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What Is Sales, Really… and How Does It Relate to Book Sales?

What Is Sales, Really… And How Does It Relate To Book Sales?
Mike Michalowicz - author of Profit First and The Pumpkin Plan

Mike Michalowicz – Author of Profit First and The Pumpkin Plan

Here he comes.

It’s THAT guy… the salesman. His pasty smile seems bigger than his face. His plaid sports coat and dark brown polyester pants identify him immediately. You didn’t know a tie could be that wide. He’s got his hand out, ready to shake yours right off the end of your arm. And he’s already talking, pushing, trying to figure out any way possible to get you to buy what he’s got to sell.

Does that make you shiver? It should. That negative stereotype of a salesman is not only unhelpful, but it’s also sociopathic. The naturally gifted “salesman” of that sort may be winsome in some ways and may be able to talk people into things, but he (or she) is only doing it for their own selfish interests. They just want a sale from you and don’t actually care about you at all. THAT is sociopathic.

You Don’t Have to Be a Sociopathic Seller to Get Your Books Sold

Profit First

One of today’s guests is an expert in sales and marketing and Mike Michalowicz believes that true sales are NOT about that at all. In fact, the kind of sales that works not only doesn’t push things on potential customers, it serves them in the exact way they need. Being a person of ethical integrity is what truly effective sales require. People are skeptical because of the negative sales stereotype. They don’t want something to be pushed on them and they are savvy to the tricks of the high-pressure salesman. But when someone who is genuinely interested in them has a product or book that can truly be a help to them, they’re very open. What makes the difference? The salesperson is not pushy or self-interested, they are a customer interested. You can be (and should be) that kind of seller when it comes to the way you do your book marketing.

An Attitude and Two Books to Help You Turn Your Book Marketing Machine Around

Becky Blanton - Speaking at TED

Becky Blanton – Speaking at TED

In today’s show, Melissa chats with Mike Michalowicz and Becky Blanton about this issue of sales and they hone in on the most powerful attitude about sales that you can have as an author and explain why it’s so necessary for our skeptical day and age. They also highlight two of Mike’s books that unpack that concept and many more that are aimed at helping you get the right mindset about your book marketing and get you on track to make more sales in a way that is ethical, helpful to your readers, and fits you like a glove. The stuff they have to share today is so good you really don’t want to miss it. So do what you can to bookmark this page or clear out sometime as soon as possible so you can hear this great conversation.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

The Pumpkin Plan

  • Introducing this great episode about profit centers and books, featuring Becky Blanton and Mike Michalowicz.
  • The upcoming book, Business Goes to the Movies.
  • Movies are stories, and how they relate to the telling of a good story.
  • The Miracle on 34th Street” as an example of a good story and how it teaches what sales really is.
  • How trust and ethics relate to being a great salesman (or a book marketer)
  • What is truly in the best interest of the customer? The vital question for every business.
  • The long term consequences of doing a less than a stellar job for your customers.
  • The power of authenticity and sharing who you really are.
  • Why sales at the expense of the customer are sociopathic and how you can be different.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Mike’s Books: Profit First, and The Pumpkin Plan

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