When I review and read a business book, I tend to compartmentalize it for content, approach, flow and conclusion. In this book, the author has generally done a solid job of planning, relating and summarizing the intent and value to be found in the work.
Overall, I believe this is a solid reference for someone who is new to selling, regardless of age. It has substance for those in career change situations, as well as those just entering the field from college. Hoxie asserts throughout the book that being a professional and successful sales professional is an ongoing commitment to building rapport, honest customer relationships and follow through.
The book is broken into 15 main topics areas
1. Sales basics
2. Initial prospecting
3. Initial sales meetings
4. Presentations, solutions
5. Closing
6. Objections
7. Goal setting
8. Continual prospecting
9. Industry specifics
10. The life of a salesperson
11. Sales management
12. Retail sales
13. Your 90 day plan
14. Beyond 90 days
15. Thirty three AST (I will not give the abbreviations away, but they are right on)
Hoxie properly opines that not all sales jobs are worth taking and that are clear benefits and downsides in selling. Each chapter covers a particular topic and offers suggestions and ideas. I do not totally understand the sequence of certain chapters, but that is the author’s perspective. It did seem the title of the book (90 day plan) would be introduced before the next to last chapter, but it does share some good concepts.
This book is very detailed and structured and I believe most readers will appreciate the easy to follow case studies and the pros and cons that are included along the way. The action steps offered are also a positive addition to this kind of book, as they could help guide readers in a week by week channel of activities.
The chapter on objection handling with specific phrases (“I’m on a budget,” “I need to ask….,” or “Can’t you do better on price” etc.) is an excellent practice field for almost anyone , with are scripted answers that could help the novice or uncertain person.
There are industry specific Q&A’s on selling advertising, real estate, services and different kinds of products. Hoxie highlights the common error in sales and marketing of focusing too much time and money on new potential clients, rather than appreciating the existing base.
I recommend this as A Solid Work for Those New to Sales
John J. Hogan CHA CMHS CHE CHO
HoganHospitality
HospitalityEducators
John J Hogan CHA CMHS CHE CHO and Kathleen Hogan MBA CHO are the co-founders of HospitalityEducators.com, which was created in 2010 to be a resource for hotel owners and professionals as they sought to improve market share, occupancy, operational efficiency and profitability.
The husband and wife team are transitioning the original membership site concept and evolving the business model today to a focused resource offering
consulting, training, and individualized support to both hospitality and other service businesses. Services include keynote addresses workshops, online support, metrics measurement, marketing and customer service from a group of more than a dozen experienced professionals. While continuing to serve hospitality, the demand for these types of services is growing and can be personalized.
John Hogan is also the principal of HoganHospitality.com, which provides a range of expert professional services for hotel owners, including professional development for organizations, training, consulting and expert witness services.
Contact information: Kathleen Hogan 
480-436-0283, John Hogan 602-799-5375 or service@hospitalityeducators.com
Workshops Available:
Lessons From the Field: A Common Sense Approach to Effective Hotel Sales
45 Proven Ways to Succeed in Hospitality in Any Economy
John J Hogan of HoganHospitality & HospitalityEducators Blog 