Johnston Mark W.Marshall Greg W. - Contemporary Selling

The idea for writing the original edition of this book evolved over several years and many conversations with colleagues and sales professionals. There was no single moment of creation; rather a series of conversations that ended with Gee, I wish there was a book that combines a relevant and current model of professional selling with an introduction to the sales management skills needed for effective buyerseller relationships.

Our own review of the books in the Personal Selling and Sales Management areas has found no single source for a complete, holistic approach to selling that incorporates not only state-of-the-art sales methodology but also the knowledge base and skill sets necessary to manage such a critical area in the organization. A gap exists between the many Professional Selling books that provide a drill-down approach covering everything from A to Z (and back again) and Sales Management books that discuss in detail the many challenging issues involved in managing a sales force. As co-authors of Sales Force Management , 12th edition (Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group), we were already keenly aware of the depth of coverage in available Sales Management books around the world.

Our colleagues presented us with an interesting challenge: was it possible to create a book that combines full coverage of 21st-Century professional selling processes with a basic look at sales management practices in a way that maximizes value and utility for both instructors and students? A key element in the challenge was to extend the knowledge of the selling process and incorporate new thinking on relationship building and value creation into a 21st-Century selling model. Most importantly, we did not want to simply patch together a book about selling with a little sales management sprinkled in. Quite the contrary: our primary goal in writing Contemporary Selling, 5e: Building Relationships, Creating Value, as in the previous editions, was to create a single, comprehensive, and holistic source of information about the selling function in modern organizations. As you read the book, note that our approach is to link the process of selling (what salespeople do) with the process of managing salespeople (what sales managers do). In order to provide a pictorial representation of this linkage and to create an easily referenced thematic thread throughout the book, we have developed a Model for Contemporary Selling that serves as a road map all the way through. The model is introduced in .

Building strong value-adding, and sustainable customer relationships is no longer optionaltoday it is required for long-term business success. As the importance of relationship management has grown, the selling function has become assimilated into the rest of the organization. Selling now is truly a boardroom topic, as companies realize that effective management of the contemporary selling process is a key to gaining overall competitive advantage. Thus, this book incorporates state-of-the-art sales practices and research to develop a comprehensive model of selling in the 21st Century.