Book review

by MediaWeek Media Week 21-Sep-04

Connective selling

Capstone Publishing, £16.99

2 out of 5

Subtitled The Secrets of Winning Big Ticket Sales, the problem with books of this type is they pick a new name for something that is simple, don’t deliver what they promise and spend too long explaining what the book does.

In this instance, the word “connective” would seem to mean how to sell properly, or the difference between direct sales and proper account management.

The author has got a number of top sales professionals to fill in questionnaires that have fed the book. These "war stories" are actually the best part, as many industries are mentioned and parallels with media easily drawn.

What the author does is actually break down into minute segments the different parts of the buying process – from the buyer and seller's viewpoint.

However, I found some suppositions of what people are thinking to be slightly naive.

The sentiment is right, but in places the book is guilty of stating the obvious.

Where this book could be useful is in a transition from a telesales to field sales role. If you are nervous about interaction with customers face to face, this book has some good advice – and may show up areas where training is necessary. Connective Selling could also influence those who think selling is a numbers game.

Review by Bob Morrell, director of sales at Reality Media