Salesman On Fire Book Review – Part Two

📅 10th September 2021 | 2020/21 Sales Book Reviews

“I have learned to take my ego out of the equation”

ICYMI, here’s Part One from last week.

Read on…..

What’s Better

Mapping out the sales career of a sales hero, real or imaginary (in this case imaginary) is a great way to understand the challenges all of us in the sales profession have to contend with on a regular basis. Road-humps and disappointments are part of the sales persons life. Having a running conflict with some of your superiors just adds to the excitement and I can’t help thinking that the villain in SOF – a woman who relocated from Mexico – was based on a real life character in Carson V. Heady ‘s life. As I alluded to in Part One this particular sub-genre of sales books makes the learning of what one has to achieve more enjoyable.

A stand-out tip halfway through the book was where Vincent Scott explained the story of an important group presentation. Rather than hogging all the limelight as if you’re some big-time Charlie, it’s far, far better if you gave praise top your co-presenters. These are the guys who helped you put the whole kit and caboodle together – they’ll be willing to help you again in the future.

I very much liked a particular paragraph which suggested that one should volunteer for additional duties – that’s the kind of stuff that gets you promoted. Maybe!

What’s Worse

Sometimes it felt like I was reading one of Ian Fleming’s ‘James Bond’ novels what with the mention of Aston Martin’s and out hero living life in the fast lane. Nothing inherently bad about this compared to other passages in the book which had a more murky feel. Somewhere on my bookshelf is a publication which tells one how to “handle difficult bosses”. Vincent Scott seemed to attract many. He outlines how he finessed himself out of certain situations – some which by the sound of it could have resulted in a lost customer and potentially a lost job.

If anything there’s a little too much office politics going on. But if you like intrigue and a bit of corporate back-stabbing you’ll really love Salesman On Fire.

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Tags: career, Learning, sales, work ethic