Acknowledgments

The New Solution Selling grew out of our work with customers who have taken our sales process seriously and implemented it and then, to my delight, realized significant increases in their sales results. To all of my customers I say, “thank you.” To the many people who have helped make Solution Selling and my company—Sales Performance International (SPI) successful—I will let this book stand as a symbol of my gratitude and thanks as well.

A few people helped me start my company from the beginning and are still with me today: Sean DesNoyer, Ed Ryan, and Doug Belcher. They helped develop much of the content and most of the customer relationships that we enjoy today. I often say that God sent an angel into my life the day that I met Sean DesNoyer. Sean, I will forever be grateful for your friendship and your contributions to our business. To my mentor for more than twenty years, Jeff Fisher, I will always be grateful.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the contributions of all of the Solution Selling Business Partners and Affiliates that have contributed to the development of our Solution Selling products, services, and intellectual properties to the levels they are at today: capability rich and scalable. Solution Selling is a constant, never-ending, and improving sales process.

I also owe special thanks for the book’s improved and new intellectual property to C. J. Warstler, Jimmy Touchstone, Mike “Mac” McLoughlin, John Rossmeissl, Tracy Peck, Don Perry, Bob McGarrah and Bill Reed, who tirelessly developed courses, tools, and exercises. Their work was tested and purchased by the likes of IBM, Microsoft, GE, Bank of America, PNC, and many other customers in a variety of vertical markets.

Drafts of my manuscript were worked on by Howard Eaton, Bob Nishi, C. J. Warstler, Bob McGarrah, Bill Reed, Jeff Fisher, Tim Sullivan, Sallie Jarosz, Margie (my wife), and Karen Langford, my patient and savvy assistant. Special thanks to Jimmy Touchstone who helped me with the book’s graphics, manuscript drafts, and organization. His untiring efforts are appreciated. Grateful thanks to Jeffrey Krames at McGraw-Hill, the acquisition and book editor. Jeffrey is a passionate person who stayed with the project, worked patiently, and brought it to market.

Finally, two people deserve special gratitude. First, my wife, Margie Eades, who persevered through the long effort, always supporting me, working on drafts, and helping to inspire me. Second, Howard Eaton, my colleague in Solution Selling, also a writer, who from our first meeting at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, where the bones of this book were first shaped, kept me at it—through all six or so drafts of the manuscript.

Thank you all.