SELLING:
IT’S PERSONAL
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49 TIPS TO OUTSELL
THE COMPETITION
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By Don Saracen
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Bristol Harbor Publishing
Bristol Harbor Publishing
346 Spinnaker Lane
Bristol, Rhode Island
Copyright © 2013 by Don Saracen
Cover Design by 3rd Story Production
http://3rdstoryproductions.com/
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form, or any other means, including recording, taping, or any storage retrieval system without written permission from the author.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-1452-2
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
PRAISE FOR
SELLING:
IT’S PERSONAL
“An inspiring read that gets to the heart of all sales success – really connecting with other people.”
Suzanne Bates, CSP, CEO of Bates Communications, award winning news anchor, Author of Discover Your CEO Brand, Speak Like a CEO and Motivate Like a CEO.
http://www.bates-communications.com/
“A terrific sales how-to book for the new economy, it’s fast paced, insightful and will, bottom line, make you money.”
Gary W. Patterson Author of Million Dollar Blind Spots: 20/20 Vision for Financial Growth
“The book’s combination of shared personal experiences, advice, insights, integration of face-to-face and virtual-based scenarios, and its breadth of selling related topics makes it a must-read for entrepreneurs, company leaders, and professional sales people of all types and professional levels.”
Eric Bloom, President and Founder, Manager Mechanics, LLC, Author and Columnist for Gate House Media
“What I really liked about this book is that it is very well organized in how it approaches the very foundation of the sales process…it is personal. You can go to any chapter and focus on its contents for meaningful insight on the topic. This is a valuable reference for any sales professional.”
Larry Girouard, President, The Business Avionix Company
http://www.businessavionixcompany.com/
“Don’s great, real-world stories in this book will give you the keys to sales success. These examples from someone who has been-there-done-that will help accelerate your game to the next level.”
John Chapin - Author of gold medal winning, SALES Encyclopedia, Owner of Complete Selling, Inc.
http://www.completeselling.com/
“This book “Selling – Its Personal” hits it out of the ballpark, showing you how to succeed with all your sales calls. I particularly have benefited from his tips in showing me how to turn, what seems to be rejection, into delivering and selling value added services to the client.”
Dennis C. Mahoney, MPH, CSP, President, DennisMahoney.Org Healthcare Preventive Medicine Expert
“In the digital age we sometimes forget that relationships still matter and this book is a great primer for any professional. I read a lot of business books, especially on sales, and your book is one of the most comprehensive that I’ve run across.”
Tobias, Stapleton, MBA – Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
http://www.umassd.edu/charlton/
"What I like about this book is that it addresses the human element of selling. Don uses real world examples that you can relate to. Just as in public speaking it is important to connect with your audience, in sales, the human connection is also paramount”.
Mary Cheyne – President and Founder, Magnetic Podium, LLC, 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking 1st Runner up.
http://www.magneticpodium.com/
Dedicated to my dad, Al Saracen, whose simple yet powerful message to me growing up was to always remember that business is really about people, trust and relationships.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.” -Steven Wright
Well, that’s how I started. Sometimes I wondered, Will I ever finish writing this book? I’m pleased to say that with the encouragement of family (Saracens & Brunaults) and friends it has come to reality.
Heartfelt thanks to so many people for their time, talent and perspective toward the completion of this book.
First my wife Cherie, my editor, Michelle Singer, and my book cover designers, Scott & Maria Saracen of 3rd Story Productions.
And a big thank you in alphabetical order to:
Barry Bainton PhD, Eric Bloom, Marilee Driscoll, Annette Fazio, Janet Fontana, Claudia Gere, Larry Girouard, Naomi Karten, Dennis Mahoney, Shae McWilliams, Gary Patterson, Phil Tirrell, Bob & Marie Saracen, Bobby Saraceni, Mike Saracen, Irene Sinteff, Lauren Slocum, Toby Stapleton, Linda Varone
INTRODUCTION
During the summer I turned twelve years old, when most of my friends were either out playing baseball under the summer sun or going to camp, I went to work with my dad.
His name is Al and when I was growing up he owned a small display company just north of Boston. He dealt with drug, department, and specialty stores. He would decorate large display windows. Many a summer day I would go along to work with him and I would learn lessons that would last me a lifetime.
Now I still chuckle when I think of how he used to dress. You see, he dressed the same way almost every day. He wore a long-sleeved starched white shirt and a plaid bow tie—even when it was 95 degrees out. It was a different time! And, of course, I would dutifully follow behind with my short blonde crew haircut, carrying his old beat-up brown leather workbag.
I remember clearly my first day on the job. Dad drove to Osborn’s drug store. Before we left the car he told me, “Don, today we are going to meet the store owner, Mr. Osborn, and I’m going to introduce you as my partner! Now, he’ll probably smile or laugh. But when I introduce you, I want you to put down the bag, make eye contact,