To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink

Introduction

This book is perfect for Finns to read, in my opinion. I do not know many Finns who would say they want to do sales or be a salesperson. Many times, when I have shopped for things here in Finland I found that most salespeople do not want to approach you if they do you can tell they don’t want to, which in return makes me not want them to. I love talking to a salesperson in the store when that person is genuinely trying to help me find what is best for me. After studying the Finnish culture for a little over 4 years now, I think it is safe for me to say, Finns don’t like to look/talk to strangers, I think it is partly because they are worried about what people think of them. Not all, but a majority I think would agree. This causes them to do things the same, not stand out, not to approach strangers because it’s “weird”. This causes people to not have conversations essential to developing approachability skills, and networking, and negotiation skills. This book is a great tool for those who want to take what they already know and do in close relationships they have and implement this to external relationships (strangers) to benefit them in their life.

The Principles

Part one – Rebirth of a Salesman

1.     We’re all in sales now

He convinces readers in this chapter that sales are the ability to move others by persuading, influencing, motivating others to give up what they have in exchange for what we have.

2.     Entrepreneurship, Elasticity, and Ed-med

He describes how today technology has caused people to build start-up companies causing them that to be put in a sales position. He describes how no matter our profession, our skills must stretch across boundaries. He described how the two fastest growing industries today are in education and healthcare. He claims these jobs are all about moving people.

3.     From caveat emptor to caveat venditor

He describes that because the power of knowledge has shifted from seller to buyer this makes the sales job no longer possible to be deceptive but to be honest and transparent.

Part two – How to Be

This Part contains how we can oneself into harmony with individuals, group, and contexts. He describes the three rules in detail, including case examples. He flips A-B-C from always be closing to attunement, buoyancy, and clarity.

4.     Attunement

Is the ability to bring one’s actions and outlook into harmony with other people and with the context you’re in. He outlines skills to accomplish attunement.

5.     Buoyancy

He explains in this chapter how to make yourself more likely to make a sales (buoyant). He outlines three tips to do before, during and after the day.

6.     Clarity

Clarity on how to think without clarity on how to act leave people unmoved. He describes how putting your information in certain frames cause people to see it in a certain light.

Part three – What to do

7.     Pitch

He lays out 6 different pitches that work.

8.     Improvise

Three rules he describes in detail 1. Hear offers, 2. Yes, and, 3. Make your partner look good.

9.     Serve

He describes in this chapter a salesman is there to serve not sell.

You should always be answering these two questions:

1. If the person you’re selling to agrees to buy, will his or her life improve?
2. When your interaction is over will the world be a better place than when you began?

My thoughts

Part one

I pretty much agreed with him in this part and many of these concepts were not very new to me at this moment.

Part two

This part really started to illuminate some things for me on how not only how I “sell” but life in general how I associate with others.

I moved to Florida in September 2013 with $1000 in my pocket as a 23-year-old, with no job, high school diploma, experience in customer service, and no place to live. I found a job add from craigslist, sales position with little information, stating the possible income I was happy with. The hours, 12-14 hours per day 6 days per week. The job, selling automobile no water cleaning solution at gas stations. I must tell you I did it for 1 week and did not get paid more than $70. It was terrible. They had training, and the training was ABC they were serious and very pushy. It was not the best culture fit for me, I hated it.

Thinking back, I really did at that time try Daniel Pink’s methods without knowing it and without the practical tips to use. I really try in my life to attune into the setting and people around me and improvise.

I think I tried to buoyant at that time but thinking about it now, I was so pessimistic in my mind for so many reasons as well. The culture was terrible and didn’t want to be like them, but I didn’t believe entirely the product was for everyone as well, although the product was good. I did have someone tell me I will buy but only because I haven’t had a better sales pitch like that in a long time. It was the only time during that process I felt comfortable, I was “Buoyant” I just watched the trainer I had, be exactly what I would like to be. I had in my mind I could do this. This method truly works, having thoughts that promote your success lead to an increased probability ratio.

Part three

This section in the book brought the most value to me would be about Pitches. By outlining 6 ways to successfully pitch with applications in different areas give you something to really take away from. The one word pitch, The question pitch, the rhyming pitch, the subject line pitch, the twitter pitch and the Pixar pitch.

If I were to think about how much I use these ideas, I don’t maybe I use the question pitch. But that is it. I think I really would like to use the one-word pitch more often, he gave examples such as search and priceless. I immediately knew what companies he was talking about. The Pixar pitch was interesting because it really makes sense and is moving but I’m trying to think of where it can be applied without it being forced. Maybe instead of using once upon a time, the scene could be set more specifically like for example. A man was in the garage, trying to clean his car… I think this makes it more relevant to other situations.

Summary

This book offers MANY very good practical tips on how to do it, in a non-threatening way. It truly is a good guidebook on how to practice a new way of thinking and living to not only benefit yourself but the world. Unlimited applications to this information.