Sales Techniques Archives | Page 3 of 5

Delayed Gratification: The “Marshmallow” in Sales

Flash back to the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Walter Mischel, a professor and psychologist at Stanford University, decides to set up an experiment involving children and marshmallows to test the long-term benefits of delaying gratification. The children are seated at a table with a giant marshmallow placed directly in front of each of them. The researcher tells them that if they can wait 15 minutes without touching the marshmallow, they will receive an additional one. The results? Follow up studies showed that the children who were able to wait for the second marshmallow experienced significantly better life outcomes.
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