Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success Hardcover – September 26, 2017

The media could not be loaded.  This book is an interesting read from the very start, Jordan opens the book talking about himself.. of course he would who else could do it better? If you were hoping for an introduction from someone else famous it isnt there.The book is a mix of the history of Jordans back stories and a mix of his training. You will get all sorts of psychology and influence strategies mixed in the book. Some of these ideas and concepts are explained while some are not. This book is a condensed version of his live training.Its interesting that in the beginning of the book Jordan does apologize for his actions and reminds you the reader to do the right thing for the buyer your client.What you really need to know is anything in this book will take time for you to practice and master. There are quite a few concepts here. If I could give you one piece of advice and that is to start with the vocal pitch mastery because you can practice it anywhere whether on a sales call or talking to friends. That is chapter 4 in the book.I do have to let you know I have read piles of books on persuasion, influence, decision making, sales training, body language, NLP, question asking and even story telling and Jordan has done an amazing job of grabbing some of the best highlights from all of these topics.What I like about this book is it follows the video training Jordan uses. I would have to say that the book does a great job explaining the straight line system but this would be considered a diet version at 244 pages.Here is the rundown of the book mostly by chapter with my thoughts added.Most salespeople go down the path of looking for the special knowledge it takes to be a producer and close sales and there is plenty of this information you can implement in this book.One of the early stories in the book Jordan explains is the first sales team complained that there were thousands of objections the buyers were giving them. In reality there were 14. In your industry there are probably 4 or 5. What it comes down to is salespeople like to make insurmountable excuses when they cant sellThe three tens is another way to explain the know like and trust formula. They like the product, they like you they have trust you will take care of them.The buyer needs to be at an elevated belief or state in 3 areas in order to be influenced to make a buying decision. These 3 areas are based on a scale of 1-10 where one is they don’t care and 10 is they are on fire and need a solution now:1. They like the product, idea or the concept2. They trust and connect with you3. They buyer trust and connects with the companyIf there is uncertainty in any of these areas you will get an automatic response of a common objection.Logical certainty vs emotional certainty is needed from the buyer to make a purchase and future pacing does help to get the buyer to a decision. Objections are a smoke screen to the three tensThe straight line name is explained and why it is important to the sales process. Once you are off the line you are out of bounds. A buyer is always trying to pull you off the line, they think it is their job. Its your job to keep them inside with the 3-10s. This is why salespeople need to stay on topic instead of trying to build so much rapport at the wrong timeObjections are smoke screens for uncertainty, every bit of your presentation is built to help build certainty in the product or the service. This is goal oriented communication.What is not mentioned in the book – salespeople will only use what they have learned to the certainty that the training will work for them.The 3-10 rules1. Take immediate control of the sale2. Engage in massive intelligence gathering while building rapport3. Make a smooth transition to the straight line to help build absolute certainty in the 3-10sMake your question gathering more invasive as the process goes along as trust has been built. Invasive questions early on may build resistance and doubt in your abilities.Drawing out a sales map does help salespeople see visually what is going on the sales process. Drawing a picture of what is going on sets the tone as laid out explaining the ideals of the straight line system.A pain threshold gets people to move away from it as it is human nature, once you uncover the pain you must have a good remedy to take care of it and then paint them a picture of the future to take care of itThe first 5 secondsWe as consumers make quick judgments, you as a salesperson better be at the top of your game at the entrance to the sales call or the phone call. You should be seen as1. Sharp as a tack – Goal oriented and the ability to do something for the buyer2. Enthusiastic as hell – Have a great upbeat energy about you3. An expert in your field - An expert that needs to be talked to, be an expert quickly and not a long term noviceShow them you are worth listening to1. Get to the point quickly2. Do not waste the prospects time3. Have a solution to their problem4. Be a long term assetThe power of tonality (get the book just for this chapter)we are conditioned as children to listen and we look for the verbal cues of someone who knows what they are doing whether we see this or not. Most people do not communicate well vocally and you have an opportunity to outpace salespeople that do not take this skill seriously.Leverage as many conditioned responses as possible so that it makes it easy for people to buy into what you have to say and what you have to offer. Let social norms do most of the heavy lifting for you in the sales process.State managementFuture pacing + act as if is a crude way to describe this idea. You must master your state as an influencer to get people to make decisions and look at you like the expert in the room.We are conditioned to look for experts and hear what they have to say from a young age.The subject of NLP anchoring comes up and is explained. Two of the best people to teach this are Tom Vizzini and Kim McFarland. You can try to get the gist from the book but it is easier to learn from video just google their names. You cant learn this technique in 12 pages from a book as easy as you can from watching and listening to people.Advanced tonalityWhere Jordan truly masters the game of influencing people is the use of tonality. I have seen some of his recordings and have to say the book is good but does not do the teachings justice unless you can hear how he explains how to use your voice like a scalpel instead of a hammer. Thank goodness there is a link in the book you can use to find him explaining this concept to hear for yourself on page 116. You must practice how you use peoples name since it is one of their favorite things to hear. If you say their name like you are singing it you have a better chance of getting into their head. This works live just as it will over the phone. Interact with the buyer as if they were on a friend level vocally. The next step is to use “reason why” justification and explain what the “big idea” of the offer to the buyer to gain enough interest to keep them talking to you.Advanced body languageThere are some concepts in here about facial hair, dressing positioning and stances, jewelry, how to stand talking to a man to not create aggression, how to stand next to a woman to influence her, how to deal with other cultures and so many other non verbal topics that could cover an entire book. The concepts covered here are the highlights of what you need to knowThe art of prospectingThe sell me this pen challenge in a job interview can be used as a metaphor for how many salespeople do not ask enough questions. Most salespeople go into feature and benefit mode before even knowing what the buyer needs.What it really comes down to is don’t sell things to people they don’t needLook for motivated buyers to sell them something they can use to fix a pain or a risk. There is a break down of how to tell if a buyer is not serious1. They ask a ton of questions2. They seem to drag out the process3. They pretend o be interested4. They wont talk about money and avoid answering the questionsOverall this a good book for people who want to sell or persuade others better. This book is written in Jordans voice so you get the stories as well as his common catch phrases. Chapter 4 is worth the price of the book itself.

The skills can be used in many ways other than just sales.The art of persuasion is an important skill that is taught in this book.

The book hits on the fundamentals of being a power player. Its content can be applied in many areas of life. I would like to read more like it.

One of the greatest salesman of all times sells his true secrets. If you didn't read this I feel it's an OBVIOUS must if you care AT ALL about sales or persuasion

Was good, builds up nicely and really makes selling a science. You will need to practice these techniques to perfect them.

My God! If you are in sales right now, you absolutely have to read this book. I ordered mine in March, and it was finally published and arrived yesterday. It took the day to read it, and was well worth the wait.Belfort has a deep and profound understanding of human nature and how to convey the right image to make a sale. From your tone of voice, cadence, enthusiasm, certainty, and belief in what you sell, he knows how to put that all together to generate sales at a rapid rate.OK, the book tells about his history selling stocks, training salespeople, and a little about the adventures he has had along the way. Butmostly, for the price of a lunch, you are essentially getting the meat of the Straight Line Sales System that sells online for about $2,000 (at least that's what I remember a few years ago).One caveat, this book tells the hard truth about making sales. If you sell arts and crafts at a bazaar..maybe this isn't for you. But if you sell high end products, that truly benefit those who buy, this is the book for you.If you sell anything by phone, you can use about 100% of what's in this book. It will all apply to you. But if you are like me, and sell by appointment, maybe 90% will apply. But that 90% is pure gold.If you are going to learn from someone, learn from the best. If your goal is to make money selling...learn from someone who made a fortune doing exactly that.One thing you should know...Belfort talks about not using "pressure", but the techniques he teaches create an urgency to buy, and for some salespeople...that can be a little intimidating. Belfort's personality may turn a few off...you may not even particularly like him. And he swears. So if that hurts your ears, don't buy the book. But if you are hungry...and want to get ahead in selling....this book is the map.Chapter 4 talks about tonality. And as another reviewer said, this chapter alone is well worth the cost of the book.It's more than just the tone of voice...it's the cadence, amplitude, timing, certainty in the voice, "caring" in the voice...and more.Belfort teaches.how to transfer certainty to the prospect. And it's done mostly through how you speak (and body language and facial expressions in person), even more than what you say.Watch a great actor...a slight change in expression can carry loads of meaning. A shift in posture, a raised eyebrow, leaning forward slightly, lowering your voice slightly...can make a big difference. And it's that kind of thing Belfort is talking about.And it works powerfully. Belfort talks about tonality, because he sells over the phone.It has been brought up that he sounds (in his sales videos) like a hustler.His voice is annoying. There, I said it. And my guess is that most of his reps had less than a radio voice as well. And they were mostly uneducated young men.And that's one of the things that impressed me the most. Even though his voice is aggravating (to me)...he still sold millions of dollars of product a month. And he taught others how to do it as well. His methodology is that good.His methodology is so well thought out, his understanding of human nature is so profound, his knowledge of the core of what makes people buy (or makes them object) is so deep... it overcomes all of his flaws (and ours) when pitching over the phone.And in his book he lays it all out. He is a gifted teacher, and it's impossible to not understand what he is teaching, and use it to your immediate profit.I'm going through my second reading now, with a yellow highlighter. This is the kind of book you study.

Glad I decided to read this book..I enjoyed the movie the six times I watched it. I own my own magazine and aft several years I became complacent. Upon reading this book I was excited to get back in action and have implemented several ideas which have jumped started my business. I was actually excited to get back to work and was amazed how fun it is again

Simple mantras of making sure that you stay in course to what you like to sell or believe in the service/product that you want people to have interest in. Could be reduced dramatically, but overall, good for anyone in sales that wants to know what are the key things that they need to focus on.

I have just got to page 104 of this book and tbh I am disappointed, for some reason I expected more.The books starts of fine then he rants on about NLP & sniffing BOOMBOOM, to take you back to your happy place, I’m reading this book thinking he must be deliberately taking the piss out of us.As I say, I have got to page 104 and I am going to walk the dog before continuing to read BUT so far I can recommend many books to buy before this one.Let’s hope the second half is better than the first.UPDATE. Finished the book, the 2nd half does get slightly better and goes into more detail.All in all, this 248 page book could have been a 50 page book maximum on the straight line system, the other pages are just dragging the whole thing out.As a sales book, I wouldn’t recommend as an urgent read, add it to your list but it’s very much over egged.

I was somewhat reserved in ourchasing this book... I didn't want to perpetuate the success of a questionable character and line his pockets via my credulous behaviour and desire to improve my sales game. But I couldnt hate this book. There are a few useful tips in here that you won't necessarily find in other sales books..Of course large parts of the book are nothing unconventionl. Tonality, body language, customer targetting etc. The first bit I found quite interesting was centered around NLP and olfactory state management where belfort suggests using a nasal spray called bang bang to give yourself a physical refresh and get yourself into the right state. It all sounds a bit out there but I do believe state management is important to sales and getting yourself in the right mindset and the right momement and on demand is a very powerful thing. I think this is actually decent and effective advice.The main focus of the book is Jordans 'Straight line method' - which includes 'looping' and 'future pacing'. He assures you this is a bullet proof process where you will close anyone who is closable... hmmm.There are some useful turns of phrase that can be extrapolated, and I like the idea of how he uses an objection to 'loop' back into the sale enabling you to continue with the process and focus on 'selling' another part of the product or service and increase certainty in an area he calls the 3 tens. (1) your product and service (2) your company (3) you. Aagain, inbetween the fluff there are a few things you can take and use but overall I found thes straight line methoda little difficult to digest.Again this book has something to offer, but for me, doesnt come close to the utility of books like - SPIN selling, SNAP selling, New sales Simplified, Exactly how to sell , the Psychology of selling which i think all offer a more in depth and applicable approach to sales

With no background in sales I wanted to learn how to get more customers to my business. I was recommended the book by a sales director I worked with and I found it to be very useful with lots of great techniques which are easy to understand and implement. I made a lot of notes which I am sure I will refer to many times in the future when I find myself in a selling situation.

A bit of a mixed bag.A lot of self celebration from the author especially in the first half.Still fascinating to see how J Belfort thinks about sales. The method is an interesting take and a few things stuck in my mind as an example the low/high action threshold consideration is a nice addition to way of thinking about the sales situation.One last thing Belfort seem to be in agreement with Tony Robbins on a number of things. It might be that NLP influenced both or that Belfort has been influenced by Tony directly. This might help people who know one author and are wondering if to read the other.

WooW, incredible book. By far the best sales book I have ever. So, so simple to understand with easy to understand examples and very well written. Does not repeat its self and very useful with some diagrams in it as well. Just overall a very useful book about sales and persuasion. This book is not only a sales book but human communication and influence book.