Chapter 1
The Ultimate Sales Playbook: How Top Performers Think and Act
The Best Damn Sales Book Ever isn't just another addition to the crowded shelf of sales literature-it's a manifesto for those who want to excel in what Warren Greshes calls "the best job there is." Since its publication, this no-nonsense guide has become required reading in sales departments across industries, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. What makes it stand out? Unlike most sales books that focus exclusively on techniques and tactics, Greshes dives deep into the psychology of sales success. Celebrities like Grant Cardone and Gary Vaynerchuk have cited it as influential in their own approaches to business, and its principles have been incorporated into training programs at companies like Salesforce and HubSpot. The book's enduring popularity speaks to a fundamental truth: in sales, mindset matters more than method.
Chapter 2
The Attitude Advantage: Why Clients Buy You First
What are clients actually buying when they decide to do business with you? Before they ever consider your product or service, they're buying your attitude and commitment. People naturally gravitate toward positive individuals and distance themselves from negative ones. Everyone wants to associate with winners and avoid losers.
This principle is so fundamental that when hiring salespeople, smart managers prioritize attitude over skills every time. Someone with a great attitude but limited skills will acquire those skills, while someone with great skills but a poor attitude won't use them effectively.
Consider the story of Wayne Thorpe. Despite growing up in challenging circumstances, his positive attitude caught an executive's attention, who encouraged him to attend college. Today, Thorpe owns multiple successful businesses in Durham, North Carolina. His company earned $50,000 of Greshes' business over eight years simply because, when Greshes called several car services with questions, Thorpe's was the only one with a helpful attitude.
Similarly, Brenda Romano rose from secretary to president of Interscope Records without a college degree by consistently doing more than required with a "No problem" attitude. And bank manager Deborah Lee won a major corporate account simply by lending a Blue Book to a customer without questions-beating competition through basic courtesy.
The lesson? Most salespeople are so mediocre that even small extra efforts can dramatically outshine competitors. This is the first rock-solid rule for achieving sales success: because of their great attitudes, successful salespeople always do more than they're supposed to do.
Think about your own experiences as a customer. When was the last time someone in sales truly impressed you with their attitude? Chances are it's been a while. That's your opportunity-to stand out simply by bringing enthusiasm, positivity, and a willingness to go beyond the minimum to every client interaction.
Chapter 3
The Vision Factor: Seeing Success Before It Happens
Successful salespeople create visions-not just for themselves but for their clients. They see themselves succeeding before they actually succeed. While excuse makers blame circumstances for their failures, visionaries focus on possibilities regardless of conditions.
The ability to visualize success is what separates top performers from those who constantly prejudge situations and create reasons why things won't work. Successful salespeople don't let industry myths like "you can't do business in December" limit their potential-they see opportunity where others see obstacles.
This is the second rock-solid rule for achieving sales success: successful salespeople see themselves successful. They create visions for their lives, careers, and for their clients. If you can't envision yourself succeeding, you can't expect to succeed in reality. Your ability to create and communicate visions for clients depends on first being able to create a vision for yourself.
The third rock-solid rule follows naturally: successful salespeople don't prejudge, don't assume, and don't minimize themselves, their prospects, or their clients. They approach every opportunity with an open mind rather than deciding in advance why someone won't buy.
The story of Peter Rosengaard exemplifies this principle. He persistently pursued Sid Scheinberg of MCA, eventually selling him a $100 million life insurance policy to protect their investment in Geffen Records. While average salespeople focus on not failing and make excuses, Peter built relationships (even with secretaries and concierges), seized his window of opportunity, and confidently proposed a large policy amount without fear. He succeeded by seeing himself successful throughout the entire process.
Have you ever talked yourself out of an opportunity before even trying? That's the opposite of what top performers do. They maintain what psychologists call "positive expectancy"-the belief that good outcomes are not just possible but probable. This mindset creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that influences everything from body language to persistence.
Chapter 4
The Power of Written Goals: Your Roadmap to Success
True motivation must come from within-no external force can truly motivate you. Most salespeople lack self-motivation because they have no clear goals or plans for their lives, careers, or businesses. Without knowing what you want, there's no motivation to pursue it.
This is the fourth rock-solid rule: successful salespeople are goal oriented. They have written specific goals and plans for their lives, careers, and businesses. The emphasis on "written" is critical-goals kept only in your head remain vague wishes rather than concrete targets.
The fifth rock-solid rule builds on this: successful salespeople are self-motivated. They have clearly defined focus, direction, and purpose for their lives and careers. They know exactly what they want to achieve, when they'll achieve it, and the specific steps needed to get there. This keeps them on track and makes it nearly impossible for others to derail them, unlike average salespeople who can easily be knocked off course.
What makes a written goal effective? Three critical components:
First, specificity. Vague goals like "make more money" or "get a better job" are meaningless. What does "more" actually mean? A nickel is more, but that's not what you want. Most people speak in code words: a lot, more, better, nicer. But "a lot" means different things to different people. The key is knowing precisely what your "a lot" is so you can formulate a plan to get it.
Money itself isn't a motivator-it's a vehicle that allows you to live your desired lifestyle. When you can answer "How do I want my life to look?", you'll know exactly how much money you need. That's being specific.
Second, time frames. A goal is a dream with a deadline. When writing down what you want to accomplish, include the year you intend to achieve it by. Without deadlines, there's no motivation to start. Too many salespeople use vague timeframes like "eventually" or "sometime"-but "sometime" often means "never."
Third, place no limits on your ability to achieve. Don't set "realistic" goals-that's just code for "low." Setting low goals ensures you won't fail, but what are we trying to do here, succeed or "not fail"? Any goal is realistic if you're willing to do what it takes to achieve it.
Your biggest roadblocks will come from colleagues who don't want you to be more successful than they are. The bottom 10% of salespeople will try to bring you down rather than rise up. Instead, spend time with top performers who are busy being successful-you'll learn more in five minutes with them than five years with underperformers.
Chapter 5
Creating Your Action Plan: The Roadmap to Results
Having goals without an action plan is like having a destination without a road map-you're directionless. By writing down your goals, you've done more than 95% of your competition ever will, but it's not enough. You need a plan that outlines the specific steps to reach your destination within your timeframe.
Everyone who's ever been successful has had a plan, whether it's a general with a battle plan or a football coach with a game plan. The U.S. Small Business Administration cites lack of a written business plan as the single biggest reason small businesses fail. Yet amazingly, many salespeople acknowledge the importance of planning but never bother to create one for their life, career, or business.
Most successful salespeople create their own sales plans rather than receiving them from management. When you create your own plan, it's based on what you want to accomplish and the lifestyle you desire for yourself and your family. The problem with management-provided plans is they're based on what someone else wants. Interestingly, when salespeople set their own goals, they typically aim higher than what management would have assigned them.
The activity plan is far more critical than the sales plan, yet few salespeople bother to create one-except the successful ones. It's essential for three reasons: First, the biggest problem sales executives cite with their teams is insufficient prospecting. Second, it's the only way to handle rejection effectively-by knowing exactly how many "no's" you need to get to a "yes." Third, consistent daily activity inevitably generates sales.
A good activity plan tracks six key metrics: dials made, decision-makers reached, appointments set, presentations made, sales closed, and money earned per sale. By tracking these numbers daily and analyzing the averages quarterly, you'll know precisely how much activity you need each day to reach your income goals.
A calling plan is essentially a script. Many salespeople resist scripts, claiming they sound phony or canned. But consider professional actors-they use scripts yet sound completely natural because they practice relentlessly. Professionals in every field practice daily, whether they're athletes, musicians, surgeons, or accountants.
The key difference between amateur and professional salespeople is that professionals prepare thoroughly and practice their presentations until they sound natural and authentic. Without practice, you can't listen effectively to your prospects because you're too busy thinking about what to say next. Smart salespeople prepare for common objections in advance, giving them confidence and the ability to respond naturally.
Chapter 6
The Three Keys to an Effective Plan
Before developing action plans, choose just three goals to start working on immediately. This approach makes change less intimidating and helps expand your comfort zone gradually. Small, consistent changes yield significant results over time.
An effective plan is expressed in continuous action. Break your goals into frequent, manageable actions-preferably daily ones. Use the "a little bit a lot, not a lot a little bit" approach. For example, losing 30 pounds becomes more manageable as 2.5 pounds per month. Similarly in sales, don't focus on the large annual income goal; break it down to specific activities.
A $100,000 income might require 100 sales at $1,000 commission each-just 2 sales weekly. With a 1:3 closing ratio and 75% appointment show rate, you'd need only 8 appointment setups weekly to reach your goal. Don't sabotage yourself by calling to "confirm" appointments-this gives prospects permission to cancel. Instead, just show up, and use any no-shows as opportunities to reschedule with the power of guilt working in your favor.
An effective plan is broken down into accomplishable steps. Make your first steps so easy you have no excuse not to take them. The toughest part of any journey is the first step, so why make it difficult? Start with small, achievable actions that build momentum and confidence.
For example, if you need to make 24 calls daily but currently make only 4, don't jump to 24 overnight. Instead, increase by just one call per day each month. Going from 4 to 5 calls daily increases your activity by 25%, which could increase sales by the same percentage. This gradual approach develops sustainable habits without overwhelming yourself.
Successful salespeople see and talk to more people than anyone else-they're willing to get more rejections. As one rookie Salesperson of the Year simply put it: "My manager told me not to come back every day until I saw 30 people and that's what I did."
An effective plan gives you the ability to measure your progress every step of the way. You need measurable milestones to recognize your progress. Without them, you'll likely get frustrated and give up, even when you're on track.
Consider a 5-year goal: after three months, you might be 5% closer-exactly on schedule-but without measurement, you'd never know it. You'd feel stuck on square one and eventually quit.
Compare two salespeople with identical annual goals of 144 sales. Salesperson A breaks this down to 12 sales monthly, giving her clear benchmarks. When she hits 12 sales in January, she feels successful and motivated. Meanwhile, Salesperson B with no plan sees his 12 January sales and thinks, "132 to go!" By April, he's complaining the goal isn't realistic. He becomes a "great fourth-quarter salesperson"-someone who sleepwalked through the first three quarters.
Chapter 7
Taking Immediate Action: The 24-Hour Rule
Everyone has good ideas, but successful people take action on them. If you don't act within 24 hours of having a good idea, it's likely dead. You don't need to complete everything in that timeframe, but taking at least one action step maintains momentum and excitement. The longer you wait, the less enthusiastic you become, and the more likely you'll talk yourself out of it.
Innovation isn't just invention-it's inventiveness put to use. Bill Gates didn't invent BASIC or DOS but acted on others' inventions. British inventions like radar and penicillin became American-driven industries through innovative action.
To make your action plan work, follow these seven steps:
1) Make copies of your goals and action plans
2) Post them where you'll see them daily
3) Tell everyone about your goals-help can come from unexpected places
4) Review your plan quarterly to ensure goals remain relevant
5) Adjust deadlines if needed-they're not set in stone
6) Set new goals when you achieve your current ones
7) Actually use your plan-don't just file it away
As Tommy Lasorda said, there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen (top 10% of salespeople), those who watch things happen (middle 80%), and those who wonder what happened (bottom 10%).
What separates these groups isn't intelligence or talent-it's action. The most successful salespeople aren't necessarily the smartest or most naturally gifted. They're the ones who consistently take action while others procrastinate. They understand that imperfect action beats perfect planning every time.
Chapter 8
The Persistence Principle: Why People Don't Really Fail
Persistence is the final, crucial step in the goal-setting process-the quality that separates the exceptional 3% from everyone else. As Calvin Coolidge noted, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." Talent, genius, and education all fall short without it.
The fundamental truth is that people don't fail; they simply stop trying. By continuing to show up day after day, you constantly create opportunities for success. Successful salespeople understand that when a client says no today, it only means no today-not forever.
There could be numerous reasons for rejection: a bad day, unset budgets, recent purchase from a competitor, or satisfaction with current suppliers. None of these should stop you from following up appropriately. Even when prospects have existing relationships with competitors, that's actually positive-it means they're qualified buyers who value your type of service.
The key is persistence without pestering, maintaining contact without becoming annoying. As Bill Brooks says, "The key to selling is to be in front of the prospect when they're ready to buy," which means maintaining visibility through consistent follow-up.
Effective follow-up keeps your name in front of prospects and clients in beneficial, non-threatening ways while giving you legitimate reasons to call. Three powerful follow-up methods include: newsletters (consistent, information-rich communications that help clients succeed rather than merely advertising your products); sharing relevant newspaper and magazine articles with a personal note; and hosting seminars that provide valuable content rather than sales pitches. The goal is creating value while maintaining visibility.
Success in sales is a marathon, not a sprint-anyone can finish a sprint, but not everyone has what it takes to persist for 26 miles. Most competitors drop out before the race ends because they don't understand that success requires ongoing commitment.
Being number one means having a target on your back, with everyone gunning for you. The challenge is avoiding complacency and continuously pushing forward, so when competitors reach where you were, you've already moved ahead.
Chapter 9
The Home Front: Your First and Most Important Sale
In today's rapidly changing world with dual-income households, entrepreneurial growth, and increased job mobility, it's more important than ever for couples to share goals and support each other completely. Partners must have short and long-term goals, share them openly, and secure each other's total backing. Without this foundation, relationships strain and falter.
Home must be a safe haven where rejection and negativity don't exist, especially for those in sales or starting businesses who face daily rejection. When Greshes struggled in his early business years, his wife Linda would encourage him by saying, "Just think about all the great stories you're going to be able to tell someday." Such inspiration is crucial for anyone facing major life transitions like starting a business, changing careers, relocating, or deciding whether to work or stay home with children.
This principle extends beyond just romantic partnerships. Your closest circle of friends and family must support your vision and goals. Jim Rohn famously said we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If those five people are constantly negative about your sales career or business aspirations, their attitudes will inevitably affect your performance.
The most successful salespeople build support systems that nurture their ambitions rather than undermining them. They recognize that success is rarely a solo achievement-it requires allies who believe in you, especially during challenging times.
Chapter 10
Beyond Products: What You Really Sell
When asked about their biggest marketplace challenges, executives consistently mention two issues: differentiating from competition and creating value beyond price. Successful salespeople understand what they really sell because they understand who their customers are and what they truly want.
Today's business world is more competitive than ever due to globalization, technology advances, the internet, and free trade. Countries like China, India, South Korea and companies like Microsoft, Dell, and Walmart that were insignificant 30 years ago are now market giants. This rapid change offers two key lessons: you never know where your next major competitor will emerge from, and no company is too big to fail.
Consider Walmart, which began as Sam Walton's stores in small towns ignored by other retailers. Thirty years ago, Sears wouldn't have considered Walmart competition, but now the situation is reversed. Similarly, General Motors, once so dominant that "what's good for GM is good for USA," has seen its market share drop from 48% to half that amount through complacency, poor leadership, and missed innovation opportunities.
In today's competitive world, there's no margin for error. The age of doing business by accident is over-clients have too many choices. Successful salespeople find out what clients truly need rather than just selling what they want. They create value by being honest, knowledgeable, and making it easy to do business with them. Like Jane Sturdivant at BB&T bank who made opening accounts simple and anticipated future needs, top performers always do more than they're supposed to do, going beyond the minimum effort that most salespeople provide.
Chapter 11
Value Creation: The Antidote to Price Competition
In today's business landscape, the middle market is dead. Companies must be either the cheapest or the best to succeed. The days when you could sell "pretty good" products at "pretty good" prices are gone, as consumers can now get "pretty good" at dirt cheap prices or "fantastic" for just a little more.
Even among discount retailers, value matters beyond just price. While Walmart, Target and Kohl's thrive, Kmart struggled despite similar merchandise and prices. The difference? Well-lit, well-stocked stores versus dingy appearances and empty shelves. With time being precious, customers won't shop where they can't find what they need.
When you sell on price, you make yourself instantly replaceable. It's far easier to find a salesperson willing to cut prices than one who serves as a genuine expert, adviser, and resource. If you're constantly delivering extraordinary quality, service, convenience, and value-if you save clients time, make their lives easier, and help them improve at what they do through your knowledge and expertise-you become irreplaceable.
Price sellers, by contrast, are easily replaced because someone will always come along willing to cut prices further. Some companies will even sell at a loss just to steal business. As the CEO of American Tire Distributors noted to independent tire dealers competing against Walmart and Sears, price-cutting is a death sentence. Yet many successful dealers have customers who simply walk in, throw their keys on the counter, and walk out-the ultimate sign of trust and value that transcends price.
Think about it: when was the last time you chose the absolute cheapest option for something important to you? Most likely, you balanced price against other factors like quality, convenience, expertise, and reliability. Your customers are no different-they want value, not just low prices.
Chapter 12
Understanding Today's Time-Starved Customer
The biggest demographic change in American society over the past 30 years-women in the workplace-has completely transformed what customers value. With 84% of two-parent households now having two incomes and women owning 38% of American businesses, time has become scarcer than money.
People no longer shop like they used to; they're stressed at work and home, with overlapping responsibilities. The most successful salespeople understand that speed and ease are the two greatest benefits you can deliver to today's clients.
Whether it's restaurants outperforming supermarkets, the popularity of prepared meals, or gas stations promoting "pump, pay, and go," customers want hassle-free experiences that save them time. Companies like Reliable succeed by handling orders promptly, shipping quickly, and resolving problems without excuses.
In today's world of working parents juggling careers, children, and even elderly parents, salespeople must focus on taking the fear, stress, and anxiety out of the buying process. This means becoming an expert in your field so clients don't have to be, anticipating needs before they arise, and creating systems that make doing business with you effortless.
The question to constantly ask yourself is: "How can I make this easier for my customer?" Every step you eliminate from their process, every minute you save them, and every worry you remove becomes part of your value proposition-something no discount competitor can easily match.
Chapter 13
Becoming Indispensable: The Expert-Adviser-Resource Model
In today's information-saturated world, your value as a salesperson lies in being an expert, adviser, and resource to your clients. They don't have time to become experts in your field-that's your job. By consistently providing knowledge, expertise, information, and education, you differentiate yourself from competition and make yourself indispensable.
The most successful salespeople go beyond selling products-they help clients solve problems. Cable TV ad salespeople who succeed don't just sell commercials; they act as marketing consultants for small businesses. Pharmaceutical reps who get more face time with doctors bring valuable research information that saves physicians reading time.
The Internet is eliminating unskilled salespeople just as automation transformed manufacturing in the 1980s. To survive, you must be better than a computer-organizing information and delivering it in ways clients can quickly understand and implement. Face-to-face sales isn't dying, but mediocre salespeople are. Clients still want personal relationships with experts who serve as single points of contact for all their needs.
A critical distinction to understand is the difference between a sale and a client. A sale is merely a one-shot deal, while a client buys repeatedly and makes recommendations to others. True clients give you business proportionate to their ability to buy. For example, a small company spending 75% of their $20,000 travel budget with you is a genuine client, while a massive corporation giving you just $100,000 of their $10 million budget (1%) is merely throwing you a "pity order." Don't be fooled by "potential" unless there's a better than 50% chance of capturing significantly more business.
The expert-adviser-resource model transforms your role from vendor to partner. When clients see you this way, price becomes secondary to the value you provide, and your relationships become far more resistant to competitive pressures.
Chapter 14
The Passion Principle: Love What You Do
The single most important lesson from successful people is that they absolutely love what they do. This is the sixteenth rock-solid rule for achieving sales success. Successful salespeople believe their products and services genuinely help people, and they consider it their obligation to ensure clients buy from them rather than settling for second-best elsewhere.
If you don't love what you do, you'll never invest the time, energy, and commitment required for greatness. This passion is especially crucial during the lean early years of a new sales career or business. The worst reason to enter sales is purely for money.
Loving what you do sustains you through hard times when no money is coming in. To be truly great at something, you must do it constantly, day after day-which is impossible if you don't enjoy it. Passion is far more important than experience in sales, as clients get excited and inspired by salespeople with genuine enthusiasm for their products.
Consider Mrs. Fields, who started by simply giving away her cookies in mall concourses because she knew once people tasted them, they'd want more. Or Greshes' own speaking career, which began with a willingness to speak anywhere, anytime, even for free-because he believed in his message. When clients believe you truly love what you do, they're more likely to listen, believe you, and ultimately buy from you.
The ultimate test: If a genie offered you one wish to do anything with your life, would you say, "Get back in that lamp, because I'm already doing it!"
Your enthusiasm for what you sell is contagious. It creates an emotional connection with prospects that logical arguments alone cannot achieve. When you genuinely believe in your product or service, that conviction shines through in every interaction, making you not just a salesperson but an advocate for something you believe makes people's lives better.
