Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Zoltan Vardy, sales manager for 30+ years, creates his first book about sales, aimed at start-ups and new enterprises who have the product, but lack the sales.
As you begin to read the book though, you realise that it’s not just that they lack the sales, it’s that many start-ups lack the sales know-how. It’s one thing to have a product that is perfect in every way, but that doesn’t guarantee that you will sell it. Zoltan sets the scene for how the sales world works, and it has little to do with a CEO being able to sign huge contracts and more to do with tactics, and especially to do with having a proper sales manager who can create the right sales strategy.
That’s one side of the equation. The other side is that no matter how perfect you think your idea or your product is, there is a knack on how to refine it, or make it more useable across different markets. Too niche and you alienate a huge part of your market. Too broad and you won’t target anyone and your idea is lost. This is especially true for media companies and apps, which Zoltan goes into depth about. It’s no wonder as there are so many apps out there and it’s relatively easy to write your own.
Zoltan has 3 Pillars which make up The Launch Code which make up the frame of the book. There’s the Focus, Structure then Scale. Each of the pillars goes into 3 further modules, some of which are more technical than others. This is mainly about Business to Business (B2B) sales and Zoltan peppers his training with experience from his career in media sales. There aren’t any exercises in the book, which is a shame but it is true to a ‘framework’ book which gives instructions in the form of modules.
I like the book, but it is directed more towards those who are already in the throws of a start-up and have a lot of business acumen. I didn’t think the first 2 chapters taught me much, but the pillars and individual modules are short enough that you can spend time digesting the information. Some of it is common sense, but as I read I realised that what I think of as common sense (coming from a business background) is new information to some people who probably don’t have that much experience so it’s good to have it written down in front of you. The emphasis on experience throughout the book is obviously something that hits home with Zoltan who has helped 200+ start-ups who think they know everything. I was blown away from the comment about many businesses thinking that they don’t need a sales manager or a sales strategy, that their CEO can sell the product alone. Wrong, and this book proves why!
The Launch Code helps cement what you already know in a B2B environment or for a start-up, gives you the reasons why you’re wrong and some sound structural advice on how to further your sales, safely!
The Review Studio 