The Problem With Sales Is Selling

In this episode of The Expert Method, Ian sits down with St John Craner to unpack a simple but counterintuitive idea: the problem with sales is selling.St John argues that the harder you push, the more buyers pull away. Instead of trying to force the close, he explains why great salespeople focus on helping people make good decisions, creating safety in the conversation, and asking better questions that open the real problem.Throughout the conversation, he breaks down what it means to serve instead of sell, how to use non-assumptive language, why most objection handling is really a question problem, and how curiosity changes the entire sales dynamic.Ian and St John also explore the deeper principles behind long-term sales success, including buyer psychology, lead generation, niche positioning, confidence, consistency, and why specialists win faster than generalists. This is a practical conversation for anyone who sells services, leads sales conversations, or wants to build trust without sounding like every other salesperson online.===============St John’s Links:- Website: https://ruralsalessuccess.com/- LinkedIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/stjohncraner- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/285326399207141/===============Download the Program Execution System Toolkit:https://implementgpts.com/pestoolkit===============- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-gatzke/- Schedule Free Blueprinting Call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/implement-ai-blueprinting===============Highlights:0:00 Episode Highlight0:31 Stop Selling, Start Serving2:03 The More You Sell, the Less You Sell4:22 Selling Is Really About Deciding5:20 Don’t Assume the Sale6:09 Open Before You Close7:27 Ask Better Opening Questions8:13 Disarm the Buyer10:17 Make the Buyer Feel Safe11:46 Sell Slow to Sell Fast14:05 Break the Buyer’s Pattern17:51 Confidence Comes From Hard Things18:29 Keep Promises to Yourself20:35 Lead Flow Creates Confidence22:39 More Leads, Less Desperation25:21 Build Multiple Lead Channels27:46 Your List Is Your Lifeline28:28 Why Niching Down Wins31:49 Specificity Sells37:15 Prevent Objections Early38:03 Objections Are Questions39:30 Curiosity Is the Best Tone41:22 Stop Selling, Be Consistent41:39 Episode Takeaway