If you aren't selling these 4 things, you Will Fail
Executive Summary
My First Million episode 848, where Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discuss a seven-point sales comment from Hacker News, the rule of reciprocity from Robert Cialdini's book Influence, the business of Magic: The Gathering and Hasbro, and a closing thought on caring less about what others think. The sales comment says people buy only time, money, sex and approval or peace of mind, and that you should sell aspirin rather than vitamins. Sponsor: the description links a HubSpot CEO lessons guide and promotes Hampton and Somewhere. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note is based on the opening Hacker News sales comment, the reciprocity story, the start of the Magic: The Gathering segment, the closing and the description, and does not cover every segment, such as the Bernard Arnault letter or the Bryan Johnson discussion, in the roughly 48 minute episode. The hosts' claims and figures are their own and are not independently checked.
Key Takeaways
Sales like golf
The comment says sales is like golf and you can make it too complicated, or just walk up and hit the ball.
It is about people
It says sales is about people and problem solving, not technology or lines of code.
Four things people buy
It says people buy time, money, sex and approval or peace of mind, and selling anything else will fail.
Sell aspirin
It says people always buy aspirin, vitamins only sometimes, so sell the painkiller.
Friends and value
It says all things equal people buy from friends, and being valuable and useful, with no expectation in return, is all you need to sell.
No one cares about your quota
It says no one cares about your quota, payroll or burn rate, only the problem you solve for them.
Reciprocity
One host explains Cialdini's rule of reciprocity and tells how bringing a seller a soda helped him when buying a motorcycle at 24.
The Conversation Breakdown
Sales like golf
⏱ Untimed topicThe comment says sales is like golf and you can make it too complicated, or just walk up and hit the ball.
It is about people
⏱ Untimed topicIt says sales is about people and problem solving, not technology or lines of code.
Four things people buy
⏱ Untimed topicIt says people buy time, money, sex and approval or peace of mind, and selling anything else will fail.
Sell aspirin
⏱ Untimed topicIt says people always buy aspirin, vitamins only sometimes, so sell the painkiller.
Friends and value
⏱ Untimed topicIt says all things equal people buy from friends, and being valuable and useful, with no expectation in return, is all you need to sell.
No one cares about your quota
⏱ Untimed topicIt says no one cares about your quota, payroll or burn rate, only the problem you solve for them.
Reciprocity
⏱ Untimed topicOne host explains Cialdini's rule of reciprocity and tells how bringing a seller a soda helped him when buying a motorcycle at 24.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
The four buys - the comment's list
Check whether your pitch sells time, money, sex or approval and peace of mind.
Aspirin versus vitamins - the comment's rule
Sell to an urgent pain, not a nice-to-have.
Reciprocity - Cialdini's rule via the host
Do something small and kind first and people tend to repay it.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Write which of the four things your product delivers, in one line.
- ✓Rewrite your pitch to lead with the painkiller problem.
- ✓Send one useful link or introduction to a prospect with no ask attached.
- ✓Treat the sales claims as the speakers' opinions and test them in your own market.
Notable Quotes
“people buy four things and four things only ever.”
“Sell aspirin.”
“make everything else equal and then go make a lot of friends.”
The One Thing to Remember
Shaan Puri reads a seven-point sales comment that says people buy only four things, and the hosts add reciprocity and the unlikely economics of Magic: The Gathering.