153: How to Use Sales Skills to Become a Leader People Actually Follow | Mark Hunter
Release Date:
April 15, 2025
Release Date: Apr 15
Sales is not just about closing deals. Leadership and sales are, at their core, both about helping people achieve what they didn’t think was possible. But in order to effectively help people, you need to master the skill of sales.
In this episode, we’re joined by Mark Hunter, renowned sales strategist, speaker and author known as The Sales Hunter, to explore the timeless overlap between selling and leading.
What You’ll Learn:
Why trust is the foundation of every sale (and how to build it)
How discovery calls are being misused (and what to do instead)
The connection between value, risk, and decision-making
Tips for prospecting in the AI era
The three most important assets every sales professional should protect
How great leaders show up for their people
In This Episode:
00:16 – Sales and leadership: Eisenhower's D-Day message
01:50 – The real purpose of the discovery call
03:57 – Authenticity over slide decks
04:52 – Will AI replace salespeople?
06:28 – Risk, value, and the importance of trust
07:38 – How trust combats indecision
09:15 – Mapping customer problems upstream and downstream
10:41 – Selling with insight into your customer’s customer
11:33 – Using AI to personalize sales outreach
13:41 – Tips for expanding access to stakeholders
16:10 – Happy talkers vs. true decision makers
18:04 – The role of social media and personal brand equity in sales
19:24 – Why every rep needs a personal brand
21:24 – How to build content discipline in B2B sales
22:24 – Great leadership traits in sales managers
24:44 – Leading with integrity and taking ownership
28:06 – The leadership lesson that shaped Mark’s career
31:56 – Supporting reps during tough quarters
33:00 – Time: your most valuable asset
33:46 – Mark’s 3 most important career assets: time, mind, and network
35:16 – Diversifying your network like an investment portfolio
37:29 – Can virtual onboarding work for sales reps?
