September 01, 2024 | Read online
The Science of Sales: Why Understanding the Brain is Your Secret Weapon
Y'all, let me hit you with something real quick. Sales has always been seen as this art form, right?
Like the best salespeople just got this natural gift for persuasion and charisma. But what if I told you that's all bullshit?
Seriously, sales success ain't about some mystical art or being born with it - it's about understanding the science of the human brain. I've been diving deep into psychology, decision-making, and influence tactics, and I'm telling you, the key to closing more deals is all about tapping into the emotional drivers that shape our decisions.
Forget about relying on your gut; it's time to look at the hard evidence that shows emotions, not logic, are running the show when it comes to choices. So buckle up, because I'm about to debunk some of the biggest myths in sales and show you how the best salespeople are using brain science to absolutely crush it.
Look, I've been studying this stuff obsessively. I'm talking books, courses, programs from the top experts - I've been all over it. And through all that, I've learned the scientific principles behind how the human mind works when it comes to making decisions and being influenced. So trust me, I know what I'm talking about here. This isn't just about having natural charisma or going with your instincts - there's real psychology behind the tactics that make for killer sales.
The Brain's Decision-Making Process is Fundamentally Emotional
Our decisions are driven way more by emotions and subconscious biases than by some rational analysis. This isn't just a catchy soundbite; it's backed by legit research.
There have been studies on patients with brain damage affecting their emotional processing, and it showed that when the emotional centers of the brain are messed up, their ability to make decisions is seriously impaired (Bechara et al., 2000; Damasio, 1996).
The truth is we make decisions emotionally first. Sure, we back it up with logic after, but emotion is always firing first. It's super important to remember that the part of your brain controlling emotion, the amygdala and part of your hippocampus - if that gets too damaged, you literally can't make decisions. And that's just really sad.
Even for purchases that seem logical, emotions are still playing a huge role in driving those final decisions. Antonio Damasio, this renowned neuroscientist, said it perfectly: "We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think." This is crucial for salespeople to get.
If you want to influence a buyer's decision, you need to get their emotions engaged right from the jump.
Top Salespeople Leverage Emotional Drivers
The best salespeople out there are not just throwing facts and figures at people - they're telling stories that grab emotions. And guess what? This isn't fluff.
The research shows that storytelling can boost product value perception by 30% and drive sales up by over 185% (Quantified AI, 2023).
The salespeople who are mapping their solutions to their customers' deepest drives and motivations, they're the ones killing it.
They're creating experiences that tap into those core human motivators we all have, like status, belonging, and not wanting to lose out.
Think about it: when you're buying a luxury car, are you just buying something to get around in?
Hell no.
You're buying the status, the feeling of success, the admiration you'll get from others.
The best salespeople get this, and they craft their pitches to resonate with these deep-seated emotional drivers we all have.
Neuroscience Reveals Persuasion Tactics
Y'all, they've been studying the brain for decades. They can literally wire up the brain and see what lights up when certain words or colors are used. It's wild.
Tactics like priming, framing, and mirroring can make buyers way more receptive to a sales pitch by activating specific neural pathways (Marketingsociety.com, 2023; Tandfonline.com, 2023). Brain imaging literally shows how these tactics influence decision-making, like how gain-framed messages fire up the medial prefrontal cortex to increase behavior adoption (NCBI.nlm.nih.gov, 2023).
How we make decisions is actually very scientific when you really think about it. It's not some art or guesswork. We've got the data and the research backing this up. Sales is all about influencing those emotions, not just throwing logic at people. Robert Cialdini, a total expert in influence, said, "We'll eventually be able to measure and wire up brains to make people more persuadable." That might sound a little out there, but the principles are already in play right now.
Before we Wrap - Wanted to highlight my new partnership!
Want to give a huge shoutout to Aligned. The reality is that 75% of buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience and have an increasing amount of people entering buying decisions. (also why I’m showing y’all why you need to study the brain and buyer psychology.
This is why the #1 reason for closed lost deals is no decision/indecision. Reps aren’t able to get stakeholder alignment or focus on solving the right problem.
Gal Aga, CEO at Aligned, just released The Buyer Enablement Playbook. He spent 20+ hours interviewing top sellers like Brian LaManna and Sarah Brazier on progressing and speeding up deal cycles.
I’ll be partnering with Aligned to bring this playbook to life (and add in my own best practices as well).
Check out the Buyer Enablement Playbook here.
Conclusion
Alright, let's recap. Sales isn't an art; it's a science based on understanding how the brain makes emotional decisions. By tapping into emotional drivers, telling compelling stories, and using persuasion tactics backed by neuroscience, you can seriously boost your sales outcomes. Taking an evidence-based approach to selling can get you better results, moving past the myth of natural talent to a strategy grounded in scientific principles.
So here's the takeaway: if you want to crush it in sales, it's time to learn and apply neuroscientific principles to your strategy. Dive into the research, understand the emotional drivers, and start closing more deals by tapping into the science of the human brain. Let's go!
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