The art of selling financial products and services is a challenging process, requiring new skills and continuous learning to thrive in a constantly changing environment. With skeptical, bear-market bruised consumers demanding more for less, a solid, practical guideline is needed for both new and experienced salespeople to follow. 22 Keys to Success for Selling Financial Products and Services is the answer to this need. Each chapter addresses a fundamental issue in selling, representing the best practices of high-producing financial advisers and insurance professionals in the industry. Authors Jim Benson and Paul Karasik draw on their many years of personal experience in selling financial services to help all salespeople improve their skill sets and fundamental abilities. Succinctly and with engaging precision, the 22 precepts zero in on key issues--from qualifying clients to perfecting the sales presentation to overcoming objections--that financial services professionals need to master the art of selling. This handy guide for sales success is filled with powerful strategies, concepts, and principles, yet is easy and fast to read.
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Review
"Jim Benson and Paul Karasik have written an easy-to-read-and-understand, cram-packed guide to proven successful selling techniques. I would categorize this book as a 'must-read' for new sales professionals and a 'you better read' for seasoned sales professionals."
—Albert J. "Bud" Schiff
CEO, NYLEX Benefits
Past President, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)
Past Chairman, International Top of the Table
—Albert J. "Bud" Schiff
CEO, NYLEX Benefits
Past President, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)
Past Chairman, International Top of the Table
"This is one of the best-written sales books I've read. The action steps and skill builders help put words to action. This belongs on the shelf of every sales professional in the financial services business."
—Robert B. Plybon
Plybon & Associates
Past President, Million Dollar Round Table
"22 Keys to Sales Success makes a great educational text for the financial professional. It presents new ideas for the experienced adviser while also reinforcing historical best practices. For the less-experienced adviser, it serves as an effective primer on how to build a successful practice. Don't miss the resources guide in the back of the book--that alone is worth the price of admission!"
—Barry G. Knight
Senior Vice President and Director of Sales Development, Pioneer Investments
"With this book, Jim Benson and Paul Karasik share their expertise on a number of important skills--such as developing client and professional relationships, ascertaining and serving client needs, and formulating, implementing, and adjusting multifaceted plans--in a clear, articulate, and practical way. 22 Keys to Sales Success provides the next generation of producers and leaders the tools they need to be successful in this ever-changing industry."
—David Stertzer
Executive Vice President, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)
About the Author
Jim Benson is president of sales and marketing at John Hancock Financial Services in Boston. He has served in senior positions at GenAmerica Financial, New England Financial, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and the Equitable Life Assurance Society, as well as the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), an industry nonprofit organization.
Paul Karasik is the co-author (along with David Mazzucchelli) of the perennial graphic novel classic "City of Glass", as well as "How to Read Nancy" (with Mark Newgarden). He lives in Martha's Vineyard.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTS. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTS. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Hardcover
Review Summary: 22 Keys to Sales Success has some very fine material in it. The book would have been much improved if it had focused on one type of sales professional in one type of organization looking for one type of client (a new life insurance salesperson in a small agency dealing with owners of small businesses, for example). That would have allowed the material to have been more focused and customized for immediate use. At the same time, some of the material just doesn't fit certain classes of sales professionals. If you are wise enough to ignore what doesn't fit, this book can greatly improve your success.
Review: The authors are clearly well read and have had a lot of experience going to seminars. The many references to the works of others are appropriate and add depth to this otherwise simple book. From that authority, they provide many helpful suggestions that will be essential to newcomers to financial sales and valuable to experienced people who aren't using the advice.
I thought that the advice to Create Your Compelling Vision, Position with Mission, Energize Your Success, Open the Johari Window, Market Yourself as the Expert, Focus on Clients (Not Compensation), Demand Objections, and Be Your Own Sales Manager were superb. I was skeptical about the strong emphasis on continuing efforts to close, scripts and the suggested ways to get referrals. The material in the book seemed inauthentic to me in these areas as a professional, and I graded the book down accordingly.
It seemed like the book was aimed more at those selling insurance products for life and retirement than anything else. So if that's what you sell, this book is probably good for you. If you are a financial planner who looks at all dimensions of planning, this book is probably too sales-oriented to meet your professional standards. If you are an attorney, you will probably find much of what the book says to be appalling in its commercial focus.
One of the ironies of this book is that the authors suggest that you focus in as narrow a niche of services and customers as possible. I wonder why they didn't follow their own advice in writing this book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Narrow Your Focus and Do More of What Works
May 10 2004
By Donald Mitchell
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Review Summary: 22 Keys to Sales Success has some very fine material in it. The book would have been much improved if it had focused on one type of sales professional in one type of organization looking for one type of client (a new life insurance salesperson in a small agency dealing with owners of small businesses, for example). That would have allowed the material to have been more focused and customized for immediate use. At the same time, some of the material just doesn't fit certain classes of sales professionals. If you are wise enough to ignore what doesn't fit, this book can greatly improve your success.
Review: The authors are clearly well read and have had a lot of experience going to seminars. The many references to the works of others are appropriate and add depth to this otherwise simple book. From that authority, they provide many helpful suggestions that will be essential to newcomers to financial sales and valuable to experienced people who aren't using the advice.
I thought that the advice to Create Your Compelling Vision, Position with Mission, Energize Your Success, Open the Johari Window, Market Yourself as the Expert, Focus on Clients (Not Compensation), Demand Objections, and Be Your Own Sales Manager were superb. I was skeptical about the strong emphasis on continuing efforts to close, scripts and the suggested ways to get referrals. The material in the book seemed inauthentic to me in these areas as a professional, and I graded the book down accordingly.
It seemed like the book was aimed more at those selling insurance products for life and retirement than anything else. So if that's what you sell, this book is probably good for you. If you are a financial planner who looks at all dimensions of planning, this book is probably too sales-oriented to meet your professional standards. If you are an attorney, you will probably find much of what the book says to be appalling in its commercial focus.
One of the ironies of this book is that the authors suggest that you focus in as narrow a niche of services and customers as possible. I wonder why they didn't follow their own advice in writing this book.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Basic Review for Financial Planners
July 24 2005
By Vivek Thoppay
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I have been a financial planner for a little over three years and I was reading this book to get some new ideas on growing my practice. Many of the ideas in this book I have read elsewhere. They just reinforced them in me, which is always good. I liked the Johari window idea in which you let everyone and remind everyone you meet what you do. I know sometimes I forgot exactly what some of my friends do. In the financial planning industry, I feel it is important to let everyone know all the things you can do and perhaps ask them to let their friends know about your services. Of course, don't push it - just give them a gentle reminder by weaving into the conversation every now and then.
This book would have been better if they had included more real life experiences from the people they have mentored. Hearing directly from them in their own words how they used each of these 22 keys would have made them more powerful.
In summary, this book is for someone who wants to reinforce the principles of sales success in the financial and insurance industry. For others who want new ideas they want to utilize in their practice, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
This book would have been better if they had included more real life experiences from the people they have mentored. Hearing directly from them in their own words how they used each of these 22 keys would have made them more powerful.
In summary, this book is for someone who wants to reinforce the principles of sales success in the financial and insurance industry. For others who want new ideas they want to utilize in their practice, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An incredible value for your money
Aug 31 2004
By Robert W. Bly
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Books that give genuinely new ideas -- or utterly practical tips -- on sales are worth their weight in gold. This one does both. The instructions on how to create your own One-Minute Positioning statement alone are worth 10 times the price of the book -- it is absolutely the best technique around for explaining to people in a brief statement what you do and why they should be interested.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business & Investing > Finance > Banks & Banking
- Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Insurance
- Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Marketing
- Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Sales & Selling
- Books > Business & Investing > Popular Economics
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance > Banking
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance > Economics
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance > Finance
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance > Marketing
- Books > New & Used Textbooks > Business & Finance > Sales
- Books > Professional & Technical > Accounting & Finance > Finance
- Books > Professional & Technical > Accounting & Finance > Industries & Professions > Banks & Banking
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Marketing & Sales > Marketing
- Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Marketing & Sales > Sales & Selling
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
