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Selling is Dead
by Jason Sinkovitz Marc MillerA manifesto for reinventing the sales functionSelling Is Dead argues that selling teams and growth-motivated organizations must change to remain competitive. It presents a new selling framework based on research that indicates that buyer behavior can be modeled and that large sales and small sales are fundamentally different. This new framework provides salespeople with a practical structure for giving buyers significantly more value for their dollar-value well beyond the products and services being sold. Rather than focusing on one selling model, regardless of the type of sale, this book offers four different types of large sales and presents specific strategies for succeeding at each. Many sales organizations are systematically mismanaging their selling opportunities and failing to optimize their markets. Through effective selling models, illustrative case studies and examples, and real-world anecdotes, Selling Is Dead brings strategy and efficiency to sales-and shows every sales-based business how to reap the rewards.
Selling IT: The Science of Selling, Buying, and Deal-Making
by Sandip Mukhopadhyay Srinivas Pingali Amitabh SatyamInformation technology (IT) is an essential core of the economy today. Corporations and governments worldwide rely on it to drive their core strategy and develop and execute business models. Amounting to over 3.7 trillion US dollars of worldwide spending, the growing significance of the IT industry in the global economy is now well established. Hence, it is crucial to understand the marketplace within which it exists, and this book presents a systematic analysis of the processes, techniques, and methods involved in IT sales and marketing. In Selling IT, the book: Integrates a large IT provider’s selling process with the enterprise user’s IT buying process to highlight the nuances of selling, marketing, and developing IT solutions that create value for customers. Discusses various key concepts such as value-based IT selling, business case for IT acquisition, vendor evaluation and management, account and customer relationship management, customer segmentation, and techniques for customer acquisition and retention. Analyses the challenges and opportunities involved in selling digital IT and examines the evolution of jobs and careers based on the changed IT landscape. Includes lesson plans, case studies, and chapter-wise practice questions to support teaching and learning. The book boasts a robust theoretical foundation supported by a clear exposition of concepts and management theories. It will be of benefit to professionals using organisation-mandated selling processes. Young executives with a technology background looking for a sales and marketing career in the IT industry can also effectively use this book. It will also be an essential read for scholars and researchers in B2B marketing, IT consulting, technology sales, and digital transformation.
Selling Local: Why Local Food Movements Matter
by James Robert Farmer Jennifer Meta RobinsonIn an era bustling with international trade and people on the move, why has local food become increasingly important? How does a community benefit from growing and buying its own produce, rather than eating food sown and harvested by outsiders? Selling Local is an indispensable guide to community-based food movements, showcasing the broad appeal and impact of farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture programs, and food hubs, which combine produce from small farms into quantities large enough for institutions like schools and restaurants. After decades of wanting food in greater quantities, cheaper, and standardized, Americans now increasingly look for quality and crafting. Grocery giants have responded by offering "simple" and "organic" food displayed in folksy crates with seals of organizational approval, while only blocks away a farmer may drop his tailgate on a pickup full of freshly picked sweet corn. At the same time, easy-up umbrellas are likely to unfurl over multi-generational farmers’ markets once or twice a week in any given city or town. Drawing on prodigious fieldwork and research, experts Jennifer Meta Robinson and James Robert Farmer unlock the passion for and promise of local food movements, show us how they unfold practically in towns and on farms, and make a persuasive argument for how much they deeply matter to all of us.
Selling Luxury
by Robin Lent Genevieve Tour Alain-Dominique PerrinWhat does it take to sell high-end luxury creations to the richest clients in the world? In Selling Luxury, Robin Lent and Genevieve Tour, with thirty years of combined experience, share their savoir-faire. You'll also pick up tips from multi-million dollar luxury sales professionals who will help you understand the complexities of the universe of luxury. Selling Luxury will show you how a salesperson can acquire Sales Ambassador status by offering the impeccable service associated with the world's most prestigious brands.
Selling Modernity: Advertising in Twentieth-Century Germany
by Pamela E. Swett S. Jonathan Wiesen Jonathan R. ZatlinThe sheer intensity and violence of Germany's twentieth century--through the end of an empire, two world wars, two democracies, and two dictatorships--provide a unique opportunity to assess the power and endurance of commercial imagery in the most extreme circumstances. Selling Modernity places advertising and advertisements in this tumultuous historical setting, exploring such themes as the relationship between advertising and propaganda in Nazi Germany, the influence of the United States on German advertising, the use of advertising to promote mass consumption in West Germany, and the ideological uses and eventual prohibition of advertising in East Germany. While the essays are informed by the burgeoning literature on consumer society, Selling Modernity focuses on the actors who had the greatest stake in successful merchandising: company managers, advertising executives, copywriters, graphic artists, market researchers, and salespeople, all of whom helped shape the depiction of a company's products, reputation, and visions of modern life. The contributors consider topics ranging from critiques of capitalism triggered by the growth of advertising in the 1890s to the racial politics of Coca-Cola's marketing strategies during the Nazi era, and from the post-1945 career of an erotica entrepreneur to a federal anti-drug campaign in West Germany. Whether analyzing the growing fascination with racialized discourse reflected in early-twentieth-century professional advertising journals or the postwar efforts of Lufthansa to lure holiday and business travelers back to a country associated with mass murder, the contributors reveal advertising's central role in debates about German culture, business, politics, and society. Contributors. Shelley Baranowski, Greg Castillo, Victoria de Grazia, Guillaume de Syon, Holm Friebe, Rainer Gries, Elizabeth Heineman, Michael Imort, Anne Kaminsky, Kevin Repp , Corey Ross, Jeff Schutts, Robert P. Stephens, Pamela E. Swett, S. Jonathan Wiesen, Jonathan R. Zatlin
Selling Naked: A Revolutionary Approach to Launching Your Brand Online
by Jesse Horwitz&“A candid, behind-the-scenes look at how successful direct-to-consumer brands such as Hubble are launching their businesses on platforms like Facebook and Google.&”—Lisa Sherman, president and CEO, the Ad Council &“A must-read for anyone interested in starting a new business.&”—Moiz Ali, CEO, Native E-commerce startups have exploded in the marketplace, selling merchandise and services directly to consumers, often through mobile phones. They skip the middlemen, avoid the lower margins of retail channels of distribution, strike deals directly with manufacturers and suppliers, and, in doing so, save consumers money. Among the companies that are part of this e-commerce revolution are Dollar Shave Club, Casper, Quip, Peloton, and Hubble Contacts. In Selling Naked, Hubble Contacts co-founder and co-CEO Jesse Horwitz shows entrepreneurs and enterprise companies alike precisely how to conceive, launch, and grow an e-commerce brand by using paid marketing social media channels. Horwitz shows entrepreneurs how to test consumer interest before spending a dime by placing mock ads on Facebook and other social media. Using this method, Hubble Contacts got an astonishing two thousand signups in four days, and as a result, raised $3.5 million in seed money. Hubble ran a second experiment to see if consumers would actually sign up for the service, which led to a second multimillion-dollar investment. Horwitz shows how startups can cut through the metrics bullshit to focus on the one metric that really matters; how to use third-party tools rather than build everything from scratch; and how to tell a great story to investors and frame your digital offering. In addition to running Hubble, Jesse Horwitz now works with established Fortune 500 enterprises to help build their e-commerce brands within the landscape of a larger retail environment. Selling Naked is the definitive playbook on how to start up a successful direct-to-consumer business.
The Selling of the American Economy: How Foreign Companies are Remaking the American Dream
by Micheline MaynardMaynard presents a compelling, story-driven narrative about how foreign companies, despite the suspicion and unease many Americans harbor, are powerfully and positively transforming America's communities and economy.
Selling on Amazon at Tower Paddle Boards
by David Lopez-Lengowski Thales S. TeixeiraBy June 2012, Stephan Aarstol felt that he had successfully passed the first critical stage of his ecommerce business. As the founder and CEO of a standup paddleboard (SUP) business, he had built a strong relationship with Asian manufacturers, built a small warehouse and fulfilment center, designed an innovative line of inflatable SUPs, and built an ecommerce website that sold boards and accessories directly to consumers. After the rising trend in interest for the sport provided a strong wave for growth in sales, Aarstol contemplated the next stage at Tower Paddle Boards. Should he partner with Amazon to sell his full line of boards—manufactured under his brand—and accessories—manufactured by other brands? Should he sell to Amazon? Should he sell on Amazon Marketplace? Or should he avoid the powerful online retail giant altogether?
Selling on Amazon For Dummies
by Joseph Kraynak Deniz OlmezSell on Amazon and Make Them Do the Heavy Lifting Selling on Amazon has become one of the most popular ways to earn income online. In fact, there are over 2 million people selling on Amazon worldwide. Amazon allows any business, no matter how small, to get their products in front of millions of customers and take advantage of the largest fulfillment network in the world. It also allows businesses to leverage their first-class customer service and storage capabilities. Selling on Amazon For Dummies walks owners through the process of building a business on Amazon—a business that can be built almost anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to a computer and the internet. The basics of selling on Amazon Using FBA Getting started Deciding what to sell Conducting product research Finding your way around Seller Central Product sourcing, shipping and returns, Amazon subscription, fees, sales tax, and more How to earn ROIs (Returns on Your Investments) Selling on Amazon provides the strategies, tools, and education you need, including turnkey solutions focused on sales, marketing, branding, and marketplace development to analyze and maximize opportunities.
Selling On eBay.com.au For Dummies
by Nathan Huppatz Marsha CollierClear the clutter and make some cash! Selling items on eBay.com.au is the perfect way to declutter your home and make some money in the process. But getting the best price for your items isn’t always a cinch. This book provides plenty of tips and tricks for improving your listings, using the most suitable (and cost-effective) shipping methods, setting up an eBay store, using pictures to increase your profits, and finding more goods to sell.
Selling Online For Dummies
by Paul WaddyTransform your ecommerce ideas into profitable reality with this page-turning new handbook Online shopping is more popular than ever, and ecommerce is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. Isn’t it time for you to claim your share? If you’ve been wondering how to start an online business, or get your current business thriving online, this comprehensive guide shares everything you need to know. In Selling Online For Dummies, ecommerce advisor and online shopping guru Paul Waddy shows you exactly how to get started in setting up your online shop. With an expert’s eye for business, and an easy-to-understand take on the technical stuff, Waddy takes you from digital start to finish as he discusses topics like: Finding hot products to sell, working with suppliers and managing your inventory Building a website from scratch by choosing the right developer and platform Marketing your site with smart SEO, paid ads, and organic marketing strategies on Google, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok Understanding the user experience and creating happy, loyal customers Dealing with payments, currencies, taxes and duties It’s time to take advantage of the commercial opportunities waiting for you online. Selling Online For Dummies is a must-read that will help you turn your great idea from virtual to reality.
Selling Our Souls: The Commodification of Hospital Care in the United States
by Adam Dalton ReichHealth care costs make up nearly a fifth of U.S. gross domestic product, but health care is a peculiar thing to buy and sell. Both a scarce resource and a basic need, it involves physical and emotional vulnerability and at the same time it operates as big business. Patients have little choice but to trust those who provide them care, but even those providers confront a great deal of medical uncertainty about the services they offer. Selling Our Souls looks at the contradictions inherent in one particular health care market—hospital care. Based on extensive interviews and observations across the three hospitals of one California city, the book explores the tensions embedded in the market for hospital care, how different hospitals manage these tensions, the historical trajectories driving disparities in contemporary hospital practice, and the perils and possibilities of various models of care.As Adam Reich shows, the book's three featured hospitals could not be more different in background or contemporary practice. PubliCare was founded in the late nineteenth century as an almshouse in order to address the needs of the destitute. HolyCare was founded by an order of nuns in the mid-twentieth century, offering spiritual comfort to the paying patient. And GroupCare was founded in the late twentieth century to rationalize and economize care for middle-class patients and their employers. Reich explains how these legacies play out today in terms of the hospitals' different responses to similar market pressures, and the varieties of care that result.Selling Our Souls is an in-depth investigation into how hospital organizations and the people who work in them make sense of and respond to the modern health care market.
Selling Out a Superpower
by Ronald R. PollinaIn 1968, there were sixty-two lobbyists in Washington; today there are thirty-four thousand, outnumbering members of Congress and their staffers two to one. By 2008, these lobbyists were spending approximately $8.2 million for influence per day. Few, if any, of these lobbyists represent the majority of Americans in the middle class. So it's not surprising, given these statistics, that real median household income in America has stagnated for over a decade. This hard-hitting book documents that a combination of special interest groups and their army of money-peddling lobbyists, along with government mismanagement of business and the economy by both parties, have betrayed the American middle and lower classes for the last twenty years. The result is a host of misguided laws and policies that have driven jobs and whole industries offshore, never to return. The author takes issue with those who emphasize the potential benefits of globalization without taking notice of its many negative effects on American society. He also argues that inept policy threatens to derail the American economy permanently and that our economic malaise is more than a short-term reaction to a financial market collapse or global market forces. He cites critical areas where changes must be made to reverse the negative trend:* Improving our 1950s-era educational system to produce a workforce able to compete for 21st-century jobs.* Reform of tax codes that have been driving companies and jobs offshore. We are currently a nation that manufactures practically nothing!* Weaning all levels of government away from deficit spending, which drains economic power* Pursuing free trade that also means fair trade.* Ending the cycle of credit-card debt and all-too-easy mortgage credit to finance ultimately unaffordable lifestyles.* Making the United States more business friendly, so companies will grow and provide desperately needed jobs here at home.The author warns that unless we implement these and other recommended changes, the American economy will inevitably decline while China, India, and other up-and-coming nations ascend. He maintains that all is not lost. If we follow the course he sets, we can reinvigorate and renew our economy, rebuild America's greatness, create 21st-century jobs, and more. This book provides a roadmap for reclaiming American preeminence.
Selling Out or Buying In?: Debating Consumerism in Vancouver and Victoria, 1945-1985
by Michael DawsonUntil the late 1950s residents of Vancouver and Victoria negotiated a shopping landscape that would be unrecognizable to today’s consumers: most stores were closed for at least half the day on Wednesdays, prevented from opening during the evenings, and were banned from operating on Sundays. Since that decade, however, British Columbians, and Canadians generally, have made significant strides in gaining greater and easier access to consumer goods. Selling Out or Buying In? is the first work to illuminate the process by which consumers’ access to goods and services was liberalized and deregulated in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century. Michael Dawson’s engagingly written and detailed exploration of the debates amongst everyday citizens and politicians regarding the pros and cons of expanding shopping opportunities, challenges the assumption of inevitability surrounding Canada’s emergence as a consumer society. The expansion of store hours was a highly contested and contingent development that pitted employees, owners and regulators against one another. Dawson’s nuanced analysis of archival and newspaper sources reveals the strains that modern capitalism imparted upon the accepted and established rhythms of daily life.
Selling Paris: Property and Commercial Culture in the Fin-de-siècle Capital
by Alexia M. YatesBesieged during the Franco-Prussian War, its buildings damaged, its finances mired in debt, Paris was a city in crisis. Alexia Yates chronicles the private actors and networks, practices and politics, that spurred the largest building boom of the nineteenth century, turning city-making into big business in the French capital.
Selling Power: Economics, Policy, and Electric Utilities Before 1940
by John L. NeufeldWe remember Thomas Edison as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, but he deserves credit for something much larger, an even more singular invention that profoundly changed the way the world works: the modern electric utility industry. Edison's light bulb was the first to work within a system where a utility generated electricity and distributed it to customers for lighting. The story of how electric utilities went within one generation from prototype to an indispensable part of most Americans' lives is a story about the relationships between political and technological change. John L. Neufeld offers a comprehensive historical treatment of the economics that shaped electric utilities. Compared with most industries, the organization of the electric utility industry is not--and cannot be--economically efficient. Most industries are kept by law in a state of fair competition, but the capital necessary to start an electric company--generators, transmission and distribution systems, and land and buildings--is so substantial that few companies can enter the market and compete. Therefore, the natural state of the electric utility industry since its inception has been a monopoly subject to government oversight. These characteristics of electric utilities--and electricity's importance--have created over time sharp political controversies, and changing public policies have dramatically changed the industry's structure to an extent matched by few other industries. Neufeld outlines the struggles that shaped the industry's development, and shows how the experience of electric utilities provides insight into the design of economic institutions, including today's new large-scale markets.
Selling Professional and Financial Services Handbook + Website
by Scott Paczosa Chuck PeruchiniAn effective strategic framework for successful face-to-face selling for financial services industry professionalsTimes are very tough for people who sell professional services and Selling Professional and Financial Services Handbook offers a new solution proven in practice. The book describes methods the authors have used and taught since the 1990s, most recently at a major consulting firm, where they led a Global Business Development team to revenue gains of 500% over six years -- in a period that included the recession of 2008-10.The solution is not any new twist on face-to-face selling techniques or the art of persuasion. It's a strategic approach built around a simple fact: the markets are tight but far from static. Even with lean budgets, client companies must respond to urgent changes and emerging threats in their industries. Thus they will buy services from the sellers who can help them detect, understand, and cope with what's coming their way.This handbook outlines a systematic way of becoming such a valued resource. Readers learn to scan the horizon for early signs of "rock-ripple events." Major changes in the business world often spring from new developments that are little noted or heeded, at first, by the client companies soon to be affected by them. But like a rock dropped in a pond, these events set off ripples that sweep through entire industry sectors, creating must-have service needs.The book is written for everyone who sells, or is responsible for selling, professional services. This includes but is not limited to: law firms, consulting firms, finance industry, public relations, engineering, and architectural services.Readers who can benefit from the dynamic approach hold a variety of positions. They include:Attorneys, consultants and other practitioners who must sell their services as well as execute.CEOs, equity partners, practice-area leaders, functional and divisional leadersPrivate Equity or Venture Capital executivesSales or business-development professionals, from entry level to senior levelSales and marketing managersBut the book is for sellers in every category who need a new and better approach to selling. Many, even the most skilled, simply have not adjusted to the new normal of today's economy. They persist with old strategies that cannot be as productive as they once were, such as pursuing one-off opportunities (which are too few and too hard to win in lean times) or old-style "relationship selling" (which gains little if any traction). Selling Professional and Financial Services Handbook gives all such readers a new strategic framework within which to apply their face-to-face selling skills. It is an approach that puts them in position to win -- so they can sell from ahead of the game, instead of struggling to keep up with it.
Selling Real Estate Services
by Robert A PotterPraise for Selling Real Estate Services"Selling Real Estate Services shows you how to stop being a vendor and start being a partner. Bob Potter's Third-Level concept will help you win more, have more fun, and build greater client loyalty. It's a playbook for success."--Roger T. Staubach, Executive Chairman for the Americas, Jones Lang LaSalle, and founder of The Staubach Company"It's not just about selling; it's about winning. Just in time for one of the most competitive markets in a generation. Be prepared to win."--Robert A. Ortiz, Executive Managing Director - U.S. Operations, Cushman & Wakefield Inc."Bob Potter's Third-Level Selling offers a progressive, advanced approach to building trust, demonstrating value, and winning. Whether you are new to real estate or a seasoned veteran, it will take your career to the next level."--Craig Robbins, Chief Knowledge Officer, Colliers International"Business development never stops for successful real estate companies. Bob Potter gets it, and his simple strategies and techniques can be implemented immediately across a sales-oriented organization. This book is a gem."--Tom Donnelly, President and COO, ValleyCrest Landscape Development"Rarely do books capture the essence of success in our industry. Third-Level Selling helps one understand how you build long-term committed relationships with clients. This book is a road map to becoming a top producer; I only hope that my competition doesn't read it!"--Dan Winey, Managing Principal, Gensler
Selling Rights
by Lynette OwenNow in its ninth edition, Selling Rights has firmly established itself as the leading guide to all aspects of rights sales and co-publications throughout the world.Covering the full range of potential rights, from English-language territorial rights through to serial rights, permissions, rights for the reading-impaired, translation rights, dramatization and documentary rights, electronic and multimedia rights, this book constitutes a comprehensive introduction and companion to the topic. Besides individual types of rights, topics covered also include book fairs, Open Access, the ongoing impact of new electronic hardware, and the rights implications of acquisitions, mergers, and disposals.This fully updated edition includes:• New IP legislation and proposed legislation in the UK and the USA, including changes regarding TDM and the post-Brexit implications of EU directives and exhaustion of rights.• The implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for author contracts and licensing contracts.• The impact of the pandemic and its aftermath on the promotion and sale of rights.• Coverage of censorship in countries around the world, especially in relation to LGBTQI+ content, as well as political situations which have impacted on rights trading.• The impact of streaming services on opportunities for licensing television and film rights.• Major revisions to the chapters on audio and video recording rights, the internet and publishing, and electronic publishing and digital licensing.Selling Rights is an essential reference tool and an accessible and illuminating guide to current and future issues for rights professionals and students of publishing.
Selling Sacred Ground: Will Real Estate Agents Be Relevant or Replaces?
by Craig FarestveitSelling Sacred Ground takes an in-depth look at the real estate sales process and whether or not the real estate agent will be relevant or worthy of replacement in the marketplace.With over 5 million homes selling in the US every year, our growing DIY culture is asking if the traditional real estate agent is worth the commissions paid in all of those transactions. After all, traditional &“experts&” such as travel agents, stock brokers, and even doctors have been forced to adjust their roles with sites such as Expedia, Charles Schwab, and WebMD available to the public.Whereas most real estate resources are focused on how to get more clients and even more money from those clients, long-term veteran Craig Farestveit addresses how to actually do the job well for clients. A sobering how-to for those considering a career in real estate, Selling Sacred Ground looks at what a good real estate agent actually does in the sale of the home, helping those buying or selling decide if an agent is worth the cost and guiding experienced real estate agents to growth in a changing marketplace.
Selling & Sales Management: Developing Skills for Success
by Lisa SpillerPacked with engaging examples and case studies from companies including Amazon, IBM, and Pepsi, as well as unique insights from sales professionals across the globe, this comprehensive textbook balances research, theory, and practice to guide students through the art and science of selling in a fast-changing and digital age. The text highlights the emerging role of storytelling, sales analytics and automation in a highly competitive and technological world, and includes exercises and role plays for students to practice as they learn about each stage of the selling process. As well as its focus on selling, the text also provides students with essential sales management skills such as onboarding, coaching, mentoring, and leading salespeople, as well as managing sales pipelines, territories, budgets, systems, and teams when not in the field. Online resources are included to help instructors teaching with the textbook, including PowerPoint slides and a testbank. Chapter overviews and teaching notes for the roleplays included in the text and suggested course projects and worksheets are also provided for instructors. Suitable for courses on selling and sales management at all college and university levels.
Selling & Sales Management: Developing Skills for Success
by Lisa SpillerPacked with engaging examples and case studies from companies including Amazon, IBM, and Pepsi, as well as unique insights from sales professionals across the globe, this comprehensive textbook balances research, theory, and practice to guide students through the art and science of selling in a fast-changing and digital age. The text highlights the emerging role of storytelling, sales analytics and automation in a highly competitive and technological world, and includes exercises and role plays for students to practice as they learn about each stage of the selling process. As well as its focus on selling, the text also provides students with essential sales management skills such as onboarding, coaching, mentoring, and leading salespeople, as well as managing sales pipelines, territories, budgets, systems, and teams when not in the field. Online resources are included to help instructors teaching with the textbook, including PowerPoint slides and a testbank. Chapter overviews and teaching notes for the roleplays included in the text and suggested course projects and worksheets are also provided for instructors. Suitable for courses on selling and sales management at all college and university levels.
Selling Services: The ABC of Professional Selling
by Clifton WarrenMore than ever, our economy relies on the service industries – but selling services is far different from selling tangible products. This book demystifies the selling of intangibles and teaches the required skills to grow any professional service business. Leveraging his 30 years’ experience, leading sales expert Clifton Warren offers 26 lessons to help readers navigate the selling of complex and intangible solutions. Each chapter covers an important concept from A (Accountability) to Z (Zigzagging) in a concise and readable format, including a "to-do" action list that makes the book both a workbook and a study guide. By successfully applying the steps discussed in each chapter, professionals will substantially improve their performance and results, and anyone looking to drill down into specific topics will find additional resources to explore. B2B sales professionals in banking, insurance, finance, and other services, and small business owners such as lawyers, architects, and engineers, as well as professionals transitioning into sales roles, will appreciate the thorough and easy-to-follow guidance that this book provides.
Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon
by Lauren Sherman Chantal FernandezThe story of how Victoria’s Secret skyrocketed from a tiny chain of boutiques to a retail phenomenon with more than $8 billion in annual sales at its peak—all while defining an impossible beauty standard for generations of American women—before the brand’s tight grip on the industry finally slippedVictoria’s Secret is one of the most influential and polarizing brands to ever infiltrate the psyche of the American consumer. Almost right at its start in the late 1970s, the company developed a cult following for its glamorous catalogs. Back then, shoppers had few alternatives to the stodgy department stores that sold most of the nation’s intimate apparel. By 1982, the founders of Victoria’s Secret avoided bankruptcy by selling to Les Wexner, the fast-fashion pioneer behind the Limited, whose empire of mall brands would go on to dominate American retail for forty years.Wexner turned Victoria’s Secret into a multibillion-dollar business, and the brand’s cultural influence soared thanks to its airbrushed advertisements and annual televised fashion show, which drew millions of viewers each year. Its supermodel spokeswomen, the sweet but sultry Angels, personified a new American beauty standard.But as our definition of beauty expanded, Victoria’s Secret failed to evolve and reached a crisis point. Meanwhile, Wexner became increasingly known for his complicated relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, his former financial adviser and confidant.Selling Sexy expertly draws from sources within Victoria’s Secret and across the industry to examine the unprecedented rise of one of the most innovative brands in retail history—a brand that today, under new ownership, is desperately trying to seduce shoppers again.
Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients
by Ray Moynihan Alan CasselsThis book presents a valuable counterweight to the mind-numbing barrage of unproven diagnoses and just plain dysinformation that haunts the airwaves and even some medical journals.