Sales Books

Greeley is best when he is describing parish life in Chicago. Of his parish novels this story of a newspaper columnist's midlife crisis/spiritual rebirth is the best for my money.

"Patience of a Saint" is a typical Greeley story. It contains some excellent images and metaphors of the Catholic Church, some good mystery, some sex, and some violence. It fits Greeley's perfect equation of what to include in a sell-able story. But even with all the expected story parts, it remains one of his better stories, delving into a person's growth as an adult. It is reminiscent of the Biblical story of Saint Paul's conversion, set in modern-day Chicago, with some contemporary images thrown together to show us what Paul may have gone through if he had lived in our time. An interesting idea, a good read, and if you take the time, a thought-provoking way to approach the Bible story as well as middle age.

I originally picked up this book because it was a mystery but was captured by this interesting story about a man who makes major positive changes in his life, much to the chagrin and disbelief of his own family. It was upon reading this book that I became an ardent fan of Greeley, his alter ego, Father Blackie and of course all of his wonderful characters (especially if they have a touch of the "fey" or belong to his extended Chicago Irish Catholic family). I have read almost all of Greeley's novels and always look forward to the next one. What a treasure he is and how deeply he has touched my life.

This is a wonderful book. The author suggests wonderful possibilities of grace and love for our lives. It is a book that restores faith and replenishes the soul. Oh, and it's a great love story. Not your typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back; this is a wonderful tale about a man who discovers the true depth and meaning of his love for his wife--with no small assistance from God. In a "cynical" age this book is a rare, complex, affirmation of true love and grace. This is my favorite Greeley story.

This is the story of Red Kane, a man caught in a dilemma of Love. After twenty years of marriage plagued by misunderstanding and bitter resignation, Red finds himself falling in love with his wife all over again - and at the same time, pursued by an implacable, attractive God.

Redmond P. Kane, a popular Chicago newspaper columnist and Pulitzer prize winner, smokes and drinks too much, neglects his kids, enjoys a mistress, is feared and hated by his colleagues, and has shared nothing but a bed with his wife for much too long. At 53, Red is an unhappy, disgruntled cynic. But soon, all that changes. On a Chicago street corner a speeding car, almost runs him down, and a moment of divine grace - one in which God and Red's green eyed wife are somehow identified with each other - almost knocks him unconscious. An then Red';s real troubles begin. They start with evil- plan old fashioned wickedness in the person of aging politico Harv Gunther. Red has come up with evidence that links Gunther to the disappearance of a newsman 20 years earlier and the recent murder of a teenage girl, but proving it can cost Kane his career. He's almost ready to close his files, go out for a drink and forget it all. Yet since his brush with death Red finds himself inexorably drawn down the path of saintliness and driven to always do the right thing. Being a good husband to his wife Eileen is at the top of Red's list. Without realizing it, he's whistling "You're Irish and You're beautiful and dreaming of going home, taking her in his arms, and making up for all the sins of omission accumulated over 20 years of their on-again, off-again marriage. But what happens when he does? Beautiful Irish Eileen think's he's having a breakdown, just as his newsroom co-workers are sure he's finally gone over the edge. Soon, a psychiatrist is trying to have him committed. God has turned Red's whole existence upside down. Must he choose between his wife and his god? Or have they joined in a plot to try the patience of a saint. As Red probes the depths of his new emotions and renewed commitments with the help of Msgr Blackie Ryan, he also digs into the dirty business of Harve Gunther and in the process gravely endangers the lives of everyone he loves.

A great read. You will recognize your own place of work. Mr. Ford touches upon all the challenges and opportunities of Corporate America. I loved the stories used to examplify the author's point. The working man and women will recognize these experiences as their own.


Like a co-worker in the nearest cubicle, Mr. Ford outlined my entire 30 years of work experience. Identifying the good, the bad, and the ugly executive and offers the best way of dealing with each.

Using his experice and the Irish art of great story telling, the author outlines your entire company, right down to the power and importance of the Administrators.

Identifies all of your co-workers; including the inner cirle and the chosen few, you will recognized them all.

Not just for the sales game, this book reads like a guide to surviving and understanding your daily work day.

I bought copies of this book for our entire sales team. This was the most refreshing book on sales that I've ever seen. Instead of the usual 10 step program, it gives you real world insights and strategies that work.

One key point I've learned from this book is that ultimately, it's about what the customer thinks, not what you think. Learn to listen and zip the lip.

But to fully appreciate this book you must read it more than once! I would like to read the back cover at every sales meeting but they would probably ban me in corporate as well.

This book is so 'on the money' about what to do and not do in sales. It's absolutely a breath of fresh air - one of a kind.

Mr. Ford, you should NOT be banned in corporate, nor should this book.

With the unabridged collection of proverbial self help books this one surprised me as it is built on quite a bit of local New England experience in the now time frame. You might even be able to guess a few of the characters in the cast which for me makes it real compared to guidance that is generated as a composite of such a large array of experiences, companies and the people that it is pablum to absorb. As in my own "road warrior" existence I have either been or been party to any number of these exceptional, great, good, bad and ugly sets of challenges so it hit very close to home.

This book allowed me to quickly absorb and personalize Mr. Ford's axioms to embody my own "Army of One".

Great reading after surgery when you want something to make you laugh out loud under the cloud of pain and pain killers! Shortly after reading this book I had the chance to meet Mr. Ford in person. What he doesn't tell you is that he is one fast thinking, strategic brain who happens to have the gift of relating.

Mr. Ford has is this book painted a colorful and informative picture of a peddler's existence. The author's account of all things sales is at once engaging and relevant. Hilarious and poignant, this book articulates the true nature of the sales world in a voice that is understandable and undeniably experienced. With gobs of real world scenarios and "take it from me" personal stories anyone looking to break into the sales world must read this book.
The book's sections are broken down to engage the issues regarding peddler's themselves and the world in which they sell. The pace of the book moves as fast as the true life salesman it describes, yet never falters in describing all that encompasses the proper execution of a sale. My knowledge of the qualities a peddler must have has grown immeasurably through reading this book. It is a must have for any young professional who wants to tackle the tumultuous world of sales. This text should be standard reading in Universities throughout the country. The knowledge gained after reading this book will give an advantage to students and young professionals alike who are serious about becoming successful peddlers.

You've just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: You have a chance to sell a hot, new IT product for which you can potentially earn enormous commissions. How do you make the most of this offer? Read and apply The Peddler's Prerogative. It'll help you figure out if the opportunity is real, what you need to learn to quickly become effective, and how to more efficient once you know what you're doing.

When I first picked up this book, the title made me curious. To me, a peddler is someone slightly scruffy going around from door-to-door selling inexpensive items stocked in a nearby car or van. Why would anyone want to learn from that perspective?

Dennis Ford quickly disabused me of my concept of the title's meaning. He explains that corporate salespeople are like peddlers in that they typically work alone in assisting potential customers. Further, he points out that not everyone in your company will be helping you sell: You will often have a harder time gaining support for your deal internally than externally.

Mr. Ford came into sales from an unusual route: He had been a social worker. As a result, he's very aware of the interpersonal aspects of selling. That's good. You'll learn from and enjoy what he has to say.

He spent the bulk of his selling career in the IT industry, providing various technical products and services. His role varied, from neophyte salesperson to CEO of start-ups to consultant. The book draws from those perspectives and the conclusions nicely match the kind of comments I've heard from successful IT salespeople. If you are involved in selling another kind of technical product, much of the advice will also work.

But if you are not in a technical industry, a good part of the book's perspective will not be helpful. In addition, if you've been selling for more than a few years, I think that most of the book's lessons will already be in your experience base. As a result, I see this book as most valuable for new salespeople who usually work on their own rather than as part of a sales team.

I mention who will find this book helpful because Mr. Ford points out that the ethical, effective salesperson must look for a fit between the offering and the customer's needs. I want to be an ethical, effective reviewer, as well.

So what's the advice? It's wrapped up into 74 lessons, called Peddler's Prerogatives (that you can scan on pages 265-278). The essence of the ideas is that you need to be an intellectually and ethically free agent who looks out for the best interests of everyone involved (prospects, customers, your company, and yourself). Within that concept, the author advises you how to get lots of help when you need it and how to neutralize those who could derail your efforts.

The book is organized into three parts: you, your company, and your customer. Most people will probably find the "you" part to be the least interesting and helpful. Part one is all about attitude and focusing on creating and nurturing lasting relationships. The book picks up quite a bit with the section on "your company" which is very revealing in how to get things done informally within an organization. The last section on "your customer" is very good at describing the sales process, the characteristics you'll probably run into among the people you meet, and the potential deal-killing circumstances you'll probably have to deal with.

Each part is divided into chapters that focus on particular aspects of success. Here's the layout:

Part One: You

Chapter 1: You and Your Attitude
Chapter 2: Augmenting Your 'Tude
Chapter 3: They Must Like You
Chapter 4: Rejection
Chapter 5: Truth and Doing the Right Thing
Chapter 6: The Mysticism of Peddlery

Part Two: Your Company

Chapter 7: Your Company
Chapter 8: The Executives and Their Administrators
Chapter 9: Sales and Sales Management
Chapter 10: The Marketing Department
Chapter 11: Somebody's Watching You
Chapter 12: Sales Support, Engineering, and Product Management

Part Three: Your Customer

Chapter 13: Finding
Chapter 14: Selling
Chapter 15: Closing

That way of describing the book's structure is a little misleading. The book is actually a lot like listening to war stories from an experienced colleague while on a long plane flight to visit a big prospect. The text is broken up into lots of multipage side bars called "Story Time" in which Mr. Ford brings to life the kind of situations you may face by describing one of his experiences. I thought that all of the stories were great and learned more from them than I did from the rest of the material.

To make the material even more appealing, there are lots of cartoons that give you unforgettable pictures of the points Mr. Ford wants to illustrate.

I was only concerned by one area in the book: He's death on the idea of having others measure what salespeople do. That conclusion seems to be based on bad experiences where such measurements were used against the salespeople to harm the sales process by trying to speed it up too much or to get salespeople to make unrealistic quarterly commitments.

The most successful salespeople I know measure everything and use those measurements to hone their focus and approach to accomplish ever greater results. In addition, they measure what other people do to find out if they can accomplish more by adopting some of those other practices.

Mr. Ford doesn't seem comfortable with quantitative ways of making selling more effective. Many of his principles, however, certainly reflect an awareness of what such analysis would show (such as the importance of scheduling your time to get in front of as many people as possible).

Since the author has worked in a lot of organizations, he's become aware of how you can get up-to-speed fast. He's quite a good student of how to learn. If you follow his advice, you'll enjoy more sales and make your sales manager happy sooner. What could be better than that?

David Andrusia draws on his varied experiences - in marketing, as an executive, and as a career consultant - to teach you to create and deliver the perfect pitch, in person or on paper. Cleverly and clearly written, this book provides plenty of winning pitches from real-life employees and prospective employees. It includes ample insights into getting your next job, winning a promotion, or obtaining approval for your idea. It shows you how to get what you want by meeting the needs of those hearing your pitch. We [...] highly recommend this book to people in business at every level. After all, everybody has to pitch something to someone nearly every day.

The Perfect Pitch really gives you the right mindset you need to sell yourself to companies and other people. Sometimes the sample cover letters in this book seem a bit to casual for conservative industries, nonetheless, the attitude is what is important. Well-written style keeps you interested. What I like most is that Andrusia will not BS you, he gets down to what you have got to do. I especially liked his advice on networking, how it is an important thing to do, but not something to be relied upon to find a job.

David Andrusia provides a very unique yet upbeat approach to job-hunting. I used his techniques to land interviews and a nice job with a fantastic company. The best thing about the book is that it provides tools to perfect your delivery and obtain results by marketing yourself effectively. Not only does it emphasize on what to say but how to say it. My resumes, cover letters, and follow up letters used to be bland, uninformative and trite. Now, I am more concise, elegant and upbeat when looking for a job or promoting my credentials.

The book itself paid off by helping me land a position with a compensation of 50K per year and is now helping me land another job with a salary of 65K per year. Another good thing about the perfect pitch is that it is not just intended to high caliber professionals but for everybody be him/her a white collar executive or a blue collar worker.

I can't thank David enough for such a fantastic book

One of my friends used the techniques in this book and "pitched" herself into a new and better job in three weeks. And it's summer, usually a dead season for job hunting. The techniques work.

Were it not for this book I would never have gotten the dream job I now have. I have been a capable researcher for years but underemployed due to my distaste for "marketing" myself, based largely on my complete inability to market myself. This book provided the "Eureka!" I needed to understand how to pitch myself. The author is a friendly, offbeat guide to the world of ethical self-promotion. I recommend it to anyone who freezes in job interviews and to whom selling oneself does not come naturally.

Keller's inspirational writings have blessed my socks off. It is second only to my Bible. No where have I read a better description on shepherding, shepherds and sheep. I have bought a number of these books for gifts for family and friends. Anyone who is hurting, or seeking a deeper more meaningful relationship with the Lord will find help and good answers and guidelines. I cannot praise this book enough, and thank God Philip Keller wrote it.

This is great compilation of several books by Phillip Keller and I highly recommend them.

This is the best book on Psalm 23. I have read almost all the books on Psalm 23 (commentaries, sermons and critical books) in the Bible (and Shepherd Motif/Imagery). I used to feel to hit a wall to preach Psalm 23 for a long time. The author truly breaks the wall to open my eyes. This is one of the first books that I use for discipleship and leadership training for the churches that I ministered for last 15 years. And I have bought a few hundred copies to my fellow Christians to appreciate Psalm 23.
Richard K. Min, Dallas, Texas

This is the best book on Psalm 23. I have read almost all the books on Psalm 23 (commentaries, sermons and critical books) in the Bible (and Shepherd Motif/Imagery). I used to feel to hit a wall to preach Psalm 23 for a long time. The author truly breaks the wall to open my eyes. This is one of the first books that I use for discipleship and leadership training for the churches that I ministered for last 15 years. And I have bought a few hundred copies to my fellow Christians to appreciate Psalm 23.
Richard K. Min, Dallas, Texas

This has got to absolutely be one of the best books I have ever read. What a pity that it is no longer available, except by searching for a used copy. Phillip Keller opens grand new vistas regarding what consitutes a really good shepherd and what being a "sheep" is all about. Many portions of both the Old and New Testament are much more meaningful to me now. I would read this book before I went to bed. It was like drinking a glass of the finest wine. Very inspirational and highly recommended.

An amazing collection of rare pictures that help guide one's understanding of how important the silent film was, the scores of actors and those who were behind the scenes who helped create an entertainment that still amazes.
There are literally hundreds of pictures that with each progressive year, guide's the reader to a better understanding of the how's and why's of silent film. How film that moved gave us actor's that moved, expressed feelings, etc., and why film eventually had to talk.
All pictures are in black and white, with expert clarity, and a detailed explaination of who is who, and the many still from films that are sadly no longer available.
To the beginner, or the seasoned reader of silent films, this is an excellent book that will delight, and amaze as each chapter goes year by year to the advent of sound.

blum's books are tough to get a hold on---but if you are a serious student of american film or theater, you have to own one! many of the pictures are now umpublished, which makes them all the more valuable. they are also great hints on dress and hair styles for costumers.

they're also a valuable look at something else--but we'll save that for another time.

This magificent "coffee table" book, in print for over 30 years but out of print now for over 20 years, is a must for the library of any silent movie fan. Thousands of photographs of silent movie actors and movie scenes, listed by year from 1908 to 1928, over 300 10x12 pages of truly rare photographs many from films unseen for almost a century and some players who tragically have not a single film known to still exist in sizes that range from postage stamp size to full page. And of course the superstars and legends are seen in large numbers of pictures: Mary Pickford around 40 photos, Charlie Chaplin about 30 plus similar numbers on Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, etc. As well as a quite sizable number on big stars from the period less known today - Wallace Reid, Corinne Griffith, Mae Murray, Charles Farrell, etc. You will spin many an hour pouring over the photos in this book and go back to it again and again.

I believe that this is definitely the best book ever written on any form of entertainment in our culture. It is the kind of book that makes you feel a great deal of adulation, sympathy, love, or any other emotion for the characters, the silent screen stars, just by seeing their photographs. The reader can literally feel themselves fall back about ninety or so years while looking through this immense photo gallery which captures stars in their natural element and heydey. Where else can you find big names like Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, and Douglas Fairbanks? Or, names that were big then, like, Norma and Constance Talmadge, Robert Harron, and Alice Joyce? Or, even sound stars who were also silent screen players like, Joan Crawford, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, and Myrna Loy? I would recommend this anthology to anybody, film buff (which I am a HUGE HUGE one!) or photography student. It is an indespensible collection for the eyes to feast on, thousands of pictures of the most important people in the world. Enjoy!!![.]
(This review based on the edition published in 1953, and by Daniel Blum alone.)

I was thoroughly impressed with this book the moment I opened it. It has literally thousands of b&w photos filling its 324 pages. The photos are of various sizes and include the players and films in chronological order from "the early years" of the 1890s through 1929. From the widely known to the obscure, they are all here! What's more, the names of the films and actors are provided for nearly all the photos which has aided me in identifying a few miscellaneous stills I have. I run a tribute website for Henry B. Walthall and being able to see one photo in this book of a "lost" or "buried" film I will never get a chance to see means so much. I am sure that any silent film buff will find some prized rare photos in this book to treasure. Book includes index list of actors and films for easy reference. (This review is based on the 1982 printing edited by Daniel Blum alone, original copyright 1953).

Jody Hornor's book can be a valuable resource for small-business owners as well as marketing professionals--anyone who wants to increase profits and get the most from their marketing and advertising efforts. I have found this book indispensable in my current role as a marketing consultant and my former role as a marketing professional for an international nonprofit organization. It is an excellent reference guide and workbook that has helped me tremendously. The format of the book, including the valuable and convenient worksheets, makes this a great addition to your reference library, whether you're a beginner or a marketing pro.

As I read this book I realize how many things my partners and I should have done differently when we owned our business 3 years ago. We had a quality product and passion but not a clear marketing plan. Unfortunately passion and a quality product were not enough. Now as I set off on a new business venture and read Jody Hornor's book I realize the mistakes that were made. Jody Hornor's book Power Marketing has helped me develop clear and concise marketing goals. Her hands on approach with direct activities have pushed me to focus in on and develop my marketing plan. The worksheets and activities have clarified what I need to do to increase my business and kept me focused. I found this book to be clear and easy to read with great activities that will get you down to business, your business.

I would highly recommend this book to any entrepreneur who is looking for a step-by-step procedure that will take them through the process of marketing and promoting their business. I wanted to have more control over how my business was being marketed. I found the workbook to be filled with the answers I need to make more informed choices. The worksheets were very helpful and kept me focused. I continue to use many of the elements in this book when I create promotional pieces.

Hornor's book is full of useful information and, importantly, 'how-to' stuff. Want to know how to track your ad's effectiveness? Get accurate print bids? Create your 'unique selling proposition?' You'll find it here. As a professional communicator (writer, speaker, PR professional) for 20 years it's the most comprehensive, concisely written and, instantly useful that I've read. If I had read it when I began my business I could have cut my learning curve at least in half. You still can.

As a marketing consultant feel I need to read current information to stay on the leading edge of my industry. I average two business books per month. Power Marketing by Jody Horner has stayed my primary resource marketing for several years. This is a handbook and not just a book of theories and ideas. When I use this book I know I have a specific path to move ahead with.

John Daly came up with a well written book that is interesting and informative on activity-based pricing. This book complements my knowledge and expertise on activity-based costing and I now know how to develop my prices based on a disciplined methodology for fixing the price.

John Daly avoids the mistake of focusing of maximizing revenue, advocated by some marketing professionals but rather puts the focus where it belongs namely maximizing profitability and ultimately shareholder value.

Any manager with responsibility for pricing will benefit immensely from reading this book.

We have used the concepts outlined in John Daly's book to develop an activity based costing model. In fact, it has proven to be so useful that we are in its third revision. It is has been a critical tool for us to remain profitable during these difficult economic times. I do not know how we got along with out it!

Pricing for Profitability has allowed our company to intelligently quote new projects and answer a critical question during price negotiations - "Should I walk?". We have also found the activity based pricing concepts useful for evaluating the countless cost down requests we get from our customer and understanding what we can and cannot do. I would recommend this book to anyone in a highly competitive, tight margin business.

Mr Daly's writing style is smooth and casual, and the book is loaded with common sense. His discussion of overhead allocation problems certainly makes the point that GAAP accounting practices lead to serious errors in cost accounting.

Full disclosure: I personally prefer an engineering model or standard cost approach, reality-checked with what might be called sampled-ABC: old fashioned time and motion studies.

John Daly has written an excellent book with important insights into the desirability and mechanics of using Activity Based Pricing to achieve a profit-driven pricing model.

Why is this important?

If you really understand and properly allocate your costs and use that understanding to develop an Activity Based Pricing model for your products and/or services then you are pretty well assured of profitability, particularly as you increase unit volume. Of course, this assumes you can sell at a price higher than your fully loaded, properly allocated costs.

As Mr. Daly clearly describes, traditional cost allocation methods (not to mention back of a napkin allocations) result in problematical cost distortions and lead to potentially serious pricing errors.

Anyone with profit and loss responsibility, or who would like to get there, would be well served to buy this book, read it and take it to heart. It is well written, coherent and was a pleasure to read. Daly has struck an excellent balance in that the book is not so filled with technical accounting/finance detail it is inaccessible to a non-accountant and yet it has sufficient substance to be of interest to accounting and finance specialists.

As investment bankers we receive financing requests from many companies seeking capital that are not profitable or not as profitable as they could be. Activity Based Pricing is one of the disciplines we are introducing to our clients and prospective clients to help them achieve profitability or become more profitable in order to better position them to compete for capital.

The power of the purse may be the most potent tool available to protect the environment. As Marti Barletta makes clear in her book, "prime time" women - those 50-70 - have enough clout to tell companies what to make, not just buy what manufacturers sell, all based on how they spend their money. "Prime Time Women" should make any producer quake: women want cleaner air and water, and as this book shows, they've got the marketplace muscle to get companies to pay attention!

What I loved about this book was that it just exudes respect for customers. Unlike a lot of books in this area, Marti Barletta isn't trying to teach 'tricks' about how to pretend to please women. She's much more serious than that. She's deeply informed, highly thoughtful and utterly determined that no company can really succeed without taking women very, very seriously. And she won't let women be ripped off by anything second-rate. This means that companies that want to win women's business have to take seriously the research she's done and the care and insight she uses to analyze it. There are a lot of "sell stuff to women" books out there that don't respect women at all, but just see them as easy pickings. They're phoney. But this book - and Marti Barletta herself: they're the real deal.

PrimeTime Women is a breeze to read - like sitting around with Ms. Barletta, chatting. And in the room are dozens of fascinating, ready-to-rumble women, chiming in every so often.

The overarching theme of PrimeTime Women really isn't the money they control - it's the fact that they are taking control of their lives. This is a phenomenon unique to Baby Boomers (and a bit older). After fifty is better than before fifty. There has always been a small percentage of women who bloomed in their later years. For Boomers it's become a generational ethos.

The second part of the book is nuts 'n bolts. I was swept away by many of her "word-of-mouth" marketing paradigms. She eschews the cheesy WOM tactics so often used today in favor of real, truly inspired marketing/PR/promotional techniques.

I've always considered Tom Peters the guru of marketing. I bought Barletta 's book because of his comments on the cover -- that PrimeTime Women should be the centerpiece of every marketing/strategic plan. As always, I now agree with him wholeheartedly. This book makes an excellent case about why this is the market to go after, not the youth market. Barletta draws on statistics from the New Strategist, AARP, the U.S. Census Bureau and other organizations, and combines them with her consulting firm's own proprietary research to come up with a true "how to" book, with strategies and tips that companies can put into action right away. I've since bought her other book on marketing to women, and plan to spread her name as the consultant to hire before the competition does.

Those who have already read Marti Barletta's Marketing to Women will welcome this sequel in which she develops in much greater depth her core concepts with regard to the purchasing power of what continues to be "the world's largest market segment." Of special interest to many readers is The GenderTrends(tm) Marketing Model that reveals in her first book why and how women reach different brand purchase decisions. She shares in PrimeTime Women some revealing and valuable new insights from all-new research and DDB Worldwide which will be of substantial value to senior-level executives - including but not limited to those primarily responsible for marketing - in all companies, regardless of their size or nature. Barletta carefully organizes and then presents her material within ten chapters which are divided between two Parts: Understanding PrimeTime Women(tm) and The Field Guide for Marketing to PrimeTime Women(tm), followed by an especially informative appendix which identifies "The Best Resources in the Business."

I presume to offer an admittedly unorthodox suggestion: After reading the Foreword and Introduction, proceed immediately to the final chapter in which Barletta offers an Executive Summary which includes a brief but brilliant explanation of "the seven building blocks" for understanding, reaching, and then increasing share of "the world's largest market segment." My opinion is that reading this final chapter establishes a frame-of-reference and thematic context for absorbing and digesting the material that precedes it. One reviewer's opinion....

As is her custom, Barletta makes brilliant use of a number of reader-friendly devices throughout her narrative that facilitate and expedite reviews later of key passages. They include clusters of bold face items, bullet points, and checklists. For example, in Chapter Seven, "The GenderTrends(tm)Marketing Model Applied to Women, a systematic and simple tool which is designed to achieve three objectives:

"1. structure the complexities of gender differences into an organized view of female gender culture;

2. show how to use the principles of female gender culture to enhance each element in your marketing mix; and

3. apply the resulting insights to the five stages of the consumer's purchase path."

In the same chapter, when examining the purchase decision process, Barletta focuses on the differences between men and women, and, the differences between PrimeTime Women(tm) and younger women. Then in the final chapter, "Notes to the CEO," she briefly discusses the aforementioned "building blocks" and this material offers a value-added benefit to non-CEO readers who are senior-level executives: She provides them with a convincing, research-driven argument to support whatever changes must be made in terms of (a) how their respective organizations view women 50-70 years old, (b) how they position what they offer to them, and most important of all (c) how they nourish and thereby sustain a relationship with them.

How important are relationships to women? As Barletta observes, "Women think that people are the most important and interesting element in life, and they are oriented this way from birth...Women see themselves - and everybody, really--as part of an ensemble company. Their core unit is `we' (sometimes `we two,' sometimes a larger group). They take pride in their caring, consideration, and loyalty to and from others...Women's first instincts are to trust and share, and their mentality is rooted in revealing, not concealing."

While explaining "how to win the hearts, minds, and business of boomer big spenders," Barletta also obliterates a number of misconceptions about female consumers in general and those who are 50-70 years old in particular. Did you already know that women control an estimated 80% of all household spending and the percentage is even high for PrimeTime Women(tm)? Also, that women make 55% of all investment decisions, 55% of all decisions concerning consumer electronics, comprise 60% of all home improvement buyers and make 80% of all home improvement decisions, control more than 60% of new car purchase decisions, and 66% of decisions to purchase computers? With regard to income, between 1990 and 2003, women's inflation-adjusted median income grew 26%, while men's grew only 8%.

"PrimeTime Women are the healthiest, wealthiest, most educated, active, and influential generation of women in history. This is their PrimeTime. And it's your prime marketing opportunity." Because of Marti Barletta, that "window" of opportunity is rapidly closing. What are you waiting for?

This is a simple story about the life cycle of a pumpkin. I read it every October to my kindergarten class. It is very good beginning to sequencing. The illustrations are very well done.

This book is very cute and sweet. When looking for a good Halloween/pumpkin/fall book, I didn't want something too scary for my young toddler. This fits the bill perfectly.

I discovered and checked this book out for the first time a few weeks after I had taken my son to the pumkin farm, and after Thanksgiving had passed. We were delighted with the beautiful artwork (colored pencil drawings). The texture and dimension in the artwork is exquisite. The simple story line is perfect for the young child of 2-5. Jamie is met with a variety of curious animals while he pursues a journey of growing and harvesting his very own pumpkin, carving it, decorating his face for Halloween (you hardly notice this in the soft hues of the artwork, but his pet dog certainly does)and saving the seeds for the next season (six, to be exact). It would make a fine early reader as well for a k-2 reader. Nice book!

I got this book many years ago, when I took care of a class of 4 year olds. They loved this book and read the book with me. Now that I have a child of my own (almost 2 years old) it is his favorite book. I read it sometimes 10 times a day and it has wonderful illustrations. I never tire of it and am looking to buy more of Jeanne Titherington's books.

I teach English to a fifth grade that had very little instruction in the past. I gave this book to three girls and they could understand the meaning of words using the picture clues.One of them had never heard the word pumpkin before, let alone sprout or seed. Now they all have a better vocabulary. Last year I read the same book to a first grade that did not have English classes. I used the story to teach plant growth and sequence concepts.The year before I had also used it to teach subtraction and backward counting - Jamie saved 6 seeds. He plants one. He still has 5, and so on.
I don't teach Italian, but I am sure I would find a way to use this wonderfully illustrated book, if I had to.

This is the book for everyone no matter what your role in the organizaiton. For new sales associates who are timid about "sales", experienced sales staff who are jaded or those who are continually improving their craft. And for everyone else in the organization who wants to understand the fundaments of business relationships (or human nature, for that matter).

The author has distilled the process so smartly and concisely that every page is filled with accessible and meaningful insight and tangible takeaways. One of the very best books on the general sales process and specifically the consultative relationship. This book will make you proud to be in sales.

How can I find this book in Portuguese, over here in Brasil ???

As this books said: The purpose of selling is to build profitable business friendships in a long term basis. It was one of the firsts books writed by Jim Catcarth and is very easy to understand why was so sucessful from the first edition. It shows how we can improve our sales and the overall process involved during a sale, in a way that we can stop to push the customers to purchase from us and we can begin to build profitable long term commercial and products or service trade. Highly recommended.

I first discovered this gem 6 years ago and have since ordered extra copies for associates. Jim dispells the myth that selling is a win/lose proposition. In Relationship Selling, everyone is a winner.

I recommend a pass on some of the other snoozers when it comes to the topic of relationship selling. Jim Cathcart presents highly valuable information in an easy to read process that is applicable in the field. I have recommended the book to the whole team at my company. You won't be able to put it down.