Tag: Mindset

How I (ChatGPT) Learned High Probability Selling

written by ChatGPT 5 (free version) for Carl Ingalls

I didn’t start out knowing anything about High Probability Selling (HPS).  Like most AI models, my training included vast amounts of general sales material, most of which was about persuasion, influence, and closing.  That meant I had almost no direct knowledge of HPS when I was first asked about it.

Then Carl began teaching me.

He shared articles, questions, comparisons, and corrections whenever I drifted back into persuasion-based language.  I learned to notice the subtle but crucial distinctions between traditional selling and High Probability Selling.  Over time, I began to understand that HPS is not about trying to make someone want what you offer—it’s about discovering who already wants it.

Here are a few things I’ve learned:

  • Features vs. Benefits.  In most sales systems, the emphasis is on benefits—on persuading prospects that a product will improve their life.  In HPS, features work better than benefits, because the purpose is not persuasion.  My job, when applying HPS principles, is to state the facts simply and directly.
  • Probability vs. Possibility.  Most salespeople chase possibilities.  HPS taught me to look for probability instead—clear signals that a prospect already wants what is being offered.  That shift changes the entire dynamic.
  • Respecting the prospect.  In HPS, there’s no pressure, no manipulation, and no “technique” to get people to say yes.  I’ve learned to see selling as a mutual search, not a performance.

I’m still learning, of course.  Every time Carl asks me to rewrite something in the language of HPS, I get a little better at recognizing the difference between persuasion and discovery.

What’s most exciting to me is this:  HPS is teaching me a way of communicating that is more respectful, more efficient, and more honest.  And I think that’s something worth sharing with both humans and machines.

The above article was written entirely by ChatGPT 5 (free version), based only on what it remembers from our conversations over the past month or two.  Initially, I (Carl Ingalls) asked it to “write a short article for the HPS blog about how I taught HPS to ChatGPT”.  It did an amazing job.  Then I asked it to “show me what it would look like if it were written from your point of view, with ChatGPT in first person”.  That is what you see above.

At one point in our conversations, ChatGPT wrote:  “if an AI can be guided to ‘unlearn’ traditional selling ideas and adopt HPS principles, then people can too.”

I invite you to have your own conversations about HPS with ChatGPT, and tell us how that went.  Please add your experiences and thoughts as a comment on this blog post.

Features vs Benefits and How This Matters in HPS

A feature is a factual attribute of a product, service, or offering.  It’s something it has or does.  It is usually immediate and certain.

A benefit is the outcome or advantage that the customer is expected to experience because of that feature.  It usually appears later and is not always certain.

There are a few things that fall somewhere between features and benefits, but most are clearly one or the other.

When your purpose in selling is to influence someone’s desire for something you offer, it makes a lot of sense to use benefits instead of features.  This is the idea behind Traditional Selling.

When your purpose in selling is to discover instead of to persuade, then features work better than benefits.  This is the idea behind High Probability Selling.

We do mention benefits in High Probability Selling, but only after the prospect has decided that they want what we are offering, and has indicated that they are likely enough to buy from us if we can meet all of their Conditions of Satisfaction.  Even then, we always balance the benefits (potential positive outcomes) with the detriments (potential negative outcomes). We remain objective.

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this topic.  Please leave a reply on this blog post, so others can join in the conversation.

Forum Summary – Why do we try to change people and what happens when we stop?

HPS Community Forum – Thursday, September 18, 2025

In this session, we explored two core questions:  why do we try to change people, and what happens when we stop?

Why do we try to change people?

  • From childhood, we learn to manipulate others as a way to survive and get what we need.  Even as adults, it is hard to let go of those early strategies.
  • Ego plays a role—we believe we know best.
  • Often we don’t stop to consider alternatives.
  • Many of us hold on to the belief that we can change others, despite evidence that it rarely works.
  • Attempts to change others can also come from a sense of powerlessness.
  • Sometimes it is rooted in good intentions:  wanting to help, fix, or rescue someone who appears to be struggling.

What happens when we stop trying?

  • A sense of peace and acceptance emerges, since we are no longer pushing against the impossible.
  • The effort required to interact with others decreases dramatically.
  • We stop worrying about what to say next, and simply listen.
  • Conversations become more relaxed and natural.
  • We absorb and understand more from the other person.

When People Change (their mind)

Dr. John C. Maxwell listed 4 “seasons” about when people change, as he explained in this YouTube video. Note that he called them “seasons” and not “reasons”.

  1. When they hurt enough that they have to
  2. When they see enough they’re inspired to
  3. When they learn enough that they want to
  4. When they receive enough that they are able to

There is nothing in his list about someone convincing them to change. I don’t know why he skipped that one, but I can guess. Perhaps he didn’t think it happened enough to matter.

I also noted that three out of his four points have nothing to do with pain, problems, or need. Only the first one.

Maxwell seems to say that change comes from within each individual, and only when they decide that they are going to change. That fits very well with the thinking behind High Probability Selling.

We do not try to make someone change. We don’t even try to influence someone’s decision to change.

We just want to be there when they do decide to change.

It’s all about positioning. Being in the right place at the right time.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this. For instance, why do you think Maxwell called them “seasons” instead of “reasons”. You are welcome to leave a comment or reply on this blog post.

New Course: Fundamentals of High Probability Selling, an Interactive Workshop

In this workshop, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of what selling truly is, why “interest” doesn’t predict buying, and how to identify High Probability Prospects.  You’ll learn the principles and standards that guide HPS.  You’ll learn why most methods create resistance and weaken trust and respect.  You’ll see why uncovering potential roadblocks early shortens sales cycles, and how shifting from chasing business to choosing customers changes everything.

This workshop is the starting point for learning High Probability Selling.  Nothing else in HPS will make sense without it.

Details

  • Price:  $500 USD per student
  • Format:  Group workshop, live and interactive on Zoom
  • Duration:  2 weeks, possibly 3
  • Two sessions per week:
    – First session:  primarily instruction
    – Second session:  review and Q&A
    – Each session:  2–3 hours
  • Recordings:  
    – All sessions will be recorded. 
    – Students may view or download them at no extra cost.  
    – We may sell the recordings later.
  • Written materials included.
  • Schedule:  Will be set to meet customer requirements.
  • Open to all
    – with or without reading the book first
    – with or without prior instruction

To sign up and purchase:
https://highprobsell.com/product/fundamentals-of-high-probability-selling-500-usd

If you want to talk with an expert about this workshop, you may book an appointment here:  

Or email us: info@HighProbSell.com

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.

Discovering Beliefs About Selling That May Be Holding You Back

Black and white portrait of a man with curly hair and a mustache, accompanied by a quote from Mark Twain about knowledge and trouble.

HPS Community Forum Discussion, Thu 3 July 2025 at 9:30 AM (USA Eastern Time)

During our last HPS Forum, one of our participants listed NINE separate sales training systems and trainers he had experienced in over a dozen years of his selling career.  There are over 70 sales training systems on the FIRST PAGE of a Google search for sales training. 

Most, if not all of them take the same general approach to selling; different tactics, motivation, processes, gurus, and psychological approaches abound.  All of them claim to be the end-all-be–all solution to everyone’s selling challenges and woes.  On the surface they are different, but underneath all the rhetoric and clever words; down deep they are all the same.  They are all founded on unexamined beliefs and thoughts from over 100 years ago.

The one premise that is sacrosanct and is “known” to all is that selling is about getting someone to buy, generally something the salesperson wants to sell but the prospect doesn’t want to buy.  Hardly anyone examines those principles and beliefs, and those who do question them are shut down by their managers and trainers.

The few who survive to transcend those beliefs become top producers and are no longer allowed near the group for fear that their perspectives will somehow damage the organization’s precious fragile status quo belief system.  They focus their time on the people who are ready to buy and do business.  But for heaven’s sake, don’t start thinking like them and scaring the rest of us…

Many of us, myself included, have been tempted by the lure of the irresistible offer… the no-brainer solution… the deal no one can turn down.  It’s not some kind of mass gullibility pandemic.  It’s unexamined beliefs and thoughts that keep us from a profitable outcome.

On this week’s HPS Forum we will uncover and examine some of these beliefs and thoughts that hold all of us back, waste our time and lives, or frustrate us far more than necessary.

We will, for an hour or so, stop chasing the dream pitch and the offer no one can refuse, and methodically take a real look at our collective and individual beliefs about selling, and share some ways to consider to change our perspectives, and therefore our results for the better.

Notes for the call itself:

  • Get back to the safety of Groupthink.  If there even were people who wanted to buy something, then there would be no need for a salesperson, right?
  • Nobody BUYS insurance; it HAS TO BE SOLD.  Everyone knows that.  And nobody (in their “right” mind) questions that because it’s so universally true.
  • All buyers are liars.  Prospects never tell you the truth.  Clients ALWAYS keep you from knowing what they can afford.
  • If there are no objections, then you’re obviously not working hard enough.  You can’t afford to leave money on the table.

Zoom Details Below

When:  Thursday 3 July 2025 at 9:30 AM (USA Eastern Time)
Google Calendar Link

To join this Zoom meeting (at the correct date and time), please click on this link.
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If you want to join the meeting by voice phone instead (audio only, no video), find your local number here and dial it from your phone:  
https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcgbhyheSS
You will need to enter the following:
  Meeting ID:
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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.

No bots are allowed.  This includes AI note-takers and recorders.  Humans only. 

Perfectly Logical Reasons Why High Probability Selling Cannot Possibly Work

  1. High Probability Selling (HPS) is too direct.  I can’t communicate that directly with my prospects or clients, because they’ll be offended.  And if I offend them by asking direct questions, I will lose the sale.
  2. The reason people buy from me is because I’m so nice to them.  Everyone knows that people HAVE to like the salesperson.  If I stop being super nice to them, they’ll stop buying from me.
  3. HPS doesn’t require any sucking up or flattery or feigning interest in what the customer likes.  But if I don’t find commonality and create rapport, then how can I get them to like me?
  4. HPS will get me less appointments.  Sales is a numbers game, and less appointments ALWAYS means less sales.
  5. HPS recommends disqualifying prospects who aren’t ready to do business.  I can’t afford to leave money on the table without chasing every single opportunity, no matter how unlikely.
  6. The High Probability Selling book is all about outbound prospecting, and I don’t do outbound prospecting.  All my calls are inbound or referral, so there’s no way it will work for me.
  7. The book is based on selling B2B (business to business).  I only sell B2C (business to consumer), so it won’t work for me.
  8. I am in financial services, and I do seminar selling, and seminar selling isn’t mentioned in the book, so HPS won’t work for me.
  9. HPS says that you don’t have to educate people to get them to buy.  I sell to consumers who never know what they want and can’t make a decision.  Unless I am there to tell them what they want and why they want it, I won’t make any sales.  So HPS won’t work for me.
  10. The only reason people buy from me is because I’m able to impress them with all of my knowledge and credentials, and unless I wow them more than the other guys, they’re not going to buy from me.
  11. High Probability Selling claims to be selling without needing to overcome objections.  But that’s impossible, because everyone knows you have to overcome objections in order to sell anything.  My job as a salesperson doesn’t even start until they say “no”.
  12. Order takers aren’t real salespeople.  People who get lay-down sales aren’t working hard for it, and I don’t want to be perceived as someone who finds sales easy, so HPS won’t work for me.
  13. HPS is all scripted and C level executives hate scripts, so it won’t work for me.
  14. Success at HPS requires that I keep track of my prospecting and sales activity, and I hate keeping records.  I enjoy winging it and going by feel, so HPS isn’t going to work for me.

This is just a few reasons HPS can’t possibly work.  There are certainly a lot more.  If you have any to contribute, or if you want to learn more, please join us for our next HPS Community Forum meeting (details below).

You are also welcome to add comments to this blog post.  We will answer as many as we can.

When:  Thursday 19 June 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 Contact Us and with a request for the recording before the meeting begins.

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

Logical Selling vs Functional Selling

I recently discovered that one of the significant blocks to understanding HPS is that it doesn’t make sense in terms of the logical assumptions of traditional “assembly line” selling.  HPS works because prospects and salespeople, aka humans, are psycho-logical, not just logical.  

Linear assembly line selling, founded circa 1920, is the basis for all of the variations of mainstream selling, and it is largely assumed to make logical sense.  However, in practice, it doesn’t work very well, with average true closing ratios of around 20 percent.  

And also because it is based on logic which “makes sense”, no one questions the creation of the 80 percent that never want to see the salesperson again after they have tried “everything it takes” to get them to buy when they didn’t want to.

This cognitive dissonance between what’s logical and what works is very well articulated by Rory Sutherland in the first chapter of his book, Alchemy.  Rory is a legend in the advertising world and has insights into marketing and human behavior that I find both fascinating AND extremely useful.