What The Experts are Saying

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This is what the experts are saying about Baseline Selling:

George Gendron, former Editor-in-Chief of Inc. Magazine  and Entrepreneur in Residence at the Clark University’s Graduate School of Management writes, “I loved this book.  When was the last time a book about sales was a great read?  For those of us who believe that the best sales team will win, every time, this is our handbook.

Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start and founder of Garage Technology Ventures writes, “Anyone who wants to make it rain should read it.

Verne Harnish, author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, founder of Gazelles, Inc., founder of YEO and founder of ACE writes, “Baseline Selling – simple, readable, practical, actionable – a Grand Slam.”

Bill Lee, author of The Wrong Stuff, former all-star pitcher and owner of The Old Bat Company, writes “This book shows you how to negotiate the bases and bring the sales home.”

Rico Petrocelli, president of Petrocelli Sports Marketing and former two-time all-star shortstop writes, “I read it through in two days and then started over again. I think it’s a great book. The analogy of the base paths is terrific. All our football, hockey and basketball friends will be envious unless you write books on other sports.”

Evan Taback, VP and sales development expert at the Connecticut and NYC based sales development firm TEM Associates, writes, “This book is unbelievable! In sales training, there is always pushback, this is a way to eliminate pushback, and get the entire group to understand and most impressive- make the changes to the behavior to close more sales.”

Former CEO and current sales development expert Mike Eagan writes, “Baseline Selling’s content is the most “Real World” applicable as any business related book I’ve ever read.”

Brad Ferguson, Sales Development Expert at Best Sales Force, writes, “In Dave Kurlan’s newest book, he doesn’t talk about salespeople and sales managers, he talks to them. Kurlan’s ability to involve the reader in practical selling situations transitions that salesperson or manager into their real world. What he relates, using the game of baseball as the metaphor, is practical and relevant…you can apply these concepts today, and they will make a difference. If you are in sales, and not earning what you what you believe you deserve, reading and studying this book should be the first step before you hire a coach.”

Sales Development Expert Dave Mantel, from Seica Systems, writes, “What a great book! Kurlan goes yard with his ability and willingness to include great lessons from the great selling minds of the past and present. Baseline Selling will provide the reader with a rich history of learning the selling craft and, around that history, create a relevant, effective and very “sticky” process that will certainly raise any salesperson’s batting average.

…and aren’t history, tradition and the excitement for next season part of why we all love baseball?

“Beat the drum and hold the phone” Baseline Selling is going to “give this game a ride”!

Dave Lebert, Sales Development Expert from Southwest Professional Development, writes, “Looking to improve on the results of your sales efforts? Kurlan has used a straightforward, direct writing style to capture actionable items that any professional salesperson could and should be doing on a consistent basis. This is not the theoretical musings found in other “how-to” books – this is practical advice from someone who knows and has a proven track record in the sales game. The baseball metaphors enhance the message by providing a powerful mental picture – focusing each item so that one can easily understand what should happen at your next “at bat.” I’d be surprised if you didn’t have a career year after committing to adopting this methodology.”

Sales Development Expert Jim Nelson, Partner at ExSell, writes, “As a consultant to CEO’s and company presidents I’m constantly asked by clients for books on the profession of sales that 1) deal with ‘real world’ selling situations and challenges that they encounter on a daily basis and 2) offer practical, realistic, effective and actionable solutions for making more sales. Dave Kurlan’s “Baseline Selling” is the book I will recommend every time. The selling strategies that Kurlan presents in the book are strategies that are easy to understand and employ no matter what the industry or product or service. The section on the ‘Psychology of Sales’ should be read by every company president or business owner who wants to understand their sales force better or who is looking to upgrade it. The comparisons of the sales world to the game of baseball may be a little strained at times but they make the book more readable and entertaining.

Those who have read “Hope is Not a Strategy” by Rick Page and wished he had put more ‘meat on the bone’ when it came to practical strategies that can be used immediately with prospects will find those strategies in “Baseline Selling”. Kurlan gives many examples of his selling strategies in action.

This book will be a resource guide on any business owner’s or salesperson’s bookshelf.

Tom Grau, Sales Development Expert and Partner at The Training Center for Sales and Business Development, writes, “For All Of My Corporate CEO’s…And Those Of You That Are The CEO Of Your Life…Dave Kurlan Reveals The Most Important Secret Of Professional Selling: “On Every Call You Will Need To Choose Between…What Is Best For Your Company…And What You Are Most Comfortable Doing???

100% OF THE TIME YOU WILL CHOOSE WHAT YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE DOING!!!

If You Let It…This Obvious, Yet Profound, Insight Will Transform Your Company!

Let Dave Kurlan Show You How To Replace The Uncomfortable Sales Situations Of The Past…With Simple, Comfortable, BEST PRACTICES!!!

Even The Novices On Your Sales Team Will Be Able To Execute Dave’s Best Practices…Comfortably!

As A Sales Development Expert This Book Will Become THE RESOURCE MANUAL For Each And Every One Of My Clients!!!

Thanks Dave…For Making What Everybody Else Tries To Make Complicated…So Very Simple.

You Have A Gift…Thank You For Sharing It With The World.

PLEASE!!! Do Not Let What You Are Comfortable Doing Get In Your Way…BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!! AND READ IT…COVER TO COVER…As Soon As It Arrives.

CEO of the Sales Development firm Sales About Face, Terry Ledden, writes, “I’ve been in the sales development and training biz for 20 yrs. Too often, sales training companies over “intellectualize” the process of selling and we end up with complicated sales “methodologies” that sales people don’t – won’t execute. Dave’s latest book on sales provides practical, executable strategies and techniques. I love the SOB (Speed on bases) concept to drive deals through the pipeline.”

Jay Hughes, a sales trainer in Texas, wrote, “Ok Dave, This book is amazing! Though I’m not a baseball fan, I will be replacing “Close the Deal” with “Baseline Selling” as my #1 resource with my ongoing training and coaching clients. (With your permission) I conduct a five day portion of a division of Verizon’s initial sales training consisting of 12-20 new hires a month.”

Al Turrisi, CEO of Turrisi & Associates, a sales development firm in New Jersey, writes, “There is so much in the book. It is like trying to eat and digest a thanksgiving dinner during a ten minute break, and that is a compliment.

When I was reading I felt like you where talking to me. I could hear your voice. On the practical side I liked the Tips and the exercises because they are things I can get my teeth into. Also I am always looking to find additional ways to bring added value to my clients – which you covered. The tips are good discussion points In training.”

Donald Mitchell, “Your Entrepreneurial Coach” and author of the Build a Billion Dollar Business Blog, writes, “Consultative selling is very effective because it’s based on delivering tangible benefits either from the offerings or from a smoother relationship between customer and supplier.

So why doesn’t everyone use this approach? It’s hard to learn and even harder to master.

Enter Dave Kurlan with his baseball metaphor which makes a world of difference in both areas.

Mr. Kurlan reports that people trained in this method remember what they are supposed to do about twice as often as with traditional training in consultative selling. I believe that.

Most sales books try to go with acronyms . . . and those just don’t stick with me. Even when I can remember the sales acronym, I can’t remember what it stands for . . . and what I’m supposed to be doing. But I know about baseball. So do most Americans.”

Danita Bye, founder of Sales Growth Specialists in Minnesota, writes, “Every sales manager committed to creating a No Excuse, high performance sales cultures needs to read this book. There are valuable insights for coaching both the novice salesperson as well as the seasoned professional.”

Ray Bigger, president of Think8 Group in Singapore, writes, “The “storyline” is very well grounded. Leaving aside the baseball nuances it is right on the money in terms of just what you have to do to succeed at sales.

The book is refreshingly free of some of the mind numbing techniques expounded by other authors. The book in itself would, I imagine, see some current sales people recognizing themselves as good, average or maybe “sales isn’t for me!!”

Sam Lucci, founder of Partners Through People, a sales development firm in Pennsylvania, writes, “Baseline selling is the best book on selling that I have ever read. It parallels what I already know about selling and simplifies the selling process in the most useable and trainable way possible. I will use Baseline selling as a text book for every sales candidate that I train. It’s more than a home run. It’s a grand slam in a three run game in the bottom of the ninth in the seventh game of a world series. It really is that good!”

Tony Cole, president of Anthony Cole Training Group, sales development experts in Cincinnati, said, “It’s important for you to know that I know Dave and have known him for 12 years. I’ve attended his conferences. I’ve heard him speak, coach, train and inspire. So when he announced the book being published I wasn’t sure that there would be anything in the book that I hadn’t already seen or heard from Dave. I was wrong. And to use his analogy of baseball: I was way off base. Baseline selling is a sales book that isn’t afraid to tell you how to do it. It’s more than a philosophical approach to selling. It’s more than techniques of selling. It is a book that if you read it and use the principles will have an immediate and positive impact on your sales. If you are a sales executive or a sales manager this is a must read for you and your people. Dave I can’t help myself, it’s a homerun.”

Speaker Brian Carroll, author of “Lead Generation for the Complex Sale“, and CEO of Intouch, Inc., wrote, “Before I read this book, my first impression was that it would be about the basics of B2B selling (strike one for me). And on top of it, I’m not a big baseball fan (strike two for me).

But after reading Dave Kurlan’s book, I can say it provides a useful and practical approach that many b2b sales people will find helpful (hit).

I like that Kurlan doesn’t try to re-invent what already works. He uniquely pulls together a well thought out process based on his best practices along with those of other experts too. Also, his passion about baseball makes his analogies come to life.

My background is working with highly complex sales and selling professional services to executives in mid-size to F1000 companies. If that describes you, then you may not find what you’re looking for here.

I definitely see how Kurlan’s approach can be easily replicated, taught and used as a coaching guide. If your a sales person, business owner or sales leader looking for a solid sales book, this one is definitely worth a read”.

Eric Taylor, author of Mastering the World of Selling, and Chief Inspiration Officer atSelfGrowth.com wrote, “I started selling at 2 yrs old, reading sales books at 18 yrs old, and I’m currently 46. I’ve read hundreds of books on selling from best-sellers to unheard of’s. Baseline Selling is “The Best Book” ever written about HOW TO SELL. I recommend it to everyone I meet who is responsible for driving revenue in their company. For anyone not familiar with LinkedIn, this is an unsolicited recommendation”

Dan Seidman, President of SalesAutopsy.com and the author of The Death of 20th Century Selling, wrote, “Looking for truly creative, truly unique sales strategies? You need to connect with Dave Kurlan. I’ve known Dave for 10 years and his work to take the selling professional out of the dark ages of old school sales tactics is both impressive and innovative. I MOST HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dave Kurlan.”