Prospecting hasn’t gotten easier—but it has gotten more human.

In this episode of the My Sales Day podcast, Michael Hess welcomes back Susan Unger, a career prospector who quite literally does this work for a living. Susan is a senior “door opener” at Kopp Consulting, where her sole focus is securing first meetings with C-level decision makers when no prior relationship exists. If anyone understands the emotional grind of cold outreach in today’s market, it’s Susan.

Recorded in mid-January—peak prospecting season—this conversation tackles why so many sellers avoid prospecting, what’s changed post-COVID, and how being prepared actually gives you permission to be more spontaneous, human, and effective. Susan breaks down how phone, email, and voicemail work together to tell a story over time, why vulnerability disarms resistance, and how small shifts—like asking permission or slowing down your delivery—can dramatically improve results.

You’ll also hear why improv classes can sharpen selling skills, how listening to your own recorded calls accelerates growth, and why attitude, energy, and consistency matter more than clever scripts. This is a practical, confidence-building episode for sellers who want to stop dreading prospecting and start owning it.

Featuring: Susan Unger
Host: Michael Hess, My Sales Day

Timestamps

00:01 Welcome back + why this episode matters right now
01:08 Why prospecting feels harder in today’s market
02:32 Kopp Consulting explained: pure cold outreach and “door opening”
03:14 Cold calling C-level execs with no prior relationship
04:36 What changed after COVID—and why clients are more open now
06:23 How Susan hands meetings off and secures the next meeting
08:13 Why locking the follow-up meeting before ending the call matters
09:26 Why sellers avoid prospecting (even when they know better)
10:03 Preparation as the gateway to confidence and authenticity
11:38 Being human on cold calls: vulnerability that works
14:23 Breaking the ice and buying time with empathy
16:03 You can think on your feet—practice makes it natural
18:27 Why improv training improves sales conversations
20:29 Authenticity, self-deprecation, and knowing your limits
24:07 “Show up prepared, then allow your personality”
27:24 Listening to your own calls: self-evaluation that pays off
30:12 Asking permission on cold calls—and why it works
33:31 Gamifying prospecting to beat resistance
36:22 Burst prospecting and building daily momentum
37:55 Why email + voicemail still create impressions
39:22 How managers can coach prospecting through real examples
42:20 Referral-based prospecting: the habit sellers forget
45:39 Motivation, mindset, and confidence rituals that stick
49:14 Quieting the inner voice and just starting
50:11 Final takeaway: better habits, better selling

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