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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. This very much sums up what we will encounter while we read this beautiful book.
Introduction
Book’s Name - To Sell Is Human
Author’s Name - Daniel H. Pink
Genre - Non-Fiction
Language - English
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
Selling has many different forms. Whether you are selling a physical product or your skills and experience, everyone is in sales. To sell is therefore human. But it is about changing our approach to sales. Outdated are the sales techniques of the past. In today's world to be good at sales is to employ new ABC’s of sales : attunement, buoyancy and clarity.
This book is a nice mix of theory, case studies and practical techniques that we can apply. One of the useful things in the book were the external links and further recommended reading inside the book. As someone who is selling physical products as well as attention through multiple channels, it is important for me to understand what the goal of selling is.
In a world full of information, the goal is to curate information and provide value to your customers. Gone are the days of asymmetrical information. If you want to gain lifelong customers the value that you are offering is about guiding your customers to find solutions rather than focusing solely on closing a deal.
As someone who has no sales background I found this book incredibly useful. The practical tools explained in the book make it invaluable for anyone to implement their sales strategy whether they are selling a product or themselves.
About the Author
Daniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, ,When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing’.
‘When’ has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks.
Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers ‘Drive’ and' To Sell is Human '. Pink’s books have received numerous awards and have been translated into 39 languages.
Psychological Analysis And Themes Involved
I highly recommend this book to entrepreneurs who need to sell their ideas to the marketplace, to corporate citizens who need to sell their ideas to their co-workers and to anyone who struggles to move others to their point of view.
I really liked how Pink re-humanizes selling. You walk away from the book thinking that being a seller is one of the most caring, empathetic, life-giving jobs there is, instead of the sleazy used-car salesman most people think of. A large part of what he argues focuses on how we need to know our clients and meet them where they’re at.
It’s a good reminder for me as a teacher to see my teaching through my students’ eyes. As a seller/teacher, it’s more about creating an environment where your client/student is willing and able to move him or herself. This aligns beautifully with my desire to create life-long learners.
What I liked most was the blend of business and pop. sci. used in Pink's discussion of the elements of persuasion. Too frequently, we categorize the activities of buying and selling as limited to a few highly stereotyped exchanges, not the least of which represents the broader realities of human interaction.
People are constantly selling; their ideas, their interests, (and sometimes) their wares. What this book highlights most effectively is the need for 'sales self-awareness,' which is to say, we're almost all selling something, always.
Famous Quotes
“Ambiverts are the best movers because they are the most skilled attuners.”
“Think about the essence of what you are exploring - the one percent that gives life to the other ninety nine.”
“By making people work just a little harder, question pitches prompt people to come up with their own reasons for agreeing.
“Attunement is the ability to bring one's actions and outlook into harmony with other people and with the context you are in.”
The Bottom Line
This book basically talks about how to persuade others in this new age of technology. So it is not essentially a book only about selling, it's a book about how people can persuade others without manipulating them but rather trying to achieve a win-win situation in the end.
I would recommend this book not only to sales people, I would recommend this book to anyone who interacts with people on a daily basis (basically everyone.)
My Rating for the Book - 5 on 5
Written By - Manika Gupta
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