The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the Ten Commitments That Drive Sales

As an author of a bestselling book on closing myself, I eagerly anticipated Anthony Iannarino's new title The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the Ten Commitments That Drive Sales.  Let me cut to the chase - this book is brilliant.  Anthony Iannarino manages to accomplish the impossible by clearly defining a set of micro-commitments that are necessary to successfully close the sale - that apply to every type of sale.This is no small achievement.  There are many different types of sales: B2B, B2C, complex, single-call, etc.  Offering solid advice that works for every type of sale - let alone a very specific and prescriptive formula - is an extremely challenging task.  Here Anthony's years of experience of writing daily for his blog (The Sales Blog) which serves a wide audience probably makes him the only person who could have written this book.The Lost Art of Closing refines the concept of "Sales Advances" as defined by Niel Rackham in his seminal work SPIN Selling and categorizes the types of micro-commitments necessary for the culmination of a successful sale.  It really goes beyond this in fact, by suggesting a logical sequence to these commitments - again that apply to every type of sale.  This framework is a massive benefit to sellers of all kinds.Right out of the shoot the book addresses the number one challenge that salespeople tend to have - fear and reluctance - by offering what will be a paradigm-shifting philosophy for most readers.  And that is that sales is service.  Now that's my term, not his.  Anthony describes it this way:  "Selling isn’t something you do to someone. It is something you do for someone and with someone."  Customers are seeking a positive change of some kind and helping them make the micro-commitments necessary to achieve that positive change is an act of service.  There is no reason to fear or hesitate when you are helping and in the service of others.Yet change - even positive change for the better - can be hard.  So Anthony invests time in outlining a process that helps facilitate the positive change that customers want in their lives.  In fact, one could argue that sales is more about helping customers navigate change than anything else, and Anthony addresses this in a most excellent fashion.Here are the ten commitments that drive sales:1. The Commitment for Time2. The Commitment to Explore3. The Commitment to Change4. The Commitment to Collaborate5. The Commitment to Build Consensus6. The Commitment to Invest7. The Commitment to Review8. The Commitment to Resolve Concerns9. The Commitment to Decide10. The Commitment to ExecuteAnthony devotes a chapter to each of these commitments.  The format he follows for each one is immanently practical an in a style that only Anthony can do.Each chapter offers discussion, philosophy and specific advice for the most common challenges in each area.  Specific phraseology and sample vignettes are given for each commitment.  Every chapter is very prescriptive and something that every sales professional will be able to comfortably adapt to their own style.  I very much applaud this formula for both its structure and economy because I know how much it is desired and needed by sales professionals seeking to improve their game.I've seen a couple of comments suggesting that The Lost Art of Closing applies only to complex sales.  I completely disagree with this.  Even within a single-call close all of these elements still take place - albeit much faster.  Dissect your calls and you'll discover that they are all there.  And in that regard Anthony's formula represents an excellent way to analyze and refine the sequence and cadence of your dialog.  Investing the time to do so will pay you handsomely.  You may even discover that you were missing a step that has been holding you back.The Lost Art of Closing is simply a fantastic reference and tool for every salesperson new or experienced.  I guarantee even the most seasoned veteran will find a way to improve in each of the commitment areas.  My first time through the book I found myself saying "Wow, I'm going to read that again."  Given that I read over 100 books a year (most of which are on sales) that's quite an accomplishment.  And, Iannarino accomplishes this in an economy of words that is simply amazing.  The style is outstanding and the book clips right along and pulls you through it.  This book simply hits the bulls-eye.  Tactical, specific and applicable advice in a minimum amount of words.  All in an area that every sales professional can find value.  I defy any sales professional to walk away from this book without becoming a better version of who they are.Bang for the buck, books are the most valuable resource ever.  And The Lost Art of Closing is among the best of the best ever.  It's easily my favorite title of 2018 and I recommend The Lost Art of Closing to sales professionals both new and old.  I give it my highest recommendation.  Read it today.  You'll be glad you did!

I read this book over a weekend, and immediately ordered copies for my sales team. We are in B2B sales, and I can attest, there is no better field guide for navigating the complex, non-linear nature of B2B consultative sales than The Lost Art of Closing. I read 1-2 sales books per month, and this is one that I revisit and quote the most. It's my go-to for keeping our approach fresh, relevant and always client-centered. You can tell this is written by a person who actively sells today and every day and cares about his clients' success. He shares real-world conversations and examples that are so relatable, you wonder if he was listening in on your last sales call. And, he provides very genuine and client-centered responses to concerns and objections. You'll want to memorize the way he responds. Never salesy, always focused on the clients' best interest while maintaining pride and integrity in your solution and price.Iannarino's approach to gaining commitments by providing value at every step aligns with our company culture. We've always embraced concepts of helping our clients find a better way, providing education without expectation and helping our clients succeed in creating the kind of impact they want to make in the world. Using these principles he outlines, closing becomes the natural progression of having valuable interactions with your dream clients.For sales managers: if you want to instill practical and effective ways to help your sellers navigate a complex sale, this provides several pivots that have improved our closing ratio and helped us find more clients that were a great fit for what we offer. The pre-proposal review turns the proposal process into a collaborative, solution-oriented discussion. It gives the prospective client ownership and buy-in on the solution, so that the proposed plan is understood and embraced. Once you've done this, you'll never do the "big pitch and mic drop" again. It has saved many of our plans from falling flat or stalling out. My team calls this step a game-changer.We also focus on the commitment to gain consensus. Gone are the days that one person alone makes buying decisions in a B2B environment. When salespeople call me and say they want to speak to the "decision-maker," I want to laugh. Even top executives rarely make buying decisions without having their team evaluate the opportunity and make recommendations. We know that our solutions will be reviewed by anywhere from five to a dozen managers and executives. So, you have to be prepared to build the case for multiple perspectives.This book will show you how to roll in today's business environment, whether you've been selling for a lifetime or are just starting out. Sales managers especially should just 1-click order this and dig in!

This one started for me with a copy from my local library, I got half way through it and had to purchase my own copy, that's how good I found this material to be.Anthony does a real nice job going through a series of 'commitments' you need to get from the prospect in order to move the sales process along. When I first got the book, I figured it would be about closing at the very end of a sales process, but it starts from the beginning. For example, when you pick up the phone to call a prospect, your goal should essentially be to 'close' them on a commitment for their time to visit them for a initial meeting, another would be to 'close' a prospect on the commitment to collaborate.I felt that this book, for me, really slowed things down and went in depth on what you should be going for when you are trying to gain the commitments it talks about. Too many times, a prospect picks up, their 'reactionary defense mechanisms' take over, in their mind, they almost feel like you are trying to snag the sale right there, on the spot without any regard for his or hers current situation. This book does an excellent job showing you the steps it's going to take to get to the point of landing the sale where both you and the customer know the decision is the right one, everyone is on board, and value has been exchanged. Going through the different commitments will leave nothing to 'chance' during the sales process and help you not lose out due to deals falling apart 'behind closed doors'I highly recommend this book to new and veteran sales reps, excellent read!!!!

Ok

Iannarino traz uma nova perspectiva sobre vendas que é muito mais adequada ao século XXI. Mais do que oferecer uma solução que resolve os desafios de seus clientes, um bom vendedor deve ser capaz de promover mudanças — talvez o maior obstáculo para qualquer vendedor.Ao oferecer insights sobre como fazê-lo através de 10 compromissos, o autor traz luz sobre pontos fundamentais, e muitas vezes esquecidos, para garantir o sucesso de uma venda

Bon livre mais alors pourquoi trois étoiles seulement ? Parce que la partie prospection qui introduit ce livre part du principe que vous vous adressez à des gens qui vont forcément vous prêter attention... Or pour moi la prospection c'est le contact systématique avec tout client potentiel qui n'est pas un early adopter. Autant vous dire que 85% des prospects n'ont pas plus de quelques secondes d'attention à apporter à l'inconnu que je suis lors d'un premier contact téléphonique ! Et sur ce "seul" aspect, le livre perd sa pertinence. Pour le reste du cycle commercial, vous n'êtes plus un inconnu mais un trusted advisor, à partir de là le livre mérite ses étoiles.

Best sales book of the few dozen I have read over the years. I think in 10 years people will look back on this book the way we used to look back at Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy. Both legends in their own right but this is a modern book for sales professionals. I've read it a few times and then got it on audible for the 30 minute commute every day. I can almost recite it and have won many deals as a result of tweaking my process based on the techniques in the book. Amazing work Anthony!

The book is really great, a masterpiece - it guides you through the process and the commitments you have to gain from your prospect. B2B sales is an art but you need a structured approach how to get from A to B, this is what the book is giving you.