The moment I knew sales wasn’t about persuasion

I was fourteen when I first saw what real salesmanship looked like. Not the slick, fast-talking, pressure-laden nonsense Hollywood likes to glamorize. 

But the kind that’s rooted in service, trust, and doing the right thing—even when it costs you a commission.

My dad sold dynamite for DuPont. Literal explosives. He was good at it, too. One of his customers, Ted Zolley, lived right across the street. One day, Ted came to my dad wanting to buy a load of dynamite for a job he had lined up.

But Dad said no.

He told Ted, “That’s not the right tool for the job. It’s not safe. You’re better off using a non-detonating option—and I’ll go with you to help you find the right solution.”

That moment changed everything for me.

My dad walked away from a sale to protect a friend and do the right thing. That’s when I realized: real sales isn’t about persuasion. It’s about integrity. It’s about putting the customer’s needs first, always.

It’s also when I began to understand how much the world misunderstands sales. 

Ask anyone what comes to mind when they hear the word “salesperson” and you’ll get a slurry of S-words: slick, sleazy, self-centered, scoundrel.

But the truth? Sales is the highest-paid profession in the world. And it’s the only one that requires zero certification, training, or licensure. It’s the engine that powers every economy—but most people still treat it like a dirty word.

That’s why I created White Knight Selling. To flip the script on what it means to sell. To train salespeople not to pitch, but to guide. Not to persuade, but to help others discover. To lead with intent and expertise.

We define trust as intent + expertise. My dad had both. His intent was customer-first. That’s how it should be.


At White Knight Selling, we’ve found that the highest-performing sales teams are the ones built on trust. Integrity, not persuasion, is their edge.

If you’re a sales executive wondering why your team isn’t quite hitting the mark, download our free report: “Five Frictions Killing Your Sales Team.”

It’s direct, practical, and eye-opening. You’ll walk away seeing exactly what’s holding your team back—and what to do about it.