The Collaborative Sale: Solution Selling in a Buyer Driven World

PREFACE

Published in November 2003, The New Solution Selling quickly became required reading for many sales, sales management, and marketing professionals around the world. With over 300,000 copies sold, the book became a best seller and one of the most popular business books on the topic of sales and marketing. It still sells well today, more than 10 years after its debut.

However, propelled by the Internet and innovations in collaborative technologies, buyer behavior has changed significantly—some may even say radically—since 2003. In addition, the Millennial generation has arrived on the scene, bringing significant change to buying patterns as well. These changes in buyer behavior affect how we must market and sell in profound and highly disruptive ways. The reason for writing The Collaborative Sale is to address many of these significant changes in buyer behavior.

While writing this book about sales collaboration, I am also finalizing the architectural plans for my company's new international headquarters. What I've learned about the importance of sales collaboration throughout my career prompted me to ask our architect to design every aspect of our new space to foster collaboration among our associates and with our clients. Our open work spaces, impromptu meeting areas, innovation rooms, and even the height of the office walls are all designed to help people get more done through collaboration, and to enjoy themselves more while doing so.

I can't overemphasize the need for ...