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Why Less Will Help You Sell More

Would more product options help or hinder prospects in making a buying decision?  This was the question that two behavioral scientists, Sheena Iyengar from Columbia University and Mark Lepper from Stanford University sought to answer.[1] Iyengar and Lepper conducted numerous scientific experiments regarding how the quantity of information influences the decision to purchase.  One of their most well-known experiments occurred at an upscale grocery store in Melo Park, California.  For …

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What is Your Sales Bottleneck?

Craig was an experienced sales person who was going through the worst selling slump of his career.  His sales production had plummeted by over 50% and no one knew why.  Craig had even met with his sales manager numerous times and had reviewed with him his entire sales presentation, but still nothing seemed to help.  With each day that passed Craig was becoming more frustrated as his performance continued to …

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What is Your Prospect Thinking About?

“Try not to think of a white bear.”  This was the peculiar instruction given to participants in a research experiment led by behavioral scientist Daniel Wegner.[1] Each participant was directed to sit quietly for five minutes and attempt to think about anything other than a white bear.  The findings of this experiment, which were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, disclosed that in spite of their most valiant …

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How to Increase Your Sales Influence

It was a research experiment that many would have gladly volunteered for. Three behavioral scientists approached patrons at a local bar and asked them to evaluate two different beers.  The first option was simply a regular beer, while the second option was regular beer with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.  Prior to tasting, some of the participants were told the ingredients, while others were not told until after tasting.  The …

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Two Nobel Prize Winning Ideas that Will Increase Your Sales

What factors influence a prospect’s decision to purchase a product or service?  Answering this question rightly is not only fundamental to selling, but also to the field of economics.  In the past, standard economic theory asserted that when consumers make buying decisions they do so in a rational, logical manner.  Yet, today economists no longer believe this to be true.  The reason for this change in philosophy is due to …

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Two Beliefs That Will Increase Your Sales

Behavioral scientists Charles Lee, Sally Linkenauger and three colleagues conducted a revealing psychological experiment with 41 golfers.[1]  The golfers were randomly split into two groups.  The first group was led, one at a time, to a putting matt.  Each golfer was handed a golf putter and then asked to estimate the diameter of the hole at the end of the matt.  Then the golfer was allowed to attempt 10 putts.  …

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The Science of Outselling Your Competition

After a long day of hiking, two campers began setting up their campsite when they noticed a grizzly bear step out from the cover of the trees and aggressively move towards them.  One of the campers was instantly paralyzed with fear and stood frozen as the enraged bear approached.  However, the other camper sprang into action and quickly pulled off his boots and took his running shoes out of his …

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The Science of Effective PowerPoint Presentations

What makes a PowerPoint presentation effective?  Why are some PowerPoint presentations described as being highly engaging and others infamously referred to as, “death by PowerPoint”?  These are meaningful questions because your proficiency in communicating your ideas will be the determining factor in whether or not you or your ideas are embraced by others.  Hillary Chura writes about this in one of her New York Times articles where she cites numerous …

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The Science of Buying

What is the #1 reason for a lack of sales results?  Every sales leader acknowledges that sales deficiency is an alarming problem.  Many had hoped that social selling and access to big data would solve the issue.  It hasn’t.  The statistics show that today just as many sales people fail to make quota as did a decade ago.  Now there is no doubt that leveraging social media and big data …

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The Persuasive Influence of Food

The late Dr. Irving Janis was one of the most distinguished social psychologists who ever lived.  His innovative psychological theories, such as groupthink, have transformed the way people relate to one another.  One of his most unique research experiments occurred on the Yale campus where he taught.  Janis gathered together college students to analyze how the persuasiveness of a message could be enhanced.  To some of the students he gave …

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The Coming Sales Revolution

The profession of sales is on the verge of a revolution that will change it forever.  Early adopters who have embraced this revolution are experiencing a significant competitive advantage that is causing their sales production and market share to explode.  Once this revolution reaches its tipping point and gains market acceptance, economists predict that it will cause worldwide economic growth. 

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Selling With Science Instead of High Pressure

Minnesota has some of the coldest winters in the United States.  It is not uncommon for the temperature to drop below zero and remain there for weeks at a time.  I have experienced the frigid temperatures, incessant snow and ice that a Minnesota winter can produce because I attended college there.  Graciously, the college did not require its students to trudge across a snow ridden campus to get from one …

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