Tough economic times aren’t always bad for everyone in business and Daniel Milstein is proof of that.  His mortgage company hasn’t just survived the housing slump, it has thrived.  This spring he shared the secrets to his success as a salesman who’s able to sell when less are buying in his book The ABC of Sales: Lessons from a Superstar (Gold Star Publishing, 2011).  This is a how-to book for anyone in sales looking to improve their performance, and its multifaceted approach provides insight for anyone looking to enhance their job skills.

Milstein’s advice is centered on his self-created concept “Always Be Closing,” or ABC, the key element of his business approach.  He gives examples of this concept by sharing some of his successful transactions.  He also includes testimonies from coworkers of their experiences based on Milstein’s strategy and what it’s like working with him.

One aspect of sales that Milstein doesn’t tackle is customer profiling.  He mentions the importance of it, but he doesn’t take it on.  This is an important challenge, how to deal with different kinds of people, that some are born with the natural ability to handle, but those who don’t have the gift try to learn.  On this subject Milstein is not the guru providing the insight.

Milstein shares not only his business practices but his personal story that shaped his worldview.  He was born in Kiev.  Today that is the capital of Ukraine, but at the time it was under the umbrella of the Soviet Union.  In 1991 his family left their home and came to the United States.  They didn’t know English and had only one suitcase each to start their new life.

In this way Milstein’s book isn’t just a how-to, it’s also a fascinating true story of a Russian immigrant who realized the American Dream.  He started at the bottom and built up a successful business.  How he did it isn’t anything surprising to most people and is a lesson to those who don’t know that hard work and dedication are key factors for success.