The Curiosity Opener
Open with a real question, not a position — and let the answer reshape your ask.
The concept
The new ABCs of selling
Pink's research on persuasion shows that the most effective openers in modern negotiation aren't pitches — they're questions. Curiosity lowers defenses on both sides and turns the conversation from a contest into a shared problem.
Try it now
0 / 3Sourced from
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Chapter 7: Pitch
By Daniel PinkView source
Get reminded to actually run this
Pivots only work when you use them. Send me a gentle nudge:
How people ran this
Used this before a portfolio review. Sat with the dread for 8 minutes, then opened Figma and just shipped the worst version. Got the best feedback of my year.
Maya, product designer
Ran it during a planning week when I kept rewriting the same doc. Three rough versions in 15 minutes — my staff eng picked the one I least liked.
Jordan, eng manager
I'm a chronic deleter. The 'name the feeling' step was the unlock. It was almost always shame, not perfectionism.
Anon
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