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Notes from Daniel Pink's Sales and Persuasion MasterClass

Chapter 1:

  • we spend 24 min/hr selling…. Always, everyday

  • when people say sales, the adjective that comes to mind are pushy, smarmy, sleazy etc.

  • Sales can be a beautiful thing.

  • When people picture sales, 100% of the time they see a MAN! In a checkered blazer. Used cars, etc.

  • We have spent human existence in INFORMATION ASYMMETRY. Where the seller knew more than the buyer.

  • In the last 20 years Buyers now know more than Sellers!!!


Chapter 2: PERSUASION

  • Attunement: Seeing it through the other persons eyes. So very important.

  • E test! What is your PERSPECTIVE?

  • People with power need to dial it back to be most effective.

  • The EMPTY CHAIR exercise. Add an empty chair to the meeting to represent the client. What would they say?

Chapter 3: CLARITY

  • Persuasion:

    • PAST: salesman had access to information no one else had = EXPERTISE

    • NOW: client has as much or more information.

    • Salesman's job is to CURATE the information. Make sense of it.

  • Past: Client wanted problem solving

  • Now: Client wants problem finding ( Challenger Sales

  • DP: 5 Whys? Ask like an annoying 4 yr old. KK: Tell me more.

  • Less is more:

    • We overvalue Additional information.

    • We undervalue Subtraction.

  • 3 is most info a client wants.

    • 4th argument is confusing. Cognition load is 3.

Chapter 4: SERVE OTHERS


Chapter 5: SOCIAL PROOF


Get them to do it for themselves.

  • Summon their own reasons for doing it.

  • Agitate, don't irritate.

  • Ask 2 irrational questions. Be armed with social proof.

  • Always have data , numbers as to what others are doing.

FOMO


Chapter 6: MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO ACT


EG: Food drive. Break groups into Inclined to participate, and not inclined to participate.

Send general message/specific message that had name and instructions.

Grid:

  • not inclined + general message = 0%

  • inclined + general message = 8%

  • inclined + specific message = 44%

  • not inclined+ specific message = 25%


If you want to make someone do something, make it easy!


Lesson: we over weigh personality and under weigh context.


Chapter 8: MIMICKING


It works. Watch /Wait/Wane..Pick up on something they do and wait 10 seconds and imitate.


Chapter 9: FRAMING


Understand the cognitive biases.

  1. Loss aversion. We react more to a loss than to a gain.

  2. Opportunity Costs. This is a bizarre bias. Once the money is spent, it is a different set of questions. But people respond to it!

  3. Anchoring Bias.

    1. EG: Two groups shown wheel of fortune. One shown 10, the other 65. When asked how many African countries are in the UN, first group averaged 25, the second 45. (there are 53). What we hear first impacts us. Set the terms of the discussion.

  4. Blemish Frame:

    1. Long lists of positives don’t work.

    2. Long list of benefits compared to a small negative is much more impactful

  5. Potential Frame

    1. Buyers overvalue potential.

      1. This is important for job interviews.

    2. Create sense of uncertainty.

Chapter 10: SUNK COSTS

People overvalue sunk costs. Buyer and sellers should be aware of this.


Chapter 11: PITCHING LIKE A PRO

Effective pitches invite the other side into a conversation.

  1. Question Pitch.

    1. Are you better off today than 4 yrs ago. Reagan.

      1. Must have the answer that fits the question.

  2. Rhyme Pitch:

    1. Rhyme increases “Processing Fluency”

    2. "If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit”

  3. PIXAR PITCH, tell a STORY:

    1. Once Upon A Time….

    2. Everyday…..

    3. ONE DAY….

    4. Because of that….

    5. Then Because of THAT…

    6. UNTIL FINALLY

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