--- title: Have you ever had a sales call go terribly wrong? description: Have you ever had a sales call go terribly wrong? 3 areas in the brain that are activated during a challenging sales call. Limbic system, stress response image: https://www.savvysyentist.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/Closeup%20portrait%20young%20angry%20business%20woman%2c%20corporate%20employee%20talking%20on%20cell%20phone%2c%20having%20unpleasant%2c%20bad%20conversation%2c%20isolated%20white%20background.%20Negative%20emotions%2c%20facial%20expressions%2c%20reaction.jpeg --- [![Savvy Syentist](https://www.savvysyentist.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Savvy_Image_2018/SiteLogo.png?width=132&height=73&name=SiteLogo.png "Savvy Syentist")](https://www.savvysyentist.com) - [**](https://www.facebook.com/) - [**](https://twitter.com/) - [**](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcrJLv0neuo4hIVrbubXrmg/featured) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/) ![Young confident man wearing glasses standing near blackboard](https://www.savvysyentist.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Young%20confident%20man%20wearing%20glasses%20standing%20near%20blackboard.jpeg?width=1000&name=Young%20confident%20man%20wearing%20glasses%20standing%20near%20blackboard.jpeg "Young confident man wearing glasses standing near blackboard") ## Science, Sales, and Business Rock [![image2](https://www.savvysyentist.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/Closeup%20portrait%20young%20angry%20business%20woman%2c%20corporate%20employee%20talking%20on%20cell%20phone%2c%20having%20unpleasant%2c%20bad%20conversation%2c%20isolated%20white%20background.%20Negative%20emotions%2c%20facial%20expressions%2c%20reaction.jpeg) ](https://www.savvysyentist.com/blog/have-you-ever-had-a-sales-call-go-terribly-wrong) #### Have you ever had a sales call go terribly wrong? ** 04/17/18   [** Chris Boyson, PhD](https://www.savvysyentist.com/blog/author/chris-boyson-phd) There are three key areas in the brain that will most likely become activated during a difficult sales call. 1. Amygdala - This area of the brain has a lot to do with the flight-fight response and it can heighten your emotional awareness. The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath and remain calm. This is much easier said than done, it is a skill that can be developed over time and be patient with yourself, the skill will come. By taking a step back and taking control of your emotions your brain will trigger a response within the limbic system creating a strong neural pathway connection between your prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. 2. Prefrontal Cortex - This area of the brain has exceptional abilities with executive decision making and higher functioning behaviors. By demonstrating calmness, you may allow the prefrontal cortex to function at its highest capability. By having access to this high functioning area of the brain during a difficult sales call, it may give you better clarity on the situation and may help you decide how to best position your next statement to the customer.  3. Hippocampus – This area of the brain has been highly associated with memory. As you gain experience over the years, tough sales calls will most likely be stored in the hippocampus as long-term memories. It is always important to debrief with yourself and others after sales calls especially the calls where you see a big opportunity to improve and learn. The goal is to enable your hippocampus to store these events so you can try to prevent them in the future especially if it was truly a bad customer experience. Try your best to learn from these difficult sales calls and assess why it happened. Do self-assessments and think of your hippocampus as a library of knowledge. Once you have them stored be sure to share these stories with your colleagues. Keep in mind the brain is a highly complex organ and there are most likely several other areas within the brain being activated and deactivated during difficult sales calls. It is important to remember how you felt during these sales calls and how you managed the stress that came with it. Being able to control your emotions to truly listen to the customer will separate you from the others. Customers will see how you assess the situation and will see how you resolve their challenges, this will bring a lot of long-term value to your customers. In summary, if you maintain calmness throughout a tough sales call then you will undoubtedly maintain a clear mind enabling you to reset the conversation towards bringing value to your customer.  References/Links:  1. [Anatomy of the brain](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain) 2. 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