We are all salesmen. Whether we sell goods and services for a living or sell ourselves to future employers or spouses, the skills we use to build relationships, close deals and get ahead are the same.

That’s the premise behind Paul Darley’s Sold! The Art of Relationship Sales. Darley lays out a theory that companies run by CEOs with a sales background outperform peer companies with CEOs who come up through other disciplines. To reach this conclusion, he interviewed top sales producers from numerous companies, analyzed his own person experiences growing a 100-plus-year-old family business, and documented processes and concepts that were successful.

Sold! not only offers the results of Darley’s findings but explains how to build effective sales relationships through a combination of emotional intelligence and authenticity. He shares the 50 Ps of relationship sales; shows how to establish a solid sales foundation (build relationships, solve a pain, follow a process); and reveals time-tested methods for overcoming objections and getting to “yes.”

Darley also dispels the long-held myth that salesmen are not to be trusted, providing strong evidence that when you hone your relationship skills by employing emotional intelligence and authentic leadership, you will not just become a better salesman but you’ll also be better prepared to rise through the corporate ranks.