The Sales Professional’s Handbook: A View from the Trenches (pre order)

The Sales Professional’s Handbook: A View from the Trenches by Alan Whelan from Orpen Press, 2025

Alan Whelan has been working on the frontline of business-to-business sales for over 30 years. He has worked with multinationals, both within Ireland and internationally, in a variety of roles, building up an extensive knowledge of all aspects of the sales function. He now runs his own company, Sales Advisory Services, where he provides tactical, operational and strategic support to companies. He is also the author of the popular LinkedIn Lightbulb Series of articles, in which he explores typical B2B sales challenges facing both salespeople and sales managers.

The Sales Professional’s Handbook: A View from the Trenches brings Alan’s extensive experience to the reader. As the title implies, it is not an academic textbook. Rather, it is an informative guide through the realities of a career in sales, written in a down-to-earth, accessible and relatable style. It uses case studies and professional research to explore themes such as:

• Sales management
• Strategic planning
• Sales operations
• Governance
• Value propositions
• The sales lifecycle
• Finance
• Compliance

The Sales Professional’s Handbook is essential reading for anyone working in sales, considering a career in sales or just curious about how a key element of the world of business functions. It can be referenced when faced with a particular sales challenge, or read cover to cover as a general guide to the world of sales.