What Great Salespeople Do by Michael Bosworth Summary
Overview of What Great Salespeople Do
Forget pushy sales tactics. "What Great Salespeople Do" reveals how emotional storytelling trumps logic in closing deals. Featured in Gong's "58 best sales books," it's reshaping business communication by applying neuroscience insights that prove vulnerability creates deeper customer connections than perfect pitches.
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Key takeaways
Beyond Features and Benefits: The Human Connection in Sales
Have you ever noticed how some salespeople seem to effortlessly connect with buyers, while others struggle despite knowing every product detail? This disparity haunted sales experts Michael Bosworth and Ben Zoldan as they watched the traditional 80/20 rule evolve into a staggering 87/13 split - where just 13% of salespeople generate 87% of revenue. Their groundbreaking discovery? The conventional wisdom about sales-focused on logic, questioning techniques, and problem-solving-is fundamentally flawed. Buying decisions are primarily emotional rather than logical, and the most successful salespeople intuitively understand this hidden truth. What if everything we've been taught about sales is backward? Recent neuroscience reveals we're "feeling machines that think," not "thinking machines that feel." When traditional sales training focuses exclusively on left-brain analytical approaches-diagnosing problems, asking questions, presenting solutions-it addresses only a small part of how people actually decide to buy. This explains why the performance gap between top performers and average sellers persists despite decades of training. The most successful salespeople build trust and emotional connection first, then engage the rational mind-not the other way around.
The Neuroscience of Decision-Making and the Power of Vulnerability
Stories: The Secret Language of Influence
Essential Sales Stories and Story Tending
Creating Movements Through Organizational Influence
The Journey to Authentic Connection
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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