What I Learned On The Way To The Top: A Good Study For Sales Beginners

Greetings All,

A month passes by and another month starts. For Muslims, it has already been a week since we enter the month of Ramadhan, The Holy Month.

Fasting month is full of challenges. It always has been and always will be. Previously, we've talked a bit about three simple strategies to overcome tough challenges in selling. This could be an excellent time to put those strategies to the test. See if they can help you overcome the obstacles coming your way.

If I wanted to, I could relate all the 'planned' mishap that happened to me from the day I joined Pfizer (M) but you know what, I want to make something different (cause I am different), and I want to bring you back to where I actually started as a beginner to sales.

I won't bug you with all the details but all the resources I'm going to list and review, are the ones that I personally use, and help me greatly in my career. My wish for you, my fellow readers, if you're interested in beginning a journey as a Pharma Contender yourself or you want to tilt your career to a more 'successful' side, then may these resources help you to do so...

And more...

So, to kick things off, let me introduce to you my first pick...

*Associating with Amazon is deliberate (update October 27th, 2015: I can't recall exactly when was the last time I associate myself with Amazon but I'm happy to tell Jeff Bezos that I've not associated with it for a very, very long time) because let's face it...I need to 'earn' a living somehow, right? I'm not begging for money, and I'm doing this as a service for my readers. You won't be asking after reading my blog post, "Where's the hell I'm going to get one?" The solution is there already.

Now, when I first bought this book, I was based in Kelantan and attached to Roche (M). The exact word in the book's title that caught my attention was..."Secrets". Closing to me was not my main concern. Uncovering the secrets...Yes!

Why?

There are so many medical reps working with so many companies competing for the market back then. If I sit you down, say in the Medical Department of HUSM (some of you know what I'm talking about here), and make you listen to a handful of them, soon you'll realize that closing IS the same.

...same pitch
...same delivery
...almost the same style (some of us do it in a manner better than another ;)

And I want to be different.

But why, Ziglar?

I don't know...that's the ONLY sales book that caught my attention, and seriously, if you know Malaysians, most of them read slightly more than a page a year which causes the 'rarity' of books collection back then.

Plus in Kota Bharu in the year 1999...2000...how many 'quality' bookstore is there?...

What you should pay attention to?

Your feeling.

I'm not kidding. Ziglar listed so many closing types in there but tune in to your feeling to see which one 'ticks.' Not all closing are created the same.

It also taught me the importance of questioning (which leads to much exciting discovery. I share it with you soon).

And most importantly...creating an 'effective' script.

You see, closing a sale is a lot like movie scenes. The actor and actress rehearsed their script thoroughly and knew them by heart. Coupled with facial expression and body language, it moves the audience to laugh...to cry...etc.

That's the power of script.

If I look back, I believe I've made the right choice with Ziglar's book. Or maybe, I was 'led' to the right decision by the Almighty.

Anyway, I look at it, I believe it was a high starting point.

I know it'll do the same for you if you choose to study it.

That's all for today folks. See you in my next Pharma Contender's resources...