Episode 150

full
Published on:

5th Nov 2025

Learning A Wealth About Connection By Throwing Cocktail Parties - Eric Melchor, Channel Marketing Manager, founder Bucharest Cocktail Parties

Summary:

What can you learn about sales and connections from a guy on a mission to connect housands of people via cocktail parties?

Today I bring on Eric Melchor, a channel manager at Honeywell, and a Texan at heart living in Bucharest. Those two things may not go together but Eric followed his wife to Europe and he's connected hundreds of people over conversations at local cocktail parties.

We explore the significance of human connection in sales, the power of storytelling, and the importance of authenticity in building trust. Eric shares his unique approach to networking through cocktail parties, emphasizing the value of personal connections over traditional networking methods. The conversation highlights the role of icebreakers in fostering meaningful conversations and offers practical strategies for engaging with others, both online and in person. I'm a big believer in people buying into the human side of you and Eric gives you tools to do this yourself through the way he connects one time guests.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

03:08 The Power of Storytelling in Sales

06:06 Personal Background and Influences

08:59 Creating Comfortable Environments for Connection

11:59 The Cocktail Party Concept

15:07 Unexpected Outcomes from Networking Events

18:01 Building Relationships Beyond Job Titles

21:02 Curating Connections for Events

23:47 Practical Tips for Strengthening Connections

27:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Eric

  1. LinkedIN
  2. Heading to Bucharest? Reach out to Eric for a Cocktail Party

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About the Podcast

Sell By Being Human
On the Sell By Being Human podcast, award-winning sales professional Alex Smith provides the proven way to harness your innate human skills like empathy, curiosity, and kindness to learn how to sell and navigate the sales journey.
This is where human connection and sales meet. You may be someone whose success depends on influence, negotiation, and your ability to create change, but you may reject aggressive sales tactics. Maybe you feel stuck in corporate "autopilot," knowing your best asset is your genuine personality, but you struggle to use it to get what you want. Then this channel is for you.

It will teach you how to close the gap between wanting to be ethical and feeling pressured to sell aggressively. You’ll also learn actionable strategies for translating emotional intelligence into high-trust results. Join Alex and top guests, including NY Times bestsellers, keynote speakers, and global founders, as they prove that being truly human is the ultimate sales advantage.

About your host

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Alex Smith

Alex Smith is a seasoned sales professional and podcast host who champions a human-first approach to selling. With nearly two decades of experience, he explores how empathy, curiosity, and genuine connection drive influence in everyday life. Through his podcast, he highlights stories from people across all professions, showing that anyone can persuade and create impact simply by being human.