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

KAI-MARKUS MUELLER is a professor of consumer behavior with a research focus on behavioral pricing. He is a neuroscientist by training and is the inventor of the NeuroPricing™ concept.

GABRIELE REHBOCK is a multiple award-winning sales expert. As a top executive in the fragrance industry, she carried P&L responsibility for global customer relationships including Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel and Procter & Gamble.

Explained in plain English but grounded in the latest behavioral science, The Invisible Game walks salespeople through how to respond successfully in challenging business situations and establish the rules of negotiation rather than simply accepting the terms proffered by the other side of the transaction. An indispensable strategy guide for sales professionals seeking to master the invisible, intuitive side of sales transactions and negotiations, the book is also an essential resource for business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent professionals—like lawyers, accountants, designers, coders, freelancers, and consultants—who regularly engage with and sell their services to commercial buyers.

"The Invisible Game rocks! Drawing on their joint expertise in sales, psychology, and neuroscience, Gaby and Kai bring behavioral economics to life. This is a powerful and accessible how-to manual for every current and aspiring sales leader. If you want to learn to be a better sales leader, read this book!"
— Michael Platt, Director, Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and James S. Riepe, University Professor at University of Pennsylvania, and author of The Leader’s Brain

"The Invisible Game is a must-read for anyone involved in frequent selling situations. The authors go beyond the usual Visible Game and show the role played by a larger set of factors that influence the success of negotiations. These less visible factors come from the insights of scholars working in behavioral economics and brain science."
— Philip Kotler, S.C.Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Understand and apply cutting-edge science to up your sales game

In their groundbreaking book, neuroscientist Kai-Markus Mueller and sales-pro Gabriele Rehbock deliver a hands-on guide to the hidden forces that drive the outcomes of most business deals. The authors introduce the concepts of the Visible and Invisible Games and reveal the root causes of winning and losing on those two playing fields. Grounded in real-life experiences, The Invisible Game will sharpen your sales skills for superior performance in any business situation.

"I have known Gabriele for decades as a fantastic corporate executive and negotiator. The Invisible Game fills a critical gap in the approach to B2B sales. As a strong believer in the authors’ concept, I am amazed how they translate scientific insight into the essentials for developing successful negotiation strategies."
—Patrick Firmenich, Chairman, Firmenich Group

"Understanding psychological mechanisms is crucial for success in the consumer world as well as in the business-to-business context. Drawing on a unique mixture of practical experience and cutting-edge behavioral science, The Invisible Game provides sales professionals with essential and clear-cut advice on how to harness the power of those mechanisms."
—Hartmut Jenner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board of Management, Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG