Happy Friday, everyone!
This week's poll question was suggested by Mark Layne of Ville Platte, LA:
If you would invest in one book on sales and in particular, radio sales, which book would you recommend for a new salesperson?
Looking forward to reading your replies!
The Wizard of Ads by Roy Williams
The Accidental Salesperson by Chris Lytle
Execution "The Discipline of getting things done" Authors: Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan and Charles Burk
Please dont discount this answer as "old school", but I can guarentee you that if your team (everyone at the stations)all reads and follows the principles in Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, you will make more money!
Absolutely! I remember when Chris Lytle was with the Radio Advertising Bureau. I took his RMA course. Great recommendation John!
In addition to The Wizard for Ads, you must have a copy of:
The 33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising by Michael Corbett. You can show clients and prospects, without any appearance of our industry bias, what a local business owner discovered about the most effective way to use radio. (He pretty much agrees with Roy W.)
Chris L, Va Beach
The Four Keys to Advertising Success by Spike Santee (I sometimes give this to new clients.)
Here, here! I sometimes buy Corbett's for new clients.
Agree!... as long as your SM does not consider this book a complete BS!
Wizard of Ads
I am new, but so far, I have found The 33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising by Michael Corbett helpful.
Chris is Awesome- has a new company now...
The principles in that book are great. I also like "How to Make People Like You" by Nicholas Boothman
Absolutely, Hands down, "David can Still beat Goliath" by Norton E. Warner. I believe this should be the text book for anyone new in radio sales. I won this book right here on Radio Sales Cafe and as soon as I started it, knew the rest of the staff needed to learn it too. We started a weekly meeting going chapter by chapter and it generated great discussions. I also like the Wizard of Ads for radio and Jeffrey Gitomers books, any of them, for general salesmanship.
I would highly recommend reading "Think Like and AdMan, Sell Like a MadMan." Great read and very helpful when discovering copy ideas and a budget for a client.
I would have to recommend the book that I am currently reading by Blake Messer called "Zen And The Art Of Sales. Easy read, very informational and I can see it leading to greater sales.
The most comprehensive book on radio specific sales I've ever read is "David Can Still Beat Goliath, Radio Advertising is Davids Slingshot" by Norton Warner.
The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer
Want to talk about old school...But ethics in our position is vital, putting the client and others intrests as a high priority is huge, a very strong work ethic (work as you are working for God)...The Bible has motivation and training beyond what some think that is very applicable to our jobs. We live on commission, talk about needing faith! It also directs me to find good advice...read other books. But if there were only one book for me to choose to help in my career...The Bible
One and only one book:
SALES BIBLE Gitomer
The Wizard of Ads by Roy H. Williams. This grouping of short, insightful essays is invaluable to any salesperson. Plus, read the entire series.
You didn't ask for two but I have to include an old favorite: "The Greatest Salesman in the World" by Og Mandino
Right you are, Daryl! Immediately after reading your answer, I was reminded that one of the most timeless business/sales/life principles of all is that of the golden rule -- do unto others as you would have done unto yourself -- and that was first articulated by the Lord in Matthew 7:12!
Every book recommended so far is a good one.
Since the question as asked has to do with sales, and not necessarily advertising, I'd like to add a title that also falls under the old-school category. It's called "How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Sales" by Frank Bettger, who shares the story of his success in the insurance business.
The book was given to me by Jerry Papenfuss, for whom I had the privilege of working at his first stations, KAGE AM-FM in Winona, MN from 1794-79. Jerry was for many years also a successful sales rep for Harvestore, traveling from farm to farm across his substantial territory, selling silos. He understood sales as well as anybody I've ever known, and he credits Bettger's book as instrumental to his success.
I'd certainly put it right up there with any of the classic works on sales.
