800-CEO-READ New Releases

Accelerants

by Michael A. Boylan

(Portfolio, 240 Pages)

"Many sales processes don't work anymore--period. But companies don't know exactly what's not working, or why, or what needs fixing. What's worse, many companies are in denial that their processes are broken and will not support what they need to do going forward."

Today it's tougher than ever for sales, marketing, and business development organizations to keep improving their revenue and profits. Potential clients want to see salespeople less and less, real decision makers hide behind skilled gatekeepers, and even when you actually reach them, they have impossibly short attention spans. Sales and closing cycles get longer, margins get thinner, and customers keep raising the bar – demanding more value, cheaper prices, and better service.

Michael Boylan's Accelerants offers a powerful solution to these impediments to growth. Giving business leaders the tools to diagnose what is hindering revenue growth, Boylan first identifies twelve constraints that apply consistent downward pressure on companies, making them less efficient, effective, and profitable. He then prescribes the Accelerant Principles—twelve field-proven tools Boylan has perfected over twenty years that can help any organization overcome, minimize, or dissolve the constraints to business growth.

Together, the Accelerant principles offer a cohesive framework that can help any business:

With ideas that are relevant, timely, and applicable, Accelerants provides a program that will foster empowerment, cohesion, and clarity of purpose within any sales, marketing, or business development organization.

Made to Stick

by Chip Heath, Dan Heath

(Random House Inc, 288 Pages)

Mark Twain once observed, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on." His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas–business people, teachers, politicians, journalists, and others–struggle to make their ideas "stick."

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the “human scale principle,” using the "Velcro Theory of Memory," and creating "curiosity gaps."

In this indispensable guide, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds–from the infamous "kidney theft ring" hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony–draw their power from the same six traits.

Made to Stick is a book that will transform the way you communicate ideas. It's a fast-paced tour of success stories (and failures)–the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers; the charities who make use of "the Mother Teresa Effect"; the elementary-school teacher whose simulation actually prevented racial prejudice. Provocative, eye-opening, and often surprisingly funny, Made to Stick shows us the vital principles of winning ideas–and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick.

Words That Work

by Frank Luntz

(Hyperion Books, 0 Pages)

The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country

In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The Ten Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century," he examines how choosing the right words is essential.

Nobody is in a better position to explain than Frank Luntz: He has used his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. He�ll tell us why Rupert Murdoch�s six-billion-dollar decision to buy DirectTV was smart because satellite was more cutting edge than "digital cable," and why pharmaceutical companies transitioned their message from "treatment" to "prevention" and "wellness."

If you ever wanted to learn how to talk your way out of a traffic ticket or talk your way into a raise, this book's for you.

You, Inc.

by Harry Beckwith, Christine Clifford Beckwith

(Warner Books Inc, 0 Pages)

As founder of Beckwith Advertising and Marketing, Harry Beckwith learned early on in his career that no matter what product is being sold, the most important component of the sale is you. Here Beckwith teams up with his wife, motivational speaker and former sales executive Christine Clifford Beckwith, to provide tips, anecdotes, and insights based on their 30 years of selling experience. Written in a traditional homespun style, the Beckwiths offer doses of humor and practical knowledge to anyone who wants to learn how to seal the deal and thrive in business.

Values Sell

by Nadine A. Thompson, Angela E Soper

(Pub Group West, 120 Pages)

Sales and distribution are the lifeblood of any business — socially responsible businesses are no different. To make a difference in the world, a business has to make its product or service available and get the public to buy it. But how can one compete with businesses for which the bottom line is the only measure of success? You need to get creative! In this practical and inspiring guide, Nadine Thompson and Angela Soper draw on real-world examples to show how a values-driven business can establish a foundation from which innovative sales and distribution strategies naturally flow. They lay out concrete steps for communicating a powerful, motivating vision for the business, and for designing sales and distribution strategies that fit the needs, interests, and habits of the target customer. Values Sell will help any socially conscious entrepreneur develop competitive sales and distribution strategies while staying true to his or her distinctive mission.

The Art of Woo

by G. Richard Shell, Mario Moussa

(Penguin USA, 304 Pages)

Your projects, programs, and career turn on the difference between “no” and “yes.” Yet selling ideas—especially the kinds of ideas that make organizations work—is a skill shrouded in mystery. Part emotional intelligence, part politics, part rhetoric, and part psychology, selling ideas is not like tricking someone out of his money. It’s about helping others to see things your way— engaging their minds and imaginations.

Charles Lindbergh needed woo to assemble backers for his famous flight; Nelson Mandela used it to lead a revolution in South Africa. In any context, woo is two parts art and one part science.

Richard Shell and Mario Moussa offer a self-assessment to determine which persuasion role fits you best and how to make the most of your natural strengths. They also share vivid stories from their experiences advising thousands of leaders, and stories about famous people like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andy Grove, and Bono.

Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, competitive or collaborative, intellectual or practical, The Art of Woo will strengthen your persuasion skills in every aspect of your life.

About the Author G. Richard Shell is director of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop at the Wharton School, where he is professor of legal studies, business ethics and management. His previous book is the award-winning Bargaining for Advantage. Mario Moussa is a faculty member at the Wharton School and a principal of CFAR Inc., a management consulting firm.

The Art of Woo

by G. Richard Shell, Mario Moussa

(Penguin USA, 304 Pages)

Your projects, programs, and career turn on the difference between “no” and “yes.” Yet selling ideas—especially the kinds of ideas that make organizations work—is a skill shrouded in mystery. Part emotional intelligence, part politics, part rhetoric, and part psychology, selling ideas is not like tricking someone out of his money. It’s about helping others to see things your way— engaging their minds and imaginations.

Charles Lindbergh needed woo to assemble backers for his famous flight; Nelson Mandela used it to lead a revolution in South Africa. In any context, woo is two parts art and one part science.

Richard Shell and Mario Moussa offer a self-assessment to determine which persuasion role fits you best and how to make the most of your natural strengths. They also share vivid stories from their experiences advising thousands of leaders, and stories about famous people like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andy Grove, and Bono.

Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, competitive or collaborative, intellectual or practical, The Art of Woo will strengthen your persuasion skills in every aspect of your life.

About the Author G. Richard Shell is director of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop at the Wharton School, where he is professor of legal studies, business ethics and management. His previous book is the award-winning Bargaining for Advantage. Mario Moussa is a faculty member at the Wharton School and a principal of CFAR Inc., a management consulting firm.

Sales Blazers

by Mark Cook

(McGraw-Hill, 240 Pages)

The challenge: achieve high-level growth on an annual basis.

Every sales professional faces it. Mark Cook, a growth leadership consultant for leading performance improvement company O.C. Tanner, called on top sales earners at leading organizations worldwide to discover their secrets for sales success. The results revealed trailblazing strategies for dramatic growth--which can be repeated by salespeople at any level and used to lead sales and support teams in any industry.

Sales Blazers explores these eight advanced strategies that Cook observed in “Sales Blazers” across the board at Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies. Pulling from his experience as a sales leader in the trenches, Cook reveals how these sales leaders use each breakthrough strategy to consistently outperform trends and their competition—creating extraordinary growth. He outlines the “Sales Blazer Method,” which encompasses the eight strategies common to all top earners. You’ll see how effective sales leaders:

He also outlines the “Sales Blazer Method,” which encompasses the eight strategies common to all top earners. You'll see how effective sales leaders:

1. Start with a clean bill of health to increase selling time

2. Spark a performance pursuit to influence and motivate

3. Get the Express Pass to accelerate relationships and beat the competition

4. Play your depth chart to align strengths and engage broader talent

5. Activate expectations to reach this quarter's goals

6. Coach like a professional to strengthen your advisory role

7. Offer RSVP feedback to achieve better results

8. Heighten reward potency to increase momentum

Used in concert, these strategies help you prepare more effectively, and improve your ability to lead and achieve goal-shattering results year after year.

The Sales Bible

by Jeffrey H. Gitomer

(Collins, 304 Pages)

"Every once in a while ONE book defines a category."
—Jack Covert, 800-CEO-READ

Since its initial publication in 1994, Morrow's hardcover edition of Jeffrey Gitomer's THE SALES BIBLE has sold over 117,000 copies, and another 100,000 in paperback (published by Wiley). But in the 13 years since then, Gitomer has made himself into a sales powerhouse with huge success around an inventively packaged series of books, with his classic THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF SELLING at its heart. Now at last, Gitomer has taken the title that began it all, and has completely revised it. The Sales Bible is totally reworked to fit into his line of bestselling sales titles. It's sure to be THE must-have title for sales professionals worldwide who've already come to know and trust Jeffrey's inventive, irreverent sales wisdom through his "Little [Color] Book of..." series.

Topgrading for Sales

by Greg Alexander, Bradford Smart

(Portfolio, 128 Pages)

Book Description
A concise extension of the business classic Topgrading, targeted to sales managers.

Brad Smart’s Topgrading has sold more than 150,000 copies since 1999, making it the definitive book for executives who want to hire, coach, and retain top talent. Now Smart has teamed up with Greg Alexander, who used Topgrading to radically improve his sales force at EMC.

In Topgrading for Sales, they have boiled down the key Topgrading ideas to a pithy 112 pages while focusing on the unique needs of sales managers and sales directors.

Great sales forces don’t just depend on strategies— they depend on hiring the best possible reps. But surveys show that about half of all hires and promotions put an underqualified person in the wrong job. No wonder the average tenure for sales managers is only nineteen months.

Topgrading for Sales takes the guesswork out of hiring by teaching readers how to interview systematically for A-level talent instead of relying on hunches and prejudices. It also shows how to coach B-level reps to turn them into A-players and how to weed out C-players before they do too much damage.