Business Book Review: The Neuroscience of Selling by John Asher
Marketers understand that people buy emotionally first and then rationalise with logic. Asher explains the science behind why, to connect you with hearts and minds.
My Rating: ★★★★
Length: 86 pages
Publisher: Sourcebook
Released: 2019
Key Takeaway for Personal Branding
Most marketers know the phrase:
“People buy emotionally first and then rationalise with logic”.
The Neuroscience of Selling explains why. And how you can use this understanding to elevate your selling skills. Because as Asher reminds us, no matter what our role we are all selling in some way.
Old Brain Versus New Brain
Old Brain
Our reptilian and mammalian brains are described as the ‘old brain’. Each first formed 500 and 150 million years ago, respectively. Combined it controls our automatic functions and our feelings. Using its stored images, it matches new impressions with its experiences.
New Brain
Our hominoid ‘new brain’ was formed over two million years ago. It processes facts and logic.
Decision-making is made primarily in the old brain. It is then rationalised by the new brain.
Asher suggests six main activators to engage someone’s old brain:
ME, ME, ME focus (what’s in it for them)
Simple, easy-to-grasp ideas
Beginnings and endings
Clear distinction
Vivid images
Active engagement
Asher discusses the litany of biases impacting decision-making to be aware of.
Vivid Images
Asher reminds us that 55% of the decisions we make about other people are based on how they look. This is an important reminder that when it comes to your personal brand, the old brain - the decision-making centre, is judging a book by its cover. And we must be intentional about our appearance to make a positive first impression.
Research shows our ‘primacy bias’ drives first impressions to be made in less than a second. And they are long-lasting.
Favourite Quotes
We are selling ourselves, we are selling to our managers, and our managers are selling to us. We are selling our ideas. So, almost all of us are in sales.
Buyers buy on emotion and justify with logic.
The best way to show the buyer’s old brain a clear difference is to have a unique selling proposition (USP).
Second-best approach to wake up the buyer’s old decision-making brain with the Clear Distinction activator is to develop a why for your company.
First impressions are made quickly, and it’s almost impossible to change an unfavorable one. When first meeting a buyer, pay attention to your words, tone of voice, and even your body language and what you are wearing.
Appraisals of the warmth of another person have a greater impact on our interpersonal and intergroup relations than our appraisals of their competence.
This extremely fast first impression was developed when the first primates saw another primate in the wild and needed to make a quick decision: Friend? Enemy? Potential partner? Our old brain (subconscious) makes up its mind before our rational (conscious) brain has had a chance to think about it!
At just 86 pages, every word in The Neuroscience of Selling earns its place on the page. It’s backed by research and features practical applications throughout. More business books should be written with Asher’s same razor-sharp brevity.
With so many in sales not taught the science of selling, Asher’s guide is the key to reaching both hearts and minds.
The Neuroscience of Selling by John Asher: Available on Amazon.
