People Buy You: The Real Secret to what Matters Most in Business
People Buy You: The Real Secret to what Matters Most in Business book cover

People Buy You: The Real Secret to what Matters Most in Business

Hardcover – June 21, 2010

Price
$21.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
208
Publisher
Wiley
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0470599112
Dimensions
5.8 x 1 x 8.6 inches
Weight
12 ounces

Description

From the Inside Flap What is most important to your success as a sales or business professional? Many people will tell you that it's all about crafting the right pitch, making more cold calls, or having a powerful closing technique. Some will say that it's education, experience, product knowledge, job title, territory, or business dress. Others argue that it's your company's reputation, brand awareness, product, price, or service guarantees. There are even those who say it is an investment in the latest CRM software, Sales 2.0 tools, or your social media strategy. Jeb Blount says― none of the above! The truth is, success is powered by your ability to solve the problems of your customer. When you solve problems, your job is done, and the sale is made. But how do you get to that point? An expert with decades of experience in the sales trenches, Jeb Blount has learned that successful sales are built around a solid knowledge of people―how they are motivated to buy and how they can respond positively to the right approach. In People Buy You , Blount provides a commonsense system, based in solid sales psychology, that will help you: Overcome three relationship myths that are holding you back Overcome three relationship myths that are holding you back Use five levers that open the door to stronger relationships that quickly increase sales, improve retention, increase profits, and advance your career Use five levers that open the door to stronger relationships that quickly increase sales, improve retention, increase profits, and advance your career Make instant emotional connections that eliminate objections and move buyers to reveal their real problems and needs Make instant emotional connections that eliminate objections and move buyers to reveal their real problems and needs Anchor your business relationships and create loyal customers who will never leave you for a competitor Anchor your business relationships and create loyal customers who will never leave you for a competitor Build your personal brand to improve your professional presence and stand out in the marketplace Build your personal brand to improve your professional presence and stand out in the marketplace With strategies, stories, and fascinating examples of sales successes (and failures), Blount shows you how to evaluate your relationship tactics, customize a strategy that works for your business, and create the sales success of your dreams. Praise for People Buy You " People Buy You is not just a self-evident truth, it's your opportunity to discover why and how. Jeb Blount has written an easy-to-understand and easy-to-apply set of principles and actions that can help you earn more the minute you read them." –Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Little Red Book of Selling "Jeb Blount has written a practical, powerful book that will help any sales professional make more sales than ever before." –Brian Tracy, author of The Psychology of Selling "Jeb Blount nails it in People Buy You . When you turn yourself into the competitive differentiator, you're unstoppable." –Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies "Becoming a business leader or a sales champion transcends your ability to memorize a sales script or follow a regimented system. The real secret to unprecedented success starts with adopting this predominant universal law: who you are is always more important than what you do. In People Buy You , Jeb has effectively encapsulated this critical level of thinking. He delivers practical strategies to drive more sales and get more of what matters most in your life and career by leveraging your ultimate, authentic competitive edge―YOU!" –Keith Rosen, executive sales coach and author of the award-winning Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions " People Buy You is groundbreaking because it runs counter to all the other 'sales' books currently being written that ignore common sense. That people matter most." –Bob Beaudine, author of The Power of Who! " People Buy You should be required reading for any professional who wants to sell more, sell faster, and build a powerful brand that people talk about and refer others to. Jeb breaks all sales myths, while exploring the right way to grow relationships, influence, and persuasion in the new economy." –Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success Jeb Blount is a sought-after speaker, trainer, professional sales coach, and the most downloaded sales expert in iTunes history. His Sales Gravy and Sales Guy audio programs have been downloaded more than four million times. In 2006, Jeb founded SalesGravy.com, a destination site for sales professionals, sales leaders, executives, and business owners, which has since become the most visited sales Web site in the world. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • The ultimate guide to relationships, influence and persuasion in 21
  • st
  • century business.
  • What is most important to your success as a sales or business professional? Is it education, experience, product knowledge, job title, territory, or business dress? Is it your company's reputation, product, price, marketing collateral, delivery lead times, in stock ratios, service guarantees, management strength, or warehouse location? Is it testimonials, the latest Forbes write up, or brand awareness? Is it the investment in the latest CRM software, business 2.0 tools, or social media strategy?
  • You could hire a fancy consulting firm, make the list longer, add some bullet points, put it into a PowerPoint presentation, and go through the whole dog and pony show. But at the end of the day there will be only one conclusion…
  • None of the above
  • ! You see, the most important competitive edge for today's business professionals cannot be found on this list, your resume, or in any of your company's marketing brochures.
  • If you want to know the real secret to what matters most in business, just look in the mirror. That's right, it's YOU. Do these other things matter? Of course they do, but when all things are equal (and in the competitive world we live in today, things almost always are)
  • People Buy You
  • .
  • Your ability to build lasting business relationships that allow you to close more deals, retain clients, increase your income, and advance your career to rise the top of your company or industry, depends on your skills for getting other people to like you, trust you, and BUY YOU.
  • This break-through book pushes past the typical focus on mechanics and stale processes found in so many of today's sales and business books, and goes right to the heart of what matters most in 21
  • st
  • century business. Offering a straight forward, actionable formula for creating instant connections with prospects and customers,
  • People Buy You
  • will enable you to achieve a whole new level of success in your sales and business career. You'll discover:
  • Three relationship myths that are holding you back
  • Three relationship myths that are holding you back
  • Five levers that open the door to stronger relationships that quickly increase sales, improve retention, increase profits and advance your career
  • Five levers that open the door to stronger relationships that quickly increase sales, improve retention, increase profits and advance your career
  • The real secret to making instant emotional connections that eliminate objections and move buyers to reveal their real problems and needs
  • The real secret to making instant emotional connections that eliminate objections and move buyers to reveal their real problems and needs
  • How to anchor your business relationships and create loyal customers who will never leave you for a competitor
  • How to anchor your business relationships and create loyal customers who will never leave you for a competitor
  • How to build your personal brand to improve your professional presence and stand-out in the market place
  • How to build your personal brand to improve your professional presence and stand-out in the market place
  • People Buy You
  • is the new standard in the art of influence and persuasion. Few books have tackled the subject of interpersonal relationships in the business world in such a practical and down-to-earth manner, breaking what many perceive as a complex and frustrating process into easy, actionable steps that anyone can follow.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(189)
★★★★
25%
(79)
★★★
15%
(47)
★★
7%
(22)
-7%
(-22)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Great Advice from an Author Who Practices What He Preaches.

Jeb Blount's podcasts (Sales Guy Podcast) and web community (SalesGravy) have created high anticipation for his new book, and Blount does not disappoint.

Blount begins by noting that competition, technology and a focus on sales processes have created a dilution of personal interactions. Blount insists it is the salesperson, not technology or process, who sells. To remedy this lack of personal interactions, Blount offers this simple formula:

Likeability leads to making authentic connections...
Authentic connections lead to customers sharing real problems...
Solving customer's problems builds trust and creates positive emotional experiences, and the cycle begins again.

Two months ago, the author proved for me that his formula works. After hearing one of his podcasts, I sent a brief email to Jeb's website and asked him a question. I had never met Blount, and did not really expect a response. Within the hour, Blount sent me a detailed answer.

Jeb's podcast made him seem likeable, and I felt connected enough to ask his opinion for my business problem. He immediately offered a solution, creating a positive experience from me. When his book came out, I promptly bought a copy. My experience with Jeb proves that his formula is absolutely correct. It also shows that Jeb practices what he preaches.
32 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Dont' get fooled by Amazon rating

I don't normally write book reviews, especially in English which is not my native language. I feel compelled to write this not simply because this book is useless to me but the growing reviews and ratings it seems to get. If this is the first sales/personal relationship book you ever read, it certainly could have some value. However, if you have reached Sales 101 or Dale Carnegie, there's certainly nothing you can learn from this book.

What troubles me most is the many 5 star reviews it got and low useful ratings on its negative reviews. Certainly, any bad book, or anything bad for that matter, could and will have some avid fans no matter what. However, the discrepancy between quality and user reviews is so huge here, it convinced me that there must be something fishy around here. I just don't believe someone who has gone through any sales book or sales training could found this book passing the 3 star rate, not mention 4 or 5 stars.

I have long been buying books based on Amazon user reviews, and am quite satisfied with the results. However, recently, user reviews have become less and less reliable. The 2012 best rated book Power of Habit is another example. From now on, I'll certainly take a more critical view of the book ratings, and pay more attention to critical reviews when buying books.

For those of you who are realy interested in improve inter-person relationship, I will recommend How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes. It's much useable and actionable, although some of her tips can be cheesy, especially in the second half of the book.
26 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Very Basic

This book is very basic and would only be good for those with truly no sales experience. In the how to be likable section, the author mentions smiling and being confident. While these are certainly important, I think pretty much everyone in sales know that they should smile and be confident. While I am sure that the author is an excellent sales person, he is not disclosing any new ideas here. This is just his personal take on relationship based selling.
26 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Disappointing

I purchased this book along with Book Yourself Solid, Make Your Contacts Count and Endless Referrals as stimuli for growing my business. I also teach Networking and have studied the topic a lot. I don't usually write reviews of books because it feels like I might be dissing other reviewers so let me say this is written with respect that we all have our opinions. This book is juvenile and written for someone who has never heard of the topic before. HUGE disappointment, rehashes same old, same old and provides nothing new for anyone who has been working for a while. I 'might' give it to a recent college graduate but ultimately just couldn't even go there. Sorry. Not worth the money nor the time to read it given all the great material out there.
12 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Learn and Earn

When I recently was invited to become a featured contributor for [...], I thought it a great idea to read some of Jeb Blount's work before I agreed. After reading "People Buy You," I said, "Yes, please pick me!"

My first experience having someone buy me was as a cute 9-year-old holding a Sales Leadership Christmas card catalog. I was definitely likeable and created as positive an experience as I could. I learned and earned.

But somehow through the years of becoming a mature, sophisticated adult, I lost touch with what was important--the relationships. Those people who bought my cards bought me because they liked me and knew me. Later in life as I sold radio advertising and other products/services, potential clients didn't know, much less like, me...and weren't interested in changing that. I agreed with them--I only wanted their money.

Frankly, many of the sales professionals I coach today have that same mental model. It was for all of them, and me sometimes, too, that Jeb Blount wrote this book which when read and implemented seriously will propel your sales career skyward, to the stars and beyond.

"People Buy You" is like sitting down with Jeb and enjoying a conversation over your favorite meal at a round table about what's important in the buying process and how you can make it happen starting today. He regales you as the reader with story after story; not Super SalesGuy stories that cause you to say, "I could never do that," but stories of when Jeb learned and earned. Made a mistake and corrected it quickly, just like you and I do. Or, learned from a client how to create a positive experience that breaks the relational ice in a totally different direction. (My favorite is his getting picked up from the airport, tired and exhausted, only to have his energy rearranged by a client.)

Jeb references the wonderful work of other authors like our mutual friend, Tim Sanders (The Likeability Factor). He does the heavy lifting of sorting through volume after volume of related reading, cherry picks the best, and serves it up with gravy...sales gravy, of course. This fact alone makes "People Buy You" worth far more than the purchase price.

I enjoyed Jeb's work so much I read it through twice, just to make sure I got it all. Like scraping your dessert plate with a fork.

"People Buy You" is a learn-and-earn read, but really should come with this disclaimer: Read this book only if you want to grow your emotional intelligence, gain more satisfaction in your work life, and increase your income.

And who doesn't want all three of those in this economy?
10 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Believe It Or Not It Business Is Really This Simple

Are you searching for the magic pill to dramatically increase sales? Then why not consider a more practical approach and see if this book review may actually help you improve your selling skills

Books on how to increase sales probably top in quantity of any business genre. For without revenue businesses or organizations cannot make payroll, pay their vendors, ensure fixed costs are covered while still having enough monetary reserves or profits.

Having been in sales for 30 plus years, I have always believed that who you are as an individual comes first before who you as a salesperson. In this book, People Buy You, Jeb really takes that belief and makes it very real as well as practical.

His common sense writing approach intermixed with personal stories reinforces that successful selling begins and ends with the authenticity of the individual. Using a variety of historical to contemporary resources, he weaves a very simple and yet compelling argument about what sales is not about selling, but far more about buying. The first product or service your potential customer buys is you.

The first seven chapters all lead up to the final chapter and that is devoted to your own brand. So if you want to [[ASIN:0981800459 be The Red Jacket in a sea of gray suits]], to stand out in the crowd, then this is a must book to be included in your professional development plan.
9 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Couldn't put it down

I'm the middle of six books right now, and have little time to catch up on ANY of them. I received my copy of People Buy You yesterday, and I had to cancel my evening plans because I couldn't put it down until I finished.
8 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Don't Bother

Would not even read this book for free via the public library...If you want to get to a high level of awareness and uncover un-articulated needs..solve problems before they happen...follow the flow of prospects & clients thoughts...And Open the Sale Possibilities....Do the Following to Wow customers and prospects

Get books related to the sales field..On
Competitive Intelligence...Leonard Fuld
Marketing Strategy...AG Lafley...Jay Conrad Levinson...W Chan Kim
Business Strategy....Harvey MacKay....Jay Abraham
Excellent Sales Books Include
Spin Selling
Getting to Yes
Guerilla Selling

Even a good book by Private Eye Chuck Chambers is a valuable sales tool

Key to sales
get there 1st
Information insight
creating a broad range of opportunities for client/prospect...choice stimulates purchase

Take notes on these books and expand your business vocabulary...the "I only have a few minutes" will disappear
5 people found this helpful
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Great author, not the greatest book

[[VIDEOID:1a603f4139b5ff753e6de73afc8b4ec6]] I've always enjoyed Jeb's insight, business passion, and ability to teach. However his two books I recent picked up, PowerPrinciples, and this, People Buy You, fell short of expectations. I wish there were more substance, more step-by-step methods to better my business. Book isn't more than 3 stars, however I love the author!
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

You are there to solve a customer problem

The person behind [...] and Sales Guy audio and video on selling, Blount knows what he is talking about. As he was looking at current thinking on sales he realized that many long held sales beliefs were myths that needed debunking. Myths such as :

Friends buy from friends
People but from people they like (But they don't buy from people they dislike)
You have to sell yourself
Rather you need to:

Be likable
Connect
Solve problems
Build trust
Create positive emotional experiences
His solving problems chapter is one of the better ones I have read lately. This is a short , concise and clearly written book. And it is true, people do buy you. Younger folks would do well to read his section on Brand You.
3 people found this helpful