The One Minutes Sales Person [Book Review]

The One Minutes Sales Person by Spencer Johnson and Larry Wilson is a quick listen - the entire thing is about an hour. It starts off with a worn out sales person looking for advice to do better at sales. The man then talks to various people and learns some fundamental principles to being a successful sales person.

Each principle he learns can be done in just a minute (or so). That minutes sets up the rest of the sales process to be more effective.

As someone looking to improve my sales skills, this was a welcome book. I like getting solid principles I can internalize, which then shapes my behavior later.

A few highlights:

1. Stay on purpose: Take one minute to remember why you're selling. The reason should go beyond "to make money", it should be a deeper purpose. This is the cornerstone principle of the entire book.
2. Genuinely care about the other person: Take one minute to put yourself in their shoes, their situation. This will help you connect and, hopefully, not push them to do something they wouldn't want to do.
3. People hate to be sold, but they love to buy: Therefore your job is to help people discover if they need or want the product/service you're providing. Furthermore, draw out their needs with questions instead of just telling them.
4. Use the word "Person" instead of "Prospect": This will help you remember that this is a real person on the other side. A person with feelings, with needs, with a heart. Take a minute to remember who you're dealing with - it's not just "a numbers game", it's "connecting with people".

Notice a theme? The reason I like this book is because it's about genuinely connecting with people with a purpose. It gives principles on how to be a better person, not how to trick people into buying.

It's a quick read at a reasonable price. I recommend reading it.