"Charles Green will tell you he's not a salesperson. So how has he written a book brimming with such practical selling wisdom? The answer lies in his long history as advisor to some of the best consulting firms in the world. He has distilled this experience and applied it to sales. I learned a lot from this book." Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling "At last, a sales book based on how sophisticated, intelligent people actually buy. An important contribution that challenges the effectiveness of much of current sales practice, and shows how to do it better." David Maister, author of First Among Equals, Managing the Professional Services Firm, Practice What You Preach, and (co-author) The Trusted Advisor. "Green has written a rarity—a practical book which talks about the critical role of trust in selling, and how to be honest and successful at the same time." Ken Roller, Director, Strategic Relations, Intel Corporation "Charles Green can be trusted—and so can his book. Trust is something that is earned, not just given. If you want to earn the trust of your customers, I suggest you read this book and heed its wisdom." Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling "Trust-based Selling® reminds us that long-term value creation is driven by putting the client first. It takes courage to put short-term financial goals aside to build long-term value through trusting relationships. Disciplined execution of the principles outlined in this book will reward the courageous." James McSherry, EVP Commercial Banking, CIBC "Charles Green's Trust-based Selling® is the break-through book I have been searching for. It provides effective concepts and examples of how to build lasting relationships in businesses dealing with intangible products and services. It is timeless in its teachings, and will become the foundation for our professional development training." Jack Snyder, Managing Director Business Development, Guy Carpenter & Company |
Trust-Based Selling "Sales" and "Trust" are not often used in the same sentence. Customers are skeptical, even cynical about being "sold," often with good cause. The reason is simple—buyers don't trust sellers, fearing that sellers have only their own interests at heart. Can sellers really help buyers–and serve their own bottom line at the same time--without conflict? Or is this conflict the essence of a commercial relationship? Trust-Based Selling is not an oxymoron. The gains of trust-based buyer/seller relationships can and do accrue to both parties. People prefer to buy what they have to buy anyway from those they have come to trust. It is possible for selling to be a genuinely value-adding, beneficial process for buyer and seller alike. But in order for it to work, we as sellers actually have to care about our customer. If the our objective is to help the customer, then we can become trusted, and among other things, make lots of money. But--if our primary objective is just to make lots of money or become competitively successful--by trying to become trusted--it will not work. The trick is—you actually have to care. The solution is simple to state, hard to live. There is a saying in the corporate training business—"fake it till you make it." It means to practice behaviors that feel alien to you, until they become more comfortable. It works well for practicing golf swings, learning French, improving public speaking. But when it comes to trust--and to selling complex goods and services, it's a recipe for failure. If you fake it, you break it. In the face of sophisticated buyers, over long selling cycles and intense interpersonal contact, it is virtually impossible for a seller to fake trust. The only way to make it is to not fake it. Ask any customer. Trust-Based selling is not an oxymoron, any more than is a parent "selling" a child on experiencing something new, or someone "selling" good advice to a friend in need. It is possible to align the interests of buyer and seller, rather than simply focus on getting the buyer to meet the needs of the seller. The only reason it sounds radical is that it's so uncommon. This book aims to make it more common.
Trust-Based Selling® serves all people in sales, and indeed all customer-facing roles. However, it is particularly aimed at complex, intangible services businesses. Today, that's every business with ticket prices over $1,000, buying processes lasting longer than a few days, or relationships involving more than a phone call. There are no pure product or hardware companies anymore. Buyers don't just buy boxes; they buy such things as interoperability, plug-compatibility, scalability, multiple redundancy, and service contracts. Companies in high tech, private banking, accounting, construction, commercial real estate, reinsurance—all are providing complex, intangible services. Selling a router is less about selling hardware than it is about selling an ongoing network of services and personal relationships. "Stuff" isn't the issue anymore; trust is. If you are in the law, consulting, accounting, public relations, advertising or actuarial businesses, this book is for you. If you are in the enterprise or expensive PC software or related services, this book is for you. If you are in the commercial banking, brokerage, insurance, financial planning or private banking business, this book is for you. If you sell telecom or technology equipment or services, this book is for you. If you sell almost anything to OEM accounts in amounts over $10,000 per transaction, this book is for you. If your sales are relatively concentrated in a proportionally small number of key accounts, this book is for you. If you are a sales manager in almost any business, this book is for you. And finally, if you believe your business could benefit from creating greater trust between your customers and the salespeople they interact with, this book is for you. |
