About this episode

Rob Durant discusses the importance of understanding problems and building trust in sales rather than focusing on closing deals.

In Episode 352 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Rob Durant, CEO of U.S. Operations for the Institute of Sales Professionals, founder of Flywheel Results, and author of The Social Enablement Blueprint. What follows is a powerful conversation that challenges everything most people think they know about sales. Rob shares his unexpected journey from customer service to sales leadership and explains why the best salespeople are not focused on convincing, pressuring, or closing. Instead, they focus on understanding problems, building trust, and helping people make informed decisions. Together, Kelly and Rob explore why so many entrepreneurs struggle to sell their own products and services, how personal beliefs often get in the way of growth, and why asking for the sale is often the most helpful thing you can do. The conversation also dives into relationship building, personal branding, social enablement, and the future of sales in an increasingly digital world. Rob explains why success is not about what you know or even who you know, but who knows you for what you know. From LinkedIn strategy and networking to sales ethics and long-term business…

People in this episode

Host: Kelly Kennedy

Guest: Rob Durant

Topics covered

• sales
• entrepreneurship
• relationship building
• personal branding
• social enablement
• business development

Keywords

• sales strategies
• trust building
• entrepreneur challenges
• LinkedIn strategy
• sales ethics
• digital sales
• networking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute of Sales Professionals, Flywheel Results

Books & works: The Social Enablement Blueprint

More episodes of The Business Development Podcast

• The Clearest Voice in the Room Wins with Salvatore Manzi · July 19, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Is Money Trauma Making Your Business Decisions with Brittney Ashley · July 15, 2026 · 48 min
• Faith Starts the Journey and Resilience Finishes It with Mitch Jacobsen · July 12, 2026 · 1h 4m
• The Biggest Bottleneck in Your Business Is Probably You with Michèle Hecken · July 8, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Your Success Strategy Could Be Killing You with Steven Langer · July 5, 2026 · 1h 0m
• The Power of Emotional Neutrality with Alyssa McMasters · July 1, 2026 · 1h 3m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Business Development Podcast podcast page.