Chapter 7 – Pitch
Pink begins the chapter by defining pitch as: “the ability to distill one’s point to its persuasive essence.” He says that when Hollywood creatives pitch stories to producers, the most successful pitches come off as creative and draw the producers in to participate in a conversation. In a world of information overload, Pink gives six “successors to the elevator pitch”: the one-word pitch, the question pitch, the rhyming pitch, the subject-line pitch, the Twitter pitch, and the Pixar pitch.
Quotes from the chapter:
- 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.
- It [the Pixar pitch] allows pitchers to take advantage of the well-documented persuasive force of stories – but within a framework that forces conciseness and discipline.
Chapter 8 – Improvise
The chapter starts with a story about Pink participating in a company event teaching improv to improve persuasion skills. He states three rules of thumb for improv that can help in sales: “hear offers,” “say ‘Yes and,’” and “make your partner look good.” Listening can allow a salesperson to hear “objections” as opportunities. Agreeing to a “no,” and then proposing a new direction can lead to more possibilities. Finally, seeing sales as a mutual effort, a seller trying to help a buyer helps herself because she sees the buyer as her ally.
Related quotes:
- Sales and non-selling are developing along a similar path – because the stable, simple, and certain conditions that favored scripts have now given way to the dynamic, complex, and unpredictable conditions that favor improvisation.
- Listening without some degree of intimacy isn’t really listening. It’s passive and transactional rather than active and engaged.
- But the only way to truly influence others is to adopt “a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions.”
Chapter 9 – Serve
From decreasing the number of automobile accidents to improving interpretations of X-ray results, Pink says making transactions more personal leads to better customer service. He explains that this “service” is a “broader, deeper, and more transcendent definition of service – improving others’ lives and, in turn, improving the world.” Secondly, Pink states that studies have shown making an activity purposeful, (e.g., a sign that says washing hands can help save lives) instead of self-interested, (e.g., a sign that says washing hands can keep you healthy) is more persuasive. Lastly, Pink discusses the success of “servant leadership” as evidenced by numerous studies.
A few related quotes:
- In both traditional sales and non-sales selling, we do better when we move beyond solving a puzzle to serving a person.
- Greenleaf argued that the most effective leaders weren’t heroic, take-charge commanders but instead were quieter, humbler types whose animating purpose was to serve those nominally beneath them.
- Call it servant selling. It begins with the idea that those who move others aren’t manipulators but servants. They serve first and sell later.
Andrew T. Daniel 