Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play

Name: Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play
ISBN: 1883219507

by Mahan Khalsa · first published 1999

6mentions

6recommended by

6HN commenters

2009–2025first – last mentioned

100% recommend

Why HN recommends it

Offers a practical consultative sales process focused on customer needs and solutions rather than pushing product. Its usable structure suits founders and anyone selling their first deals.

Summarised by Claude from recommending comments

Business & Management

The new way to transform a sales culture with clarity, authenticity, and emotional intelligence.Too often, the sales process is all about fear.Customers are afraid that they will be talked into making a mistake; salespeople dread being unable to close the deal and make their quotas. No one is happy.Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig offer a better way. Salespeople, they argue, do best when they focus 100 percent on helping clients succeed. When customers are successful, both buyer and seller win. When they aren't, both lose. It's no longer sufficient to get clients to buy—a salesperson must also hel

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What Hacker News says

cpb · Sep 27, 2020 · Recommends

The first book I read about sales emphasized inquiry before advocacy. Let's get real or let's not play by Mahan Khalsa. I read it at a point in time for my startup when we had done as many Customer Discovery interviews as we could in our local market, and were trying to achieve a first sale or pilot project…
on “Ask HN: How to learn sales?” ↗
codehotter · Sep 17, 2015 · Recommends

"Let's get real or let's not play" by Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig
on “Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?” ↗
farout · Apr 18, 2009 · Recommends

I have been sales for years - the books mentioned are good not great. If there was one that was my favorite out of the 200+ ones I read, "let's get real or let's not play" by khalsa. It is good for you for several reasons: 1. based on consultative services not product sales 2. the audio is hands down the best. It brought tears to my eyes that I had to learn by hard knocks…
on “Ask HN: Sales book recommendation?” ↗
morgango · Feb 9, 2024 · Recommends

…for anything. Over the long-term, sales is about finding a great solution that meets the needs of your customer, not winning deals or negotiations. Here are a few books I found useful in my journey: * Let's get real or let's not play - https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Real-Not-Play/dp/1596592060 * The Three value conversations - https://www.amazon.com/Three-Value-Conversations-Customer-Lo... * Never Split the Difference - https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-De...…
on “I'm an engineer that needs to sell my services. Any good books on sales?” ↗
wussboy · Dec 28, 2025 · Recommends

The only sales book I've ever read that presented a sales process I thought I could do and not throw up was "Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play". I strongly recommend it for someone doing exactly what you're doing.
on “Ask HN: Resources to get better at outbound sales?” ↗
parasubvert · May 27, 2015 · Recommends

…deals, and proposals though often this is in the account manager's wheelhouse Good books on solution selling (ie. Focusing on customer success rather than "dumping the license keys and running") include "Let's Get Real or Let's not play" by Khalsa and Illig or "Insight Selling" by Schulz and Doerr. I also recommend a course or book on building good presentations such as from Mandel Communications. If you can demonstrate technical and…
on “Enterprise Sales Guide: The Process of Selling Enterprise Software Demystified” ↗