Let the Haters Hate — Stay Focused and Close

 

Welcome back to Selling with Sabine. I’m Sabine Taylor, your host. I’ve spent years working in sales enablement, cybersecurity, and telecommunications, helping large sales organizations train B2C representatives to confidently sell complex products using real-world experience and practical storytelling. If you’d like to connect or explore sales training support, you can reach me at:

[e-mail]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingwithsabine/

In this episode of Selling with Sabine, I dive into the reality of what it takes to win when the odds—and even your own colleagues—are against you. We’ve all been there: you’re chasing a goal, and instead of support, you’re met with skepticism or dismissive comments from the sidelines. I take you back to my time as a territory sales manager in New York City to share a pivotal moment when I had to choose between listening to the noise or trusting my process.

Transcription

Hi everyone. This is Sabine Taylor, the host of Selling with Sabine. I want to thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this episode today, where I’m going to share a story from my time as a territory sales manager working in New York City.

At the time, I was managing computer retailers who had small business teams reselling my company’s products in addition to selling retail items. During the month of October, the company launched a “Sprint to the Finish” contest. The goal was to encourage territory sales managers to sell high-ticket items for a chance to win $1,000. There was also an opportunity to earn an additional $500 by writing an essay explaining how the sale was closed.

Every Monday, we held a morning call where we were required to give a status update on the activities we were doing to help close a high-ticket sale. In our business, this was challenging because we were selling printers and computer equipment. Many items cost only a few hundred dollars, and even a laser printer might be priced around $2,000. Still, we were expected to explain what we were doing to move larger opportunities forward.

One particular week, it was my turn to speak. I shared an opportunity I was working on with a small business team that was trying to close $11,000 worth of computer equipment. However, there were issues with the rebate. What was happening was that they were attempting to use a consumer rebate for a business purchase, which wasn’t allowed.

Instead of hearing encouragement like, “Great job” or “I hope you close it,” the responses from my teammates were dismissive. Comments like, “Yeah, right. Good luck with that—you know that’s not going to happen.”

I stayed quiet and let them talk because I knew I was willing to do the work they didn’t want to do: the paperwork. A lot of salespeople hate paperwork. They really do. But that’s where I shine.

Because I was strong with the backend details, I was able to close that deal by October 31st, which was the end of the fiscal year. I earned the $1,000 and then wrote the essay explaining how I closed the deal. Everyone who doubted me—those making comments from the sidelines—didn’t even come close. I don’t even think they wrote the essay.

I earned the $1,000, the additional $500, and I kept my mouth shut. I simply said, “Thank you very much.”

If you’re facing something similar, let the haters hate. That’s what they’re there for. They’re so focused on what you’re doing that they fail to focus on the sales preparation work they should be doing themselves. They’re never going to be aligned with you.

In the end, when I won, no one had anything to say. Not a single comment. My advice to you is to stay focused and do what you’re supposed to do every day in the field.

With that said, thank you so much for listening. If you’d like to talk with me about coming in to help your sales team, I’d love to have that conversation. You can reach me at [e-mail]—that’s S-A-B-I-N-E.

You can also find me on LinkedIn and review my profile to see where I’ve worked and some of the things I’ve done.

I hope you have a fantastic day. Please like, subscribe, and share.
Have a great day.
Bye.