RETAIL OUT OF IT
What changes when we stop assuming we understand—and start getting curious?
We communicate every day. But how often do we really understand the person in front of us?
Retail Out Of It explores the assumptions we make, the conclusions we jump to, how we communicate and listen, and what can change when we're willing to challenge what we think we already know.
Through real experiences in sales, leadership, relationships, and everyday life, Michael Pozun explores the power of curiosity, better questions, active listening, and understanding before influence.
Because sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the other person. It's what we've already decided about them.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
★★★★★
“If I were managing a sales team or teaching a course on social influence, it would be required reading.”
— Dr. R. Smith
Social Psychology Professor-Retired★★★★★
“THIS BOOK IS SOOOO GOOD! I HAD TO FORCE MYSELF TO PUT IT DOWN... BUT CAME RIGHT BACK TO IT WHEN WE GOT HOME.”
— Stephanie Totten
SVP, Enterprise PMO & Innovation★★★★★
“I’m really liking the book, how it flows, how it connects, and what it delivers.”
— Shawn Ankrom
JournalistAWARD-WINNING BUSINESS BOOK
2026 Winner — Best Business Book Booky
Retail Out Of It started as a book about sales. It became something much bigger.
It’s about how we communicate, how we listen, the assumptions we make, the conclusions we jump to, and what happens when we become curious enough to question what we think we already know.
Because whether it’s sales, leadership, relationships, coaching, parenting, or everyday life, the challenge is often the same:
We want to be understood before we’ve taken the time to understand.
THIS ISN’T JUST A SALES BOOK
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE WITH YOU
THINK DIFFERENTLY
Challenge assumptions, question your first conclusions, and become more open to what you might be missing.
LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND
Move beyond waiting for your turn to respond and become genuinely interested in what the other person is trying to tell you.
UNDERSTAND BEFORE YOU INFLUENCE
Build trust and understand what matters to someone before trying to change their mind or guide a decision.
COMMUNICATE BETTER
Say what matters clearly, listen to understand, and create conversations that lead somewhere.
CHOOSE CURIOSITY
Replace certainty with better questions and discover what’s actually happening before deciding what it means.
CREATE MORE POSSIBILITIES
Change the conversation by challenging what you think you know—and open the door to outcomes you may not have considered.
WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK
After more than twenty years of leading, selling, coaching, succeeding, failing, and learning from the people around me, I kept noticing the same patterns.
We assume. We jump to conclusions. We listen to respond instead of understand. We become certain about what someone else is thinking without ever asking them. And sometimes, the biggest thing standing in the way of a better outcome is what we’ve already decided to be true.
I wrote Retail Out Of It because I wanted to share what those experiences taught me—not as a formula or a set of rules, but as ideas that might cause someone to stop, question what they think they know, and approach a conversation or situation differently.
These lessons show up everywhere: in leadership, relationships, coaching, parenting, difficult conversations, sales, and everyday interactions with other people.
I also wanted the book to do more than share ideas. I wanted it to give back by supporting organizations that make a difference in the lives of others.
If something in these pages causes you to question an assumption, ask a better question, listen a little longer, or think differently about a situation, then writing it was worth it.
GET YOUR COPY
Choose how you want to read—or listen.
EVERY PRINT COPY GIVES BACK
For every paperback and hardcover sold through Amazon, $3 is donated—$1 to each of three organizations making a difference:
Alzheimer’s Association
Supporting care, research, and the fight against Alzheimer’s.
C5 Texas Youth Foundation
Helping young people develop the skills, confidence, and education to reach their potential.
ASPCA
Helping protect animals and improve their lives.
Because every dollar can make a difference.