About the Format and How You Might Choose to Approach This Book
Seal the Deal is written from a coaching perspective, so it gently guides you through specific action steps to be taken to get your ideal clients. Each step of the book is set up as if you were taking a 10-week course on this material. Thus, if you approach this book as a self-study course, you’ll be serious about trying out the suggested actions and you will see evidence of results in as little as 10 weeks.
Each chapter at the heart of the book is a step of the 10-step proven process. The first part of each chapter is a condensed actual transcript of a telecourse session on that subject, followed by additional explanation and worksheets to bring each step to life. The telecourse scripts offer several benefits, for those of you who choose to read them. You will get to know the participants, their fears, their successes, and their experiences as they learn the same 10-step process you will be learning. You will see their humanity and be able to form an emotional connection to the material through their experiences. The telecourse scripts are full of anecdotes that demonstrate the real-world relevance and examples of each of the 10 steps in the process. You will be able to be a “fly on the wall,” observing a group of highly educated, highly degreed professionals engaged in a powerful, real-life learning dialogue. You will find that you are being coached right along with these participants.
If you opt to approach Seal the Deal as a 10-week self-study course, I recommend that you put the book down between each chapter: Read one each week for 10 weeks and do the homework, try the actions, and use a journal to capture your observations and progress as you move through the steps. There is a good amount of worksheet space so that you can also write in the book and use it as a workbook.
Another option is the quick-study approach, for those of you who don’t have time to complete the steps thoroughly. You can still get powerful results if you want to just get the highlights and skip the telecourse material in each chapter. Just read the second part of each chapter, do the worksheets, and take the action steps. Be sure not to miss the summary points and worksheets in the last two chapters of the book.
You’re too busy for that much? Then I recommend taking the Self- Assessment Quiz on the next page, and then going through the table of contents to hit just the specific highlights that were illuminated by your quiz results. For the impatient, I definitely recommend skipping the telecourse transcripts.
And maybe some folks will approach this book in the random inspiration method—meaning you could just pop it open on any given day and read whatever paragraphs jump out at you. That would be a great way to dive in if you are already a seasoned, successful sales practitioner seeking a quick review to fire yourself up and motivate targeted action.
However you choose to approach it, I appreciate your commitment to try something new, and I applaud your efforts at all levels. You are on your way to Seal the Deal.
