mike southon: the salesman who never sold anything

In this Winning Friends podcast episode, Mike Southon, author of 'The Beermat Entrepreneur' explains how to build success by listening, not pitching

In this episode of Winning Friends, Mike distils his ample experience into lessons that show how the oldest truths in business are still the most powerful.

The beermat test

Mike’s most famous idea is also his simplest: if you can’t explain your business on the back of a beermat, you don’t understand it well enough.

The partner every entrepreneur needs

Clarity alone won’t build a company. Mike is adamant that no founder succeeds alone, and that every entrepreneur needs what he calls a “foil.”

Too many entrepreneurs ignore the point. Startups can fail because the idea is bad; but they also fail because founders try to do it alone.

Listening as the real sales superpower

If Mike is a salesman who never sold anything, it’s because he redefined what sales means. For him, it was never about persuasion.

For Mike, sales is empathy, trust, and the ability to keep quiet long enough to hear the answer.

The traits that spark success

Over the years, Mike has met many of the biggest names in business: Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and the people behind Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Features and business models change. But the traits that spark success – clarity, resilience, honesty, and the ability to listen – remain constant.

Watch the full episode of Winning Friends featuring Mike Southon here.