B2B Sales Mentors: 20 Stories from 20 Top 1% Sales Professionals Paperback – March 29, 2019

I've been in B2B sales for over 30 years so, as you might imagine, I have heard a few of sales stories. That's why I was curious about what I might get with Scott Ingram's new book B2B Sales Mentors: 20 Stories from 20 Top 1% Sales Professionals. In a nutshell, if you're in business to business sales you should get it. Here's why:Sourced From the Best in B2BThe book's greatest quality is that it is comprised of the actual experiences from the top 1% practicing in the B2B space right now. There's zero theory. It's pretty much lessons learned from the hard knocks of B2B sales life. The stories are authentic and engaging, and the lessons are excellent. I discovered several new things (and that's pretty hard to pull off for this old sales dog).Quick, Easy Read With a Valuable FormatI read a lot of books and I have a strong bias for concise books with actionable information. Don't take 200 pages to tell me what can be said in 20. B2B Sales Mentors meets this criteria. Each chapter is independent of all the others and nearly all of the chapters end with a concise summary of "Lessons Learned". Perhaps even more valuable, is that they're STORIES - and that makes the lessons very memorable. I read B2B Sales Mentors twice (more than a month apart) and I immediately remembered each story during my second read.Broad Range of Industries and SolutionsI like the fact that each of the contributors hails from different industries selling different solutions. This diversity give the read a sort of "big picture" vibe where you see how the tips and principles apply in all different contexts.Valuable Topics & LessonsAs I mentioned, each chapter is independent and as a whole, they cover quite a lot of ground. Topics range from mindset, habits, change-management and activity planning to things like prospecting, differentiating yourself and team selling. There is some surprisingly rich content here. There were sample scripts, specific contrarian strategies for prospecting and my absolute favorite - MEDDPICC. MEDDPICC is an acronym for:- METRICS- ECONOMIC BUYER- DECISION CRITERIA- DECISION PROCESS- PAPER PROCESS- IDENTIFY PAIN- CHAMPIONS- COMPETITIONYou'll have to invest in the book to discover how to use this acronym but the value of this one section is worth several times the price of the book.ConclusionWhat I expected to be a entertaining collection of sales stories turned out to be not just entertaining but also edifying. I actually learned something. Not only that, there is just something about reading about the successes of others that just fires me up. It's very motivating to see how each processional, which their own unique set of challenges, steps up to those challenges with unique and practical strategies. Interesting, practical and motivating all in one concise package - that's just what I like in a book. It's 20 interesting stories complete with practical lessons from real practitioners taking it to the streets. I recommend B2B Sales Mentors to every business to business sales professional looking to learn, grow and motivate themselves to be the best they can be.

“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” — Ralph Waldo EmersonI pounced on Sales Success Stories when it was released in October last year. It was an inspiring and motivational read that lifted the lid on how some of the top sales achievers found success.So 6 months later comes B2B Sales Mentors… is this really new? Why should I part with my money AGAIN?Let me begin by saying there is some crossover. Some of the stories are repeated from B2B Sales Mentors, but is that a bad thing?No.Author/Editor Scott Ingram has curated the best of them into this new tome and I actually appreciate that some of the more impactful and actionable sales stories are included here.Why?Well not only do they serve as great reminders – they set the tone for the new stories to come and tie everything together. And there are plenty of new stories to sink your teeth in to, don't worry.The first chapters are dedicated to mindset: how and where you must focus to create an environment for success. There are stories on how to differentiate yourself, deliver unique value and the benefits of teamwork.And then there are the stories that dig deep into processes and routines you can follow that get sales results.Here's a few of my favourites:• Set Your Goals at 2x to 3x Your Quota and Build a Daily Routine to Over Achieve By Trey Simonton – a brilliant guide to reverse engineering the activities you need to do daily to reach your sales goals• Differentiating Yourself From the Average Sales Development Rep (SDR) By Florin Tatulea – how to stand out from the crowd and the tools you can use to do it.• The Year I Doubled my Income By David Weiss – all about planning and the exact discovery process you can use to learn what matters to your clients.• The Real Value Add in Sales By Jack Wilson – how to use your experience to get your clients attention and provide real tangible value that has an impact.• How I Beat Out 300 Candidates For My Dream Sales Job By Scott Barker – lots of great ideas on interview preparation.There’s a bunch more that make B2B Sales Mentors a delightful and insightful read.I really enjoy these Sales “digests” – powerful stories by regular sales people like you and me who have figured a few things out and now share their wisdom for the rest of us to benefit from.These aren’t merely stories to entertain. You will be inspired to take action.Keep ‘em coming, Mr Ingram – I can’t wait for Volume 2.

In a world where sales books are a dime a dozen, Scott Ingram has carved out a fascinating community with more insight and credibility than most. B2B Sales Mentors is the latest installment of interviews with some of today's most successful sellers. And for me, that's what differentiates Scott's books and podcasts from so many others. Rather than theory or academic musings from authors who never carried a bag, Ingram provides a lens into the world of practitioners at the top of their game. Sure there are tips and tangible takeaways, but even more valuable to me is the peek at the mentality and mindset of these Top 1%ers. Highly recommended and well worth a read (or listen)!

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read an early version of B2B Sales Mentors and like Scott's previous book this book is full of useful insight and actionable tips. However, the real meat of this and his previous book is that everyone struggles and sometimes, it's nice to know that you aren't alone. Reading the stories will open your eyes to things that you may do well every single day. Or it might give you insight into a framework that you've never considered. Either way, you would do yourself a favor to read the book and learn from some of the best in sales today.

Expect to Learn something in every story of this book. spending on where you are in your sales career, you could learn many things every chapter, but even if you have been in sales almost 20 years as I have you will still hear things you haven't. Even if you think you have heard what each chapter is talking about before, you will get a new and different take on it before that will elevate or rejuvenate your sales efforts. Great book.

Simple, lacks depth of insight into an import and growing area for commerce. I was hoping for more structure, insight and best practices by experts. This isn't the book. Poor and not worth the money. More info available online from B2B commerce sites at no cost.

Practical information, different visions, different sales areas.Stimulating information. I hope to buy the complete edition.