Standard solution sales methods aren’t working like they used to. Indeed, several prominent sources have pronounced that the era of solution sales has ended. To find out if this was true or not, Schultz and Doerr studied what the winners of more than 700 actual B-to-B sales opportunities (from buyers responsible for $3.1 billion in annual purchases) are doing to win the sale, and what they do differently than the sellers who come in second place.

Insight Selling will examine the details and specifics of Rain Selling, a comprehensive, three-level selling strategy developed by the Rain Group to help turn every sales professional into a sales winner:

1)      Level 1: “Connect” is the price of entry. When buyers perceive sellers don’t understand their needs and don’t have a solution that can help—and the buyer doesn’t like them—sellers don’t win.

2)      Level 2: “Convince” increases wins. When sellers don’t convince buyers they’ll get a worthwhile return, the risks are acceptable, and they’re the right choice, the buyer might not buy at all, might buy much less than they should (or only be willing to pay less), or may select another provider.

3)      Level 3: “Collaborate” is when the seller becomes a key component of buyer success. The  sellers who are perceived as Level 3 collaborators, and who bring new ideas to the table and work with buyers as a team, will find themselves in the winner’s circle.

MIKE SCHULTZ is Co-President of RAIN Group and a world-renowned consultant, speaker, and expert in sales training and performance improvement. His articles and work have been featured in a variety of publications, such as Business Week, Inc. magazine, and Fast Company. He is also on the faculty in the Marketing Division at Babson College and writes at www.RainGroup.com/Blog.

JOHN E. DOERR is a leading authority on the skills and strategies that make for sales success. As Co-President of RAIN Group, he has consulted with, trained, and coached thousands of sales professionals, leaders, and business executives, helping them improve sales performance and succeed with insight selling.

Mike and John are bestselling authors of Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation and the groundbreaking research “What Sales Winners Do Differently.” To learn more or to contact Mike or John directly, visit www.RainGroup.com.

Foreword Neil Rackham vii

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Sales Winners Sell Differently 1

Chapter 2 What Is Insight Selling? 25

Chapter 3 Insight Selling and Value 37

Chapter 4 Insight and Level 1: Connect 57

Chapter 5 Insight and Level 2: Convince 79

Chapter 6 Insight and Level 3: Collaborate 101

Chapter 7 On Trust 121

Chapter 8 Profile of the Insight Seller 137

Chapter 9 Insight Selling Mistakes 161

Chapter 10 Buyers Who Buy Insights 177

Chapter 11 Getting the Most from Sales Training 199

Epilogue 219

Appendix 221

Notes 225

About RAIN Group 231

About the Authors 233

Index 237