Bloodletting cures illnesses. The sun revolves around the Earth, which, by the way, happens to be flat. Handwashing is unnecessary for doctors. Mental illness is a moral failure. Left-handedness should be corrected.
These are but a few examples of conventional wisdom that for centuries were widely accepted as irrefutable truth.
Lorenzo Bizzi knows a thing or two about debunking “truth.”
In his book, “Myths vs. Science of Selling,” Bizzi, professor of strategic management at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics, examines more than two-dozen elements involving sales, the process of turning interest into revenue through value exchange.
The book is composed of an engaging combination of data, unearthed through dogged research, and creative storytelling. Each chapter discusses a specific sales element, which includes such topics as goal setting, prospecting, ingratiation and listening tactics, empathy and much more.
“I wrote this book after reading other books on sales, which are simply incorrect. They’re not backed by research,” said Bizzi, whose work has been featured in such publications as The Financial Times, Inc. magazine” and The Harvard Business Review, among many others. “In today’s social-media environment, it’s easy to have a voice, but people have to exaggerate to be heard. (The resulting) overinflated claims that are screamed out create a gap between what’s really true and what people claim to be true.”
Bizzi’s research, done over four years, involved scanning hundreds of books, reports and articles. “In doing this research, I compared the facts with what these other books were saying.” Their claims simply didn’t pass muster.
While most business books are about as exciting as reviewing a stack of Excel spreadsheets, Bizzi’s writing blends structured, left-brain research and right-brain creativity. Every chapter has four clearly delineated elements: The Myth, The Facts, The Logic and What To Do, as well as a helpful overview, Recommendation. Along with an intriguing tagline accompanying each chapter title, “Each chapter begins with a story,” Bizzi said. “While the scientific backing in this book is something I’m proud of … people relate to and remember stories much better than dry facts.”
Chapter 4, Sales Conversation, discusses two types of selling. One, rooted in decision outcome, brings in higher sales in the short term but is ultimately less effective. The other, focused on the decision process, is more honest and better over the long haul.
“The classic technique focuses on the outcome of the sale,” said Bizzi, who has been nominated twice, by two Cal State Fullerton presidents, for the Wang Family Excellence Award, which honors the top instructor in the Cal State University system. “Instead, salespeople should focus on the process, with the goal of reducing buyer uncertainty about the product. Even if you don’t close the sale, you increase the clarity of the buyer. And that’s good.”
Seller’s Attitude, the focus of Chapter 12, unpacks two forms of excitement that don’t work, as well as one that does. Excitement rooted either in the seller’s personality or used as a sales tactic is less effective. However, excitement about the given sales situation can reap benefits for both seller and buyer.
“Excitement about the situation is different,” Bizzi said. “That’s about the sales process itself, the presentation that you’re making when you’re talking with the buyer about the product. When sellers display excitement about the context of the situation they’re in with the buyer, the buyer perceives that sellers are anticipating that the sale will go well. … Thus, the buyer tends to believe the seller is credible and trustworthy.”
In Chapter 17, Casual Conversations, Bizzi emphasizes storytelling, an effective element used throughout his book. “Facts and data alone are boring,” Bizzi said. “Sellers start with a story because it provides an emotional salience that creates a connection. They bring in the facts only after they build a story. However, storytelling must not be a replacement for the facts; it must be combined with facts. Combining emotions and rationality creates the most powerful impact.”
One essential factor that sets “Myths vs. Science of Selling” apart from other sales books is that it tackles the subject from a variety of angles. “Most sales books say, ‘Do this one thing, and you’ll be successful.’ This is the essence of exaggeration,” Bizzi said. “That’s why sales professionals are encouraged to look at all of the elements covered in my book. … If there’s one single thing I’d like to tell salespeople, it’s this: There is not one single thing that they need to do in order to achieve success. There are many elements involved. That’s a core point of my book.”