Ever Been To Svalbard?

📅 23rd July 2020 | 2020 Sales Books Reviews

There Is No F In Sales by Simon Leslie is a bit of tongue-in-cheek, self referential, witty look at sales, salespeople and how to (or how not to) incentivize them. His firm Ink Global have had amazing growth over the last twenty years or so – much of it down to Simon’s particular leadership style.

COVID-19 would have hit Simon’s business very hard indeed. I look forward to see hearing how well he’s recovered and moves forward…..

There Is No F In Sales

The Good

Well for a start this book is a quick read and a must if you’re a salesperson in need of a confidence boost. All of us at times suffer from periods of self-doubt and anxiety – this publication will help you put things into perspective.

Simon Leslie takes the long term view which is refreshing and antithetical to the “month-end madness” I had to endure for year after year. His sales commission and reward structure seems to give his business some balance – as a result he has been rewarded with loyalty, hard work and profit. A dream for any sales leader – yet finding decent, loyal work colleagues is tough as the writer attests.

I particularly like a phrase at the beginning of the book. “when I stopped making excuses, I discovered the results”. This is extended later by “the things you dislike are the things that gets you results”. Reminds me of a chap called Jim Casey who was in my sales team in the 1980’s at Canon (UK). Jim was of average ability and yet he would win ‘salesman of the month’ and other incentives because he was a grafter. He would always put in a shift and he seemed to be on the phone morning, noon and night. We all know that to be successful, salespeople in any field of commerce have to combat ‘activity inertia’ and get on with the job.

Other Good Points

“Take Massive Action”
” It doesn’t matter how good you are, it’s how good you can be that matters”
Write down goals. (e.g. I want to go to Svalbard or Dubai or Rio on an incentive trip)
Take 11 days out to think about your future
Amazed that the author had the foresight to title one of his thirty-three chapters “The New Normal”. (The book was published in 2019)

The Bad

The phrase “never darken on our doorstep” is quoted more than twice. I’m sure there’s another idiomatic phrase that the writer could have used. Repetition in a book of relatively few words ought to be avoided.

Simon highlights the downside of social media and modern technology. It can be a real time killer. As we get older, we have less time to do things which help us reach our goals. The writer is bang on when he suggests that time spent on the phone needs to be minimized. Back in the 1990’s, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Norman Lamont, once called mobile phones “the scourge of modern society”. Was he wrong? The same can apply to social media. How much time do you waste in sending out hopeful e-mails?

The Ugly

Every day one sees articles about employee engagement, mindset; mental health in the workplace, diversity; inclusiveness. Simon and his colleague, Michael Keating may have figured out a way to engage their salespeople and other staff long before it became fashionable to do so. A happy workforce is a productive and profitable sales force – it stands to reason. Reading through ‘No F’, one gets the impression that Simon is more than just a hands-on leader. He genuinely cares about his staff, customers and his sales people in particular. Hardly any surprise they’ve gone from an office over a shop in Battersea to a multi-million pound operation at slightly larger premises!

We all have to do the grind and put up with situations and people we’d prefer not to get involved with. That’s life. Simon ‘lessens the blow’ by offering us some fatherly advice. Firstly, say ‘thank you’ a lot. Secondly, appreciate every day. And lastly, when you in front of customers or potential customers, offer them something of value. They may not buy from you immediately – but they just might one day. Play the long game.

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This was a fun book to read. Each chapter has an action point not all of them limited to your business. The book is quite inexpensive at £10.00 with proceeds going to charity. Get yourself a copy today.

Tags: diversity, work ethic