Author: Carl Ingalls

Administrator for High Probability Selling Blog

More and More People Want a Less Manipulative Way of Selling

by Carl Ingalls and ChatGPT

It’s hard to put an exact number on how many people are actively searching for a less manipulative way to sell. But several trends make it clear that demand for a different approach is growing.

Distrust of traditional sales tactics is high.
Studies show that 60% of B2B buyers question the integrity of salespeople, and only about one-third find them genuinely helpful. Buyers want something more authentic.

Top sales performers are less manipulative.
Among high-performing salespeople, most rely little (or not at all) on manipulation. They succeed with honesty and transparency—and experience less stress while earning more trust from their clients.

Honest marketing is in demand.
In a recent U.S. survey, nearly half of respondents defined ethical marketing as truthful and transparent messaging. Three out of four believe companies that commit to ethical marketing will be more successful over the long term.

Even salespeople are speaking up.
On a public sales forum, one person summed it up:

“People love buying but hate being sold.”

The shift is happening. Both buyers and sellers are moving toward authentic, respectful approaches to selling—ways that focus on the real probability of a sale rather than trying to force one into existence.

That’s exactly what High Probability Selling is all about.

The Foundation and the Heart of High Probability Selling

by Carl Ingalls, with significant contributions from ChatGPT

I asked ChatGPT, “What is the foundation of High Probability Selling, what is the heart of it, and what is the difference?”

Here is a summary of its answer.

The foundation is the mindset and belief system that underlies all behavior in the HPS process.  The foundation is internal—your beliefs, attitudes, and approach to selling.

The heart is the core practice—what makes HPS different in action.  The heart is external—the actual behavior and methods you use with prospects.

Without the foundation, the heart of HPS could become just another technique for manipulation.

Without the heart, the foundation remains a good philosophy, but doesn’t translate into real-world sales behavior.

Together, they form a system that is both honest and effective.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this.  Please add your comments below, or use our Contact Us page.

When the Interviewer Says, “Sell Me This …”

Suppose you are applying for a sales job, and suppose you are a practitioner of High Probability Selling (HPS).

What would you do if the interviewer told you to sell them their laptop?

Here is a clever and entertaining situation and response found on Tumblr:

I was at a job interview today when the manager handed me a laptop and said: “I want you to try to sell this to me.“

So I put it under my arm, left the building and went home.

Eventually he called me and said: “Bring my laptop back now.“

I said: “$200 and it’s yours.“

Here is a response that I believe is a little more consistent with the principles of HPS, although not as entertaining.

Applicant: “Do you want this laptop?”

Manager: “No.”

Applicant: “Ok. I only sell to people who want what I am offering. Since that’s not you, I’ll find someone who wants it.”

Manager: “Convince me. Talk me into it.”

Applicant: “That’s not the way I work.”

Applicant: “What do you want to do?”

What principles of HPS apply here? Please put your thoughts in the comments, or use the Contact Us page.

Thoughts About Recipients’ Experiences When Receiving a Cold Call

The following is from a conversation between a fan of HPS and the author, and is published here with permission.

Hi Carl

Though I’m now retired I absolutely admire your HPS system, so enjoy following your posts etc including the latest “calling businesses/leaving messages”.

May I respond to this one with a thought.  Do your students have to consider what their recipients experience when they cold call?

My pet cold calling irritants as a recipient are when I hear their obvious sales pitch.  It instantly makes me immediately disinterested.

My pet hates are:

  1. “How are you today”
  2. Speaking their intro too quickly just to get it out of the way
  3. “I’m calling to save you money on your . . . Phone/energy/other “
  4. Thinking I should be interested in that!

So I wondered what others don’t like to hear when they get cold called.  Might help them understand what needs to be removed/modified.

Ian Clark

Hello Ian,

What you say makes a lot of sense. 

High Probability Selling was not created from any logical reasoning.  Jacques Werth observed and documented what the top producing salespeople were actually doing, regardless of whether any of it made sense or not.  So he discovered HPS.  He did not invent it. 

Most of your pet peeves are things that really effective salespeople already avoid doing.  So we teach our students to stop doing those things.  Not because it makes sense (even though it does), but because it works better. 

I find that making sense of something is useful, because it helps me remember details, but making sense doesn’t make an idea any truer. 

Aristotle had an idea about falling objects that made perfect sense (and still does).  It was so perfect that no one thought to question it for almost 2000 years.  Then Galileo actually tried it out. 

I think selling is a little bit like that.  Traditional selling makes a lot of sense, until you look at it much more closely. 

I’d love to put your thoughts (and my response) in an article on the blog.  May I have your permission to do that?  And if yes, do you want to be identified in that article, or not? 

Carl Ingalls

Please feel welcome to add comments with your own pet peeves about what salespeople say and do when they call.

About the HPS Community Forums (2025)

Please see the most recent update on our HPS Community Forum Series Webpage.

What.  We host a series of interactive meetings on Zoom where we talk about High Probability Selling (HPS).

Purpose.  To provide a community of like-minded individuals, who would otherwise feel very isolated in a non-HPS world.  We talk about HPS, but we do not try to teach how to do it in these meetings.

Who.  Anyone who has an interest in High Probability Selling is welcome.  No particular background is required.  No charge.  No registration required.  Just show up.

When.  We generally offer these forum meetings once per week on Thursdays.  Starting time is usually 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM (USA Eastern Time).  We are experimenting with different timing, to see what works best for our audience.

Topics.  We usually decide what to talk about a few days before each forum meeting.  We keep our options open.  We welcome suggestions from our audience.

Recording.  We record these Zoom meetings.  We email each recording link to the people who showed up at that meeting.  We will also email it to the people who request the recording ahead of time.

[Zoom access details removed]

If you want to be notified by email about the details for each forum meeting, send us your name and email address so we can put you on our mailing list.  You can use our Contact Us page for that.

Or, you can see our Google Calendar and search for HPS Community Forum.

Introduction to How to Be a World-Class Listener, HPS Community Forum on Thu 22 May 2025

An interactive learning session presented by:  Nick Ruben, co-author of “High Probability Selling” and author of “How to Be a World Class Listener”.   Nick was the original HPS workshop leader and has also trained companies and organizations in improving their listening skills for nearly two decades since.

In HPS, we often say that we are “listening our way to a sale” but we haven’t yet explained simply enough how to do that.  HPS has elements of focused listening in the Relationship Inquiry, which for many of us has been daunting.  Nick’s book helped us understand that great listening can be applied to all of HPS, not only in certain parts.

While this will essentially be an introduction, as Nick’s full course consists of an entire day, you will likely gain a deeper insight into what great listening is all about, as well as how listening relates to HPS and can improve your relationships in business and in life.

When:  Thursday 22 May 2025 at 9:30 AM (USA Eastern Time)
Google Calendar Link

[Zoom access details removed]

This meeting will be recorded.  A link to the recording will be emailed to the people who attend this meeting.  If you want a copy of the recording for this particular meeting, and are not sure that you will be able to attend, please respond to this email with a request for the recording before the meeting begins.

There is no charge to attend.  You are welcome to invite friends and colleagues.

What Is High Probability Selling, According to AI

High Probability Selling:  Overview

High Probability Selling (HPS) is a sales methodology focused on identifying and working only with prospects who are highly likely to buy, rather than trying to persuade or convince uninterested leads.  The method was developed after observing top sales performers across industries and documenting what made them consistently successful.

Key Principles

  • Early Qualification or Disqualification:  Prospects are quickly assessed.  If they do not show genuine interest or intent to buy, the salesperson moves on without trying to convince them
  • No Persuasion or Pressure:  HPS avoids traditional sales tactics like persuasion, objection handling, or closing tricks.  There’s no pushing, arguing, or chasing prospects
  • Focus on Features:  Sales conversations center on the concrete features of the product or service, not on trying to sell benefits or create desire
  • Mutual Commitments:  The process is based on mutual respect and clear agreements.  If a prospect’s conditions are met, they commit to buying
  • Efficient Use of Time:  By not spending time on unlikely buyers, salespeople can focus on real opportunities, leading to higher closing rates and less frustration

Benefits

  • Reduces fear of rejection and call reluctance
  • Avoids sales resistance and mistrust
  • Simplifies the sales process and closing
  • Leads to more authentic, direct, and respectful interactions

Summary Table

AspectHigh Probability Selling (HPS)
ApproachDiscovery, not persuasion
Prospect HandlingEarly qualification/disqualification
Sales TacticsNo pressure, no convincing
FocusFeatures, not benefits
CommitmentMutual, clear agreements

HPS is especially valued by those who dislike manipulative sales tactics and prefer a straightforward, respectful approach to selling.

Sources:   1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16 

The above was created by Perplexity.ai, in response to my question, “What Is High Probability Selling.” You can read the original response here.

I believe that the response from Perplexity is close enough to publish here. However, I would have worded some things slightly differently. For instance, “genuine interest” is not that much more valuable than ordinary interest.

De-Militarizing the Language of Sales

We tend to speak in the language that we think.  The reverse is also true.  Yet, outside of scripting, we tend to pay very little attention to our words spoken and thought.

Words thought and spoken, before, during and after a sales interaction will affect your mindset, which will affect mutual trust and respect.  Whether these words, and their associated behaviors and perceptions increase or decrease trust and respect is up to you and your awareness.

War and Military Terms Used in Sales and Marketing
Killing it
Crushing it
Nailed it
Target marketing
Targeted businesses
Closing (with the enemy; in-range)
Tactics
Strategy
Campaign
Sales Force
Captive (agent)
Capture (Lead information)
Resources
Guerilla Marketing – asymmetrical warfare
Overcome
Lay-down sale (implies surrender and submission)
Hunter (type of salesperson)
A hunter eats what they kill (quote from a hunter)
Winning sales
Losing sales

These terms create an adversarial relationship with the prospect.  They also dehumanize the other person, which may help to justify mistreatment and violence.

You often hear warlike language in sales and business culture today.  You might even use some of it yourself.

If you want to change that:
Step One:  Acknowledge your current state
Step Two:  Understand your WHY for your current state
Step Three:  Understand your WHY for your desired state
Step Four:  Test and implement new words

Here are some thoughts from other writers:

Please add your own thoughts in the comments below.

Making Peace With Selling

The following is from a conversation I initiated 2025-02-28 on the High Probability Selling Company page on Facebook.

HPS:  One of the reasons I am so passionate about High Probability Selling is that it can make the world a more peaceful place.

Tom:  Explain plz

HPS:  Much of the unnecessary drama and conflict in this world comes from people trying to change other people against their will.  This is especially prevalent in sales.  Most salespeople have no idea that there is any other way of selling.  Paul Bunn and I are working to change that.

Tom:  yes

Mike:  HPS is direct to the question, honest in the relationship between buyer and seller, and unlike much activity called “the sales process” HPS excludes clever rhetorical and fake “getting to know you” posturing.

Smoozing and begging and badgering is not part of HPS nor is assuming the sale through educating a person.

In the end which begins with in the beginning, HPS is conditioned upon mutual respect.

That’s why it has the potential to improve human relations.

Tom:  I’ve read the book and used it when I was in sales…it does work…

I always thought it needed a beginning to end video presentation of how it works…sorta like a role play….

Mike:  that would be good.

Don:  I was fortunate to have taken the class with Jacques, and that’s exactly what we did, role played through it all.  It was life changing.

HPS:  Role playing does help, but it does not stand alone very well.  Before a student tries to say or do any of the things we teach, it is crucial that they understand what is behind it all.  We can do that in a class or coaching situation where the students are closely monitored, but we are concerned that the steps of HPS may do more harm than good when presented as a video recording that is viewed without that deeper understanding.  But we are working on it.

The Carrot Illusion

Do you ever feel that a prospect is leading you on, dangling a carrot in front of you to keep you hoping that they will eventually reward you with a sale?

Did you ever ask yourself where that carrot came from and who put it there, really?

You may think that the prospect is purposely teasing you. One author calls this “carroting”. Others call it “future faking”.

If you are so eager to chase an illusory carrot, can you blame them?

But consider the possibility that this fake carrot may be entirely of your own making. Wishful thinking. Part of the fiction that you tried to create in the prospect’s mind. Only you fell for it, and they didn’t.

There is a simple mirror that you can hold up to see if the illusion has any real substance. Ask the questions that you are afraid to ask.

  • Ask the prospect if they want what you are selling. If the answer is not yes, then let go. If they do say yes, find out more.
  • Ask the prospect when they want this to happen. If it’s too far in the future, don’t spend any time on it now. Come back another time.
  • Say what it will cost, and ask if the prospect is prepared to spend that. If the answer is not yes, well, you know what to do.