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Most sales books are written by people who have never carried a quota. They offer theories, systems, and closing techniques that sound clever in a seminar but crumble the moment a real prospect raises a real objection. Jeffrey Gitomer wrote this book because he was sick of watching talented people fail, not because they lacked ability, but because they had been taught the wrong things.
### 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
**Author:** Jeffrey Gitomer **Estimated Reading Time:** 45 minutes
**What You'll Learn:** Why the old rules of selling are dead, how to build a personal brand that attracts customers, the art of creating value that makes price irrelevant, and the daily disciplines that separate top producers from everyone else.
**Who This Book Is For:** Sales professionals who are tired of being told to "smile and dial," entrepreneurs who need to sell but hate feeling salesy, and anyone who wants to understand why some people consistently win business while others struggle to get meetings.
Most sales books are written by people who have never carried a quota. They offer theories, systems, and closing techniques that sound clever in a seminar but crumble the moment a real prospect raises a real objection. Jeffrey Gitomer wrote this book because he was sick of watching talented people fail, not because they lacked ability, but because they had been taught the wrong things.
The problem is simple. Buyers have changed. They have more information, more options, and less patience than ever before. Yet most sales training still treats selling as a persuasion contest, a verbal wrestling match where the salesperson tries to pin the prospect into saying yes. That approach does not work anymore. It makes buyers defensive. It makes salespeople miserable. And it produces results that are mediocre at best.
Gitomer's approach is fundamentally different. He does not teach you how to sell. He teaches you how to become the kind of person that people want to buy from. This distinction matters more than most salespeople realize. When you focus on techniques, you become interchangeable with every other salesperson who attended the same training. When you focus on becoming valuable, memorable, and trustworthy, you become irreplaceable.
This book exists because sales is not a job. It is a craft. And like any craft, it requires principles, not just tactics. The twelve and a half principles in this book are not steps in a process. They are lenses through which to see your entire approach to business and relationships. Some of them will challenge you. Some will make you uncomfortable. All of them will make you better.
The promise of this book is straightforward. If you internalize these principles and practice them daily, you will sell more. But more importantly, you will build a career that feels meaningful, relationships that last, and a reputation that precedes you into every room. That is the real prize.
The central argument of this book can be stated in one sentence: People don't want to be sold, but they love to buy. Everything Gitomer teaches flows from this insight. When you understand that people…
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Get the complete summary in the appPeople love to buy but hate to be sold. Facilitate buying. Do not force selling.
Self-motivation is everything. Set your own standards higher than anyone else's.
Preparation wins. Do your homework before every interaction.
Build your personal brand. It is not who you know. It is who knows you.
Relationships trump price. Be someone people want to do business with.
Ask powerful questions that make prospects think differently.
"The Little Red Book of Selling" is a strong fit if you want practical ideas around business, buisness, self help—especially themes like people love to buy but hate to be sold. facilitate buying. do not force selling; self-motivation is everything. set your own standards higher than anyone else's. The MinuteRead summary distills these concepts into a focused read, whether you're deciding whether to buy the book or applying its lessons at work.
Jeffrey Gitomer is a prolific author, with several New York Times bestsellers on sales and business. He's a sought-after speaker, delivering over 100 presentations annually to major corporations. His syndicated column reaches millions weekly, and his online presence includes popular websites and e-learning platforms. Gitomer is recognized for his expertise, having been inducted into the National Speaker Association's Hall of Fame and awarded the Certified Speaking Professional designation.
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