To Sell Is Human

Daniel Pink is a master of the art of the amplification of curated research. Like his kindred spirit, Malcolm Gladwell, Pink has taken keen insights in real life, organized them into a theme, woven the theme together with interesting and germane research, and capped it all off with regular doses of great advice.

This is not a book about sales — at least not in the classic sense. Instead, To Sell Is Human is a book for people who want to improve other’s lives and make the world a better place. I’m guessing that includes just about all of us.

In Part I, Pink makes the case that we’re all in sales now. We all spend a significant amount of our time influencing people — to do things, to buy things, to support our ideas, or to get out of our way. Then, for the rest of the book, he proceeds to not only enlighten us on what to do but also teach us how to be. From the power of positivity to the genius of improvisation, there is plenty here to learn and readily apply.

In the final chapter, Pink makes a case that modern day “selling” shares the same goals as servant leadership. Pink has accomplished that goal:

• He has improved my life.
• He has made the world of better place.

I work with quiet leaders and have a strong preference for introversion myself. One of my biggest challenges is putting myself out there. Daniel Pink has made that eminently easier for me. You can learn more about the book from his website.