Book Review: To Sell is Human, by Daniel Pink

nce upon a time, there was a consultant who wanted their business to be successful far and wide, because she cared about people, the earth and longed deeply to make a difference.

Everyday, she would beat herself up for not being able to sell her wares or write pithy articles that were relevant to their clients.

One day, she read a book – To Sell is Human

Because of that she developed greater skill (and confidence) and credibility with her clients, and more courage to find a financial win-win while helping the people and organizations she cared about.

Because of that, she saw their sales increase.

Until finally, she saw their business grow far and wide, making a difference to more people than ever, (and even wrote a relevant, pithy and timely book review).

(Example of a “Pixar pitch”, one of six successors to the elevator pitch)

“I’m not a salesman. That’s just not who I am…”

A client echoed my own thoughts last evening. Inwardly, I smiled. No, I may not be a sales person, but I am really good at helping people succeed, at holding their vision, at connecting others, and at marshaling knowledge and resources in their service. That, according to author, Daniel Pink, is the new world order of sales - a world where, like it or not, every one of us is in sales.

Information changes everything:

Of course, for many of us, the old world of selling conjures images of real estate agents and car salesmen wielding secret books of data, and the cry of ‘caveat emptor’ – buyer beware! Pink observes that information is now equally available to both sides of the sale. Buyers come to a transaction knowing as much or more than the salesperson, so the value of the sales person as holder of knowledge has greatly diminished.

When we make a major purchase, Gary does his homework. When we got our last car, Gary knew more about price, availability and fit to my preferences than either the sales person or me, steering me to a car I never would have considered. Prescient? No. The information is readily available for consumers, along with the tools to make sense of and personalize it.

This information parity is perhaps most apparent in the real estate industry, where the old guard competes with agents more attuned and more wired to the new reality of how buyers approach their research and purchase. The typical home buyer today, smartphone in-hand, has walked through the house, scanned satellite images and toured the neighborhood, all virtually, before ever asking to step into a home. They have at their fingertips market pricing, school district grades, crime statistics, “Walkability” scores and the impressions and opinions of their social network living in the neighborhood. ‘Caveat venditor’ – seller, beware. (Agent, plug-in!)

If not “gatekeeper to information” what is the value and role of the salesperson in the new order?

The new ABC’s of selling:

In researching the book, Pink has delved into many diverse fields, weaving them into surprising and sometimes counterintuitive insights. He follows with practical resources and useful thought experiments at the end of each section. These little ‘sample cases’ are grist for the reader’s personal reflection, insight and skill development (and yes, make us squirm just a bit).

In the old world of selling, ABC stood for Always Be Closing. Ugh. Thankfully, Pink has come up with new ABC’s:

Attunement – being aware of yourself, your actions and attitudes in the current context,

Buoyancy – mental resilience before and after a sales opportunity, and

Clarity – finding the right questions to ask to help the client gain clarity.

As Gary and I reflect on the evolution of our approach to sales, these principles ring true.

The final section of the book focuses on what to do in the ‘new’ sales process. He draws from Pixar and others as he walks through six ways to ‘pitch’, and reaches into improvisational theatre to help the reader move from a world of scripted sales to deeper listening and awareness in working with customers and peers.

Servant Selling:

In closing, Pink talks about a fundamental shift in values underlying selling. Taking a page from Robert Greenleaf’s “Servant Leadership” philosophy, he creates a version for the new world of sales… He calls it “Servant Selling”:

“ It begins with the idea that those move others aren’t manipulators but servants. They serve first and sell later. And the test – which, like Greanleaf’s, is the best and most difficult to administer is this: If the person you’re selling to agrees to buy, will his or her life improve? When your interaction is over will the world be a better place than when you began?”

The book, like Pink’s previous work, is a fast read, a bit cheeky, and packed with useful tidbits. Most important, for the many of us who protest “I am not a salesman!”, it touches our core of doubts, fears and biases. It offers the opportunity and a pathway to change our frame from sales as something to be avoided to sales as a caring service aimed at helping both parties succeed.

This is certainly true for me. I’m far better off for having read this book.

– Ann Ralston

© 2013 Ralston Consulting Inc.

Link to Kindle e-book at Amazon.com: To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

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