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13 min 34 sec
Available in:English

The Sell: The Secrets of Selling Anything to Anyone

Shows how to sell anything by treating yourself as the product: standing out with a trademark, making a strong first impression, building an audience, steering negotiations, earning press and resting enough to keep performing.

Table of Content

Most people who dread selling think the problem is the product or the pitch. In The Sell, New York real estate broker Fredrik Eklund, writing with Bruce Littlefield, argues that what a buyer is really deciding on is you. Whether the deal is a penthouse, a service or your own promotion, you are the brand and the product. The people who seem able to sell anything have learned to make others want them, and want them right away.

That one idea shapes all of Eklund’s advice. Know yourself well enough to stand out. Present yourself so the first glance works for you. Find your audience, steer the opening minutes of a negotiation, build a team, win press coverage, and protect the energy that makes the rest possible. Along the way come some specific habits: a fixed share of every commission spent on clothes, a trademark people remember, and a well-timed mention of your grandmother at the negotiating table.

Two agents show the same apartment, and only one gets remembered. Eklund argues the difference has little to do with the property, and a lot to do with a single move most professionals would be too shy to try.

A cultural rule in Sweden pushed Eklund across an ocean. His story points to two things every ambitious beginner needs, and to a surprisingly old-fashioned way of reaching the people who could teach you most.

Before you say a word, people have already decided whether to trust you. Eklund’s answer involves your wardrobe, your sleep and your sense of humor, plus a budgeting rule that sounds extravagant until you hear the reasoning.

Most professionals post a careful, polished version of themselves online and wonder why nobody responds. Eklund recommends a riskier approach, along with a few unglamorous rules about accounts that many busy people break.

Most negotiations are decided long before anyone talks numbers. Eklund explains what to do in that early window, what to hide when good news arrives, and why your grandmother might belong in the conversation.

Paid advertising has a ceiling that sincere coverage does not. Eklund shares how a well-treated team and a few practical moves, including a daily email service that matches experts with media outlets, can put an ordinary professional in front of reporters.

Ambitious people often treat time off as a reward they have not yet earned. Eklund sees it the other way around, and he links skipped holidays to something far more serious than tiredness.

The Sell is a sales book that spends most of its pages on the seller. Eklund’s claim is that a buyer cannot separate the offer from the person making it, so everything about you becomes part of the pitch: the kick on the red carpet, the colors you wear, the hours you sleep, the delight you hide at a high bid, the vacation you finally take. Rest and charm, in his account, are part of the product.

The book closes with a tool for deciding what is worth spending on yourself, which it calls alternative costs. Weigh any purchase against what you would gain by doing something else. Eklund’s example is a long daily train commute. A dead phone costs you money, while a driver, though pricier than a ticket, gives you a mobile office where you can charge up, relax and skip taxis between stops. The same test works for a suit, a laptop or a week away.

Begin with what is cheapest. Choose a trademark, rehearse your thirty-second introduction, and plan your next meeting’s opening ten minutes as a dialogue. The person across the table is deciding whether they want you, so give them something to remember.

About this book

What is this book about?

Many people believe a sale depends on the product or the pitch. Fredrik Eklund, who became one of New York City's leading real estate brokers and starred in Million Dollar Listing New York, argues that the buyer is really deciding on the seller. You are your own brand and your own product, and the work of selling is making people want you, and want you now. Written with lifestyle author Bruce Littlefield, The Sell follows that idea through a whole career. It covers knowing your motives and finding a role model, the quarter of a second in which strangers judge you, why a fixed share of every commission should go to clothes and grooming, how to use social media without losing yourself, and how to handle the first ten minutes of a negotiation. The book also looks past the deal itself. Eklund explains how to keep a team happy, how to earn press coverage that money cannot buy, and why vacations, small rewards and a hopeful outlook make sellers better at their jobs. Readers get a set of concrete habits for becoming the seller people remember.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Career & Success, Marketing & Sales

Topics:

Negotiation, Personal Branding, Sales

Publisher:

Penguin Random House

Language:

English

Narrator:

Hannah

First published:

March 24, 2015

Pages:

320

Length:

13 min 34 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Hoping to be remembered

    Young salespeople and agents who want clients to remember them after the first meeting.

  • Founders and freelancers

    Founders and freelancers who must promote themselves, online and in the press, without a marketing budget.

  • Frequent negotiators

    Professionals who negotiate often and want a calmer, more balanced way to close deals.

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About the Author

Fredrik Eklund

Fredrik Eklund was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1977. He is a former IT entrepreneur who became a broker at Douglas Elliman in New York City and starred in all nine seasons of the Bravo series Million Dollar Listing New York. The Sell, published in 2015, made The New York Times Best Seller list. His co-author, Bruce Littlefield, is an American lifestyle author and television guest who has co-written books with Barbara Corcoran and Zach Wahls.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

3.9

Overall score based on 129 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find this book very accessible and value the actionable advice tailored for business professionals. Furthermore, the work offers meaningful perspectives on achieving success in both career and personal life, while staying lighthearted and fun. Listeners celebrate the author's kind spirit and character, with one listener mentioning that his positivity is infectious. The title also receives high marks for its encouraging content and sense of humor.

Top reviews

Saranya

Ever wonder how a Swedish real estate agent conquered New York with a high kick and a smile? This book isn't just a manual for closing deals; it’s an infectious manifesto on how to live your life with maximum charisma. Truth is, Fredrik's enthusiasm is so palpable that it actually makes you want to get up and organize your entire calendar. I loved the emphasis on being your authentic self, even if that self is a bit goofy or flamboyant. While some might find his 'spend money to make money' philosophy a bit extreme, the core message about kindness and humor is universal. It’s a fun, fast-paced read that left me feeling surprisingly motivated for my Monday morning meetings.

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Bee

Wow, what a boost of pure positivity! I started reading this during a professional slump and it honestly felt like having a personal coach cheering me on from the sidelines. The stories about his early days sleeping on sofas and cold-calling for a break were deeply inspiring. Fredrik proves that success isn't just about the 'sell,' but about the relationships you build and the joy you bring to the process. It’s rare to find a business book that is this entertaining while still being filled with practical takeaways. I’ve already started implementing his 'ten-minute meeting' rule with great results. This is a must-read for anyone who needs to find their professional spark again.

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Roongsak

Truth is, I needed a laugh as much as I needed business advice, and this delivered on both counts. Fredrik is a witty writer who doesn't take himself too seriously, despite being at the very top of his game. The way he describes his partnership with John Gomes shows the importance of having a 'best friend' dynamic in business. I was particularly struck by the idea that we are always selling ourselves, whether we are on a first date or in a boardroom. It’s a lighthearted take on a serious subject that avoids the stuffy tone of most business books. If you want to feel like a superstar while learning some solid networking tricks, get this.

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Michael

Fredrik's energy is practically vibrating off the pages in this branding guide. Look, some of the sales techniques are classic real estate 101, but the real value lies in the sections about personal presentation and social media presence. He makes a compelling case for why your digital footprint matters as much as your physical appearance. I appreciated his candor regarding his early failures and the sheer grit it took to reach the top. It’s not a deep academic study, but rather a collection of actionable tips for anyone trying to stand out in a crowded market. My only gripe is that his lifestyle—the suits, the watches, the haircuts—feels a bit unattainable for the average person starting out.

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Thawee

The section on time management and why a half-empty calendar is 'death' really changed my perspective on productivity. Frankly, I was skeptical about a book from a reality TV star, but Eklund brings a surprising amount of substance to the table. He breaks down the psychology of the 'gatekeeper' and offers clever strategies for getting past them by showing genuine respect. The writing style is punchy and direct, which makes it perfect for a quick weekend read. To be fair, his obsession with expensive custom-tailored suits feels a bit dated in the modern workspace. Still, the underlying principles of hustle and networking remain incredibly relevant for any aspiring entrepreneur.

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Mikael

Not what I expected from a real estate mogul, as the book covers everything from grooming to Instagram strategy. The advice on using social media—specifically focusing on nature and animals to grab attention—was a practical tip I started using immediately. Fredrik manages to be both flamboyant and humble, sharing embarrassing stories like the one where he accidentally peed on his suit before a meeting. This vulnerability makes his massive success feel slightly more reachable for the rest of us. It’s a very American 'hustle' culture book, so keep that in mind if you prefer a more laid-back approach. Overall, it’s a solid read for the infectious motivation alone.

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Hiroshi

As a former realtor myself, I found some of the advice here to be a bit questionable from an ethical standpoint. Telling a buyer the seller might take the property off the market just to create urgency is a tired trick that often backfires. However, the chapter on 'making 'em smile' was genuinely refreshing and worth the price of the book alone. Fredrik comes across as a likable guy who works incredibly hard, even if he name-drops celebrities a bit too much for my taste. It’s an easy, lighthearted read, but don't expect a revolutionary roadmap for every industry. It works best as a motivational spark rather than a definitive textbook on sales.

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Aey

Picked this up at the airport looking for some quick inspiration for my new sales job. The book is definitely an easy read, and Fredrik’s voice is distinct, which makes the pages turn quickly. You get a lot of behind-the-scenes stories from 'Million Dollar Listing,' which is fun for fans of the show. However, I felt like a lot of the tips were things I’d already heard before in basic corporate training. The focus on being 'obsessed' with your work might not sit well with people looking for a healthy work-life balance. It’s a decent primer for beginners, but experienced sales professionals probably won't find many ground-breaking revelations here.

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Daranee

After hearing Fredrik on a podcast, I was curious about his 'protege' philosophy and how he handles his massive team. There are some good nuggets here about how to approach a mentor by showing you've done your homework. For example, bringing a specific matcha latte to an office instead of just sending another 'can I pick your brain' email is genius. On the flip side, the book is quite repetitive and could have been edited down by fifty pages. It’s a bit of a mix between a memoir and a self-help guide, and sometimes it loses its way between the two. Still, for a fan of the New York real estate scene, it provides some interesting color.

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Fort

I really wanted to like this, but the constant focus on $275 haircuts and five-figure watches felt incredibly superficial. If the secret to success is just being six-foot-four and spending a fortune on Christian Dior suits, then most of us are out of luck. The advice often veers into generic territory that you could find on any motivational Instagram page. Not gonna lie, the 'high kick' antics are charming on television, but they don't translate particularly well into a cohesive business strategy. While he clearly has an incredible work ethic, the book feels more like a long advertisement for his personal brand than a helpful guide for others. It was an okay library borrow, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

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Questions about this book

Eklund argues that in any sale you are really selling yourself. You are your own brand and product, so the job is to make people want you, and want you now. That means knowing your strengths and motives, standing out with a trademark, making a strong first impression, building an audience, negotiating with balance, earning press and keeping your energy through rest and celebration.

Eklund cites a Harvard Medical School study showing that people judge whether someone seems competent and trustworthy within a quarter of a second. He compares a seller to a gift, where poor wrapping kills interest in what is inside. So he advises salespeople to set aside ten percent of each commission for clothes and grooming, to avoid black and gray, and to find a personal style.

He says the first ten minutes of a meeting usually decide the outcome, so use them for a dialogue, not a speech. Prepare and know what you want. Keep the deal balanced so the other side gets real value, move slowly and stay in control. Negotiate face to face, hide your excitement at a good offer, and ease tension by changing the subject, for example by mentioning a visiting grandmother.

It suits people early in a sales career, real estate agents, freelancers and founders who have to promote themselves. Its advice ranges from finding a role model and practicing a thirty-second introduction to running your own social media accounts, using an expert request service to reach reporters, and taking vacations so you can keep performing over the long run.

Pick one trademark that makes you memorable and rehearse introducing yourself in thirty seconds or less. Check that your social media accounts share one name and style. Before your next negotiation, write down your goal and what the other side needs. Finally, book a break or a small reward, since Eklund links rest to better performance.

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The Sell

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