The Role of Empathy in Leadership with Glenn Poulos

Empathy in sales leadership is often treated as a trade-off against hitting the number, and Glenn Poulos has spent four decades showing otherwise. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Glenn, co-founder of Gap Wireless and author of Never Sit in the Lobby, built from lessons he has collected since starting in sales in 1985.

In this episode we explore:

• Why being a pleasure to do business with is a strategy, not a slogan

• How deep customer understanding turns empathy into sales results

• How to combine care and high standards without lowering the bar

• Why freedom begins with no, in negotiation and beyond

• How one office layout change removed a barrier between leader and team

• The difference between sympathy, empathy, and compassion

Glenn’s philosophy is simple: always be a pleasure to do business with. He is “very attuned to how people feel, how I make them feel,” and sees a lost deal or an equipment breakdown as the biggest chance to earn that reputation.

On balancing care with quotas, Glenn is direct: the more empathy a salesperson practices, the better they understand the customer and position a product. For managers, truth is honesty plus kindness, and effort behind a hard-won deal deserves as much praise as the bluebird order that flew in the door.

His golden rule, freedom begins with no, shows up at the negotiating table. When procurement asks for another 3% at the finish line, a clear, reasoned no puts the decision back with the customer instead of sending the salesperson back to the office with more work.

At Gap Wireless, Glenn kept his door open to everyone from the warehouse to finance and moved the visitor chair beside him so people saw what he saw. His advice to younger professionals: every impression is a first impression.

Understanding people before asking anything of them is the same idea behind Building Love Into Scalable Systems, the B.L.I.S.S. philosophy of Zero Company, which brings you this show.

Key Takeaways

• (2:38) On his core philosophy: “I have this sort of philosophy of always wanting to be a pleasure to do business with.”

• (9:46) On why empathy drives sales results: “the more empathy you can practice, the better you obviously understand what’s going on with the customer.”

• (12:15) On care and standards: “You’re combining empathy with accountability, and you support the people without lowering the bar, right? You’re challenging them because you care.”

• (15:02) On his golden rule, freedom begins with no: “all your problems start in life when you say yes to something.”

• (22:36) On moving the chairs beside his desk: “I found that it broke down the barriers and it allowed a level of closeness and that you couldn’t otherwise get.”

• (35:53) On what empathy really asks of you: “stop everything that you’re doing and climb into that person’s shoes.”

FAQ

What does empathy in sales leadership look like?
Glenn Poulos, co-founder of Gap Wireless, says it starts with understanding a customer’s business at its deepest level and pairs care with high standards, combining empathy with accountability and supporting people without lowering the bar.

What does Glenn Poulos mean by freedom begins with no?
Glenn Poulos, author of Never Sit in the Lobby, says most problems start when you say yes. In sales, a clear, reasoned no to a last-minute discount request puts the decision back with the customer instead of creating more work for the salesperson.

How can leaders make empathy part of daily operations?
At Gap Wireless, Glenn Poulos kept his door open to every employee and moved the visitor chair beside his desk so people could see his screens, removing a physical barrier and creating a closeness he says he could not get otherwise.

For Glenn Poulos, empathy in sales leadership is what earns a leader the right to hold a high bar. Learn more about Glenn Poulos and his book at glennpoulos.com, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch the video, or explore more Featured Guest Series conversations.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa