“Wonder rather than doubt is the root of knowledge” ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel
In the 1970s a young psychologist by the name of Seligman came to bring a counter theory to the commonly held behavioralist view, which was that all creatures will respond predictably to external rewards and punishment. Seligman theorized that after extended periods of time spent in states of helplessness some creatures will give up. Then, when everything returns to normal, they will continue to act helpless when they really have the power to improve their situations.
This theory is now standard in the industry of psychology and its implications are wide-spread. So now we must consider its connection to sales. Is it possible that those who are accustomed to this state of “helplessness” are already defeated before they begin? Are those who’ve already succumbed not expecting to close a deal when they start the dialogue with a potential customer? Finally, and most importantly, for those who’ve fallen prey to this thought process, is there a way to create “learned independence”?
BoweryJE22
This is a really interesting take on sales. I’ve never heard of this theory regarding “helplessness”, but I would be interested to find out more information in order to determine if there is some evidence behind this theory.
This is thought provoking. I wouldn’t think too many salespeople are learned helpless but I could very well be wrong.
similar to the comments above I have not really heard of this theory, but it is definitely interest provoking
This makes me think of Prof. Sweet’s analogy of sales as dating. When we fall prey to the temptation to take rejection in sales (or in a relationship) as a deeply personal offense, when we fail to distinguish the “real” and the “role” self, it is easy to see how a salesperson who experiences continued rejection could fall prey to learned helplessness. To avoid this type of “learned helplessness,” I think it is important to keep a clear distinction between personal effectiveness and product desirability.