I recommend a pass on some of the other snoozers when it comes to the topic of relationship selling. Jim Cathcart presents highly valuable information in an easy to read process that is applicable in the field. I have recommended the book to the whole team at my company. You won't be able to put it down.

How can I find this book in Portuguese, over here in Brasil ???

I first discovered this gem 6 years ago and have since ordered extra copies for associates. Jim dispells the myth that selling is a win/lose proposition. In Relationship Selling, everyone is a winner.

There could not be a better time for a sales force to soak in all that Sales GURU Jim Cathcart has to say. Relationships are built in tough economic periods. This book details the basic steps each sales person should follow, and offers sound (not soft) motivation for reaching the top. Every sales rep n our firm has a copy.

The Eight Competencies of Relationship Selling is one of the best sales books I have had the opportunity to read. Jim Cathcart's 30 years of sales experience really shows through in this book. His solid ideas have really assisted me in fine-tuning my own sales strategies. This is a great read, filled with powerful ideas and short exercises that really allow you to enhance your sales career.

Of course, I'd give myself five stars but here's why: this book is the result of 17 years of experience with my earlier book: Relationship Selling, How to get and keep customers (now in print in English, Japanese, Chinese and Finnish.) I've applied these principles and refined the process over 25 years with 2,000+ clients around the world.
The format of the book is HTML, you can jump directly to the idea you need rather than reading in linear fashion. Take the Sales Readiness Assessment on page 15 then go directly to what you feel you need most right now.
I've filled the book with cartoons, graphs, exhibits, case studies and checklists to make it fun to learn and easy to retain. Enjoy your read and let me know if you need more.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading because it does not indicate the full scope of what Steinmetz provides...and achieves. True, he suggests all manner of strategies and tactics to overcome sales resistance based almost entirely on price. (He correctly suggests that those who buy ONLY on price be avoided. More about that later.) However, I think this book's greater value is derived from Steinmetz's systematic and convincing repudiation of various self-defeating mindsets. For example, those who are so desperate to sell (and earn some money) that they make all manner of unnecessary concessions. In effect, they negotiate against themselves. (Steinmetz: "Business is a game of margins, not volume.") Here's another example. Those who fulfill what I call the "Self-Fulfilling Negative Prophecy": They are convinced that they cannot succeed and therefore eagerly gather and then cite "evidence" to prove it. (Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.") I stopped counting but there must be at least 50 self-defeating mindsets throughout the book which Steinmetz examines and then dismisses.

This is NOT a sales manual. Rather, an extended dialogue between Steinmetz and those readers who are reasonably intelligent, very ambitious, highly energetic, eager to learn what they think they know but don't, not easily discouraged, and -- most important of all -- willing to consider vary carefully what Steinmetz suggests. He requires each reader to set aside their (probably cherished) assumptions about "salesmanship," most of them based on received wisdom that is either obsolete or never true in the first place. Is selling always a "numbers game"? No and Yes. No if the percentage is based on the number of sales made as a result of cold calls to everyone in the telephone directory whose last name begins with "J." Yes if the percentage is based on the number of sales made to carefully selected, pre-qualified prospects. True, there are differences between walk-in sales (e.g. at vehicle dealerships and department stores) and offsite sales (e.g. at the prospect's location). Even so, Steinmetz cites five "cases" (price, quality, service, competence of salesperson, and error-free delivery) which apply to both. I agree completely that "business is a game of margins, not volume." I am also convinced that re-orders (i.e. repeat customers), not merely orders, should be a primary objective. As Steinmetz explains, price may result in one order but quality, service, competence of salesperson, and error-free delivery create and then sustain long-term customer relationships.

Why avoid those who buy only on price? Steinmetz offers nine reasons:

1. Price-buyers take all of your sales time.

2. They do all the complaining.

3. They "forget" to pay you.

4. They tell your other customers how little they paid you.

5. They drive off your good customers.

6. There's not going to buy from you again anyhow.

7. They'll require you to "invest up" to supply their needs -- and then they'll blackmail you for a better price.

8. They'll destroy the credibility of your price and your product in the eyes of your customers.

9. They will steal any ideas, designs, drawings, information, and knowledge they can get their hands on.

There are dozens of such checklists, step-by-step processes, reminders, dos and don'ts, cautions, and value affirmations. throughout the book as well as hundreds of examples of real-world sales situations. Problems and complications are inevitable. Steinmetz identifies the most recurrent ones and explains how to resolve them. Implicit is Steinmetz's pride in what he views as the profession of sales. He is wholeheartedly committed to quality of product and service. He understands the importance of making prudent promises and then keeping every one of them. He has little (if any) patience with whiners, chiselers, corner cutters, liars, and hypocrites. He views providing service to customers as a privilege, indeed as a moral obligation.

Here in a single volume is a wealth of information and wisdom which Steinmetz has accumulated over a period of many years, presented with a non-nonsense writing style enlivened by his wry sense of humor. All of his advice is eminently practical and easily applicable to most sales situation. However, I presume to offer some advice of my own. Read and then re-read the book, highlighting or underlining whatever seems most relevant to your own situation. Then focus on your most urgent needs. That is to say, do not attempt to apply immediately everything you have learned. Experiment. Take a few prudent chances. Over time, I think you will achieve significant improvement of your skills and a stronger sense of pride in how you earn a living. One final point. Not all prospective customers are worthy of your attention and effort. Concentrate only on the ones who are.

Tells the truth about discount pricing and the type of customers it attracts, not to mention how it taxes your ability to service your customers effectively while eroding your profitability. Learn how you can make more money by saying no to customers who shop by price only. A crucial lesson in sales economics that every sales professional needs to learn in order to be successful and profitable. I just hope my competitors never read it.

Larry does an outstanding job of presenting the hows and whys of making your pricing stick. In the process he effectively presents the tricks that buyers use to beat prices down (and you can now use them too to save money) and how to combat them, why it is critical to maintain your prices so you have the profits to develop new products, why it takes 50% more volume to bring profitibality back to the same after a 10% price cut, why you can lose 50% of your business and still make as much with a 10% price increase and other important lessons on pricing. Every sales person and every businessman should read this book.

A shame this book is out of stock... The book puts at your hand all the (more technical) mean to perform efficiently in your sales job. The book contains lots of tabels and worksheets which are perfect for the start. Of course - if you don't want to have any system in your work behavior then avoid this book! ;-) The book does not contain anything much about psychology, closing, arguing etc. For this I refer everybody to the topic of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). There are even some books who make it explicitly clear what are pros of NLP to the sales person....

IT IS DEEP ROOTED IN THE SUBJECT AND I GAINED IMMENCE KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS

This book changed the way I think about myself, my life and my potential and it could do the same for you! Cathcart writes in a clear, friendly, easy-to-understand manner and his principles are so brilliant you'll find it hard to sleep while you're going through the exercises. What a great service he has done us all by putting these thoughts on paper! It's a must-have for the serious student of personal transformation, for those "just having a rough spot" and for anyone who wonders what they really could become. Magnificent!

Jim Cathcart has done an amazing job with the Acorn Principle.

I first heard him speak about this a couple of years ago. That speech helped me understand my son and our relationship in ways that changed us both for the better.

Now comes this book, full of the best insights from the best research. Read it an you'll learn how to understand yourself and others, about how people learn and grwo.

And, if you go beyond just reading, the material here can help you change your life and relationships.

The book won't do that changing for you, but it will give you a map, guidelines and encouragement.

This book will be a classic.

Wally Bock

I've known Jim Cathcart since childhood. His own life is a testimonial to the message in The Acorn Principle. He leads us through the process of taking a fresh look at our life, relationships and career while finding natural "alignments" and opening up new possibilities. This book will amaze readers with surprizing findings about what makes them like they are. You are gonna love it!

Jim Cathcart has written a great book detailing what it takes to discover and develop your hidden potential. He states that every person has a certain kind of unlocked talent (like the acorn) inside of them... a certain genius, and to be happy and successful all you have to do is discover and develop it. "The oak sleeps within you"

This book guides you through some detailed questions and exercises to help you in finding your "highest and best use". I took the time to actually write down answers to the questions he puts forth in my journal. It was interesting and well worth the time spent.

I must confess... I have read many self-help books of this type over the past five years. I cannot say that I was blown away by the originalty of this book. However, had this been the first book of its type that I ever picked up, it would have easily ranked near the top of my list. His ideas are clear and concise, but mainly focused at the 'beginner' so to speak.

So, if you are unhappy in your current situation, job, life... try to look inside and see what is going on in there. What lies dormant within you is just waiting to grow into something big. Jim Cathcart's book can certainly help!