By Alex Smith
5
1717 ratings
The podcast currently has 123 episodes available.
Summary:
Mike Simmons has risen through professional sales roles for the past 25 years as an individual contributor, VP of sales, and CRO. He founded his company Catalyst, A.C.T.S to help SaaS founders and team leaders scale their organizations from $2M - $80M ARR. He coaches sales people, speakes an ed tech conferences, and also runs a podcast.
I this episode, we talk through the concept of selling by being human and how sales is about connecting the dots between problems and solutions. Mike emphasizes the importance of serving others and asking the right questions to help people discover answers on their own.
We explore the misconception of sales and the negative stereotypes associated with it. Mike shares his personal journey in sales and how he learned from observing and working with experienced sales professionals.
Mike shares practical tools like the hexagon framework to problem solving and how to ask subtle but powerful questions to get anyone to reach decisions on their own and address problem solving from a more productive perspective. You'll learn how to sell ideas internally, how to move others with high indecision, and to practice different ways of asking good questions on your own.
Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:01 Selling by Being Human: Connecting Problems and Solutions
10:00 Serving Others: The Key to Successful Sales
24:08 Learning from the Best: Observing and Emulating Experienced Sales Professionals
27:06 The Importance of Alignment and Perspective
32:47 Being Comfortable with Imperfect Decisions
39:19 The Power of Asking Questions
46:21 Documenting the Decision-Making Process
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Summary:
Lyndsay Dowd is a Speaker, Founder, Author, Coach, Podcast Host, and Disruptor. She was recognized as a Top 10 Business Coach by Apple News and was the recipient of the 2023 Award for Innovation and Excellence, also named Business Coach of the Year. Lyndsay was also a Featured Guest Lecturer at Harvard University. She is an accomplished leader, decorated seller and has successfully managed large, diverse, high-performing sales teams over the last 25 years. 23 of those years were spent climbing the ranks at IBM.
In creating her company, Heartbeat for Hire, she has devoted her career to transforming leadership through building irresistible culture and modern leadership practices to get the best results from their teams. She is a thriving coach focused on sales, leadership, career, and culture. She has been featured in Fortune Magazine, HR.Com, Authority Magazine, Business Management Daily, Valiant CEO and many other publications. Lyndsay also hosts the top 5% globally ranked podcast, Heartbeat for Hire, and is a frequent guest speaker on live and recorded shows.
This episode is about the sales skills of exceptional leaders. Specifically how important it is to practice the skills of transferring belief. She shares how exceptional leaders create cultures of mutual respect and understanding. Lindsay shares her experiences with inspiring leaders who empowered her and helped catapult her into an executive role with IBM. You can learn how to be more intentional with showing others you believe in them.
Moments:
00:00 Introduction and Overview
03:07 The Power of Human Connection in Sales and Leadership
07:25 Creating Cultures of Mutual Respect and Understanding
12:49 Advocating for Your Team and Empowering Others
15:36 The Impact of Recognition and Appreciation
28:07 Building a Personal Brand and the Power of Testimonials
33:09 Modernizing Leadership and Creating a Positive Work Culture
36:00 The Importance of Trust, Feedback, and Inspiration in Leadership
46:29 Guest Lecturing at Harvard: Sharing Stories of Resilience and Leadership
51:56 The Role of Human Connection in Sales and Building Relationships
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Summary
Brian Miller believes everyone deserves to feel heard, understood, and valued. He is a former magician turned author, speaker, and consultant on human connection. Today, Brian works with organizations and educators who want to build connected cultures.
He is the author of Three New People, a manifesto on human connection that Publishers Weekly said, “Brilliantly outlines a system for deepening relationships.” Brian’s podcast Beyond Networking cracked the Top 200 under ‘careers’ on Apple. And his TEDx talk “How to Magically Connect with Anyone” has been viewed 3.5 million times.
After meeting Brian, audiences are not just inspired to join the human connection revolution - they’re ready to lead it.
Brian shares his personal journey with magic and how it helped him overcome social anxiety. We explore the importance of understanding others' perspectives and beliefs in sales and communication.
Some people don't realize the idea that despite our differences, we all want the same things in life and can find common ground.
Takeaways you'll get - the power of asking meaningful questions to deepen conversations, techniques for remembering names, and emphasizes the importance of making people feel understood and valued. The conversation concludes with Brian sharing a personal story that taught him the power of perspective taking and understanding others.
Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to the Sell By Being Human podcast
01:25 The Power of Human Connection
07:03 The Emotional Impact of Magic
14:04 Brian's Journey with Magic
23:02 Understanding Perspectives in Sales
27:52 Connecting Beyond Agreement
29:09 Finding Common Ground: Connecting Despite Differences
31:24 The Power of Meaningful Questions
34:48 Remembering Names: Making People Feel Valued
40:46 Perspective Taking: Understanding and Connecting with Others
43:36 Beyond Empathy: Making People Feel Understood
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Summary
In this episode, host we interview John Alwinson, a regional sales manager at Boston Scientific and author of the book 'Relentless Sales.' John is a guy who led a successful career in sales and also brings his faith as a key role of what he does and who he is.
We go through alot in this episode - the importance of being genuine and authentic in sales, the role of mentors and identity in the sales process, and the influence of John's father, who was a pastor, on his sales skills.
Jon discusses the importance of bringing faith into business and creating an environment where people can be their genuine selves. He shares a personal story about gathering people in his neighborhood and building community.
Enjoy the episode!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:03 The Meaning of 'Sell by Being Human'
03:00 Chapter 1: Mentors and Identity
04:19 The Influence of John's Father
06:18 The Skills of a Pastor in Sales
08:32 Early Sales Experiences and Lessons Learned
12:05 Advice for Younger Self and Overcoming Fear
14:06 The Concept of Relentlessness
15:01 Dealing with Fear in Sales
19:16 Selling Without Fear and Pre-Call Planning
20:37 Writing 'Relentless Sales'
21:53 The Power of Encouragement
22:40 Believing in Yourself
23:23 Key Skills in Sales
24:30 The Importance of a Sales Process
25:31 Curiosity and Asking Good Questions
26:53 Mental Toughness and Relentlessness
27:16 The Role of Faith
28:36 Living from Your Identity
29:49 Blending Sales, Mentality, and Faith
30:21 The Power of Connection
32:24 Bringing Faith into Business
33:40 Finding Inspiration from Church
34:41 Talking About Faith in Business
36:25 Being Genuine and Authentic
37:20 Being Your Genuine Self
38:19 Gathering People and Building Community
41:36 Being a Hype Man for Others
42:29 Where to Find John Alwinson
Summary:
In this episode, we talk with Leslie Venetz, a sales consultant and founder of the Sales-Led GTM agency. Leslie teaches salespeople about outbound strategies and has had a successful career as a top individual contributor and sales leader.
Leslie shares her personal story about making tough decisions in sales and the long-term benefits of prioritizing the customer's needs. She also reflects on the skills she observed in others, such as adaptability and giving credit to others.
Finally, Leslie explains her motivation for starting her own sales consulting business and emphasizes the importance of outbound sales in B2B revenue generation. She also shares her unique approach to sales training events, which includes mindfulness, movement, and unconventional topics.
You'll learn techniques on how to put the spotlight on other people, how to resist the urge to help while still being helpful, and how to connect in a "non sleazy" way on Linkedin.
Takeaways
Key Moments:
03:40 Selling by Being Human
06:17 Understanding the Problem
09:37 Making Tough Decisions
12:26 Observing Skills in Others
23:24 The Importance of Outbound Sales
24:13 Sales as a Craft and Unique Experience
26:05 Unique Approach to Sales Training
27:36 Mindset and Skill Sets in Sales
29:29 Reader-Centric Language in Outreach
31:04 Earning the Right to Sell
32:00 Misuse of Cold Calls
33:15 Optimizing Voicemail Strategy
34:12 Using Texting in Sales
37:15 Being Social vs. Being a Social Seller on LinkedIn
38:37 Making the Ask in Sales
41:28 Authenticity and Transparency on LinkedIn
43:21 Revenue Revelry Events
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Summary:
The Sugar Shack is a unique music experience that started as a backyard project and has grown into a successful media company. Eddie Kopp, one of the co-founders, shares the journey of how the Sugar Shack evolved over the past 10 years. From humble beginnings to hosting well-known bands, the Sugar Shack has become a sought-after destination for musicians. The success of the Sugar Shack is attributed to the personal and authentic approach taken with artists, creating a comfortable and high-quality recording environment.
The team's passion for music and dedication to building a community has been instrumental in their growth. In this conversation, Eddie Kopp and Lisa Hamilton discuss the journey of Sugar Shack, a music video production company that evolved into a unique live music experience. They share the challenges of getting the attention of well nown artists even when they were just starting out. They also talk about building connections and networking, creating a movement and community, and the role of creating an over the top experience for artists and guests ion their backyard. Yiou'll learn their story of building their business but you'll also learn how to treat the people you work with like family. This episode is good vibes mixed with good stories by two great people.
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to the Sugar Shack and its Origins
02:03 - The Evolution of the Sugar Shack Experience
07:04 - The Early Days and the Hustle
09:28 - Expanding the Reach and Building a Brand
13:00 - The Transition from Hobby to Career
20:21 - The Pressure and Comfort of the Sugar Shack Sessions
23:23 - Communicating with Artists and Building Relationships
25:45 - The Challenge of Being Absent
26:14 - Authenticity and Transparency in Communication
26:53 - Building Connections and Networking
27:19 - Creating a Movement and Community
27:58 - Building Relationships with Artists
28:26 - The Evolution of Sugar Shack
29:02 - The Role of Photography in Sugar Shack
29:34 - Empowering Others and Giving Opportunities
30:03 - Expanding the Sugar Shack Experience
30:38 - Maintaining the Sugar Shack Sessions
31:01 - The Impact of Sugar Shack on People's Lives
31:47 - Eddie's Leadership and Seeing the Best in Others
32:14 - The Influence of Entrepreneurial Parents
32:44 - The Impact of Military Experience
33:15 - Leadership Skills Developed in the Air Force
34:37 - Applying Military Skills to Sugar Shack
35:05 - Confidence and Risk-Taking
36:01 - Creating a Family Culture at Sugar Shack
37:00 - Future Plans for Sugar Shack
38:00 - Balancing Growth and Maintaining the Sugar Shack Sessions
39:26 - Crazy Stories and Band Culture at Sugar Shack
40:20 - Dream Artists to Collaborate With
41:00 - The Next Chapter for Sugar Shack
42:17 - Unique Qualities of Eddie and Lisa
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Summary:
In this episode of the Sell by Being Human podcast, I interview Lisa Henderson, a solutions architect at Verizon Business. I met Lisa at a sales networking event and I knew within a few mins, she was someone I wanted to talk to.
Lisa shares her background in sales and the influence her father had on her sales career. Her Dad worked in an auto body shop but her Dad taught her the importance of building connections with customers and getting to know them as individuals. Lisa also discusses her role at Verizon and the skills that have served her well in her career.
Overall, the conversation highlights the value of being human in sales and the impact it can have on building trust and relationships with customers. In this conversation, Lisa shares insights and advice on building relationships, setting expectations, and selling through the lens of human connection. She emphasizes the importance of asking questions, understanding different communication styles, and getting to know teammates on a personal level.
Lisa also discusses the balance between work and personal life and offers advice for non-sales salespeople. She highlights the value of using data to build a compelling story, being open-minded and collaborative, and understanding stakeholders. Lisa's philosophy centers around treating people with kindness and being genuine in sales interactions.
Key Moments:
01:00: Lisa Henderson's background and sales career
05:02: Influence of Lisa's father and early sales experiences
08:22: Lisa's father's transition to a non-sales role
09:21: Lisa's exposure to different types of people
12:21: Skills learned from Lisa's father's role as a CNC machinist
15:43: Lisa's experience in retail sales at The Buckle
20:34: Lisa's role as a Principal Connected Solutions Architect at Verizon
25:23: Importance of empathy and understanding in sales
26:00: Setting Expectations and Asking Questions
27:08: Different Communication Styles
28:05: Building Relationships and Getting to Know Teammates
29:04: Personal Conversations and Connecting on a Human Level
30:29: Balancing Work and Personal Life
31:22: Advice for Non-Sales Salespeople
32:05: Using Data and Building a Compelling Story
33:33: Being Open-Minded and Collaborative
34:32: Understanding Stakeholders and Speaking Their Language
36:11: Selling Through the Lens of Human Connection
40:53: Treating People with Kindness and Building Relationships
45:20: Being Genuine and Putting People First
46:18: Lisa's Childhood Sales Experience
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Summary:
In this episode, host Alex Smith interviews Dee Acosta, a senior director of sales and strategic growth at Modigie. He's been a #1 seller at his company numerous times and very active in sales communities. We discuss the concept of selling by being human and the importance of authenticity in sales.
Dee shares examples of authentic people in his life and how their authenticity has contributed to their success. We also talk about the challenges of being authentic and the importance of trying to let out your authenticity even when you're not feeling really positive.
We emphasize the need for thoughtful and personalized conversations, rather than generic small talk. Pre-research should focus on understanding the buyer's initiatives and leadership, rather than individual details. Human skills, such as radical candor and domain expertise, play a crucial role in sales success.
Key Moments:
00:00
Introduction and Background
01:26 Dee's Sales Journey
04:14 - Authenticity in Sales, How to exhibit it.
06:12 - Examples of Authentic People
08:40 - Sharing Personal Experiences
09:08 - Challenges of Authenticity
12:27 - Being Authentic on LinkedIn
22:16 - Domain Expertise in Sales
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Summary:
Scott MacGregor is the Founder & CEO of SomethingNew LLC - A unique talent strategy company that helps startups build the foundation for exceptional talent acquisition, onboarding and retention which gives them a massive competitive advantage. SomethingNew is a 8 time American Business Award winner for Innovation.
Scott is also a founder of The Outlier Project - A community for everyone who believes that anyone can live an ordinary life, but we all have the power to choose to live an extraordinary life. The Outlier Project deliver unparalleled access to the most unique live and interactive events with some of the most incredible “Outliers” on the planet.
This episode is all about becoming a Super Connector. There are some people with strong networks but Scott's is in a league of it's own. Scott is connected to best selling authors, billion dollar CEO's, NFL legends, Olympic athletes, TEDx speakers, and accomplished musicians. People marvel at who Scott knows personally. These people give him their time to teach people in his community how to become great. You will learn how Scott builds relationships with famous people and why they willingly pour back into him and his community with no money exchanging hands. You'll also learn about why the core of selling is all about alignment.
Key Moments:
02:24 - Sales is all about alignment
11:33 - The accumulation of showing up differently
20:50 - We all have the power to choose to be extraordinary. Why Scott started "The outlier project"
25:34 - How to approach people and build a network
35:00 - Path to success is not a straight line
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Summary:
Francisco Oller Garcia is the Solutions Architect at Metadata. B2B marketers use Metadata’s Marketing OS to drive more revenue without all the manual and repetitive work. From running paid campaigns to personalizing web experiences to optimizing everything to revenue – Metadata automates all of this.
In this episode of the Sell By Being Human podcast, I interview Francisco Aller Garcia, a solutions architect at Metadata. Francisco shares his journey of living life with a disability and how he has learned to savor life by embracing self-acceptance and courage. He emphasizes the importance of asking for help and building a strong support system. Francisco also discusses the power of sharing personal stories and humor in connecting with others. He highlights the role of understanding and empathy in moving sales forward and provides advice for both non-sales professionals and experienced salespeople. Overall, Francisco's story is a testament to the power of being human in sales.
Takeaways
Key Moments:
03:49: Living life and savoring it
05:34: The power of asking for help
09:40: The importance of self-acceptance and courage
10:30: Selling by being human
11:55: The impact of sharing personal stories
13:55: The power of humor and jokes
21:16: Creating a comfortable space for conversations
27:48: Moving a sale forward through understanding
30:31: Embracing sales in non-sales roles
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The podcast currently has 123 episodes available.