I am OBSESSED with Jeffrey Gitomer! I am a big believer of speaking what you want to happen (setting a goal) into the universe and working towards accomplishing that goal. When you focus your mind on an outcome, it cannot help but target activities which will help you achieve your outcome.
I have decided I will meet Jeffrey Gitomer and he will be my new best friend. I have said this out loud numerous times to anyone who will listen. Watch out, Jeffrey!
The reason I am so obsessed with him is because he is the King of Sales. In my line of business, it is critical we perfect our sales game to move us forward. I love how his sales tips align so well with my beliefs. His belief of give value first emanates in every article, book, and podcast he shares.
In the Little Red Book of Selling, he shares his 12.5 tips of Sales Greatness. Bet you are wondering about the 12.5. Good! That was the intent. It was to catch your eye and spark your curiosity. You must be a differentiator in your field to stand out from the other noise.
I will not share every principle (although they are all valuable), but did want to highlight a few I believe apply to any business, not just sales.
Principle #1: Kick your own ass!
The takeaway from this principle is to get rid of the victim mentality. It is so easy to blame everyone else for our failures, but owning the reasons why we fail will set us free. If your company does not provide training for you, train yourself. Do not sit there and complain about the lack of training. Find a way to gather the tools you need to be successful.
How much time do you spend watching TV or playing on the internet? Take this time and listen to podcasts or read a book which will help build the mental muscle you need.
Gitomer highlights many reasons for lack of success, including poor work habits (getting to work late, etc.), poor personal habits (staying up too late, etc.), and poor belief system (I do not believe in my company or product). His advice is to recognize these and flip the script. Hard work makes luck.
Principle #3: Personal Branding is Sales
First, I want to point out this book was written over ten years ago. This was way before personal branding was a buzzword, but here it is, hidden in the 12.5 sales principles. Gitomer says, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
I made a move to a new company last year and I think the importance of a personal brand really hit home for me at that time. I was worried my clients would not work with me after I left the big name company. What I learned was they did not engage with XYZ Company; they engaged with Casey Hasten. My brand was my unique ability to go the extra step for my clients and provide relationship-based service. After my non-compete expired, my former clients immediately returned.
After this epiphany, I decided to formalize my personal brand. I had already registered my name domain prior to reading this book, but after, I understood the importance of having done that. I began to methodically implement the steps to personal branding mentioned in this chapter. The best piece of advice for me was, “dedicate time to make it happen.”
Principle 5: It’s not Work, It’s NETWORK.
Possibly one of my favorite subjects. Networking. Gitomer also agrees this is a must have tool in your toolbelt. You must be willing to invest the time it takes and be consistent with the groups you attend. This is an opportunity “to get known by those who count.” AND THEY WILL GET TO KNOW YOU.
For example, I have been expanding my network heavily over the last year. Through this networking, I have met two people who are close to Jeffrey Gitomer. It is only a matter of time before my networking leads me to the long-awaited introduction.
Gitomer shares a list of great places to start if you are new to networking. I will not list every one, but wanted to point out #21; getting to know people on the airplane. I always warn anyone sitting next to me on a plane I am scared to death to fly. This usually opens up some kind of conversation. I will never forget making my statement to my seatmate one time and the story which unraveled. Turns out I was sitting next to Randy Norfleet, the only witness to see Timothy McVeigh right before he committed the Oklahoma City Bombing. His inspirational story had me in tears throughout the flight. After, he introduced me to his CEO and to this day we are all great friends and have done quite a bit of business together.
My team and I have been studying the book together and came with some fun challenges designed to enforce each of the principles as we read them. Send me a message if you would like a list of these challenges.
As you read this book, I highly recommend you check out the free Red Bits available on Gitomer’s website and read any books he recommends. He shares a ton of additional content at no charge. Be sure to check out his and Jennifer Gluckow’s Sell or Die Podcast as well. They share content five days a week and are a hoot to listen to.
Now go read, Bookworm!
