The Sales Bible is Jeffrey Gitomer’s collection of sales strategies gathered from his 40 years of experience in the field. To Gitomer, selling is a science and a discipline, not an art—it’s a learnable, repeatable process that you follow to move another person to make a purchase. He writes that there are thousands of ways to sell and that you can choose the method that suits you best; however, your personal method should be grounded in a positive attitude, solid product knowledge, and excellent customer service.
(Shortform note: Gitomer says that anyone can learn to sell, but if you’re not technically in the field of sales, you may not think his advice applies to you. However, Daniel Pink, who writes about the intersection between business, creativity, and behavior, argues that everyone is selling something, so it’s important to learn how to do it. In To Sell Is Human, Pink writes that people spend 40 percent of their time at work in contemporary selling—influencing or convincing others to give up an intangible resource—so the skill is critical for professional success, regardless of your field.)
Gitomer began writing the first edition of The Sales Bible in 1993 and has since updated it to reflect changes in the selling landscape. (This guide is based on his 2010 updated version.) He describes the contents of the book not as a system, but as practical strategies and solutions to common selling problems. He emphasizes that the first step is to have a positive attitude or you’ll never be successful. From there, he offers detailed tips for various parts of the selling process: setting goals, making the best impression, building and maintaining relationships, learning to listen, and closing the sale.
Beyond Principles: Specific Selling Methods
Gitomer offers plenty of practical tips for everyday selling scenarios, but he doesn’t go in depth into a specific selling methodology. Some of the more popular selling methods you can explore are:
The Five-Step Selling Process: In Sell or Be Sold, Grant Cardone outlines the five universal steps of selling: 1) Greet the customer, 2) figure out what the customer wants and needs, 3) present a product, 4) make an offer, and 5) close.
SPIN Selling: This methodology makes use of a questioning method summarized by the acronym SPIN: Situation, Problem, Implications, and Need-Payoff. The book SPIN Selling details how to apply this method.
The Straight Line Method: Popularized by sales trainer Jordan Belfort in Way of the Wolf, this method has four basic steps: 1) Take control of the sale immediately, 2) build rapport by asking questions, 3) obtain information, and 4) make a sales presentation.
(Shortform note: Reviewers have noted that the book can be repetitive, with many tips reiterated across different chapters. We’ve distilled Gitomer’s strategies and divided them into six main principles in this summary.)
Gitomer writes that to become successful in sales, you should first cultivate a positive attitude. According to him, salespeople fail due to a number of reasons such as improper training or poor communication skills, but 50 percent fail due to something entirely within their control: a negative attitude. (Shortform note: Gitomer doesn’t cite research to support his claims about the reasons salespeople fail. However, some research does suggest that salespeople with an optimistic attitude perform 57 percent better than their pessimistic peers.)
Gitomer writes that you become what you think about, so having a positive attitude and believing that you will succeed leads to success. Conversely, focusing on negative thoughts like failure inevitably leads to failure. (Shortform note: Many others have written about the power of believing in something to make it come true—some call it the law of attraction, while others brand it as “manifesting” or “scripting.” However, psychologists warn that putting too much stock in this method can make you more complacent and keep you from taking action.)
Gitomer says that having a positive attitude means having three specific traits:
Being accountable means you believe that no one is born to be a salesperson—you learn to be one, and it’s up to you to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the field. You also take responsibility for your failures instead of blaming other people or outside forces like the economy. (Shortform note: You can become more accountable by practicing the four steps to accountability from The Oz Principle: Face facts, admit your role, take responsibility for solving the problem, and take action.)
While being accountable means accepting responsibility, being solution-oriented means analyzing your errors, learning from your mistakes, and applying what you learned as you move forward. You focus on action instead of complaining or wallowing. (Shortform note: Focusing on action necessarily means reflecting on the root cause of your failure, but there’s a difference between reflecting on your situation and dwelling on negative thoughts. To remain solution-oriented and avoid veering into rumination, replace “why” questions (“Why did this happen to me?”) with “what” questions (“What can I do?”). That way, you focus on your potential instead of your limitations.)
Gitomer says that deciding to have a positive attitude isn’t a one-time occurrence. You’re bound to face challenges, so commit to focusing on the positive every day, no matter what happens. (Shortform note: Motivational speaker Norman Vincent Peale offers tips for how to turn positive thinking into a habit by sticking to some happiness principles, such as giving more and expecting less, thinking of others, and not dwelling on worrisome thoughts.)
Gitomer gives three tips to help you become more positive.
Don’t listen to negative talk, whether it comes from your own inner critic telling you that you can’t do something or other people telling you you’re not good enough. (Shortform note: Jack Canfield says that one way to determine who among your circle are negative is to write down all the people you regularly spend time with, then sort them into those who are positive and supportive, and those who are not. Then, avoid those in the second category.)
Whenever you feel the urge to say what you don’t like about your job or other people, say something positive instead. (Shortform note: Gitomer writes that you shouldn’t complain, but others contend that some complaining can actually be good for you, because it allows you to acknowledge your feelings and put things in perspective. Journaling may be a good outlet when you need to vent.)
If you catch yourself thinking that you’re having a bad day, it means that you’ve let the events of the day affect your attitude. Gitomer says you should make a conscious effort to snap out of a bad mood within five minutes. (Shortform note: Experts say that one easy way to quickly change your mood is to distract yourself—go for a walk, read a magazine, or call a friend to stop you from brooding.)
According to Gitomer, having a positive attitude allows you to overcome self-limiting beliefs and gives you the confidence to go after what you want. However, you can’t get what you want if you don’t know what you want. The second of Gitomer’s major principles that we’ll discuss builds on this, recommending that you define what success means to you and set a goal to achieve it—whether that means earning X dollars each month or winning an award for salesperson of the year. By clarifying your goals, you can then determine what to do to achieve them.
(Shortform note: Gitomer doesn’t go into detail about why it’s important to set goals. In Goals!, sales trainer Bryan Tracy writes that goals not only give you a clear direction but also help you stay focused, enable you to measure progress, and motivate you to keep going despite setbacks.)
Gitomer gives the following steps for setting goals:
Jot down one goal per sticky note, writing both big goals (such as starting a business) and small goals (such as reading a book about sales). Post these notes on your bathroom mirror so that you see them twice a day. (Shortform note: You don’t necessarily have to write your goals down on sticky notes as Gitomer advises—in Goals!, Brian Tracy says you can list them in a notebook. The important thing is the act of jotting them down: According to studies, writing down your goals makes you 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to accomplish them.)
Read your goals out loud each time you see them. The daily prompt will get you thinking about what you should do to achieve your goals and remind you to take action. (Shortform note: Try phrasing each goal as a question instead of a statement. In To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink writes that asking yourself questions stimulates your mind, encourages creative thinking, and gives your goals meaning. So, rather than saying “I will make $10,000 this month,” ask “Will I make $10,000 this month?”)
Every time you achieve a goal, move the Post-It note to another spot you look at daily, like your bedroom mirror. Seeing your growing collection of achievements will boost your confidence and motivate you to go after your remaining goals. (Shortform note: According to experts, celebrating your successes not only increases your confidence and motivation, but it also encourages you to think about what led to your success so that you can replicate your actions.)
After clarifying your goals, the next step Gitomer recommends is to polish your selling skills. By putting plenty of effort into preparation, you can make the best impression on your prospects, which then increases your chances of making a sale and achieving your goals. (Shortform note: While Gitomer details several strategies for making the best impression, he doesn’t mention how much time you have to win people over. Entrepreneur Jordan Belfort says that you should make a good impression within the first four seconds of a conversation, or you’ll fail to close the sale.)
In particular, focus on these three strategies:
Gitomer writes that today’s most effective salespeople don’t act like salespeople. Instead they act more like consultants or advisers. As such, these non-salespeople salespeople have the following characteristics:
Extremely knowledgeable. They use their solid product knowledge—often gained from years of using the product themselves—to give customers good recommendations. They focus on what they can give customers rather than what they can get from them, so they share insights that can help customers solve their problems. (Shortform note: Having solid product knowledge is essential because customers value salespeople who provide insight. In The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson write that customers want to learn something more than they want to buy something, and they look for any information that can help them cut costs, increase profit, and minimize risk.)
For example, Gitomer cites one person who, before moving to the sales department at a repair and maintenance company, spent years supervising heavy equipment operation. He became so knowledgeable and provided such good service that customers preferred to place their orders through him instead of the company’s salespeople. (Shortform note: While the person in Gitomer’s example accumulated his deep knowledge through first-hand work experience, you don’t have to start out in another department to have an intimate knowledge of your product. Other ways to increase your product knowledge are to talk to other people in the company, read product literature and industry publications, read online forums, and get feedback from customers.)
Humorous. Gitomer says that a surefire way to make a sale is to make the customer laugh. He recommends keeping a joke file and to test out jokes on other people. Remember not to make fun of other people and instead make yourself the punchline. (Shortform note: If you’re not naturally funny, Gitomer offers some tips to hone your humor in the Little Red Book of Selling, such as visiting comedy clubs, taking an acting class, and reading joke books.)
Trustworthy. The modern salesperson gains the customer’s confidence by answering questions honestly and providing product literature, warranties, after-sales support, and the option to return products if customers aren’t satisfied. (Shortform note: Experts say that being trustworthy is important for three reasons: First, trust builds intimacy and leads to repeat business; second, trust makes customers more forgiving of your mistakes; and third, trust encourages customers to recommend you to other people, thus expanding your customer base.)
Accessible. They make it easy for customers to do business with them. They’re easy to reach, give customers a free 30-day trial, and make the return process painless. (Shortform note: Research suggests that an easy customer journey can do more for your sales than new products or special offers. Ask yourself, “How can I make it easier for customers to decide to buy my product? How can I give them a smooth purchasing experience?”)
Another way to make a great impression is to prepare a script. Gitomer says that you should memorize this script and use it over and over, adapting it to different situations. (Shortform note: It’s important to have a script because it makes you appear prepared and keeps you from saying the wrong thing, which can turn a potential customer off. In Way of the Wolf, Jordan Belfort writes that a script can make rookies seem like experts, but that even seasoned salespeople should still use a script.)
In particular, you should master the following talking points:
Also known as the elevator pitch, your introduction is a 30-second opener that you can use on a prospect. Gitomer says it should be creative and memorable, providing just enough information to make the other person curious. (Shortform note: Experts caution against confusing the introduction with the sales pitch. While the sales pitch is a formal sales presentation, the introduction typically takes place during a casual conversation. It may start with someone asking you, “So, what do you do?”)
The centerpiece of the introduction is what Gitomer calls the “power statement”—a description of your product or service that is compelling enough to move the prospect to act. (Shortform note: Others call this an “opening statement” or a “sales statement.” Your objective is to have a succinct spiel that can create sales opportunities.) When done right, this statement gives you an opening to sell or set an appointment. Gitomer stresses that you should highlight how your product or service can benefit your prospect.
(Shortform note: Additionally, sales trainer Jordan Belfort advises being mindful of your tone and body language when you deliver your script. In Way of the Wolf, he writes that you should also be enthusiastic, introduce yourself and your company, speak informally, and use superlatives such as “fastest” and “most popular.”)
Gitomer says that you should spend 25 percent of a sales call talking and asking questions, and the rest of the time listening. Asking the right questions can help you identify the prospect’s pain points, enabling you to tailor your pitch to their requirements. He recommends coming up with a list of 15 to 25 open-ended questions that can reveal a prospect’s needs, problems, and concerns, as well as a separate list of 15 to 25 questions that can bring them closer to a commitment (for example, “When should we send over our product for you to try?”).
How to Develop Your List of Discovery Questions
The right questions can unearth important information that can help you close a sale. In To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink outlines three steps to help you come up with a useful set of questions:
Generate: Write down as many questions as you can think of without self-editing.
Enhance: Divide the questions into two categories: open-ended or closed. Turn some of your closed questions into open-ended variations, and vice versa.
Prioritize: Determine your top three most powerful questions, and lead with these.
A third way you can make a good impression on your prospects is with your sales tools. Start with the sales letter: Gitomer advises using the sales letter as a springboard for the next step in the selling process, whether it’s to set up a meeting or close a sale. As such, you should be concise—state your objective, briefly describe what you’re offering, then leave some details for your presentation. End by specifying when you’ll call. (Shortform note: Other experts likewise warn that you shouldn’t bombard prospects with unnecessary details, as giving them more information than they need can overwhelm or confuse them, causing them to disengage.)
When it comes to your slide presentations for sales calls, Gitomer says that your objective should be to encourage a dialogue with your prospects. His main guidelines are to make the presentation professional (make sure it’s easy to read with no distracting animation or low-quality images), engaging (ask questions instead of making statements), and credible (include testimonials from satisfied customers).
What Should the Presentation Say?
Gitomer has some general guidelines for making professional-looking presentations, but he doesn’t go into specifics about the content. In New Sales Simplified, author Mike Weinberg says that your presentation should have five parts:
Title slide
Agenda
Introductory statement—list three to five bullet points that describe why customers turn to your company
Client-focused statement—list your understanding of the client’s issues based on your research
Dialogue—ask the audience for their input and use the information to customize the presentation to their needs.
Weinberg adds that it’s best to have an initial meeting before making a presentation so that you can gather enough information to make a more effective presentation.
Even with a positive attitude, articulated goals, and the tools to make a great first impression, you can’t be successful in sales without other people. Gitomer asserts that selling has less to do with your product or prices, and more to do with your relationships: People are more inclined to buy from someone they know, trust, and have a good relationship with. Being friends with your customers also makes the selling process easier for you—they’re happy to buy from you, are more forgiving if you make the occasional mistake, and are loyal to you, so you shut out the competition.
(Shortform note: The type of salesperson that Gitomer describes is a “relationship builder.” In The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson write that this is one of five types of salespeople, the others being the “hard worker,” the “lone wolf,” the “reactive problem-solver,” and the “challenger.” Contrary to Gitomer’s advice, Dixon and Adamson argue that the relationship builder is actually the least likely to succeed, while the challenger consistently outperforms the others.)
In this section, we’ll discuss Gitomer’s tips for building, maintaining, and making the most of your relationships with customers.
Gitomer’s main strategy for developing relationships with customers is to meet them outside of an office setting. He recommends inviting them to attend a company-hosted seminar, to have a meal with you, or to play a common sport like golf or tennis. (Shortform note: If you’re meeting a customer for the very first time, it might be best to meet them in an office—in one study, 75 percent of clients said that a business setting makes a positive impression, while 47 percent said that meeting in a cafe leaves a negative impression.)
Gitomer writes that to keep your customers happy and loyal, you should provide excellent customer service—otherwise, you risk losing their business. Customers take their business elsewhere over small things like a rude comment, delayed response, or lack of accountability. (Shortform note: One survey found that customers value four dimensions of customer service in particular: care and concern, initiative, problem solving, and recovery—which includes being able to apologize when something goes wrong.)
One important aspect of customer service is responding to complaints. In fact, Gitomer contends that if you handle customer complaints well, you can strengthen your customers’ loyalty. If a customer comes to you with a complaint, Gitomer recommends the following steps:
1) Listen. Don’t get angry or defensive, and resist the urge to interrupt. Your job isn’t to argue with them and get them to see your point of view, but to see their point of view and find ways to alleviate their pain points. (Shortform note: An important part of listening is understanding what the other person is saying. In Nonviolent Communication, Marshall B. Rosenberg advises paraphrasing the other person’s complaints in the form of a question. Doing this keeps you from misinterpreting their words and demonstrates that you’re listening and empathizing with the customer.)
2) Take responsibility. Tell the customer that you’ll take care of it—don’t dodge the complaint by saying it isn’t your job. Communicate possible solutions. Once you’ve decided on a course of action, let the customer know what you plan to do, then do it right away. Aim to resolve the issue within 12 to 24 hours. (Shortform note: Even if the customer is wrong, experts recommend that you still take responsibility by finding a solution or a compromise that works for everyone concerned. This way, you’re able to satisfy the customer and strengthen the relationship.)
3) Follow up. Call them back after resolving the issue to make sure that they’re happy. If you can, get some feedback from the customer by asking them to write a couple of sentences about how the issue was resolved. (Shortform note: Research shows that conducting a follow-up call to check if the issue has been resolved increases customer satisfaction and engagement, because customers feel valued. This then makes the customer more loyal to you.)
4) Evaluate. Reflect on what you’ve learned and if there’s anything you need to change to keep the problem from recurring. (Shortform note: You may have to reflect on a relationship with a regular customer if they repeatedly cause problems. If the amount of business they give you isn’t worth the accompanying time and stress, then consider letting them go.)
While it’s important to keep seeking out prospects and expanding your customer base, Gitomer says you shouldn’t forget that your best new prospects are your existing customers. Since you’ve done the work of building the relationship, they already know, like, and trust you, making them more receptive to you than prospects that you’re just starting to get to know. He writes that you can make the most of these relationships by offering new products and upgrades or refills for existing products.
(Shortform note: Instead of calling existing customers only when you have an upgrade or a new product to sell, take advantage of your existing relationship by meeting with them every quarter. Use these meetings as an opportunity to ask for feedback that may help you improve your products or give you an opening to sell other products. You can also check if other departments might be in need of your offerings.)
An essential part of building and maintaining relationships is listening. In fact, Gitomer says that listening is probably the most important part of selling. Not only does it help you deal with customers’ complaints, as mentioned in the previous section, but listening also helps you understand customers’ reasons for buying (or not buying) and what kind of customers they are. This understanding then enables you to make a better sales pitch.
(Shortform note: The type of listening required in sales is active listening, which means giving your full attention to the speaker. This means paying attention so you can remember what the speaker says, understand, and respond. Aside from sending verbal signals to show you’re engaged, experts say you should also send non-verbal cues, such as making eye contact.)
However, many salespeople undervalue the importance of listening. Gitomer says that’s because they prejudge the other person, think they already know what the other person is going to say, or have other thoughts that distract them from the conversation. (Shortform note: Even if you think you’re a good listener, there’s a good chance that you aren’t: While 96 percent of respondents in a survey considered themselves to be good listeners, studies show that we remember only about half of what people tell us because we’re not actively listening.)
To become a better listener, Gitomer gives the following tips:
Use listening noises (“I see,” “What happened next?”), put your mobile phone on silent mode, and practice mindfulness to keep your mind from wandering. (Shortform note: One important part of staying focused that Gitomer doesn’t mention is making eye contact. While you should make eye contact to show that you’re focused, staring intently at the other person for more than a few seconds can make them feel uncomfortable. Some communication experts recommend that you maintain eye contact 50 percent of the time while speaking and 70 percent while listening.)
Don’t interrupt, even if you think you already know how to respond. (Shortform note: To keep yourself from interrupting, experts recommend taking deep breaths, counting to 10, or literally biting your tongue.)
Ask questions to clarify what the other person said, help you get more information, and demonstrate that you’re interested in what they have to say. (Shortform note: Additionally, asking questions can get you on the customer’s good side—studies suggest that people who ask more questions are seen as more likable.)
As discussed in the previous section, listening is an essential part of selling. By understanding what your customer is saying—or not saying—you can determine what to do to convince the customer to buy. Gitomer offers four strategies to close the sale:
When customers are interested in what you’re offering but aren’t fully convinced to buy, they send out buying cues, or hints that they’re considering making a purchase. For example, a customer might ask for more information, inquire about promotions, or tell you about their experience with another supplier. Once you’re aware of these signals, Gitomer says that you should immediately move on to the next step. (Shortform note: Gitomer advises focusing solely on verbal cues; however, non-verbal buying cues can be just as important. Some examples of non-verbal cues are customers looking through your sales literature with interest, jotting down notes, or making computations.)
Gitomer writes that asking for the sale is such a simple step, but many salespeople neglect to do it. As soon as you recognize that a customer is sending out buying signals, ask a question that addresses their need and that excludes “no” as a possible answer. For example, if they ask about availability, you can respond with “Would you like this delivered by Friday or Monday?”
(Shortform note: Gitomer’s technique is called the assumptive close—you assume a prospect’s commitment to buy even if they haven’t expressly agreed to do so. It’s one of several standard closing tactics that Neil Rackham mentions in SPIN Selling. However, Rackham argues that these closing tactics are typically less effective when your products have higher price points or when your customer is an experienced purchasing agent.)
If a customer hasn’t committed to making a purchase, Gitomer says you should find out the real reason behind their hesitation. Typically, it’s because they have unanswered questions, want a better deal, need someone else’s approval, or have no need for your product. Once you clarify what their objections are, you can address their concerns by using your sales tools (such as literature and testimonials) or to ask a question that includes a solution to their objection. For example, if they object to the price, you can ask, “If I can give you flexible payment terms, would that help you make a decision?”
Overcome Objections by Creating Certainty
Prospects typically have objections because they’re uncertain about something. In Way of the Wolf, sales trainer Jordan Belfort asserts that your objective is to move prospects away from uncertainty by establishing three certainties in their minds:
The product: The prospect must love the product or believe that they can benefit from it.
The seller (you): The prospect must find you trustworthy and likable.
Your company or brand: The prospect must see your company or brand in a positive light.
Belfort adds that you must create certainty on two levels: the logical level (the product meets the prospect’s needs, is priced fairly) and the emotional level (the prospect has a feeling that the product will improve their life).
Gitomer writes that the most effective closing tactic is not a close at all. Rather, he says that you should make an effort to understand your customer. He recommends visiting your customer and gathering as much information as you can about how they use your product, what they like about it, what they don’t like about it, and how you can improve your service. Don’t pay a visit with the intention to sell, but with the intention to gain new knowledge and customer insight. The visit will not only help you develop rapport with your customer and build trust, but it will also let your customer see you as a consultant instead of a salesperson—the non-salesperson salesperson. The sales will naturally follow.
A New Way to Close
Gitomer’s non-close close is in contrast with the traditional ABC sales method—“Always Be Closing”—and more in line with the modern way of selling. This modern method moves away from a profit-driven mindset and focuses on meeting the buyer’s needs. In To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink writes that this modern approach has three components:
Connection—getting in sync with prospects to understand their needs.
Optimism—staying positive and resilient even when prospects resist or refuse.
Focus—helping prospects understand their real problems and offering solutions.
Use a strong opening statement to get prospects more interested in what you have to offer.
What product or service do you offer?
How does your product or service benefit your customer?
What sets you apart from your competitors? (For example, better quality materials or an innovative product feature.)
Bring it all together: Write an opening statement that gives the customer a clear picture of how your product or service can make their lives or their business better. (For example, instead of saying, “I’m a travel agent,” say, “I help people plan the vacation of their dreams.”)
Increase your product knowledge to better address customers’ concerns and increase your sales.
List every department in your company that handles a different aspect of your products and services (for example, product development, logistics, marketing).
Come up with three to five questions that you can ask each department that will give you a better understanding of your company’s products and services. List your questions below.