Professional selling is changing faster than at any time in history, with the fourth industrial revolution forcing everyone in sales to redefine how they create value for their employer and their customers. Failure to adapt means a drift toward commoditisation and career extinction.
Although a typical buyer’s journey starts within their trusted network or online, it is a misconception to think buyers are truly empowered in an age of information overload. Buyers drown in information and have always needed trusted advice. Strategic selling is about early engagement with relevance and context — reframing thinking while co-creating a vision for a brighter future, backed by a compelling business case for change. And it must all be done while navigating politics, overcoming apathy, dealing with ambiguity and neutralising desperate competitors.
This book matters because sales leadership is needed like never before, yet leadership is mercurial stuff and poorly understood. Sales management often becomes the weak link in the revenue chain — something John and Wayne shine a light on as they explain what it takes to drive sustained sales success. Together with Jeff, they have created a book with the power to transform sales careers: a memorable story about sales leadership containing heart, wisdom, insight and practical advice.
The EDVANCE process and methodology alone is worth far more than the price of this book. Within its pages you will meet familiar characters, see yourself in Sue, and relate to the challenge of stepping up into leadership while managing the chaos and pressure of commercial life. You will also find your true north in selling: that we must always walk in the direction of the customer, beside them, with heart, purpose and integrity.
What John, Wayne and Jeff have delivered is a compelling vision for B2B sales. If you are a seasoned professional, it will remind you what the right path to a sale looks like. If you are a newcomer, it is a comprehensive, easy-to-digest lesson in best-practice selling.
Tony Hughes
Best-selling author; co-founder, Sales IQ Global