Table of Contents

Section One: The Foundations – “On the Ground”
Chapter 1: Introducing Ethical Relationship Selling
Chapter 2: Researching and Preparing for Successful Selling
Chapter 3: Planning Strategically for Successful Selling
Section Two: The Selling Process – “Out in the Field”
Chapter 4: Networking and Prospecting with Effectiveness
Chapter 5: Approaching and Communicating with Success
Chapter 6: Listening and Determining Willingness to Buy
Chapter 7: Presenting with Impact and Communicating via Storytelling
Chapter 8: Managing Conflict and Negotiating with Finesse
Chapter 9: Overcoming Objections and Closing the Sale with Satisfaction
Chapter 10: Following-up to Cultivate and Manage Customer Relationships
Section Three: The Evaluation and Sales Management – “Back in the Office”
Chapter 11: Recruiting, Training and Leading Salespeople
Chapter 12: Budgeting and Forecasting Future Sales
Chapter 13: Performing Sales Analytics and Tracking Productivity
Appendix A: Comprehensive Cases in the Sales Industry
Case A: Home Selling with RE/MAX Real Estate Group
Case B: STIHL’s Successful B2B Sales Strategy
Appendix B: Careers in Selling
Appendix C: Self-Selling
Glossary

About the Author

Dr. Lisa Spiller is Professor Emerita of Marketing in the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. She has been teaching marketing courses to undergraduate business students at CNU for 30 years and has helped the Luter School pioneer a major in direct and digital marketing, and has been a leader in her school’s initiatives in sales education. As a member of the University Honors Faculty, Dr. Spiller also teaches a course on personal marketing and is passionate about helping her students learn to “sell themselves” to achieve success in their careers and in their lives.  Dr. Spiller is the author of Direct, Digital, and Data-Driven Marketing, now in its 5th edition by SAGE Publishing. Most recently, she was the lead author of a scholarly journal article, “Sales Education in the United States: Perspectives on Curriculum and Teaching Practices,” that was awarded the Outstanding Journal of Marketing Education Sales Education Article of the Year for 2020.

Reviews

Every word of this textbook is packed with helpful and applicable information to make you a better salesperson. I’ve never had a textbook that I looked forward to reading, and actively applied to better my life. Dr. Spiller truly brings the sales process to life!
*Julia Morris, Student, Christopher Newport University*

Dr. Spiller’s textbook is excellently constructed. It immediately grabbed my attention and included only the most useful sales information. It is my favorite textbook of all my classes and I know I will use it throughout my career in sales. This textbook doesn’t just tell you how to sell the steak, it goes above and beyond and tells you how to sell the sizzle!
*Madison Cochran, Student, Christopher Newport University*

This textbook is easy to digest and packed with useful information that can be transferred to real life applications. It provides readers with a step by step walk through of the selling process along with guides on how to be an effective communicator and close the deal. Dr. Spiller provides everything you need to be a successful salesperson in the 21st century. It’s a must read!
*Jace, Student, Christopher Newport University*

As a student with multiple other textbooks to read, this one stands out as vibrant, lively, and engaging. It feels student-friendly and incredibly accessible. I especially appreciate how each chapter builds on the last, which helps with the mastery of the material. I know I will recall information provided here long after I have finished reading it and feel better off for it!
*Matt Perkins, Student, Christopher Newport University*

Lisa Spiller takes a fresh and comprehensive look at professional sales by examining the roots of what’s necessary to succeed as a salesperson. She teaches the student how to examine and develop an understanding of the customer needs and then translates that into strategies for satisfying customer objections, making presentations, and closing the sale. The student is walked through the tactics of networking, finding qualified leads, strategic marketing to qualify leads, cold calling, making sales presentations, satisfying customer concerns, closing the sale, and sales management. Chapters include biographical highlights of actual professional salespeople to relate to student interest. Also included are tools for the professor at the end of each chapter, including case studies and role-play exercises to reinforce the chapter learnings.   Spiller’s unique contribution to the pedagogy of sales education is how a salesperson can be successful in making presentations through storytelling. Research shows that retention of key elements of presentations increases to 60-70% when presentations are turned into stories. Spiller shows the student how to do that. I highly recommend this book.
*Harvey Markovitz, Clinical Professor of Sales and Marketing, Director of the Lubin Sales Team, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York*