Tuesday 24 April 2018

BLOG TOUR! Everybody Works in Sales by Niraj Kapur: Review




The book...




We all work in sales. If you work for somebody, you earn a living by selling their product or service.

If you are self-employed, you earn a living by selling your product or service.

When you buy from Amazon, they always recommend other products similar to the ones you are purchasing or have already purchased - that’s selling.

When you download a song, movie or TV show from iTunes, they always recommend more similar products. That’s selling.

When you register for most websites, they sell their products or services to you through a regular email.  

When you attend an exhibition at the NEC, London ExCel, Olympia, Manchester or even a local market, everyone is trying to sell you their product.

We all work in sales, yet few people know how to sell. Until now.

Containing 27 valuable lessons, plus 17 interviews with experts, Everybody Works in Sales combines unique storytelling and personal development to ensure you have the tools you need to do better in your career.

Purchase from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ET89nn


The review....

The title of this book immediately intrigued me and drew me in. I have never worked "in sales" as such – my career is in the public sector – but as Niraj Kapur points out in this book, we’re all selling something, be that a product, a service or our own skills and experience to an employer.

Niraj takes a very personal and anecdotal approach which makes for an easy and entertaining read as he recounts his professional and personal ups and downs, and what he has learnt as a result.

The book is structured around 27 "lessons", starting with "Learn your craft and keep on learning every day". (Can’t argue with that.) Many others had me nodding in agreement as I read. The book then concludes with a series of interviews with "people who sell every day but aren’t in sales" (including his wife, who owns a successful beauty salon!), and these are an interesting read and a further source of many useful tips and insights.

It’s refreshing to find that in terms of selling, the focus is on operating with integrity and building relationships rather than beating potential customers around the head until they give in out of sheer exhaustion. (I’m sure we’ve all been on the receiving end of this tactic at some point, and it doesn’t leave you feeling good.) There is no space here for the "Always Be Closing" mantra or similar.

Most importantly for me, he operates from a strong ethical base which accords with my own. I’ve always believed you get far more out of people by treating them with respect and kindness – in addition to that just being the right thing to do. It sounds self-evident but unfortunately not everyone operates in this way, and there are still many managers out there who believe intimidation and fear are the most effective tools when dealing with people.

Niraj is clearly a great list maker and there is an effective use of numerous bullet pointed lists which helps to break up the text and get the points across with minimum fuss.

Each chapter ends with a brief recap of the key points covered therein and one or two relevant and inspirational quotes – I really liked many of these. At one point Niraj also provides a brief reading list of some of his favourite business and personal development related books, and I will definitely seek out some of these.

While the book is written in a very readable style, the edition I read did have a number of typographical or grammatical errors and would have benefited from more proofreading. However this did not interfere too much with my reading experience.

All in all it was a very interesting and engaging read which left me feeling inspired! Many thanks to the author and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour.



The author...

Award-winning executive, Niraj Kapur, has worked in corporate London for 23 years.

From small businesses to a national newspaper to FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies, he’s experienced it all and shares his insight, knowledge, big wins and horrible failures.

Containing 27 valuable lessons, plus 17 interviews with experts, Everybody Works in Sales combines unique storytelling and personal development to ensure you have the tools you need to do better in your career.

Niraj has also had several screenplays optioned, sitcoms commissioned, kids' shows on Channel 5’s Milkshake and CBBC. His movie, Naachle London, was released in select cinemas across the UK.

He’s working on his next book while advising companies and coaching individuals on how to improve their sales.
 


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