This book felt like it was more "how to be a good salesperson" than really overcoming obstacles in any situation. I'm retired and didn't really feel like this was a book that for me and my personality. In my opinion, it was not a motivational read.

I remember when these were the pitchmen to watch and learn from. They set the bar high and brought an energy unequaled. Billy Mays was my preferred of the two but I was young and naive. His cause of death shocked and disillusioned me.
This book is full of anecdotes and reminds one never to give up when following a dream. Find your goal, focus your attention and take action. There are no substitutes.

Many of us remember those old commercials with the OxiClean man with the blue shirt and ran slacks, dark goatee. He was unforgettable! He showed us what we could do with this product and touched our souls with how it would make our lives better, right?
Unfortunately, that man, Bill Mays has passed away, but his once competitor and soon to be best friend Anthony Sullivan shares how he and Mr Mays have developed the most amazing sales pitches ever!
Mr Sullivan shares his side of the story. His version of what happened between himself and Mr Mays while they were competing against each other for ratings and sales. Needless to say, teaming up was an absolutely spectacular idea!
"To really have success in connecting with people and building trust, you need to own what you're doing and love what you're doing." -Anthony Sullivan
In "You Get What You Pitch For", Mr Sullivan shares his sales experiences and how he learned and grew. He didn't always have a great pitch, he molded it and learned from his mistakes and the mistakes of others. He asked questions. He learned what his customers wanted before making suggestions. How can you help the customer if you don't even know what they really need or want?
People like to be dazzled! They like to feel mesmerized! Make it look effortless to use! Great pitch people can make eye contact and use a product at the same time. It takes practice. Mr Sullivan admits that.
Although your right pitch won't develop overnight, you can get through this book of great tips and strategies. This excellent book was provided complimentary for an honest review. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to persuade anyone to do anything.

I felt like the first 3/4 of the books was too much, look at me, see what I did. His tone was a bit too overzealous, for this reader. It had some very basic common sense sales, people skills knowledge. It was very basic, and I didn't feel that I learned from that portion of the book. The last 1/4 of the book made the whole book worth the time it took to read. The Techniques and observations he shared were wonderful and something I haven't read in a every other sales book.
I think this book would be useful to young people just stepping out into the world. This basic knowledge could give them a good head start towards reaching their dreams. This is a basic life skill we all use daily not just for work.

Ho-hum. Well, I didn't actually yawn, but my first reaction when this book turned up available for request on my NetGalley list of possibilities wasn't exactly positive. That's for two reasons: One, I'm not even close to a fan of sales pitches (think: door-to-door hucksters and telemarketers). And second, back in my much younger days I had a side business conducting employee development/motivational seminars. What could I possibly learn?

Ah, but there's that magic word: Learn. I may be a slightly graying 76-year-old grandmother of four mostly grown-ups, but I plan on going strong as long as I can. One of the things that keeps me hopping is my firm belief that when you stop learning, you stop living. Well then, I said, bring it on!

And by golly, I learned a lot - starting with (surprise!) "Pitching is not about selling." Besides that, I now know that a) The author is someone with whom I'd enjoy the heck out of tipping a few beers in a local pub and b) He could pitch me under the table in a New York minute.

That he's the perfect pitchster, though, isn't so unexpected; after all, he's got experience out the wazoo. In all likelihood, you've seen him do his thing as the TV "face" of OxiClean. You also may be familiar with his long-time pitch partner and friend, Billy Mays, who died in 2009 - after which the author, informally known as "Sully," kept the pitch perking along (although he now spends more time producing other people's pitches than doing his own shtick). Point is, he's been there, done that - and now he's spreading the wealth of his experience with other folks, encouraging them to follow suit. Better yet, he's done it in a manner that's interesting, informative and easy to understand.

As mentioned earlier, it's not about having a product to sell - unless you count yourself as a product, which is, in fact, the point. The take-away for readers is learning to control any situation, create fierce agreement and get what you want in life (hey, that would be a great subtitle for this book - oh wait, it is)! Anyone who wants to put in the effort to learn how can accomplish all that, he maintains, offering a set of 10 "Pitch Powers" that he explains in detail. The first of these "superpowers" is "Know Your Acceptable Outcomes." How, exactly, do you want the situation to end (or put another way, what's your goal)? That settled, the question becomes, what will it take to get you there?

He lays out the fundmentals and, using personal examples sprinkled with humor, tells how he puts them into practice and what it will take for readers to do the same. He's also honest; nothing is a sure thing - meaning no matter how you approach a person or a situation, slam-dunk success won't always happen. And if you're not willing to practice, practice and practice some more, you might as well fuhgettaboutit. By the end of the book, you'll have a doggone good grasp of the techniques he used - still does - to become successful. If you pay attention and follow through, they'll be of help no matter whether you want to become a Home Shopping Network sales guru, navigate the corporate ladder or win the hand of a fair maiden (well, at least get her to talk to you).

Throughout, more food for thought is added by way of catchy but meaningful snippets, such as:

"Facts tell, stories sell."

"Your audience isn't going to decide based on anything you say or do, but on how you make them feel."

"A lesson by example is always more effective than a lesson by lecture."

"'No' is just 'yes' misspelled.'" Okay, okay, that one is gag-me-with-a-spoon hokey, but it's a point well taken nonetheless.

The bottom line is this: If you're looking to get in control of your professional and/or personal life, this book is a pitch perfect place to start. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Well done!

“See what you’re offering as precious and desirable, whether it’s your time, your expertise, or your business.”

That statement from “You Get What You Pitch For” should tell you that this book, even though you might think it is targeting a certain sector of the population, is actually something that everyone should read. Don’t be sold by the title, this book can and should be read by everyone, for there is value here for all of us.

The point is that everyone has opportunities to pitch and this happens regularly, like when we ask for a job, a raise, whenever we buy a big-ticket item, if we want to make a good impression on a stranger, etc. These can be important moments in our lives, and the tendency to just “wing it” or meekly accept what we are offered are all too often the choices many people choose by default.

Mr. Sullivan wants to give us the tools to change our future opportunities, and he begins by telling us that pitching is about connecting with another human being. If that common-sense statement isn’t enough, he then moves on to explain ten elements of any pitch that we can easily incorporate into our personal toolboxes. He has aptly named these elements “Pitch Powers,” generously sharing the decades of knowledge neatly crunched into a quick read. The author, known to many as the OxyClean guy, explains and entertains with countless stories and examples that emphasize the points he is teaching.

One of my favorite sections was “What would Billy do?” Mr. Sullivan and Billy Mayes were partners and friends, and you can almost hear Billy Mayes speaking in that ad-voice of his as he explains in true Mayesian fashion just how and why Mr. Sullivan is making sense. These one-paragraph sidebars teach while adding a special flavor to the book.

The single thing that bothered me was the occasional vulgarity, including f-bombs. Even the author says “…foul language might be fine for a Las Vegas stage…but it’s rarely a good idea when you’re pitching.” I have never heard of a reader who stopped reading a book because the author was not being vulgar, but there are many who will put a book aside or return it if there are f-bombs. In this book, the instances averaged a few a chapter and thus were not excessive, and while I personally don’t like to see them in a business-oriented book, I am not the language police nor do I remove stars in this area. I am just letting you know they are there.

Overall, an interesting and fun read. As a trainer, there are tons of tips I can use. In fact, many different professions could apply Mr. Sullivan’s Pitch Powers in part, thus ratcheting up their skill levels. And as I stated above, this book can definitely be helpful to every one of us. Gut feeling is that I should give this book four stars, but the pitch was so good, I find I can’t give it less than five.

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars
I wasn't enamored with this book. The author offers solid information on pitching, such as connecting with your audience, having a plan B and acceptable outcomes, and understanding the problem and how you can help solve it. However, the book sometimes reads more like an autobiography than a how-to, which interrupted the flow for me. I also hate when business books use Donald Trump as an example of a good businessman. If you're going to pitch something, you'd better have personal integrity and a product or service with integrity. The author tries to make the distinction between pitching and selling early on, but from a consumer's standpoint, they're one and the same.

Salespeople might find this book useful, but the tone and writing style won't work for everyone.