What the Customer Wants You to Know: How Everybody Needs to Think Differently About Sales - Hardcover

Charan, Ram

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 067008185X ISBN 13: 9780670081851

Publisher: Penguin Books India, 2008

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of "What the CEO Wants You to Know"?how to rethink sales from the outside in ?We have to face the truth: "the process of selling is broken." Customers have more choices and are under intense pressure. Yet few companies are facing this reality. When they don?t, a lingering malaise sets in.? More than ever these days, the sales process tends to be a war about price?a frustrating, unpleasant war that takes all the fun out of selling. But there's a better way to think about sales, says bestselling author Ram Charan, who is famous for clarifying and simplifying difficult business problems. What the customer wants you to know is how his or her business works, so you can help make it work better. It sounds simple, but there's a catch: you won?t be able to do that with your traditional sales approach. Instead of starting with your product or service, start with your customer's problems. Focus on becoming your customer's trusted partner, someone he can turn to for creative, cost-effective solutions that are based on your deep knowledge of his values, goals, problems, and customers. This book defines a new approach to selling?which Charan calls value creation selling?that while radical is nonetheless practical. VCS has been battle-tested in companies in a variety of industries, such as Unifi, Mead-Westvaco, and Thomson Financial. It will enable you to: ? Gain a deeper knowledge of your customer's problems ? Understand how your customer's company really makes decisions ? Help your customer improve margins and drive revenue growth ? Connect sales with other key functions such as finance and manufacturing ? Come up with new customized offerings ? Make price much less of an issue VCS gets you out of the hell of commoditization and low prices. It differentiates you from the competition, paving the way to better pricing, better margins, and higher revenue growth, built on win-win relationships that deepen over time. Someday, every company wi

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Review:

?Ram Charan's done it again! In his signature, easy-to-follow style, Ram describes a practical, down-to-earth yet radically new approach to sales and new business development. Any professional?from a CEO to a front-line sales person?who is looking to improve sales effectiveness is sure to find this book well worth reading.? ?Francisco D?Souza, president and CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation ?"What the Customer Wants You to Know" is an excellent primer for any business looking to drive better sales results and profitable growth by focusing on what the customer needs to improve his or her business.? ?John A. Luke, CEO, MeadWestvaco ?"What the Customer Wants You to Know" challenges sales forces to revolutionize their methods?and our experience at The Thomson Corporation testifies to the fact that the payoff in increased sales and customer loyalty can be significant. His recommendations may sound radical, but they are practical and effective.? aRam Charanas done it again! In his signature, easy-to-follow style, Ram describes a practical, down-to-earth yet radically new approach to sales and new business development. Any professionalafrom a CEO to a front-line sales personawho is looking to improve sales effectiveness is sure to find this book well worth reading.a aFrancisco DaSouza, president and CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation a"What the Customer Wants You to Know" is an excellent primer for any business looking to drive better sales results and profitable growth by focusing on what the customer needs to improve his or her business.a aJohn A. Luke, CEO, MeadWestvaco a"What the Customer Wants You to Know" challenges sales forces to revolutionize their methodsaand our experience at The Thomson Corporation testifies to the fact that the payoff in increased sales and customer loyalty can be significant. His recommendations may sound radical, but they are practical and effective.a aDick Harrington, president and CEO, The Thomson Corporation a"What the Customer Wants You to Know" offers a revolutionary approach to customers and sales. Ram Charan provides readers a detailed road map of the coming organization in which creating value for customers becomes everyoneas primary goal. It is must reading for every manager and salesperson.a aMurray Martin, CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc. aFor the winners in todayas complex business environment, the days of simply selling products and services are over. I recommend "What the Customer Wants You to Know" for anyone trying to understand the shifting sands of todayas competitive environment.a aBill Teuber, vice chairman, EMC "Ram Charan's done it again! In his signature, easy-to-follow style, Ram describes a practical, down-to-earth yet radically new approach to sales and new business development. Any professional-from a CEO to a front-line sales person-who is looking to improve sales effectiveness is sure to find this book well worth reading." -Francisco D'Souza, president and CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation ""What the Customer Wants You to Know" is an excellent primer for any business looking to drive better sales results and profitable growth by focusing on what the customer needs to improve his or her business." -John A. Luke, CEO, MeadWestvaco ""What the Customer Wants You to Know" challenges sales forces to revolutionize their methods-and our experience at The Thomson Corporation testifies to the fact that the payoff in increased sales and customer loyalty can be significant. His recommendations may sound radical, but they are practical and effective." -Dick Harrington, president and CEO, The Thomson Corporation ""What the Customer Wants You to Know" offers a revolutionary approach to customers and sales. Ram Charan provides readers a detailed road map of the coming organization in which creating value for customers becomes everyone's primary goal. It is must reading for every manager and salesperson." -Murray Martin, CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc. "For the winners in today's complex business environment, the days of simply selling products and services are over. I recommend "What the Customer Wants You to Know" for anyone trying to understand the shifting sands of today's competitive environment." -Bill Teuber, vice chairman, EMC Ram Charans done it again! In his signature, easy-to-follow style, Ram describes a practical, down-to-earth yet radically new approach to sales and new business development. Any professionalfrom a CEO to a front-line sales personwho is looking to improve sales effectiveness is sure to find this book well worth reading. Francisco DSouza, president and CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation "What the Customer Wants You to Know" is an excellent primer for any business looking to drive better sales results and profitable growth by focusing on what the customer needs to improve his or her business. John A. Luke, CEO, MeadWestvaco "What the Customer Wants You to Know" challenges sales forces to revolutionize their methodsand our experience at The Thomson Corporation testifies to the fact that the payoff in increased sales and customer loyalty can be significant. His recommendations may sound radical, but they are practical and effective. Dick Harrington, president and CEO, The Thomson Corporation "What the Customer Wants You to Know" offers a revolutionary approach to customers and sales. Ram Charan provides readers a detailed road map of the coming organization in which creating value for customers becomes everyones primary goal. It is must reading for every manager and salesperson. Murray Martin, CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc. For the winners in todays complex business environment, the days of simply selling products and services are over. I recommend "What the Customer Wants You to Know" for anyone trying to understand the shifting sands of todays competitive environment. Bill Teuber, vice chairman, EMC

From the Back Cover:

'An excellent primer for any business looking to drive better sales results and profitable growth' John A Luke, CEO, Meadwestvaco

Top business guru Ram Charan explains why the process of selling is broken - and then how it can be fixed

These days customers want more than great products at great prices: they want you to know how their business works, so that you can make it work better. It is time for companies to re-think their selling processes, and adopt a new, radical but practical approach that produces stronger customer relationships to gain long term rewards. Called Value Creation Selling, it will enable you to:

· Gain a deeper knowledge of your customer's business
· Use this knowledge to improve your customer's margins
· Show how your product and expertise is the winning combination

Some day, every company will listen more closely to the customer. In the meantime, this book will show you how to get ahead of the competition.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books India
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 067008185X
• ISBN 13: 9780670081851
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192