Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff (A Summary)

 This book is radically different from other books on sales. It finds no merit in cold calling or meeting hundred of prospects.
It advocates understanding of human nature. It says that the human brain is divided into three parts:
  • Crocodile brain
  • Mid brain
  • Neocortex
 When we are trying to sell, the crocodile brain is the one we encounter. The crocodile brain acts defensively. It runs away if it senses danger. or withdraws if it finds it boring. The neocortex brain cater to higher intelligence aspects like project analysis, mathematics calculations while the mid brain is all about social relationships.
 The reason why sales pitches fail is that we pitch on ideas based on the the neocortex but the prospect receives these ideas in his crocodile brain. Unless there is novelty or excitement in the pitch, it won't register beyond  the crocodile rain to the neocortex. This is the reason why most pitches fail.
 The crocodile brain hates details. So your opening pitch has to be short and exciting. It should arouse, both desire and tension. The prospect should feel that if he does not deal with you, he is missing out on something.
 The book talks about framing. Framing is equivalent to mental structures. While selling, you may encounter the following types of frames:
  1. Power frame
  2. Time frame
  3. Analyst frame
  4. Prize frame
Power frame:
If the prospect tries to use the power frame, act a little defiant.
Time frame:
If the prospect says that he has very little time to talk to you, you may reply that you are also running short of time.
Analyst frame:
When the prospect tries to talk about figures and cold facts, narrate a personal story.
Prize frame:
Use this mental attitude to make yourself prized or hard to get. Human nature is such that it puts value in things that are difficult to obtain.

 People need solutions to their problems, If you can offer solutions, you can sell anything. More than mastery of details, it is necessary to have control over the prospect's attention. The perfect pitch is when you can create desire in your prospect for the deal and tension if the prospect misses out on the deal. When making a business pitch, focus on budgeting, not on projected revenue. Never show yourself as needy, even if you need the deal desperately.

  As the Tao states:
"Eliminate your desires.
Be excellent in the presence of others.
Withdraw at a crucial moment, when people are expecting you to come after them, pull away.




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