Selling Without Scripts, Pressure, or Manipulation

Did you know the idea of closing might be the single worst thing to ever happen to sales? In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Steve Heroux, founder of The Sales Collective, author of The Sales Contrarian, and former #1 Cutco salesperson in the country, to dismantle everything you thought you knew about selling.

Steve’s journey started exactly where you might expect. He was a quiet kid who didn’t speak for the first 17 years of his life, needed to buy $1,600 worth of textbooks, and took the only job that would hire him, selling knives door to door. What happened next defied every sales script, every closing technique, and every “proven methodology” his training threw at him.

With raw honesty and zero filter, think Larry David in the sales world, Steve explains why the desperate need to be liked is killing your deals, why assessments matter more than tactics, and how he went from ripping up his training script on his first demo to becoming the national sales leader, all by treating people like humans.

You’ll also hear about his Million Veteran Mission, why Bob Ross is a better sales teacher than any guru, and the one mindset shift that separates the top 14% of performers from everyone else.

If you’ve ever felt icky about sales, struggled with pricing conversations, or wondered why the “proven techniques” don’t feel right, this conversation is your permission slip to do it differently.

Key Takeaways

1. Why “closing” is unnecessary when selling is done well
2. How detachment from outcomes improves trust and results
3. The real reason most sales scripts fail
4. Why the need to be liked is one of the biggest sales blockers
5. How authenticity outperforms pressure and persuasion
6. Why sales training without self-awareness doesn’t work
7. The difference between selling hope and creating change
8. Why mastery in sales is a long-term practice, not a quick fix

In This Episode:

[00:00] Why “closing” is the worst thing in sales

[00:46] Meet Steve Heroux

[02:46] What "Sell by Being Human" means to Steve

[04:53] Steve’s view of success in sales then vs now

[08:11] The first demo that changed everything

[09:28] Why Steve ripped up the script and never looked back

[11:45] Simple themes: Authenticity, detachment, and loving what you sell

[13:22] Shohei Ohtani and the power of process over outcomes

[15:22] Teachers who shaped Steve's approach

[16:09] What Bob Ross teaches us about sales

[18:54] Sales Collective Today

[19:34] Always Be Connecting: The new ABCs

[20:14] Why frameworks fail without mindset

[21:08] Discovering Sales DNA and the will to sell

[23:06] The will to sell and the need to be liked

[27:35] Fear of Failure Is Really Fear of Judgment (Daniel Pink Story)

[30:33] The "hope dealers" and why quick fixes don't work

[33:56] Why Steve doesn't prospect (and what he does instead)

[34:57] The Million Veteran Mission

[37:29] Legacy, impact, and what really matters

[39:08] Why human-centered sales training is rare

[43:17] Steve's Larry David moments

[45:05] Where to find Steve

Notable Quotes

1. [00:00] “The single worst thing to ever happen to humanity is closing.” — Steve
2. [03:08] “ There's a reason, right, that salespeople are hated. There's a reason that salespeople don't even want to call themselves what their vocation is.”— Steve
3. [04:01] ”The three least trusted professions on the planet: Salesperson, Politician, Attorney.— Steve
4. [07:39] ”Success to me was like someone actually another human talking to me.”— Steve
5. [09:06] “If you do a good job, people will ask you what the next step is.” — Steve
6. [12:23] “You have to detach from outcomes or you’ll never be satisfied.” — Steve
7. [16:05] “ It's not what you teach, it's how you teach.” — Steve
8. [17:52] “There are no bad students, only bad teachers.” — Steve
9. [23:16] “The need to be liked will destroy your ability to sell.” — Steve
10. [27:10] ” The second you stop giving a crap what strangers think about you, that's when you'll start to live.”— Steve

Our Guest

Steve Heroux is the founder of The Sales Collective, author of The Sales Contrarian, and a sales leader who spent 14 years at Aflac after starting his career as the #1 Cutco salesperson in the country. He's on a mission to elevate the sales profession through authenticity, human connection, and evidence-based assessment. His Million Veteran Mission aims to train one million veterans in sales for free.

Resources and Links

Sell by Being Human

1. Link

Steve Heroux

1. The Sales Collective
2. LinkedIn
3. Million Veteran Mission
4. Book: The Sales Contrarian

Alex Smith

1. Website
2. LinkedIn