Why Professionalism Is Ruining Your Sales

About this episode

In this episode, Alex Smith and April Palmer discuss the importance of authenticity in sales and how being genuine can lead to better connections and success.

In sales, they always say: stay professional and never rock the boat, right? But think about it. Who do buyers actually remember? The professional who checks all the boxes or the real human with smiles, energy, and personality? In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with April Palmer, Account Executive at Duckbill, adjunct professor at VCU, and self-described "hot mess boss," to explore why showing up as your authentic self is not just good for your soul, it is good for sales. April's path started in unexpected places. From selling mistletoe door to door as a kid to closing multi-million dollar enterprise deals, she has learned that the real secret to sales is not better scripts or sharper rebuttals. It is genuine human connection. With 20,000 "weirdos" following her late-night LinkedIn chaos, April has proof that people buy from real people, not robots or talking heads. In this conversation, you will hear why she tells prospects not to buy from her, how a ruptured Achilles led to 12 job offers, and why the platinum rule beats the golden rule every time. She also shares her dad's most annoying and effective question, what hula hoops and cheesecake…

People in this episode

Host: Alex Smith

Guest: April Palmer

Topics covered

• sales
• professionalism
• authenticity
• human connection
• career development

Keywords

• sales
• professionalism
• authentic self
• human connection
• career advice
• April Palmer
• Duckbill

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Duckbill, VCU

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