Hi Leader,
You can feel it when a sale clicks… that invisible spark where connection turns into conviction. The conversation flows, objections fade, and the client’s energy shifts from cautious to confident.
That’s not luck. That’s chemistry.
Every sales conversation activates what my business partner, Dr. Judith Glaser, called “chemical cocktails” in the brain… mixes of hormones and neurotransmitters that either open people up to trust or shut them down with fear.
When your buyer feels connected, the brain releases oxytocin… the bonding chemical.
When they feel inspired, dopamine rises… the feel-good reward that drives action.
But when they feel pressured, cortisol floods in… and that’s when trust collapses and the deal disappears.
I’ve seen that dynamic play out more times than I can count.
And I saw it most powerfully the year I became the first Black woman to lead a private aviation company.
The headlines were everywhere. But what moved people wasn’t the title, it was the emotion behind it. Messages poured in from clients, team members, even competitors… notes of pride, possibility, and belonging.
That’s oxytocin and dopamine in action. Connection and meaning.
That shared energy didn’t just build morale. It built momentum.
Our clients weren’t just buying jets, they were buying into a vision.
That’s when I learned one of the most powerful truths in sales:
Pressure might make people move, but connection makes them rally.
Whether you’re leading a client conversation or an entire sales team, the principle is the same:
People don’t rally behind quotas… they rally behind purpose.
They buy in when they feel seen. They stay in when they feel connected.
And when you learn to create that kind of emotional energy, the chemistry of trust and belief, you stop managing for numbers and start leading for meaning. So how do you do that?
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Your Ally in Leadership to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
