People focus translates to publishing success

A WA-BASED sales trainer, coach and author has had one of her management texts picked up by a publisher in South Korea.

McKinnon Sales Centre managing director Shirley McKinnon’s book Team Play has been translated into Korean and appears to be selling well.

The book is based on some of the common scenarios managers are likely to encounter – particularly with regard to dealing with sales people.

“It gives examples of some of the scenarios that arise and shows the unsuccessful way most managers deal with them. That response is then analysed to show where it went wrong,” Ms McKinnon said.

“I describe it as being about trying to get what you want and how you prevent that from happening.”

The first print of the book is nearly sold out. Curtin University has adopted it as a textbook.

“The book came about because I was coaching managers and a lot of them were asking if there was some book available that they could refer to,” Ms McKinnon said.

“They find its easy to manage work flow but not so easy to manage the people.

“They often can’t understand why they can’t get the people to do what they want.”

South Korean publisher CyP&C approached Ms McKinnon’s publisher, Lothian, expressing interest in the book.

That book has not been Ms McKinnon’s only literary success.

Last October her book Coach Yourself to Wealth was named Dymocks business book of the month around Australia.

“That book’s about the problems some sales people have with closing sales. I’ve found over the years that many sales people have a problem with wealth,” she said.

Ms McKinnon said she had actually started her writing with an aim to tackle the fiction market.

While this step has not proved as successful as her non-fiction work, it is an area she is keen to pursue.

“I actually have a half-finished thriller at home but with my book being named business book of the month and the business I run and everything its been a bit hard to finish it,” she said.