4.27

1

July 24, 2018

Only salespeople should be allowed to write books about selling.

I am not sure where to begin with how wrong this book is. It is obvious that the author has never sold anything.
I have actually taken people’s hard earned money for 25 years so please let me explain why the author is way off base.

My dad tried to convince me the benefits of working for one company for 30 years. My wife ties to convince me daily about sex and many other things. The author would have you believe my mom and wife are salespeople. They are not.

My dad and wife are regular people that are insecure at times, filled with fear, frozen to inaction and afraid to make hard decisions. When my dad, my wife, my neighbor have to buy a car, they are under stress. When they claim that a car salesperson is bad they are really saying how much they hate buying a car, not how much they loathe salespeople. Like anything else, people are egocentric, they are not spending five seconds thinking about the salesperson. They are simply recasting and rationalizing their fear away from themselves.

A salesperson knows this. An author that thinks he knows how to sell does not.

I stopped reading when the author tried to convince me that Ed-Med is the new dominant new sales category. That is like saying your Uber driver made the sale. Wrong, the Professor, the Doctor, the Uber driver are making good on a transaction already done. They are not selling.
I consider the author’s claim to be especially ridiculous given how had I compete every day for dollars that the govt throws at Ed-Med. Missouri’s State Budget is $27B. 50% of that goes to Health Services. 25% of that goes to Education. The taxes that people and corporations pay to bolster that advance spending on Ed / Med is money they can’t spend on services/products that I have sold for 25 years. I wish I could wake up tomorrow “selling” as the author suggest to people that have $20B in their pockets. I wish my service were so easy to sell that somebody could just Uber it my way.

Selling is number one profession that non-salespeople think they can do well. Salesforce.com created the open season on salespeople and so many of the misinformed are filling the air with nonsense. I look forward to the coming Saleforce.com bubble.

5

Dec 22, 2012

Lamentably, we live in era in which many best-selling authors mail it in. I won't name names, but some of the most renowned authors out there can publishing anything and sell a slew copies, even though their books at sub-par at best.

Not this one.

Pink's research and writing style make this an incredibly informative, dare I say groundbreaking, text. I'm not big on sales books, but this one is just remarkable.

Get it. Read it. And read it again.

2

July 6, 2016

Could be a 3 page magazine article.

Fits a certain genre of canned, cocktail-party social science. Pink skims scholar.google until he finds that one article to use. He then takes that article out of context to back up some trivially obvious point.

The first several chapters could be summarized in a page or two. Repetition at its worst. It takes so long to get to the useful meat of the book that you've probably already fallen asleep by the time you get to the idea of pitching.

5

January 20, 2013

We're all salespeople now!

There are many volumes written about sales. There are myriad training courses on sales and how to be efficient, effective and top of the heap at the game of sales. This book is not like any of the ones I have read prior to this nor is Pink espousing any of the usual hype about overcoming objections, how to close and/or how to manipulate folks into buying your product or services.
Instead, Pink is proposing something that I have been struggling with for the past five years and suggesting to anyone who would listen: traditional sales isn't any longer anyone's job. It's everyone's job because sales has fundamentally changed. Pink states that "Most of what we think we understand about selling is constructed atop a foundation of assumptions that has crumbled." He further states that sales has changed more in the past 10 years than it had in the previous 100 years.

Pink replaces the old standard ABC rule in sales; "Always Be Closing" with a new ABCs-- Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity. He proceeds to explain what he means by each in the following chapters of the book. Briefly, attunement is bringing oneself into harmony with individuals, groups and contexts. Buoyancy is the quality that combines grittiness of spirit and the sunniness of outlook. It's what allows salespeople to overcome the "ocean of rejection" they face every day and still function. Clarity is the capacity to make sense of complex situations, that gray area we all try to avoid. Salespeople become problem finders rather than problem solvers.

To Sell is Human is broken into three parts: Part 1 is Rebirth of a Salesman, Part 2 is How to Be and Part 3 is What to Do. He develops a new category he introduces as "non-sales selling" where we (all of us not in the traditional sales position) are "persuading, convincing, and influencing others to give up something they've got in exchange for what we've got." i One of the more important changes that Pink underscores is that the salesperson is no longer needed as a curator of information. Sellers are able, if they so choose, to be as well informed about the products and services as the salesperson. He coins the phrase caveat venditor - seller beware.

At the end of each chapter in parts 2 and 3 are dozens of techniques assembled from fresh research and best practices around the world. Pink maintains that the ability to move others to exchange what they have for what we have is a crucial ability that is required for our survival and wellbeing. The capacity to "sell" isn't some unnatural adaptation to the merciless world of commerce. It is a part of who we are.

On a personal note, I found this book to be both refreshing and humorous. Refreshing because Pink gave me a way to think about and express what I have been seeing and talking about for a long time now. Specifically that sell is a four-letter-word. More and more people are turned off by traditional sales (even the so-called "consultative selling" is now seen as manipulative.) And I found the book humorous because I found that I was laughing at myself. Pink introduces us to Norman Hall. Hall is shadowed as he goes through his usual (and traditional in many ways) sales job in San Francisco. Hall is the very last Fuller Brush Salesman. Why that made me laugh is because I am old enough that I brush my hair almost every morning with a Fuller Brush that my mother gave to me one Christmas when I was a young teenager. I have been using it ever since. I remember the Fuller Brush man (and yes, they were all men as far as I know) ringing our doorbell and brining new products into the house for my parents to purchase. By the way, what product do you still use that was purchased more than 50 years ago?

Since I spent many years as a professional salesperson, the passing of the traditional sales model is, for me, more disturbing than the passing of our usual business models or the accelerating obsolescence of products. There is no going back though, and those who work in the sales function would do well to read Pink's view on how things have changed. For those of us not in a direct sales function would do well to understand that fundamentally we are all selling in one way or another. Indeed, to sell is human.

5

May 19, 2015

love love love!

This was my first Daniel Pink book (I also own "Drive," but haven't read it yet), and I was extremely impressed/satisfied with it.

Awesome sales book. I especially liked how he spent the first third of the book talking about how pretty much everyone in the world today is in some form of selling. You might not see yourself as a "traditional salesman," but whatever you're line of work is, your survival/success will depend on how well you can "move people" (i.e. get them to part with their resources, such as time/money/energy, in exchange for some value you can provide to them).

I'm following this book up with "Instant Influence" by Pantalon, which Pink references and recommends as additional reading in this book.

Disclosure: I've read most of the classic books like Influence by Cialdini, How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Bettger, Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff, etc. and still found this one to be extremely helpful.

The measure of any book is the value you can get out of it - i.e. what can you apply to your life/goal from the author's work/recommendations. I definitely found quite a few ideas that I could apply to a venture I'll be undertaking in the very near future (fundraising for a new hedge fund).

5

May 21, 2013

Great book for Pastors & Communicators

Let me be honest, I love the work of Daniel Pink. This book is not exception.

Pink starts out by telling us how his book is for more than just salesman. The reality though, is that everyone is in sales. You may not make cold calls or get people to buy things, but you are seeking to motivate people everyday. Whether that is a boss, a child, a spouse or a friend.

For leaders, this concept is enormous, but it is even more important for pastors. Every week, when a pastor preaches, they are seeking to move people. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they seek to help people move from where they are to their next step with God. This takes motivation. According to Pink, this takes sales. While pastors will bristle at this idea, it is also true. Call it motivation or sales, it is the same thing. According to Pink, "The average person spends 40% of their life trying to move others. We're persuading, convincing, and influencing others to give up something they've got in exchange for what we've got."

One of the problems Pink points out that we have when it comes to communicating is that we don't help people identify the correct problem. This is huge for preaching, helping people see what they could fix. Pastors often answer questions people aren't asking, and therefore don't move the people they are preaching to.

Another takeaway for me as a preacher is helping people to see what a truth could look like in their life 5 years from now. I've started to say in sermons, "Imagine what your life would be like if you believed ____________." People are often unmoved, not because they don't understand something, but because they can't see the benefit or goodness of something.

Here are a few things that jumped out:

-One of the most effective ways of moving others is to uncover challenges they may not know they have.
-To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources--not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.
-The correlation between extraversion and sales was essentially nonexistent.
-You have to believe in the product you're selling--and that has to show.
-Once positive emotions outnumbered negative emotions by 3 to 1--that is, for every three instances of feeling gratitude, interest, or contentment, they experienced only one instance of anger, guilt, or embarrassment--people generally flourished.
-Next time you're getting ready to persuade others, reconsider how you prepare. Instead of pumping yourself up with declarations and affirmations, take a page from Bob the Builder and pose a question instead. Ask yourself: "Can I move these people?" As social scientists have discovered, interrogative self-talk is often more valuable than the declarative kind. But don't simply leave the question hanging in the air like a lost balloon. Answer it--directly and in writing. List five specific reasons why the answer to your question is yes.
-The problem we have saving for retirement, these studies showed, isn't only our meager ability to weigh present rewards against future ones. It is also the connection--or rather, the disconnection--between our present and future selves.
-The third quality necessary in moving others today: clarity--the capacity to help others see their situations in fresh and more revealing ways and to identify problems they didn't realize they had.
-We often understand something better when we see it in comparison with something else than when we see it in isolation.
-So if you're selling a car, go easy on emphasizing the rich Corinthian leather on the seats. Instead, point out what the car will allow the buyer to do--see new places, visit old friends, and add to a book of memories.
-Clarity on how to think without clarity on how to act can leave people unmoved.
-The purpose of a pitch isn't necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you.
-Questions can outperform statements in persuading others.

Overall, a worthwhile book for leaders or preachers.

3

Feb 09, 2013

I almost gave up on this because I disagreed with one of Pink's main ideas in the first part of the book: the idea that most people now spend most of their time in what he calls non-sales selling. I don't buy the idea that sales and persuasion and influence are the same thing. Sales are quantifiable; either you make your number or you don't. Persuasion is often tougher to measure. And influence is subtlest of all and can persist for decades.

Also, Pink's attempt to coin the term Ed-Med to I almost gave up on this because I disagreed with one of Pink's main ideas in the first part of the book: the idea that most people now spend most of their time in what he calls non-sales selling. I don't buy the idea that sales and persuasion and influence are the same thing. Sales are quantifiable; either you make your number or you don't. Persuasion is often tougher to measure. And influence is subtlest of all and can persist for decades.

Also, Pink's attempt to coin the term Ed-Med to describe the fields of education and medicine: Who cares? Is there really that much overlap between the two fields economically or psychologically?

I was more interested in Pink's "seller beware" idea. It used to be that salespeople were a main source of source of information as well as sales pitches. Now consumers can mine the Internet for a huge amount of data on almost any product, and they can potentially complain to the world if they feel the salesperson has acted unfairly. So that has altered the balance of power and changed how salespeople work.

I liked the second and third parts of the book because they focused on how to become more persuasive (attune yourself to your audience; improvise; focus on serving more instead of selling more). Pink traveled all over the world to interview motivation experts and watch them do their thing. I think my favorite expert was Norman Hall, who works in San Francisco and who is the last Fuller Brush salesman on the face of the earth. You can read more about him here: http://www.sfgate.com/performance/art... ...more

4

May 06, 2017

This was fascinating. Forget the out of date image of a sales person being a slick man in a polyester plaid suit trying to sell a lemon on a used car lot. This book is about human behavior, motivation, and about how EVERYONE "sells" (if you're a parent trying to convince a child to do their homework, that's selling. If your job function has nothing to do with sales, but you're trying to convince others in your company to take a certain action, then that's selling).

I listened to the audio This was fascinating. Forget the out of date image of a sales person being a slick man in a polyester plaid suit trying to sell a lemon on a used car lot. This book is about human behavior, motivation, and about how EVERYONE "sells" (if you're a parent trying to convince a child to do their homework, that's selling. If your job function has nothing to do with sales, but you're trying to convince others in your company to take a certain action, then that's selling).

I listened to the audio version of this book, but intend to buy a hard copy as I want to highlight and take notes. ...more

1

February 20, 2019

To sell might be human, but it’s doesn’t come as a built-in instinct

I came across this book in a group reading project. We are all in sales and regularly read all sorts of books, from self-improvement, to habit trainings, to sales. This is by far the worst book we have picked up.

The author makes many good points throughout the book that can be useful to “move others”, or sell. But with each good point he compromises his knowledge of selling by trying to obliterate tried and true practices.

Good sales people solve problems. And as mentioned in the book, great sales people can find problems people didn’t know they had. If he could have stuck to that idea, and built on it, tying in ethically sound, traditional sales, it would have come across better. At this point I’m glad the book is finished so we can move on to something that has a greater impact.

3

Apr 09, 2015

To Sell is Human was one of the books I had heard about for months, recommended by my fellow entrepreneurial peeps left and right. Finally grabbed the audio version - narrated by the author - and listened to the book, and overall, it was a let down from what I had expected to find.

The author uses the approach of getting his point across in a style similar to Malcolm Gladwell - whose first two books, Tipping Point and Blink, were brilliant! - but in the case of this book, do you really want to To Sell is Human was one of the books I had heard about for months, recommended by my fellow entrepreneurial peeps left and right. Finally grabbed the audio version - narrated by the author - and listened to the book, and overall, it was a let down from what I had expected to find.

The author uses the approach of getting his point across in a style similar to Malcolm Gladwell - whose first two books, Tipping Point and Blink, were brilliant! - but in the case of this book, do you really want to hear story after story about statistical success rates of this car salesman vs. that car salesman (the first few sections) followed by other study after study of what % of participants in this case study did XYZ. Way too much of that and way too little actual context or content on anything that would help you become a better, more authentic and more natural salesperson (man or woman!).

To listen to this book was no fun, and I am fascinated by the selling process but the overwhelm of case studies and regurgitation of the strategies of others made this another common book among the thousands. Getting to Yes is a great book on negotiation and Steven Covey's 7 Habits are great stuff but what does the author have to offer here?

If you are looking for practical tips on how to become a better sales person, you will hear some of them spread out in the book but there is no step by step process outlined, there is no help with the sales conversation. He does point out that sometimes asking questions is better than telling. Yes, I agree. And that being positive is good but not too much, some negativity is also good. Argh. Really?

My business coach teaches me more in an hour of coaching on sales language and addressing objections of the customer than this entire book did.

Here are some good takeaways which are again not original to the book but the book mentions:

- The 6-part Pixar story pitch:
Once upon a time there was _____

Every day _______

One day _______

Because of that _______

Because of that _______

Until finally ________

- He tells us to use the "Yes and" phrase to follow on the trail of what the other person had said. I had heard this before. Again, not original but very useful.

- A quote from another famous person: "Never argue. To win an argument is to lose a sale." (Can't argue with that ;))!

- This may have been original and I love the twist on upsell:
Abolish Up-sell
Instead Up-serve

- I also love this idea the author talks about:
Designate a slow day so you can listen more. A great way to pace yourself.

Overall, I am rounding up a 2.5 star to a 3 star. I hope this is helpful. ...more

1

Jan 10, 2014

I like pop psychology books that provide a serious and accurate review of research while applying it to some phenomena, like, for example, interpersonal persuasion. I love Cialdini's classic book "Influence" and was hoping for a spin on the same topic from "To Sell Is Human." I was disappointed to realize that Pink's book was written for the lowest common denominator of consumer, someone with little interest in the background research who seeks only quick uncomplicated sound bites.

My first clue I like pop psychology books that provide a serious and accurate review of research while applying it to some phenomena, like, for example, interpersonal persuasion. I love Cialdini's classic book "Influence" and was hoping for a spin on the same topic from "To Sell Is Human." I was disappointed to realize that Pink's book was written for the lowest common denominator of consumer, someone with little interest in the background research who seeks only quick uncomplicated sound bites.

My first clue that this book wasn't for me was the slim size of the paperback volume, coupled with the large text size. Between the number of pages and the number of words per page, it was unlikely there'd be a lot of meat in this book. I found the content extremely heavy on the anecdote and light on the supporting research. I didn't finish the book, although I did skim to the end, and even so I felt my time had been wasted by interacting with it.

I'll caveat that I work in the psychology field and so will be more critical than a reader without this background, but still. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. If you want to learn how to strengthen your persuasion skills, pick up "Influence" instead. ...more

1

July 8, 2015

Absolute garbage

This is the most worthless sales book of all time.

Instead of anecdotes of him actually selling anything (like Oren Klaff, of 'Pitch Anything' - who Pink has clearly read and reference but didn't give credit to), he says that everyone is always selling everything so everyone is a sales person. Except, he hasn't sold anything besides a few books, which the publishers do for him. His long winded, repetitive intro just repeated itself for 40 pages.

He reference very small sample groups and even quotes the 'copy writer blog' - a "Well respected blog in its industry" - as source. Although measured on a website traffic site like compete.com you can see how little of an industry leader this person is and is instead a friend of sorts that he is building up as someone that actually knows something. Cathy Salit? Never heard of her. Still teaching classes of 5 people after dropping out of school in 8th grade? Thats not an industry leader to reference than impresses me, Dan.

Having been to a few BNI meetings where everyone talks about their their connections and how great everyone is and how networked they are and what they are doing differently, this is a terrible BNI meeting summarized in one book from someone that hasn't really sold anything.

Why take advice from someone that hasn't done it well?

4

Nov 22, 2016

This is an easy to read bool about selling and influencing people. While not as entertaining and fun to read as Guy Kawasaki, its them is similar and it does contain some good examples and rules to follow. It is not condescending and is highly readable. I would recommend reading Kawasaki's books first and then this one if you are trying to understand modern sales techniques and communication.

5

Dec 31, 2012

To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink is interesting, thoughtful, analytical, well-written, and, most importantly, helpful.

Dan Pink is an alembic. A what? An alembic. Think mad scientist (or maybe alchemist). An alembic is that funky looking glass thingie, round on the bottom, crooked neck, sitting over a flame with liquid happily bubbling away. The liquid is vaporized, travels through the neck into a curlicue glass dealybob and comes out the other end condensed and distilled. That’s what Dan does; To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink is interesting, thoughtful, analytical, well-written, and, most importantly, helpful.

Dan Pink is an alembic. A what? An alembic. Think mad scientist (or maybe alchemist). An alembic is that funky looking glass thingie, round on the bottom, crooked neck, sitting over a flame with liquid happily bubbling away. The liquid is vaporized, travels through the neck into a curlicue glass dealybob and comes out the other end condensed and distilled. That’s what Dan does; takes in a ton of information from our ever-changing world, percolates it, condenses and distills it, then jots down the results in a fun, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand style.

This time, it’s about sales. From To Sell Is Human - “… we’re all in sales now.”

“WHAT?” you exclaim. Yep. And that’s all I’m gonna tell ya. You’ll just have to get your own copy of To Sell Is Human to find out more. Learn about the new ABC’s of selling (Attunement, Bouyancy, & Clarity), and the three key abilities; pitching, improvising, and serving, that will help you be the best non-sales salesperson you can be.


Disclaimer: I received a galley copy of this book from the publisher; however, the opinions expressed in this review are my own and haven't been edited or approved by anyone.
...more

2

January 16, 2017

Some of the real world stuff about how Pixar pitches movie ideas is good. But

Another Daniel Pink book that doesn't come from an expert on the subject, just one that compiles a bunch of studies that try to confirm his biases towards an altruistic worldview. Some of the real world stuff about how Pixar pitches movie ideas is good. But, while trying to get people to not let their dogs poop on a specific piece of grass is certainly an art of persuasion, this example, (like most in the book) does not cover very well the one on one interactions where the most important sales interactions occur. I'd go with something like Amp Up Your Sales by Andy Paul. Amp Up Your Sales: Powerful Strategies That Move Customers to Make Fast, Favorable Decisions

5

Jun 20, 2014

This is another great book by Dan Pink. I recommend everyone read for an improvement in their everyday interactions.


My notes:

"One of the most effective ways of moving others is to uncover challenges they may not know they have." (p.5)

People are now spending about 40 percent of their time at work engaged in non-sales selling--persuading, influencing, and convincing others in ways that don't involve anyone making a purchase.

With all of the information available to consume, "the new guiding This is another great book by Dan Pink. I recommend everyone read for an improvement in their everyday interactions.


My notes:

"One of the most effective ways of moving others is to uncover challenges they may not know they have." (p.5)

People are now spending about 40 percent of their time at work engaged in non-sales selling--persuading, influencing, and convincing others in ways that don't involve anyone making a purchase.

With all of the information available to consume, "the new guiding principle is caveat venditor--seller beware." (p.50)

The new ABC's (Attunement, Buoyancy, Clarity)

Attunement
1. Increase your power by reducing it (Start your encounters with the assumption that you're in a position of lower power. This will help you see the other side's perspective more accurately.) p.72
2. Use you head as much as your heart. (Don't just empathize, take their perspective.)
3. Mimic strategically (Match their mannerisms. Light appropriate touching also increases odds in your favor.)

First conversation starter, "where are you from?"

Buoyancy (stay afloat amid the ocean of rejection)
1. Before - Interrogative Self-talk (questioning self-talk elicits the reasons for doing something and reminds people that many of those reasons come from within.) p. 103 [Can I fix this? is better than I will fix this.]
2. During - Positivity ratios (aim for between three to ten positive emotions to every one negative) *belief in your product/service is critical to moving others
3. After - Explanatory style - (the habit of explaining negative events to yourself) [Optimism...is a catalyst that can stir persistence, steady us during challenges, and stoke the confidence that we can influence our surroundings. p.111]

Put it into practice:
1) Can I do this? (list five specific reasons why the answer is yes)
2) Explain bad events as temporary, specific, and external (p.119)
3) Negativity helps us grow and improve; feedback mechanism

Clarity (the capacity to help others see their situations in fresh and more revealing ways and to identify problems they didn't realize they had p.127)
+problem finding is much more important than problem solving, you need to make sure you are solving the right problem.

The most essential question you can ask is this: Compared to what? (p.134)

Five frames:
1) Less - restrict choices and it improves clarity
2) Experience - point out what the product/service will allow the buyer to do, don't highlight the features
3) Label - assign a positive label to help with comparison
4) Blemished - being honest about the existence of a small blemish can enhance your offering's true beauty. (p.140)
5) Potential - people often find potential more interesting than accomplishment because it is more uncertain. (don't fixate only on what you achieved yesterday, also emphasize the promise of what you could accomplish tomorrow. p.141)

+Clarity on how to think without clarity on how to act can leave people unmoved. (p.142)

+Irrational questions motivate people better.

Question 1) On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 meaning 'not the least bit ready' and 10 meaning 'totally ready,' how ready are you to.....?

Question 2) Why didn't you pick a lower number? (this process leads them to articulate why they want to behave differently)

+Identify the 1% that gives life to the other 99% to move others.

The Pitch (the purpose of a pitch isn't necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you. p. 158)

Six successors to the elevator pitch:
1) One-word pitch
2) Question pitch (use when the facts are strongly on your side)
3) Rhyming pitch
4) Subject line pitch (utility, curiosity, specificity) [3 simple but proven ways to get your email opened]
5) Twitter pitch (engages and encourages them to take the conversation further p.169)
6) Pixar pitch

http://www.danpink.com/pitch/

+After someone hears your pitch.... What do you want them to know, feel, and do??

+Add a visual

Improvise

Three rules:
1) Hear offers (you must LISTEN)
2) Say "Yes and.."
3) Make your partner look good (win-win) (win an argument, lose a sale) (make others look good or bad and they tell the world) (p.198)

Serve (improving another's life and, in turn, improving the world. p.219)

+Make it personal (recognize the person you are trying to serve, put yourself personally behind what you are selling.)

+Make it purposeful (humans are motivated by more than self-interest)

+Our species is motivated by our desire to improve the world and to provide that world with something it didn't know it was missing. (p.221)

+Treat everybody as you would your grandmother

+Always ask 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? (p.233)
...more

3

Jun 11, 2019

I give this book 3.5 stars. I have noticed that books with "surprising truth" or "secrets to" in the title don't provide anything new. This book contains familiar concepts and research, just with the author's spin on it. For example, he uses the phrase "non-sales selling" activities. That's just influence and persuasion. The author jumps from topic to topic, all loosely tied to the theme of "To Sell is Human." He recites research and tips for selling, negotiating, influencing, persuading, and I give this book 3.5 stars. I have noticed that books with "surprising truth" or "secrets to" in the title don't provide anything new. This book contains familiar concepts and research, just with the author's spin on it. For example, he uses the phrase "non-sales selling" activities. That's just influence and persuasion. The author jumps from topic to topic, all loosely tied to the theme of "To Sell is Human." He recites research and tips for selling, negotiating, influencing, persuading, and communicating. If you know nothing about these topics, then it be worth reading this book. ...more

5

Jul 14, 2013

This is the best sales book I’ve read yet. Pink dismisses the slimy salesperson of the past and presents an enlightened view of sales. By “sales,” Pink means traditional salespeople (1 in 9 Americans) and those involved in “non-sales selling”: persuading, convincing, and influencing (everyone). Each chapter ends with several specific examples applying the chapter’s lessons. Pink includes entertaining anecdotes to illustrate his points, and backs them with primary and secondary research from This is the best sales book I’ve read yet. Pink dismisses the slimy salesperson of the past and presents an enlightened view of sales. By “sales,” Pink means traditional salespeople (1 in 9 Americans) and those involved in “non-sales selling”: persuading, convincing, and influencing (everyone). Each chapter ends with several specific examples applying the chapter’s lessons. Pink includes entertaining anecdotes to illustrate his points, and backs them with primary and secondary research from academia and the business world.

There are many insightful points about human psychology and sales techniques that I intend to use in my web design business, OptimWise.

I really liked the final chapter on “servant-selling”, which Pink defines as “improving another’s life and, in turn, the world.” He says, “...those who move others aren’t manipulators but servants. They serve first and sell later...If the person you're selling to agrees to buy, will his or her life improve?...will the world be a better place...?” Early in the book, he says, “To sell well is convince someone else to part with resources - not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”

I also liked the research showing that it's not extraverts nor introverts who make the best salespeople, but ambiverts (those in the middle of the extraversion scale).

I decided to read this after hearing Pink on the BizCraft podcast and several other podcasts. I also recommend Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

Rebirth of a Salesman
• Irritation is challenging people to do what we want them to do. Agitation is challenging them to do what they want to do.
• “...honesty, directness, and transparency - has become the better, more pragmatic, long-term route”.

Attunement
• “...the ability to move people depends on...understanding another person’s perspective...[A]ssume that you’re not the one with power.”
• Imagining what the other side is thinking is more effective than imagining what they’re feeling.
• Subtly mimic the other person’s mannerisms.
• Ambiverts (those in the middle of the extraversion scale) outperform introverts and extraverts.
• The most destructive sales behavior is over-assertiveness leading to contacting customers too frequently.
• Extraverts “talk too much and listen to little”; they’re too pushy.
• Introverts are “too shy to initiate and too timid to close”.
• Don’t dismiss small talk; use it to find commonalities. They increase the likelihood of moving forward together.

Buoyancy
• Asking yourself, “Can I do this?” and answering specifically is more effective than telling yourself, “I can do this”.
• Aim for a positivity ratio (positive to negative emotions) of 3:1.

Clarity
• Problem-finding can be more important than problem-solving.
• People find potential more interesting than accomplishments, so emphasize it when selling yourself.
• Give a clear, detailed path to action.

Pitch
• “Pitches that rhyme are more sublime”.

Serve
• Be personal (about the prospect and yourself) and purposeful (appeal to prosocial/self-transcending reasons).

Book recommendations
• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini
• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein ...more

5

Jan 25, 2013

Once upon a time only some people were in sales. Every day, they sold stuff, we did stuff, and everyone was happy. One day, everything changed: All of us ended up in sales - and sales changed from a world of caveat emptor to caveat venditor. Because of that, we had to learn the new ABC's - attunement, buoyancy, and clarity. Because of that, we had to learn some new skills - to pitch, to improvise and to serve. Until finally we realized that selling isn't some grim accommodation to a merciless Once upon a time only some people were in sales. Every day, they sold stuff, we did stuff, and everyone was happy. One day, everything changed: All of us ended up in sales - and sales changed from a world of caveat emptor to caveat venditor. Because of that, we had to learn the new ABC's - attunement, buoyancy, and clarity. Because of that, we had to learn some new skills - to pitch, to improvise and to serve. Until finally we realized that selling isn't some grim accommodation to a merciless world of commerce. It's part of who we are - and therefore something we can do better by being more human. - To Sell is Human

This quote or the Pixar Pitch from this book sums up what this book is all about.

I have never read any of his previous books, but I really enjoyed this one. It was not a really hard read, 236 pages. This book basically talks about how to persuade others in this new age of technology. So it is not essentially book only about selling, its a book about how people can persuade others without manipulating them but rather trying to achieve win-win situation in the end.

I would recommend this book not only to sales people, I would recommend this book anyone who interacts with people on daily basis (basically everyone.)
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5

January 18, 2015

As with all Dan Pink's books, a worthy read (and re-read)

3

August 13, 2013

Not anything really groundbreaking here, but definitely an entertaining book. Author seems to be well informed and does his research.

1

August 21, 2017

This book is completely pointless. If you have ever ...

This book is completely pointless. If you have ever read a sales book do not buy this one. These other reviews must be paid or something. I not only wish I could get my money back but also my time.

3

Dec 31, 2012

Years ago, Daniel Pink, got my full attention with his book, A Whole New Mind, that argues for the embracing of the creative in our workplaces, in our education system and in our culture. As I recall, I read that book in two days.

Then came Pink’s highly successful book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Using some of the latest social science research, Pink made the highly complex and heavily researched concept of motivation accessible to the reader by breaking down some Years ago, Daniel Pink, got my full attention with his book, A Whole New Mind, that argues for the embracing of the creative in our workplaces, in our education system and in our culture. As I recall, I read that book in two days.

Then came Pink’s highly successful book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Using some of the latest social science research, Pink made the highly complex and heavily researched concept of motivation accessible to the reader by breaking down some commonly held assumptions around motivation and then offering ideas on how to utilize the research findings in our daily lives. As a trained educator and ardent observer of human behavior, I was already aware of much of what he discussed in this book but found the information useful both professionally and personally. Both of these books were on my recommended reading lists for my students.

Daniel Pink’s writing style is engaging and highly accessible. At times, he seemingly reads the mind of the reader and offers simple metaphors and typical human activities to illustrate a particular finding or concept. He presents occasional glimpses into his personal experiences and incorporates just enough humor to make you smile as you read. His writing is informed by a clear mission and is well-organized, so a reader finishes his books with some textbook-like information written in a pseudo-self help style.

When Pink announced the publication of his latest book, To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, I was eager to see where he would take us on his latest journey through the world of social science research. His basic premise is simple: he argues that humans spend considerable energy each day trying to get others to do what we request: purchase, buy in, comply, agree to and even obey. One professional he interviewed stated it succinctly: “Almost everything I do involves persuasion.” Whether you directly sell products, participate in teamwork efforts, attempt to direct the behavior of others or run your own business, you are, in effect, selling or more specifically, moving others to do something.

Pink details the repulsion most of us experience with the typical professional sales approach (think used car salesman) and labels it “the white-collar equivalent of cleaning toilets – necessary perhaps but unpleasant and even a bit unclean.” He reviews the historical protocol for selling and determines that it is officially dead. The immediate access to information via the Internet has completely altered the balance of power in direct sales exchanges. Consumers know far more and will, in the middle of your sales presentation, look up what you just said on their smart phones. Pink’s book offers strategic advice on how to adapt to the world of the “caveat venditor.”

Overall, the book presents succinct insights and strategies for those who are in the profession of sales. My initial response to his findings was a tad snarky: the old adage of “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” appeared to sum up the notions that if people like you, don’t feel threatened, believe that you are listening (rather than waiting to speak) and respond by acknowledging needs and desires…well, it all seems obvious, doesn’t it? But that is what Dan Pink does best: redirects our attention to what seems obvious, supports it with research-based evidence (apparently necessary because in our culture trusting our human instinct and experiences is not enough) and then completes his pitch with storytelling, offering human examples to seal the deal.

My disappointment with the book is that he tried too hard to combine the art of selling with the art of persuading. His attempt to include the areas of education and healthcare were short-changed in this 236 page book. Some of the concepts he presents could prove effective with surface-level issues in these two complex areas but the influencing of behavior change and human buy-in is worthy of far more examination. Maybe even a new book by the consummate “explainer” of cultural changes.

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3

Jul 23, 2013

THE MAIN IDEA

Everybody is a salesman! This is the main theme of Daniel Pink’s new book. Based on the understanding that sales is about convincing others – Pink goes on to explain how three key concepts – attunement, buoyancy, and clarity – are at the base of successful sales. He then describes the three key skills needed to put these concepts to work – pitch, improvisation and service.

INTERESTING TIDBIT

While a law student at Yale, Daniel H. Pink was the editor-in-chief of The Yale Law & THE MAIN IDEA

Everybody is a salesman! This is the main theme of Daniel Pink’s new book. Based on the understanding that sales is about convincing others – Pink goes on to explain how three key concepts – attunement, buoyancy, and clarity – are at the base of successful sales. He then describes the three key skills needed to put these concepts to work – pitch, improvisation and service.

INTERESTING TIDBIT

While a law student at Yale, Daniel H. Pink was the editor-in-chief of The Yale Law & Policy Review.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW

There is a new ABC for sales. It’s no longer Always Be Closing. Instead, it’s Attunement, Buoyancy and Clarity. You need to be:

Attuned to the needs, feelings and actions of those you sell to
Buoyant in the face of a repeated ocean of ‘no’
You need Clarity on what you offer and how you frame that offer

Combined these three aspects provide a well-rounded understanding of the conceptual background required to sell successfully. When you combine these with three key skills – Pitch, Improvise and Serve – you’re ready to sell. These skills help you:

Know how to Pitch your ideas
Be able to Improvise to deal with a changing situation
Serve your clients providing wide-ranging value

Combined these six aspects help provide a broad-based understanding of successful sales.

THE GENERAL OVERVIEW

This is a book about sales. The catch is what does Pink mean by ‘sales’? Rather than just selling a product Pink expands the definition of sales to encompass anybody involved in persuading others to do things – buy a watch, vote a certain way, make a certain type of decision. For Pink, this is all sales!

In making this claim Pink enables a broad reader base to understand how sales – and sales techniques – might help them achieve their goals. In some ways, there’s not actually too much new in this book. Much of what he writes about, helping clients understand where their needs are, ensuring that you provide long-term value to your clients (not just the immediate sale) are basic aspects of business nowadays. The strength of Pink’s work is in the social science research and carefully curated stories he uses to back up his claims.

After discussing the three concepts which he argues underpin successful sales – attunement, buoyancy, and clarity – Pink then goes on to explain how you can put those concepts into practice through your pitch, the use of improvisation techniques and truly serving your clients.

It’s an interesting book – and some of the ways that he describes pitching your product are intriguing (the rhyming pitch, the Pixar pitch), though not necessarily novel. That said, Pink’s books are always an enjoyable read and he does have a knack of bringing concepts together in a useful and clearly understandable way. This is a solid and interesting read.
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4

Mar 17, 2015

I checked this book out based on the premise: that everyone is in sales in some way. We’re all trying to move others to listen to us, buy from us, or do things for us. I hoped I would get some ideas how to manage that a bit better.

The first half of the book was incredibly slow. I almost didn’t finish it. Pink spends most of the time hammering on the idea of everyone being in sales. The best part of it, though, was a focus on how the information age has shifted roles.

Ten or fifteen years ago, I checked this book out based on the premise: that everyone is in sales in some way. We’re all trying to move others to listen to us, buy from us, or do things for us. I hoped I would get some ideas how to manage that a bit better.

The first half of the book was incredibly slow. I almost didn’t finish it. Pink spends most of the time hammering on the idea of everyone being in sales. The best part of it, though, was a focus on how the information age has shifted roles.

Ten or fifteen years ago, there were people who had knowledge about things, and the only way to get that knowledge was to ask the experts. In person. Learn from them. Buy from them. Teachers, doctors, even used car salesmen had their areas of expertise that no one else could have without their training.

Enter the internet. Now, everyone has information at their fingertips. People can look you up and know in a heartbeat whether your product is good or whether they want to do business with you. The paradigm has shifted. You can’t use those slick marketing tricks to get people to buy anymore. You have to offer things in a different way.

When Pink gets to the actual ways of offering products, I started taking notes. I filled 3 pages in my notebook. This is where the good stuff is. This is where all the tips and ideas are that will help you become a better marketer and probably a better person. It has already changed how I plan to proceed with my next books.

He spends a lot of time talking about asking the right question. This is going to require a lot of practice on my part, because I’m so used to telling. This technique is all about listening.

Pink also offers six different types of pitches that you can use, and recommends preparing them several times until you get it nailed down the way you like it. I thought I’d heard all of it before, but I still liked the way he presented them. The six types are:

1. The one-word pitch. (I’m not joking. One Single Word.)
2. The question. This one is great for social media.
3. The rhyming pitch.
4. Subject Lines. (as in email or blog titles)
5. Twitter. (140 characters or less, buddy)
6. The Pixar Pitch. (tell a story)

You’ll also get a quick overview of how learning about Improv can help you with marketing.

This isn’t my favorite book by Pink, but my brain has been buzzing since I finished reading it. There are some new ideas here, and I’m glad to have them. ...more