Emily Boyd

MKTG 446

28 November 2018

Dr. Quackenbos

“To Sell Is Human” – Book Report

​During my last fall semester as a college senior, I have been thinking about my future,
my next steps, and my ideal career. A role in sales has recently highly peaked my interest, so this
book was extremely interesting and made me reflect on what I believed a career in sales is. The
biggest and simplest concept I took from “To Sell Is Human” is that selling is “moving people,”
which is done in far more jobs than I had realized.
Previous to this book when I though about “sales” I pictured just what Pink described, a
charming and pushy salesman. Which interestingly, was not a problem for me. I knew people
rolled their eyes, avoided conversation, or hung up the phone when a sales person approached, it
had happened to me before. I knew that when people though of sales they had the belief “that
sales is distasteful because it is deceitful.” I still thought I could be good at this, I could form
relationships and push through the awkwardness of pitching. But after reading, I understand sales
has been changing drastically and so can the way people perceive salesmen. The career should
not be looked down upon, because everyday, whether people realize or not, they are moving
people.
The way Pink described “selling” throughout the book convinced me that in not matter
what career I choose, I will have to be “moving people.” While his description of selling did not
change how I am looking for a job, I think it will vastly change how I approach and understand
that job. Whether I do find a career in sales or not, I understand new techniques and views. For
example, information availability, being a chameleon, finding balance in positivity, identifying
problems to solve, and effective pitching.
The impact that information has on the sales world can be described in two Latin phrases,
caveat emptor and caveat venditor. More simply put, “buyer beware” and “seller beware.” When
the seller knows much more about the product than the buyer, asymmetrical information is
present, “buyer beware”. Now we live in a world where the availability of information is almost
equal for all parties, “seller beware”. This change in the availability of information has
transformed sales from solving a problem for a customer to finding a problem. Customers now
have as much information as salesman, meaning the balance has shifted, and so have sales
tactics. Buyers no longer rely on seller to supply information, so today non-selling and selling
alike both rely on more “creative, juristic, problem-finding skills.”
I had also wondered, what would make me different. I believe using the ABC’s,
attunement, buoyancy, and clarity, refined what can set someone apart when moving people.
Attunement means being able to build relationships and become harmonious with other people.
This can be done through the use of power, perspective, and mimicry. While reading through this
section, I found it somewhat insincere or fake, changing your words and actions to fit some else.
I know this tactic is common and undoubtable works, but I want to ensure I find the right mix of
being a chameleon and being myself. Next is buoyancy, which means finding positivity in a “no”
as well as encouragement through appropriate negativity. A salesman must be able to stay afloat
in a see of rejection. I think this is something I would need to work on. I have plenty of practice
with rejection from my previous work experience at a Call Center, although I need to focus on
being encourage from rejection and not letting it affect my work. I liked the idea of positivity
ratio and seeking positive interactions through out the day. Lastly is clarity, which means helping
others see situations in more revealing ways, identifying problems they didn’t know they had,
framing them in new ways, and providing opportunities to act. “Clarity on how to think without
ratio and seeking positive interactions through out the day. Lastly is clarity, which means helping
others see situations in more revealing ways, identifying problems they didn’t know they had,
framing them in new ways, and providing opportunities to act. “Clarity on how to think without
clarity on how to act can leave people unmoved.”
My practice with pitching has mostly been rehearsed and scripted from school. I think I
have the ability to persuade my target audience, but practice makes perfect. I like the creative
array of pitch examples the Pink supplies, twitter pitch, rhyming pitch, one-word pitch, and the
Pixar pitch. I think with these ideas I can create a unique personal pitch or even a pitch for a
product.
The most meaningful quote for me in the entire book was that sales and non-selling is
ultimately about “improving others’ lives and, in turn improving the world.” I want to be
involved in a career that has an impact on something bigger. This book pushed me to reflect on
my personal understandings and work towards an update understanding of how what it means to
“sell” and how to do it right. While this book was affective for me during this specific period of
my life, insights and understanding I have learned will help me in many ways.