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Playbook For How To Excel As A Salesperson

Steve Weinberg’s book, Above Quota Performance, is a terrific book for both the sales rookie and the experienced sales pro. 

“This book is for sales professionals who are either struggling to achieve their sales goals, or who are meeting them but still want to improve their performance,” says Weinberg. 

Packed with proven concepts, principles, tips, techniques and 60 actionable takeaways, this book will help you: 

  • Generate and qualify leads.
  • Identify buyer roles and why they buy.
  • Understand the buying process.
  • Utilize value propositions.
  • Use LinkedIn for business development.
  • Master your sales presentation.
  • Close enterprise deals. 

“In order to succeed as a salesperson, you need to approach the journey with curiosity, diligence, and practice. Sales is no longer a simple linear process, and thus professionals in the industry — and those who hope to enter the industry — require new skills to deal with the profound changes in the digital marketplace,” explains Weinberg. 

Some of my favorite takeaways from the book are:

  • People buy from sellers they trust, not just the ones they like.
  • Educate or be educated.
  • Your value proposition must be strong and quantifiable.
  • Never pitch to a prospect in your first meeting with them.
  • Use the “so what” test when evaluating your statements in your sales presentation slides.
  • Your prospect should speak more than 50 percent of the time. 

Steve Weinberg

This book will likely both stay on the top of your desk and stay top of mind. It's that good, useful and helpful.

Steve Weinberg has managed over one thousand sales pros during his career and has spent his life selling and helping others sell better, sell faster, and sell more. 

He has over three decades of leadership experience in sales, including Vice Presidencies at Dun & Bradstreet Software, AC Nielsen, Solcorp (then part of EDS, now HP), and Deloitte and Touche. 

Thank you to the books’ publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.

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