Jeff Cox has done it again. The coauthor of
Zapp! and
The Goal--bestselling business books that employ engaging fictional tales to advance a slew of practical suggestions--now teams with
marketing specialist Howard Stevens to do for
sales what his previous efforts did for motivation and productivity. In
Selling the Wheel, he crafts a witty
story around solid sales fundamentals that Stevens has gleaned from a quarter-century of research and analysis. Its hero is a fledgling old-time entrepreneur named Max who invents the
Wheel but can''t get anybody to buy one. With marketing assistance from his wife ("In the olden days," Cox explains, "women almost always did the marketing"), and guidance from a cave-dwelling wise man, Max ultimately succeeds with
help from four distinctly different types of salespeople, dubbed Closer, Wizard, Builder, and Captain. While this may
sound silly when taken out of context, the story is entertaining and, more important, filled with sound tips that could help sales professionals and their managers deal with varying evolutionary phases of any product or service. Among its many nuggets: "Silence has been used for centuries as a
closing technique. The game is simple. After asking a closing question, say nothing--because the person who speaks next loses."
--Howard Rothman
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