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The Secret of Selling Anything

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If you've read other selling books, you're probably tired of the false promises that never quite work out. You're probably tired of being told "you can do it if you just believe you can."

You're probably tired of reading about tricks that made a particular sale ~ tricks that may have been appropriate to a particular situation, but not yours ~ and even if they were appropriate, how would you have thought of them at the right time?

If you've read books on selling before or listened to "sales experts," you're probably tired of being pumped with hot air ~ told how you must "come alive," be full of enthusiasm, dominate the world around ~ all the things that don't happen to be a part of your basic nature.

Well, this book isn't anything like that. In fact, this book was written to refute many cliches of selling that have been accepted without question for years.

This book will prove to you, I hope, that the stereotyped image of the "born salesman" is a mistake. You don't have to remake your personality and become super-enthusiastic, super-aggressive, domineering. Not only are those traits not necessary, they are actually a hindrance to making sales.

And you won't have to develop that uncanny ability to come up with the right answer at the right time ~ that super-human knack of having the brilliant flash of insight that is so prevalent in books on selling. Sure, given several days to think about it, the writer of a sales book can always come up with a solution to a sales problem. But how does that help you when confronted face-to-face with a question that must be answered now? This book will show you that you don't need such skills.

This book can truly revolutionize your selling career ~ but only because it will show you that you no longer need to waste your time developing skills that are of no value to a salesman. For example, here are some of the points that will be made in the course of this book:

-- Contrary to the accepted mythology, enthusiasm is not a virtue; it destroys more sales than it creates.
-- "Positive thinking" is an unrealistic fallacy. The salesman who thinks negatively has a far greater chance for success than the so-called "positive thinker."
-- Sales success does not come from convincing people to buy things they don't want.
-- The salesman who always has an answer for every objection is also probably plugging along with a very low income.
-- Extroverts don't make the best salesmen; they are invariably outsold by introverts.
-- To be a good salesman, you don't have to be a "smooth talker".
-- Another all-time sales fallacy is the statement "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". When the going gets tough, I usually take a vacation.
-- The desire to be able to motivate others is unrealistic and foolish. A really-great salesman will never try to motivate anyone.

Perhaps all of this sounds so far removed from what you've heard about selling through the years that you wonder how it could possibly be true. I intend to demonstrate the validity of these statements in two ways.

First, my own experience verifies their worth. Almost invariably, in any selling experience where I've found myself, I have outsold everyone else around me ~ usually while working far fewer hours.

In addition, I've seen these principles work for a few others, too ~ a very few, for they are unknown to most people.

But there is nothing mysterious about them ~ and that brings us to second way in which I will demonstrate their validity. I will prove them to you. We will deal with life logically and carefully in this book. Everything will be proven in terms of the real world as it is ~ in ways we can both understand.

183 pages, ebook

First published May 5, 2012

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About the author

Harry Browne

74 books73 followers

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
18 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2016
Great book about selling. The author's perspective on sales is that a salesman doesn’t win by aggression and flamboyance; A salesman doesn’t have to be an extrovert to succeed. A good salesperson however must be sensitive, alert, imaginative, honest, and a good listener. He/she succeeds by finding out what people want and helping them get it.

The secret to selling: Find this prospect’s motivation and appeal to it.

A good salesman is an outstanding person, an attractive friend ~ in demand because he communicates well, has a useful imagination, and solves problems easily. The book goes into detail about what is meant by each of the above.

The author also does a good job of challenging any negative narratives the reader may have about making money, as there is a common perception that people who make a lot of money are somehow corrupt, taking advantage of others, uncaring. Instead, Browne clarifies: a salesman’s job is not to change people, but to help people. A salesman cannot profit unless he makes it possible for the buyer to profit. So a salesman never has to feel guilty about the amount of money he makes. Every dollar he earns is a symbol of the satisfaction he has brought to a customer.

In summary, here are the five steps of the sales process, in this particular order:
1. Discover the prospect’s motivation ~ what he wants, what he doesn’t want, how he intends to get it.
2. Summarize the motivation so that the qualification for the sale is clearly understood between you.
3. Present your product solely in terms of the motivation he’s described to you.
4. Answer any questions he may have and discuss any drawbacks he may see.
5. Close the sale by encouraging him to go ahead and get what he wants.

To succeed, you’ll need to recognize these 7 truths:
1. Every individual is already motivated. Don’t try to motivate him/her, but try to discover what already motivates him/ her.
2. The secret to sales is to find this prospect’s motivation and appeal to it.
3. Never present your product until after you’ve discovered what motivates the prospect.
4. To increase your chances of a sale, follow the five step procedure above.
5. Selling is easy if you don’t try to put anything over the prospect. Look for mutually beneficial ways to help.
6. Be honest at all times. You will never have anything to cover up, and you will gain trust quickly.
7. A salesman’s field of expertise is two-way communication. You must be able to hear, understand, and talk so that you understand their motivation and are able to provide a suggestion that answers the prospect's motivation.

The person who follows these 7 rules finds that selling is easy. He doesn’t walk around with a knot in his stomach, for he has no one to be afraid of. He approaches every sales situation with the knowledge that he knows how to get the sale if there’s a sale to be had.


Additional notes about a good salesperson:
- The good listener will always outsell the big talker. There will be some situations in which the poor talker will lose out ~ possibly because he won’t be able to get a hearing. But in the long run, he’ll close more sales.
- A good salesman is confident. He doesn’t pump himself full of false enthusiasm by mumbling mystical statements to himself. His confidence derives from the knowledge that he’ll discover what the prospect wants ~ and so he can offer it to him, if it’s his to provide.
- A good salesman is fearless..He never thinks of his prospect as an adversary. Occasionally, he runs into someone who is rude, arrogant or irrational. So be it. He knows he isn’t going to sell everyone, because not everyone will want what he has to offer. But before he terminates the interview, he’ll check every possible way that his product might match up with a motivation of the prospect.
- The effective salesman works with the world as it is. He doesn’t try to change others. He doesn’t try to wish away problems or pray he’ll be struck by the lightning of success. Seeing reality as it is, he knows he can deal with it ~ to get what he wants.
- Use your imagination. Dream a little. Let your mind wander in search of a way that your product could do something for one of your prospect’s stated objectives. But never let your imagination roam to the point that it’s ignoring your prospect’s motivations. You can’t wish away reality. If you try to do so, you’ll be the loser.
- Whenever you approach a prospect, keep in mind that “This man I’m dealing with is seeking his own happiness in life. He has a pretty good idea how he’s going to get it. Am I thinking in his terms ~ or am I trying to impose my way upon him?

In your everyday interactions, make sure of this: “For these minutes while I’m with him, I should be totally preoccupied with his life. By being in tune with him, I can show him how to get what he wants and I’ll make the sale.” Remember, he’ll only buy when he believes he’ll receive more than he’s giving up. Therefore, you must discover what would be profitable to him and appeal to that.
Profile Image for Matt McCormick.
45 reviews34 followers
January 5, 2015
I've read a couple other books by Harry Browne and am always amazed by his ability to take complicated topics and think through them logically and present his views in an easy to understand and thoughtful format. This book is no different. While other sales books may talk about how you can you use fear to get people to buy, Harry Browne takes the opposite approach. He comes from the view that the only people who will buy are people who will benefit from your product. It's your job as the salesman to guide them along and help them figure out if your product is a fit for them.

As an introvert selling scares me. While this book isn't a motivational book, I found myself so motivated to try out his steps while reading the book. I'll definitely be reading this again regularly.
Profile Image for Balint Erdi.
89 reviews10 followers
August 6, 2019
The secret of selling anything is (spoiler alert, I guess) that you have to listen to the customer and list the features of your products that satisfy those needs of the customer they have talked about, and just those needs.

You don't need to be pushy, you don't need to be extroverted, you don't need to dominate the customer and sell ice to eskimos. All those traits don't make a successful salesman and can wreck their health as they live in constant battle and are anxious about meeting sales goals.

The message (the secret) might not seem like a huge deal, but it's really clearly written and in an entertaining yet convincing way. It also doesn't hurt that the author is a successful salesman himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
11 reviews4 followers
March 21, 2013
This book is very different from any sales book out there. The whole concept behind the book is for sales you need not be someone and act smart; You can be yourself and follow very elementary laws of listening and sell things and do good to others .

try this book. very easy to read also.
Profile Image for Anthony Arvanitakis.
10 reviews110 followers
April 4, 2015
Great book especially for beginner salesmen like me.

It debunks a lot of typical cliche preconceptions about who a successful salesman should be. It proves that even an introverted person (like me) can be good at selling stuff if he learns to listen, ask the right questions and help people get what they want. Also, the main sales tactic of the book is a five-step guide I found very helpful.

According to the author "a good salesman is an outstanding person.He’s an attractive friend ~ in demand because he communicates well, has a useful imagination, and solves problems easily.
Profile Image for Vasilis d1af Apostolou.
13 reviews26 followers
March 13, 2018
Probably the best book on sales I ever read.

I can see how parts of its ideas have been taken and repurposed from various authors/coaches.

if you read other good books on sales this will be a reminder of the important stuff. If you haven't read anything sales related you should start here.
Profile Image for Fotis Chatzinicolaou.
79 reviews15 followers
December 4, 2014
Ότι καλύτερο μπορεί να διαβάσει κάποιος για να μάθει να πουλά. Απλή φόρμουλα 5 βημάτων, σωστό mindset και μία ανθρώπινη προσέγγιση.
Profile Image for Tao Lee.
107 reviews33 followers
March 11, 2017
Note to self: Relax when you're making a sale.
36 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2021
This is a hidden gem for anybody who ever needed it wanted to learn about sales but feels they "can't" because they are introverted, too shy, too honest, or not a natural salesman.

Harry Browne will quickly show you with short, punchy chapters, why just about everything you think you know about sales is dead wrong and how selling can be easy and relaxing when you forget the smooth talker B.S. and focus on simple principles for ethical, honest, and easy salesmanship.
1,619 reviews20 followers
June 2, 2018
Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. The trick is its utter simplicity.

I am an introvert who dreads the idea of doing sales, but even I could apply this method.

In simple terms:
(1) First listen to your customer very very carefully
(2) Make sure you've heard correctly
(3) Describe your solution, only referring to the characteristics that the customer cares about
247 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2018
Good book about the difference between selling as most people do it, and how it should be done.
Highly recommended for non-sales people who have to start selling their services.
42 reviews2 followers
September 29, 2019
One of the best sales books out there. All about finding what the prospect wants and helping him get it. Quick read, definitely recommend.
67 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2021
Heel goed boek over sales. Gaat totaal niet over hoe je iemand manipuleert, maar puur kijkt wat een persoon / bedrijf nodig hebt en hoe jij dan kan leveren. Beste boek wat ik over sales heb gelezen
May 19, 2024
excellent book

It is an incredible book about how to be an effective and practical salesman, I recommend it %100. It is easy to understand
Profile Image for Bob Page.
83 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2020
This is a must-read/listen that will prevent you from talking about things your buyer isn't interested in, and maybe fix other parts of your selling.
March 17, 2017
Simply excellent

Honest sales advice from a master salesman.
In our online, instant world, salesmanship is a skill that's almost be forgotten.
This book is an excellent guide on how to sell by helping others
Profile Image for Bill Williams.
Author 70 books14 followers
October 20, 2016
More a book on psychology than a meditation on selling, The Secret of Selling Anything was a game changer back in the day. It was the first of a series of books that encouraged listening to people to uncover their motivations and then offering a product that appeals to those pre-existing motivations. With a simple process that encouraged empathy over belligerence, this technique was a breath of fresh air for introverted people who wanted to be a better seller or who wanted a better life.

Written by Harry Browne who went on to be the Libertarian Candidate for President in 1996 and 2000, the book speaks plainly. The text is easy to understand and almost repetitive when it comes to the five steps in his selling process. The concepts play today and at some level, we're all selling something even if it is ourselves.
Profile Image for C.H.E. Sadaphal.
Author 7 books12 followers
May 16, 2014
The Secret of Selling Anything is not about clichés, empty slogans, the “right” answers, positive thinking, or others ridiculous ideas that coerce the reader into a cookie-cutter mold you must fit into in order to be a better salesman. The author debunks all of those fallacies and describes the proper way to actually get things done and deliver exactly what it is that the customer wants. As an introvert, the book was a breath of fresh air, assuaging the angst that comes with the assumption that all successful salespeople must be inherently energetic, aggressive, and talkative.

The book does offer ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/the-secret...
12 reviews33 followers
May 1, 2016
I've read a lot of different sales books. I've listened to many different audio books on sales. Harry Browne presents his ideas into a streamlined formula that takes all the good ideas--then gives it to you in ways you can use today. I used it yesterday and made profited $1050.
Profile Image for Bria Pittman.
7 reviews2 followers
February 15, 2014
Loved it. Not the usual sales book. Places focus on the client's needs not the salesperson. That is how business should be.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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