Book Review and The Only Objection That Really Exists

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Just read this book by Babe Kilgore-
Non-confrontational Sales: A Modern Sales Guide To Rapidly Improving In-Home Sales.

It focuses on in-home sales and has a chapter or two on telesales as well. I thought it was very good and picked up a couple of tips.

The author talks about what he calls "push" (confrontational) words and "pull" (non-confrontational) words.

The book focuses on pulling the prospect gently in the direction of the close by using verbal, body language, and tonality patterns to maintain a positive non-pushy presence and by adding to their "emotional bank account".

I also liked how he described the only objection that really exists. It's this:
"Based on what you told me and how you have made me feel, I haven't heard enough information or understood enough information, to get me feeling more positively about you and your services, than feeling negatively about them."

I thought it was pretty good and I've never seen it mentioned anywhere. I stumbled across it on Amazon.
#offline marketing #book #exists #objection #review
  • I bought the book because you mentioned it, and because it was on the subject of direct selling.

    I got half way through it and threw it away. I'm not joking. It's the only sales book I ever threw away.

    And then I got to think about it, and thought I was missing something, and went to the trash, took the book out, wiped it off, and finished reading it.

    And then I threw it away again.

    I decided not to leave a review on Amazon, because I have nothing to gain by trashing the author.

    But this book was just a rehash of what is in every single book on selling. It's precisely like the author read ten books on selling, and then just rewrote what he had read. I learned nothing about how the author thought.

    Anyway...there are far better books on selling out there. I can recommend a few if you like. (I mean books besides mine).
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    • LOL you thought it was that bad!? I haven't read as many as you... so maybe that's why I thought it was good. I bought it because of the in-home selling aspect too. One thing I picked up and have used when "I have to talk to the wife" -

      I ask what do you think she'll say?
      They'll respond with, I don't know.
      Then I say, "if you had to guess?"
      Then they tell me their concern. They make it sound like it's hers, but that's a cover up. It's theirs.

      Now that may have been in other books, I just haven't seen it. Or I forgot.

      And yes, please recommend some others!

      added - I'm also glad that you bought the printed version of the book. I'd feel guilty if you cracked the screen on your Kindle during your fit of rage
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  • In other words.. you have not shown me anything verifiable that would justify my vested interest.


    That may be a strong indicator that the works is rehashed and done very bad at that.
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  • Gawrsh, does that bring back memories!

    If memory serves, I think it was Michael Bosworth, in one of his sales books, who suggested you rehearse the prospect to speak with her spouse in a way that overcomes the objection. The prospect isn't aware you're doing this, as it's conversational.
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    • Well now!

      Do you remember how it worked, or which book it was in?
  • A few years ago I went down the YouTube rabbit hole with Jordan Belfort's videos (Wolf of wall street guy).

    I was fully expecting him to give his group secret one-liners to push prospects along.

    As it turns out, most of his content was about vocal tonality and how to harness it. Since then it's worked wonders for me since I can get kinda tone deaf.

    I DID throw out one sales book that I know of. I think it was called "Cold Calling Techniques: That really work!. It was extremely awful

    There's a really good book called Spin Selling that addresses when your contact has to get another decision-maker involved. I didn't know this was a challenge until I saw it in-person and it was horrifying.

    I was consulting with the GM of a local sign store. When he called his father into our meeting, what he was trying to tell his Dad was so different than what I just told him, I was surprised I still walked away with a purchase order.
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    • Belfort's system is a long series of points he makes about selling, mostly over the phone. If you like, you can buy his entire sales system on E-Bay for $10-$25.

      Here's a link;
      https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+line&_sacat=0



      Believe it or not, that's one of my favorite books on Cold Calling. It was written by Stephen Schiffman. And he used the exact techniques in the book to generate thousands of sales appointments for himself.

      I took a few ideas out of the book myself and used them pretty much as is. Everyone as a style, a personality...that certain approaches resonate with. Schiffman's cold calling dialog resonated with my personality, and it didn't with yours. It just means that there are many roads to making a sale.

      I bought the rest of Schiffman's books, and none of them were that good. At least to me.


      Spin Selling is one of the best books ever written on selling, especially to business owners. It gives a complete map for what questions to ask everywhere along the line.

      And Yup...often there is another decision maker you weren't aware of. There is an awful lot to prepare for when selling a decent high ticket offer. It takes decades to learn every facet of selling on your own.
  • Don't claim to be as good of a salesman as Claude or some of the others but I'll say this...

    I sold cars and did pretty good... Was promoted to sales manager where I just closed deals all day. Was back in the 80s and the car business has changed but what worked for me was always just assuming the sale. I would go in and give them a 24, 36 and 48 month payment and just flipped the paper around and ask which one worked. I knew most all of them would want a lower payment so I would simply wait and if they balked tell them I could stretch it to 60 or 72 months. Usually worked.

    When you say in home sales I'm assuming you mean door to door?

    I talked to one of the best door to door salesman a few months ago. He was doing 3 to 5 appointments a day while the rest of the team was usually lucky to get 1.

    Won't say the company he was with, but I asked him how he did it and I thought he had a pretty good script... And would work for most.

    His went like this...

    Let's say it was a pressure washing company... It wasn't but it would work...

    Knock knock

    Hi I'm bob with xyz. Wanted to give you a heads up you'll prob see a couple of our trucks in the neighborhood this week. We're powerwashing some of your neighbors drives and sidewalks. Since we're in the area we can schedule you on Wednesday at 2 or 4. What time works for you?

    I'm paraphrasing off the top of my head... Because I don't remember the exact words... But the point I'm trying to make is this...

    He didn't ask if they were interested or what they thought or anything. It was a simple straight to the point of do you want this or not.

    There weren't any appointments in the area yet but he was selling on social proof.

    Wasn't powerwashing but I'm using that as an example.

    Just my thoughts but I thought it was genius.

    I'm a firm believer that a salesman will sell more when they assume the customer is ready to buy... But, like I said I don't claim to be all knowing on this... Only speaking from my experience light years ago
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    • There's door to door involved with what I'm doing. But it's for lead generation. I'm in the solar industry.

      I bet the guy you talked to was a bug guy! If I was doing power washing, landscaping, window cleaning or pest control I'd give that a shot.

      For solar I want them to actually be interested since I have a presentation to give. I can't assume the sale at the door. I could try assuming the appointment though.
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    • Some offers like window cleaning, lawn care, pest removal, are very easy to explain in a few sentences, and the people who are likely to buy...are already thinking about buying the service anyway.

      Some products, like cookware, vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias (remember those), fire alarms, need to be sold in a presentation that's more involved. And the people don't need to be interested before they talk to you.

      In fact, when I sold in people's homes (by referral, appointment, or just knocking on doors)...I think I had one or two people tell me they were actually interested before I did my presentation. Nearly every presentation started with them saying "Well, you can waste your time if you like. But we talked about it, and there is no way we are going to buy anything".

      So an interest in buying isn't necessary in many industries. Like fire alarms.

      In some industries it's helpful. Like life insurance.

      In some industries an interest is needed before you do any kind of presentation. And in many industries, the customers are looking for you as much as you are looking for them, like in pest control.
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  • That is likely a subprime lender who has contracted with the company you sell for. They will approve anyone they possibly can - but even subprime lenders can't approve everyone.


    Your best bet is to ask a few pre-qualifying questions at the front end of your sales presentation - that allows you to pivot to a short presentation if there are financial issues.
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