What does it take to succeed in modern sales? According to National Sales Conference partner Jennifer Morgan, it’s all about empathy, active listening, and genuine connection. Here, we speak to Jennifer about her new book and how her journey from Wall Street executive to published author has emphasised her belief in people over profit
For many sales professionals, the aggressive, high-pressure tactics of the past are just that – in the past.
Today, success is much more about building genuine connections and trust. This is the philosophy of Jennifer Morgan, a former JP Morgan executive and a valued friend of the National Sales Conference, who has just launched her debut book, Hearts, Minds & Wallets, also dubbed as The Thin Book That Closes Gigantic Deals. The book is designed as a practical guide to transforming business relationships through genuine communication.
Jennifer’s connection to the National Sales Conference runs deep. Most recently, she was a Master of Ceremonies and delivered a keynote talk on ‘Macro Leadership’, at the London event in July. This is a subject that resonates with the core principles in her new book. Her session focused on practical skills for today’s leader, such as emotional contagion and empathy in practice; active listening; and critical thinking
These themes are embedded in her new book, which she was inspired to write after a decade in corporate finance.
The Book That Almost Wasn’t
The idea for the book came from an unlikely conversation at a dinner table in July 2023 with her 81-year-old neighbour, Maggie.
“Maggie said, ‘You need to write a book. People need to take your thoughts home with them,'” Morgan recalls. Her initial reaction was one of hesitation. “I told her, ‘Maggie, I don’t really want to write a book. I’m trying to build a business.'”
But Maggie, a former marketing guru who had worked with the Pentagon and FBI, saw something more. She became Morgan’s book coach, guiding her through an eight-month process. “She said, ‘Jennifer, you have created tools and templates based on neuroscience, psychology and experience with tens of thousands of people. You know what works and you know what doesn’t,'” Morgan explains.
A Toolkit of Science and Story
What emerged is a book structured unlike typical business guides. Each chapter follows a unique format: first presenting a practical tool or template, then illustrating it with a personal story from Morgan’s extensive sales and client management experience.
This approach addresses a common challenge in sales training: the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. By pairing each technique with a lived experience, Morgan demonstrates exactly how these tools work in practice. For instance, the book provides a specific template for crafting a “Value Proposition Statement,” followed by an autobiographical story of how Morgan used it to win over a sceptical client.
At its core, Hearts, Minds & Wallets focuses on what Morgan calls “the relational aspect of human communication.” This philosophy runs counter to aggressive sales approaches, instead emphasising genuine connection and mutual value.
“It’s about the greater we versus the greater me,” Morgan explains. “I always believe in thinking about what you can do for other people.”
This mindset shift, from taking to giving, forms the foundation of Morgan’s approach and resonates strongly with attendees at her talks.
The Publishing Journey: Lessons for Entrepreneurs
Morgan’s path to publication offers valuable insights for professionals considering their own thought leadership initiatives. After completing the manuscript, she faced the complex world of publishing options. Her criteria for selecting a publisher were the same she applies to client relationships: “High standard of excellence and client service. Response times are important to me as well.”
One potential publisher suggested expanding the 25,000-word manuscript to 35,000 words to meet “commercial” requirements. Morgan refused, as it would have been inauthentic. “The book is about business communication, brevity, being succinct, and deepening relationships through dialogue,” she says. True to her principles, she chose a smaller hybrid publisher that understood her vision, resulting in what she calls “The Thin Book,” deliberately concise and focused on practical application.
Making an Impact Beyond Profit
Morgan’s values-driven approach is also highlighted in her commitment to donate a portion of hardback profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, New Jersey. With an average wish costing $12,000 to grant, she aims to fund three wishes in the first half of next year. “It’s such a beautiful thing to change the course of memory and create that for a child,” she says.
Key Takeaways for Sales Professionals
Morgan’s journey from a Wall Street executive to a published author offers several lessons for sales professionals:
Authenticity over aggression: The most effective sales approaches prioritise genuine relationship-building over high-pressure tactics.
Document your experience: Your years of client interactions represent valuable intellectual property worth systematising and sharing.
Quality over quantity: Whether in communication or content creation, being concise and impactful often trumps being comprehensive.
The long game: Building a reputation as a trusted adviser can create opportunities that traditional selling cannot.
Hearts, Minds & Wallets is available now, with an audiobook version narrated by Morgan herself. As she explainsL “You have to win over those hearts and minds before you can go into their wallet.”
