Book Review: "Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale" Opening an Oldie but Goodie on Closing
Most authors writing about sales cover the topic of closing. But one book focused solely on this subject has climbed to the top of the list over the years because of its reputation and relevance: "Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale." Ziglar, the author of 12 books and a motivational speaker, lost his father at a young age and grew up poor in Yazoo City, Miss. In a classic rags-to-riches tale, he climbed to the top of the corporate world by outselling thousands of others at two different companies. In 1970, he began his speaking career and built Ziglar Training Systems, a multi-million dollar corporation. In the first chapter, Ziglar emphasizes that although the word "sale" implies that it's a book for salespeople, it's really about persuasion. Anyone, including husbands, wives, mothers, teachers and coaches, who has to persuade others any at time in their lives (and this is everyone) will benefit from reading it. Ziglar divides the book into six parts that cover all aspects of winning the sale. He delves into the psychology of closing, the heart that goes into it and the salespeople behind it, the need for imagination, and the nuts and bolts of it all. Throughout the book, he expounds on the different philosophies that have helped him achieve success: working hard, using common sense, being fair and committed, showing integrity and having a sense of humor. He offers hundreds of anecdotes to illustrate his points, of which some readers might tire, but wrapped up in these are plenty of rewards: more than 250 closing techniques, each with their own memorable name. There's the "Want It," the "Bride," the "Dinner Out," the "1902," the "Tennis Racket," the "Cokes and Smokes," the "Stood Up," the "Abraham Lincoln," and the "Columbus," among many other closers. Many of these are common sense methods, but will serve as great refreshers. Others are so unique that readers will wish that they had thought of them. Ziglar wrote the book in an easy-to-read, narrative style, but because he includes so many personal stories, most readers won't be able to read it cover to cover. Ziglar himself even recommends skimming the first time through. For future readings (he suggests at least four), he advises readers to create a sales notebook to write down lessons learned from the pages. Some of the anecdotes might seem old fashioned, but keep in mind he wrote the book more than 20 years ago. As a testament to Ziglar's reigning influence, some of the top salespeople in the payment processing industry still advocate his work. Ed Freedman of Total Merchant Services calls "Secret's of Closing the Sale" his secret weapon and has recommended the book on numerous occasions. Jim Poulson of VeriFone Inc. said he lives by Ziglar's motto: "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." Even after more than 20 years, Ziglar is still helping salespeople get what they want: the close. "Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale" By Zig Ziglar |
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© 2005, The Green Sheet, Inc. |
losing. It's what separates the successful from the really successful. Salespeople who can't close rarely make it in the profession. Some people say you either have it or you don't, while others believe it's a skill to hone and refine that will improve with age and experience.