The moonshot metaphor is often used to describe visionary, high-risk endeavors that can yield extraordinary results.

Think Again frequently discusses cognitive biases, overconfidence, and identity attachment to ideas; Sell Smarter devotes chapters to the psychology of selling, emotional and cognitive triggers, and how buyers actually decide.

As long as humans exist, there will be distinct differences in the psychology of buyers and sellers. The core concepts for buyers include motivation and internal needs, perception with emphasis on brand, learning from experience, beliefs and personal feelings, and emotional triggers such as joy, fear, and pride. Buyers may also exhibit cognitive biases related to pricing, social pressures, the fear of missing out or losing a deal, and varying perspectives on value. Most salespeople engage with buyers who exhibit routine buying behaviors, as well as those who engage in habitual or impulse buying, particularly when influenced by factors such as urgency, limited-time offers, risk assessments, and personalized elements related to their purchasing experience.

Both books are about behavior change and performance: “Atomic Habits” shows how small, consistent habits and identitybased systems compound into long-term results, while “Sell Smarter” applies similar ideas of self-investment, psychology, and daily discipline specifically to sales, emotional intelligence, and AI-enabled selling.

A powerful blend of advanced AI skills and high emotional intelligence will define the future salesperson. They will adapt to new technologies and methods that enhance their top performance. Some of these skills are covered throughout this book, and others will be played out as artificial intelligence matures from early-stage (now) to middle and post-maturity. We can only speculate about what these new requirements entail and prepare for the upcoming updates.

You probably didn't realize that you are filled with many sorts of intelligence. Psychologist Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences proposes that there are nine distinct types of intelligence, including: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential.

Ever wonder if you have ADHD? Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (aka ADHD) is common amongst children and adults and has both positive and negative influences on sales skills. Some challenges include focus and organization, while strengths include high energy, creativity, and persuasive communication. So, why should we care if we have ADHD characteristics or not? It's a simple question that often goes unanswered and may be one of the most essential elements of your EQ.

In Daniel Levitin's book “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord,” he describes how Music engages the limbic system and explores emotional intelligence through the lens of Music, cognition, and emotion. Specifically, he explores how the brain is structured for emotional life, often using Music as the entry point. He writes, "Music activates the same reward centers in the brain as food, sex, and drugs - especially the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and dopamine pathways. He explains why we associate particular songs with powerful emotional memories, a phenomenon tied to episodic memory.

“Start with Why” explains that inspiring leaders and organizations operate from a clear core purpose— their “Why”—before talking about how they work or what they sell. Sinek’s Golden Circle model (Why– How–What) shows that most companies communicate from the outside in, emphasizing products and features. In contrast, truly compelling brands communicate from the inside out, starting with purpose and then expressing it through values and offerings.

Peanut butter is just butter until we add jelly. There is no Bonnie without Clyde, Batman without Robin, Tom without Jerry, and fire without water. These are simple pairings we have fond memories of. The invention of processed peanut butter predates jelly by nearly 25 years; yet they were paired in a cooking magazine long before they became a staple as "PB&J" for soldiers during World War II. The original recipe included: flour, sugar, mustard, pepper, egg, vinegar, water, and peanuts.

Do you remember the Super Bowl ad for "Cat Herders?" On January 30, 2000, a division of Hewlett-Packard called EDS (Electronic Data Systems, formerly an independent company) ran a 60-second clip of cowboys on horseback herding cats on the prairie. Roughneck cowboys suggested herding cats is "one of the toughest things he had ever done." Bill Clinton later cited it as his favorite commercial.

This book represents several intersections, including those between sales and psychology, certainty and uncertainty, innovation and problem-solving, and emotional and artificial intelligence. In these cases, the pathways intersect for good reasons, and the value is in what happens after the crossings.

Over half the companies I have been lucky to work with have held the notion that leaders are those who speak often and loudly. Group meetings are about who controls the narrative, regardless of the content. I am always amazed by senior leadership who feel it is necessary to speak up regarding a matter they are neither an expert in nor knowledgeable about, and yet they rant about potential outcomes. They build a house of cards and invite you to watch as it collapses during any rebuttal.

Ask yourself, would you rather be MySpace or Yahoo, Nokia or Apple (iPhone), Theranos or Illumina, or Sony Music Player or iPod? In hindsight, these comparisons are easy. In 1988, two Stanford Business School professors wrote a paper describing a "first mover advantage" enjoyed by the first businesses in any given market. The concept has since gained widespread popularity in business schools and boardrooms.

You probably didn't realize that you are filled with many sorts of intelligence. Psychologist Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences proposes that there are nine distinct types of intelligence, including: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential.

For salespeople, the most relevant ideas in “When” are how timing shapes decision quality, receptivity, and energy throughout the day and across a sales cycle. Applying these concepts lets reps schedule prospecting, pitches, and follow-up when buyers are more open, and the seller is at peak performance.

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is best understood as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others. Crucially, managing emotions does not mean suppressing or controlling them; instead, it involves acknowledging and understanding them. In Chapter 8 – Murray reminds us of the bouncer in Road House, to “Be Nice,” to a crowd of bullies

Whoever invented this term must have run out of ideas to sell. The origin of the phrase is unclear, but it appears to be associated with clothing and other products designed to fit a wide range of sizes. It is also used more broadly to describe situations where a single approach or solution is applied to diverse circumstances. Regardless of origin or context, the phrase will invariably cause trouble for both the salesperson and the audience

Today's top sales professionals master a hybrid approach to selling called emotional general intelligence, where artificial and emotional strengths combine to drive decision-making and build authentic relationships. In his new book, Murray describes how to manage some of the organized chaos coming from artificial and emotional intelligence in the workplace.

When you wake up in the morning and refresh yourself in the mirror, you're not likely to ask yourself whether you are a hunter, a farmer, or slightly to the left of middle on the spectrum. After a cup of coffee, your emotions kick in and guide you in making decisions and planning for your goals, just as you do on any other day.