One in nine Americans is a salesperson, and I’ve always thought of myself as one of the 88% who don’t fall into that category. But Dan Pink says I’m wrong, that we’re all involved in sales — even you — in one way or another. That’s one of the theses of his new book, “To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others,” a follow-up to his bestsellers “Drive” and “A Whole New Mind.”
Today on KTRS, I talked with Dan about how selling has changed, whether Alec Baldwin’s classic Always Be Closing speech from “Glengarry Glen Ross” is still valid, the impact of social media on sales, and how we’ve moved from (as he puts it) asymmetry to parity when it comes to information. I also asked him to tell two classic stories — one about hospital hygiene and the other about a blind man and four simple words.
Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!
You can also listen to my previous conversation with Dan Pink about his book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” (1/4/10).