Selling From the Heart Podcast

Ian Selbie is a globally recognized sales expert, author, speaker, and podcast host with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations improve sales performance and sustainable growth.
He has trained and coached more than 17,000 sales professionals worldwide and previously worked at Apple, where he was named the company’s Top Salesperson in the World in 1990.
Ian is the author of If You Were Arrested for Selling, Would There Be Enough Evidence to Convict You? and the host of Confessions of a Sales Pro.

SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of Selling from the Heart, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy welcome Ian Selbie to discuss selling with curiosity, compassion, and strong fundamentals.
Ian shares his framework: “Call high, find the pain, bring the gain, and do it again and again.” He explains why salespeople should begin with decision-makers, uncover real business challenges before presenting solutions, and avoid sending proposals to unqualified opportunities.
The conversation also explores several of Ian’s “Seven Deadly Sins in Selling,” including calling too low, proposing too early, and expecting CRM technology to fix a broken sales process.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Selling from the heart begins with genuine curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to helping customers succeed.
Start every opportunity at the highest level possible—decision-makers can say yes, while influencers often cannot.
"Call high, find the pain, bring the gain" provides a simple framework for creating meaningful customer conversations.
Never present a proposal before you've fully qualified the opportunity and uncovered the customer's true business challenges.
Technology doesn't fix poor sales fundamentals—a CRM only amplifies the quality of your existing sales process.
The strongest path into executive leadership is through earned referrals built on trust and consistent value.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES
Call high, find the pain, bring the gain, then do it again and again.

Influencers can say no. Decision-makers can say yes.

If your sales team were arrested for selling, would there be enough evidence to convict them?

A CRM doesn't fix broken sales processes—it magnifies them.

Value grows when you increase the benefit, not when you decrease the price.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!
Listen to Larry Levine’s Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter.  
Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTube

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Karl Schmidt is the Co-Founder of A to B Insight, where he helps organizations transform their sales approach by aligning with how customers actually make decisions. Drawing on years of experience at leading firms including Boston Consulting Group and Gartner, Karl has conducted award-winning research into buyer behavior, commercial strategy, and complex B2B decision-making—including work that contributed to the groundbreaking insights behind The Challenger Sale.
As the co-author of The Framemaking Sale, Karl equips sales leaders and organizations with practical frameworks for increasing buyer confidence, simplifying complex decisions, and creating customer experiences built on trust rather than pressure. His research and thought leadership have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and other leading business publications, making him one of today's foremost voices on decision science in modern sales.

SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of the Selling from the Heart Podcast, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy welcome Karl Schmidt, Co-Founder of A to B Insight and co-author of The Framemaking Sale, for a fascinating conversation about how customers truly make decisions—and why helping buyers gain confidence is more valuable than simply persuading them.
Karl introduces the concept of "framemaking," explaining that exceptional sales professionals don't just provide information or recommend solutions—they help buyers navigate complexity, clarify priorities, and build confidence in their own decision-making process.
The conversation explores groundbreaking research showing that buyer decision confidence is one of the strongest predictors of successful, high-quality purchases. Rather than focusing solely on convincing prospects that your solution is the best, Karl explains why helping buyers feel confident in themselves creates better outcomes, stronger trust, and longer-lasting customer relationships.
Listeners will also discover why emotions play a critical role in decision-making, how trust is built through shared experiences, and practical ways to simplify buying decisions while preserving customer autonomy.
If you want to become the trusted guide your customers need—not just another salesperson competing for attention—this episode offers a refreshing, research-backed perspective on modern selling.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Buyer decision confidence is one of the strongest predictors of successful, low-regret purchasing decisions.
Great sales professionals help buyers gain confidence in themselves—not just confidence in the product.
The best sales conversations move customers through know → feel → do, not simply know → do.
Framemaking helps customers organize complexity instead of overwhelming them with information.
Customers value guidance that preserves their autonomy rather than pressure that limits it.
Helping buyers make the best decision—even if it's not your solution—builds long-term trust

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES
Our goal isn't to make customers choose us. It's to help them make the best decision possible.

Decision confidence isn't confidence in the seller—it's confidence in yourself.

People don't just need to know what to do. They need to feel confident enough to do it

The best salespeople don't tell customers what to think. They help them think more clearly.

Frame making creates clarity without taking away the customer's agency.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!
Listen to Larry Levine’s Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter.  
Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTube

Get Your Daily Dose of Inspiration:
Click Here for Your Daily Dose

Mary Jane Copps helps sales professionals win more business by rediscovering the power of real-time conversations. For more than 20 years, she has coached sales teams, entrepreneurs, startups and customer service professionals how to build trust, open doors and strengthen relationships through effective phone, video and in-person communication. Her practical approach helps people turn everyday conversations into meaningful connections, leading to stronger client relationships and more business. 
Mary Jane has worked with more than 800 organizations and trained over 30,000 professionals across North America and internationally in France, Britain and Australia. Her expertise has been featured by a wide range of media including Fox News, the BBC, CBC, and in The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
She publishes a blog each week that explores one valuable skill people can use immediately to strengthen their conversations with clients and prospects. This aligns with her mission to help companies increase their real-time conversations instead of losing opportunities by avoiding them.

SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of Selling from the Heart, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy welcome communication expert Mary Jane Copps—known as "The Phone Lady"—for a timely conversation about one of the most overlooked skills in modern sales: having meaningful real-time conversations.
As automation, AI, email, and texting continue to dominate business communication, Mary Jane explains why authentic voice-to-voice conversations remain one of the greatest competitive advantages a sales professional can have. She shares how curiosity, empathy, preparation, and genuine interest in others transform ordinary sales calls into lasting business relationships.
Together, they explore why conversational skills are declining, how sales professionals can intentionally rebuild them, and practical techniques for creating stronger customer connections—from asking better open-ended questions to leaving compelling voicemails and following up with empathy instead of pressure.
If you've ever wondered whether phone calls still matter in today's digital world, this episode delivers a compelling reminder that trust is built one conversation at a time.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Great sales conversations begin by focusing on the customer, not yourself.
Curiosity and empathy create stronger relationships than scripted pitches.
Real-time conversations remain one of the most valuable—and underdeveloped—sales skills.
Technology should support communication, not replace human connection.
Open-ended questions encourage meaningful dialogue and uncover deeper customer needs.
Your voice communicates conviction, authenticity, and enthusiasm in ways email never can.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES
Selling isn't about us. It's about the person sitting across from us.

Technology can make communication easier—but it can never replace human connection.

Your voice carries your conviction, your enthusiasm, and your authenticity.

People don't remember perfect sales pitches. They remember how you made them feel.

Persistence isn't pestering. Persistence is showing people they matter.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!
Listen to Larry Levine’s Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter.  
Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTube

Get Your Daily Dose of Inspiration:
Click Here for Your Daily Dose

Mark Hunter, CSP, known globally as “The Sales Hunter,” is a renowned sales expert, keynote speaker, consultant, and best-selling author who helps organizations transform how they approach sales. With more than 30 years of experience in sales leadership, he has worked with companies around the world to help sales teams identify better prospects, build stronger relationships, and close deals with confidence and integrity.
Before launching his company, The Sales Hunter, Mark spent nearly two decades in the sales and marketing divisions of Fortune 200 companies, leading large sales teams and developing high-performing sales strategies. He is the author of several influential books, including High-Profit Prospecting, High-Profit Selling, and A Mind for Sales, and is widely recognized for his practical insights on prospecting, mindset, and building trust-based sales relationships that drive long-term business success.
SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of Selling from the Heart, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy welcome renowned sales expert, author, and keynote speaker Mark Hunter, known around the world as "The Sales Hunter," to discuss his latest book, Integrity First Selling: How to Create Better Sales with Better Customers.
Mark challenges conventional sales thinking by reminding listeners that sales is not about moving products—it's about serving people. He explains why the most successful sales professionals focus on helping buyers achieve outcomes they never thought possible rather than simply chasing quotas, commissions, or quarter-end numbers.
The conversation explores what it truly means to put integrity first in sales, including aligning with the buyer's journey, building trust through transparency, and playing the long game even when short-term pressure tempts salespeople to do otherwise. Mark also shares practical insights on prospecting, pipeline development, leadership, accountability, and why many organizations mistakenly create the very buying behaviors they complain about.
In a marketplace increasingly crowded by AI-generated noise and transactional selling, Mark makes the case that trust, authenticity, and consistency remain the most valuable competitive advantages a salesperson can possess.
This episode is a powerful reminder that sales done with integrity doesn't just create better customers—it creates better careers, stronger relationships, and lasting success.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Sales is fundamentally about serving people, not selling products.
Integrity-first selling requires joining the buyer's journey rather than forcing your own agenda.
Long-term trust always outperforms short-term sales tactics.
End-of-quarter discounting often trains customers to delay purchasing decisions.
Healthy pipelines eliminate desperation and create better customer experiences.
Sales leaders should focus on creating opportunities, not simply closing deals.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES
Sales is serving people. It's not selling stuff. The products we sell are simply the medium we use to help people.

Closing without integrity creates revenue today and regret tomorrow.

The easy sale isn't the one you get. It's the one you deserve.

Desperation at the end of the quarter is usually the result of poor pipeline discipline at the beginning of the quarter.

Being the same person at work and at home makes life simpler and sales more effective.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!
Listen to Larry Levine’s Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter.  
Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTube

Get Your Daily Dose of Inspiration:
Click Here for Your Daily Dose

Elyse Archer is a leadership consultant, keynote speaker, and executive coach who helps high-growth teams and leaders build stronger communication, sharper focus, and more resilient cultures. With deep expertise in psychology, performance strategy, and human behavior, Elyse equips organizations to improve collaboration, enhance accountability, and empower individuals to contribute their best work.
She is the founder of Elyse Archer Coaching and creator of programs that help leaders communicate with clarity, manage change effectively, and lead with authenticity. Elyse’s practical, research-informed approach blends mindset, skill-building, and heart-centered leadership, making her a trusted advisor to executives, founders, and teams looking to scale both results and culture.
SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of Selling from the Heart, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy sit down with leadership consultant, executive coach, and keynote speaker Elyse Archer to explore the powerful connection between identity and sales success.
Elyse shares her personal journey of breaking through an income ceiling that had persisted despite years of hard work, training, and achievement. Following a series of life-changing events, including the unexpected loss of her podcast co-host, becoming a new mother, and reflecting on the lessons from The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, she realized that lasting growth required more than new strategies. It required becoming a new version of herself.
Together, they unpack the concept of identity-driven selling, why results rarely exceed self-concept, and how sales professionals can shift from operating out of fear, scarcity, and hustle to leading and selling with confidence, purpose, and an open heart.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Your sales results will rarely exceed your self-concept and identity.
Sustainable growth starts with becoming the person capable of achieving the result you desire.
Selling from the heart means operating from wholeness, service, and authenticity rather than fear or scarcity.
Mindset alone isn't enough; identity, beliefs, emotions, and actions work together to create outcomes.
The "Old Personality vs. New Personality" framework provides a practical path for personal transformation.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES
The breakthrough doesn't happen when you learn something new. It happens when you become someone new.

Your beliefs create your actions, your actions create your habits, and your habits create your results.

The version of you that has already achieved the goal thinks differently, feels differently, and acts differently.

Your desires aren't distractions. They're often clues pointing you toward your purpose.

The greatest transformation isn't becoming someone else—it's remembering who you really are.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!
Listen to Larry Levine’s Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter.  
Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTube

Get Your Daily Dose of Inspiration:
Click Here for Your Daily Dose