Secrets of Closing the Sale

This one I listened to on audiobook (it was one of my free books from audible) and I’m glad I did. If you’ve never heard Zig Ziglar present, I’d urge you to try the audiobook as well. The man was a master presenter and it shows in a big way. The format of the audiobook is interesting, many of the chapters are substituted out for live lectures he had given on the chapter topic. Chapters that were too dense or where he wanted to be sure nothing was left out were read in the traditional audiobook manner.

I think the big mistake with this book would be passing it over just because you think it’s not applicable to you. You may never have a profession in sales, but the ability to sell in general drives success in nearly every arena.

I really think that everyone can pull tons of value out of this book. Here are some of the things that I wrote down that I benefitted from:

• “You can have whatever you want in life if you will help enough people get what they want.” This was one of the main ideas and was a refrain that echoes through the book. It’s a great perspective, the more value you provide, the better you will do in life.
• People don’t buy products, they buy what the product does for them. e.g. everyone wants straight teeth, no one wants braces.
• “What you put in your mind has an impact on you. Fortunately you can control what goes in your mind.” -Which is another great reason to be reading good books like this one 😃
• When you get an objection, lower your voice and repeat the objection almost verbatim, changing your inflection to make it a question: Objection: “The price is too high!” Reply: “The price is too high?”
• “Logic makes people think, but emotion makes people act.” The sweet spot is tying logic and emotion together. There needs to be enough emotion to make a prospect act, and enough logic that they can rationalize it to their friends.
• Price is a one-time thing, cost lasts a lifetime. A $64 product that lasts 10 years costs less than a $32 version that lasts 6 months
• What is the best way to begin a sales presentation? With questions!

If you decide to read this book, I definitely recommend the audiobook version. Zig is a charming presenter and listening to him deliver a presentation is a real pleasure. His cadences and timing are spot on. Obviously I think if you are in sales this is a must-read, but I think most of us underestimate how valuable (and necessary) of a skill it is to be able to successfully sell something.