Selling With Heart: Dyslexia As A Sales Superpower

What if the traits you once hid became the reason you win? We sit down with Satu, a Finnish client partner in a leading media house, to unpack how dyslexic thinking can power a modern sales career—from door‑to‑door grit to orchestrating complex, multi‑channel campaigns. The throughline is human connection: active listening, careful observation, and small signals that build outsized trust.

Satu shares how remembering a client’s favourite pizza or wearing their brand colour to a pitch isn’t a gimmick; it is proof of care. That attention pairs with solid sales craft—tracking activity, aligning with client KPIs, and shaping solutions that make business sense. She opens up about shame and confidence, describing how Finland’s culture has grown more open, and why naming differences at work frees people to use their strengths. The result is sales that feel personal, measurable and resilient.

We also explore the role of AI in media sales. For Satu, AI is a generous sparring partner: it tidies drafts, clarifies ideas and speeds analysis while leaving empathy, context and ethics to the human in the room. Together we look at campaigns across music, festivals, audio and TV, where sound and story create native brand moments. Expect practical takeaways on discovery questions, balancing numbers with nuance, and designing partnerships that fit both brand values and real audience behaviour.

If you’re a seller, marketer or leader curious about how neurodiversity and AI can raise the bar for client relationships, this conversation offers a clear, hopeful playbook. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs the boost, and leave a review to tell us what detail you’ll start using today.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Hi, great. Um welcome to Cloudy with a chance dyslexia. Um if you'd like to initially just introduce yourself, because it's like really good when I have guests on to just say hello, who they are, a little bit about yourself, if that's okay. Satu.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Yes. Hi, and first of all, uh I'm so glad that I am here. So thank you for inviting me here.

Early Sales Roots And Door-To-Door Lessons

SPEAKER_03 0:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Uh I am Satosal from Finland from Helsinki. Uh, and uh I am a salesperson. I am in uh client partner in Sanoma Media, which is quite a big uh media house in Finland. And uh today we are discussing about dyslexia, which is quite uh I have to say it's it isn't really easy to me to speak about this because I have a little bit uh shame of it, but uh like later years now I am quite fine with it. But it I haven't been always like this. But it's really great to hear today to speak about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Oh, you're very brave coming on, and look, you're my first international guest, so it's really excit I'm really excited myself to have you all the way from Finland. So it's it's it's it's really great because and it's to understand those cultural differences. So well, let's go back to the beginning, you know, like where where you started out in in sales, and you were very brave as well. You started very few people choose sort of door-to-door sales, right? Um, so did it choose you um and did you enjoy it back then? Um and and did you or did you come to love it later?

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Uh I have to say, uh I'm that kind of person that I love uh humans and uh what did there I think there's nothing else to where you can be so much with the person like in sales. So when I was young, I loved to sail in door to door. It was fun, of course. It was really uh nervous and I was uh scared and everything, but it was really nice, and you get lots of like uh success feeling that yes, I do it, I was brave enough, so I love it.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Yes, all right, brilliant, brilliant. I mean, look, to me, that's you you're already showing your passion and your energy, right? So um, and that's very, very, very much about um being dyslexic. I think we're very passionate about what we do, and it's like that comes out in in a lot of a lot of people do move into sales because of that, because it is a human connection. What we're really good at is that is that human connection. So um, so you joined um and I'll and please forgive me if I get this wrong, Haga Helza, very first sales professional program, and that must have been really exciting. Sort of it was like um, but as a as somebody who's dyslexic, maybe it was intimidating. I don't know. It'd be interesting to understand how how that that was for you.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

You mean can you say the questions again?

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Yeah, that's fine. Is it Hagarhellas program? Yeah, oh right, that's it. That's it's my it's my ability to say your language rather than the other way around.

Studying Sales And The Power Of Listening

SPEAKER_01 3:23

So Finnish isn't really easy, so I know, but my English isn't so great, but so we are. Yes. Yeah, uh I was in in Havahelia. Uh I have I was there in uh sales professor program. It was the first time, I love it, uh, because uh it was the first time that you can study like uh the sales in in uh kind of school. So I really like it. And in there uh there was a lot of like uh like uh speaking about the active, you have to be really active in in sales, like you have to do meetings, you have to you have to like understand the numbers like meet, you have to have meetings, you have to have offers, and then you get the sales. But of course, uh you have to uh understand in the numbers, not only for what you are doing, like active numbers, but you have to also understand like the customers' numbers, like if there is some uh like goals or metrics or so on, and that was really really good program that you understand the whole thing about in sales, like what you have to do, and what you have to do in when you are meeting the customers, like you have to understand so many things, and the one thing you have to remember you have to always listen to customers because uh if you don't listen then and you are just speaking about your things, nothing really good happens, I think that.

Relationship Details That Win Trust

SPEAKER_02 5:06

I think you're right. I think that the this the skill of listening, and sometimes I find with uh the way our brains work is we pick up on the right things, we can like almost in the moment, um, like go, ah, I see, I see that, and then we can ask that second question that can delve into some other challenges that a customer has. So one of the things that I I hear that you were really good at um with in in that way, is you would remember like your clients' pizzas pizza orders, right? And and that was like like I mean that that's in terms of just knowing that um helped you build the relationship and and translate that into business success for you, right? So so and and and and did that translate to business success by remembering things like that? Did that help?

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Yeah, it helps because I think the life is uh is made of small things. That uh like you have to notice that notice those big uh those small things. My uh favourite movie is Amelie, and uh one of her quotas is uh I see things nobody else catches. And I think I really believe that. And I have always like saying that uh you can uh always surprise, help, or pay attention to other people. In sales, it it uh all small acts really matters. Like if you remember the pizza orders or birthdays or favorite book, chocolate or whatever. The small thing is really big because then you have uh then you really say to your customer that I have listened, I have also listened to what is going on in your business, but I want to listen to small things if you say something to me. And one of the things what is uh also really matter to me is fashion. I love fashion. I have studied a little bit, and uh in my my current job, I will choose my clothes. If if there's some big meeting, I want to put my uh customer's planned colour, or if we have a kickoff, I want to put uh some sport clothes or something like that. So like I want to also uh wear I want to think about that. I want to wear some clothes for this matter to the other people's.

SPEAKER_02 7:44

Yeah, that that that that's really so you align to their way of thinking and you you're you you mirror the way they are. So I like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

And they they always notice some notice that so like like like this week I had a big meeting with my customer and I uh put uh her brand colour dress, and of course, when I come to meeting they notice it uh straight away. They said, Oh wow, you have our colour in your dress, so they love it.

Dyslexic Thinking As A Creative Edge

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Yeah, really clever, really thoughtful. I love that. So um, I mean I I just realized that this podcast came from um when I shared in a the reason we're meeting today is I shared that I was a a dyslexic thinker in in terms of the way my brain works um in my um interview, and this is why we sort of have got this connection now, which is which is amazing. So, how has um dyslexic thinking, do you think, shaped the way you you sell and create and problem solve? Do you do you think that um that has helped you um in sales?

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Yes, of yeah, I really think it's it's helps because uh when you have a dyslexia, you have to think about out of the box because you don't remember the words or names. Names is the worst thing. Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

You remember the faces, but you go, you you have to spend time, don't you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yeah, the names is is the worst. But uh then you have to uh think about out of the box because you don't you you might remember the uh like really uh normally word like I don't know what what is the chair or something like that. Then you have to say it some other way. And and that makes your brain like simulation. You have to think about out of the box. And that's why I think I'm so creative person because I have to think about lots of like uh the whole day I have to think about out of the box because I don't remember the words or names or something like that. So I and in sales I think uh you have to be a little bit even creative that because you have to think about what kind of solution you are offering to your customers and and so on. So like yes, it's I think it's uh I think it's really good. Of course, I'm not uh without dyslexia, so I don't know what what kind of feelings they have, but but from my opinion is that it's really good.

Culture And Openness Around Dyslexia In Finland

SPEAKER_02 10:30

I think I think we we solve problems as well. We see things that we know that need to be fixed, and and we go, well look, things we this is the way you can fix it. We can see that way forward and we can share that um verbally to people, but you know the the the where we need the support, I guess, is where look we can present it, we can put it this is where AI really helps us, right? And that and and I th I'm finding it really useful to me. But how is dyslexia seen in Finland though? Because you said like before when when we started, this is like really big for you, right? This is like sharing this because in school and at work, um, and maybe the cultural um approach is different in other countries. So just interested to see um how it's affected you, you know, in terms of like you said, you don't like talking about it necessarily, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:26

So I think it's uh getting better. Like uh I have a daughter who is 30, and and in uh her school, it's I think it's quite normal. Uh normal thing if you have dyslexia or are dehudder or whatever. But uh in my time, of course, my uh in my school they take uh care of they know it, and I get some helps a little bit, but it was totally different than nowadays. And of course it's it makes you a little bit ashamed of it because uh I don't want that uh if I'm writing something to like some presentation or email or uh uh whatever, I don't want that my colleagues like look out that that there's lots of wrong letters because if they know that I have a dyslexia, that's I that's why I haven't told it much to my colleagues. But uh now I have like the last few years I have been a little bit braver, so few of my colleagues know. But after this podcast, everybody knows, so I can't hide it anymore. But but yeah, I have to say I have a little bit of shame of it. Even I know there's a lot of good things like this creative or uh out um thinking about out of the box. But it's I think it's getting better and better, but uh but it it's not easy, yes. I have to say that.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

Yeah, I think I think you're you're right. In terms of the shame, but you because you were like as a child, you know, you went through that trauma really, you know, of of of learning about this, and that there wasn't the support in school um when you were younger, unlike there is now. Um but even even then the the people don't understand it. And I I sometimes think about it as you know, if you're in a wheelchair, people can see that you're struggling, right? But when you're not and they don't see it visibly, yeah, they just think, oh yeah, but it can't be true. But you you're pushing in your wheelchair in your your mind, aren't you, right? So it's um and and and people think that you're being like lazy or you're not working hard enough, and all these things, and it's really frustrating, yeah, because their brains work completely different to yours. Right, yeah. And and it's the other values you bring, you know, the you know, like I've seen what you've done in terms of you've been like in in your role, but you've m you've shifted from media, from print focused to multi-chan channel campaigns, you know, all the things you've done in your career, like mine, I've I've had lots of things, but some normal people they just stay in exactly the same role. They don't move around. Where we have this ability to navigate, I think, you know, that that a lot of other people struggle with, right? You know?

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

So have um change, you you know, you're you you you know, you do you find it's um uh you keep up with change that change around you, you're always learning.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Yeah. Uh I think I'm really curious people, and and that's why I love changes. But but of course this uh dyslexia is thing that uh you have to uh if you are not good uh okay with it, it it's uh it's um it's hard to try to always push up. But uh I think now it's better that I have okay with it, but and uh because I'm a curious person, so that's why I uh all the changes is fine for me. And that's why I like really being in uh media uh in media house because uh there's a lot of changes. I don't know, did I answer to your question?

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Yeah, yeah, that's that's great. You know, I mean it's in terms of in terms of the the um you know the the various different things you've done in your career. Um I guess a lot of stuff you do is around concepts, how concepts fit brand values, and it's it's sort of it's it it's not uh if things don't look good but also work, you know, it's how you work around that and you you're sort of I suppose your creative mind in terms of how you fit to those brands and you you help those brands because the way your mind can connect with their brands, I guess. So um and it's not it's not just that it it it looks good, you want to make it sure it works, right? In terms of what you do. Um so you know maybe you can give some examples of uh you know the campaigns you've worked on that that that have been successful, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Yeah, like uh in my uh link edit there's a lot one of really big campaigns this and guess what? Today okay, I start okay, yes. Because I I say to a baby you got this of what today, uh 12th of November, the 2nd of November, today is Aluvapaa päiva. So this uh one of uh my favorite multi-channel campaign where I have been uh cooperate with with Dean. So today is Aluvapa, so like today is the day where you have to without uh any any like uh phones or so on. But of course the idea is I have to say this. The idea is is my customers, but I have uh thinking about there what where you can uh say this thing that you have today is Aluvaba. This was a bad answer. Maybe I'll try. Can I try a start?

SPEAKER_02 17:29

Yeah, no, no, no, it's fine. No, this is be relaxed, be relaxed.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

It's not yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

So it's it's not a bad answer.

AI As A Sparring Partner In Media Sales

SPEAKER_01 17:37

Yeah. Okay, it's not a bad question. Yes. Okay, so I'll start again. Yes. Um so I have been some uh my my customers uh I have done some co-operation where where I can be really creative. One is uh example they and us aluvapha, where is uh the day that they want to be without like uh phones or so on. And uh of course the idea is from from customers, but I have things about there like where they can uh say in that like multi-channel uh campaigns. It was really nice. There is also in uh video cases for that. It was really fun to do that. Last year we do uh Biggert with us, and today this uh year a little bit smaller, but it was really fun and then uh the other uh korporation is with the Ekaraline, it's it's uh Kruises. We what we have made of uh Men ISIT, it's uh magazines and there was like our journalists in in in there that Kruises, and we do lots of uh kreativ shows in there. And and are you are you using I'm guessing with those um campaigns you're using AI yeah um to deliver that uh I we chose to no, I didn't because last year this Aluvapa there wasn't uh AI so much uh going on and and like yeah, not so much, but I love I have to say that I love AI because it's the one uh one person who doesn't mind if you write wrong. It always understands what you are saying, it's great, but like it's fine, yes. It's it's it's my wife uh my I have to say it's my uh best friend in in phone and computer because uh it never laughed to me, it never says that oh I didn't understand it because you write it wrong. It always says really nice to it, okay. I think you mean this. It it's really nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

So so I mean that's what I think. I think with with AI um it's gonna level the playing field for people that are dyslexic versus people that aren't, um, so that we will be able to um with with all the capacity that it's delivering now, it's gonna make us um it's gonna make our superpower even better because the ability to um context switch, that ability to switch from one thing to the other, that's what we're really good at. Our minds can just jump from one thing to the other to the other. Whereas that's what you need to do with AI. Yeah. So I think it's gonna change the way we work. But what do you do? Do you think it's gonna change the um way that you work with your clients with AI in terms of those sort of areas that are gonna support your next steps? So I believe that AI will accelerate communities, um, and in media sales, we've already seen AI drive targeting optimization. So will AI change the way you work and the value that you bring to clients, do you think, in terms of the speed with which you can interact?

Balancing KPIs With Human Connection

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Yeah, I I think also the same kind of things that you are. Uh I think uh in my opinion, I think uh AI is a really good sparing partner. You can ask things about it, and and and when you are discussing about AI, when you're disengaging with AI, uh it's it's it's saying something, but then you have to put it in your brain and then go forward. And it's I like it when when AI is asking the questions from you, like uh what is the next, and it yeah, I like it. So I'm not uh I am uh AI fan, I have to say that uh I'm not afraid of it, like is it going to take our job? I don't think it's some of course something, but but like uh if you are your job is something where you are connecting with the person, it it uh it won't take it, but it's going to help it and it for it for uh it will be effective it.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Yeah, and then and look, behind the scenes all the magic happens and like even even with uh this podcast, right? A lot of the work that can be done afterwards to clean it up. So I think in terms of ad delivery and analytics, uh should clients understand this side or is it better that it just works?

SPEAKER_01 22:25

You know, that do you think it's just uh I think in ethics that it's it's really good that uh clients know when I am using it or something like that. But uh but I think everybody is using it. So I of course you don't have to write it everywhere that I am using now AI because and I think it's uh it's kind of uh like uh grey line that you you don't know when you are using it and when after you are just sparing it with it. So like uh some ideas might be yours, even if it starts with discussing about oh did I say it rightly? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Yeah, yeah. I mean, and if you work with like you work with hard numbers, right? And KPIs, engagement rates and all those sort of numbers, but also with human relationships, how do you keep that balance between the numbers that don't take that sort of soul out of your work? How do you how do you do that? Because you're very you're very um sort of interactive in terms of your approach. Um I can see that from talking to you today. So um do you do you think that AI will take that away from you? But it sounds like it sounds like from what you said it it it doesn't. But look, let's let's um I think I think you've answered a lot of that already, right? So let's look ahead to what kinds of you know like the brand partnerships and campaign formats that excite you right now and where you see um untapped opportunity in media today.

Music, Media Formats, And New Opportunities

SPEAKER_01 24:05

Well, uh I think everything news uh always interested me. I don't know if it's about for that because I have dyslexia or I am I am just a curious person or what is it? But uh I like the new things. It it doesn't uh afraid of me. And in in Sanoma we have lots of music and I love it because I believe it's interesting also the clients because through us you can present in all all kinds of music encounters. Like we have lots of artists so you can use them like influencers. Uh we are in festivals. You can do the songs with us, audio and TV. We have lots of like TV series where there's music like Voice of Finland, or so on.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

And of course there's a lot of music you can use and the sound you can use in videos, what is uh rise in platformats like today.

Encouragement For Young Women With Dyslexia

SPEAKER_02 25:14

So like I think all kind of new things in food, and I am like uh excited to wrap in what is coming up next year and so Satu, in terms of um I think I think one of the things that you you you've sort of summed up really is you know your your energy, your enthusiasm, and all the things that you do, um you love what you do, right? You sort of connect to what you do, and that creativity that you're you're you know, the way that you can sort of pick up new things and sort of work, and you you know, I think that shows that you're you're you're exceptional in the job you do. And so for like other young women coming through that have got dyslexia, they must they must be able to watch this and think, great, you know, I can do I can do this job, right? If I've got dyslexia or I haven't, yeah. I know that um there's there's a woman that has got dyslexia and she's gone through and done this job, which is very sort of high brand profile, speaking to lots of customers. Um so I think this has been really useful in terms of helping anybody out else out there to understand that you know don't let something hold you back, right? Just because you know you've got these some people might perceive it as a challenge, but I say let's reshape it to be an advantage, right, with AI. Right. I think with with the fact that AI is um gonna change the way people have to think. It's not like a choice anymore. The way we have to think with AI is we have to think about how um the context behind um a conversation with a customer, that real sort of depth of knowledge in terms of the emotional intelligence that you have, Seton, you've showed it, you've showed it in this emotional intelligence in terms of the pizza, the understanding of the client in the level of detail. You don't need to remember their name because AI will tell you, right? So that's true, that's true, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 27:17

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

So so look, I mean, the it's it's been uh really nice to talk to you, but look, we can keep chatting, right? I mean I this is probably you know we're we've got to the point where it's a little bit like off off the the script or anything like that. Yeah, but um, you know, I I think one of the things is I think you've you've really sort of given across um that that side of the being being dyslexic um where ev anybody can overcome it, right? And one one of the questions I I think I I probably didn't put down for you, but I'll I'll ask you this is your daughter, um you I think you talked about your daughter, right? Um and she's getting a lot of help now. So what what what sort of help does she get at school that you you maybe didn't get?

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Uh and I have to say that uh yeah, my my daughter hasn't had uh dyslexia. But uh yeah, sorry, I I done rolling yeah, yeah, but uh but but nowadays I think because I have I know that lots of her like uh schoolmates had ADHO or dyslexia and they are getting much they are getting help help for that that like there is uh they the teachers understand it better and they help them because uh yeah and and I think the one of the biggest thing is that uh nowadays you don't have to shame anything like back back then when we were younger, so so that is the one thing because like I I think I write it right there is uh it was so great that I I was meeting uh some of my daughter's new uh schoolmate and my daughter says like oh mom, my friend has also dyslexia and you have a dyslexia. It was so great because like uh I would really shame it in that age. But it was one that it was really great that they they have uh my daughter's schoolmate had told to my daughter that she had a dyslexia. It was really great, so yes, yes.

School Support Then And Now

SPEAKER_02 29:37

That's great, that's great. So look, I mean the the um I don't want to take the rest of your morning up. I'm sure you've got lots of things to do, Satu. So um, but really thank you for coming on, Cloudy with Chance Dyslexia and sharing your journey. And I think it's gonna help so many other people out there. So that's the whole idea of the c content.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Yeah, I really hope because my This was a really big deal for me because of course speaking about the newsly, but also in English, my English is so bad, but I just I just want to be so brave that I come here and I will speak it. So like, yes, it was really big deal for me too. So like I practice with my daughter this question and the whole morning, and I'm I'm sweating. And if of course if I had to speak in in Finnish, it would be hell much easier.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

We could do a Finnish version, Sati. I don't know whether when we get AI working, you could speak and finish it, and it should be able to convert it. So when we get that version, um there is a new tool out now where you can speak in your own language and it automatically translates. So when that happens, maybe we do it again like that. You speak in the language.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

Yeah, yeah. Because I have a meta lass. I don't know, did uh Hake has also meta. Yeah. Yeah. And they it because I understand all what you are speaking, but but like my uh English speakers, I don't I don't use English in work, only like one time in a half, because I don't I have only one uh customer uh who is uh you've been fantastic, believe me.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Believe me, it's fantastic. But I I could never learn Finnish, I don't think. So you've been amazing.

Closing Thanks And Future Ideas

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Yeah, thank you, thank you. But if you editing like what how uh so that everybody can uh understand it, yes. So yeah, but I am I'm so like uh I'm so proud of myself that I came here and I donated yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Well done.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

Okay, thank you and have a nice Sunday to you.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Yeah, all right, you take care.

SPEAKER_01 31:56

Yes, bye.