Review: Baseline Selling, by Dave Kurlan

Baseline Selling

Book reviews > Baseline Selling

Kurlan, D. (2005). Baseline Selling, Bloomington, Indiana: Authorhouse

There are many books on selling and each has an angle that seeks differentiate it from others. Dave Kurlan develops sales people and is also a baseball fan. Combining these two passions, he has created a very readable book on selling, situated in the baseball metaphor.

The basic principle of his approach is to break the sales cycle down into four stages that map to the four bases.

Getting to first base ('suspects') means getting an appointment.

To get to second base ('prospects') means that they have an urgent need what you are selling and you have 'speed on the bases'.

By third base ('qualified opportunities'), both you and they are completely qualified to do business with one another.

Getting back to the home base is reaching closure, where you have made the perfect pitch and they have bought a real and valuable solution.

The book is divided up into four main parts (after the warm-up) and describes in detail the steps and challenges in getting to each base. Sure, there is much here that you will find in other sales books, but it is very well explained and includes many other tips and tricks that take it well beyond the run-of-the-mill 'how to sell' paperback.

Kurlan uses other baseball language throughout the book, but if you are not a baseball fan, don't worry -- he not only explains most terms as he goes along, he also includes an appendix to let you easily look up the lingo.

The book is pitched (!) right down the line at everyday salespeople who also love baseball and is ideally suited to such folks, and I guess that there's enough of such people out there for Kurlan to reach his target audience. The only shame is that others will see the baseball spin and pass the book buy. This is a pity as there is much here that will benefit many other sellers.

Overall, the book itself is a home run.

Buy Me

Dave Kurlan, Baseline Selling, Authorhouse, 2006

A solid and readable book about selling, based in the metaphor of playing baseball. Even if you're not a baseball fan, this offers very helpful information. If you love baseball and you sell, then this book is a must!