Stop Selling, Start Sorting

Odette

Alright, we’re back for another episode of the Bad Coffee Podcasts—Odette here, and of course, my partner in caffeine and business wisdom, Beatrix. You know, I was thinking earlier—since our last chat about sharing up to fifty percent of your revenue, today’s topic feels a wee bit more personal. It’s got a sort of, I dunno, gritty business truth to it. Bryan, our producer—if you’ve joined us before, you’ll know he pops up from the sidelines now and then—he handed us a real corker this time. Something only, as he said, “the teachable will get.”

Beatrix

He did, didn’t he? And I love this—he’s called it, rather cheekily, the “Mouth Spray Lesson.” Now, before you roll your eyes, stay with us! It’s not about dental hygiene or freshening your breath before a date, right? Instead, it’s a bit of business wisdom. He noticed at Amway conventions how folks would reach for the mouth spray before they started chatting someone up, thinking that looking the part was half the battle. But what if that’s all backwards?

Odette

Exactly! The point is—so many of us cling to these little rituals, like mouth spray, thinking they’ll magically make us successful. But Bryan flips that on its head. He reckons—don’t bother with selling at all. I love this, absolutely love it. Instead of selling, sort your clients. Honestly, it took me ages and a heap of awkward sales calls to work that one out myself.

Beatrix

Oh, absolutely. I mean, how many times have we all tried to “sell,” only to sound desperate? They can hear it—even down a dodgy Zoom line. Bryan’s trick is this: take the product away instead. Try it! Suddenly, people are far keener. It’s a mentality shift—no more begging. If anything, you’re sorting, not selling—figuring out which clients are the ones for you, and which ones, honestly, just aren’t.

Odette

It reminds me of that odd phrase: “Just because someone can fog a mirror doesn’t make them your customer.” Sorry, Beatrix, that one made me snort-laugh earlier—what even does it mean?

Beatrix

It’s perfect! It just means—don’t chase everyone. Not everyone’s meant to be part of your tribe, or your customer list. I mean, we’ve talked a lot about cultivating the right environments for growth—like last time, with the acorn and oak tree. This is the same sort of thing in business: nourish the right connections, not every possible one that crosses your path.

Odette

Honestly, sorting clients, sorting people—it just frees up your energy. And you don’t end up resenting your business or burning out. Which…happens. It does.

Beatrix

It really, really does. It’s almost counterintuitive, right? Like, we think the more we push, the more we get. But if you’re constantly “performing,” it’s exhausting—for you, and for them. Bryan always says, “Stop looking the part and start being the part.” Feels like that needs cross-stitching onto a pillow, Odette.

Odette

Aye, it’s a bit like that. Lots of people, especially if you’re just getting started, feel like you’ve got to beg for every single sale, or every job. People can sense neediness—even in an email.

Beatrix

Exactly! It’s like we’re all in the queue for the school disco again, desperate to fit in. Which is mad, because, as Bryan put it, we’re not in high school anymore. Stop trying to “fit in,” start “fitting out.” It’s so much easier to be yourself and, truly, so much better for business.

Odette

Couldn’t agree more. In fact, when you’re not real, it’s exhausting keeping up the act, and it’s dead obvious to the people around you. To be honest, it’s the biggest relief just to drop it all. Bryan touched on this after, well—you’ll remember, Beatrix, he shared a bit about his health, didn’t he?

Beatrix

He did. He opened up about his cancers—which, I mean, puts things in perspective rather quickly, doesn’t it? He said that was when he really decided to start spending less time with the “mouth spray shallowness” types and more with the real people. The ones who can actually be present with him. And that, more than anything, is the core lesson here. This is about living your truth, building with the folks who “get” you—and leaving the rest behind, because life’s just too short.

Odette

Yes, and that’s true in every bit of business and life, not just dramatic moments. If you can’t be yourself—genuinely—around your network, your “circle,” what are you even building? Find new people. Honestly, that’s wealth—right there.

Beatrix

It is. And it circles us right back to the message at the heart of this episode. Don’t be out there pretending to be someone you’re not—whether you’re starting something new or, like Bryan, have seen it all. Fitting out is the new fitting in, Odette. Whispering—I wonder where Bryan gets all these zingers?

Odette

Whispering back—life experience! Fifty-five years, and a fair few coffee stains, I reckon.

Beatrix

And that’s it for this round, everyone. Thanks for spending some of your precious time with us today. We did promise practical, and a wee bit challenging, and—well, mission accomplished, I’d say.

Odette

Absolutely. And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, stay tuned—we’ll be rolling straight into a three-part series that picks up from our FX Millionaire episodes. There’s so much more to come. But for now, I’m off to sip something stronger than mouth spray. Beatrix?

Beatrix

Definitely ready for another cuppa. Until next time, Odette—thanks for the conversation. And to you listening—take care, and keep “sorting,” not selling.

Odette

See you soon, Beatrix. And goodbye to everyone—don’t forget to check us out at talkinstartups.wixsite.com/moneysafemillionaire if you’re keen to dive deeper into all things wealth. Cheers!