Originally published June 2021. Updated April 2026.
My family celebrates both Chanukah and Christmas, which means that every year, usually sometime in September, I begin creating the gift matrix. It’s an intricate Excel spreadsheet that details what each of my children is getting, which items are for which holiday, which presents are from Santa, and which night of Chanukah items are for. (Take it from a pro—calendar night and underwear night work best on days three and six. It’s not really eight crazy nights. Some have to be utilitarian, or you’ll go broke.)
I like to think that my list is well curated with things that are educational (books!) and will promote outdoor time (binoculars!), but I also do a lot of research on the science of sales for Maestro, so I know the truth. Most of my decisions are based on emotion and made in my subconscious brain. I’m a caveman just like everyone else—I’m just a caveman with a spreadsheet.
It doesn’t matter if you value critical thinking, have a Ph.D., or complete the New York Times Sunday crossword with a pen—your human brain is the result of millions of years of primate evolution. For much of our history, the individuals who survived were the ones who could make decisions quickly and get along with others, not the ones who spent time debating how quickly they would need to run in order to escape the bear.
As you hone your sales process, there is another hidden P that needs to be considered—psychology. No matter how wonderful the features are of the product you’re selling, you can’t forget that you are selling to a creature that can be swayed by color, their mood, or even what the person in front of them is buying.
THE SCIENCE OF SALES AT WORK
Understanding the science of sales and how the brain works helps us be better sales professionals. If you have time, I strongly encourage you to read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman and Amos Tversky are the prize-winning researchers who introduced behavioral economics: the idea that humans do not behave rationally when making economic decisions because they are, well, human.
Even if you don’t have time for such a meaty read, here is a list of some of the most useful psychological phenomena to keep in mind while communicating with prospects.
IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THEM LIKE YOU (BUT THEY DO NEED TO LIKE YOU)
Humans are social creatures. While independence and self-sufficiency are often touted as laudable traits, for most of our history, you were either part of the community or you were dead. Our brains are primed for social interaction, and this has an impact on where we spend our hard-earned dollars. Prospects are more likely to purchase from an individual whom they like.
Before I lose all of my fellow introverts and nerds, I have some good news—there are some simple tactics that make you more likeable. Our favorite strategy at Maestro is asking questions. People who ask others more questions are liked better.
You already know that asking questions is key to the information-gathering process, but it’s also important socially. Even better than asking questions is asking follow-up questions. Even better than that? Ask open-ended opinion questions. Being asked our opinion actually triggers the parts of the brain associated with reward and pleasure.
Another strategy we have written about before that increases your likability is mirroring. Matching your body language to your prospect’s is something that happens naturally for some, while for others it requires a bit more practice. Studies have shown that by engaging in mirroring, sales reps get more sales and better evaluations.
Finally, gifting is a great way to build rapport with prospects. Gifting is actually beneficial on many levels. First, it helps you form a connection with your prospect. Giving the right gifts can let them know that you have truly been listening to what they have been telling you. It also taps into the human penchant for reciprocity. Finally, it turns out that it’s good for you. The act of giving triggers a reward system in the brain of the gift giver. (Now I understand why my gift matrix makes me so happy. I’m triggering my reward system for four months leading up to the holidays. Can I still pretend it’s a selfless act of love?)
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE PART OF THE GROUP
Most humans have an intrinsic need to be part of a group. Again, our lives used to depend on it, so it’s how our brains are wired. This can be used to your advantage in several ways. One particularly effective strategy is using testimonials. Providing client testimonials on your website or in your sales materials shows prospects that others, often their peers, are using your product or service. Show prospects how others have liked and benefited from what you’re selling—via social media or online reviews—as much as possible.
It also helps people feel like part of the group when they have a common enemy. As much as you might want to make your biggest competitor out to be your common enemy, that tends to make you look tacky.
What problem are you solving for your customers? Do you help them manage business receipts with a cloud-based app? Piles of paper receipts shoved in envelopes and folders are your common enemy. Do you provide cybersecurity? Hackers and malware are your common enemy. Hating the same thing is a great way to bond.
Finally, our innate hatred of awkward silences stems from wanting to be part of the group. Avoid the urge to provide an answer for a question you’ve asked if your prospect does not answer right away. The silence is awkward for both of you, but learning to get used to a longer silence will help you get more valuable information in the long run.
HEURISTICS IS JUST A FANCY WORD FOR SHORTCUTS
Remember, before, when I mentioned that the humans who survived were the ones who could make quick decisions on their feet? Or quick decisions to move their feet in the opposite direction of danger? Our brains use heuristics, or shortcuts, that allow us to process information and make decisions faster. What does this have to do with sales? An awful lot. Heuristics is why the way we present information impacts how that information is perceived.
Heuristics is why:
- $2.99 looks much cheaper than $3.00
- $1700 looks like less than $1,700, and
- 20% off looks better than $10 off for a $50 item
Because of the way our brain works, even the order in which you see first, the product or the price, determines how you will think about that purchase. If you see the product first, you tend to ask yourself, “How much do I like this product?” If you see the price first, you’re asking yourself, “How much is this product worth?” It’s helpful to understand these shortcuts when designing something like a product sheet or endcap display.
TELL A STORY
Ages of sitting around a fire, hearing stories, have clearly had an impact on the human brain. People are much better at remembering something wrapped in a narrative than they are just plain facts. Stories activate multiple systems of the brain, including visual regions, memory systems, and decision-making networks. A study by Adaval and Wyler found that individuals are less likely to come up with counterarguments to details that are told through a story than when those details are shared on their own.
When a story is shared, with more systems of the brain activated, people can’t help but put themselves into the story. If you’re sharing information about your product or service through a story, that means prospects are imagining themselves using what you’re selling. They are automatically engaged with your product in a way that a list of features could never have prompted.
YOU’RE A CAVEMAN, NOT A LIZARD
While researching for this piece, I came across many articles explaining the development of the human brain as though new layers were simply added on top of old layers. The outer layer is the neocortex (the rational brain); this sits atop the limbic system (the emotional brain); and that sits atop our LIZARD BRAIN!!! Dum, dum, dum!!!
If you Google “lizard brain,” you’ll find articles like “Quieting the Lizard Brain,” How to Beat Your Lizard Brain,” and “How Your 200-Million-Year-Old Lizard Brain Is Holding You Back.” We’re basically dinosaurs in a human costume. Except that we’re not.
Yes, our brain evolved, and we carry much of our early human ancestors with us, but the concept of the lizard brain, or the triune theory, is not true. Our brains are much more complicated and interconnected than the triune theory proposes.
So, next time you do something irrational and embarrassing, don’t blame a reptile.
Knowing something about the science of sales and about how our brains function is key to understanding how people form decisions about what to purchase. It’s surely not a surprise to anybody that we don’t always act rationally when making purchases (if we did, ice facials and collagen creams would not be a thing).
No, there is not a lizard controlling our decisions, but our survival as a species selected for some traits that aren’t entirely rational. As sales professionals, the more we know about how people make decisions, the better we can understand our prospects, and the better we can do our jobs.
Could your team benefit from a better understanding of the science of sales? You can reach us at mastery@maestrogroup.co.