The Selling Revolution: Prospering in the New World of Artificial Intelligence

I've worked in the field of Artificial Intelligence for 35 years as a research scientist and consultant, and consequently I'm often skeptical of books that try to predict the future trends in AI. I read DJ Sebastian's book on the recommendation of a friend and halfway through the first chapter I knew I was in for a great read. I found DJ's assessment of the impact of AI on future jobs to be spot on. The book communicates a sense of urgency without hype, and accurately lays out specific areas of sales that are likely to be automated in the next few years. This is a meaty book with a great deal of substance, and I found it to be well-researched. The chapter summaries at the end of each chapter reiterate the key points, and the glossary at the end of the book is a helpful touch. I haven't worked directly in sales but I've worked with many sales colleagues over the years, and I found DJ's stories to be accurate and authentic. Throughout the book I felt a strong connection to the author's messages -- I probably highlighted thirty or forty key points in the first six chapters alone. Part 2 of the book conveys advice on how to survive and prosper in a sales role, both for new and seasoned sales professionals. The recommendations clearly reflect the author's 20+ years of sales experience, and I think this section would be valuable reading for any sales professional, regardless of their interest or awareness in AI. All in all, I found this book to be a rich, well-structured, and well-researched collection of solid sales wisdom.

This book is not just about selling and it is not just for sellers, nor is it a technological deep-dive into Artificial Intelligence technologies. Anyone who is trying to understand the Business Value of these technologies will benefit immensely from DJ's deep domain expertise. For example, DJ's concept of "Business Value Release" in Chapter 8 will be invaluable to employees inside an organization that are trying to help upper management understand the timeframe in which investments will generate returns...including those that can't always be measured in terms of revenue. Another highlight for me was the few short pages of Chapter 4, where DJ's introduction to "SAM" (his hypothetical Sales Automation Machine) simultaneously demonstrates the author's mastery of complex selling cycles, his deep understanding of the technologies that will power his machine, and a keen sense about fundamentals of human nature that will cause people to LOVE buying from "SAM". As one would expect from a master seller and communicator, "The Selling Revolution" is written in clear, concise language that makes it easy to read and hard to put down. Congratulations to DJ Sebastian on what is probably the best first-time effort in non-fiction I can remember.

I've read many books on the subject of sales and "The Selling Revolution" by Sebastian is the best one I've read this year. DJ Sebastian draws on his 20+ years of experience in the technology and business world to bring us a modern perspective to the sales profession. He also highlights how AI is already disrupting the industry and then provides a very compelling value proposition on how one can keep ahead of the game not only as a survival mechanism (otherwise you will get disseminated) but also as a means to thrive. Nurturing trust-based relationships with clients is still crucial. AI will be the tool that will accelerate your efforts to make them stronger. The book is best read from cover to cover as each chapter builds on the last one. My favorite & most fascinating topics were Chapters 3 through 6. These chapters paint a picture of the threat that we are facing and also the tools you need to succeed. I believe that this book's contents can successfully be used in modern day sales training classes around the world. Read this book if you want to become an authentic expert in this field.

Bought this book to learn more about AI for my classes on Sales Management. This guy has selling down pat, but nothing you haven't read in other books. He's a futurist and basically has pie-in-the-sky expectations for the next five years. At best 10-20 years away. till, there's definitely some value in the book for helping an average sales rep augment their game.

As emphasized in this book, it is important for sales professionals to be extremely knowledgeable about how their solutions will improve their customers business. Equally as important is creating a powerful message and communicating it clearly so the customer fully understands how they will benefit. New technologies such as artificial intelligence pose a threat to sales professionals and will require that they build strong relationships with customers. This requires serving as a supportive, proactive advocate for the customer, as well as engaging with related business partners. This book is an informative resource for all sales professionals and those who heed the methods explained in this book can become the most successful in their trade.

This book encapsulates a very important message for today's sales professional seeking to deal with and rise above the threat posed from technology advances. Becoming an Authentic expert who is value added focused and creates mutually beneficial relationships is the essential way forward.

Visualizing and understanding the connective tissue between the "elevator speech" and power selling techniques of the 60's through the computer revolution, social media phenomena to today's cacophony of sales communications this book layers all that on to the landscape of this age of Artificial Intelligence. The Selling Revolution was a fast and enlightening read that I would recommend for every sales professional, sales manager, and company CEO because I have held all of these roles and struggled with the fast-pace of change. Less of a bellwether of the death of all salespeople, it offers specific pathways to using AI to supercharge your top salespeople's activities while harvesting the coming torrents of real-time analysis of all things.

Mr. Sebastian provides a blue print for success in the fast changing world of sales. There is no question that AI is quickly changing how business is conducted now and will be conducted in the future. Those that do not adapt will be left behind and find themselves trying to keep up with new technology using old styles of sales. Even though his topic deals with the world of high tech. His examples and guidance are easy to understand and apply to your particular area of expertise. If you intend to be in sales, whether it's for only a few more years or are just starting out in your sales career, you need to read "The Selling Revolution". It will put you on the right track for years to come.

The easy way to become obsolete is to stand still while everyone else sprints past you. DJ Sebastian offers an overview of what artificial intelligence will mean to the industry, how it is already impacting it, and how you can start now to use it to your advantage. “Sales professionals must become elite performers and reinvent themselves to remain relevant and to prosper in this new world.” DJ Sebastian also emphasizes the growing roles that sales relationship skills, integrity, creativity and skills development will play as the AI revolution starts doing more and more of the heavy lifting in sales. From a customer point of view, this excites me a bit- it will improve the entire experience. You are sure to learn important techniques and valuable information- practical and eye opening.

"With the onset of cognitive computing, Artificial Intelligence provides the "thinking" by using the available data to determine the best possible recommendation at that particular instant in time" This quote really stuck out for me. I work in sales and service, and this book paints an incredible picture for how AI can be used both on a micro and macro level in your business. Highly recommended.