With a bold “sales is sales” approach, Chris is on a mission to spread the wealth.  With two decades of selling experience with an estimated total sales in excess of a $100 million, he knows a thing or two about making the grade in outside sales – learn from his experience and see if you have what it takes to succeed in sales.

Christopher E. Gilmore has been a salesman his whole life. Attending Miami University in Ohio, he majored in finance and graduated with a degree in business before gaining a global perspective in an international studies program in Luxembourg. A consummate sales’ professional, he has served in numerous capacities and industries including paper and packaging, athletic equipment, industrial piping systems, valve systems, construction equipment, pharmaceuticals, IT consulting services, and enterprise software. He lives with his wife and two sons near Cincinnati, Ohio. This is his first book.

“You can have everything in life that you want
if you will just help other people get what they want.”
– Zig Ziglar

Why did I write this book? This book is for people who have an interest in becoming salespersons, and are looking for an insider’s insight into how to pursue a sales career in a logical way. Zig has it right. I want to help you by leveraging my years of direct selling experience, in addition to years of consulting and research of many different sales roles, companies, and industries. Specifically, this book is for two types of people:

• Those people who have a high interest in becoming an outside sales representative, but have never been in that role.
• Salespeople who are not satisfied with their current sales position and are looking for strategic advice from an experienced salesperson before they change sales positions or decide to leave the sales profession altogether.

Please note that there are many outstanding books and tapes to help people with their sales techniques and “tricks” to become better or more successful salespeople. However, this is NOT one of those books (see Chapter 8 for some of my favorites).

During my career, I have had many mentors from whom I sought advice when I was thinking about career changes and strategies. I have been very fortunate in that 99 percent of the career advice that my mentors provided was the correct advice. Of all the guidance, the best advice was “You’ve gotta to look out for number one (YOU) because no one else
will.” It is a harsh statement, but it is true. Even the people who love, admire, and respect you cannot manage your professional career. YOU have to make the decisions and weigh your options that will help you reach your career aspirations and potential.

What Sales Advice Do I Give?

As I mentioned, this is not a selling techniques book, but I do have three important, yet simple, pieces of advice for people starting out in sales.

The first rule is simply the “The Golden Rule” – treat others as you wish to be treated. It is my focus in life and it is my philosophy in business. It seems obvious, but it is still hard for many people to follow.

A second piece of advice is to think like a business owner when managing your sales efforts. The best salespeople view their territory as their own small business or franchise. They write a business plan every year and are constantly aware of their personal “brand.” They make sure it is sending the right message and are always building it every day. Likewise, they take ownership of the goods and services that they are selling all the while they are keeping their customers’ needs in perspective.

Last bit of advice is to work hard and be prepared. As Woody Allen, the Academy Award-winning director and writer said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Be good at showing up on time, ready to “do business.” The remaining twenty percent is the sweat that separates you from your peers and competition. It still amazes me how so many salespeople fail at this.

In summary, there are a lot reasons why people pursue a career in sales. From this book, you will see how a seasoned sales professional strategically evaluates and analyzes industries, companies, and sales positions. Other chapters will cover compensation packages, legal issues, important sales terms, and recommended books for reading. All of this leads us back to the question, “Why do YOU want to be in sales?” Is it the money, lifestyle, image, or the business experience in sales that attracts you?

You can purchase the book on Amazon.com

You can contact Chris at chris@salescareerstrategy.com