From Hunter-Gatherers to SaaS Sales: The Feedback Loop That Built Civilization

This is what you will miss if you don't read this fully:

1. The Evolution of Feedback – How our ancestors used it to survive and why we still crave it in SaaS sales calls.
2. The Psychology Behind Feedback – How dopamine, social validation, and the illusion of control trick us into seeking (or ignoring) feedback.
3. Real vs. Fake Feedback – Learn to spot the difference between actionable insights and empty social pleasantries.
4. How to Extract Honest Feedback – Powerful behavioural hacks to get real, useful responses from prospects.
5. Final Verdict: Is Feedback Just a Sales Ritual? – The answer might surprise you.

Do you know 30,000 years ago, a group of early Homo sapiens sat around a fire, evaluating their latest hunt? One hunter, let’s call him Kelly, throws his spear with impeccable precision—yet the mammoth escapes. The tribe gathers to debrief:

"Kelly, your technique is great, but maybe aim for the heart next time? Next time, don’t yell ‘attack’ before we actually attack."

This, my friends, is the first recorded sales call feedback session.

Fast forward to 2025, and we’re still doing the same thing—but with better WiFi and worse attention spans. In every SaaS intro call, we seek feedback. But is it a true survival advantage, or just a vestigial behavior—a tribal dance to make us feel good?

Why Our Brains Crave Feedback (Even When It’s Useless)

Human psychology tells us that feedback is the backbone of our survival. We are wired for prediction and correction. Every interaction, whether in the savanna or on Zoom, is an attempt to reduce uncertainty.

• The Dopamine Factor: When we receive feedback (good or bad), our brain releases dopamine, reinforcing our learning cycle. It’s why video games, social media likes, and sales approvals feel addictive.
• The Social Brain Hypothesis: Evolution suggests that our brains didn’t grow to hunt better but to socialize better. Feedback is a social signal—it tells us where we stand in the tribe. Ignore it, and you risk being outcast (or in modern terms, ghosted).
• The Illusion of Control: By asking for feedback, we trick our brains into thinking we control the outcome of the deal. Spoiler: we don’t.

When Feedback is a Goldmine and When It’s Just Noise

• Goldmine: When the prospect engages in cognitive effort. Real feedback sounds like: “I see the value, but integrating this with our current workflow would be tough.” “We’re considering a competitor; how do you compare on X?”
• Noise: When it’s just social politeness. Fake feedback sounds like: “Looks good, let me check internally.” “Interesting product, I’ll get back to you.” (Translation: I won’t get back to you.)

The Ancient Secret to Extracting Real Feedback

Want genuine insights? Stop asking, “Any feedback?” That’s the equivalent of asking, “Do you like me?” It pressures the other person into a response rather than a reflection.

Instead, use behavioral nudges:

• The Framing Bias – Ask, “What would make this a no-brainer for you?” It assumes they’re already considering it.
• The Contrast Effect – Say, “Many teams struggle with X when evaluating solutions like this. Is that a concern for you?” Now, they feel safe sharing their hesitation.
• The Power of Silence – Say, “What’s missing for you?” Then shut up. Humans hate silence. They’ll fill it with something useful.

So, Is Feedback a Tribal Ritual or an Evolutionary Advantage?

Both.

We need feedback to survive, but only when it comes with depth, honesty, and actual information. Otherwise, it’s just sales theatre—a ritual we perform to make ourselves feel sophisticated.

So, next time you ask for feedback, make sure you’re not just doing it for the dopamine hit.

Do it because it will actually help you evolve—like Kelly and his mammoth-hunting technique.

Until then, keep questioning the rituals. That’s how humanity advances.

Cheers

Feel free to share your feedbacks on this Newsletter :-)