The Invisible Game

Cutting-edge science can make all the difference for salespeople in a time when they are facing a business world in transformation. In The Invisible Game: The Secrets and the Science of Winning Minds and Winning Deals, neuroscientist Kai-Markus Mueller and sales professional Gabriele Rehbock deliver a hands-on guide to the hidden dynamics that influence the outcomes of most business deals.  In plain English, the book unpacks recently discovered insights from psychology, behavioural economics, and neuroscience and explains how to apply them to your advantage in real-life business situations. The authors show you how to influence buying decisions and how to successfully respond to challenging business situations in order to put you in control of the levers that drive sales success. You’ll also find Advanced strategies and tactics that offer a lasting edge in negotiations, sales and other business transactions Smart techniques to build rewarding customer relationships The psychology behind gains and losses revealing new keys to profitable pricing Real-life advice on how to counter a buyer’s intimidation tactics: time, uncertainty, fear, and silence An essential, step-by-step playbook for sales professionals, The Invisible Game will also earn a place on the bookshelves of entrepreneurs, business owners, and other independent professionals—like lawyers, accountants, freelancers, consultants, and programmers—who regularly sell their services to other businesses.

Introduction: It’s Never Been Harder to Be a Salesperson 1 Part I: Building Your Situational Awareness 17 1. The Forces Behind the Invisible Game 21 2. All Sales Are Won and Lost on Illusions 33 3. Controlling Illusions = Controlling the Deal 39 4. Relativity and Anchoring: The Illusion of Numbers 53 Part II: Playing Defence and the Power of “no” 63 5. Price = Maths + Story 69 6. Psyched Up or Psyched Out? 75 7. Paying the Price of ‘Yes’ 81 8. Overcoming the Fear of ‘No’ 91 9. Expand Your Comfort Zone 105 10. From the Buyer’s Playbook: Time, Uncertainty, Fear, and Silence 119 Part III: Playing Offence and the Powers of Influence 135 11. Personal Versus Paper Power: Where’s Your Leverage? 137 12. What Buyers Think and How They Make Decisions 145 13. What Is Your Re-pricing Strategy? 161 14. Who Will You Anchor Today? 171 15. Why Equal Things Aren’t Always Equal 177 16. The Power of Free and the Power of Now 185 17. To Bundle or Not to Bundle: Is That Really the Question? 191 18. Decoys and the Power of 3 201 19. The Power of the Next Small Thing 209 Conclusion: Has It Really Never Been Harder to Be a Salesperson? 217 Epilogue: Some Final Takeaways from Gaby and Kai 219 Acknowledgements 225 About the Authors 229 Notes 231 Index 245