Table of Contents
Praise
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Foreword
About the Author
Chapter 1 - From Information to Empathy
The Light Bulb Goes Off
Twenty-First Century Trends
Meet Tim Sanders
A New Paradigm—from Information to Empathy
What’s the Point?
Chapter 2 - Friends Buy from Friends and Other Urban Myths
Myth #1: Friends Buy from Friends
Myth #2: People Buy from People They Like
Myth #3: You Have to Sell Yourself
People Buy You
The Five Levers of People Buy You
Chapter 3 - Be Likable
Likability Is the Gateway to Connections
How to Be Likable
Likable Behaviors
Be Polite, Nice, Respectful, and Mind Your Manners
Be Nice
Compliment Others
Be Respectful
Be There
Be Enthusiastic and Confident
Invest in Yourself
Authenticity
Turning First Impressions into Lasting Impressions
Summary
Chapter 4 - Connect
Real Connections
The Problem with Rapport
The Real Secret to Connecting
Ask Questions
Be Prepared
Listening
Keep Them Talking
Staying Connected
Summary
Chapter 5 - Solve Problems
The Problem with Pump and Dump
The Conflict of Objectives
Five Rules of Questioning
Empathy and Problem Solving
Look Out for Icebergs
The Transition from Connecting to Problem Solving
About Questions
Overcoming Questioning Roadblocks
Connecting the Dots
Summary
Chapter 6 - Build Trust
A Foundation of Trust
Status Quo Is King
You Are Always on Stage
Going the Extra Mile
Sweat the Small Stuff
Leverage Your Support Team
Response
Admit When You Are Wrong and Apologize
Listening Builds Trust
Consistent Behavior
Summary
Chapter 7 - Create Positive Emotional Experiences
The Law of Reciprocity
Anchoring
It Don’t Cost Nuthin’ to Be Nice (Little Things Are Big Things)
Develop a Disciplined System
Summary
Chapter 8 - A Brand Called You
“A Brand Called You”
Building a Personal Brand
Interpersonal Relationships
Manage Labels
Manage Your Professional Image
Become an Expert
Managing Your Brand Online Is Not Difficult but It Does Take Vigilance
Attack Yourself
Praise forPeople Buy You
“People Buy You is not just a self-evident truth, it’s your opportunity to discover why and how. Jeb Blount has written an easy-to-understand and easy-to-apply set of principles and actions that can help you earn more the minute you read them.”
—Jeffrey Gitomer, author ofLittle Red Book of Selling
“Jeb Blount has written a practical, powerful book that will help any sales professional make more sales than ever before.”
—Brian Tracy, author ofThe Psychology of Selling
“Jeb Blount nails it in People Buy You. When you turn yourself into the competitive differentiator, you’re unstoppable.”
—Jill Konrath, best-selling author ofSNAP Selling to Big Companies
“Becoming a business leader or a sales champion transcends your ability to memorize a sales script or follow a regimented system. The real secret to unprecedented success starts with adopting this predominant universal law: Who you are is always more important than what you do. In People Buy You, Jeb Blount has effectively encapsulated this critical level of thinking. He delivers practical strategies to drive more sales and get more of what matters most in your life and career by leveraging your ultimate, authentic competitive edge—YOU!”
—Keith Rosen, executive sales coach and author ofCoaching Salespeople into Sales Champions
“People Buy You is groundbreaking because it goes counter to all the other sales books being currently written that ignore common sense: that people matter most.”
—Bob Beaudine, author of the best-sellingThe Power of WHO
“People Buy You should be required reading for any professional who wants to sell more, sell faster, and build a powerful brand that people talk about and refer others to. Jeb Blount breaks all sales myths, while exploring the right way to grow relationships, influence, and persuasion in the new economy.”
—Dan Schawbel, best-selling author ofMe 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success
“The more you know about getting people to buy you, the easier and more pleasant your trip through this life will be. I wish someone had given me this book when I started my career in selling. In fact, I think every person should have this book, no matter where they are in life. You just can’t go wrong with People Buy You.”
—Hank Trisler, author ofNo Bull Selling
“Companies spend countless hours and money marketing and advertising in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition. If you want to know the real secret to gaining the competitive edge, read People Buy You. The sooner you read this book, the sooner you will have a leg up on the competition.”
—David Steel, author ofThe Care and Feeding of Highly Aggressive Salespeople
“Jeb Blount provides sales and business professionals with the ultimate tool set to unleash the power within, empowering them to generate sales like they never have before. Stop looking for tricks and tactics! Leverage the driving sales success factor—you!”
—Lee B. Salz, author ofStop Speaking for Free! and Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager
“While we all like to think that we have the secret to sales success, there is a fundamental truth that must be understood and acted upon: People buy you! Read this book closely and learn how you can tap into this critical philosophy to grow your business far beyond what you thought was possible!”
—Andrea Waltz, co-author ofGo for No!
Copyright © 2010 by Jeb Blount. 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, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, 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, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, 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 any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Blount, Jeb.
People buy you : the real secret to what matters most in business / Jeb Blount.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-59911-2 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-470-64662-5 (ebk);
1. Customer relations. 2. Interpersonal relations. 3. Selling. I. Title.
HF5415.5.B569 2010
658.8-dc22
2010004444
To Jebby
Foreword
As CEO of one of the major international executive recruiting firms, I get a chance every day to meet and interview the best talent in the country. It’s what makes my job so much fun: meeting people with great leadership skills, unbelievable interpersonal skills, and vision. I’ll never forget trying to recruit Jeb Blount many years back for a top position. He was highly recommended as one of the top relationship sales executives in his industry, and those recommendations were right. There was something that differentiated him—it was his people skills. Yes, that was it! He liked people and it showed! Well, I didn’t get very far with Jeb; he loved where he was and the team he worked with. But our lunch turned out better—we became friends. Our friendship grew over the years, and turned into an opportunity for me to encourage Jeb with his other gifts and talents: speaking and writing. Now, here he is, about to knock the ball out of the park.
Jeb’s new book, People Buy You, is groundbreaking because it goes counter to all the other sales books currently being written, which ignore common sense. They ignore the fact that people matter most. I found the same to be true in my experiences. I get 52,000 resumes a year sent to Dear Sir, To Whom It May Concern, and Dear Recruiter. What are they thinking? Dear Recruiter? That’s an oxymoron isn’t it? Well, just as we aren’t born with all the skills we need, neither are we born with a strategy for living. People Buy You delivers a step-by-step strategy to help remind you that Grandma and Grandpa were right: Getting your clients to like you and trust you, having a good reputation—that’s gold!
In my first sales job, I sold a wide assortment of canned products to the food services of schools and hospitals, and to restaurants. Each day, I had to cook up some product and put it in a thermos for my buyers to sample. Mrs. Perkins, who could’ve played the part of Aunt Bea of Mayberry, was the buyer at a school district in Lubbock, Texas. I arrived at 6:15 A.M. carrying a large product bag, fully looking the part of the dorky salesman. I was 22 years old and so intensely focused on selling what I had in my bag that it never dawned on me that Mrs. Perkins might not actually enjoy chili for breakfast with her morning coffee. When she saw me begin to unscrew the lid, kind Mrs. Perkins said, “Son, please don’t open that thermos. It’s 6:15 in the morning!” As I fumbled around in my bag to find a promo shot of the product, she began to ask me about my family. I found myself feeling very much at ease in her presence. For the next 45 minutes, Mrs. Perkins talked about her family, especially her grandchildren. I was getting a lesson in patience when it came to sales. She was so nice to me that day that I began to look forward to our next visit, hoping, of course, that somewhere along the line she’d buy some of my product. I closed my bag, prepared to leave, and, after a few more cordial remarks, I thanked her for taking the time to meet with me. As I headed toward the door I heard her say, “Bob, aren’t you forgetting something?” I turned around, looking for whatever I had left behind. She said, “I’ll take one hundred cases of chili.” Overwhelmed, I ran over and hugged her! It was my first sale, and I learned a lesson that has stayed with me my whole life. It wasn’t my pitch, my product, or even my company that landed my first big sale. It was my willingness to listen.
Are you looking for a competitive sales edge this year? Well, you’re not going to find it in the what in life: the stuff, the brochures, resumes, PowerPoints, DVDs, or faceless web sites. No. But Jeb Blount has researched far and wide and provides irresistibly practical advice. If you’re looking for a job, a better job, or you want to smash a sales record, stop here. Take some time to read People Buy You. Grandma and Grandpa would be proud. Trust me, I do this for a living!
Bob Beaudine, author, The Power of WHO, and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
