GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS OF SELLING

Ex-Curtis CEO (The Curtis-Culligan Story, 1970), onetime wheeler-dealer (How To Be a Billion Dollar Persuader, 1979), Culligan does stick with the basics this time 'round. First off, he discusses selling as a career, identifying the personal traits and know-how required to succeed, e.g., the ability to express oneself clearly, to listen with attention, to think logically, to persevere, to be responsive, and to observe with understanding. (Salespeople can secure instructive clues about prospects, he believes, simply by noticing the decor of their offices and the decorum of the staff.) He emphasizes the importance of favorable first impressions (be prepared, dress appropriately, keep up on current events, react positively, exercise restraint); he examines the principles of sales presentations (among other things, ""methods and materials. . . should not overwhelm the information to be communicated or in any way distract the audience""); and, from experience, he offers counsel on coping with rejection, stress and/or nervousness. For the more advanced, there are tips on leadership, monitoring subordinates' performance, peer-group sales systems, and the use of computers in forecasting. At the close, Culligan summarizes his fundamentals in a 47-point set of guidelines, which incorporates such resourceful recommendations as purchasing stock in client companies to obtain disclosure documents. Much information, no gimmicks.