First, with the advent of vertebrates (early fish) 500 million years ago, the reptilian brain was formed. This part of the brain is the fight, flight, freeze, or appease brain. It controls all of our functions such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate. These processes happen automatically–we don’t have to think about them.
About 150 million years ago with the advent of mammals (whales, manatees, etc.), the mammalian brain was formed. The mammalian brain senses feelings, excitement, and engagement. It stores images, and when it sees new ones, it does pattern matching to provide input to decisions.
About 2 to 3 million years ago with the evolution of primates, including humans, the hominid brain came on the scene. It assesses facts, figures, and logic and can understand complex concepts.
Almost all decisions are made by the buyer’s decision-making old brain, but if the old brain remains asleep, the buyer will not make a decision, and your closing rates will be close to zero.
We are almost always concerned with our own safety, our own happiness, and our own success. This is our reptilian brain at work, and one practical application of this activator you can easily recognize is in sales presentations.
Studies of buyer behavior with fMRI machines show that in 95 percent of the cases, a description of the buyer’s needs will cause an immediate conversation between the buyer and the seller.? Now, we have the buyer’s decision-making old brain immediately awake and engaged with us. The buyer’s old brain lights up like a Christmas tree!
Most salespeople have learned one of the key selling skills is to listen to the customer. In fact, many sales trainers advise that we should use our mouth and ears in the proportion that the man upstairs gave them to us. That is, listen twice as much as we talk.
Studies with fMRI machines show when we engage with another person to talk about what they are really interested in (e.g., their background, their needs, their passion, their company, etc.), more positive hormones (dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin) are released in their brain than when making money, falling in love, or eating a great meal!
Our hominid brain can understand all kinds of complex concepts, but the decision-making old brain cannot.
Consider simplifying the descriptions of your products and services everywhere in your presentations, proposals, brochures, and on your website.
In every interaction with a prospect or customer–whether it is an email, a phone call, or a meeting in person–always begin and end with impact.
Source – The Neuroscience of Selling: Proven Sales Secrets to Win Over the Buyer’s Heart and Mind by John Asher
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43998058-the-neuroscience-of-selling
Thinking Beyond Science 
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