#204 | Effortless Sales: How to Sell Without Trying With Miles Croft

Selling usually gets a bad rap. “Sleazy,” “pushy,” “tricky,” you name it, we’ve heard it. But what if sales could actually feel natural? This week Miles Croft stopped by to chat about all things sales, honesty, and why we’re ALL actually selling, whether it’s a new job, a raise, or just convincing your friend to see your favorite movie. Miles calls himself “the honest salesman,” not an oxymoron, I promise! He reminded us that sales isn’t about tricking people. It’s about genuinely helping, listening, and being yourself.

Whether you’re interviewing for a job or pitching your next big idea, start by getting back to basics. Don’t just rehearse your pitch in your head, say it out loud! Miles suggests putting sticky notes or bullet points in front of you if you’re on a virtual call. When it comes to in person meetings, abbreviations like BANT (budget, authority, needs, timeline) can help you remember what to ask.

Next work on listening more. We get it, awkward silence makes us antsy. But Miles swears by letting the other person fill the gap. When someone finishes talking, give it an extra beat. You’ll be surprised how much more information they share, and how much more they like you for listening!

Finally, don’t be afraid of “No.” Rejection stings, but Miles encourages us to embrace it. Treat every “no” as a maybe for the future. And, ask if it’s okay to check in down the road; people actually appreciate your follow-up!

Let’s all take a page from Miles’ book: be a little more curious, a lot more honest, and remember, we’re all selling…even if we’re just selling ourselves.

Timestamps:

09:08 How Miles became The Honest Salesman

10:45 Building on the fundamentals of sales

13:55 BANT acronym for sales

16:44 Using the 3 whys

18:43 Listening with intention

21:40 Handling rejection in sales

25:10 How to follow up with someone

47:05 Miles homework: Shut up and listen

Links:

The Honest Sales Academy

Miles LinkedIn Course: Learning How to Sell on Value, Not Price

Dean Karrel’s LinkedIn Courses

Podcast: The Salesman.com Podcast

If You Enjoyed Today’s Episode:

1.) You should check out this episode Building A Sales Pipeline With Steve Nudelberg

2.) Sign up for notes at copymyhomework.com for a full list of resources, links and recommendations listed on today’s episode.

3.) Post a screenshot of the episode & tag me on LinkedIn or Instagram @kimkaupe so we can talk about your favorite parts!

4.) Leave a positive review on any podcast platform (shameless, but someone’s gotta say it right?!)

5.) Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app.

Connect with Kim over on the socials!

Instagram + TikTok: @kimkaupe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimkaupe/

Want To Learn More With Me?: Check out my LinkedIn learning courses here. 

Share: If you enjoyed this, please share with others by clicking on the social icons below…