By starting off defining sales, it is important to make these distinctions:
Industry Leaders and Sources for Sales Effectiveness
Zig Ziglar from Alabama, United States, was an American author, sales expert, and thought leader.
One of the best-known sales motivators and authors in the last 50 years, Zig Ziglar’s work broke new ground. I met Zig Ziglar at an NSA Conference and in his 80’s he was even more dynamic, persuasive, and electric in person than he comes across in his recorded materials. From 1970 to 2010, he traveled over five million miles across the world delivering powerful life improvement messages, and authored more than 30 books, some of the most popular and pertinent ones I’ve listed below.
Neal Rackman is an Academic and pioneer from the United Kingdom best known for his writings about consultative selling.
He researched 35,000 sales calls in over 20 countries to understand the sales process and then codified it into SPIN Selling, where each phase is represented by the letters in its name: Situation, Process, Implication, and Need. Along with many others, I credit Neal Rackman with bringing sales from art that required a force of personality for success to science that could increase your odds of success by understanding how to meet the expectations and needs of the buyer at each stage process.
David Sandler is a leading sales expert, best-selling author, and the founder of the Sandler organization.
In the late 1960s, David Sandler took his frustration with the “old school” high-pressure sales tactics and went to a psychologist to devise a new method, based on scientific principles of asking clarifying questions, qualifying the prospect to make the process more efficient, and effective decision-making, with mutual respect between the salesperson and the prospect – a revolutionary approach at the time.
David Mattson, a top sales expert from Maryland is the CEO of Sandler Training.
Dave, who I met through My Quest for the Best, began working and being mentored by David Sandler over 30 years ago. Today, under the leadership of Dave Mattson, Sandler is the worldwide leader in sales and leadership development with 250+ locations in 30+ countries and 15+ languages delivering over 500,000 hours of training each year.
Sales Resources on My Quest for the Best
On My Quest for the Best with Bill Ringle, the podcast for ambitious small business leaders, I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and learning from world-class authorities on the topic of sales. Enjoy and learn from the interviews featured below for their relevance and authority.
Featured Interviews on Sales
Sales growth secrets revealed with guest expert Alex Goldfayn
Business growth expert Alex Goldfayn and Bill Ringle discuss the four pillars of effective sales and some of the key reasons that business development and salespeople overcomplicate and add inefficiencies into the process, and what you can do about it to improve your sales quickly.
Adopt a Modern Seller Paradigm to Excel with guest expert Amy Franko
Strategic sales expert Amy Franko and Bill Ringle discuss the ideas of the five modern selling skill sets that help small business leaders and others responsible for top-line growth rise above the competition.
The Road to Excellence: Featured Interview with guest expert David Mattson
Visionary leader David Mattson and BIll Ringle discuss some of the crucial blind spots to building a successful business, as well as the 6 phases of the Excellence Process: Planning, Positions, People, Processes, Performetrics, Passion.
Thinking Right Side Up – with guest expert David Fields
Consulting expert David Fields talks with Bill Ringle on My Quest for the Best about how connecting with clients means recognizing that when it comes to consulting, it’s not about you.