If you slow down, how do you end up selling faster?

"Slow Down, Sell Faster" Author Kevin Davis Interview

“Prospects take their time and they aren’t going to speed up their process just because you are in a hurry.   With all the talk about relationship-oriented selling, there have been very few books that spell out the “how to” of creating lasting relationships with customers.”

Gerhard Gschwandtner

Founder and Publisher, Selling Power

While with a Fortune 500 corporation, I was one of the Guinea Pigs sent down to Houston to test the course as a senior member of their sales force.  That was my first introduction, if you want to call it that, to Kevin Davis.  Although, I was doing fairly well, this process transformed my relationships with buyers.  I was no long “selling”.  I became invested in customers’ success, instead looking upon business relationships as a way to understand where the customer was at.  Instead of slowing me down, it catapulted me higher.   

 Years later, while doing sales training of my own, I was tracking down copies and wrote Kevin to find out where I could find copies.  He was helpful, we got to corresponding and talking.  The next thing I knew, this mentor was asking me my opinions, how the methodology was being applied … and there I was “Jeannette Jones” in “Slow Down, Sell Faster” …. replaying obstacles, reliving sales scenarios, trying more new things!  

To say Kevin is a busy man, is an understatement.  Already, “Slow Down, Sell Faster” has been recognized as one of the top must-read business books for 2011 by the Washington Post, interviews with Success, Inc. and so on.   Just this past weekend, Kevin met his son aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS George HW Bush. The ship had been on overseas deployment since May 11^th.  As a parent, he was invited to spend three days aboard the ship out in the Atlantic Ocean with his son, whom he last saw in March ... along with 5,000 shipmates.   Kevin did that instead of promoting the book’s nomination for the 2011 Top Sales Awards  www.topsalesawards.com.  Upon reflection,  Kevin said:  “Life is all about priorities.”

Kevin, still took the time to answer questions about himself, his journey, his book, and what drives his passion to help others succeed in sales. 

Why did you end up writing a book?

I got fired by a large client engagement. Four months of back-to-back engagements suddenly wiped off the calendar. So I figured, “the heck with it!” I’ll just write a book. When life deals you lemons you have a choice whether to rise to the challenge, or shrink away from it.

What did you learn from "Getting into Your Customers Head” that you applied to the new one?  

Most people only read Chapter One, so you better make that chapter your best.

Why did you do a sequel:  "Slow Down, Sell Faster"?

Well, much has happened since 1996 when my 1^st book was published. And, of course, technology has resulted in more connected products, which increases the complexity of buying for customers. So, my new book provides new content for the major sale, plus lots of new stories.

In today's competitive environment, what do you think is the biggest challenge for salespeople?

Getting in the door.   Getting people to agree to meet with you.

If nothing else, why should people to read/follow your book "Slow Down, Sell Faster"?

If you are looking for an entirely different sales approach, read my book. It’s a way to build a stronger relationship with customers earlier in the buying cycle, and then maintain a relationship with them longer than your competitors.

You gain insights through training.  What amazes you when you work with organizations?

Many salespeople, and sales organizations, think they are customer-focused. And perhaps, in the way they define it (as that they truly care about their customer) they are customer focused. I define customer-focus differently: I define it as becoming a partner in the buying process, at each step of buying.

Why should people follow the book's methodology?

If you want to start differentiating yourself and your company by how you sell, then you should read my book. Your competitors are making a lot of mistakes in how they sell. But you aren’t taking advantage of these mistakes. If you sell differently, and adopt some of the ideas in my book, you will win more deals.

What is your biggest challenge as a Sales Book Author?

The biggest challenge is that there is a lot of competition out there. Lots of people claim to be “new and different”. So, it is a challenge to stand out from the crowd. I am grateful for those who “get it” by having taken time to read my book.

Do you think that Social Media has made impact to promoting your message or book?

Hard to measure.

What is the ultimate message you would like to convey?

When you are hyper-focused on sales results you tend to lose focus on process. That’s a mistake. Still care about the results you achieve, but if that is all you’re concerned about, it will affect how you sell. My method shows you a different path.  When you are ready to stop defining your success based on numbers and start defining your success based on customer value.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I guess my answer would be …..here is a guy that carried a bag and chased a quota (just like me). He has lots of examples, so not just what to do but how. Plus, he has some good ideas. After all, in 1996 his book described the importance of matching your sales process to the buying process. He was ahead of the curve.

Kevin Davis puts his money where his mouth is.  To download a FREE copy of Chapter One, http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Down-Sell-Faster-Understand/dp/0814416853 or visit his website www.toplineleadership.com.  Oh, and if you DO get a chance to vote, please do:  www.topsalesawards.com 




I asked Dennis Chopko, Consultant, for Topline Leadership how he came to be an advocate of Kevin Davis and his process?  So much so that he now covers a great deal of training in Canada using the platform.  Dennis provided his personal feedback:  


“My initial introduction to Kevin Davis was through his first ground-breaking book "Getting Into Your Customer's Head". At the time I was actively searching for a "sales life-preserver" as I had just taken over a sinking sales team. Enter Kevin Davis. I had been focusing on selling when I should have been focusing on buying!

Similar to many companies today, we had been still using out-dated and extremely ineffective "qualify, quote, hope and close" method of sales. Our sales process was self-focused not customer-focused. The results were staggering. Kevin's customer focused sales process removes the hypocrisy of sales: sales people selling differently than how they like to buy. The results were staggering.

Slow Down, Sell Faster! is amazing! It is written for and by a CUSTOMER-FOCUSED SALESPERSON. The tips are easy to implement. Mastering the politics of selling to multiple decision-makers, the milestones and the advice for sales managers are relevant and timely.

Kevin Davis is a visionary. The sales/buying process revealed by Kevin is the future of sustainable selling. If finding, creating and keeping satisfied customers are important to you and your company, this is your ‘how-to’ manual.”

Dennis Chopko

"A breakthrough in modern selling!" 

Brian Tracy

“The need to be more buyer-focused is clear to many, the how to do it, is not. Kevin Davis offers a concise roadmap for how to stop paying lip service to this concept and make it a reality for sales reps and their managers.”

Jim Dickie

"As the provider of choice for our customers' business technology needs it is imperative that we have a sales process focused on the customer buying cycle."

Dan Cooper

"This book provides solid, practical advice that professional salespeople can immediately use and apply"

Stephen J. Bistritz