Truth is, TED talks are often 15-20 minute long videos. Wouldn’t a salesperson better use their time focusing on outreach and follow-ups instead of these talks? What are the benefits of TED talks for sales people?
TED talks have numerous advantages to watching them. The most important ones include improving their sales skills and handling rejections and objections.
But there are so many TED talks by smart, highly-skilled speakers available online. Which TED talks should sales people watch?
These are very valid questions. As a sales person, your time is very valuable to you. There’s only so much time in the day. To be in a positive frame of mind to handle rejections and objections with the correct attitude, you need to take time off. You can’t be in “selling mode” all the time.
In this article, I have selected the best TED talks to salespeople. In the end, there’s a section on how to put these actions and insights into action.
The best TED talks on Sales to help improve sales skills and learn from experts
Go through the list, find your favorites, queue them on the TED talks app, and learn from them once you have some time for self-learning.
Smart Failure for a Fast-Changing World by Eddie Obeng
Change is the only constant in the world. Technology has increased the speed at which we experience change. As we try to respond and adapt to this change, we will succeed and fail several times. It’s how we respond to failure that gives us confidence in tackling such changes in the future.
In this TED Talk, Eddie Obeng outlines and describes three rules that help us put our professional failures into a global perspective.
Time Investment: 12 Min 36 Seconds
More From This Creator: Books | Videos
Want to Help Someone? Shut Up and Listen! By Ernesto Sirolli
Ernesto Sirolli is a sustainable economic development expert. In this TED talk, Ernesto doubles down on why listening is important and the key principles that help solidify the need for listening in anyone’s mind.
This is a great TED talk for sales leaders who want to build a more profitable company by incorporating the idea of customer-centricity in their organizations.
For salespeople, this TED talk reinforces the importance and the process of listening to your prospects whom you are trying to help.
Time Investment: 17 Min 10 Seconds
More From This Creator: Ernesto’s LinkedIn
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Lee Duckworth
Do you often feel deflated because of constant rejection? This video could be the pep talk you need!
Ms. Duckworth wanted to learn why some students grow frustrated with the teaching system while others kept their faith and excelled with flying colors. So she became a Math teacher in the public schools of New York.
Credit: Ryan Lash
In this TED talk, she explores her learnings and dives deep into what Grit is and how one can develop it.
Watch this talk when you feel deflated about constant rejection and need a solid pep talk.
Time Investment: 06 Min 12 Seconds
More From This Creator: Grit: The Book
The Science of Sales by Donald Doane
All start-ups go through the painstaking phase of discovering a strong sales process that is repeatable across multiple prospects. As the CEO of ConnectYard, Donald Doane has unique insights into watching a start-up grow through multiple stages.
Source: keynotes.org
This TED talk is a must for any sales managers who are looking to have a broad view of a strong repeatable and reliable sales process.
Time Investment: 15 Min 36 Seconds
More From This Creator: Donald Doane Presentations on Educase
The Four-Letter Code to Selling Anything by Derek Thompson
As a bestselling author of the book Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction, Derek Thompson knows a thing or two about marketing psychology.
In this TED talk, he explores the grand theory of popularity called MAYA presented by the father of industrial design Raymond Loewy. Through his examination of this theory, Derek teaches us how we can use this idea to create hits i.e. products that sell themselves.
Salespeople can learn about product placement and messaging from this video.
Time Investment: 21 Min 09 Seconds
More From This Creator: Books | All stories by Derek in The Atlantic
Neuromarketing: The New Science of Consumer Decisions by Terry Wu
Whether you are in Marketing or Sales, understanding human psychology is a keystone skill. Neuromarketing combines insights from Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Behavioral Economics.
If you know Neuromarketing, you can move forward without making guesswork. You can be certain about how the customer thinks and help them make an informed buying decision.
Dr. Wu is one of the pioneers of this field and until Jun 2019, his company Neuromarketing Services is the only neuromarketing firm based in the US Midwest
Time Investment: 17 Min 13 Seconds
More From This Creator: Dr. Terry Wu on LinkedIn | Interview with Dr. Terry Wu
A Sale is A Love Affair by Jack Vincent
If you have time to watch only one TED talk on Sales, let it be this one. Jack is an author by a book of the same fascinating name.
In this TED talk, Jack presents a unique point-of-view that equates every business deal to a romance. As he explores this fascinating conjunction of topics, you come to understand that both love and sales involve courting, love, and mutual understanding.
With humor and personal experience, Mr. Vincent draws mind-blowing parallels between Sales and Love. This is a perfect TED talk for SDRs who are new to Sales.
Time Investment: 18 Min 39 Seconds
More From This Creator: Jack Vincent Website
The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink
This is one of the most recommended TED talks for sales motivation. After all, it has over 9.4 Million views on YouTube. The speaker Dan Pink is a Career Analyst and former Speechwriter for Al Gore.
Mr. Pink uses a series of stories to answer the question “What is the core essence of motivation?” After listening to this TED talk, you can develop more positive sales habits.
Time Investment: 18 Min 36 Seconds
More From This Creator: Dan Pink Website
How to Make Stress Your Friend by Kelly McGonigal
All sales professionals face stress in their daily lives. Sales managers have an opportunity to address this underrated issue head-on. If you are looking for a TED talk for sales training sessions, look no further.
Credit: James Duncan Davidson
Kelly McGonigal draws on her experience as a psychologist to convince viewers that stress is not an enemy. It’s not something to run away from.
The central message of this TED talk is that by reaching out to others, we empower ourselves and make stress our friend.
Time Investment: 14 Min 28 Seconds
More From This Creator: Kelly McGonigal Website
WARNING for Salespeople who want to watch Sales TED talks
Without a plan of action, you would watch these TED talks, get inspired at that moment but then they will go back to their lives without thinking twice about it.
With a plan in mind, these videos become a part of the execution plan. You consume this knowledge and know when, where, and how to apply it!
No matter how many TED talks you watch, it remains “knowledge” and does not become a part of your “experience” IF you don’t apply that knowledge.
Simply put, watching videos isn’t the same as putting them to work.
So have a plan of action to apply the insights gained from these TED talks and you will be surprised at how powerful they actually are!
The action that puts inspiration (from TED Talks) to work
Now that you know the importance of action, wouldn’t you want your clients/leads to take action that you know they want to?
You could send emails, but.. text-based email marketing is losing its efficiency.
Video emails are highly efficient and effective because they build instant trust and instant connection.
- Wordstream asserts that users retain 95% of the message when watching a video compared to 10% when reading it in the text.
- According to HubSpot, 92% of marketers say that video is an integral part of their marketing strategy.
At HippoVideo, we help you create videos for a whole host of purposes quickly and painlessly:
- Marketing outreach through videos inside emails
- Landing pages
- Sales follow-ups
- And much, much more!
Excited? try us via the 7-day free trial.
