New Edition - The Ultimate Sales Resource - The Sales Bible

Jeffrey makes selling much simpler than other books out there. Just keep it simple: listen more than talk; make friends first, don't be pushy ...

Would have given it 5 Stars if there was just a tad more meat in it on how to handle objections.

I would recommend this to anyone in sales. There are a lot of great insights for those just beginning a sales career and a lot of great reminders for veterans. This is a must have for any salesman's bookshelf.

I bought the book for my husband and he absolutely loved the book. He is a fan of Gitomer, and I would say if you are buying it for yourself or someone else, it is one of his better books so you will enjoy this.

Save your 20 bucks and attend the yearly sales seminar your company sends you to anyway. Yet another sales book full of the same "relationships are everything" stuff that we already know. I stopped listening to the cd's when the guy showed off his ignorance on the "good ole' boys" policy. I am from KENTUCKY. I know exactly what the "good ole' boys" policy is and it doesn't stop with just "who ya know". If you are just starting out, this may be worth a listen, however this will bore the experienced sales person who is perhaps just in need of a little revival to tears.

Somewhere in America, a Salesperson is working the phones. They've dutifully memorized their "red hot cold calling" scripts and are dialing the 99 phone numbers that may allow them to set an appointment or take an order when they dial the 100th. They're playing the numbers game and they are surviving.

They're in the minority.

Meanwhile, another Salesperson who is well-versed in "closing techniques" is mesmerizing his or her prospect with a fully scripted and rehearsed presentation, each PowerPoint slide exuding the features and benefits that will certainly lead to a firm handshake and a signed order.

They're also in the minority.

This is the age of selling that's articulated in books like Escaping the Price-Driven Sale: How World Class Sellers Create Extraordinary Profit. The economy has changed, the rules have changed, and your prospects have the Internet at their fingertips. They don't need you and don't want to deal with you unless you bring something to the table that they can't get on their own. You need to be a problem-solver, one who crafts solutions and never wastes the time of your prospects.

Gitomer covers it all...the techniques that work today as well as the ones that have limped off to the elephant's graveyard. Along with his six "little books" on selling, the revised Sales Bible forms a body of work that can be summed up in one central message, found on page 18:

"You often hear people say that they wouldn't or couldn't go into sales. The reason is they can't tolerate the risk involved. The uncertainty. The unknown. Or, perhaps more fundamental, they can't handle the challenge."

Selling...as an art and a science...is a moving target. The economy changes, the playing field changes, the needs of each of your prospects-slash-customers changes. A decade or two ago you might have gotten by with reading Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale or Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere before hitting the pavement or dialing the phone, but today your education needs to evolve daily. Gerhard Gschwandtner's "Selling Power" magazine and Web Site offers daily audio and video tips from experts. Gitomer publishes his weekly "Sales Caffeine" eZine. The degree to which the modern salesperson realizes that his or her education is perpetual and never-ending is the degree to which they will taste significant success.

If you own the six "little books" and former editions of The Sales Bible, if you read "Sales Caffeine" or listen to Gitomer as the host of Gschwandtner's monthly "Selling Power Live" audio program, you may not find an abundance of "new" material in this revised edition. The cartoons make it consistent in format with the "little books." I consider the book to be a five-star effort, and especially enjoy the fact that it is available as an audio book. Gitomer has carefully included his own unique personality as a central element of his branding, and this is one effort that benefits from presentation in both the written and spoken word.

Product arrived in perfect condition. The turn-around time was fantastic. This book is great... easy to read. Very well written and applies to the novice as well as the seasoned sales pro. Recommend seller 100%

Save your 20 bucks and attend the yearly sales seminar your company sends you to anyway. Yet another sales book full of the same "relationships are everything" stuff that we already know. I stopped listening to the cd's when the guy showed off his ignorance on the "good ole' boys" policy. I am from KENTUCKY. I know exactly what the "good ole' boys" policy is and it doesn't stop with just "who ya know". If you are just starting out, this may be worth a listen, however this will bore the experienced sales person who is perhaps just in need of a little revival to tears.

Somewhere in America, a Salesperson is working the phones. They've dutifully memorized their "red hot cold calling" scripts and are dialing the 99 phone numbers that may allow them to set an appointment or take an order when they dial the 100th. They're playing the numbers game and they are surviving.

They're in the minority.

Meanwhile, another Salesperson who is well-versed in "closing techniques" is mesmerizing his or her prospect with a fully scripted and rehearsed presentation, each PowerPoint slide exuding the features and benefits that will certainly lead to a firm handshake and a signed order.

They're also in the minority.

This is the age of selling that's articulated in books like Escaping the Price-Driven Sale: How World Class Sellers Create Extraordinary Profit. The economy has changed, the rules have changed, and your prospects have the Internet at their fingertips. They don't need you and don't want to deal with you unless you bring something to the table that they can't get on their own. You need to be a problem-solver, one who crafts solutions and never wastes the time of your prospects.

Gitomer covers it all...the techniques that work today as well as the ones that have limped off to the elephant's graveyard. Along with his six "little books" on selling, the revised Sales Bible forms a body of work that can be summed up in one central message, found on page 18:

"You often hear people say that they wouldn't or couldn't go into sales. The reason is they can't tolerate the risk involved. The uncertainty. The unknown. Or, perhaps more fundamental, they can't handle the challenge."

Selling...as an art and a science...is a moving target. The economy changes, the playing field changes, the needs of each of your prospects-slash-customers changes. A decade or two ago you might have gotten by with reading Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale or Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere before hitting the pavement or dialing the phone, but today your education needs to evolve daily. Gerhard Gschwandtner's "Selling Power" magazine and Web Site offers daily audio and video tips from experts. Gitomer publishes his weekly "Sales Caffeine" eZine. The degree to which the modern salesperson realizes that his or her education is perpetual and never-ending is the degree to which they will taste significant success.

If you own the six "little books" and former editions of The Sales Bible, if you read "Sales Caffeine" or listen to Gitomer as the host of Gschwandtner's monthly "Selling Power Live" audio program, you may not find an abundance of "new" material in this revised edition. The cartoons make it consistent in format with the "little books." I consider the book to be a five-star effort, and especially enjoy the fact that it is available as an audio book. Gitomer has carefully included his own unique personality as a central element of his branding, and this is one effort that benefits from presentation in both the written and spoken word.

Product arrived in perfect condition. The turn-around time was fantastic. This book is great... easy to read. Very well written and applies to the novice as well as the seasoned sales pro. Recommend seller 100%

okay, well my entire review just got deleted. all i can say is this book says WHAT without saying HOW
(general principles) without getting into finer details.

For instance one of the points in sales presentations says to use a FUNNY slide as opposed to a HUMOROUS slide, well these two words are (and can be used) synonymously. so, what does the author mean? Why are there few examples sparsely populated throughout without in-depth examination of any of this authors 230948234082340842380 points. Without substantiation and examples, the author just peppers the reader with useless advice.

It would be like Michael Jordan telling an aspiring NBA player "just practice"
"Just dribble"
"just shoot"

Okay, How do I dribble? What are the best dribbling techniques, drills, etc?
The hardest angles at basketball? When you just lifted (weights) and your muscles are fatigued, is it good to shoot? How do I best simulate a game-situation?

Or a Chef saying, "key to good food is good ingredients"
or "put your heart into it"

How the **** do I put my heart into it? What does it mean? How do I externalize this?

I am very impressed with Jeffrey Gitomer- I read an article in Success Magazine where he had located an Ancient Volume of " Every Man a King" by Orison Swett Marden-he stated how it was the push that drove him to success -the book had key paragraphs hi-lighted and underlined.
I am impressed with how he has distilled the practical wisdom of the ancients and written with Pizazz.
This book may be the kerosene to light an inferno of enthusiasm in your outlook.
This was the right book at the right time, written in the right way.
"He sought for others the good he sought for himself" Egyptian Tomb Inscription
"There are no great men, who have not rendered great services to humanity" Voltaire
"Everyday a Salesman leaves the house, he knows that his existence is on the line; Fortunately most of them have discovered a Source, an Oasis, a Power Supply if you will, which provides them with instruction, proven trial and error methods, unending enthusiasm, plus an Accumulation of Wise Advice from Centuries of Brilliant individuals, and with these Magic Books they learn to sell themselves on themselves, and eventually achieve their Full Potential Og Mandino " Success Magazine- "The Magic of Self Help Books"

Gitomer relies on every shopworn sleazy used car salesman tactic ever cooked up. For instance, he instructs salesmen to ignore "no soliciting" signs on page 126, repeating the same old self-serving rationalization that such signs aren't meant for "legitimate" salesmen like him. And yet he has all these rules for how prospects "should" treat salesmen with respect, or else they're "jerks." "Jerks" include people who screen calls so they aren't constantly interrupted by some cold-calling salesman, people who have a gatekeeper who keeps them from constantly being interrupted by cold calling salesmen, people who don't return voicemails left for them by cold calling salesmen. He also scores people as having a "negative attitude" if they watch the news and/or read the newspaper. He also teaches to bribe people with things like tickets, etc (actually a big no no in many companies who don't want their purchasing managers selecting a product on who got them Knicks tickets rather than who has the best product at the best price).

Ten commandments or Mount Sermon
Which of the two is easy to APPLY?

Obviously the first. Believe me, this book carries information in an APPLICABLE way on various facets of sales.

Personally, I feel that a human's whole life is based on sales.

And this book can help in these ways..

1. Save YOUR time.
You seriously don't have to run gallivanting searching for the magic pill.
2. Make your APPROACH sensible
Looking around, you are sure to find at least one person who is wise but still earning just pennies. Don't ever try to become one like them.
3. Start EARNING
Sales boils down simply to Earning.
The material in this book helps you to earn.

3.5 remember me, O have suffered lack of guidance. It is painful. Don't ever suffer. Use the wise guidance.

Have you been in sales? Just getting started? In a slump? Breaking all the records? A new sales manager? Someone who wants to be able to influence better? Great this book is for you. Yes no matter what your story is this book can help you remember what to do and when to do it. Sales come down to communication, questions and stories. Typically when sales slumps happen there is something basic that is not being done, this book is a great reference to find that basic idea. If sales are going great it is a superb way to stay on the top. From novice to professional there is something in here for you and you can get better at your job and make more money. This is the anthology of sales if you have a question or need a list to work from it is in here. If you have read any of Jeffery's book you know he is straight forward blunt and to the point so is this book.

If ever there was a book written precisely for it's audience, this is it.
Sales professionals are always hungry for new and better ways to become more effective and more efficient in their work. Their livelihoods depend on their personal success. More than any other occupational group, salespeople will invest in themselves, strive for self-development, and seek opportunities to sit at the feet of the gurus in the field.
Jeffrey Gitomer is recognized as a guru in the field of sales and sales training. He unabashedly proclaims himself to be the "best sales trainer in the world." While there are probably a few people who would dispute that assertion, Gitomer said it so others have to go on the offensive to attempt to refute his claim. This high level of confidence and firm emphasis on action and self-improvement are part of the author's character...and part of this book. The presentation is as strong and direct as you might expect from someone who learned how to sell in the highly competitive environment of New York and New Jersey.
Salespeople reading this book, neophytes and seasoned professionals, will gain ideas, insights, and reminders on practically every page. It is hard to miss the points: they're shot at the reader, zinger after zinger. Short chapter after short chapter. Large print headlines grabbing your attention. Fast-moving, like Gitomer's popular seminars (he'll tell you that himself!) held around the country.
The point: successful salespeople are incredibly busy. They have precious little patience for fluff and usually don't have the time to sit down and read long chapters. Life is USA Today bite-sized pieces. The Sales Bible delivers just that way. The book designer did a fine job of capturing just the flavor needed to reach the intended audience. Financial officers will be uncomfortable with the book, but who cares! It's not written for financial officers...unless they're selling.
The Sales Bible is similar to the more familiar Holy Bible, which has sold just a few more copies than this book probably will. It's organized into Books. Genesis is here, but only to lead the reader into The Book of Rules, The Book of Secrets, The Book of WOW, The Book of Cold Calling, the Book of Exhibitions. You get the idea. Read it straight through or pick the sections you want to concentrate on-during first or subsequent readings. The Table of contents is well-organized, with depth, to help readers find what they want and "get" the message, and the comprehensive index adds to that value.
Expect to carry this book with you and refer to it often...like when you're sitting in that traffic jam. How many copies do you need? Home, office, car? This is a book you could wear out quickly. I can see sales managers starting each day with Bible readings.... This review refers to the trade paperback edition.

I have been doing sales and seminars for many years, I have seen too-many-book in my life, and I only love a few books on eash subject that i care about.

In Sales and Salesmanship, this is one of the few books that i would highly recommend people to read and reread. So many materials inside, it is good to put beside your bed and read and reread time to time.

The materials are not put in some sort of "order" but mostly are useful tips that can be read by jumping around the book. Most are "sales common sense" that is really useful to implement and motivational to read.

This is not a "research base material" (like S-P-I-N selling, which is a good book for bigger sales), but more of the side of "Dale Carnegie" type of books on selling.

This is also a good book if you have to speak to your sales people regularly, a lot of materials you can use to do a 15 minutes monday morning sales motivation speeches.

Happy selling to you all.

I can't understand the high praise for this book - including the first twenty pages. This book should have been called 'Positive Attitude and Selling Tricks'. Positive attitude is always a good thing in life whereas selling tricks could have worked in the past but are useless nowadays. The author suggests among other things to find a person in a wheelchair to make you feel better, to write post-it notes in the bathroom mirror and to hang-up in the middle of a voice mail so that people call you back. Don't waste your time on this book! I strongly suggest The New Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proven Successful by the World's Best Companies or The New Conceptual Selling: The Most Effective and Proven Method for Face-to-Face Sales Planning books instead.

Author of: One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel

Gitomer is a marketing genius. The book covers the basics of selling with some very "Gitomer" style messages. If you've read any of his other books, then you know what to expect. Some of it is covered elsewhere in many other sales books. But this revised edition takes the most important aspects of selling and puts them all together - with very specific details. And he doesn't waste words, but gets right to the point - I like that.

From the very beginning of prospecting for clients to follow up and keeping the customer for life, each page covers so much wisdom and material that it's something to use over and over again. I can see it getting worn out quickly. If there is only one sales book that you should own. Then this is the one.

Jeffrey Gitomer has his own unique straight-talking style. Some readers might find this to be almost offensive. But that's just his style. He is unabashedly proud of being a salesperson and that is a rare trait. If you can get over that then you'll discover that Gitomer's book is a helpful reference that every salesperson needs to have their shelf.

It educates salespeople in every aspect of the sales process by explaining some really practical skills and tips and tools you can use to get to know a prospect, build credibility, present the deal, overcome objections, and close the sale. Not only will you find this book educational but you'll find it inspirational. I want to sell when I read this book.

So get this book, read it, and then read it again. Then put it on your shelf. I try to read it at least once a year and I promise you that you'll reference it more frequently than that.

I've read a bunch of sales books but I only recommend two of them -- this one and Tom Hopkins' 'How to Master The Art of Selling'.

Somewhere in the pages of the Sales Bible, Jeffery compares Sales to Flossing Daily. He's right on and you should start flossing daily too.
Jeffery, thanks for the great book. It's greatly improved my closing rates and the best part is, I now floss daily.

Sandy Barris - President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

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If you are developing fresh talent, then you need to have this book. I have used this in countless lesson plans when teaching my people the fundamentals of selling. This is as close to "required reading" as you will find.

Gitomer is the ultimate sales guru because he keeps things simple. He doesn't teach how to sell, he teaches you how to show value so people will buy.

Bible is for beginners in many ways so if you've been around the block enough to know the way, skip this one and grab one of his Red books or the Patterson Principles. They are for the more experienced sales professional.

If you are a fan of high pressure sales techniques you will not like this book.If you dismiss PMA as just "feel good" hoopla again you will not like Gitomer.Gitomer has taken his 30 plus years of sales experience (yeah a sales book written by an actual sales person) gives you what works and has taken out what doesn't work.In another regard, since readig "The Sales Bible" I have followed Jeffrey's advice and stopped wasting time by watching the local news for 1 hr per day, reading newspapers and news magazines. Not only has my productivity improved, but I feel better, have less fights with my spouse and spend more time with my family or reading sales traiing or motivational books.Even though I was experienced in sellng, I learned a lot from this book. I highly recommend it.

This book proves how easy customer loyalty can be achieved when every action taken is seen through a desire to provide the best customer experience possible. From spouse and familial interactions to internal and external customer interactions. This book is truly a great resource for starting on the path to GREAT Customer Interactions.

covers material that other authors are clueless about.

I can understand the few 1 star and below 3 star reviews, non salespeople always attack books they don't understand.

Sales is like the stock market, everybody thinks they know, but what is interesting is that don't know what they don't know.

Gitomer has been on both sides of the desk. He is an accomplished sales pro and also a great sales trainer. I have read his "Sales Moves" column and recieve his ezine. Gitomers information is first class and fresh.

Like Tom Hopkins, J. Douglas Edwards, Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy, Gitomer walks the walk and can talk the talk. Used car salesmen will not like Gitomers advice because Gitomer is service oriented. Fans of Spin Selling may not like Gitomer either because Gitomer offers an approach that is gutsy and works, unlike Spin which is all theory and doesn't work.

I recommend you buy anything by Gitomer that you can get your hands on. What J. Douglas Edwards was in the 50's, Gitomer is to the new millenium.

Okay Chief?

Jeffrey Gitomer is a great writer. He knows sales, and knows how to teach other people to sell (or in his words, how to best HELP people to BUY). He has an in-your-face style, but doesn't offer himself to be your therapist or friend...he shares his wisdom developed through YEARS of studying salesmanship and being a salesman, to help the reader become better at sales. Readers of this book should also get his book Yes Attitude. They go well together.

"Sales Bible" is a good read for the sales professional who wants to improve his/her performance. The chapters are succinct and cover such areas as:

1. Rules for sales success.
2. Tips on prospecting your current customers and working on Fridays (a little planning on a Friday can help immensely for the next week!).
3. Good questions and listening are the two most important parts of selling.
4. Good pointers on making cold calls.
5. How to make presentations.
6. Addressing objections and closing the sale.
7. How to contact the prospect directly.
8. Common mistakes by salespeople.
9. Secrets of excellent customer service (many companies forget this).
10. Improving your listening skills.
11. Guidelines for networking.

I particularly liked the chapter on the new emerging salesperson - one who acts more like a consultant focused on the customer's needs instead of using high pressure sales tactics.

Needless to say, I made several notes to myself and will refer to the book often. Read and enjoy. Recommended!

This comprehensive catalogue of sales tips, maxims and never-to-be-forgotten rules of thumb should be on every salesperson's desk. The author's advice on selling in a down economy is particularly useful. In fact, all that he has to say reduces to three or four core messages, repeated in a variety of modes and keys throughout the book. But these principles bear repeating, and it may be that one formulation will miss, while another will hit the mark. The author's relentless optimism, boosterism and cheerleading will put some readers off, but those readers probably won't be salespeople, who need all the encouragement they can get. We recommend this solid and useful book, and welcomes its up-beat attitude.

I originally read and clipped Gitomer's columns out of the Business Journal and faxed Jeff for his suppliments to each column. I got the Sales Bible to make it easier to introduce clients and employees to Gitomer's methods instead of my photocopies of clippings.
The book turned out to be much better than a collection of columns because it has flow and structure. We have also found that we can pick and choose specific pages to illustrate training lessons.
When Jeff was giving a seminar sponsored by Xerox near by, we brought several employees and it was worth all the effort because he made the pages come alive