Neil Rackham
Encyclopedia
Neil Rackham is a speaker and writer on sales
and marketing
. Three of his books have been on the New York Times best seller list
and his works have been translated into over 50 languages.
, Rackham grew up in the jungles of Borneo
, returning to England to enter Sheffield University, where he earned a degree in experimental psychology
. His post-graduate research followed (see below) and then his many books.
He went on to found Huthwaite, Inc., an international research and consulting firm, and became Chairman. He left in 2004. In October 2009 Rackham reengaged with Huthwaite’s current President & CEO in a strategic advisory capacity.
Rackham has worked closely with sales forces for companies such as IBM
, Xerox
, AT&T
and Citicorp. He has also worked extensively with senior partners in some of the world’s most successful professional services organizations including McKinsey & Company
, where he was for many years a member of the Sales and Channel Management Group. He has been an advisor on sales performance to several Fortune 100 companies.
Rackham is Visiting Professor
of Sales and Marketing at the University of Portsmouth
and at Cranfield University
in England. He lives in Virginia
, USA.
at Sheffield, he developed new research tools to study areas such as selling
and negotiating where success depended on complex interpersonal skills. From watching top performing salespeople in action, Neil became convinced that much of the traditional wisdom on how to sell was inadequate and often downright wrong. He put together a research consortium, supported by major multinational companies including Xerox
and IBM
, raising the funds needed to mount the largest ever research study of successful selling
. This project involved a team of 30 researchers who studied 35,000 sales calls in over 20 countries. From the results of these studies he published the groundbreaking classic SPIN® Selling and Major Account Sales Strategy.
Rackham has written over 50 articles on marketing, selling and channel strategy for publications such as Harvard Business Review
and McKinsey Quarterly.
His other books include Managing Major Sales and Getting Partnering Right: How Market Leaders Are Creating Long-Term Competitive Advantage. More than half the Fortune 500 train their salespeople using sales models derived from his research. His book Rethinking The Sales Force has received wide acclaim from critics, academics and salespeople. It is required reading at many leading business schools.
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Three of his books have been on the New York Times best seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
and his works have been translated into over 50 languages.
Biography
Born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Rackham grew up in the jungles of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, returning to England to enter Sheffield University, where he earned a degree in experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
. His post-graduate research followed (see below) and then his many books.
He went on to found Huthwaite, Inc., an international research and consulting firm, and became Chairman. He left in 2004. In October 2009 Rackham reengaged with Huthwaite’s current President & CEO in a strategic advisory capacity.
Rackham has worked closely with sales forces for companies such as IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
and Citicorp. He has also worked extensively with senior partners in some of the world’s most successful professional services organizations including McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
, where he was for many years a member of the Sales and Channel Management Group. He has been an advisor on sales performance to several Fortune 100 companies.
Rackham is Visiting Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Sales and Marketing at the University of Portsmouth
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
and at Cranfield University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
in England. He lives in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA.
Research
While a Post-graduate Research FellowResearch fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
at Sheffield, he developed new research tools to study areas such as selling
Selling
Selling is offering to exchange something of value for something else. The something of value being offered may be tangible or intangible. The something else, usually money, is most often seen by the seller as being of equal or greater value than that being offered for sale.Another person or...
and negotiating where success depended on complex interpersonal skills. From watching top performing salespeople in action, Neil became convinced that much of the traditional wisdom on how to sell was inadequate and often downright wrong. He put together a research consortium, supported by major multinational companies including Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, raising the funds needed to mount the largest ever research study of successful selling
Selling
Selling is offering to exchange something of value for something else. The something of value being offered may be tangible or intangible. The something else, usually money, is most often seen by the seller as being of equal or greater value than that being offered for sale.Another person or...
. This project involved a team of 30 researchers who studied 35,000 sales calls in over 20 countries. From the results of these studies he published the groundbreaking classic SPIN® Selling and Major Account Sales Strategy.
Publications
Rackham's books regularly rank among business best sellers, and SPIN® Selling is McGraw Hill’s best selling business book ever, with sales increasing each year since its publication. SPIN® Selling was also one of the first models of consultative selling.Rackham has written over 50 articles on marketing, selling and channel strategy for publications such as Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
and McKinsey Quarterly.
His other books include Managing Major Sales and Getting Partnering Right: How Market Leaders Are Creating Long-Term Competitive Advantage. More than half the Fortune 500 train their salespeople using sales models derived from his research. His book Rethinking The Sales Force has received wide acclaim from critics, academics and salespeople. It is required reading at many leading business schools.