The sales gospel promotes many prescriptive behavior and activity recommendations with the following stacked in the front of the book:
1. Be maniacal in pursuing your revenue goal.
2. Be a prospecting maniac and get meetings, meetings, meetings.
3. Deal with objections and get deals signed.
4. Qualify your customers to discover nuances and insights that can help you create smart solutions.

For some odd reason, you have to flip to the back of the fictional Universal Handbook of Selling Best Practices and Smart Behaviors of the Galaxy to read about empathy and its place in the selling game.

And yet, each and every day, it’s proven that those sellers who exhibit genuine care for their customers enjoy a long, fulfilling career.

The sales game is good at sending mixed signals: on one hand, you’re playing a selfish, individual game of GO FRIGGIN’ GRAB IT! At the same time, you’re reminded that the money you covet is owned by people who only care about themselves.

Are these forces at odds?

Not at all. It just requires mental dexterity and a whole lot of calculating moves on your part.

Start simply by acknowledging the buyer on the other side of the desk is a human being who has tons in common with you. To respect that person to the highest degrees, focus on these two behaviors:

1. Listen like it’s the first time your ears were turned on.
2. Slow down and put the hammer down on the table…not everything is a nail.