Selling to the Old Brain audiobook cover - How Neuroscience holds the Key to Influencing Your Audience

Selling to the Old Brain

How Neuroscience holds the Key to Influencing Your Audience

Patrick Renvoisé, Christophe Morin

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PsychologyMarketing & SalesCommunication SkillsScience

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Selling to the Old Brain
The Three Brains+
6 Triggers of the Old Brain+
The 4-Step Selling Formula+
Messaging Strategy+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the book, what are the primary functions of the new, middle, and old brain respectively?
  • A. The new brain thinks, the middle brain feels, and the old brain decides.
  • B. The new brain decides, the middle brain thinks, and the old brain feels.
  • C. The new brain learns, the middle brain remembers, and the old brain reacts.
  • D. The new brain analyzes, the middle brain decides, and the old brain survives.
Question 2 of 7
Why is it highly effective to use 'before and after' scenarios in a sales pitch?
  • A. It proves to the logical new brain that your product has a high return on investment.
  • B. The old brain is obsessed with contrast and needs clear, extreme choices to make a decision.
  • C. It allows you to showcase the complex, nuanced features of your technology.
  • D. The middle brain requires historical context to build emotional trust.
Question 3 of 7
How should a presentation be structured to align with how the old brain retains information?
  • A. Start with a slow build-up to establish credibility, then reveal the main idea at the end.
  • B. Distribute your most important facts evenly throughout the middle of the presentation.
  • C. Put the most important idea at the very beginning and repeat it at the end.
  • D. Begin with a detailed history of your company's mission and founder's journey.
Question 4 of 7
Which of the following represents the four-step formula recommended for converting a pitch into a decision?
  • A. Hook, Story, Offer, Guarantee
  • B. Features, Benefits, Pricing, Closing
  • C. Logic, Emotion, Evidence, Action
  • D. Pain, Claims, Gain, Brain
Question 5 of 7
What is the primary psychological benefit of frequently using the word 'you' in your sales messaging?
  • A. It makes the buyer's brain simulate the experience, creating a sense of ownership.
  • B. It bypasses the old brain entirely and speaks directly to the logical, thinking brain.
  • C. It demonstrates professional courtesy, which builds long-term corporate trust.
  • D. It shifts the focus away from the price of the product and onto its features.
Question 6 of 7
Why does the author recommend using a picture of a cracked phone screen instead of a bulleted list of features?
  • A. Bullet points often trigger mental shutdown due to complex corporate jargon.
  • B. Visuals are less likely to be scrutinized by the buyer's legal and procurement teams.
  • C. The middle brain requires artistic elements to feel empathy for the seller.
  • D. The old brain evolved before language and processes visuals much faster and more instinctively.
Question 7 of 7
When diagnosing a buyer's pain, what does the 'drill vs. clean hole in the wall' analogy illustrate?
  • A. Buyers care more about the durability of a physical product than its price.
  • B. You should focus on the underlying result the buyer wants, rather than the product specs.
  • C. Tangible products are inherently easier to sell to the old brain than digital services.
  • D. Customers often do not know what they want, so you must tell them what to buy.

Selling to the Old Brain — Full Chapter Overview

Selling to the Old Brain Summary & Overview

Selling to the Old Brain (2003) explains how people make decisions using the oldest part of the brain, which is driven by emotion, survival, and instinct – not logic. It presents a set of tools to craft messages that connect with this primal decision-maker using visual cues, emotional hooks, and simple, high-contrast language. The goal is to help anyone become more persuasive by communicating in a way the brain is wired to respond to.

Who Should Listen to Selling to the Old Brain?

  • Sales professionals who want more impact
  • Marketers crafting persuasive campaigns
  • Entrepreneurs pitching to investors or clients

About the Author: Patrick Renvoisé, Christophe Morin

Patrick Renvoisé is a computer scientist and former business development executive in the tech sector, where he sold advanced computing solutions to companies like NASA and Boeing. His deep interest in human behavior led him to develop a neuromarketing framework that links brain science with real-world sales techniques.

Christophe Morin is a marketing strategist with executive experience across telecom, retail, and manufacturing. He’s led major bids, including a multimillion-dollar Olympic contract, and brings a wealth of real-world business insight to the psychology of persuasion. Together, they co-authored the best-selling The Persuasion Code, which builds on the core ideas introduced in Selling to the Old Brain.

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