Episode #028: Daniel Pink, Author of To Sell is Human

Author, Daniel PinkAccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales. But dig deeper and a startling truth emerges: so do the other eight.

So argues Daniel Pink in his new book To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Whether you’re an employee pitching colleagues on a new idea, an entrepreneur trying to sway potential funders, or a parent or teacher trying to convince children to study, you spend much of you day trying to move others.

Like it or not, Dan says, we’re all in sales now.

Hear Our Conversation Now

Daniel Pink is one of my all-time favorite authors, and having him on the show has been a goal of mine from the very beginning. Two of my favorites from Dan, in addition to his latest, are Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

In today’s episode, Dan shares with us:

  • The new ABCs of moving others
  • Why extraverts don’t make the best salespeople
  • The successors to the elevator pitch
  • The three rules for understanding another’s perspectives
  • And a lot more!

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Podcaster Academy

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Dan in Action

Resources from Dan

From the Flip Manifesto to a 6 New Pitches of the 21st Century infographic, check out Dan’s resources page.

Books Dan Recommends (Tons)

It was all Dan could do to stop listing books. He finally trailed off after about nine titles. We’ve included them all here…because we like you.

Man’s Search for Meaning

By Viktor E. Frankl

Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do

By Studs Terkel

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

By Adam Grant

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

By Chip and Dan Heath

The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing

By Michael J. Mauboussin

Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much

By Sendhil Mullainathan

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

By David Epstein

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

By Carol Dweck

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Connecting with Dan

If you enjoyed this episode, let Dan know by sending him a tweet to @DanielPink.

You can find Dan on the web at DanielPink.com.

Comment and Share

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Finally, thanks for listening and remember, “Leaders read and readers lead.”

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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

8 thoughts on “Episode #028: Daniel Pink, Author of To Sell is Human

  1. Great episode. This show was about what Read to Lead is about. Uncovering the leadership insight behind the cover as a book directly from the author. This one even goes deeper, exploring other books to enhance your understanding of leadership. Thanks for including so many resources with the show notes.

  2. This one was just chock full of nuggets! Love listening to Dan Pink anywhere I can find him. The book list is really impressive and useful. My poor Amazon wishlist! LOL!

  3. Jeff, I love your podcast and particularly enjoyed this episode with Daniel Pink. You do an incredible job with your interviews, drawing out far more than most people do with their guests. I learn so much every time I listen to your show. Thanks for all you are doing to serve the leadership community.

    • Wow, thank you John. I really appreciate it very much. Congrats too on the launch of your own podcast. I look forward to learning from you and your staff.

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