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Michael T. Bosworth
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Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets Hardcover – September 22, 1994

by Michael T. Bosworth (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 145 ratings
See all formats and editions
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``Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.''Jeffrey M. Fisher, Vice President, Symix Computer Systems.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McGraw Hill
  4. Publication date
    September 22, 1994
  5. Dimensions
    7.8 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0786303158
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0786303151
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Solution Selling is an excellent vehicle to teach new salespeople critical sales skills and allow experienced salespeople to fine tune their skills. Solution Selling is the best methodology I've seen for placing emphasis on business issues rather than product.''--Gorshi, Dan "Sales Manager, AT&T Global Business Communications Systems "

Solution Selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. Mike Bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate America.''--Fisher, Jeffrey M. "Vice President, Symix Computer Systems "

From the Back Cover

When products or services are hard to describe, intangible, have long sell cycles, or are expensive, chances are they're difficult to sell. In situations like this, conventional sales techniques not only don't help, they may in fact hinder success. Solution Selling is a process to take the guesswork out of difficult-to-sell, intangible products and services. It enables sellers to make the way they sell as big an advantage as their product or service. After reading this book, salespeople and sales managers will be able to use a well-tested model that guides them through the process of selling. No more smoke and mirrors, blind luck, or high-pressure selling. Just a step-by-step system that ensures a higher rate of success for salespeople and a higher probability that the buyer's expectations will be met.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McGraw Hill; 1st edition (September 22, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786303158
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786303151
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.49 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 145 ratings

About the author

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Michael T. Bosworth

Michael T. Bosworth

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Mike Bosworth is well known throughout the business sales world as a trainer, speaker, and the author of best selling sales books Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets (McGraw-Hill, 1993), What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story (McGraw-Hill, 2011) and co-author of CustomerCentric Selling (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Mike founded and grew one of the most successful virtual businesses in the B2B arena. After 10 years with Xerox Computer Services and one year with a software start-up, he founded Solution Selling® in 1983, began adding licensing his intellectual property to affiliates in 1988 and by the time he sold it in 1999, over 50 affiliates were contributing royalty income in excess of $2.8M annually. Mike began building Story Leaders™ as a framework for building emotional connection in 2008 and published a new book, What Great Salespeople Do, the Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story in January, 2012. In January 2013, Mike founded Mike Bosworth Leadership. MBL currently has eight affiliates who sell and deliver his Story Seekers™ workshops.

Mike Bosworth began his career in the information technology industry in 1972 as an application support person for Xerox Computer Services. He was their top new business salesperson in 1975, managed the "branch of the year" in 1979 and was promoted to national manager of field sales in 1980. From 1976 through 1982 he designed and delivered sales training programs for XCS. His years of field experience plus the knowledge he gained from working with Neil Rackham on the Xerox SPIN selling project inspired him to found Solution Selling in 1983.

Bosworth has a degree in Business Management and Marketing from California State Polytechnic University. In addition to his keynote speaking for professional associations and major corporations, he has been a featured lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, The Stanford Program on Market Strategy for Technology-Based Companies, The American Marketing Association Customer Message Management Forums, The Anderson School Of Management At UCLA, the Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine, The University of Connecticut and Rollins College to name a few. He is certified (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants.

Michael T. Bosworth is a cofounder of CustomerCentric Systems®, LLC. He has assisted clients in improving sales effectiveness and shaping customer experience since 1983. He lives in Del Mar, California.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
145 global ratings
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2 Stars
Was NOT new
I bought this as supposedly new, but when it arrived, there was no book jacket at all and there is highlighting through the “Strategy 3” Chapter. I initially thought it was very strange that there was no book jacket and then when I got to the chapter with highlighting, that confirmed my suspicion that this was not new even though that was the condition I paid for.
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Top reviews from the United States

Ed Barton
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2010
Verified Purchase
An excellent book. The author takes the approach of trying to understand the buyer's latent pain, and transform that into a purchasing decision. Instead of selling, the salesperson facilitates the buyer buying the product through self analysis and asking the right questions. The sales cycle is looked at from a risk and reward profile, and the approach is both sound and straightforward. While the author has a tendancy to emphasize his other seminars and training methods - available at additional cost - the approach he takes here is enough to really make you think. Complete with scripts, examples, case studies and straightforward "do-this" suggestions, this is a must read.
One person found this helpful
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Colm Maloney
5.0 out of 5 stars Still the definitive advice
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you are in the Presales world and want to understand how to do really good Discovery work, you need this in your kit bag
While this may not be sufficient, it is a necessary part of what you need to know.
Know the nine box model - that is a great start in how to run a discovery session.
One person found this helpful
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Rajeev Pokkyarath
4.0 out of 5 stars Focus on solving the buyer's need; not on your product features
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2011
Verified Purchase
I've never been a fulltime salesperson, but in one of my previous incaranations, a few years back, I was a jack of all trades, sales being one of them. The only way for me to be aware of the tricks of the trade was through sales books, and Solution Selling was one of the many that I turned to.

The emphasis here is on solving a buyer's need as against trying to sell him a product/service. Bosworth says that the sales person should act as a buying facilitator or consultant intent on helping the customer solve his need -he talks about 3 levels of buyer needs- and then presenting his product/service as one that will solve the problem. That way, in the mind of the buyer, the salesperson has more integrity and the buyer gains confidence in the intent of the salesperson, i.e., a "spray and pray" approach isn't the one to take.

Bosworth indentifies what he calls as the "10 faces of pain"; these are the ones that make the salesperson's job a difficult one. They are,
1. Latent Need (buyer doesn't know the need)
2. Price Negotiation (haggling buyer)
3. Cold call 'window of opportunity' (cold call, Argg!)
4. Organizational interdependence and access to power (the particular buyer you're in touch with do not have much buying power)
5. Product or service viewed as 'commodity'
6. Requests for proposal (often, responding to this is a waste of time and energy)
7. Free education (some prospects use you to know more about what's out there in the market)
8. Buyer gets cold feet
9. Booking appointments over the phone (difficult to do)
10. Buyer has been to negotiating school (hard negotiators)

So what's Bosworth's solution to these pains?
1. Recognize the Three Levels of Buyer Need (need that is hidden; need which the buyer is conscious about; the third need is vision related)
2. Features, Advantages, and Benefits (make sure you're coming across as someone interested in solving the prospect's problem and not merely trotting out your features)
3. Participate in the Buyer's Vision
4. Solution Selling Tools (use them effectively)
5. Align With the Buyer's Shifting Concerns (you've to be in sync with the thoughts and concerns of the buyer)
6. Lead the Buyer and Stay Strategically Aligned
7. Advance the Buyer's Vision With Value Justification
8. Control the Process, Not the Buyer
9. Draw the Line in Price Negotiations
10. Implement the Solution Selling Process (which is the sum of all of the above)

The book is divided into 3 parts; part 1 is about the pains encountered in the selling process; part 2 is about the suggestions to overcome them; part 3 is shows field examples.

A capable salesperson would know all of this --minus the specific tools and approaches he mentions here-- naturally; the book can be used to validate their beliefs. For the others, it will open them up to a new way of thinking about sales.

I read a relatively recent article online where Bosworth dumps his previous approaches and says that stories are the way to go; "You use your storytelling ability to retell the customer's story, and then confirm - by asking - whether you've actually got the story right. Then, and only then, are you ready to sell, because then you can retell the customer story with a different ending or a new sequel, with your offering playing a role in the story." Now you know that he is a master salesman and a storyteller who is selling the world new ways to sell!
5 people found this helpful
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ADM Group
5.0 out of 5 stars Turning you from a sales person into a consultant
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book guides you through a consultative sales approach, Where you define the pain and understand the client's needs and cost. With that valuable information, it allows you to solve problems and create an ROI for success.
One person found this helpful
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Rob Kirk
3.0 out of 5 stars I especially loved the beginning of the book regarding the salesperson's assessment ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
Well, there were a couple of pearls of wisdom but I agree with a couple of other reviewers, the author overcomplicates things. I especially loved the beginning of the book regarding the salesperson's assessment of the customer's pain. This is the main pearl of wisdom I used with my sales team and it was pretty well received. The 3 levels of pain that a customer goes through may be just enough education for you to buy this book.
3 people found this helpful
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Wildman Keith
5.0 out of 5 stars Rise above the average salesman and their worn out, average tactics
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
After you've learned how to differentiate yourself from others in the field it's time to learn and apply simple but effective methods of putting money into your pocket.
Solution Selling is to Selling the same as Do It Marketing is to Marketing... Simply some of the Best Advice out there.
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Dana Borontis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2011
Verified Purchase
I really like the book, it arrived in perfect condition and even faster than expected. I was told that it will arrive in 3 weeks time, but it got here faster.
The book is the original one, has all its pages and it is great!
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K. McGlon
2.0 out of 5 stars Kindle version says... Buy the book..
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
No idea if I had the real book or not, it looked like 8t was scans from different books and always said if you like this buy the book... I did buy it. Lol
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amudhan Shankar Narayanan
5.0 out of 5 stars Review
Reviewed in India on December 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Good
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Engineer from Japan
2.0 out of 5 stars 普通の本です
Reviewed in Japan on May 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
普通です。
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Dario Mangani
5.0 out of 5 stars Da avere
Reviewed in Italy on August 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
Se il vostro lavoro è nel commerciale o nelle vendite non potete non studiare questo manuale: vedrete che molti degli esempi riportati e le tecniche di vendita spiegate sono concrete e risultano molto utile nelle attività quotidiane. Ho sempre sostenuto che la vendita sia in parte una predisposizione/attitudine (diciamo per un 30%) ma per il resto è una scienza e come tale va considerata. Non è l'unico libro per migliorare le tecniche di vendita ma sicuramente è il primo che consiglierei a tutti. Buono studio e buone vendite a tutti.
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Daniel Tenner
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, bought it for my whole sales team
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
I was recommended this book by my mentor, who said it'd be appropriate for the business I founded (we're a rapidly growing government funding advisor/facilitator).

I read it, and about halfway through, ordered a copy for my entire sales team and gave them a task for this month to read it. There is a lot of wisdom and experience packaged in this book, as well as a very sensible system for structuring the sales process. We're still using our own system at this point, but we will probably update our sales process to match (well, after the sales team finishes reading it, at the very least).

So, a very strong recommendation if you need to learn, or teach, sales to other people who are not necessarily naturals at it.
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Skyeyes77
4.0 out of 5 stars nice book
Reviewed in Italy on December 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
libro difficile da reperire altrove. scritto in modo chiaro con molti esempi.
vale il prezzo richiesto.
Arrivato in ottimo stato
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