Table of Contents
Advance Praise forThe Contrarian Effect
In sales as in life, its not what youve been told to look for that matters, its what you actually see for yourself. In this quick and entertaining look at all that is wrong with traditional sales tactics, Elizabeth and Michael give us wonderful examples of ways to see todays world of sales for what it really is: individuals seeking value in ways that matter personally. If you even just touch sales in your career (and whom among us does not) this book will open your eyesand the view is great.
Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin
Ive made a career out of challenging conventional sales wisdom and I can tell you that very few writers have done this effectively. Its not demolition thats hard: anyone can say that everything youve ever read is wrong. The trick is building something better in its place. The Contrarian Effect does this well. Its filled with true stories about what works and what doesnt. Its fun to read and will challenge your thinking.
Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling
Want to know why traditional sales tactics suck? Customers resist them, salespeople hate using them, and they simply dont work. If you are ready to achieve incredible sales results, pick up a copy of The Contrarian Effect today!
Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, authors of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
Truth. Honesty. Dignity. Respect. Four words not often heard in the world of sales. In this remarkable little book, Michael and Liz offer real insight and practical advice on how to truly satisfy customersthe key to success in every sale. Bravo!
Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of Never Eat Alone
The Contrarian Effect replaces conventional sales wisdom with new strategies that actually work in todays business climate. Youll achieve far greater sales success with much less effort.
Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies and CEO of SellingtoBigCompanies.com
Acknowledgments
THE CONTRARIAN EFFECT is a beautiful example of what can happen when you collaborate with others and choose to leverage the wisdom and experience of others. It symbolizes the collective efforts of a wonderful community of peopleincredible souls that Michael and Elizabeth are honored to know. In that spirit, we wish to express our deepest gratitude and thanks:
To Kathy Green, Michaels agent, for her willingness and desire to support this book and this message.
To Matt Holt and the entire team at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for your wisdom, expertise, and support. Thank you for the work you do to spread the message of business authors and experts like us.
To our R&D Team, who dedicated their time and talents to this project: Krista Baker, Chris Smude, Liz Kruz-Kaegi, Christopher Bates, Lori Richardson, Merrily Sable, Jade Barclay, and Sarah Robinson. Thank you for your willingness to conduct and compile research for our thesis and to provide your experience and expertise as we honed and refined the message. Special thanks to Krista Baker for digging up several great examples we were able to include in the final draft and to Cara Lumen for your excellent suggestions and observations. Additional thanks to Hugh Strickland, Susan Kim, and Rob Thomas for reading the draft and providing insightful comments and suggestions. Last but not least, big thanks to Michael Stammer, our colleague and friend, for his valuable insights and years of sales experience that helped shape the ideas and the concepts in this book.
To Sharon Dawson, Elizabeths mom, for her gift with words and her love of grammar. Thank you for editing the draft and for making sure we articulated our ideas in the best way possible.
To Starbucks manager Andy Whisenhunt and the entire staff of the Starbucks #6262 in Dallas, Texas, who let Elizabeth camp out for hours on end as she wrote and edited the book. They are an example of a team that goes above and beyond on a daily basis. Additional thanks to Tom, Terri, Steve, Jennifer, Amy, Carrie, Glenn, Ray, and the rest of the Starbucks Gang for your continual support, ideas, and suggestions.
To Gayla DeHart, who inspires us with her brilliance and supports us with her invaluable friendship.
To the entire team at Book Yourself Solid, Linsey Card, Becky Wingate, and Katherine Bellefontaine, who provide unfailing support and who stand behind us in both small and big ways. Thank you for your devotion and commitment to our clients and mission.
To all the clients of Book Yourself Solid and members of the Think Big Revolution. Your energy, creativity, and talents keep us committed to thinking bigger about who we are and what we offer the world.
To all our friends and colleagues that we regret we cannot list out individually. Deepest thanks for supporting our message. We couldnt do this work without you.
To all the salespeople out there that ever tried to pitch us something. Thank you for giving us real-world examples and experiences that support the concepts and strategies in this book.
To companies like Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Apple, Amazon, Cabelas, Costco, and many other organizations that embody the principles and the practices we preach. You demonstrate why it pays to take the typical sales advice and do the opposite. Thank you for modeling that making the shift is not only possible, but highly profitable.
Finally, to sales professionals like you, who already believe in payoff and value of the Contrarian Effect. Thank you for being a change agent and for being a leaderone that others can aspire to follow.
Introduction
From the Old World to the New
IN 1907, CAPTAIN EDWARD JOHN SMITH was at the height of his career.
A highly respected sea captain, a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, and commodore of the White Star Fleet, Captain Smith knew a thing or two about how to sail a ship. With a successful track record and a career spanning more than four decades, its understandable that White Star asked Smith to command the companys newest ships on their maiden voyages.
Upon arriving in New York after the maiden voyage of the Adriatic in May 1907, Captain Smith was interviewed about his 40 years of experience at sea (from www.TitanicStory.com):
When anyone asks how I can best describe my experience in nearly 40 years at sea, I merely say, uneventful. Of course there have been winter gales, and storms and fog the like, but in all my experience, I have never been in any accident of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort.
Given his knowledge, his expertise, and his understanding at the time, Captain Smith would have considered the tragic disaster that culminated in the sinking of the Titanic five years later a near impossibility. He made that clear. In fact, Captain Smith also said, I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.
One year before setting sail, Shipbuilder magazine described the Titanic as practically unsinkable, with state-of-the-art construction and watertight doors. With its beautiful design and elegant decor, it was one that every captain wanted to sail and every traveler wanted to experience. Therefore, it seemed fitting that Captain Smith chose to end his career in 1912 by leading the lines newest ship, the Titanic, to sea.
