Book Review 2025.07: To Sell Is Human (2012), Paperback 233 pages, May 5, 2025
Despite three decades of corporate work experience, I had to start my own business to appreciate the challenge of Sales, and more important the challenge of recruiting successful sales personnel. Notwithstanding sales being the most critical ingredient for the business success, it is probably the least taught, the least researched and the least discussed subject, except among close group of struggling professionals or entrepreneurs, who like a group of blind people, are struggling to make sense of this elephant. Given this context, this is a book that is worth its weight in gold; a relatively short book of 233 pages that is made even shorter by the well spread-out page layout.
The author starts by distinguishing between the old school idea of sales as something distasteful, deceitful and necessary but perhaps unpleasant and unclean, with the new school view of sales as a fair, transparent and honest dealings, that not only salespersons engage in, but all humans do when they need to exchange resources with one another. The difference in approach is best captured by the acronym ABC, which in old school stands for “Always Be Closing”, to the new school interpretation of “Attunement, Buoyancy and Clarity”.
The second part of the book delves into each of the three building blocks of Attunement, Buoyancy and Clarity with distinct concepts that are actionable building blocks useful to all sales and non-salespersons. Further each of the three chapters are followed by illustrative case studies that the reader can use to practice and better their “selling” skills.
The third and final part of the book is action oriented, building on the need for all of us to be a salesperson in the first part, to the conceptual building blocks for being a successful salesperson in the second part, it lays out a clear plan for practicing what is leant. Set in three chapters of Pitch, Improvise and Serve, it leaves the reader with a lot more to do than just reflect, for they have concrete actions to implement.
A key attraction of this book is not only its short length, but also its clear and simple writing that makes reading this book effortless. Further many of the chapters end with an interesting suggestion of a few books that can help the reader to dig deeper and engage with these concepts at more than familiarity level. Many companies mentioned in this book are also unique in their sales practices, which make the efforts of an interested reader browsing the net about these companies worthwhile and rewarding.
As the title suggests, this book is for everyone who wants to be a better human being. And for the sales professionals, I believe this book is not just an option, but a must read. The seasoned professional will find echoes of their successful practice and for the novice it is a blueprint to follow for their success.
Happy reading as we together become better salespersons or more appropriate, better human beings.
Social Profiles