This book is a whirlwind tour through different sales techniques appropriate for different stages of a companies (or products) development. It is built around a tortured analogy of inventing wheels, developing them to be used in different ways, until finally they hit the FMCG end of spectrum.
Some of the ideas are nice, we follow a couple through from their initial invention of a new device through their first, failed, attempts to sell it, with advice coming from a guru and inspiration coming from actually attempting to do the things he suggests and understanding why he says some of the things he says.
Its just a shame theres so much ‘presentism’ invading the analogy, if you’re in a time when wheels are new I’m pretty sure that drills wouldn’t have been invented yet, and that travelling salesmen wouldn’t really have existed in the way they do now. They are, of course, devices to make the advice relevant to todays markets, as seen by the authors.
There is a value in this book, but I don’t think its appropriate to the part of the tech industry I’ve ended up in. Of course, looking at it the other way around, one of the agents yesterday tried a classic ‘closer’ style close attempt (get some interest going, then place a definite time limit on the offer, “theres someone else interested in this property, if you move quickly you can get it”….similar to the way that ‘sales’ work in shops), which I deflected without even thinking about it. I find that style disconcerting, and often get angry when I notice I’ve been sold something with it. Unless, of course its something that I actually wanted, but mostly its not.