The Sales Pulse with Marla M. Koupal
In a noisy world of scripts, funnels, and persuasion tactics, one sales coach invites you to slow down, tune in, and sell with clarity.
Marla M. Koupal, The Sales Conversation Architect™, is a 50-year sales veteran who curates Selling Common Sense and teaches the 4 C’s of Sales Success—Competence, Confidence, Consistency, and yes, Common Sense. She helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs drop the gimmicks and revive the lost art of conversation…where calm presence, smart questions, and emotional timing lead the way.
This isn’t sales theater. It’s sales fluency.
On The Sales Pulse, you’ll learn how to match a buyer’s pace, listen between the lines, and guide them toward decisions with confidence—not coercion. Because when you sell with fluency, there’s no need to pitch or pressure.
This is where clarity replaces persuasion and trust becomes the currency of every deal.
If you’re ready to sell in a way that finally feels right—for you and for the buyer—join Marla each week for fresh insights, bold truths, and practical tools that deliver results without compromise.
Bold sales, one clear, curious conversation at a time.
The Sales Pulse with Marla M. Koupal
Defensive Selling Part 2: The Hidden Cost of Trying Too Hard
Welcome back to The Sales Pulse Podcast, where selling isn’t about scripts — it’s about fluent, human conversation.
In this episode, we dive deeper into defensive selling — the subtle habits that feel “helpful” to the seller but shut down buyer curiosity. This is part two of our mattress-store story, and today we break down why defensiveness shows up, what triggers it, and how to pivot before the sale collapses.
You’ll learn:
• The emotional triggers behind defensiveness (and how to catch them early)
• Why buyers’ questions are rarely rejection — and what they really mean
• The three defensive personas: The Over-Explainer, The Prover, and The Rescuer
• What to say instead so you guide the conversation without pressure
• How silence, pacing, and permission restore connection
• How to ask clarifying questions that shift the energy instantly
• How to recover the moment you feel yourself explaining, proving, or “saving” the sale
If you’ve ever felt that moment where your pulse jumps, your voice tightens, or you suddenly start selling harder… this episode will help you breathe, reset, and reconnect.
Your challenge this week: catch yourself once when you feel defensive, pause, and ask one open-ended question. Watch what opens up.
Real conversations. No pressure.
Bold Sales — One Clear, Curious Conversation at a Time.
#salesfluency #defensiveselling #softselling #salescoach #salescommunication #buyerspace #salesconversation #curiositydrivenselling #listeninginsales #salestrainingtips
Welcome to The Sales Pulse Podcast, where selling isn’t a performance,,,it’s a conversation. I’m Marla Koupal, your Sales Fluency Guide. After decades in sales, here’s the truth: the close isn’t where the sale happens—it’s where the buyer lands after a strong beginning. We’ll focus more on how you open the conversation and connect with how your buyer thinks so that closing never feels like a wrestling match.
🔁 Key takeaways: buyer pacing styles, real-life sales stumbles, and how timing builds trust.
💛 Love the podcast? Support it for just $3/month: [Insert Your Buzzsprout Support Link]
📲 Connect: https://successwithmarla.com | https://www.facebook.com/marla.koupal | https://www.linkedin.com/in/marla-m-koupal-sales-and-ai-fluency-skills-facilitator-125372126/
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