Lessons from my conversation with Lee Salz on the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast

Most of us became sales managers because we performed pretty well in sales.

Someone figured if we could close deals, we could teach others to do the same. What often gets missed is that leading people is a different job. I thought mistakenly that people knew what I knew and they would “figure it out”. I learned that did not produce consistent results.

On a recent episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast, I sat down with Lee Salz, sales differentiation strategist and author of several sales relate d books including his latest, The First Meeting Differentiator. Our conversation centered on genuine care, clear expectations, and the discipline of defining how to sell.

If you lead a sales team or own a business that depends on sales, this one is worth your time.

Authenticity Starts with Genuine Care
When I asked Lee what an authentic sales manager means to him, he didn’t reach for a fancy definition. He pointed to something simple and rare: genuinely caring about the success of your people.

You can’t fake it. When you’re a salesperson, the focus is largely on your own number. When you become a sales manager, the job shifts. It’s about cultivating relationships that bring out the best in others. Their success becomes your success.

That sounds obvious. It isn’t. Plenty of people get the title and still sell for themselves first.

The Problem of the Selling Manager
Lee called out one of the hardest roles in sales: the selling manager. That’s the person who still carries a personal territory while also managing a team.

Every morning brings a conflict: Do I sell, or do I develop my people? If compensation favors personal production, the team suffers. If it favors team results, the territory dries up.

I’ve lived that dual role. For a little while, it looks like the efficient answer. It rarely plays out the way owners hope. Lee has a name for the fantasy: “disciple selling.” Elevate your top seller, put people underneath them, and somehow get five times the sales. That sounds great in a meeting. It doesn’t hold up in real life.

So what’s the answer for a smaller company?

Lee’s one-word answer: expectations.

Business owners need to sit down with that selling manager, look at the experience level of the team, and define realistic time allocation. Compensation has to line up with those expectations. Without that alignment, the role is set up to fail.

There’s an important nuance here. If the team is green, meaning new to the company or new to selling, Lee would discourage the selling-manager model. Those people need a leader in the field with them, teaching the ropes. The “selling” that manager should be doing is lockstep with the team, not off chasing a separate territory while the rookies starve for coaching.

With a more tenured team, the dual role can work because the manager isn’t needed on every call and in every conversation.

That distinction matters. One model does not fit every team.

Entrepreneurial Sounds Good. It Usually Isn’t.
Lee draws a sharp line between two kinds of sales environments.

Call a team “entrepreneurial,” and many owners smile like they’ve been complimented. Lee isn’t complimenting them. He’s naming a problem.

Entrepreneurial, in his language, means you hired salespeople and never defined how to sell for your company. They’re expected to blaze the trail and somehow figure it out. Some may eventually succeed. Most underperform or leave.

What high-performing organizations build instead is an execution environment. Leadership defines how to sell for the company, documents it in a custom sales playbook, and hires people who can execute that approach. Top sales organizations do not let every salesperson invent their own process each morning.

Lee’s manufacturing analogy sticks with me. If you hired ten people to make your widget, would you let them do it any which way they want? Of course not. It’s costly, inefficient, and full of avoidable mistakes.

So why do we accept that chaos in sales?

We don’t have to.

The First Meeting Is the Deal Foundation
One of Lee’s strongest points is that the first meeting sets the foundation for the entire opportunity. If that meeting is weak, the deal is usually weak too.

Yet many organizations still leave it to chance. They hire salespeople and essentially say, “Ask good questions and tell them about our stuff.”

Lee’s challenge to executives is simple: If every salesperson called and said they just had a great first meeting, what would you know for certain happened?

In most companies, the honest answer is nothing, because the first meeting was never prescribed.

I’ve asked a version of that question myself. A salesperson came back to the office excited. “We had a great first meeting.” I asked the obvious follow-up: “What made it great?”

His answer: “They listened.”

Not that he listened. That they listened.

Lee laughed because he’d heard the old dating joke. Two people go out. The guy tells his friend it was the best date ever. He talked the entire time. The woman tells her friend it was the worst night ever. All he did was talk.

Same meeting. Completely different experience.

If every salesperson invents their own definition of a “great” first meeting, inconsistency is baked into the process. That costs deals.

Clean Process Beats Manipulative Tactics
Lee didn’t arrive at this thinking by accident. His first job out of college was running a chain of gyms. He was writing commercials, building marketing plans, negotiating ad deals, and developing sales programs. It was on-the-job “figure it out” training. He even wrote a post-Christmas commercial and appeared in a full Santa suit.

He also put an incentive in place: sign up on your first visit and get $100 off.

One day, he took an older gentleman on a tour and shared the offer. The man looked at him and said, “Son, if the deal isn’t good tomorrow, it isn’t good today.” Then he walked out.

Lee said he never felt so dirty. That moment nearly pushed him out of sales. Instead, it pushed him to a better path. He scrapped the program. And to this day, he won’t teach anything deceptive or manipulative, anything that makes you want to take a shower after you say it.

That is selling with dignity.

Lee also shared a practical tool he calls the epiphany-question strategy. Nobody likes being lectured. Not prospects, not kids, not anyone. So instead of climbing on a soapbox and telling people what they should do, identify the insight you want them to reach. Then ask questions that lead them there.

When they say it, they own it. And when they own it, the next step often sounds like, “Is that something you could help me with?”

Closing doesn’t have to be a forced event. Handle the process well, and working together becomes a natural progression.

What Sales Leaders Can Do with This
Define how to sell for your company and get it on paper.
Set clear expectations and aligned compensation for any selling manager.
With newer reps, coach in the field. Don’t pretend a separate territory won’t compete with development.
Treat the first meeting as a critical process, not an individual art form.
Move from checking for understanding to checking for execution through role plays, joint calls, and teach-backs.
Eliminate tactics that tarnish the brand, even if someone swears they “work.”
Leaving salespeople to figure everything out on their own is not empowerment. It’s hoping. Authentic sales leaders take responsibility for defining the path, then coach people to walk it well.

Define the process. Coach the execution. Care about the people. The results tend to follow.

What’s one part of your sales process that is still left to individual interpretation?

Listen to the full episode with Lee Salz for more on sales differentiation, playbooks, and leading with intention.
https://youtu.be/av5nLWG3yMo?si=QnRGFm6bsHHmAzrx

Lessons from my conversation with John Noble on The Authentic Sales Manager podcast

John’s approach comes down to four words: love, train, coach, and empower.

He puts love first on purpose. “Love is the start of it all.”

That’s not a word we hear much in sales management. But think about the best boss you ever had. I’d bet they knew you as a person, not just a number on a board. As John put it, “you got to take time to know the person as a person.”

People can tell when we care and when we only care about their quota.

Skill or will?

When a rep’s numbers are down, a lot of us jump straight to effort. They must not want it badly enough.

John sees it differently. “95% of people have come to work and they really want to do well. There’s just something missing.”

Usually that’s a skill they haven’t learned or practiced enough. It isn’t a lack of desire.

So when someone is struggling, John starts with himself. “You have to take 100% ownership, you got to look in the mirror and say, ‘Have I done everything that I possibly can to help this person?'”

That one stung a little. I can think of reps I judged long before I looked in the mirror.

Check for execution, not understanding

We’ve all asked a rep, “Does that make sense?” They nod, and we move on.

John says that only proves one thing. “That means you understand the concept, but it has nothing to do with can you execute.”

So he checks for execution instead, through “role plays, joint customer appointments, reinforcing learning through teachbacks.” His favorite is the teach-back: “I taught you this. go ahead and teach it back to me.”

And practice has to be safe. “It’s got to be okay for them to fail.”

Habits that keep a leader grounded

Every night, John journals for “anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes” with four questions:

What did I learn today?

What went really well today?

What’s one thing I can do tomorrow for my personal growth?

What’s one thing I can do tomorrow to improve my business?

He also opens team meetings by asking, “What are you grateful for?” One side effect made me smile: “If somebody’s got their camera off, it always comes on.”

I’ll be honest. When I started in sales leadership, I wasn’t even aware of gratitude. Now, when I’m in a funk, I ask myself what I’m grateful for. It changes the person who walks into the next meeting.

Final thought

Authentic sales leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about knowing your people, owning your part when they struggle, and growing every day so you have something worth giving them.

Love, train, coach, empower. When we get those right, the selling will follow.

What’s one way you show your team you care about them as people, not just producers?

Listen to my full conversation with John Noble

A lot of sales managers step into the role after they were the top producer. The thinking is pretty simple: they did it, so they can get others to do it too.

What gets overlooked is the change that has to happen inside the leader first.

On a recent episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast, Ryan Brancheau (author of Memoirs of a Mediocre Salesman and a longtime sales leader) shared a clear, grounded take on what authentic sales management looks like. He talked about ownership, humility, and the fact that real growth usually comes through some friction.

If you lead a sales team, or you’re about to, this conversation is worth your time.

Authenticity Means Owning the Outcome

When I asked Ryan what an authentic sales manager means to him, he said it comes down to three things: genuine care, setting the standard, and owning the outcome while doing the work alongside the team.

Wins belong to the team. Failures belong to the leader.

That kind of ownership creates safety. When people know their manager will stand in front of the results, good or bad, they are more willing to take risks, be honest, and keep getting better.

In my view, real leadership starts when you stop looking for someone else to blame. Once you own the outcome, you earn the right to coach, challenge, and help others grow.

Humility Comes Before Correction

Ryan talked about the need to look in the mirror first. Before you address someone’s performance, pause and ask what you might have contributed to the gap. Unclear expectations. Not enough coaching. The wrong kind of support.

Humility isn’t weakness. It’s the discipline of checking your own part before you point at someone else’s.

Growth Requires Friction

One of the strongest themes in the conversation is that meaningful progress is supposed to be hard. Ryan titled a chapter in his book “Masochism Matters” to capture this idea. Resistance, discomfort, and difficult moments are not signs something is wrong. They are often where the growth happens.

He shared the Will Rogers quote that fits well: some people learn by reading, a few by observation, and the rest of us have to pee on an electric fence. The key is not to pee on the same fence twice. (Most of us still try it at least once more, just to be sure.)
Difficult Conversations Are Part of the Job

Avoiding hard conversations only makes the problem bigger. Ryan noted that delayed conflict becomes bigger conflict. When leaders approach those discussions with genuine care and some self-awareness, people often thank them afterward because the conversation helped them improve.

Don’t Accept Labels at Face Value

Ryan has inherited teams where previous managers labeled certain people as low performers. Instead of accepting those judgments, he treats them as a personal challenge. Many times the issue was not ability. It was a lack of clear coaching or the right conversations.

Leaders who invest the time often see performance from people others wrote off.

A Few Things Worth Carrying With You

Own the outcome, especially when results fall short.

Pause and look at your own contribution before you address performance issues.

Have the candid conversations early instead of hoping things get better on their own.

Expect the work to be hard, and treat the friction as part of the growth.

Challenge the labels you inherit about people on your team.

Journal the hard moments so you can pull the lessons out of them.

Final Thoughts

Authentic sales leadership is not about looking perfect or making the job look easy. It is about taking responsibility, serving the people on your team, and staying willing to do the hard work of development, including your own.

The leaders who grow the most are usually the ones willing to look in the mirror first and keep showing up when it is difficult.

What’s one hard conversation or ownership moment you’ve been avoiding as a sales leader?

Share it in the comments. I read them all and usually take all criticism fairly well!

Listen to the full episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast with Ryan Brancheau for more on ownership, humility, and leading through friction.

Link in comments.

#AuthenticSalesManager #SalesLeadership #OwnTheOutcome #SalesManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #HumilityInLeadership #MemoirsOfAMediocreSalesman

They were top producers. The company needed more of that success, so leadership promoted them and expected the results to multiply. Overnight they were responsible for other people’s performance, often with little training, unclear expectations, and no real picture of what the new job actually required.

On a recent episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast, I sat down with Rene Zamora, founder of Sales Manager Now and a fractional sales leader with more than 20 years in the work. He talked about what authentic sales leadership really means, and how to lead without trying to control everything.

If you are a new sales manager, a player-coach, or an owner thinking about promoting your next leader, this one is for you.

Authenticity starts with owning your stuff

When I asked Rene what an authentic sales manager means to him, his answer was simple and strong:
“Being true to yourself. And really owning your stuff as you challenge other people to manage theirs.”
No finger-pointing. No blaming the economy, the product, or the team. Just ownership. That mindset sets the tone for everything else.

The player-coach reality

Rene was once that high-performing salesperson who got asked to manage someone else. He took the override, quickly realized he was not ready to develop another person, and gave the responsibility back.
His advice today is clear. Do not automatically pull your best producer into management. Make sure it is the right person, at the right time, who actually wants the role.

If someone is wearing both hats, carrying a personal quota while leading others, the key is clarity.

Define the two roles separately.

Do not let the roles bleed into constant multitasking.

Be present when you are with your people

One of the strongest points Rene made was about intentional presence.

When you are in a sales meeting or riding with a rep, the purpose of that time is to help them sell more. Not catch up on emails. Not take “important” calls in front of them. Not half-listen while your mind is somewhere else.

Be fully there.

Then, when you are not with them, it is okay to focus on your own work. You do not have to be available every second to prove you care. Care shows up in the quality of the time you give.

How to handle top performers and resistance

Rene shared a story about joining a company where one salesperson dominated the results. That producer did not need managing and resisted new initiatives aimed at larger accounts.

Instead of forcing change, Rene put his energy on the rest of the team. As the newer reps started winning bigger deals, the top producer eventually joined in, without being pushed.

Sometimes the best move is to put your energy where people are open to learning. Others will often follow when they see results.

Here is how I see it.

Authentic sales leadership is not about having all the answers or controlling every outcome. It is about owning your side of the equation, being fully present when it matters, and creating conditions where people can succeed. The heavy lifting still belongs to the individual. Your job is to serve, equip, and challenge them.

Practical steps for new sales leaders

Final thought

Authentic sales leadership starts with ownership. Own your development. Own your presence. Own the culture you allow. When you do that consistently, you create the conditions for others to grow, and the results follow.

What’s one area where you need to “own your stuff” more as a sales leader right now?

Share it in the comments. I read every one.

Listen to the full episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast with Rene Zamora for more real-world leadership insights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNPzeJ9Es7Q&t=14s

#AuthenticSalesManager #Sales #Leadership #PlayerCoach #SalesManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #FractionalSalesLeader

Many authors and creatives pour their heart into their work. They write books, create art, build something meaningful. Then they watch it sit on a shelf collecting dust.

They know they need to sell, but the idea feels gross, pushy, or slimy. So they jump straight into marketing (social media, ads, content) hoping it will magically bring in revenue. It rarely does.

On a recent episode of Sales Made Easy, I sat down with Janine Bolon, serial entrepreneur, scientist, and author of Published Profitability, to talk about why this approach fails so many authors and creatives, and what actually works instead.

If you are a creative who wants to get paid for your work without compromising your values, this one is for you.

Sales First, Then Marketing

Janine’s core message anchors everything else she teaches:

“The biggest thing is it’s sales first, then marketing. Because marketing people are so good at what they do, an unwary business owner, somebody who maybe has never run their own business before, the thing that they struggle with is they start marketing before they’ve done sales.”

Too many well meaning business owners and creatives, especially authors, start with marketing because it feels safer and more “professional.” But without sales conversations, marketing becomes expensive guesswork.

Janine put it plainly on the show. If you are running a business without revenue, that is not a business. It is a hobby. That line has stuck with me since we recorded. Revenue is what lets you publish the next book, create the next project, or take the next vacation. Without it, even the most beautiful creation stays a hobby.

In my view, sales isn’t about being pushy or manipulative. It’s about helping people solve real problems, saving them time, money, or sanity. When you see sales as service, everything changes. That is the whole philosophy behind selling with dignity, and it is exactly what Janine has built her career around too.

Change Your Identity Around Selling

Many creatives say things like “I’m not a salesperson” or “sales feels gross.” That identity keeps their work hidden.

Janine had a client make her first sale of $125 and break down crying when Janine told her she was now a successful artist. That moment gets at something Janine believes deeply, that sales is not something done to a person but something done for them. Her real gift is helping people see that the sales they think of as gross were simply done by people who never learned how to do it well.

Start by defining what success actually means to you. Is it $125 from your first sale? A certain number of readers? Enough revenue to fund your next project? Clarity here removes the vague pressure that keeps so many creatives stuck.

Master Your Contact List

The simplest, most effective place to begin is your existing network.

Janine teaches what she calls the Master Contact Sheet, and it is the very first thing she covers with anyone who comes to her:

“Every business starts with the people that you know. You are not pitching to them, you are not selling to them. But what you are doing is you’re taking every contact that is in your phone and you download it into a CSV file or into a spreadsheet, and you just start calling everybody you know. That’ll keep you busy for the first year.”

You don’t need thousands of strangers. Janine has seen people discover they know far more people than they realized once they actually sit down and count. A few hundred quality connections, followed up with consistently, can change everything.

Practical Steps to Get Started

Spend one focused hour a week making calls (smile and dial). This goes back to the earliest days of sales training, when a shaving mirror sat next to the phone so you could watch yourself smile while you dialed.

Follow up with texts and messages. If someone texts you back, that is your permission to follow up again.

Share your work genuinely. Tell people what you’re creating and why. One of Janine’s clients kept calling her own paintings trash, until she simply told people she was working on something new. That painting sold for twelve to eighteen hundred dollars.

Send handwritten notes or cards. High touch plus high tech wins.

Focus on outcomes. How does your book, art, or service actually help them? Nobody sells teeth. Dentists sell relief from pain and a better outcome. Your book or your art works the same way.

In my view, you don’t have to become a high energy pitch machine. Just be real. Share your passion. Let people know what you’ve created and how it can help them. The right people will respond.

Final Thought

Your work has value. Hiding it because “sales feels icky” doesn’t serve you or the people who need what you offer.

Janine said something near the end of our conversation that I think about often:

“Who are you not touching that needs what you have? How dare you not sell your product? How dare you not sell what you have as a message? Somebody out there needs you.”

Sales made easy starts with mindset, discipline, and genuine care for the person on the other side. Start small. Reach out to people you know. Have real conversations. The revenue will follow, and so will the freedom to create more.

What’s one small step you’re willing to take this week to start selling your work? Calling people, updating your contact list, or sharing your latest creation. Share it in the comments. I’m reading every one.

Listen to the full episode of Sales Made Easy with Janine Bolon for more practical wisdom on sales, revenue, and thriving as a creative. Link in comments. 🎧

#SalesMadeEasy #SalesForCreatives #AuthorsWhoSell #SellingWithDignity #MindsetShift #RelationshipSelling #RevenueForCreatives

A Conversation with Neal Foard on the Sales Made Easy Podcast

Storytelling has always been at the core of how I approach sales. On a recent episode of Sales Made Easy, I sat down with Neal Foard, founder of StoryFire and a longtime advertising pro. We talked about why stories build trust and create connection in ways that logic and facts alone never quite reach.

People don’t buy based on bullet points. They buy based on emotion and trust.
If you sell for a living, this conversation is packed with ideas worth using.

Stories Are How We Connect

Neal shared that storytelling goes back to our earliest days. People gathered around fires to share stories, build trust, learn, and decide who to cooperate with.

In today’s world of online noise and division, a genuine, upbeat story stands out. It turns you from just another salesperson into someone people want to connect with.

For me, the quickest way to build real likability is to show genuine interest first. Stories help because they make the other person feel seen and understood.

Don’t Try to Be the Hero. Be the Guide.

One mistake that comes up often is people positioning themselves as the hero in their stories.
Instead, make the customer the hero. Share stories where you learned something, faced a challenge, or helped someone else succeed.

Be generous with credit and tell stories that make others feel good.

Stories That Sell

Neal gave a strong example with a Toyota Sienna commercial. It didn’t just highlight the automatic doors. It showed a tired mom carrying her sleeping family, including her husband, up the stairs, then casually closing the doors with the key fob.

It wasn’t about the feature. It was a tribute to moms who carry the weight for their families. That emotional connection made it memorable and effective.

Practical Tips for Non-Storytellers

You don’t need to be a born storyteller. Start simple.
Make it relevant to the person in front of you.
Keep it upbeat with a happy ending.
Focus on a problem you solved for someone else.
Give them one clear takeaway they can remember.
Your actions tell stories too. A handwritten thank-you note after a meeting, even if they didn’t buy. Going the extra mile. Or truly caring about their success.

For me, storytelling isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about helping the other person picture their future with your solution. It builds trust faster than any pitch.

One Final Thought

Business is relationships. Stories show we’re human, that we care, and that we’re here to help, not just make transactions.

Neal believes that improving at storytelling, even by about 20 percent, can create a meaningful lift in sales results. I agree.

What’s one story you’ve used or heard that made a real difference in a sales conversation?

I’d love to hear your examples in the comments.

Want more?

Check out the full episode of Sales Made Easy with Neal Foard. The link is in the comments.

Give it a listen. 🎧

#SalesMadeEasy #StorytellingInSales #SalesMindset #BuildTrust #RelationshipSelling #SellingWithDignity #SalesLeadership

Now it wasn’t just my number.
It was everyone’s number.

More calls.
More pipeline.
More pressure from the top.

And like most new managers, I thought the answer was pushing harder.

But I learned something over time:
👉 You don’t build great teams by pushing people.
👉 You build them by serving people.

That’s exactly what Joel Smith and I unpacked on a recent episode of the Authentic Sales Manager Podcast.

We talked about what it really means to lead with authenticity, and why putting people first isn’t soft, and it’s actually the strongest strategy you have.

If you’re leading a sales team (or about to), this one hits home.

Authentic Leadership Starts with Being Yourself

A lot of new managers get this wrong.

They step into leadership and try to become someone else:

More authoritative
More “corporate”
More like what they think a leader should be

Joel said it best:

Authenticity is about being yourself and caring more about others than yourself.

Simple. But definitely not easy.

Real leadership isn’t about image.
It’s about intention.

When your team feels that you genuinely care about them, not just their numbers, they respond differently.

Trust builds.
Walls come down.
Performance follows.

Your Team Will Mirror You

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was Joel’s sports analogy.

He talked about how teams take on the personality of their coach:

Loud coach → loud team
Negative coach → negative team
Empathetic coach → empathetic team

Sales teams are no different.

👉 If you lead with pressure, they operate in fear.
👉 If you lead with trust, they perform with confidence.

As a manager, whether you realize it or not

You set the tone for everything.

Individuals on the team are not motivated the same.

Here’s where most managers fall short.

They assume everyone is driven by the same thing:
💰 Money

But Joel broke it down in a way every leader needs to hear:

Someone in their 20s? Likely building financially
Someone in their 40s–50s? Balancing family and stability
Someone nearing retirement? Thinking legacy and security

Same team.
Completely different motivations.

That’s why real leadership starts with one simple question:

👉 “What’s important to you?”

And then actually listening.

Relationships Drive Performance

If you want better results, start with better relationships.

It means:

Asking about their life outside of work
Remembering what matters to them
Showing up for them consistently

Joel shared something powerful:

Sometimes your one-on-one shouldn’t be about numbers at all.

That’s a shift.

Because when someone is off, struggling, or distracted

It’s rarely just about sales.

When you take time to understand the person, you unlock performance in a way metrics alone never will.

A lot of managers think trust comes from what they say.

But in reality?

👉 Trust comes from what you do behind the scenes.

Fighting for your team.
Advocating for better tools.
Pushing for changes that help them win.

Even when you don’t win those battles, Your team sees the effort.

And that matters.

Joel shared a moment where his team stood up and applauded him after he received an award because they knew he had their back.

That’s leadership.

There’s a dangerous trap in sales leadership:

👉 Becoming the “superstar closer”

Jumping into deals.
Saving the day.
Doing it for your reps.

It feels helpful.

But it actually holds your team back.

Joel made it clear:

90% of leadership should be coaching.

Your job isn’t to close deals.

Your job is to:

Teach your team how to think
Help them develop their skills
Build future leaders

Because a dependent team is a weak team.

An empowered team?
That’s where growth happens.

Control What You Can Control

Sales will always have variables:

Pricing
Products
Market conditions
Customer decisions

You can’t control those.

But you can control:

Your attitude
Your activity

And as a leader, your job is to reinforce that daily.

Final Thought: Check Your Ego at the Door

If there’s one piece of advice Joel left us with, it’s this:

👉 Ego has no place in leadership.

It’s not about:

Your title
Your authority
Your success

It’s about your people.

When you help them win,
You win.

Every time.

Being an authentic sales manager isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about being real, being present, and being committed to your team’s success.

What’s one thing you’re doing right now to build trust with your team?

If you haven’t yet, catch the full episode with Joel Smith for more real-world insights on leadership, empathy, and building teams that actually want to perform.

🎧 Link in the comments.

#AuthenticLeadership #SalesManagement #PeopleFirst #SalesLeadership #CoachingCulture #SellingWithDignity

My friend Larry Levine referred to salespeople being in the “sea of sameness” several years ago, before AI became popular. Well with AI, how much more have salespeople become “the same”.
A prospect looking at 3 competitors for a new technology solution may get 3- ChatGPT written proposals. Lovely
It’s time to show our originality again. It’s OK, actually it’s better to be you.

This is exactly what Jonathan Aberman and I discussed on a recent episode of Sales Made Easy.

We talked about something most people don’t want to admit:

👉 AI isn’t the problem.
👉 Losing your originality is.

If you’re in sales, running a business, or leading a team, and especially if you’ve felt the pressure to “keep up” with AI, this conversation will reset how you think about your value.

Let’s be honest.

Polished messages.
Perfect structure.
Zero personality.

AI has made it easy to sound good.

But here’s the catch Jonathan pointed out:

It’s also made it easy to sound exactly like everyone else.

AI, by design, pulls from patterns. It predicts what should come next. And when everyone uses it the same way, we end up with what he called a “sameness engine.”

And people feel that.

You’ve probably read messages and thought:

“This feels off.”
“This doesn’t sound human.”
“Something’s missing.”

What you’re actually detecting isn’t bad writing.

It’s a lack of being real and genuine.

Authenticity Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s a Competitive Advantage

Jonathan said something that stuck with me:

Humans value novelty and connection.

That’s it.

That’s where your edge is.

The Real Risk: Using AI as a Crutch

Here’s where things get uncomfortable.

Most people aren’t using AI as a tool.

They’re using it as a replacement.

Over-reliance can weaken your thinking.
Creativity starts to decline.
You stop trusting your own voice.

It often comes from a place people don’t talk about enough:

👉 Lack of confidence

“I’m not good enough.”
“This sounds better than what I’d say.”
“I’ll just use this.”

But here’s the truth:

That “perfect” AI response?

It’s not you.

And in sales, that disconnect costs you more than a typo ever could.

Use AI as an accelerator, not a substitute.

I use it. Jonathan uses it. The difference is how you use it.

Here’s the shift:

Instead of saying:
👉 “Write this for me”

Start saying:
👉 “Here’s what I’m thinking, help me refine it”

That’s where AI shines:

Researching prospects faster
Identifying talking points
Helping you prepare for meetings
Structuring ideas more clearly

But the final message?

That should still come from you.

Because that’s what people are actually buying into.

Differentiation Will Always Win

Jonathan broke it down in a way that makes a lot of sense:

Businesses compete in two ways:

Efficiency
Differentiation

AI dominates efficiency.

But it struggles with differentiation.

And most small businesses?

They don’t win by being the most efficient.

They win by being:

More human
More relatable
More original

That’s what matters.

That’s your advantage.

Here’s the part that should give you confidence:

People are starting to ask:

“Who actually wrote this?”
“Is this real?”
“Is there a person behind this?”

That’s not going away.

If anything, it’s growing.

Whether it’s:

A sales conversation
A piece of content
A product or service

👉 The human touch is becoming more valuable, not less.

Final Thought: Your Voice Is the Value

If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this:

You don’t need to sound perfect.

You need to sound real.

Because in a world full of automation, scripts, and generated responses

👉 Originality stands out.
👉 Authenticity connects.
👉 And being human wins.

What’s one way you’re using AI without losing your voice?

If you haven’t listened yet, check out the full episode with Jonathan Aberman to see how your originality matters.

🎧 Link in the comments.

#SalesMadeEasy #AuthenticityWins #OriginalityMatters #AIinSales #RelationshipSelling #SellingWithDignity

That’s what Ramona Crabtree-Faulkner and I discussed on a recent Sales Made Easy episode. We talked about moving away from the old “push, close, hit numbers or bust” mindset to something simpler and more sustainable: flow instead of force, intention instead of stress, attracting good outcomes instead of chasing them.

If you’re in sales, running a business, or leading a team, and especially if burnout has been knocking, these ideas can make a real difference.

Energy: It’s Either Pulling People In or Pushing Them Away

You’re either the person who lights up a room or the one who makes it feel heavy. You don’t need to be the loudest or have the flashiest pitch. A genuine smile, solid eye contact, and real good vibes do the work. People feel it. Positive energy draws them closer. Anxious, needy energy makes them back off.

Ramona nailed it: Fake positivity is worse than nothing. Putting on a grin when you’re crumbling inside? People sense the disconnect right away. Real energy comes from knowing your worth, trusting there’s plenty of opportunity out there, and walking in empowered instead of desperate.

Your mindset and energy are your best sales tools. When you’re grounded, excited about what you bring, and secure that one “no” doesn’t define you, people relax and lean in. I saw this play out over 20 years selling copiers.

Drawing from solid principles like treating people right (which lines up with timeless wisdom and what pros like Tom Hopkins and Brian Tracy taught), it changed everything. No more chasing deals. They started coming to us.

Visualize the Win Before You Even Step In

One of Ramona’s best tips: Before any call or meeting, take 30 to 60 seconds. Close your eyes, breathe, and picture what you want the end to feel like.

See the happy client, the mutual win, the easy connection. Feel it for real.

Walk in carrying that energy, and the whole vibe shifts. You’re relaxed, present, confident. Pressure fades. Real conversations happen naturally.

This isn’t magic. It’s practical mindset work with real results. Back in the day, I put up signs in the office reminding everyone of “smiling happy customers.” When a rep was stressed, I’d pull them aside: “Picture the high-five, the thrilled client on the other end.”

Numbers climbed, the team got tighter, and sales reps on other teams actually wanted to work with us due to the fun and energy we were enjoying!

Next time you have a sales call or meeting:

Pause for 30 to 60 seconds.
Picture the positive outcome: smiling client, win-win, good energy all around.

Really feel it.

Then walk in (or dial in) with that mindset.

Watch how people respond differently and how much lighter you feel.

What’s one mindset shift or quick visualization habit that’s helped you move from pressure to pull in your sales or business?

Grab the full Sales Made Easy episode with Ramona for more on mindset, energy, and leading without burning out. Link in the comments. 🎧

#SalesMadeEasy #SalesMindset #RelationshipSelling #SellingWithDignity #MindsetShift #AttractSuccess

Vicki, AKA “The Joy Kindler,” has mastered showing up with warmth and presence, even on tough days. Her approach reminds us that people don’t buy from companies. They buy from people who make them feel seen, valued, and cared for.

Start with Preparation and Curiosity

Before any meeting, Vicki digs deep: she reads LinkedIn bios, Googles publications, checks organizations, and learns what matters to the person she’s about to meet. She walks in ready to talk about them, not herself.

The result? Conversations feel natural and respectful. She asks thoughtful questions, pauses to listen, and lets the other person lead.

When a doctor shared a deeply personal story about his mother’s passing and his career choice, it wasn’t random, it came from asking and creating safe space for him to open up.

Bring Joy Even When You Don’t Feel It

Some days, Vicki admits, she just wants to “hide under a rock” or disappear with a backpack. Yet she still walks into offices ready to serve.

Her secret?

She lives with gratitude and intention. Every morning she wakes with a deep breath and thanks God she’s alive, asking how she can better serve that day. At night, she reflects on high points and sets the tone for tomorrow.

When traffic jams or rude drivers appear, she chooses podcasts, audiobooks, or prayer instead of frustration. She gives grace to people who are in pain, physical or emotional, because she knows most of us are carrying something heavy.

Look the Part, Sell Wall-to-Wall

Vicki pays attention to details: polished shoes, professional appearance, handwritten thank-you notes, “I’m grateful for you” cards.

She greets everyone, receptionists, nurses, practice managers, because relationships start at the front desk.

She sells “wall to wall,” building trust across the entire office. That consistency turns her into the most favored person in the practice.

Serve First, Sell Second

Vicki’s philosophy is simple: it’s not about selling, it’s about serving. When you bring value, joy, empathy, and dignity, people remember you. They feel warmed, special, and connected.
The sale becomes secondary. The legacy you leave, how you made someone feel, becomes primary.

In her words: “All people want in life is to be loved, remembered, connected, and celebrated.” When you show up that way, the business follows naturally.

Sales isn’t a transaction; it’s a relationship. Prepare deeply, listen more than you speak, bring joy even on hard days, and serve with intention. The rest takes care of itself.

If you’ve ever had a “hide under a rock” day but still showed up for someone, share it below.

Donuts, Door Knocks, and the Law of Reciprocity: The Human Side of Sales

Many people think selling is all about cold calls, slick pitches, and closing deals. But as Richard Chapman shared with Harry Spaight on the Sales Made Easy podcast, effective sales isn’t about selling at all, it’s about building genuine connections. It’s a lesson that becomes especially relevant during the holiday season. A common thought in sales is “no one’s buying because it’s the holidays”. According to Richard Chapman, he ignores these excuses and focuses instead on relationship-building for the future.

Early in his career, Richard Chapman found a refreshingly simple strategy, donuts. He would buy dozens and show up at local businesses in person, using the tasty treats as conversation starters and ice breakers. These small gestures, rooted in reciprocity, open doors (sometimes literally!) and create goodwill, often resulting in helpful introductions, valuable business insights, or even direct sales. The lesson is clear: gifts, when authentic, help forge a bond that cold calls and emails struggle to match.

Keep Plugging: Staying Motivated in the Ups and Downs

Sales veterans know there are valleys just as often as there are peaks. Richard Chapman’s advice for those inevitable downturns? “Keep plugging.” Consistency is key, even during slow periods, persistent efforts will eventually lead to new business and fill your pipeline. This was evident in the story of a mentee who relocated to a new territory and, through steady networking and visibility, hit his quota after months of groundwork.

For newcomers who feel discouraged in the initial months, the message is clear: focus on the foundational “grunt work.” Calls, emails, events, and personal follow-ups aren’t glamorous, but they are essential for success. Eventually, that effort compounds into referrals, warm introductions, and fruitful sales relationships.

Networking: More Than Just Pitching

Networking isn’t about rattling off your value proposition to a crowded room. The real magic happens in one-on-one conversations, where listening takes precedence over pitching. Richard Chapman advocates for building authentic relationships. When people feel heard and valued, they’re not only more likely to do business with you, but also to refer you to others in their circle.

Harry Spaight and Richard Chapman echoed that the point of these interactions isn’t to sell outright, rather, it’s to understand others, ask questions about their business challenges, and offer relevant insights. The deeper you dig, the more likely prospects are to see you as a trusted advisor rather than just another salesperson.

Community Involvement: A Secret Weapon for Sales Success

Beyond traditional networking, getting involved in your local community may be one of the most powerful career moves you make. Richard Chapman credits much of his long-term success to engagement with organizations like Kiwanis. This gave him not only personal fulfillment but also invaluable business contacts, introductions, and credibility within his community.

If you’re battling a slump in motivation, giving back is an excellent antidote. You’ll find yourself surrounded by purpose-driven people, making a tangible impact, and gaining fresh energy for your sales activities. Community involvement turns you from a stranger into a familiar, trusted presence. People prefer to do business with someone who genuinely cares about the community.

Selling on Value, Not Price

Another recurring theme was the importance of selling value over price. Richard Chapman emphasizes that focusing on solutions, support, and long-term partnerships wins deeper loyalty and repeat business. Cheap competitors may initially entice clients, but rarely provide the same level of service or reliability. True owners recognize your value when you understand their business and offer relevant solutions.

Even for those new to sales, building knowledge and asking thoughtful questions enables you to add value, even if you’re still learning the ropes. Doing industry research, listening, and tailoring your service helps you stand out from price-driven competitors.

Gratitude, Consistency, and the Power of Referrals

Finally, expressing gratitude and consistently following up are vital practices. Buyers have choices, and taking them for granted is a mistake. Thanking customers, resolving issues promptly, and maintaining regular contact insulate you from competitors and increase loyal referrals.

Referrals often come from clients who received genuine value and support. By asking how they found you and what made the difference, you gain critical insights for refining your approach. And as Richard reminds, touching base a few times a year with existing clients isn’t just good business, it’s essential for long-term success.

If your sales strategy feels stuck, focus on building bridges between people, within your community, and across industries. Sales is about relationships, not transactions. From donuts to door knocks, networking events to Kiwanis meetings, and consistent follow-up to genuine gratitude, the keys to sales success go far beyond the pitch.

So get out there, listen more than you talk, give back, and watch the pipeline take care of itself.

For sales professionals, uncertain economic times aren’t a signal to retreat; they’re an invitation to refine, refocus, and rise. Here’s how to ‘paint the windows black,’ block out the noise, and sell with dignity—even when the market feels shaky.” 

The Storm Outside vs. The Focus Within
Economic uncertainty can feel like a relentless storm. One minute, forecasts are sunny; the next, dark clouds loom. For sales teams, this volatility triggers “Sit Tight For Now” decisions —clients tighten budgets, defer decisions, and skepticism grows. But here’s the truth: the storm outside doesn’t have to dictate your momentum inside. 

“Painting the windows black” isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about choosing where to direct your focus. Instead of fixating on macroeconomic doom, zero in on what you can control: 

• Your daily actions 
• Your mindset
• Your commitment to serving clients
• Your ability to adapt

The Unwavering Pulse of Commerce

It’s easy to assume everyone has stopped buying. But here’s the reality: hundreds of billions of dollars are still spent every month in the U.S. alone. Commerce doesn’t stop—it shifts. Your job? Find the buyers who are ready now and nurture those who will be soon. 

How to Adapt:
Sharpen Your Prospecting:

• Target industries less impacted by downturns (e.g., healthcare, essential services). 

• Listen for signals of urgency (e.g., “We need to cut costs” or “Our current solution isn’t working”). 

Reframe Your Messaging:

• Address pain points exacerbated by uncertainty (e.g., inefficiency, risk mitigation). 

• Highlight the Return on Investment, not just features. 

Ask Better Questions:

• “How is the current climate affecting your priorities?” 

• “What would make this decision easier for you right now?”

Nurturing Seeds in a Shifting Season

Some buyers will delay—but that doesn’t mean you disengage. Dismissing them is shortsighted; pressuring them destroys trust.

Instead:

• Build relationships without immediate expectations. 
• Offer value (e.g., insights, free resources). 
• Position yourself as a trusted advisor—not a pushy salesperson.

Remember: When the economy rebounds, clients will remember who stayed helpful—not who disappeared or demanded a sale. 

Keeping Morale Alive in the Trenches

Uncertainty hits sales teams hard. Commission checks shrink. Leaders miss bonuses. Business owners panic. This is where leadership defines culture. 

For Sales Leaders:

• Be the calm in the storm. Acknowledge challenges but focus on solutions. 
• Celebrate small wins (e.g., “Great discovery call!” or “You handled that perfectly!”). 
• Shift metrics from lagging (closed deals) to leading (meaningful conversations, pipeline growth). 

For Salespeople:

• Control what you can: Activity levels, skill development, attitude. 
• Lean into service. Zig Ziglar said it best: “You’ll get everything you want in life if you help others get what they want.” 

A Lesson from 2009: The Power of Resolve

After the 2008 crash, my team made a choice: We wouldn’t let fear dictate our effort. We focused on fundamentals—connecting, listening, solving—and in doing so, we created momentum. 

Key Takeaway: Economic storms don’t last forever. The teams that thrive are the ones who refuse to let external chaos derail internal discipline. 

Selling: The Lifeblood of Economic Vitality

Sales isn’t just about quotas—it’s about fueling progress. Every transaction creates jobs, funds innovation, and strengthens communities. Selling with dignity isn’t sleazy; it’s essential. 

How to Thrive Now:

1. Double Down on Service
   • Solve real problems. Clients remember who helped them survive tough times. 
2. Sharpen Your Skills
   • Use slower periods for training, refining pitches, and researching prospects. 
3. Stay Empathetic
   • Listen more. Pressure less. 
4. Remember Your “Why”
   • Connect your work to the bigger picture: You’re not just selling—you’re enabling growth. 

Paint Your Windows, Not Theirs

Uncertainty will always exist. But the best sales professionals don’t wait for calm seas—they learn to sail in rough waters. By focusing on what you can control, serving with integrity, and leading with empathy, you won’t just survive—you’ll thrive. 

Paint your windows black. Block out the noise. And sell like the economy depends on it—because, in many ways, it does.

Harry Spaight is a sales leadership coach and author of Selling With Dignity. He equips organizations to develop sales leaders who inspire and empower high-performing teams.