This week I found myself recommending a couple of times a particular book to business owners. I was explaining the different types of sales person and why they needed to be looking for a certain type of sales person. It's a great book that I came across a few years ago. It's called ‘Selling the Wheel’ by Jeff Cox and Howard Stevens. I also found it useful in distinguishing where my own personality and selling style was most effective.
It's a great business novel that helps the reader to learn about the different types of selling applying to different stages in a products life cycle. The main character is an inventor called Max and his wife Minnie. Max invents the wheel and the story goes from no one being interested in the Wheel to it becoming a commodity in four stages. The salesman who was successful at the begining of each stage struggles when it gets to the next stage.
It gives a clear message as to how to recognise these different stages from a sales and marketing strategy point of view and although it is product focused, it is still fairly clear how professional services would fit into the model.
I read it over a weekend, which is a good sign for me. I don’t know why all how-to books are not written as stories.
Richard White, The Accidental Salesman (blog)
www.theaccidentalsalesman.com
www.pro-excellence.com
I started reading Selling The Wheel by Howard Stevens and Jeff Cox & could not leave it. After reaching home I was sitting in the car for about 40 minutes so that I could complete the book. That book was so absorbing that I fell in love with it and I made sure I shared that knowledge with my friends, sales acquaintances and also my family members. I've bought and distributed 25 copies to my family and sales acquaintances and some of my colleagues. All of them have had the same response, "it's unbelievable."
Ganesh Srinivasan, General Manager, Gulf Incon, Qatar
Few small business owners have time to read a book during the day--even if it's one that will help your business. When you finally do sit down in the evening, it's hard to get up much excitement for the latest dry-as-toast business textbook. That's what's nice about this book. Written as an entertaining fictional story, it's much easier to plow through than many of the business books out there. It's based on the idea that while there are different styles of selling, there is no one right style. The key is to match your sales style to the type of customers that pay your bills. It's a fun read with real take-away value.
MyBusiness Minute, National Federation of Independent Business
"After Selling the Wheel, even the veterans of sales and management will better understand what they are about. Most people in business can't see the whole product life cycle, because it extends over such long period of time. Reading Wheel is like going up in the space shuttle and being able to see the world in its entirety -- the sales world, that is. You'll be able to look down and say, That's my kind of country, that's where I'm going to succeed."
Richard Falcone
V.P. & Gen. Manager, AT&T
Learn as You Laugh
Organisations need sales strategies that serve their business needs, and these needs change over time. This is the central theme of the book Selling the Wheel, a very approachable book on the subject of sales strategy. It is the outcome of a remarkable collaborative effort between Howard Stevens, a founder of the HR Chally Group, and Jeff Cox, author of a number of popular business books. The HR Chally Group have undertaken and continue to undertake research with salespeople, corporate sales forces and customers into the perceived quality of sales service. Since the 1970's they claim to have collected and analysed data from 250,000 sales people, 8500 corporate sales forces and over 100,000 customers. Jeff Cox's task was to come up with a way of presenting the essence of this material in a creative and approachable manner.
The result is edutainment at its very best. Selling the Wheel is a parable following the ups and downs of an ancient business enterprise set up by Max, the inventor of the wheel, and his wife Minnie. At first Max assumes that the wheels will sell themselves. The benefits of his invention are so clear to him that he cannot understand why there is not an immediate market for them. Periodically Max and Minnie consult an oracle, Ozzie, for wisdom. They learn that they need to invest in Sales but their first attempts go badly awry until they discover the appropriate strategy for their business. The parable continues over several decades as the market evolves and they need to change their strategy to cope with emerging competitors, evolving technology and changing customer expectations.
The tale is told in a humorous way (with a lot of creative licence to bend history as and when required). The first time I read it, I laughed out loud many times, but I was astonished by how much insight I had gained by the end and how immediately applicable it was. Although the various sales characters are stereotypes of sales personalities illustrating particular sales approaches, they are soundly based in real world observations and I found it easy to relate back to reality and identify issues in the business context in which I was working at the time. The caricatures are very memorable: Cassius the Closer picks his customers incisively; Toby the Wizard immerses herself in customisation; Ben the builder invests time getting to know all about potential customers; whereas for the Captain and his crew efficiency of customer service at the point of sale is paramount. Each can be used to good effect when the business climate is right but not all are compatible as events in the tale demonstrate. At the end of the book is an 8-page summary of the sales strategy model that incorporates these approaches into "The Wheel of Sales", a form that can be used for reference. Throughout the book the various words of wisdom received from the Oracle are also highlighted in a manner that makes it easy to refer back to them without having to re-read the surrounding tale.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book to all my friends. It is particularly useful to those in a position to influence the sales strategy of an organisation, but it is also invaluable to anyone working in Sales, or for that matter any of us who are subject to sales activity as customers. But even if it wasn’t useful I would recommend it for the sheer enjoyment. Even on a second reading I found myself chuckling at bits I’d forgotten, or perhaps they were points where I’d missed the significance on the first read. This book is sure to make you laugh as you learn.
From a review by Discerna on Chiao! Shopping Intelligence
"Selling the Wheel is one of best books on sales and marketing that I have ever read. Dozens of business books cross my desk, but this is one of the few that can truly teach the selling process. Wheel will be required reading at my company."
Michael F. Snyder, President
ADT Security Services, Inc.
"This book is wonderful to read -- and the wisdom in it is profound!"
William J. Lovejoy, Vice President
General Motors Corporation
"Everyone in business should ask themselves the Oracle's Bedrock Questions. … The ending of the book is particularly strong in the way it ties together the diverse types of salespeople and business strategies."
Donald A. McMullen, Jr., Vice Chairman
First Union National Bank
"Selling the Wheel demonstrates the critical role of marketing and sales in securing business success and enhancing shareholder value. Perhaps even more importantly, they reinforce the point that as markets evolve, management must affirmatively address their evolution. The authors are perfectly clear: 'that's the way we do things around here' is a prescription for disaster."
Noel Capon, Professor
Graduate School of Business
Columbia University
"I thoroughly enjoyed Selling the Wheel. I cannot say enough about how well the book describes the different styles of selling and their respective strengths and weaknesses. This book is for everyone in sales, marketing, and senior management positions. It's terrific!"
Tom VanHootegem, Dir. National Acc'ts.
Boise Cascade Office Products
"What a fantastic read! This book will make you laugh, think, and by the time you are done, you will thoroughly understand the fundamentals of building a world class sales organization."
Jerry Marterella, Vice President
CSC - Computer Sciences Corporation
Consulting & Systems Integration
"This is a great book for entrepreneurs, sales directors and sales people at every level. It's a must read for everyone involved in building a business."
William C. Byham, Ph.D., President
Development Dimensions International, Inc.
"The Wheel in the story is symbolic of every product and service in the world today. In my twenty-five-plus years of sales management, I have to say this book is without a doubt the easiest to read and the most enjoyable -- yet it delivers concepts that are essential to salespeople everywhere. I highly recommend it."
Don Herring, Vice President
Standard Motor Products, Inc.
"Selling the Wheel is fast-paced and a lot of fun to read -- even as it offers a wealth of information about choosing the right way to sell for your kind of customers. If you're in business today, you've got to read Wheel."
Jake J. Antonio III, Vice Pres. Sales
Hill-Rom / A Hillenbrand Company
"Selling the Wheel is a clever story about sales, a story that teaches concepts better than a standard textbook could ever do. The plot rolls along - as if on wheels! - gathering speed all the way to the end. You won't want to put it down. Wheel would be a discussion-provoking text for marketing classes at any level."
Lois Herr, Marketing & Public Affairs
Elizabethtown College
"The Wheel in the story is symbolic of every product or service on the market. This book covers it all...tells you how to sell and what kind of salesperson should be handling the sales."
Duane Miller, General Sales Manager
ACDelco, General Motors
"Selling the Wheel " gives you a clear, concise, fun-to-read understanding of how to approach your customer and your market. It is a must for anyone in sales, a roadmap for a rookie and a fresh perspective for even the most seasoned rep! The story is engaging and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to sell more, quicker."
Charlie Alvarez, V.P. Corp. Development
Physicians Sales & Service / World Medical
"This book makes solid business sense. It is based on extensive research, is customer-focused, and has excellent insights. As a bonus, Selling the Wheel is cleverly written, humorous, and easy to understand. Everyone who reads it will come away with a better understanding of what makes a successful sales strategy for a particular type of customer."
Gerald J. Bauer
Sales Competency Leader, DuPont (Ret.)
and Partner, Atlantic Marketing Workshops
"Selling the Wheel has it all. It's extremely entertaining, yet it delivers clear lessons that we need to maximize our selling effectiveness as we continuously strive to deliver the world-class performance that the market demands. I highly recommend it."
Edgar H. Smith, Gen. Sales Manager
General Motors Parts
"Selling the Wheel is a very insightful perspective on the selling process and adaptations necessary for evolving product life cycles and changing customer needs. It is cleverly written in a way that is thought provoking, challenging and entertaining."
Tom Weisenbach, Group Vice President
xpedx, Division of International Paper
"The mountain of empirical research on which Wheel is based is very impressive. Just as amazing is how accessible this is when conveyed through the book's story."
John Folkerth, Chairman and President
Shopsmith, Inc.
"Selling the Wheel is a story that's a valuable learning tool for accelerating positive change within your sales force. It will help your salespeople focus on what's really important and identify the best ways for them to serve their customers."
Steve Roehrich, V.P. - Quality Management
Johnson & Johnson
