The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function

This book is profoundly comprehensive in dealing with its subject matter, covering every aspect from the details of a phone call to a customer for a specific purpose all the way up through the organisation to the strategic responsibilities of boardroom management. The well reasoned advice and specific do's and don'ts makes it crystal clear that Mr. Roff-Marsh has practiced what he preaches over many years and with many and varied companies and honed his approach into a proven business transformation methodology. I completely agree with another reviewer here that the book touches on much more than just sales.I already had some knowledge of Theory of Constraints (TOC) which helped a lot, but this book lays out a particularly lucid path on how to implement Sales Process Engineering (SPE). Many books on TOC do not go as far with the nuances of the specific actions to take, and in which order, to ensure you begin to see the desired effects. I particularly liked how Mr. Roff-Marsh broadened the discussion by tying in the consequences of all manner of developments which have occurred since the Industrial Revolution and which explain why some of the things we take for granted are the way they are, not necessarily the way they should be.The style of writing comes across as highly educated and the book flows extremely well from one subject to another. I really enjoyed reading it and I actually found a few passages "exciting" to see how they would turn out. Not the case studies, which might usually be the case, but the actual description of the process engineering steps themselves!Mr. Roff-Marsh is very explicit on what is the "right" way and the "wrong" way which sat comfortably with me because the reasoned cause and effect logic is hard to argue with. Even though it seems just like common sense, it takes a strong vision and a firm approach to overcome inertia and implement real and lasting organisational change when there are many stakeholders involved. You won't have much luck sitting on the fence and there is none in this book. Consequently everything is specific and actionable.I've seen sales done the traditional way (and done it myself when I had to) but after reading this book I can't imagine doing so again. With the SPE knowledge laid out in the book, not just what it is but how to do it, it would simply be illogical to persist with the traditional approach because the cause and effect relationships from your actions are completely missing. That is perhaps the most powerful part of the SPE approach. Everybody can see the effects of their actions and how their particular actions contribute to the whole system, including the fulfillment side of the business!So, even if you've only read half this far, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The length of this review is testament to how much time I'm prepared to invest in promoting it. I consider Mr. Roff-Marsh a thought leader in his field and the knowledge he shares in this book is worth its cover charge plus your small time investment multiplied by thousands.

This book will challenge some of your deep rooted beliefs in sales and marketing. But at the same time it provides an step by step roadmap to transforming your sales function.My first introduction to Sales Process Engineering(SPE) was when I watched an interview that Justin Roff-Marsh did for Mixergy sometime back - Mixergy provides business tips from proven entrepreneurs via interviews. Loved the clarity and the confidence with which Justin put forward his ideas. I have been following Justin Roff-Marsh ever since and I am so glad he published this book.This book is a treat to read. In fact, it is a book to be studied not read. Justin lays out the inside-out sales model in great detail, fusing the Theory of Constraints with a powerful narrative and providing detailed guidance on how to implement this sales model. I also love the fact that Justin does not leave us with high level concepts, but takes it down to an implementation level. Justin is not shy to propose bold, controversial ideas. But these ideas are not hollow, they are backed by a sincere effort to explain the “Why” behind them. Case in point is Chapter 7: The End of Commissions, Bonuses and Other Artificial Management Stimulus. A highly controversial topic, but Justin brilliantly lays out his point of view.When I usually read business books, I speed read some chapters that don’t appeal to me or sometimes I even skip them. No so with The Machine. In fact I had to pay extra attention to what I was reading so that I could absorb the concepts and at times very curious to know where this was going. This book is a guide for entrepreneurs, sales and marketing leaders who wish to grow their business in today’s marketplace.For marketing leaders this book should an eye opener. The hard work involved in crafting effective promotions, the illusive nature of CRM benefits and the ever challenging question on how to qualify leads for sales are some of the topics Justin tackles head-on in this book. I can already visualize how our firms’ marketing and sales can function in this new model. The book has the capacity to paint that vivid picture for you.I hope and trust that you learn more about these concepts of Sales Process Engineering (SPE) and I would highly encourage you to read this book. Have you ever bought a new car and then suddenly you start seeing the same model at every corner of the road? Similarly after you have read The Machine, you will not be able to see a traditional sales and marketing function without the SPE lens.Thank you Justin!Your years of knowledge, passion and experience exuded from every chapter of this book.

I wasn’t sure what to expect upon opening this book. It truly is a different approach to managing a business by integrating the sales function into the mainstream of a company’s activities. Very thought provoking and challenges basic assumptions about sales but just as important how an enterprise should be managed to make money.

Justin Roff-Marsh is a pioneer of trying to change not only the way B2B sales are done at most companies but also the way they are compensated.In Justin Roff-Marsh’s experience, some of the best people at sales are technical people that won’t want a title that would associate them as being in sales, of any type. These types of people also do not want to work on commission.Justin found that many of the top salespeople at the companies that he researched and/or consulted with had traits of aggressive, border-line obnoxious, behavior. The exact opposite of what most clients would want to interact with.Justin Roff-Marsh's insights are very refreshing to hear, and his overall view of compensation of salespeople. Even the role of a salesperson in a company should be radically changed and I couldn’t believe how it mirrored my own experience. He gives examples of ways to run sales that avoid many of the traditional pitfalls of B2B sales.A great book that is still relevant today in 2020 and beyond!