Summary:

Today we bring on Jen Mueller, a seasoned sports broadcaster and communication expert.

Jen Mueller is a business communication expert and the founder of Talk Sporty to Me, where she helps companies level up their communication skills with actionable strategies inspired by her 25-year career as a sports broadcaster.

An Emmy-award-winning producer, Jen is in her 16th season as the Seattle Seahawks sideline radio reporter and has spent 18 years with the Seattle Mariners on ROOT SPORTS. She’s known for building strong relationships, delivering meaningful content in short bursts, and expertly handling post-game interviews (while dodging Gatorade baths!).

She’s also the author of three books on communication and the creator and host of “I Cook, You Measure”—a YouTube cooking show that blends instruction with connection over food and wine.

Our conversations explores the nuances of human connection in sales and broadcasting, emphasizing the importance of empathy, consistency, and effective questioning. Jen shares her experiences interacting with professional athletes, particularly in challenging situations and losses. She tells stories of the significance of small gestures, like thank you notes, in building relationships. We talk about practical strategies for asking better questions and creating safe spaces for honest dialogue, ultimately showcasing how personal connections can enhance professional interactions.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

02:47 The Art of Meeting Athletes Where They Are

06:01 Building Relationships Through Consistency

08:48 The Importance of Intentional Communication

12:08 Navigating Tough Conversations After Losses

14:51 Learning from Experience and Trial

17:56 Asking Better Questions in Interviews

21:00 Handling Difficult Post-Game Interviews

24:10 The Impact of Losses on Athletes and Reporters

28:01 Navigating Tough Conversations

30:21 The Importance of Clear Communication

32:00 Creating a Comfortable Interview Environment

34:07 Crafting Effective Questions

37:51 Understanding Client Needs

39:51 The Impact of Small Interactions

42:50 Memorable Moments in Sports Journalism

51:26 Personal Insights and Quirks

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Summary:

Today I speak to Jared Cook, a seasoned expert in customer success and sales. Jared has most recently been a SR VP of Customer Experience at Docebo and has held senior roles in Customer Success at companies like Domo and Adobe. He is the founder of Crush Churn Consulting where he helps companies reduce churn by 30%.

Our conversation explores the importance of human connection in sales, the role of customer success in driving retention, and the need for genuine relationships with customers.

Jared shares insights from his childhood about sales, emphasizing the importance of confidence, connecting on a human level as a leader, and a seller, and understanding customer needs.

There are so many useful approaches that Jared shares on having difficult interactions with clients to creating a personal connection with a new team that you can take into what you do.

If you want practical strategies for improving customer retention and preventing churn, and implementing curiosity and empathy in your sales interactions. You'll walk aways with foundational skills to integrate your personal and professional lives to foster deeper connections with the people your work with and the clients you serve. This was a fun one to learn from an executive is customer success and how those skills can help you in sales!

Sound Bytes:

"It's about helping a human solve a problem."

"You can create human connection at scale."

"I'm always up for an adventure."

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

02:41 Defining Selling by Being Human

05:01 Lessons from Childhood: Sales and Confidence

10:47 Integrating Personal and Professional Life

17:24 The Role of Customer Success in Sales

21:28 Curiosity as a Sales Tool

28:09 Improving Customer Retention Strategies

33:18 Identifying and Preventing Customer Churn

39:36 Building Genuine Connections with Customers

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Summary:

Today I bring on Kevin Yates, known as the L&D Detective, to explore the intersection of authenticity, resilience, and effective learning and development practices. I knew that I needed to talk to Kevin after seeing him present at our conference. He was able to connect with the crowd in a unique way with his engaging talk and also shared inisghts of how he sold big ideas in previous roles by focusing on business performance and human performance.

Kevin shares insights on how to he sells by being human as a speaker, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in engagement. His. method of speaking is to really immerse his audience within a problem and take them on a journey. You'll learn how Kevin crafts his speaking frameworks to take people on a journey and you'll also get insights on how he would get really big initiatives done by focusing on business outcomes.

Kevin has had to gain influene with business leaders, executives, and now with audiences. You'll leave with takeaways on how he's done that in his career and how you can apply it to your own situations where influence needs to be built.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

02:33 The Essence of Selling by Being Human

07:23 Authenticity in Sales and Learning Development

11:19 The Responsibility of Sharing Knowledge

15:37 Lessons from Ella Yates: Resilience

19:48 Understanding the L&D Detective Brand

26:23 The Essence of Collaborative Selling

29:33 Creating Experiential Learning Opportunities

32:59 Democratizing Access to Learning Resources

35:56 Defining Impact in Learning and Development

40:17 Shifting Mindsets in L&D

42:42 Performance Consulting vs. Traditional Training Conversations

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Summary:

Today I sit down with Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, a renowned expert on friendship and human connection, to discuss the importance of building meaningful relationships in the workplace and how we underestimate principles of friendship. As she likes to say, "We overestimate the amount of both energy and discomfort that can come from reaching out, initiating plans, And we underestimate the amount of pleasure, joy, meaning, and impact that can come from both deep conversations and also frankly, casual moments of chit chat, whether that's with strangers or a quick reconnect with an old or long lost friend.

Sometimes people compartmentalize their "work friends" or business friends with their personal friends and Miriam teaches us how principles of friendship can help you in sales.

Key Discussion Points:

The role of friendships in enhancing workplace productivity and engagement. Overcoming myths about workplace friendships and their impact on professional success. Practical strategies for fostering genuine connections with colleagues and clients. The balance between professional boundaries and personal connections.

Guest Bio: Dr. Miriam Kirmayer is a clinical psychologist and leading voice on the science of friendship. Her work has been featured in major publications like The Atlantic, BBC, and Psychology Today.

Key Moments:

1. [00:02:15] - Introduction to Dr. Miriam Kirmayer and her expertise in friendship and human connection.
2. [00:10:30] - Discussion on the importance of building friendships at work and their impact on productivity.
3. [00:18:45] - Overcoming common myths about workplace friendships.
4. [00:25:00] - Practical strategies for fostering genuine connections with colleagues.
5. [00:35:20] - The balance between maintaining professional boundaries and personal connections.
6. [00:45:10] - Dr. Kirmayer shares personal stories and insights from her research.
7. [00:55:30] - Closing thoughts on the value of human connection in professional settings.

Resources:

Visit Miriam's website for more insights and resources on building connections. Connect with Miriam on LinkedIn and Instagram for personal updates and tips.

Subscribe to the "Sell By Being Human" podcast for more episodes on leveraging human connection in sales and business.

#WorkplaceWellbeing #HumanConnection #FriendshipAtWork

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Summary:

Today's episode is with Stephen Steers, a sales consultant, keynote speaker and author. We explore the art of storytelling in sales. Not how to tell your story but how to help people tell a better version of their own story. When you can help someone better understand themselves and through your interaction you better understand them., that's where magic happens.

Stephen has come through the ranks of sales as a business development rep an account executive, and now owns his own sales consultancy business around how to tell effective stories as part of a sales process.

We discuss how human connection, story telling, and emotional intelligence can transform the sales process, moving away from traditional pushy sales tactics to a more empathetic approach. Stephen shares his personal journey with storytelling, the importance of understanding client needs, and effective questioning techniques to foster genuine conversations. The episode emphasizes the significance of emotional responses in decision-making and how to leverage personal stories to build trust and rapport with clients.

You'll learn how to ask questions to help people tell a better story of their problems. You'll help tell stories in a way that gets people to reframe their own stories, and you'll learn how to build trust through understanding wh

Key Moments:

02:19 Redefining Sales: From Selling to Problem Solving

11:43 The Power of Storytelling in Sales - Helpin People Tell Their Stories Better

16:49 Learning from Experience: The Journey of a Salesperson

21:07 Emotional Connection: The Key to Effective Selling

26:02 Building Rapport in Sales Conversations

28:52 Effective Questioning Techniques

33:51 How to Craft A Better Story in Sales

40:50 Humanizing Customer Stories

45:51 Finding Authentic Connections

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Summary:

Alot of people reach out to me to inquire about being a guest but this one stood out amongst almost 150 episodes. Dre Baldwin was the first to make me a personalized video and it landed with me.

Dre Baldwin is a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur and performance coach. Dre shares his unique framework for success, emphasizing the importance of discipline, mental toughness, and authentic communication in both personal and professional settings. He discusses his transition from basketball to business, the significance of understanding one's audience, and the common pitfalls that many face in sales and performance. Dre really dove into discipline in his sport and he realized a lot of his skills translated to business professionals once his playing days were over. It takes a talent to sell your skills on the court to people in a boardroom and Dre does that every day with his consulting practice, his online presence, and his speaking business.

Throughout the conversation, Dre highlights the role of mental conditioning and decision-making in achieving success, while also sharing insights on how to effectively coach others by asking the right questions.

You'll also learn how to reframe what discipline means to make it easier for you to continue at whatever you're working towards. You'll learn mindset techniques that will serve you when you're inevitably faced with a no or a failure to help you keep getting back up. Dre has got you with this one.

Books Mentioned:

1. "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene
2. "The Art of Seduction" by Robert Greene
3. "10X is Easier Than 2X" by Dan Kennedy and Ben Hardy

Key Moments:

03:00 Dres Framework of Selling by Being Human

05:48 Transitioning from Athlete to Entrepreneur

08:58 The Importance of Authentic Communication

12:02 Techniques for Effective Selling

15:03 Infusing Authenticity in Personal Life

17:58 Understanding Your Audience

20:57 The Work on Your Game Framework

24:01 Common Pitfalls in Sales and Discipline

26:43 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship and Parenthood

29:19 Understanding Mental Conditioning

32:01 The Role of Discipline in Achieving Freedom

36:17 The Importance of Decision-Making and Discipline

39:07 Influences of Family on Discipline and Work Ethic

41:34 Coaching: Asking the Right Questions

47:01 The Unique Traits of Dre Baldwin

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Summary:

Have you ever wondered if or how human connection happens in the military? For someone that's never been in the military like myself, I've often thought the military is about a chain of command and an order structure. That's it. You follow orders or else. Human connection and order seem to be opposing forces. But today's guest says that's not always the case. People get sold on staying or leaving the military by the people they report to.

Today I interviewed Enrique Acosta Gonzalez, a leadership expert and former Navy veteran. We discuss the importance of human connection in leadership, the transition from military to civilian leadership, and the significance of building trust and relationships. Enrique shares his experiences in the military, the impact of different leadership styles of his commanding officers, and how authenticity plays a crucial role in effective leadership. We touch on the concept of 'selling by being human' in the military and in his current practice of coaching his clients. This is for you if you've ever wondered how these skills show up in any of these places!

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Human Connection

02:56 The Military's Human Element in Leadership

06:06 Building Trust and Relationships in Leadership

09:07 The Impact of Leadership Styles

11:59 Lessons from Military Leadership Experiences

15:05 Transitioning from Military to Civilian Leadership

20:07 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership

24:00: Selling by Being Human in his current role

26:54 Nurturing Relationships for Long-Term Success

31:59 Working with Strong-Willed Leaders

36:44 Final Thoughts on Leadership and Legacy

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Summary:

Have you ever wondered what the best people do to build high quality business relationships? Today I talk to a guy that devoted seven years of his lif studying just that. And the insights he's gained from asking exdecutives one simple question.

"Can you think of the best person you've ever worked with from a vendor/partner perspective and what made the so great?"

Today, Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan comes on the podcast. He's originally from Brittain but lives in Spain. His work you can find in the book, "Building B2B Relationships". We dive into significance of human connection in sales, emphasizing authenticity, and the importance of investing time in relationships.

We also talk about the role of humor and banter in building rapport. What is banter and how he's seen people use it feectively.

Dr. O'Sullivan shares insights from his extensive research on business relationships, highlighting the distinction between personal friendships and professional connections, And the key components that contribute to successful business interactions.

You'll leave understanding how to leverage strong lifelong business relationships by doing the little things for others that can have a profound impact on them. Ryan will also show you how when he's done that, how it's come back to him.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

03:08 The Importance of Authenticity and Being Human

06:03 Learning Relationship Skills from Early Life

08:57 The Role of Banter in Building Relationships in the UK

11:54 The Value of Initiating Conversations

14:55 Understanding the Dynamics of Business Relationships

18:07 The Distinction Between Personal and Business Relationships

20:58 Insights from CXO Interviews on Relationship Building

24:06 Key Components of Successful Business Relationships

29:04 The Art of Intelligence Gathering

32:04 Building Trust in Business Relationships

36:00 Navigating Different Personalities

40:08 Cognitive Capital and Relationship Building

43:50 The Dynamics of Social Exchange Theory

46:09 Creating Lasting Connections

52:08 The Personal Side of Professional Relationships

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