Welcome to the commodity marketplace. No matter what you sell, chances are it is much more like a commodity today. In the 1990s, demand was high, and mid-level managers had a budget. Sales people sold on feature function, and ended up buying vacation homes in the mountains or on the beach. In today's world, it's decision by committee, and nobody cares about features. Your competitors have someone working and focused on the C-Level in your accounts, and unless you can compete - and differentiate - you run the risk of losing market share. (When we mention C-Level in this book, we will generally refer to people with the word Chief in their title - like Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer - as well as other senior level executives such as President, Division President, etc.)

Steak...or...bologna. That's the entree choice given by most of the compensation plans that sales people work under. If you are successful and "hit your numbers" you eat steak. If you don't make quota, you eat bologna. Sales teams need to change their sales strategies, because comparing today's business environment to the one just five years prior is like comparing the latest Corvette to a '65 luxury car with torn seats, fading paint and a faulty fuel pump. Business today is done at Internet speed, and CEOs focus their daily actions like a laser beam towards one thing - satisfying Wall Street. This means a focus on the financial performance of the company. If you are dealing with senior level executives, you'd better be able to align your product to the strategies that the CEO is pursuing.

One way to increase your sales effectiveness is toe use the tools and templates of the Wall Street Selling Methodology. This unique methodology is unlike any other sales training method. It is not filled with "fluff" or "feel goods" that promise results. It is not a repackaging of personality definitions, and it doesn't walk you through a ten or fifteen or twenty point yes/no questions to tell your managers that your deal is qualified. This methodology will transform the way you approach your sales tasks. Listen to what some of its practitioners have said.

Simon Jeacock has run sales teams for high tech software providers like i2 Technologies, and his current company, iTKO. Most sales people don't understand the corporate issues that executives are facing," Says Jeacock. "The Wall Street Selling Methodology will help a sales exec "think outside the box" and get inside the CEO's head to make a deal happen."

While it is easy to see how selling to the C-Level (senior management level) in companies that Jeacock has worked for, the concepts in the Methodology are also applicable to virtually all types of products and services.

Mark has set a goal for Think Like a CEO to drive $100 million in new sales for the readers of the book, and one of the first people to email his sales success was a marketing copywriter, who sold $1,050 worth of advertising. After he read the book in preparation for his marketing copy.

"The techniques in Think Like a CEO were critical for me in closing that sale, which in my business, is a very large sale," said Howard Giske. "This book will be a phenomenal benefit to sales people everywhere. By asking a few pertinent questions, I uncovered my prospects Profit Strategies and then I began to align my product - advertising - to them." So whether you are selling a multimillion dollar product or small paper advertising, this book will drive sales. As Giske says, "While my customers might not be a Boeing, you can bet they are focused on the same results as Boeing's CEO."

Go to www.thinklikeaceo.com to get a copy of Mark Kuta's Think Like a CEO and start closing sales.

About the Author

Robert Baer works for Belvedere Press