Jeffrey Gitomer’s ‘21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling’ Book Review

21.5 Unbreakable Laws of SellingAre you putting in the hard work that makes selling easy?

That’s the central challenge that legendary sales author Jeffrey Gitomer issues in his latest book, “21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling.” It’s a must-read for any serious sales pro.

Gitomer shares his guiding principles, perfected over four decades of successful selling. His hard-won wisdom leaps off the page in a series of memorable sound bites.

“Attitude is magic. It’s both transferable and contagious,” he notes in the chapter titled “Think Yes!”

Gitomer’s master plan is to disguise information as entertainment. Call it subversive, if you must, but it works.

He reinforces his valuable sales lessons with witty, heart-warming stories. It’s hard not to smile as he fondly recalls watching his baby daughter bebopping the night away in a crowded airplane full of weary travelers.

Gitomer challenges sales pros to work harder, be more optimistic, live life with greater gusto, and provide more value at every opportunity.

If you’re hoping to find the easy path to success, crack open a fortune cookie and call it a night. If you want to build lasting value in your life and career, pick up a copy of “21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling” as soon as you possibly can.

Here are 6 key takeaways from Gitomer’s new book:

1. Attract willing buyers

You will make the sale 95 percent of the time when a prospect calls you on his own initiative. You will lose the sale 95 percent of the time if you make an unsolicited call, Gitomer asserts.

One of the best ways to attract willing buyers is to earn referrals. And one of the best ways to earn referrals is to give referrals.

2. Believe before you succeed

You can’t expect to win if you don’t fully believe in yourself, your company and your product.

And ultimately, you must believe that your customer is better off having purchased from you.

Do you believe?

3. Employ humor

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself as a salesperson is: Are people listening to me? If they’re not, you’d better start singing “Moon River” or spinning some plates on your head or something. If they’re not listening, they’re not buying.

Gitomer’s rule is that laughter leads to listening.

Study your favorite comedians, paying special attention to their comedic timing.

Hey, if you want to master your craft, folks, it’s gonna take some work.

4. Deliver value first

Interview your 10 best customers and ask them what they consider valuable about your company, your products, your service and you.

Identify trends. Create video testimonials showcasing your real value and add them to your sales presentation.

5. Ask before you tell

Gitomer challenges you to ask better questions.

Stop asking your prospects questions that have negative connotations or make you sound desperate and needy, like “What keeps you up at night?” and “What will it take to get your business?”

Replace those stinky, old standbys with questions that evoke positive emotions. Instead of “What keeps you up at night?” try asking “What wakes you up in the morning?”

Here are some questions you can ask to evoke emotion:

  • “How long have you been thinking about … ?”

  • “What are you hoping to achieve?”

  • “How do you envision this will add to your productivity?”

  • “How do you believe this will affect your profit?”

Key takeaway: Don’t find the pain. Find the pleasure.

6. Build your own brand

If your personal brand is weaker than your competitor’s, you’re losing sales, Gitomer says.

He encourages you to blog and participate in social media, which is becoming popular advice these days.

He also offers up this gem, which is solid gold:

“Be 1,000 percent more proactive. Make 10 calls a day that have value, and send 25 emails that have meaning to the recipient.”

Why it’s worth a look

“21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling” is a well-written book that’s broken up into digestible chunks that make for faster reading. You get the feeling from reading it that Gitomer actually does all of the things he encourages you to do — and that’s why he’s been so successful in sales.

You can get a copy of the book on Amazon. Find more of Gitomer’s free sales tips at Gitomer.com.

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