Make It Happen Before Lunch: 50 Cut-To-The-Chase Strategies for Getting the Business Results You Want

Make It Happen Before Lunch is a must read for anyone who wants to learn the "tricks of the selling trade." I've read loads of business books, but rarely have I read a book that gives you "how-tos" that I couldn't wait to try out. And, try out I did! Best of all, everything I tried worked "as promised." Everyone on our executive team has read the book (some of us have read it twice). I plan to keep it handy and re-read it at least once a month until I've tried every helpful hint. I'd have given the book six stars if I could have.

I am a senior associate with a major executive search firm and by reading this book and FOLLOWING its advice I hve increased my appointments by 100%. This by far the best book of its kind-increasing your opportunity to MAKE the sale -it works.

Stephan Schiffman's practical approach, to understanding both business and personal relationships, is clearly demonstrated in Make It Happen Before Lunch. Filled with rich personal experiences and awe-inspiring strategies, this should become a textbook by which business development is done. Adapting what I've learned, my sales has increased tremendously. Thank you Stephan, for allowing us the opportunity to prosper from both your mistakes and successes.

Mr. Schiffman's book made so much sense to me. It is a real (for a change) guide to finding and closing sales and other business deals. I found it informative and refreshing with so many new and old strategies that I need for my career. It was well written and it inspired me. I do think some of his ideas will change the way I deal with perspective and new clients.

Most salespeople know just what to do when they get in front of a decision maker who has a need. But most salespeople spend too little time with new decision makers. The salespeople either put too little effort into prospecting, or stay focused on cold leads much too long. Stephan Schiffman takes dead aim at that problem and provides ways to motivate you to take an more energetic approach, to implement a system to help you get there, and to keep you perservering until results occur.Although there was much good advice in the book, I thought that his descriptions of the psychology of exploring over the telephone setting up a face-to-face meeting was masterful. The book deserves five stars for that section alone!Basically, he wants you to realize that every objection to having a meeting that you will ever get will come in one of only about a dozen forms. If you think about these objections, you can create a response for each that leads naturally back to your question, 'Are you free to meet with me at 2 p.m. on Wednesday?' He provides a number of useful examples that he uses in his training business to help stimulate your imagination.I also thought that his advice to leave voice mails where you offer to tell the prospect something important about a well-known company (that happens to be your customer and has agreed to be a reference) is likely to make it easier to make the initial telephone contact. Depending on the type of customer you deal with, you may need to soften or harden the method he describes, but the basic concept of being focused on getting the meeting first is a very good one. By asking people to commit to action, you tell whether you are creating a live relationship or not. If not, ask 'why not?' and learn something. The book basically turns what most think of as rejection into progress. I thought that was a great way to turn around stalled thinking about selling. After you have finished the book, ask yourself what other requirements you have in order to make progress in what is important to you. Then consider whether you are making enough progress in those areas. If not, create a system and set of self-motivations to assist you in implementing that system. You should be able to make vastly more progress as a result.