Knock! Knock!: Lessons Learned and Stories Shared (a Ride-Along with Sales Superstar Douglas Thompson)

KNOCK! KNOCK! teaches you how to get out of your comfort zone, to believe in yourself and in whatever you are selling.

It also teaches you to have a great time while you are doing it. For the past five decades, I've made an excellent living in sales. I cannot recall meeting a single soul who told me of a childhood dream to be a salesperson. In fact, a lot of folks may even have a negative attitude toward the sales profession. My mission is to replace that preconceived notion with a positive one. Even if you have an aversion to the very word sales, at some point in your life I guarantee you will find yourself needing to sell something. Join me on what salespeople call "a ride-along," and I’ll show you the ropes. This book delivers a winning sales philosophy illustrated by real-life stories and Knock-Knock Moments—lessons and revelations that have fueled my career and that will help yours.

"Knock! Knock! is no joke! A fast-paced romp of a read, Knock! Knock! — in today's time of branding and selling yourself and what you do —is a must for anyone who needs some sage and hilarious advice." — Kathy L. Murphy, Founder of the International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club Reading Nation

"A lot of us are accidental salespeople. Put Doug's principles to work and you'll be unbeatable." — Bryan Flanagan, former Director of Training for the Zig Ziglar Corporation and CEO, The Flanagan Training Group and author of Now Go Sell Somebody Something!

Douglas G. Thompson was destined for a career in sales. He just didn’t know it yet. He discovered he had a knack for it, winning all kinds of awards and recognition as an insurance salesman, as a manager of sales teams, and as a sales executive, who has trained thousands of salespeople. During the pandemic, the insurance organization with whom he is an executive, grew sales by a remarkable 140% in 2020 over the previous year by making some quick adjustments to its selling process.

Douglas Thompson's passion for improving the customer's experience as well as the sales profession continues to drive him as he comes up with new ideas to answer this question: How can we make the sales process better? Starting out as an insurance agent going down the street knocking on doors selling accident insurance, Doug quickly moved into the management side of the life and health insurance industry, hiring and training agents to be successful doing the same. His ability to build successful sale teams caught the eye of the corporate leadership of several major companies. Doug became the vice president of sales and marketing for Conseco, and was recruited to do the same for Pacificare, UnitedHealthcare, American Republic, Tranzact, and Humana. Currently, he is the marketing director for a large national insurance wholesaler that recruits and trains insurance agents and agencies across the county, as well as continuing to build his own general agency, which offers life and health products to the senior population. He is known nationally for his innovations in the sales industry, and frequently speaks and trains on his favorite topic of sales.

Journalist Echo Montgomery Garrett has collaborated on 22 nonfiction books, including the multi-award winning My Orange Duffel Bag: A Journey to Radical Change. In 2013, it won the American Society of Journalists & Authors' Arlene Eisenberg Writing that Makes a Difference Award, which is presented every three years to the book that made the biggest difference in society. She was named Georgia Author of the Year in 2013 by the National League of American Pen Women. Her articles have appeared in more than 100 media outlets, including AARP, American Way, Money, Success and Inc. She co-founded the Orange Duffel Bag initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides life plan coaching and ongoing advocacy to young people, ages 14-24, experiencing homelessness, high poverty or aging out of foster care. She is a partner and co-founder of Lucid House Publishing.