I used to think good copy was about finding the right words.
Pick the right headline. Use the right hook. Plug in the right template. That's what all the gurus sell you on. I bought into it too.
But after talking to Leah, a sales psychologist and copywriter, I realized the words are the last part. The feeling comes first. And if your copy doesn't make you feel something when you read it back, it's not going to move anyone else either.
She broke down exactly how she thinks about sales, AI, and why most founders are buying tools before they're ready for them.
Here's the recap:
Built Different Podcast: Sales Psychology & Copywriting with Leah
In this episode, I sit down with Leah, a sales psychology consultant, copywriter, and former RN turned entrepreneur, to discuss why people really buy, how to use AI without losing your voice, and the hard truths about building a sales pipeline from scratch.
7 Sales Psychology Lessons Every New Founder Needs to Hear
Leah has spent years studying how people make buying decisions. These are the insights that hit hardest from our conversation.
People buy transformation, not transactions. Every customer is trying to get from one place to another. Even when they're avoiding pain, that's a transformation. Frame what you do around where they're going, not what you're selling.
Hyper-fixate on your client, not your competition. Stop worrying about a saturated market. Do the math. Figure out how many units you need to sell. Even marketing only to people in your state, the numbers are way bigger than you think.
Research takes more time than writing. Leah spends the majority of her time on research, not writing. When you have the actual words your clients use to describe their pain, the copy almost writes itself.
AI is the Tin Man. You're the heart. AI can show up strong and get things done fast. But it doesn't have feeling. Work alongside it as a research assistant and idea generator. Then you add the emotion. That's where the real conversion happens.
Use the "How does this make me feel?" test. Read your copy back. If you're sitting there going "huh, okay" with no reaction, your audience will too. Edit until it makes you feel something. All the best stuff comes from the edits.
Pipeline is life. Jeb Blount says it. Leah lives it. If your pipeline isn't full, you're going to have massive dips in revenue. New founders should be spending their entire day on client acquisition. A business never failed because of a missing computer system. They fail because of missing sales.
Stop buying tools before you're ready. That funnel platform, that template pack, that business coach. If you have a cold audience and no pipeline, none of it converts. You have to talk to people first. Introduce yourself. Build relationships. The tools work later.
Final Lesson: Sales isn't about tricks. It's about making people feel seen. Remove the jargon. Speak to their pain. That's how you convert.
Watch the full episode here:
Talk soon,
Q
Curated by Q
Something to read: Ever trick yourself into self-sabotage or limiting beliefs? This book solves that problem.
Something to do: Before you take on a project with someone else, slow dow and ask them “on a scale of 1-10, where you on executing this project in [(x) timeframe].” A polite way to respect your time and prevent disappointment on both sides.
