What better time to release an ebook about the American Revolution than on America’s birthday?

In this ebook, Nikolaus Kimla lays out some important lessons you can learn from this historic event.

As all you history buffs out there know, the American War of Independence is one of the most remarkable events in world history. There are a number of interesting parallels between this struggle and sales, salespeople and companies which are discussed in this ebook.

Why is it important to take a regular look back in history? Because in doing so there are many lessons we can learn. We can borrow principles and strategies and most importantly, perhaps we can refrain from repeating earlier mistakes.

Chapter 1: Sales, Commerce and the War of American Independence

The first lesson we can learn here is this: Starting up any new enterprise or even a sales force is never easy. Anyone who’s ever started something–a state, an enterprise, or any other ongoing concern–usually has quite a story to tell. Growing it is generally somewhat painful. There will be virtual casualties. Anyone who sets out with a goal such as this does so with the hopes that it will all go smoothly, that everyone will be happy and get along. This is never the case, and the War of American Independence shows us how something great comes to be built. It is painful and costly.

Chapter 2: Freedom, Liberty and Sales Teams

Today the word freedom has a different connotation than it did at the time of the revolution. There was a term common at that time: “public good.” Public good meant the greater good of the community, in these little communities where most people lived. Today the word “freedom” has a very different meaning than it did then.

Chapter 3: A Fighting Force or a Sales Force–It Still Takes Purpose and Vision

or the British, the conflict in the colonies should have been a walk in the park. They had every advantage over the colonists. But as history shows, the Americans certainly won. They have the most powerful nation on Earth to show for it. So what did the Americans have that the British lacked?

Chapter 4: Composition of an Army; Composition of a Sales Force

If you were to start a company today, you would of course want to hire the best people. This would require that you pay for them, in some cases handsomely. George Washington didn’t have that option, as his fledgeling government and army was all but broke. The only choice open to him was to recruit personnel that were dedicated to the cause.

Chapter 5: Raising Up a Business or Sales Force: How to Engage and Fight

To get a business up and running, or to work at one, can be as tough as a war–perhaps not physically, but oftentimes emotionally and stress-wise. Why? Because there is competition, and competition can often fight unfairly, illegally, without integrity. Just like it did in the American Revolution, today engagement takes endurance. You need staff that will hang in there and stick it out.

Chapter 6: In a Sales Force or a Company, There Can Always Be a Benedict Arnold

For over 200 years in the US, the name Benedict Arnold has been synonymous with “traitor.” To call someone a “Benedict Arnold” means that someone has committed treason of the highest order. When faced with any situation such as this, a leader and a company must ask themselves how they will overcome it. How did George Washington overcome this betrayal?

Chapter 7: Vision and Mission: A Company’s Version of the Constitution

In 1787 the Constitutional Convention was convened with the stated purpose of drafting a new constitution, but with a further purpose of creating a stronger and more stable government. The new constitution came into force in 1789, and both purposes were achieved and resulted in an enormously long-lasting success. Nearly 250 years later, it’s still with us and going strong. What can we learn from the creation of such a constitution, that might be applied to a company?

“Nikolaus Kimla’s latest book, Facing Forward, is another valuable contribution to clarifying the best role for CRM software in the success of modern sales pros. An effective CRM solution must serve the needs of today’s overworked sales people. The folks at Pipeliner really get this and it drives all of their software development efforts. Right now, I am following more that 3,000 CRM solutions. It can be overwhelming. But I always find time to follow the latest developments from Pipeliner!” 

Rich Bohn, SellMoreNow.com
The oldest living independent CRM analyst

There are probably thousands of sales trends, approaches, tips and tricks out there. Additionally there are hundreds or thousands of technological tools for sales—lead programs, CRM, sales enablement, contact management solutions and many more—and there is huge stress placed on finding and having the right tools.

But both the approach and the tools are selected, interestingly enough, through a mindset.

The word mindset is defined in the dictionary as an attitude, disposition or mood. Another definition is an intention or inclination.

For our purposes, let us define a mindset as a set of attitudes and inclinations that, in our case, are self-chosen and implemented. In this book, Nikolaus Kimla lays out the mindset of a salesperson, and its various components. These components can be selected and utilized. You may also find—and you may find for yourself–that some or all of these traits occur naturally.

Why is a mindset important? It affects the positive or negative outcome of any situation. It is what is required to face forward into today’s tough, competitive sales world. It is a prerequisite to any sales methodology or software solution.

Even though salespeople may already utilize this mindset, they may not be totally aware of it. Sales leadership and management may not totally be aware of it, either. But the elements of this mindset are something that everyone involved in sales needs to fully know and understand.

Imparting this data to a sales team means that they function better and with far more understanding. That is the goal of this book.

Chapter 1: The Quality of Individuality

For a number of years, now, Nikolaus has made the observation that salespeople are like entrepreneurs within the enterprise, and in fact coined a word to describe them: salespreneurs. Salespeople possess many of the qualities of entrepreneurs, and one of their primary qualities is their individuality. Salespeople possess this same characteristic.

Chapter 2: The Quality of Career Security

At least when it comes to making a living and having a life, there are very few things people want as much as security. This is especially true of a salesperson, who is already taking a great deal more risk than the average employee on a job; at least a good part of their pay (and many times their whole paycheck) is dependent on commissions, and how much they sell.

Chapter 3: The Quality of Freedom

Sometimes individuality and freedom are confused as being the same thing. They aren’t. Individuality is the summation of the qualities that make a person stand out as an individual, and this is separate from freedom. Freedom, on the other hand, is defined as a lack of restriction or barriers. A person can be a real individual and not have freedom. But freedom is another quality sought by, and usually possessed by, salespeople.

Chapter 4: The Quality of Self-Responsibility

Of course self-responsibility isn’t something a person can learn, like a craft or a skill. It begins with a decision to be responsible, and that’s a decision that will have to be made many times over through a person’s life. It becomes part of–and known as–a part of a person’s character. At the same time, every company should have systems and policies in place that help generate and reinforce self-responsibility in its workforce.

Chapter 5: Network Selling

The next component required for the salesperson mindset is what we call Network Selling. The basic reason it is called Network Selling is that today’s digital world is totally networked. You cannot make a move as a salesperson that doesn’t have some kind of impact, good or bad, throughout this network. As a salesperson you are either recommended or warned about, right along with the product or service that you’re selling.

Chapter 6: Speed of Technology Adoption

Another vital part of the salesperson mindset, especially in the digital age, is the speed of technology adoption. Salespeople generally tend to adopt the latest in technology, which is good; they need every advantage they can grab onto given today’s highly competitive sales climate. As many have discovered, adopting a tool such as Pipeliner CRM will mean faster and better results when it comes to opportunities.

This book is a little unusual–it is written as an overheard dialogue. Nikolaus takes his inspiration from a work that is over 250 years old, The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin. The Way to Wealth was composed of advice, proverbs and adages that had been presented in Franklin’s own regular publication Poor Richard’s Almanac during its first 25 years of publication, but in this essay was tailored to the subject of becoming wealthy. It found a whole new audience, and today it is still published, read and taught in schools all over the world.

In remembering this essay fondly, Nikolaus realized he could have a bit of fun, and entertain and educate readers at the same time, by following a similar path. And so he wrote a series of 6 blogs as if he’d overheard an evening’s conversation between a wise but world-weary entrepreneur named Dr. Abraham, and Doug, a young, hot venture capitalist, at an entrepreneur conference. He as now turned those blogs into this eBook.

While many will find the title controversial, especially given today’s climate of fostering entrepreneurship and startups, it was not Nikolaus’s intention to simply stir up emotion. He actually believes  that entrepreneurship, as it is presented in many arenas, is actually dead and, in fact, could never get off the ground in the way it is often proposed.

As you read, you’ll see why—and you’ll also see that Nikolaus’s view is certainly not entirely pessimistic. It has reason and focus.

Talking Facts

The discussion begins with why Dr. Abraham really feels that entrepreneurship, the way it’s being promoted today, is in fact dead.

Art, or Craft?

Is entrepreneurship an art, or a craft, and why?

Where to Start

Where entrepreneurship begins and gets off the ground.

Entrepreneurship vs. Management

There is a big difference between entrepreneurship and management, and they should not be confused.

What About the Money?

Why does the source of money make a difference in true entreprenuership?

Intrinsic Ability

Dr. Abraham makes his final point about an entrepreneur’s ability, and inspiration.

Selling is a very dynamic process, probably the most dynamic in any organization. It has so many moving parts, so many variables that it often becomes frenetic, chaotic, and reactionary.

In this ebook John Golden argues that it doesn’t have to be that way.

As he points out, the key to success (in pretty much any endeavor) is being able to clearly identify the goal, define the steps needed to achieve that goal and then cutting out any extraneous noise or distractions so that you can focus exclusively on execution and reaching the goal.

In today’s business world this is often easier said than done. Systems are forced upon salespeople that confuse and derail them. They are overloaded with tools that are supposed to help them but instead distract. Social media is constantly bombarding them, and they are never sure how much of it is really valuable. Above all they have an informed, savvy buyer who has little appetite to indulge them unless they can offer some value very quickly.

Sales is often compared to warfare and we often hear about the “fog of war” where lines get blurred, truth and rumor become indistinguishable and chaos becomes the norm. The ‘fog of sales” is no different absent the lethal nature of the former.

Golden, however, shows that there are ways of clearing that fog and stepping out into the bright sunshine that clarity brings.

There are numerous popular sales methodologies today. These methodologies all bring sales best practices from different quarters, and greatly assist salespeople and sales organizations to consistently close a higher percentage of deals. In this ebook we explore 11 of the most popular sales methodologies.  

Interestingly each of these sales methodologies, in their own way, also seeks to make it possible for a sales rep to monitor, influence and be responsive to buyer actions—which is a common denominator of modern effective selling systems.

Pipeliner CRM is rapidly and visually customizable. For that reason, no matter which sales methodology you choose, Pipeliner CRM will not only accommodate, but will empower it. Throughout this ebook we will show how Pipeliner CRM assists each particular sales methodology.

Chapter 1: Strategic Selling—Common Language, Common Process

Strategic Selling assists organizations in developing comprehensive sales strategies in complex B2B sellings scenarios. It utilizes a practical, repeatable sales process that helps simplify complex situations to make them more manageable.

Chapter 2: RAIN Selling—The Consultative Sale

The RAIN Selling methodology is designed around the mastering of consultative conversations. RAIN Selling teaches salespeople a proven process for leading masterful sales conversations from qualifying to successful close.

Chapter 3: Baseline Selling—for Home Run Sales

Baseline Selling was created as an answer to the problem of salespeople resistance to adopting complex selling methodologies, and cleverly taps into a subject many already know: baseball.

Chapter 4: CustomerCentric Selling—Making Salespeople into Collaborative Consultants

CustomerCentric Selling weeks to empower salespeople in today’s world of web-enabled and educated buyers. The age of the “product pusher” is long gone—today salespeople must be collaborative consultants.

Chapter 5: The Age of Solution Selling

Very early on in the high-tech revolution, a couple of bright individuals came up with the idea of solution selling. You didn’t try and endlessly list out a bunch of products and services—you sold the whole thing as a solution to a company’s problems. This made it possible to tailor a list of products and services to a company’s exact needs.

Chapter 6: The Amazing Sandler Selling System

The Sandler Selling System takes a revolutionary approach: when done right, the buyer is convinced that they are the one actually pursuing the deal, not the other way around. A sales cycle requires a mutual level of commitment for both parties.

Chapter 7: Winning with The Challenger Sale

The Challenger is one of five personas into which, according to the Challenger Sale sales methodology, nearly every B2B salesperson fits. The others are relationship builders, hard workers, lone wolves, and reactive problem solvers.

Chapter 8: SNAP Selling—Great Solutions for Overwhelmed Customers

Utilizing SNAP Selling principles, salespeople are better armed to deal with busy prospects and provide valuable knowledge, connect their product or service with issues vital to the buyer, and provide a smooth, easy purchasing runway.

Chapter 9: Closing Deals With Conceptual Selling

Conceptual Selling is a broadly applied selling methodology. Instead of dealing specifically with selling a product, it deals with the prospect’s concept of a product or service, and relating it to the prospect’s issues.

Chapter 10: What is SPIN Selling?

The name SPIN Selling comes from a highly influential book with that same title by Neil Rackham, originally published in 2000. It is a selling methodology that is now taught globally, and has been echoed and forwarded in many publications since.

Chapter 11: ValueSelling Framework—Simplifying the Complexity

The ValueSelling Framework makes it easy for salespeople to learn and master sales methods. It boils down sales to essentials: qualifying an opportunity, mapping the opportunity to your capabilities, asking the right questions and developing a workable closing plan.

Right On Interactive is helping companies use Customer Lifecycle Marketing strategies by surfacing their “best-fit” customers.

Surface and Cultivate their Best-Fit Customers

Are you curious about the trending topic of Customer Lifecycle Marketing, and how it could help you grow your business?

Right On Interactive’s ebook, Lifecycle Marketing 101: What Every B2B Marketer Needs to Know about CLM, will answer all your questions.

What Is Customer Lifecycle Marketing?

Lifecycle marketing has replaced the traditional approach to marketing tactics and offers a new strategy that yields better results. It’s about conducting more engaged relationships. Lifecycle marketing methodology focuses on the individual person (or company, depending on your business model) and the entire arc of their journey with your brand. By understanding where a person is in their “lifecycle” dictates how your team communicates with that contact or company — along with who on the team is best suited to respond at each stage, and how often they reach out. These are all important factors in driving engagement, which is the most valuable metric your business can measure.

Right On Interactive is helping companies surface and cultivate their best-fit customers. How? By enabling them to move seamlessly through each phase of the lifecycle, finding the right content or connection they seek along the way.

Here are two facts that might surprise you:

It’s 6-7x more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer (White House Office of Consumer Affairs), yet only 8% of companies using marketing automation use it to nurture their existing customers (SiriusDecisions).

What You’ll Learn

This practical, tactical guide is designed for B2B marketers, senior executives, sales enablement professionals, and those looking for practical advice on using Customer Lifecycle Marketing to take their business to the next level.

You will find:

The essential elements to create a Customer Lifetime Marketing strategy
10 things to discuss with your team before you start building
The tactics and strategies to help you move prospects and customers through each stage of the journey with your brand
Your customers are your #1 asset. Download this free ebook now and learn how to grow your business through engaged relationships with your prospects AND customers.