The science of selling proven strategies to make your pitch, influence decisions, and close the deal

Advance Praise for The Science of Selling “A crisp, unmissable guide Hoffeld’s deft guidebook is a must-read for salespeople unsatisfied with anecdotal data and hungry for real data to improve their techniques.” —Publishers Weekly “A terrific book! Sales trainer David Hoffeld has built his selling methods on a solid foundation of science Let his research-based insights into why people buy help you increase sales and retain loyal customers.” —Dan Pink, bestselling author of To Sell Is Human “David Hoffeld provides strong, clear, and practical advice about selling, supported by the relevant research and not just one-off anecdotes Sales reps and sales managers are wasting their time with the vast majority of blogs and books and training ‘tips’ offered to them But they should read and study The Science of Selling: It’s perhaps the best discussion yet of the core essentials about this key business, and life, activity.” —Frank Cespedes, Harvard Business School; author of Aligning Strategy and Sales “Is selling an art or science? David Hoffeld proves conclusively it is a science rooted in universal buyer behaviors that yield predictable, repeatable results—and in The Science of Selling, he explains precisely how you can apply that science to produce far greater sales results Grab your yellow highlighter and be prepared to use it on every page.” —Stu Heinecke, author of How to Get a Meeting with Anyone “This book is a breath of fresh air While most sales books are based on the author’s experience, every chapter in this superbly well-written book is rooted in science The Six Whys formula is a great tool any sales organization can use to increase their chances for selling more and accelerating their sales cycle.” —Gerhard Gschwandtner, CEO of Selling Power “This book is a must-read if you would like to excel in the game of influencing others! What David has pulled together in this masterpiece will surely advance your career or business A science-based approach to selling that is revolutionary.” —Chris Spurvey, vice president, KPMG Canada; author of It’s Time to Sell “This is a refreshingly different kind of sales book In it, David takes an almost shockingly different approach He looks deeply at the science behind what happens during the sale, assesses the causes and effects, and serves up his conclusions in a way that translates to actionable awareness for sales reps and their managers This book is a must-read.” —Dave Stein, principal, DaveStein.biz; author of Beyond the Sales Process “Can science and selling come together? YES, and in a powerful way—just read this book! The Science of Selling is as good as it gets—fantastic and really usable I have already given it to my sales team to read.” —David Horsager, CEO, Trust Edge Leadership Institute; bestselling author “Many believe that sales is just a numbers game, but David Hoffeld has proven that there is actually a science to it In The Science of Selling, he elevates sales from a robotic process to one rooted in recognizing behaviors and triggers and applying proven strategies that result in sales success Hoffeld proves that selling is a skill that can be developed and perfected A fascinating book.” —Donna Serdula, founder and president, Vision Board Media & Linkedin-Makeover.com “David has done a great job separating the science from the art of selling It’s refreshing to see research-backed methods and practices versus guesswork and theory around how influence really works Hats off to Mr Hoffeld for advancing our understanding around how to turn the practice of selling into a true profession.” —Marc Miller, bestselling author of Selling Is Dead and A Seat at the Table “The Science of Selling is outstanding; I haven’t been able to put it down It’s helped me reexamine and rethink how I sell Scientifically, I now understand the best way to present options, how to make my sales stick, and how to better use stories In short, The Science of Selling eliminates guessing and common sales myths It has my highest recommendation.” —Ed Tate, principal, Ed Tate & Associates; World Chamption of Public Speaking “The Science of Selling is buttressed by extensive studies on ‘how people buy,’ along with David’s real-world applications I can’t recommend this book enough!” —Victor Antonio, Sellinger Group “For many years, we have been taught that salespeople are successful because they are either born with a natural ability to influence others, have outgoing personalities, or are just good with people But we no longer have to rely on anecdotal methods like these David Hoffeld uses scientific data to reveal why many salespeople underperform (and why the select few who succeed do) and shows you and your sales team how to implement his well-defined, repeatable sales strategies that are scientifically proven to improve your results The Science of Selling is the future of selling!” —Ray Reyes, managing director, Globalize Localization Solutions “Finally, you can get inside your buyer’s head and this book is your blueprint David Hoffeld unpacks the science behind what makes us choose, purchase, and trust those we buy from—essential insights for any sales professional wanting to become even more effective.” —Leary Gates, venture coach and founder, Lumina Consulting Group and StrategicCEO.com “Following on from the science behind selling that Dan Pink introduced in To Sell Is Human, Hoffeld dives deeper into how to use scientifically proven ways to build rapport, influence with ease, and pass through the skepticism that’s inherent in the selling process If you believe successful sales pros are made and not born, this book was written for you.” —Mary Poul, founder, Sales Mastery Magazine “In the world of educational leadership, we know that the most effective leaders are those who so through the utilization of research-based best practices David Hoffeld provides an incredible resource of research-based strategies for influencing others—effective not only for meeting the needs of the salesperson, but for anyone who is in leadership or aspires to leadership.” —Toby Travis, International Head of School and educational consultant/trainer “David Hoffeld believes that ‘selling is too important to be based on anything other than proven science.’ In The Science of Selling, he engages the reader in a fast-paced and fact-filled analysis of the sales process in which he demonstrates how scientific principles of influence and decision making can improve sales effectiveness He focuses on how potential customers formulate buying decisions and teaches how sales success can be achieved by aligning sales strategies with how the brain is influenced You will have a much deeper understanding of the sales process and how you can be more effective after reading his book.” —David Fairbarn, president, Kinney & Lange “A groundbreaking book that lays the foundation for a new way to approach the study and execution of sales Based on the latest understanding of cognitive science, David provides sales professionals with a scientifically based framework to replace the sales methodology ‘du-jour’ for one that sales professionals can rely on throughout their entire professional careers The book also provides insightful examples that will facilitate the sales professional to improve their productivity right away.” —Juan Carlos Cerrutti, managing partner, LinkIT Latam “Finally a book on selling that is based on scientific evidence The Science of Selling is an engaging journey that bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and the realities of the modern marketplace It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to become more influential and increase their sales effectiveness.” —Ron Friedman, Ph.D., author of The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace “Of the thousands of sales books that are published each year only a few are groundbreaking The Science of Selling is one of these This book draws on the explosion of recent research around the world to challenge many traditional sales practices—and identify the most effective way to sell You will learn how to transform the way they sell to enable a much higher level of success.” —John Smibert, Strategic Selling Group “The Science of Selling is a tour de force of scientific research spanning a whole range of critical selling behaviors Sales in general is going through a transitional period where some traditional skills are more important than ever, some are becoming obsolete, and of course, there are a host of new skills that are needed to address the twenty-first-century buyer This book has done the hard work of identifying what they are and explaining clearly where to focus and how to adopt them I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in sales success both now and in the future.” —John Golden, CSO, Pipelinersales; bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 Copyright © 2016 by David Hoffeld Penguin supports copyright Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader Image credits: Images here copyright © Betty Edwards, The New Drawings on the Right Side of the Brain Photo here copyright © Corbis Hitler’s interpreter Paul Schmidt attends Nuremburg Trials All other diagrams and photos courtesy of the author Tarcher and Perigee are registered trademarks, and the colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC Most TarcherPerigee books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs Special books or book excerpts also can be created to fit specific needs For details, write: SpecialMarkets@penguinrandomhouse.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hoffeld, David, (Economist), author Title: The science of selling : proving strategies to make your pitch, influence decisions, and close the deal / David Hoffeld Description: New York : TarcherPerigee, 2016 Identifiers: LCCN 2016023463 (print) | LCCN 2016033072 (ebook) | ISBN 9780143129325 (hardback) | ISBN 9781101993187 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Selling | Consumer behavior | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Motivational | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Sales & Selling | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Skills Classification: LCC HF5438.25 H6254 2016 (print) | LCC HF5438.25 (ebook) | DDC 658.85—dc23 Cover design: Jess Morphew Version_1 To my children, Jolene and David, who seem to be able to sell me just about anything And to Sarah, who read, encouraged, and never doubted CONTENTS Advance Praise for The Science of Selling Title Page Copyright Dedication Introduction: Why Use Science to Sell? PART ONE FOUNDATIONS OF SELLING WITH SCIENCE Why Sales People Underperform The Two Methods of Sales Influence How to Sell the Way People Buy Selling to Your Buyers’ Emotions PART TWO THE SALESPERSON’S TOOLKIT The Science of Asking Powerful Questions Why People Buy Creating Value, Neutralizing Competitors, and Overcoming Objections Closing Redefined: Obtaining Strategic Commitments Five Science-Based Sales Presentation Strategies PART THREE MERGING SCIENCE AND SELLING 10 The Future of Selling Acknowledgments Notes Index About the Author INTRODUCTION Why Use Science to Sell? We are in the midst of a scientific revolution Over the past few decades, there has been an explosion of research on how the human brain makes choices and which factors influence what we say, how we act, and what we decide to buy All of us can benefit from this deeper understanding of what makes us tick But for one group in particular, these scientific breakthroughs can lead to indescribable success and even revolutionize that entire profession—if they know how to use them That group is salespeople One out of every nine employees in the United States works in sales, making it the second-largest occupation in the country.1 (And that’s not counting the millions of other people who indirect selling every day and don’t even realize it—like presenting a new idea to a boss or encouraging a friend to adopt a healthier habit.) However, in spite of the large community of people working in sales, the profession is in turmoil Reports from the research firm CSO Insights reveal that up to half of all salespeople fail to meet their quota.2 Even more alarming is the reason why: many of the most common sales techniques actually drive down performance One study found that the majority of behaviors salespeople engage in hinder the likelihood of the sale.3 (Throughout this book, I will call your attention to these destructive behaviors and what you should replace them with.) What’s more, potential customers now have easy access to information online that allows them to learn about all the sellers offering a product or service and to pick and choose as they want, rather than relying on one trusted source for their purchases As a result, salespeople are engaging buyers later in the buying cycle than ever before—after buyers have already identified those who are offering similar products or services These and other factors have created a hypercompetitive marketplace where salespeople must battle stiff competition for every sale The problem is that the marketplace has changed, but our methods for selling have not Sales reps, managers, and business leaders generally agree that the old strategies are no longer working Those in the sales community are wondering what to and where to find new, effective solutions I encountered this issue during a conversation with an old colleague (we’ll call him Bill) about the development of a new sales training curriculum As Bill and I chatted, we turned to the topic of how salespeople can cultivate rapport with buyers I recommended a particular strategy that I’d found very successful at strengthening relationships To my surprise, he disagreed Bill insisted my approach was unreliable, simply an old sales gimmick Undeterred, I explained how I had personally used it to increase rapport He responded by sharing how in the past he had also applied the strategy, but had not experienced any positive outcomes I quickly countered by launching into some examples of salespeople I had trained who had employed the strategy and had testified that it had helped them enhance rapport with buyers He told me that early in his career he too had taught others to use it, with dismal results I paused, both to avoid escalating an argument I wasn’t sure how to win, with a colleague I Six Whys, see Six Whys small, as building blocks, 159–61, 167 strategic, closing with, 161–62 trial closes and, 167–68 commitment, 171–72, 174–78 involvement, 168–71, 174–77 when to ask for the sale, 178 communication: nonverbal, 83–84, 222 changing emotional state with, 95–97 as majority of communication, 84–85 mirroring of, 190–95 smiling, 96–97 as unfiltered, 85–86 voice inflections, 89–90 skill in, 16, 214, 221–22 communication theory, Competence Hiring Method, 216 competency and expertise, 65–66, 106, 129 competition, 2, 16, 22, 119 defining, 62–63 inoculation theory and, 147–49 after-sale utilization of, 149 distinct value and, 148–49 competitive advantages, 68 cost leadership, 68–69 differentiation, 69–71 confidence, communicating, 66–68 confirmation biases, 29 Conger, Jay, 81–82, 197 consistency, 162–64 cost leadership, 68–69 Cozolino, Louis, 197 credibility statements, 65–66 Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, 104 CSO Insights, Cuddy, Amy, 31, 67 cupcake experiment, 189 Curtis, Ben, 174 customers: loyalty of, 8, 15, 42 success stories about, 40–41, 65, 155 see also buyers Damasio, Antonio, 78–79 Davis, Harry, 35 decision criteria: confirming, 132–34 establishing, 129–32 finances, 131–32 product or service parameters, 130 time frame, 130–31 decision makers, 126–27 meeting with, 128, 163 decision making, 24–25, 29–30, 31, 42, 44–45, 46–51, 61 emotions in, 77–79, 81, 83 heuristics in, see heuristics identifying structured purchasing processes, 125–29 influences on, see influence irrational, 32, 73 process of, 48–51 questions and, 101–2 sales equation in, 51 Six Whys in, see Six Whys and size or complexity of sale, 49–50 default option, 58 Depression, Great, 213, 214 differentiation, 69–71 Disabled American Veterans, 141 disease scenario experiment, 73–74 distinct value, 69–71 inoculation theory and, 148–49 divorce, 83 dominant buying motives, 72, 124–25, 130, 201 desire for gain, 72–73, 75, 114, 115, 124 fear of loss, 73–75, 114, 115, 124 how to use, 75–76 third-level questions and, 114 donations to charity, 141, 160, 187 dopamine, 197–98 drawing, 20 Drucker, Peter, 16, 219 Duncker, Karl, 158 DVD player experiment, 32 Dweck, Carol, 17 Economic and Social Research Council, 209 Economist subscription study, 34 education, 90 Edwards, Betty, 20 emotionally charged statements, 91 emotional states, 51, 80–83 changing, 87–97 by discussing topics which trigger positive emotions, 94–95 emotional cognition in, 87–92 Hawthorne effect in, 92–94 with nonverbal behavior, 95–97 by verbally conveying strong beliefs, 90–92 voice inflections in, 89–90 identifying and monitoring, 83–86, 151–52 mirroring and, 190 negative, 81–83, 87, 94, 97, 151 pointing out, 93–94 nonverbal communication and, 83–84 changing emotional state with, 95–97 as majority of communication, 84–85 smiling and, 96–97 as unfiltered, 85–86 objections and, 151–52 positive, 80–81, 178 in sales equation, 51, 83 second-level questions and, 112 emotions, 49, 51, 73, 77–97, 166 in decision making, 77–79, 81, 83 perception shaped by, 80–83 positive, 90, 91 preferences and, 79 stories and, 197 value perception and, 79, 81, 83 Ericsson, K Anders, 19, 20 ES Research Group, 22 evidence, 154–55 excuses, 153 expectation labels, 144–45 expertise and competency, 65–66, 106, 129 experts, sales method, 23–24 extroverts, 25–26, 27–28 facial feedback hypothesis, 96 fear of loss, 73–75, 114, 115, 124 features and benefits, 56–57, 121, 138–39, 151–52 Fein, Steven, 96, 166 finances, 131–32 first impressions, 29, 222 Fisher, Walter, 196–97 fixed vs growth mindset, 17–18 Fletcher, Garth, 81 Florida State University, 20 Flynn, Francis, 128 focus, 102–3, 108 inattentional blindness and, 120 Fogel, Suzanne, 212 Follett, Mary Parker, 118 Ford Motor Company, 40 Forrester Research, 56, 119 Fraser, Scott, 159–60, 166 Frederick, Shane, 221 Freedman, Jonathan, 159–60, 166 free gifts, 141–42 Frenzen, Jonathan, 35 Freud, Sigmund, 35 Fripp, Patricia, 202 functional fixedness, 158–59 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 39, 112 funding, 131–32 future of selling, 209–23 hiring practices in, 215–22 see also hiring practices sales research in, 211–15 sales truth in, 210–11 gain, desire for, 72–73, 75, 114, 115, 124 Gass, Robert, 44, 169 Gazzaniga, Michael, 190 General Motors (GM), 213–14 gestures, mirroring, 193–94 Getzels, Jacob, 54 gifts, 141–42 Girl Scout cookies, 185 goal attainment, 163 Goldstein, Daniel, 58 Goldstein, Noah, Goleman, Daniel, 88, 218 golfers, 174 gorilla experiment, 119–20 Gottman, John, 83 Grant, Adam, 26 Great Depression, 213, 214 Group Dynamics, 94 growth mindset, 219–21 fixed mindset vs., 17–18 Guéguen, Nicolas, 60 Hallowell, Edward, 103 Harvard Business Review, 15, 36, 46, 81, 118, 125, 191, 192, 216 Harvard Business School, Harvard University, 112 Hass, R Glen, 65 Hatfield, Elaine, 88 Hawthorne effect, 92–94 Health Psychology, 101 Heath, Chip, 79 Heath, Dan, 79 Hebrew National, 40 heuristics, 31–41, 43 anchoring, 185–89 how to anchor price in sales presentations, 188–89 men’s store sales and, 189 sales prices and, 187–88 asymmetric dominance effect, 33–35 emotions and, 80 likability bias, 35–37, 42 predictable errors caused by, 31–32 primacy effect, 29, 200–201 scarcity, 70 single-option aversion, 32–33 social proof, 37–41 how to use, 40–41 status quo bias, 53–54, 58–59 hiring, 215–22 and characteristics of top performers focus on perspectives of others, 218–19 growth mindset, 219 integrity, 219 interpersonal communication, 221–22 intrinsic motivation, 217–18 Competence Hiring Method, 216 error rate in, 216–17 Hoffeld Group, horse races, 165 Howard, Daniel, 27, 166 Howard, Pierce, 103 “How are you feeling?” question, 26–27, 166–67 Hunger Relief Committee, 27 inattentional blindness, 120 indirect selling, 1, influence, 4–6, 25, 29–45, 48 central route of, 30, 41–45, 51 leveraging, 44–45 message in, 44 in political debates, 43 how it occurs, 30 peripheral route of, 30–41, 43–45, 80 in political debates, 43 shortfall of, 41–42 see also heuristics as science, and what you are told about something, 135–36 influencers, 127 positive labels and, 146–47 information, buyer-seller asymmetry in, 64 disclosure of, 108–10, 112 inattentional blindness and, 120 limiting, 182–85 online, 1–2, 5, 16 information confirmation statement, 132–33 inoculation theory, 147–49 after-sale utilization of, 149 distinct value and, 148–49 instinctive elaboration, 103 integrity, 219 internal advocate, 127 Internet, 1–2, 5, 16 intrinsic motivation, 217–18 involvement trial closes, 168–71, 174–77 Isen, Alice, 80, 81, 82 Ivry, Richard, 190 Iyengar, Sheena, 183 James, William, 96 jam tasting experiment, 183 Janis, Irving, 82 Johnson, Eric, 58, 101 Jordan, Jason, 212 Journal of Applied Psychology, 101 Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 141–42 Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, 32, 191 Journal of Educational Psychology, 195 Journal of Family Psychology, 83 Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 118 Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 88 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 160, 163, 183 Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 118 judicial rulings, 81 jury verdicts, 162 Kahneman, Daniel, 31, 73–74 Kassin, Saul, 96, 166 Kelley, Harold, 136 Kenrick, Douglas, 6, 190 Kerr, Norbert, 162 Kilduff, Martin, 165 Koprowski, Ron, 125 Kouzes, James, 20 labels, 143–47 children and, 144 expectation, 144–45 positive, 145–47 influencers and, 146–47 Laird, James, 96 Lake, Vanessa, 128 Langer, Ellen, 85, 91–92 Latham, Gary, 163 leaders, 36 learning, 90 continual, 220 pictures and, 195–96 LeDoux, Joseph, 79 Lee, Charles, 174 Lee, Jerry, 70 Lee, Leonard, 221 Lepper, Mark, 183 less is more strategy, 182–85 Leventhal, Howard, 75 life insurance experiment, 31–32 likability, 35–37, 42 mirroring and, 190 reciprocity and, 141 line length study, 38–39 Linkenauger, Sally, 174 listening, 120–21 rate of speech and, 194 Locke, Edwin, 163 Lorimer, Sally E., 216 loss, fear of, 73–75, 114, 115, 124 Lynn, Michael, 70 MacCoun, Robert, 162 Maddux, William, 191 Madrian, Brigitte, 58 magazine subscription study, 34 Malhotra, Deepak, 188 Management and the Worker (Roethlisberger and Dickson), 93 Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic (Berry and Seltman), 219–20 Mangun, George, 190 marketing, 214 Markus, Hazel Rose, 96, 166 marriage, 83 Martin, Steve, 40 Mayer, Richard, 195 Mayo Clinic, 219–20 MBA programs, 212 McCaskey, Michael, 192 McDougall, William, 213 McGuire, William, 147 Medina, John, 57, 103, 195–96 Mehrabian, Albert, 84–85 memory: stories and, 197–98 training of, 19–20 men’s store sales, 189 mental imagery, 168, 198 mere measurement effect, 101 message, 44, 50 mindset, growth, 219–21 fixed mindset vs., 17–18 Miller, George, 182–83 Miller, Norman, 29 mirroring, 190–95 brain and, 191–93 four behaviors to mirror, 193–95 Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics (Thaler), 53 MIT, 34 Mitnick, Kevin, 211 Mochon, Daniel, 32 money, 131–32 monkeys, 192 Moreno, Roxana, 195 Morwitz, Vicki, 101 motivation, intrinsic, 217–18 movements, power, 67 –68 multitasking, 103–4, 108 Myers, David, 81 narrative paradigm, 196–97 natural ability, 16–17 negotiation exercises, 191 Neuberg, Steven, 190 Neumann, Roland, 89 neuroplasticity, 18–19 neuroscience, New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, The (Edwards), 20 New York Times, 164, 181 nonverbal communication, 83–84, 222 changing emotional state with, 95–97 as majority of communication, 84–85 mirroring of, 190–95 brain and, 191–93 four behaviors to mirror, 193–95 smiling, 96–97 as unfiltered, 85–86 voice inflections, 89–90 Obama, Barack, 209 objection anticipation exercise, 154 objections, 49, 52, 149–52, 176 ambiguous, 154 emotional states and, 151–52 evidence and, 154–55 excuses and, 153 identifying quickly, 150–51 process for identifying and overcoming, 152–55 answering the objection, 154–55 gaining commitment, 155 identifying the root of the objection, 153–54 isolating the objection, 153 softening statement, 152–53 Six Whys and, 150, 153–55 online information, 1–2, 5, 16 opinions, stating, 112 options, see choices and options O’Quin, Karen, 80 orange anecdote, 118 organ donors, 58–59 ownership, 168–71 pain, 57–58 panhandler study, 60 parallel processing, 30 parameters, product or service, 130 Pascual, Alexandre, 60 peer groups, 41 perceptions, emotions in shaping of, 80–83 personality, 16, 25–26 persuasion, see influence Petty, Richard, 30, 42, 148 phone numbers, 183 photocopier experiment, 92 picture superiority effect, 195–96 political candidates, 43, 165 Porter, Michael, 68 positive labels, 145–47 influencers and, 146–47 Posner, Barry, 20 posture, mirroring, 193 power movements, 67–68 praise, 145 preferences, emotions and, 79 prices, anchoring and, 187–88 men’s store sales and, 189 in sales presentations, 188–89 primacy effect, 29, 200–201 primary buying motivators, 121–22, 134, 138, 201 buyer’s problems, 122–24, 130, 201 finding, 54–55 pain and, 57–58 understanding, 56–57 buying requirements, 125–32, 201–2 confirming the decision criteria, 132–34 and establishing the decision criteria, 129–32 and identifying decision process, 125–29 dominant buying motives, 72, 124–25, 130, 201 desire for gain, 72–73, 75, 114, 115, 124 fear of loss, 73–75, 114, 115, 124 how to use, 75–76 third-level questions and, 114 Primary Buying Motivator Statement, 139–40 priming, 173–74 Princeton University, 198 Principles of Personal Selling (Tosdal), 213 problems, buyer’s, 122–24, 130, 201 finding, 54–55 pain and, 57–58 understanding, 56–57 problem-solving ability, 158 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 19, 81 Procter & Gamble, 184 propaganda, 30, 147 Psychological Review, 183 Psychological Science, 190 Quarterly Journal of Economics, 64 questions, 101–17 buyers’ need for, 102 closing, 179 in decision making, 101–2 elaboration, 111 follow-up, 110 handling early in the sale, 104–5 “How are you feeling?,” 26–27, 166–67 mere measurement effect and, 101 mind directed by, 102–5 quality of, 105–6 science of, 109 Six Whys, see Six Whys social penetration theory and, 109 tag, 169 thought redirect and, 105 three levels of, 109–17 examples of, 111, 113–16, 124–25 first, 110–12, 116–17, 122 second, 111–14, 116–17, 122, 123, 168, 177 third, 114–17, 123–25 trust and, 106, 114 types of, 106–8 in understanding potential customers, 102, 109 raffle ticket experiment, 141 rapport, 2, 31, 42, 94, 133 mirroring and, 190, 192–94 reactance, 60–61 real estate agents, 188 reciprocity, 141–43 likability and, 141 value statement with, 143 recommendations from sales experts, 23–24 Red Bull, 40 Regan, Dennis, 141, 165 relationship selling, 42 requests, 128, 147, 163, 166–67 billboard experiment, 159–60, 166 restaurants: menus in, 172–73 reservations in, 164 servers in, 133, 141–42, 194 wine lists in, 187 retirement plans, 58, 183–84 risk perception, 33, 37, 40, 43, 53 trust and, 64–65 Rizzolatti, Giacomo, 191–92 Rosenthal, Robert, 86 Ross, Lee, 64 Ross, Michael, 81 Rothbart, Myron, 135 Sagarin, Brad, 211 sales: books on, 212 in early part of twentieth century, 212–14 future of, see future of selling Sales Benchmark Index, 216 sales equation, 51, 83, 178 sales influence, see influence salespeople: extroverts as, 25–26, 27–28 importance of, 4–5, 15–16 message of, 44, 50 number of, reasons for underperformance in, 15–28 structured purchasing processes and, 125–26 sales presentations, 181 slides in, 196 sales presentation strategies, 181–205 anchoring, 185–89 how to anchor price in sales presentations, 188–89 men’s store sales and, 189 sales prices and, 187–88 less is more, 182–85 mirroring, 190–95 brain and, 191–93 four behaviors to mirror, 193–95 picture superiority effect, 195–96 stories, 196–204 characters in, 199–200, 202 conclusion of, 202 conveying point of, 202–3 example of, 203–4 exercise for creating, 204 introduction in, 200–202 unnecessary details in, 199 sales prices, anchoring and, 187–88 how to anchor price in sales presentations, 188–89 men’s store sales and, 189 sales research, future of, 211–15 sales time, 59–61, 130–31, 150–51 sales training, 2, 4, 7, 18–22 anecdotal evidence in, 2, conjecture in, 23 modern selling climate and, 22–23 science as conflicting with, 25–28 selling as focus in, 24 sales truth, 20 defined, 210 in future, 210–11 scarcity, 70 Schmittlein, David, 101 Schnall, Simone, 96 science: modern sales training as conflicting with, 25–28 selling with, 1–12 five ways to improve sales, 224 increased sales and success from, 5–8 Scientific American, 53 Seiter, John, 44, 169 self-affirmations, 66–67 self-perception: commitments and, 165–68 labels and, 145 self-perception theory, 165–66 selling: buying as focus in, 23–25, 223 natural ability in, 16–17 Selling Power, 216 Seltman, Kent, 219–20 Shapiro, Ben, Shea, Dennis, 58 similarity, 199–200 Simon, Herbert, 103 Simons, Daniel, 119–20 single-option aversion, 32–33 Sinha, Prabhakant, 216 SiriusDecisions, 181 Six Whys, 50–76, 127, 161–62, 178, 181 involvement trial closes and, 168 objections and, 150, 153–55 in sales equation, 51, 83, 178 Why Change?, 53–59 and finding problems, 54–55 and making problems hurt, 57–58 and understanding problems, 56–57 Why Now?, 59–61 Why Spend the Money?, 72–76 and desire for gain, 72–73, 75 and fear of loss, 73–75 Why You and Your Company?, 64–68 and communicating confidence, 66–68 and demonstrating expertise, 65–66 Why Your Industry Solution?, 61–64 Why Your Product or Service?, 68–71 and cost leadership, 68–69 and differentiation, 69–71 Sloan, Alfred, 213–14 smiling, 96–97 smoking, 147, 160 social exchange theory, 136–38 Social Intelligence (Goleman), 88 social norms, 38, 163 reciprocity, 141–43 social penetration theory, 109 social proof, 37–41 how to use, 40–41 social psychology, 213 Social Psychology Quarterly, 192 softening statement, 152–53 software sales and training, 61–62, 63, 72 speech, rate of, 194 Sprokay, Susan, 197 standing ovations, 38 Stanford University, 111, 198 status quo: bias for, 53–54, 58–59 challenging, 55 steak and sizzle phrase, 138 Steenburgh, Thomas, 170 stories: emotions and, 197 memory of, 197–98 in sales presentations, 196–204 characters in, 199–200, 202 conclusion of, 202 conveying point of, 202–3 example of, 203–4 exercise for creating, 204 introduction in, 200–202 unnecessary details in, 199 success, 40–41, 65, 155 Strack, Fritz, 89 Strong, E K., 212, 213 success, from selling with science, 5–8 Sutherland, Rory, 215 Sviokla, John J., taxi drivers, 19 Taylor, Dalmas, 109 television comedies, 40 Tested Sentences That Sell (Wheeler), 138 Thaler, Richard, 31, 32, 53 Thibaut, John, 136 thinking outside the box, 158 thin slicing, 86 thought redirect, 105 time, 59–61, 130–31, 150–51 Tonight Show, The, 185 top performers, characteristics of: focus on perspectives of others, 218–19 growth mindset, 219 integrity, 219 interpersonal communication, 221–22 intrinsic motivation, 217–18 Tormala, Zakary, 148 Tosdal, Harry, 213 Totterdell, Peter, 88 trial and error, 23–24 trial closes, 167–68 commitment, 171–72, 174–78 involvement, 168–71, 174–77 trial lawyers, opening statements of, 147–48 trust, 64–65, 66, 133 mirroring and, 190 questions and, 106, 114 similarity and, 199 urgency, 59–60, 170 reactance and, 60–61 value: assertions, vs stories, 197 as defined by buyers, 137 demonstrating, 138–40 distinct, 69–71 inoculation theory and, 148–49 emotions in, 79, 81, 83 features and benefits, 56–57, 121, 138–39, 151–52 reciprocity and, 141–43 science of creating, 136–38 trial closes and, 168–70 value statements: with reciprocity, 143 traditional, 142–43 van Baaren, Rick, 133, 194 Vazzana, Michelle, 212 visualization (mental imagery), 168, 198 voice inflections, 89–90 voting, 101, 144, 165 Wall Street Journal, 216 Walmart, 68, 184 Ward, Andrew, 64 weak responses, 176–77 Weinfurter, Daniel, 212 Western Electric Company, 92–93 Wheeler, Elmer, 138 Whys, see Six Whys Wlodkowski, Raymond, 90 Worchel, Stephen, 70 word usage, mirroring, 194 writing (penmanship), 144 Xerox machine experiment, 92 Yap, Andy, 67 Yee, Nick, 193 Zajonc, Robert, 96 Zoltners, Andris A., 216 ABOUT THE AUTHOR DAVID HOFFELD is the CEO and chief sales trainer at Hoffeld Group, one of the nation’s top research-based sales and consulting firms He is widely regarded as the number one authority on selling with science A sought-after sales thought leader and speaker, David has trained and coached salespeople from small and medium businesses to Fortune 500 companies He’s a sales and leadership contributor to Fast Company and has been featured in Fortune, U.S News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CBS Radio, Fox News Radio, and more David has built a robust and loyal audience as a trusted resource for sales and business leaders He has received numerous awards from Toastmasters International and is a member of the National Speakers Association, the Association for Talent Development, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology David earned a master’s degree at Trinity International University and has studied sales at Harvard Business School To learn more about his work, visit HoffeldGroup.com What’s next on your reading list? Discover your next great read! Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author Sign up now ... wasting their time with the vast majority of blogs and books and training ‘tips’ offered to them But they should read and study The Science of Selling: It’s perhaps the best discussion yet of the. .. understanding around how to turn the practice of selling into a true profession.” —Marc Miller, bestselling author of Selling Is Dead and A Seat at the Table The Science of Selling is outstanding;... Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hoffeld, David, (Economist), author Title: The science of selling : proving strategies to make your pitch, influence decisions, and close the deal / David Hoffeld Description: