Welcome back to selling with Sabine. I'm Sabine Taylor, your host. A little bit about me is that I've spent years working in sales enablement, cybersecurity, and telecommunications… helping sales professionals in those environments communicate their product values and close with confidence when working with their customers. So if you're a small business owner ready to sell more effectively and show up more confidently, you're in the right place. If you'd like to connect or explore sales training support, you can reach me at sellingwithSabine@gmail.com. Now today's episode is a little bit more personal because what I'm about to share isn't just a story. It's directly connected to a conversation I had recently, and I haven't been able to take that story out of my mind. So with that said… let's get into it… The other day, I was talking to a business owner, someone whose shop I actually go to for a steam head massage. And I asked him, how's business going? And he said it's getting better. But with certain customers, he shared that he felt intimidated because his English or, excuse me, his English wasn't that strong. And that stayed with me, not just because of what he said, but because of what it reminded me of. Because I'm a first generation African-American. I grew up in a household where my parents spoke Haitian Creole to each other and to us. English was their language that was used for the outside world. Inside our home, it was something entirely different. And layered on top of that, I grew up in a house where children were to be seen and not heard. There was no Sabine, tell me what you think. It was Sabine, do this, not that. Sabine, did you finish your homework? Go take a shower. Go to bed. It was commands and structure, and I followed. So I never had the opportunity to practice sharing my thoughts on anything… And that environment shaped me in two very specific ways, my silence and my perception. Now let's talk about perception. Because when you're always listening, you start picking up on everything, people, tonality, their energy, and what's being said between the lines. And because of that, I always had thoughts about what I was hearing and a lot of them, but I didn't yet have the structure, vocabulary to express them clearly. And over time, that started to show up. It showed up in my friendships, especially with girls. But with the guys, they wanted me to be around, and I'll be honest with you, I just had to exist. They didn't even care if I said anything. But with girls, girls connected through conversations, storytelling, back and forth energy, and I couldn't easily step into that rhythm. So, again, I stayed quiet. Now…I want to talk about one particular incident with my roommate where she told me I gave cheap conversation… It's funny now, but I found it offensive then. And, honestly, I understood why she said that. She would have full conversations with people we knew, but the moment they left the room, she would call them stupid, and that didn't sit right with me. But, again, I did not have the language or the confidence to say that. So, again, I stayed quiet. Then life introduced a different kind of pressure, the pressure that you face on job interviews. And the interviews exposed my poor speaking skills at the time because I couldn't answer questions on the spot. I needed time. In fact, too much time. And by the time I said anything, the interviewer looked so bored and wanted to wrap things up immediately. So the rejections just started to pile up so much that I probably could have turned them into wallpaper. So I made a decision. If I wasn't naturally fast at my responses, I was going to have to prepare differently. So I came up with a plan. I hid a recorder in my purse during the job interviews. I went home, and I wrote down every question and practiced my responses in the mirror until they felt natural to me. And that practice, that's what changed the game for me, and that's what got me hired… at some very large companies. And here's where the story takes a funny turn. The jobs I landed were in sales, where I had to speak to people and communicate in English. But the great thing is the companies trained me on exactly what to say, how to say it, and how to guide the conversation from start to close. So I continued to practice, and I repeated my practice, and I refined my practice. And, eventually, I became a sales trainer, teaching others how to communicate, and that's why I have this podcast today. So let me just pause right here. And I want to be very clear. In my opinion, today, I'm still not a strong English speaker. Of course, I can speak very well about sales because I've received a lot of professional development. So this brings us to the real conversation of nature versus nurture. Maybe you come into this country with a skill. You know how to do hair. You can give an incredible massage. You cook amazing food. You run your business, at least the operations, with great precision. That's nature. What you develop through your environment, your upbringing, your culture… But confidently communicating in English to sell your services, that wasn't part of your environment. Nobody trained you on that. Nobody showed you how to guide a customer from hello to let me take care of you with this specific service, and that's important because it reframes everything. Not knowing how to speak perfect English is not a weakness. That's just a missing skill set, and skills can be learned, and that's where nurture comes in. Nurture is what you build. It's the environment you create for yourself or for your staff. It's the decision to practice even when no one is training you. But here's the key. That only works if you're motivated. For me, it was intrinsic motivation. I had to pay the bills. I had to figure out how to land these jobs, and I paired that with a growth mindset, the belief that I could learn what I wasn't born with. Now let's bring this back to you. When a customer walks into your shop, more than likely, they're already interested. They're already open. They just need guidance. And from my particular experience with that business owner, he has a very specific type of service he offers to customers. It's like a waterfall head massage, and not everyone has that business. So if someone comes into that shop, more than likely, they're looking to get that service. However… if you feel your English isn't so strong as he did, he just needs to practice, and so do you. So even if you just have fifteen to twenty minutes a day practicing how you talk about your services, you'll start to see a shift. You'll convert more conversations from customers who are just stopping in to see what your service is about to let me sign you up for this service… that you're telling them about. You'll confidently recommend add ons. You'll increase the value of every interaction. And what I mean by that, if the customer is just testing out the service and just pays for the basic, you can then use your sales skills to attach additional products. And in his case, he sells shampoos, conditioners, and massage oils. So I do want to ground this just a little bit. When I say nature over nurture, I'm not dismissing where you come from. I'm not saying that… growing up in a country where English is not your native language defines your success in sales. But what I am saying is that your commitment to practice does impact your success in sales. Again, nature is what you're given with. Nurture is what you develop. And what you build through consistency usually equals a win, and that's… meaning more revenue for you, and that's always a win. So if I can go from speaking in circles to becoming someone who trains others how to communicate… and let me tell you, that did not happen by chance. It happened through intentionality. I had to practice daily, and that same path is available to you. Fifteen to twenty minutes a day, that's it. That's the difference. So when you get in your morning huddle, when you first open your shop, practice with your coworkers. They can pretend that they're the customer. You can pretend that you're the business owner, and just keep practicing. That can make a big difference in sales. But, again, the keyword is intentionality. So that wraps up this episode of selling with Sabine. If you're a serious business owner and want to strengthen your sales approach for yourself and for your team, you can reach me directly at selling with Sabine @gmil.com com. And my name is spelled s a b, and that's b like beautiful, I n e, and that's selling with Sabine altogether, no spaces, @Gmail.com. Alright. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and I'll catch you later. Have a great day. Bye… https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingwithsabine/
