Episode 142 | How to Make More Sales by Thinking Like Sherlock

What does Sherlock Holmes have to do with sales? Everything—if you want to truly connect with your customers and outsell your competition.

In this special replay from The Boss Lady in Sweatpants Show with Allison Scholes, I (Kay Miller, aka Muffler Mama) share the Uncopyable sales strategies that helped me become the #1 salesperson in a male-dominated industry. We explore how thinking like Sherlock—listening for clues, paying attention to details, and asking the right questions—can give you a serious edge in any sales conversation.

We cover:

• How to uncover what your customer really wants (and why it’s rarely about the product)
• The power of asking “Tell me more…” to build instant trust
• Why transformation—not features—sells
• How to make your personal brand Uncopyable and unforgettable

I also share the story behind my nickname Muffler Mama—and how installing a muffler helped me break through barriers and win respect.

Whether you’re selling online, offline, or just getting started, this episode is packed with practical ways to stand out in a noisy world.

📕 Grab Uncopyable Sales Secrets on Amazon
📩 Learn more: uncopyablesales.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: @MillerKay

Check out Kay's Uncopyable Sales Secrets Video Series: https://www.beuncopyable.com/sales-course

Want to be more successful, make more sales and grow your business? If so, you'll love this podcast. In this show, I (Kay Miller, aka "Muffler Mama," interview superstar business women from all industries. Their experience and advice will give you specific tools you can use to crush your goals like those grapes in my favorite "I love Lucy" episode. I earned the nickname “Muffler Mama" when sold more automotive mufflers than anyone in the world. Besides being a #1 Salesperson, I've been a successful entrepreneur for over 30 years. During that time, I (along with my husband, Steve) have generated 8 figures in revenue for our business. Besides hosting this podcast, I'm an author, speaker, coach, consultant and most importantly....Kelly's mom.

Order my Products!

Uncopyable Sales Secrets (Book by Kay Miller)

Uncopyable You (Book co-authored with Steve Miller)

Sign up for The Uncopyable Sales Secrets Video Series (Video Series by Kay Miller)

Contact:
kay@beuncopyable.com...

Transcript

00:00:00

Welcome to Uncopyable Women in Business. I'm Kay Miller, also known as Muffler Mama. What does Sherlock Holmes have to do with sales? Well, actually, everything, if you want to uncover new sales opportunities and close more deals.

00:00:17

In this replay from the Boss Lady in Sweatpants show with Alison Scholz, I tell you how thinking like Sherlock helped me become a top salesperson and how it can give you the edge too.

00:00:33

Welcome to the Boss Lady in Sweatpants show. I'm your host, Alison Scholz, and I'm on a mission to help female entrepreneurs like you ditch the overwhelm and comparison and teach you how to create less but better content with ease and build an extraordinary brand of business, but do it in a way that is aligned with your soul and makes you crazy happy with your life.

00:00:58

This show is filled with faith-led episodes about content creation, social media marketing, and business growth with the side of coffee and Jesus. If you're ready for some juicy content, then it's time to hand your kiddos those tablets, grab your coffee, whiskey, or wine, and let's dive in.

00:01:18

Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. And I know this is gonna be a very intriguing conversation because we are gonna be talking about how to think like Sherlock Holmes to find out what your customers really want. So that definitely intrigues me. I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. I'm sure people have read books or have watched movies and I think he's a quirky character. So I'm really excited about this. Kay, welcome to the show.

00:01:48

Thank you so much. It's my pleasure to be here. I'm happy that you're here. And before we get into how to think like Sherlock Holmes, will you please share with the listeners who you are and what you do? Yes, I am the author of the new book, Uncopyable Sales Secrets. What is the title? Oh my gosh, it's a tongue twister. How to Create an Unfair Advantage and Outsell Your Competition.

00:02:18

This book came out last May, so less than a year ago, and it's based on my years in outside sales and all kinds of different sales. My husband and I have a company together, and I worked with him for years selling his speaking and his consulting and just selling him. I say I'm his pimp.

00:02:38

And I've even done a little bit of network marketing, so all kinds of sales. And I wrote this book based on this uncopyable philosophy that my husband and I have developed over the years of being different and unique. And the brass ring is, of course, to be uncopyable, so unique and different that you're uncopyable.

00:02:58

So that is my book. I now speak and consult to help others be more successful in sales. But yes, I do have, especially, one of the reasons I got the book deal is that I started after college in outside sales in a male-dominated industry. I was the first woman ever hired, and the first company I worked with was a hardware company, Builders Hardware for Cabinetry. So I was calling on hardware stores and lumber yards and builders,

00:03:26

And I was very successful. From there, I went to work for an equally glamorous company. I was selling automotive exhaust products, bufflers and catalytic converters. And I wasn't the only woman in that position, but I was one of just a few. And I went on to be the number one salesperson. So with that cred, that's part of why this book

00:03:53

publisher was so interested in me because I did compete in a really non-traditional industry and found a way to succeed. And that's what, you know, I know you want me to share with your listeners. So I'm loving to have you along for the ride. That's amazing. And I know you were talking about the industry, a male dominated industry, and you also earned the nickname Muffler Mama. So I want to know a little more about this. Like where did that nickname come from?

00:04:23

The nickname came from a story when I was early in my career with Walker. That was the name of the company. I obviously had a bit of a credibility issue because I was selling through distributors, but they were ultimately selling to muffler shops.

00:04:42

And so I thought the guys were really good to me as customers and my team, but I did have to prove myself. So I got the idea to go to one of the muffler shops and ask them if they would show me how to install a muffler system.

00:05:01

Welcome to my lecture.

00:05:19

And how the customer uses the product, not just their use of the product, but what are their daily lives like and what are the challenges, what are the opportunities. So I did go and install this muffler. And I tell the story in the book, so I won't go into all the details, but it was pretty comical because right away, the guy at the muffler shops looked at what I was wearing. He said, okay.

00:05:45

That's not going to fly. You need to go get some deal toe boots. Okay. So, you know, I had, and he said, otherwise you might lose a toe if you drop the muffler on your toe. So that was, like I said, the first part of this whole story where I actually did install a muffler. I never needed to use that skill again, but it gave me so much credibility.

00:06:13

And that story got around and they nicknamed me muffler mama. And I think it was a really cordial nickname. And we all, I have a, I love to laugh. You can't take yourself that seriously. So I, at that time, I didn't really think it through like I do now in sales situations.

00:06:31

Thank you so much for having me.

00:06:57

And I love how you reference too, it's not just about selling your customer something, but it's how they use it. And I think that's a big takeaway for our audience. So whatever you are selling, if it's a product or a service, it's not just about selling it, but how are they using it? And I love that because it just adds that

00:07:18

And I love the title of the book. It has secrets in there, like it's just such a great title. Now, is this book for anyone who wants to make more sales in their business? It's not just for brick and mortar.

00:07:36

Welcome to my lecture.

00:07:55

Welcome to my lecture.

00:08:18

I will give you white glove service. And that customer later said, I didn't buy the company or even the product I bought with this salesperson will do for me, that I won't have to worry about this. She's built trust, she's proven herself, and now I know that she's the one to take care of me. So it really doesn't matter. I know that you're more on the social side, but really, how many times lately have you been just

00:08:47

I love that. But now here's the ultimate question. I really want you to tackle this whole meaning behind think like Sherlock Holmes.

00:09:13

Hey there, just popping in for a quick break to tell you more about that thing I mentioned earlier. It's called the Uncopyable Sales Secrets Video Series. It's a nine-part, bite-sized course I created to help you sell more without feeling pushy or salesy.

00:09:31

In just a few minutes a day, you'll learn how to stand out to new prospects, become a true asset to your current customers, and uncover sales opportunities your competition is totally missing. If you're serious about growing your sales and your business, this will work for you.

00:09:51

Check it out at beuncopyable.com slash sales dash course. And by the way, that link is in the show notes. Now, back to the show. I think one of the biggest mistakes that salespeople make, and I've seen it again and again, I've experienced it, we've all experienced it, salespeople talk too much.

00:10:18

And I can't say that I'm not guilty of that at times either. I am a talker. Podcasts are my jam because I get to talk. But in sales, you have to not only listen, but be tuned in for clues. One of the reasons I always choose a Zoom meeting over

00:10:39

Welcome to my lecture.

00:11:06

Sherlock begins with listening, but it's a great reminder to really pay attention to all of the signals that someone who is offering you and use those to learn how to figure out, hey, here's how I can really help this customer.

00:11:23

I love that. And I think too, we do get into the talking too much. I know I have, but what I'm hearing is to let the customer or the potential customer client do the talking and we need to do a better job of listening for sure. And do you think too...

00:11:46

When we're trying to get the clients or the customers, instead of focusing so much on the product or the service, should we be focusing more on the transformation that the customer will get? Because I think we focus so much on our product because we're so close to it. We're so proud of it. And we just love all the little bits and pieces of it or all the benefits.

00:12:14

But should we be looking at it in a different way? Oh, exactly. You totally nailed it. I have a funny story popped into my mind that one of our clients is selling machinery. And by really asking this owner of this job shop what his goals were, where do you see yourself in five years? How is this going to make your life easier? But it turns out he said, I want to retire and I want to move to Florida.

00:12:44

And spend time on a boat. And this salesperson actually sold him eventually on this new equipment because it would make his business more valuable to sell. And he said, I'm going to help you buy a bigger boat.

00:13:01

It has nothing to do, buying a bigger boat has nothing to do with the efficiency of this machine, but it is, it's the transformation on how will this affect your business? Ultimately, how will this affect your life? And I totally agree.

00:13:17

It's not really for the wrong reasons. I mean, we've all met bad salespeople who want to just shove something down your throat. But I think much more often, it's just like you said, we are in love with our product or service. We believe it. We drank the Kool-Aid and we think everyone should have that. But really, this is just one piece of our prospect, our customer's life. And so the real key is to

00:13:44

Ask those questions. Let them tell open-ended questions. Like I said, where do you see yourself in five years? What will this mean if this doesn't happen? What will this mean if it does happen? Help me understand your life, your business, and what's important to you, because it's definitely much more about the product.

00:14:04

Thank you so much for joining us.

00:14:34

Transform part of their lives or their business. And we can even look at some really big brands that we know. I'm thinking Nike.

00:14:44

If you really think about it, do they talk about the shoes or the coffee? Rarely. They're focused on the customer's feelings and experiences. That is really what they do well. And I think we have to be thinking of that because we're talking about transformations. So if you're gonna do like an email or a social media post or talk about something new that you're doing on LinkedIn,

00:15:12

Instead of being so descriptive of the product or the service, be more descriptive on what the customer is potentially going to feel and what they're going to experience after they have it.

00:15:27

And I love the Starbucks example because holding a cup of Starbucks and drinking that versus holding a cup of coffee from AM, PM are two totally different experiences. Honestly, we drink Starbucks at home, but I don't buy a drip Starbucks because it's too strong for me.

00:15:46

Thanks for your chest. But so the product is secondary really in this case. If you look at the Super Bowl and the Pepsi commercials, whatever that was, definitely Nike. It's all about the brand and the identity and how your customer feels when they use your product or service versus just we get too in the weeds with, yeah, the stuff that really doesn't even matter to the customer. Yeah.

00:16:11

Yes. And I think too, to add on to your think like Sherlock Holmes, I know I'm guilty of this. I'm sure a lot of people are, is we are thinking about like us, right? I have to get this product or service out there. I have to make sales where we have to take the focus off of us, right? And put it on them and make our customers, put them up on a pedestal really.

00:16:37

We have a saying, and I mentioned it in my book, my husband's written books, make your customers rock stars. Their world is so busy and full. We're just one part of their day or their life. But if we can elevate them and give them shout outs in front of other people or, you

00:16:56

Welcome to my lecture.

00:17:11

They've got me.

00:17:28

And I just was doing it because I'd never done it. I thought it would be so interesting. And it was such a great lesson that ties into the Sherlock story because as she was looking at my palm, she was also looking up at my face and in my eyes to see my reaction.

00:17:46

Interesting. Interesting.

00:18:02

I like, wow, this woman, I don't know if she's a master at palm reading, but she's a master at human psychology and studying people and sales. It is, it's about psychology. It's about when you said, when we're listening, not being ready to say the next thing that's on our mind, but to ask them the next question about to follow up on what they said. If you ever tell someone says something and you follow up with a, tell me more question.

00:18:30

That's a great Sherlock question because then they know you really heard them. So that is just a real gem. And especially in this day of we've just survived COVID, we're all online, there's so much disconnect, mental health is horrible, people are lonely. A real meaningful conversation with your prospect or customer might be really important and a game changer for you.

00:18:59

And I love how you brought up like there's a lot out there, social media. Before we end our conversation, do you have any advice for someone to be able to stand out with their sales above all the other white noise that's out there?

00:19:19

I talk about being uncopyable. We do, I do a lot of branding things like I'm wearing orange right now. I don't know if people will be seeing this. The roses I got delivered today are covering this big picture of a moose because we call our ideal target our moose. Thinking of some things that will help people remember you. Like I challenge when I work with a consulting client, I say, what can someone say about you that they can't say about anyone else?

00:19:48

Now, afterwards, you're going to say, oh yeah, Kay Miller, she was the one who wore orange. She's the one who talked about the moose. She talked about rock stars. I feel like people are afraid to go with something and just dig in, even if it's a color or a saying or a phrase. I would also say be authentic, but then everyone says that, be authentic. But I do feel like my book starts out, the first line in my book was that my first sales call was a disaster.

00:20:17

So I'm being real because we've all had these failures and disasters. I think social media, which is also a problem for me personally, it can be a negative for me if I just go down that rabbit hole. So I think being authentic and real and admitting that you're not perfect is one. But also I challenge you to just pick that one thing that you can say, okay, I'm going big on this one particular thing and stick with it.

00:20:47

And I think to follow up with that, we cannot be afraid to repel people. I think that's something big that people try to stay like safe is they are not afraid to repel people.

00:21:03

I'm past that. I'm just like, this is who I am. And you don't like it. You're not for me. Yes. Don't try to be for everybody because then you'll be for nobody. Really? Yeah. You'll find your moose, your tribe who you resonate with and vice versa. Yes. That would be my advice for sure. Awesome. Okay. This was such an amazing conversation. I know it was quick, but it was packed with some great juicy information. So where can the audience learn from you more?

00:21:34

I'm on LinkedIn. My name is Kay Miller. My LinkedIn is Miller Kay. And my website is uncopyablesales.com. And you can buy my book on Amazon. I would love for you to do that. It's been called the most fun sales book you'll ever read. So it's got lots of stories, lots of realness,

00:21:56

It's not a textbook. So those are the ways that you can reach me. Also, you can email me k at uncopyablesales.com. Awesome. I will make sure that all those links are in the show notes. And thanks again for being here. This was a lot of fun. Thank you. I really appreciate it.

00:22:16

Thank you for listening to today's episode. And don't forget, head to bossladyinsweatpants.com to snack some freebies or hang out with me on Instagram at Alison Scholz. I'll see you soon. Thanks for listening to this episode of Uncopyable Women in Business. See you next time. And always remember to be uncopyable.