hitters.”
—Steven Blum, Vice President,
Americas Sales, Autodesk, Inc.
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom provides sales adrenaline and
reinforces the skills required to win new clients and defeat
competitors.”
—Stephen A. DeBacco, Chief Operating
Officer, Workbrain Inc.
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“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom goes beyond the nice-guy limitations
of most sales books to define sales as what it really is—corporate
warfare. It is a must-read for sales organizations that want to
turn their sales forces into fire-breathing sales warriors.”
—Jon Hanson, Vice President, Sales,
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.
“Reading Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom is the easy way to learn where
the ‘mines’ in the selling ‘minefield’ are versus the hard knocks of
experience.”
—Mark Milford, Senior Vice President,
Worldwide Sales and Support,
BakBone Software
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom captures the essence of complex selling
and provides the reader a road map to success. The use of military his-
tory and terms and tactics allows the reader to grasp what he or she
mustdo in order to win the sale.”
—Conal E. Finnegan, Vice President
Sales and Marketing, Purolator USA Inc.
“Anyone who thinks sales is about working harder, listen up! It’s
about working smarter. Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom is not another
‘do it’ book. It is a ‘get it’ book. Sales success is all about how you
think.”
—Jim Panoff, Executive Vice President,
Sales and Marketing, Spheris
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“The biggest challenge salespeople face is taking their skills to the
next level. Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdomreduces the time it takes to be-
come a Heavy Hitter.”
—Christopher Olsen, District Vice President,
Sales, Graybar
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom brings a fresh new approach to the so-
lution selling environment. It offers stimulating ideas and sales
strategies from captivating stories of battle and war that will help
Heavy Hitters close more business.”
—Greg Gadbois, Executive Vice President,
Sales, Service Net
“Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom provides a comparison between the
strategies of war and sales that is very different. Its insight to win-
ning sales strategies and proven persuasion secrets make it a must-
read for any veteran sales warrior.”
—Zach Bawel, Vice President of Sales,
Jasper Engines & Transmissions
“The beauty of this book is the ‘wisdom’ it provides that can be ap-
plied to all aspects of our lives—and should be.”
—Earle Zucht, Senior Vice President, Sales,
LogicalApps
“Finally, someone has explained the ‘essence’ of the Heavy Hit-
ters—those who make it look so natural and easy.”
—Morton Mackof, Executive Vice President,
Sales, EDGAR Online, Inc.
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“Steve’s wisdom pushes sellers to get out of the traditional
selling model and directs them to seek mutual value, focusing on
the political reality and objective criteria of the selling
decision.”
—Pete Van Sistine, Senior Vice President
of Sales and Marketing, Metavante
“Winning the competitive battle for customers takes more than
reciting product features and functions. It takes a well-thought-
out strategy, persuasive arguments, and common-sense sales exe-
cution—all of which can be found in Heavy Hitter Sales
Wisdom.”
—Peter Riccio, Vice President,
SuccessFactors
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HEAVY
HITTER
SALES
WISDOM
Proven Sales Warfare Strategies,
Secrets of Persuasion, and
Common-Sense Tips for Success
STEVE W. MARTIN
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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To salespeople, the modern-day warriors of the business world:
Seek, conquer, celebrate
Copyright © 2006 by Steve W. Martin. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise,
except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without
either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the
appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers,
MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests
to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online
at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best
efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the
accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or
extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained
herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where
appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or other
commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or
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For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please
contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Martin, Steve W., 1960–
Heavy hitter sales wisdom : proven sales warfare strategies, secrets of persuasion, and
common-sense tips for success / Steve W. Martin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-05231-0 (cloth)
ISBN-10: 0-470-05231-7 (cloth)
1. Selling. 2. Business communication. 3. Success in business. I. Title.
HF5438.25.M37365 2006
658.85—dc22
2006009964
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Introduction: Strategy, Persuasion, and Common Sense—
the Three Parts of Sales Wisdom 1
Part One Sales Warfare Strategies
CHAPTER 1 The Grand Strategy of War 11
The Changing Nature of Sales 14
The Indirect Strategy 17
The Seven Principles of the Indirect Strategy 21
The Indirect Strategy in Sales 35
Closing Thoughts 36
CHAPTER 2 Battlefield Tactics 39
Grand Strategy, Battles, and Battlefield Maneuvers 42
Charting Your Position 46
Battlefield Tactics Based on Position 52
Individual Battlefield Tactic Case Study 68
Company Battlefield Tactic Case Study 70
Closing Thoughts 73
CHAPTER 3 The Five Steps to Victory 77
Step 1—Set the Tempo 78
Step 2—Focus on Human Nature
(Winning Hearts andMinds) 82
Step 3—Enlist Spies 88
Step 4—Understand How the Objective Is Organized 90
Step 5—Go After the Leaders 105
Conclusion 108
vii