Over the years, I developed and evolved the Consultative Sales Model that is the
basis of this book. It all started with that presentation to my new direct reports at
AMD and my desire to "get inside their heads". Chris Anderson, owner of the TED
conferences, clearly emphasizes this point:
So, language works its magic only to the extent that it is shared by the speaker
and listener. And there's the clue to how to achieve the miracle of re-creating your
idea in someone else's brain. You can only use the tools that your audience has
access to. If you start only with your language, your concepts, your assumptions,
your values, you will fail. So instead, start with theirs. It's only from that common
ground that they can begin to build your idea inside their minds.1
That is the essence of customer-centric consultative selling. I have worked for the
past four decades to discover and refine what it takes to be truly customer-centric in
business. I