The Science of Selling: Proven Strategies to Make Your Pitch, Influence Decisions, and Close the Deal

Sales is due for a revolution—a revolution of data and scientifically backed methods, says Hoffeld, CEO of the Hoffeld Group consulting firm, in this crisp, unmissable guide. He observes that one out of every nine employees in the United States works in a sales-focused role, and yet sales training is woefully out of date, never having been sufficiently adapted to the Internet age. Salespeople tend to rely on their individual experience, rather than factual evidence or research-based data. As a result, customers remain a mystery to salespeople. Meanwhile, thanks to the Internet, customers are now more informed about products than they’ve ever been, and salespeople are left at a distinct disadvantage. Hoffeld describes embarking on a nearly 10-year-long research project, applying stringent data to sales techniques. Influence, he discovered, is the “foundation of selling,” and everyone, not just professional salespeople, can benefit by applying the “science of influence” to their efforts. The main focus is not on how salespeople sell but on how customers buy and make decisions. Hoffeld’s deft guidebook is a must-read for salespeople unsatisfied with anecdotal data and hungry for real data to improve their techniques. (Nov.)