The world was different nine years ago when the first edition of SSTŪ was published. It was before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Bill Clinton was president; we had a record surplus; the Euro had yet to debut; Enron had a baseball stadium named for it; the internet was in its infancy; few people knew the meaning, nor the implications, of "sub prime" and Barack Obama was a little known Illinois state senator.

But, the basic premise of SST holds true: People buy from people regardless of how large and complex the transaction. However, people have different personalities and treating them all the same is like a skilled craftsman using only a hammer. The one tool approach works when all of your prospects and clients are nails. We know they are not.

Nevertheless, SST is organic and continues to evolve and respond to a historically volatile environment in which we sell today. The second edition of SSTŪ reflects that evolution, making it an even stronger program. Perhaps the most notable addition is the inclusion of "Sixteen Seller Profiles" in chapter twelve. The first edition of SST provided profiles of how the sixteen types buy, but not how they approach selling.

By Martynas Jocys (left) and Kestutis Cvetkovas

The idea for this article came unexpectedly during an SST workshop in late 2008 held in Vilnius, Lithuania. There were participants from various professional areas including a few representatives of pharmaceutical companies. One of the assignments, "You Are Doctors," is designed to show the importance of questions in sales. During the discussion, one of the participants, Merck Sharp & Dohme Baltic Region Manager, Martynas Jocys, brought to our attention a noteworthy fact: During their studies, future doctors are trained to ask questions in order to come up with an accurate diagnosis. When a patient complains of aches, there are seven methodical questions that all doctors have among the tools of their trade.

Martynas, himself educated as a doctor, was kind enough to let us know these questions. You might have heard them during your last visit to a doctor - or maybe you will have a chance to assess how good a job your GP does the next time you see him/her.

Recently, at a workshop on Rainmakers, Closers & Other Sales Myths, I was asked a great question on why salespeople in many organizations are treated like second class citizens. We speculated that many executives have been the object of sleazy retail selling practices themselves and paint the entire sales practice, including those of us who are truly consultative and value creating, with one broad brush that reads: Sell is another four letter word. It is truly paradoxical that the field that is the life blood of so many businesses is often treated with little respect. Wouldn't you like Jack Nicholson to speak for us? It would go something like this: