Featured Articles

How to Upsell

One way that you can boost your sales is by upselling.  Yet, what is the most effective way to create these opportunities?   Here are four strategies that will increase the likelihood that prospects will respond favorably to your upselling attempts. 

3 Ways Behavioral Science Can Increase Your Sales

Education, marketing and economics are just a few of the growing number of disciplines that have realized that the insights derived from behavioral science are just too significant to ignore.  Even the United States Government has recently stated that it will begin using behavioral science to design policies to better serve its citizens.  Yet, nowhere can the research-backed insights from behavioral science make more impact than in selling.

What is Science-Based Selling?

What enables one salesperson to outsell another? Why does one sales process produce superior results, while others do not? The good news is there’s a clear, science-based answer to these questions. Over the past few decades, there has been an explosion of scientific research on how the human brain makes choices and which factors influence what we say, how we act, and what we decide to buy. Today we know …

7 Scientifically Proven Ways To Increase Your Charisma

Some people just seem to have it.  The way they communicate energizes others and causes people to want to be around them.  They have what is commonly referred to as charisma.  This is no small matter because charisma improves the likelihood of success in almost every area of life.  Charismatic people are able to inspire others to take what they say seriously and act on it.  Because of its importance, …

The Science of Achieving Your Goals

The exciting news is that that for decades goals have been studied by behavioral scientists and today there is a wealth of information regarding the behaviors that amplify the likelihood of achieving any goal.  Here are four research-based strategies that have been scientifically proven to help you attain your goals. 

5 Insights From Behavioral Economics That Can Help Startups Succeed

Anyone who’s been involved in a startup knows that there’s little room for error.  One wrong move could be the difference between success and failure.  So how can you increase the likelihood that your new business will not just survive, but thrive?  This is where the science of behavioral economics – the merging of economic theory and social science – can help.  It provides those operating startups, or any business …

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 …

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.  …

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. 

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 …

Nap Your Way to Increased Productivity

Can napping increase your productivity?  Surprisingly, in spite of the fact that napping usually evokes mental images associated with laziness, recent scientific findings have conclusively proven that naps can actually boost productivity. The reason that scientists recommend napping is because it alters your brain waves. Neuroscientists study brain waves through a machine called an electroencephalogram (EEG).  An EEG records the electrical activity in the brain and alerts scientists when the …

Is Selling an Art or a Science?

Is selling an art or a science?  When this question is posed to sales trainers their responses are usually identical.  Most sales trainers state that selling is both an art and a science.  Some trainers will even attempt to guess what percentage of selling is an art and what percentage is a science.  This question is usually treated as theoretical, having little impact upon how a sales person actually sells.  …