Synopses & Reviews
Building a business is a challenge in any market. But in today's constantly fluctuating corporate climate it's more essential than ever to be strategic about the way you court new clients.
William P. G. Brooks and William T. Brooks give you the tools to more effectively research, strategize, and reach out to the clients that will grow your business over both the short term and long term. From developing a solid, smart strategy for selling to the giants to managing day-to-day prospecting and client management concerns, this book will show you how to exceed your own expectations by winning—and keeping—the large clients that you thought were out of reach.
Filled with the Brookses' expert guidance and methodical approach, Playing Bigger Than You Are will help you:
Focus on client acquisitions that target lasting long-term growth, not just right-now income
Discover valuable sales opportunities at large corporations friendly to smaller businesses
Position yourself effectively with key decision-makers so you'll always have the "inside track"
Plan your sales presentations to larger prospects, manage expectations, and use the best possible strategies for winning their business.
Every business starts out as a small one. But with time-tested strategies, and real-world stories from the corporate trenches, Playing Bigger Than You Are will help you build a stronger, more robust prospecting and selling strategy—one that can stand and deliver to big companies—so that you'll benefit from their long-term business.
Review
"In today's marketplace, the playing field on which we're competing is more level than it has ever been. Playing Bigger Than You Are contains practical, down-to-earth tactics and strategies for smaller companies and salespeople looking for proven ways to win larger accounts within their target markets."—Marty Scirratt, Senior Vice President of Sales, Administaff
"Finally a book for the small and medium sales teams out there that gives specific and practical strategies for 'whale hunting' . . . how to use our strengths as nimble and adaptable organizations to land the 'big one.' Playing Bigger Than You Are looks deep into the heart of these Goliaths, demystifying not only how they buy, but how we, the Davids of the marketplace, should position ourselves to win them over."—David B. Finch, President and CEO, ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions
"As the founder and CEO of a large organization, the tactics and strategies that the late Bill Brooks and his son Will outline in this book are right on target with regard to what we would expect from a smaller boutique vendor interested in winning our business.¿They've absolutely nailed how to navigate through the maze of the decision-making process at a larger organization! This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs, salespeople, and anyone else who is looking for a useful, on-target guide for winning bigger accounts."—John K. Harris, founder and CEO, JK Harris & Company
Synopsis
The small or mid-sized business' guide to outselling the big boys
Often, small or mid-sized businesses don't think they have the resources or the talent to compete with the larger competitors in their industry. But just because they don't have the advertising budgets or purchasing power of their bigger counterparts doesn't mean they can't play ball. For sales organizations, service matters much more than size.
If your sales business is competing with much bigger fish, the odds are stacked against you. Pressured and powerless, frustrated and overwhelmed, you might be tempted to give up. But smaller businesses often find advantages over their bigger competitors.
• Includes proven tactics to help small businesses tackle bigger competitors
• Author William T. Brooks is also the author of The New Science of Selling and Persuasion and How to Sell at Higher Margins Than Your Competitors
• Shows you how to steal market share from bigger vendors with bigger resources
Just because your business can't flood the market with salespeople or contend on economy of scale and purchasing power, that doesn't mean you can't compete. The secret is Playing Bigger Than You Are.
Synopsis
Are You Ready to Sell to the Giants?If you're a small business, it seems inconceivable that a giant corporation might need your help. But it's a fact—the larger a company is, and the farther it extends its reach, the more it needs service and product providers who operate on a local and regional level. Whether you provide a product or a service, whether your business is in its formative stages or has created a strong local presence, you have a knowledge of customers and products that can only be gained from your valuable perspective on the ground.
From the birth of their business more than thirty years ago, the owners of The Brooks Group have lived the reality of building a small training business into a large purveyor of vital sales consultation services. Over that time span, they created the time-tested techniques that William P. G. Brooks and William T. Brooks bring to your doorstep with Playing Bigger Than You Are. This book will show you the benefits of investing your time and marketing efforts into winning larger accounts and give you all the tools you need to ensure your long-term business growth.
About the Author
William T. Brooks (1945 – 2007) was widely regarded as a leading authority on sales and sales management. He was the founder, CEO, and driving force behind The Brooks Group, growing the company over more than thirty years into an internationally recognized sales and sales management training and consulting firm.
William P. G. Brooks has worked with hundreds of companies across dozens of industries to help them improve their sales and sales management training initiatives. He is dedicated to carrying on his father's mission to help salespeople and their managers grow personally and professionally.
Table of Contents
Preface.About the Authors.
1: Selling to Giants Will Transform Your Business.
2: Small Businesses Are Uniquely Qualified to Sell to Giants.
3: Finding Friendly Giants.
4: How Corporations Buy.
5: What's Preventing You From Winning Big?
6: The Mental Side of Selling to the Giants.
7: Positioning Yourself to Sell to the Giants.
8: Learning the Buyer's Language.
9: Developing Your Sales Presentation.
10: Making a Successful Bid.
11: You've Won It, Now Build On It.
Index.