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20 Best Sales Books

Harry Beckwith was an advertising and marketing man, but the lessons he lays out in Selling the Invisible are essential for any successful salesperson. He argues that people do not buy products for their features, but for the way their company does business.

For Beckwith, it’s never about the product, it’s about the business. Rather than marketing one product feature or another, you should be marketing your company and focus your messages around that. Your client interaction should be geared towards listening and building long-term relationships.

“Don’t sell the steak. Sell the sizzle” may have some buzz appeal, but that approach will lead to failure.

Excerpt: The problem wasn’t that the story had no appeal. It was that the story was just a story to the editor because he had never heard of Hellenic Adventures. How could he be sure the company was real and viable, his trust in me notwithstanding?

“I’m not sure I can believe in that company,” he said to himself. “I’ve never heard of them.”