Scientists believe that one of the major differences that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world was the fact that we wage war. Because war isn’t instinctual, it is thought to be a uniquely human trait. It’s something people choose to do.

If you are in sales, you are perpetually in a state of war. All salespeople are warriors who must fight the relentless march of time and enemies who are trying to defeat them daily. Sales is an intense hand-to-hand battle fought between two people or two groups of people who are each trying to win over the customer. The victor outsmarts, outmaneuvers, and overwhelms his enemies.

In sales, just as in war, there can be only one winner, and today’s conqueror can quickly become tomorrow’s vanquished. The deciding difference is strategy. Strategy is the most critical component of sales wisdom. Without the right sales strategy, persuasion and common sense are inconsequential. In this part we will study the grand strategy of war and three of the greatest war strategists of all time--Sun Tzu, Napoleon Bonaparte, and George Patton--to understand how they won and what the ages have to teach us about defeating our enemies on the battlefield of business sales.

Part II - Secrets of Persuasion

After salespeople have formulated their winning strategy, they use the second element of sales wisdom, persuasion, to turn skeptics into believers. Salespeople are paid to persuade. But what makes them persuasive? Is it their command of the facts and their ability to recite a litany of reasons why customers should buy? Could it be their charismatic presence and their natural ability to say the right words at the right time?

It takes more than logic and reason to change buyers’ opinions. A personal connection must be established. Only through intense one-on-one conversations will skeptical prospects understand your point of view, appreciate your differences, and believe in you to the point where they become customers.

How can you get skeptics to come around to your way of thinking? Not only must you influence the customers’ rational intellect with your business reasons, but you must project yourself into their subconscious. The hard and soft skills of persuasion can be learned by emulating successful practitioners, so in this part we will study three of the most persuasive communicators of all time.

Part III - Common-Sense Tips

Plato, the father of Western philosophy, was the originator of the term “common sense.” One of his five branches of philosophy was epistemology, how we gain knowledge about the world around us. Since ancient times, storytelling has been a traditional way of passing knowledge and common sense from generation to generation. In fact, the Greek roots of epistemology are episteme (knowledge) and logos (speech).

All salespeople love to tell stories. We are eager to recount the brilliance of our victories, lament our losses out loud, and share funny tales about our misadventures. The stories we tell provide valuable lessons and tips that can help other salespeople close more business and anticipate trouble. The practical advice these stories provide serves as the foundation for common sense. Like a parent’s warning to a child to stay away from a hot stove, guidance from senior salespeople helps the less experienced avoid needless pain and unwanted misery.

The stories and advice in this part cover a broad range of sales-related topics and come from a surprising array of sources--from scientific journals to personal ads. The stories are grouped into lessons about sales and the life of a salesperson. Perhaps the most interesting anecdotes in this part come from the salespeople I have met over the years. So sit back, relax, and pretend you are listening to your colleagues talk about winning and losing and the life of a salesperson.

All salespeople must play three completely different roles to succeed. First, they must be generals who create a strategy to win their wars long before the first battle begins. The successful military leader painstakingly plans how and where he will attack in accordance with the troops and weapons at his disposal. When the fighting starts, the victorious commander achieves his objective through battlefield maneuvers to gain the advantage and countertactics to neutralize his enemy’s advance.

Second, all salespeople must be professional persuaders. In essence, salespeople are paid to persuade. They must gain the willing obedience of others and convince complete strangers to follow their advice. However, the most product-knowledgeable salesperson is not necessarily the most persuasive one. Persuasive salespeople naturally connect with customers, instill customer confidence, and establish trust.

Finally, successful salespeople must be oracles who predict their chances of winning based upon their common-sense judgment. As common sense accumulates over the years through interactions with customers, it becomes a salesperson’s lifesaving device. It prevents salespeople from repeating past mistakes and guides their intuition to maximize their most precious resource: time.

When a salesperson has mastered these three roles--strategist, persuader, and common-sense sage--he has attained sales wisdom and become a Heavy Hitter. Heavy Hitters are truly great salespeople who have acquired prominence through their accomplishments, expertise, and judgment. They continually exceed quotas, close big deals, and enjoy themselves in the process.

Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom takes the concept of becoming a Heavy Hitter to the next level. This book has been written for senior salespeople, those who have been in the field for five, ten, and fifteen years or more. While it will expose the novice salesperson to entirely new aspects of selling, the ultimate goal of Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom is to help experienced salespeople expand their influence within their local office, region, sales organization, and company. This requires not only winning more business but also having a methodology to explain to others how and why you win.