#103: Selling in the Age of AI: Trust, Value & Modern Sales w/ Tony Hughes
Thu Jan 29 2026
Great selling isn’t about pushing product — it’s about reframing conversations, building trust, and creating real value.
In this episode of The Rural Sales Show, St John Craner sits down with Tony Hughes, one of the most respected voices in modern sales, to unpack what selling looks like in a world being reshaped by technology, changing buyer expectations, and AI.
With decades of experience at the sharp end of sales and sales leadership, Tony shares why the best salespeople focus less on what they sell and more on how they help customers think differently. Together, they explore the power of reframing conversations, earning trust, and understanding what genuinely matters to buyers — not just what’s on the product sheet.
This conversation also tackles the evolving role of sales managers and why continuous learning is no longer optional for anyone serious about staying relevant.
You’ll learn:
Why value creation matters more than product knowledgeHow reframing conversations changes buying outcomesThe role trust plays in modern, consultative sellingHow AI is influencing the future of sales — and where humans still winWhy great sales managers are critical to team performanceThe importance of continuous learning in a fast-changing marketHow to adapt your sales approach without losing authenticityWhat high-performing sales professionals do differently todayTony and St John unpack what it really takes to sell effectively in today’s environment — blending timeless sales fundamentals with modern thinking on technology, leadership, and customer-centric selling.
🎧 Listen now to discover how reframing your sales conversations, sharpening your thinking, and embracing change can help you sell smarter — now and into the future.
📌 Resources:
Learn more about Tony Hughes' works and his book Sentient.Connect with Tony Hughes on LinkedIn+++
Grab your copy of my new book "365 Rules to Master Rural Sales" from Amazon here.
Want to make more rural sales? Get your FREE copy of “How To Succeed In Rural Sales” Ebook here.
Connect with or Follow me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my weekly rural sales email (which goes out to 3500+ rural sales professionals worldwide) here.
To join our private Facebook Group where we share a ton of free rural sales and lead generation tools almost daily join here.
For details on our training programmes you can check out what we do for sales teams with our Rural Sales Success™ programme here or for managers with our Rural Sales Manager Mastery™ programme here.
For more on us, what we do and who we work with: www.ruralsalessuccess.com / www.agrarian.co.nz
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Great selling isn’t about pushing product — it’s about reframing conversations, building trust, and creating real value. In this episode of The Rural Sales Show, St John Craner sits down with Tony Hughes, one of the most respected voices in modern sales, to unpack what selling looks like in a world being reshaped by technology, changing buyer expectations, and AI. With decades of experience at the sharp end of sales and sales leadership, Tony shares why the best salespeople focus less on what they sell and more on how they help customers think differently. Together, they explore the power of reframing conversations, earning trust, and understanding what genuinely matters to buyers — not just what’s on the product sheet. This conversation also tackles the evolving role of sales managers and why continuous learning is no longer optional for anyone serious about staying relevant. You’ll learn: Why value creation matters more than product knowledgeHow reframing conversations changes buying outcomesThe role trust plays in modern, consultative sellingHow AI is influencing the future of sales — and where humans still winWhy great sales managers are critical to team performanceThe importance of continuous learning in a fast-changing marketHow to adapt your sales approach without losing authenticityWhat high-performing sales professionals do differently todayTony and St John unpack what it really takes to sell effectively in today’s environment — blending timeless sales fundamentals with modern thinking on technology, leadership, and customer-centric selling. 🎧 Listen now to discover how reframing your sales conversations, sharpening your thinking, and embracing change can help you sell smarter — now and into the future. 📌 Resources: Learn more about Tony Hughes' works and his book Sentient.Connect with Tony Hughes on LinkedIn+++ Grab your copy of my new book "365 Rules to Master Rural Sales" from Amazon here. Want to make more rural sales? Get your FREE copy of “How To Succeed In Rural Sales” Ebook here. Connect with or Follow me on LinkedIn. Subscribe to my weekly rural sales email (which goes out to 3500+ rural sales professionals worldwide) here. To join our private Facebook Group where we share a ton of free rural sales and lead generation tools almost daily join here. For details on our training programmes you can check out what we do for sales teams with our Rural Sales Success™ programme here or for managers with our Rural Sales Manager Mastery™ programme here. For more on us, what we do and who we work with: www.ruralsalessuccess.com / www.agrarian.co.nz