“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”  – Pablo Picasso

A few years out of college I made a BIG career change.

I made the leap from accounting to sales overnight.

I went from spreadsheets and a windowless cubicle, to trying to convince car dealers and and shady mortgage lenders to buy radio ads.

It was like going from the library to a crowded party.

Brave new world…

My biggest obstacle, besides cold calling and daily rejection, was that I had no idea how to sell anything.

They did not teach “How to Close the Sale” in Tax Accounting class.

Professional sales is a combination of:

• Art.
• Science.
• Tenacity.

There are tactics, routines, and strategies that separate the AVERAGE from the ELITE.

Anthony Iannarino writes,”Every salesperson needs the right MINDSET, a refined SKILLSET, and an effective TOOLKIT.”

An early mentor of mine said, “You need to become a student again.”

He told me everything I needed to learn was already out there.

“Don’t make basic mistakes.  Learn from the successful people who came before you. Read the great books that define the industry.”

That day I decided to steal ideas from the best minds on the planet.

It’s an ongoing theft that continues to this day.

Below are 3 books that will raise your game to another level.

3 Books to Elevate Your Mindset, Skillset & Toolkit:

Mindset

Meditations (By Marcus Aurelius):

This book is like no other.  It’s the personal diary of one the most powerful men who ever lived.  Aurelius wrote this to remind himself to stay humble, disciplined, & have strong ethics while the world treated him like a god.  This is one of the rare books that make you a better person after reading it.

Skillset

The Little Red Book of Selling (By Jeffrey Gitomer):

Gitomer is the best sales trainer on the planet.  Gitomer writes how VALUE, CREATIVITY, REDUCING RISK, and RELATIONSHIPS affect the customer’s buying process. This book is loaded with actionable ideas you can use the moment you read them. Get the audio book read by the author.  I learn something new each time I listen.

Toolkit

Power Questions (By Andrew Sobel):

Great questions are the ultimate sales tool.  Sobel provides 300+ questions that can stop a customer in their tracks.  There is no book I refer to more before a big meeting. This book will take your ability to create meaning dialogue to another level.

Tony Robbins says, “Books can compress decades into days.”

Sales, like life, is an art form.

Steal from the greatest minds.

Create your own masterpiece.

#StealLikeAnArtist

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.net