There's more to bagging huge accounts than landing the first sale

books:


	• Bag the Elephant Steve Kaplan Workman Publishing Company, 2008 - 188 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Pragmatic B2B Sales Mentality

Bag The Elephant is not merely about sales techniques to win large clients; more importantly, it is about the underlying mentality required to become successful & sustainable in selling to large corporations. Steve Kaplan's witty writing style & numerous examples make the book both a pragmatic & engaging read.

There's more to bagging huge accounts than landing the first sale

One big account, a heavyweight "Elephant," can generate enough sales volume to make your company a success. Your reputation in the market will soar if you get a huge, well-known customer. But how do you go big-game hunting? Steve Kaplan can tell you, because he has a bank vault full of elephant gold and a business focused on helping others bag similar game. He explains how to identify your target, develop a customer within that corporation and build your business. He also warns you about common mistakes people make once they "bag an Elephant," including mismanaging their business because they have a cash cow, er, elephant. We recommend this very good book on sales, with its realistic methods for success, rundown on risk and true-to-life reasons for failure. The text is easy to read, the style is fresh, and if the elephant metaphor loses some punch after a while, the pachyderm illustrations are a good comedic addition.

for more information click here

It's worth to read, definetly

I agree with one review there, that title of the book could be misleading, this book is really not exactly about the sales, and you will not find there a right words or 'forever lasting secret key', how to bag the elephant. But you should also understand, that of any exist, all of them would be bagged already and there would be no space for you - the small bagger. What author says, it's a whole system to be used, including to change your mindset - so do not expect an easy go "401 secrets to something" style book

Take is as management book, and if so a not bad, and even good book. Besides the entertaining and easy read examples, this book is also packed with the good examples of how to manage the bagged elephant, how to avoid the common mistakes, traps and so on.
I liked especially the advice, of not putting all the eggs in same basket - it reminds popular investment adage.
I truly enjoyed the journey that author had prepared, and the advices given in book are also same applicable to servicing the smaller companies as well - even if you do not have a plan to bag GE or Morgan Stanley within next 2 month, you will still have a lot of new ideas for your existing business - the book does exactly what is must do - sparks your entrepreneurial spirit, and I am sure you can come with several new ideas within this journey.

for more information click here

Where's the beef: a lot of sizzle, very little meat here

The over-the-top positive reviews here astound me because while this book has some merit it is certainly not the best book on the topic and offers very little for the labor of reading it. The book's format is a classic sizzle over the steak sales technique: colors, pictures and odd printing over content, verbosity over wisdom. This book has little to offer field salespeople and nothing to offer non-B2B companies.

Certain ideas are useful for managers, such as: execute flawlessly, one mistake you're out, excellent customer service will keep the business, and team selling is critical even necessary for winning big accounts. Much of the wisdom is common sense: selling to a big company results in substantial growth; be careful about putting all your eggs in one basket; and mismanaging customer expectations can cost you the business and all the hard work that went into getting it.

On the positive side this author is clearly a sales professional. If you need to learn how professionals act in corporate sales there are tips and insights here. Large account selling is very different than the kind of selling say Brian Tracey or Tom Hopkins teach about. Planning, targeting, clarity of message and pricing, flawless execution and relentless follow-through and documentation are all needed. If you're new to corporate sales start with "Strategic Selling" and then perhaps this book. If you're in corporate sales and you don't already know this material, or act and look like Kaplan, you're in for a tough slog.

For overcoming the real challenges of prospecting and B2B selling that every salesperson can use I recommend "Selling to Big Companies" and "Value Forward Selling." As Sandler pointed out in his selling methodology, most systems will work if they are applied consistently and well. Getting in the door to develop the relationship and the sale is the critical step. Both of those books specialize in that, as does "Selling against the goal."

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Now available in paperback, Steve Kaplan's Bag the Elephant, is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Business Week bestseller that has received praise from around the business community: "Steve Kaplan's elephant strategy is right on the money, as long as you're willing to roll up your sleeves and go to work."?Daniel M. Snyder, Owner, Chairman of the Board, The Washington Redskins. "Kaplan shows you how to think BIG, act BIG, and win BIG."?Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling. "A terrific read! From now on, when I think about building business and sales, there's no way I'll ever forget the Elephant."?Harvey Mackay, author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.

Bag the Elephant is all about how smart businesspeople can woo and keep those all-important elephants?the big, make-or-break customers. Like its companion, the New York Times bestseller Be the Elephant, it is filled with dynamic advice and real-life examples, delivered in an energetic, straight-shooting fashion that gets right to the core of its powerful idea?how to land the account that will put you over the top. Here are six keys to achieving the elephant mindset and understanding the big customer. How to map and use a big company's red tape to your advantage. Why the elephant needs you as much as you need it. Preparing yourself and your pitch. How to negotiate with elephants without losing your profit margins. And how to avoid the five killer mistakes, from mismanaging client expectations to losing sight of the numbers.

For small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and sales people, stalking and landing an elephant can be the most profitable adventure of your life, and Kaplan explains everything you need to know.

for more information click here

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

elephant

Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives
Water for Elephants: A Novel
Horton Hatches the Egg (Classic Seuss)
Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying ...
Horton Hears A Who!

search for books
bag the elephant, elephant

Impressum / about us