To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

“It is in fact the discovery and creation of problems rather than any superior knowledge, technical skill, or craftsmanship that often sets the creative person apart from others in his field.”8

The purpose of a pitch isn’t necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you.

Beyond that balance of positive-to-negative, life becomes a festival of Panglossian cluelessness, where self-delusion suffocates self-improvement.

optimistic explanatory style—who saw rejections as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than universal, and external rather than personal—sold

But today, these salespeople told me, believing leads to a deeper understanding of your offering, which allows sellers to better match what they have with what others need.

In a world where buyers have ample information and an array of choices, the pitch is often the first word, but it’s rarely the last.

Clarity on how to think without clarity on how to act can leave people unmoved.

“The quality of the problem that is found is a forerunner of the quality of the solution that is attained . . .” Getzels concluded.

We often understand something better when we see it in comparison with something else than when we see it in isolation.