Sell By Being Human copertina

Sell By Being Human

Sell By Being Human

Di: Alex Smith
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A proposito di questo titolo

 This is where human connection and sales meet. You may be someone whose success depends on influence, negotiation, and your ability to create change, but you may reject aggressive sales tactics. Maybe you feel stuck in corporate "autopilot," knowing your best asset is your genuine personality, but you struggle to use it to get what you want. Then this channel is for you. It will teach you how to close the gap between wanting to be ethical and feeling pressured to sell aggressively. You’ll also learn actionable strategies for translating emotional intelligence into high-trust results. Join Alex and top guests, including NY Times bestsellers, keynote speakers, and global founders, as they prove that being truly human is the ultimate sales advantage.Copyright 2026 Alex Smith Economia Gestione e leadership Management Ricerca del lavoro Successo personale
Episodi
  • Why Professionalism Is Ruining Your Sales

    Why Professionalism Is Ruining Your Sales
    Apr 22 2026
    In sales, they always say: stay professional and never rock the boat, right? But think about it. Who do buyers actually remember? The professional who checks all the boxes or the real human with smiles, energy, and personality?In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with April Palmer, Account Executive at Duckbill, adjunct professor at VCU, and self-described "hot mess boss," to explore why showing up as your authentic self is not just good for your soul, it is good for sales.April's path started in unexpected places. From selling mistletoe door to door as a kid to closing multi-million dollar enterprise deals, she has learned that the real secret to sales is not better scripts or sharper rebuttals. It is genuine human connection. With 20,000 "weirdos" following her late-night LinkedIn chaos, April has proof that people buy from real people, not robots or talking heads.In this conversation, you will hear why she tells prospects not to buy from her, how a ruptured Achilles led to 12 job offers, and why the platinum rule beats the golden rule every time. She also shares her dad's most annoying and effective question, what hula hoops and cheesecake taught her about prospecting, and why showing up looking like a "cotton candy machine that turned into a human" is actually a calculated strategy.If you have ever felt pressure to dim your personality at work, wondered if you could be "too much" for corporate America, or suspected that vanilla ice cream is not your flavor, this conversation offers a different way forward.Key TakeawaysWhy "professionalism" is often just fear in beige clothingHow being authentically you attracts the right buyers and repels the wrong onesThe platinum rule: Treat others the way they want to be treatedWhy "help me understand" is the most powerful phrase in salesHow to know when to tell a prospect not to buy from youThe importance of systems and transparency in building trustWhy calculated risks (like wearing a hot pink suit to a tech conference) pay offHow being vulnerable creates safety for buyers to open upThe art of connecting people and why introductions reveal how you really feelIn This Episode:[00:00] Introduction to April Palmer[01:29] April's legendary outreach email[04:34] What "sell by being human" means to April[05:26] Why rebuttals give her the "ick"[07:58] The platinum rule vs. the golden rule[08:56] Growing up in the Bible Belt without TV[11:06] The seven-layer man: April's dad and the art of asking why[14:33] "Help me understand" and the power of shutting up[16:43] Professionalism is fear masquerading as beige[19:21] Being pistachio in a sea of vanilla[23:28] Surfing as a metaphor for life and sales[24:48] Posting about sexual assault and the connections it created[26:48] Getting fired while injured and the 12 offers that followed[29:45] Transparency in the sales process: Project plans and aligned expectations[32:28] Why April tells people not to buy from her[34:00] Hula hoops, cheesecake, and standing out[37:30] Fear in sales: Disappointing clients and handing off deals[42:43] Chaos with a purpose: The strategy behind the unhinged[47:37] How being yourself invites buyers to drop their armor[49:33] The story that's so April: How introductions reveal everything[52:53] Where to find AprilNotable Quotes[05:11] “When I hear sales tactics from someone else, I get the ick so hard that even if I love the thing, I hesitate to buy from them.” — April[06:17] “ If you’re super curious about someone’s needs, you don’t have to have a rebuttal; you just figure out if you’re the right solution for them.”— April[08:18] ” I go by the platinum rule: treat others the way they want to be treated.— April[11:44] ” I learned it’s okay to keep asking questions until you figure out what’s actually behind what people are asking you to do.”— April[18:20] ” In a sea of vanilla ice cream, people on LinkedIn be pistachio.”[21:40] “People come to me and buy from me because they love the energy I bring and know I’ll tell them the truth.” — April[28:50] “ I don’t want to sell you a lie about who I am. I could convince you I’m somebody else, but wouldn’t that be a horrible bait and switch?” — April[38:32] “I have a lot of anxiety around not providing the sales experience I want to give to other people.” — April[40:20] ”What happens if I build this level of trust and then I hand it over to a team and they don’t care about the customer as much as I do? That keeps me up at night.”— AprilOur GuestApril Palmer is an Account Executive at Duckbill, where she helps companies fix their AWS bills by making them "smaller and less horrifying." She is also an adjunct professor at VCU, teaching students how to network and land jobs. With a career spanning founder roles, VP of Sales positions, and enterprise sales, April has made a name for herself by showing up exactly as she is in hot pink suits, bedazzled boots, and ...
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    49 min
  • Why Great Salespeople Focus on Decisions, Not Deals

    Why Great Salespeople Focus on Decisions, Not Deals
    Apr 8 2026
    When was the last time a salesperson helped you make a truly confident decision? In this episode of the Sell by Being Human podcast, Alex Smith sits down with Mark Kosoglow, Chief Revenue Officer at Deutsche Bank and former CRO at Catalyst Software, to talk about what selling actually looks like when you strip away the scripts. From selling shoes as a teenager to helping scale Outreach to $250M, Mark’s journey is anything but typical, but his core idea has stayed the same: great salespeople help others make confident decisions.They get into what that looks like in practice. Mark shares why letting passion lead often creates better conversations than trying to sound polished, how his early experience with consultative selling shaped the way he works today, and why honesty and vulnerability matter more than most people think, especially when you’re asking teams or customers to embrace change.They also dive into storytelling, the role of metaphors in making ideas stick, and the problems that come from unclear expectations. Throughout the conversation, Mark makes a strong case for being yourself, not as a slogan, but as a real advantage in both sales and leadership.If you’ve ever felt like selling forces you to be someone you’re not, this episode will change how you approach every conversation.Key TakeawaysHelp people make confident decisions, not just hit numbersLet passion show instead of hiding behind professionalismTreat “no” as a step that moves you closer to yesFocus on understanding the problem before offering solutionsBuild trust by being transparent about intentions and mistakesGive direction, but avoid control to unlock creativityAct, learn, and adjust instead of over-planningPrioritize clarity and ask questions instead of assumingIn This Episode:[00:00] Mark’s core motivation for selling [01:00] Welcome & introduction to Mark Kosoglow[02:05] Dan Pink’s To Sell Is Human and personal connections[05:05] What “sell by being human” means to Mark[06:03] Helping people make confident decisions (the 2-out-of-3 rule)[08:15] Early days: Selling shoes at The Athlete’s Foot & learning consultative selling[11:45] Telemarketing lessons and embracing “no”[14:21] Leading through change and the weight of asking people to shift how they work[16:05] Balancing control with freedom and creativity[18:46] Admitting failures and iterating quickly (self-sourcing example)[22:28] Revenue Kickoff reflections and the power of in-person connection[25:32] Using metaphors and storytelling (the Boeing story)[29:38] What Mark looks for in a CEO/leader above him[33:29] Clear communication and avoiding misinterpretation[36:08] Lessons for his kids[39:06] Signature question: What makes Mark totally Mark?[40:36] Where to find Mark[40:59] ClosingNotable Quotes[05:11] “Let your passion overcome your professionalism.” — Mark Kosoglow[05:55] “My personal motivation and the motivation I like my sales teams to have is to help people make confident decisions.” — Mark Kosoglow[10:32] “People love learning about their problem enough to understand why you’re suggesting a solution, and then they’re super confident in making the decision of that solution.” — Mark Kosoglow[12:27] “The faster they say no, the more I can move on to the next call that could say yes.” — Mark Kosoglow[36:42] “Who you are is who you are, and it’s probably pretty awesome” — Mark Kosoglow[24:27] “ I just really want to have fun and I want to work hard and I want to kick ass and win. And I don’t think that I have to be an asshole to do that.” — Mark Kosoglow[36:54] “Work ethic is like a trump card for success.” — Mark Kosoglow[38:22] “Expectations are the number one thing that kill parent-child relationships.” — Mark KosoglowOur GuestMark Kosoglow is Chief Revenue Officer at Deutsche Bank and a seasoned sales leader with decades of experience scaling revenue organizations. Previously, as CRO at Outreach, he helped scale the company to $250 million in revenue. Mark's career began at a shoe store called The Athlete's Foot, where he learned consultative selling at 16 years old, a philosophy that has shaped his leadership style ever since. Known for his storytelling, metaphors, and unconventional communication style, Mark believes that great sales leadership comes down to trust, transparency, and helping people make confident decisions.Resources and LinksSell by Being HumanLinkMark KosoglowLinkedInAlex SmithWebsiteLinkedIn
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    39 min
  • Selling Without Scripts, Pressure, or Manipulation

    Selling Without Scripts, Pressure, or Manipulation
    Mar 25 2026
    Did you know the idea of closing might be the single worst thing to ever happen to sales? In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Steve Heroux, founder of The Sales Collective, author of The Sales Contrarian, and former #1 Cutco salesperson in the country, to dismantle everything you thought you knew about selling.Steve’s journey started exactly where you might expect. He was a quiet kid who didn’t speak for the first 17 years of his life, needed to buy $1,600 worth of textbooks, and took the only job that would hire him, selling knives door to door. What happened next defied every sales script, every closing technique, and every “proven methodology” his training threw at him.With raw honesty and zero filter, think Larry David in the sales world, Steve explains why the desperate need to be liked is killing your deals, why assessments matter more than tactics, and how he went from ripping up his training script on his first demo to becoming the national sales leader, all by treating people like humans.You’ll also hear about his Million Veteran Mission, why Bob Ross is a better sales teacher than any guru, and the one mindset shift that separates the top 14% of performers from everyone else.If you’ve ever felt icky about sales, struggled with pricing conversations, or wondered why the “proven techniques” don’t feel right, this conversation is your permission slip to do it differently.Key TakeawaysWhy “closing” is unnecessary when selling is done wellHow detachment from outcomes improves trust and resultsThe real reason most sales scripts failWhy the need to be liked is one of the biggest sales blockersHow authenticity outperforms pressure and persuasionWhy sales training without self-awareness doesn’t workThe difference between selling hope and creating changeWhy mastery in sales is a long-term practice, not a quick fixIn This Episode:[00:00] Why “closing” is the worst thing in sales[00:46] Meet Steve Heroux[02:46] What "Sell by Being Human" means to Steve[04:53] Steve’s view of success in sales then vs now[08:11] The first demo that changed everything [09:28] Why Steve ripped up the script and never looked back[11:45] Simple themes: Authenticity, detachment, and loving what you sell[13:22] Shohei Ohtani and the power of process over outcomes[15:22] Teachers who shaped Steve's approach[16:09] What Bob Ross teaches us about sales[18:54] Sales Collective Today[19:34] Always Be Connecting: The new ABCs[20:14] Why frameworks fail without mindset[21:08] Discovering Sales DNA and the will to sell[23:06] The will to sell and the need to be liked[27:35] Fear of Failure Is Really Fear of Judgment (Daniel Pink Story)[30:33] The "hope dealers" and why quick fixes don't work[33:56] Why Steve doesn't prospect (and what he does instead)[34:57] The Million Veteran Mission[37:29] Legacy, impact, and what really matters[39:08] Why human-centered sales training is rare[43:17] Steve's Larry David moments[45:05] Where to find SteveNotable Quotes[00:00] “The single worst thing to ever happen to humanity is closing.” — Steve[03:08] “ There's a reason, right, that salespeople are hated. There's a reason that salespeople don't even want to call themselves what their vocation is.”— Steve[04:01] ”The three least trusted professions on the planet: Salesperson, Politician, Attorney.— Steve[07:39] ”Success to me was like someone actually another human talking to me.”— Steve[09:06] “If you do a good job, people will ask you what the next step is.” — Steve[12:23] “You have to detach from outcomes or you’ll never be satisfied.” — Steve[16:05] “ It's not what you teach, it's how you teach.” — Steve[17:52] “There are no bad students, only bad teachers.” — Steve[23:16] “The need to be liked will destroy your ability to sell.” — Steve[27:10] ” The second you stop giving a crap what strangers think about you, that's when you'll start to live.”— SteveOur GuestSteve Heroux is the founder of The Sales Collective, author of The Sales Contrarian, and a sales leader who spent 14 years at Aflac after starting his career as the #1 Cutco salesperson in the country. He's on a mission to elevate the sales profession through authenticity, human connection, and evidence-based assessment. His Million Veteran Mission aims to train one million veterans in sales for free.Resources and LinksSell by Being HumanLinkSteve HerouxThe Sales CollectiveLinkedInMillion Veteran MissionBook: The Sales ContrarianAlex SmithWebsiteLinkedIn
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    42 min
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