Selling With Sabine

Sabine Taylor
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING

Sabine, the host of the "Selling with Sabine" podcast, is a certified sales expert with extensive experience working with Fortune 150 tech companies, including telecommunications and cybersecurity. She also holds an Adult Learning Graduate certificate and utilizes her knowledge from her Instructional Design Graduate program to design and develop sales training assets, such as job aids and micro e-learning courses, for her clients. In her podcast, Sabine guides salespeople, solopreneurs, business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs on a short episodic journey of how to incorporate sales and service best practices to achieve greater success. If you'd like to connect with Sabine for your training or speaking needs, you can message her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesalestrainingarchitect/. Don't forget to follow her for more insightful content, and share the podcast with your friends, family and business associates!

  1. 15H AGO

    Know When to Walk Away: A Sales Strategy Most Ignore

    Are you staying in conversations longer than you should? In this podcast, I use a sauna analogy to explain one of the most overlooked sales skills and that is knowing when to exit. Not every objection is meant to be overcome. Some are signals! Transcript Welcome to selling with Sabine. I'm your host, Sabine Taylor. Thank you for giving me your time today. I truly do appreciate it. Today, I want to connect something a little different, and it's about the connection between my experience in the sauna and the sales process. This morning, I walked into a sauna and saw a sign on the door. It listed conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health risk, and warned that staying too long could impact cardiovascular health. Some other saunas I visited even recommend no one should stay more than ten to fifteen minutes per session. And these signs made me think about the sales process. Because in sales, we sometimes stay in conversations longer than we should with the customer. What I mean by that, you're talking to a prospect, you're pitching, you're trying to move the deal forward, but no matter what you say, the answer is still no. You might hear something like this. I need to think about it. I need to talk to my spouse. It's too expensive. The competition does this. The competition does that. Those aren't always objections to overcome. Sometimes, they're signals from the customer that they want to exit the conversation, and this is where many sales professionals miss it. We ignore the context clues. And what I mean by context clues, it's the words coming out of the customer's mouth…signaling they are ready to end the conversation. However, the more that we push, the more tension we create, and customers can feel that. I once had a financial adviser raise her voice at me when I told her no, and I still remember it twenty years later. That's how lasting a negative sales experience can be. So, here's the shift. Not every no is an opportunity for you to push harder. Some no's are your cue to wrap it up with professionalism. So, you can say something like this. Thank you for your time. Here's my information. If anything changes, I'd be happy to reconnect. And that's it… Because staying too long doesn't increase your chances. It could damage your reputation. Personally, after the third objection, I'm done. Not because I can't keep going, but because I understand where the customer is. And I have other conversations to get to, other opportunities to close. So, the lesson is simple. We have to know when to exit, when to walk away. And that's the difference between a pushy salesperson and a professional. And I hope that you get what I'm saying. Now if you're serious about training your sales team to operate at a higher level without aggressive and outdated tactics, I'd love to connect. I've trained thousands of sales and customer service professionals in the retail and call center environment, and I know how to shift behavior in a way that drive those results you're looking for. You can reach me at SellingwithSabine@gmail.com. That's the name of this podcast followed by gmail. com. And if you found value in this, and I sure hope you did, please make sure to like, subscribe, and you can now subscribe to my Substack newsletter. I will link everything below in the show notes. Again, thank you for your time, and I see you in the next episode. Have a great day sellingwithsabine@gmail.com https://substack.com/@salesandserviceinpractice https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingwithsabine/

    5 min

  2. 6D AGO

    How to Sell to Americans the Right Way (Without Pushing Them Away)

    In this episode, Sabine draws from her experiences traveling abroad and her perspective as a first-generation American to unpack the "sales gap" many immigrant business owners encounter. She explains why certain well-intentioned approaches can unintentionally push customers away, and how small shifts in timing, tone, and engagement can build trust, improve the customer experience, and lead to more consistent, sustainable growth. Welcome to Selling with Sabine. I'm your host, Sabine Taylor. Thank you for giving me your time today. I truly do appreciate it. In our last episode, we broke down cultural competency and why it's not just a buzzword, but a strategy that directly impacts your ability to close sales. So that just means… making more money. With that said, I wanna flip the script on the conversation today. And I'm speaking directly to immigrant business owners. So whether you're based here in the U.S., or maybe you're operating abroad and you serve primarily American customers, this episode may benefit you greatly… So the reason I say that is because I see a massive opportunity for growth, but I also see a clear disconnect in how the sales is being approached. So if that sales gap isn't addressed, you won't just miss a sale; you'll lose that customer altogether. So first things first: we want to, as salespeople, respect the customer space. And I wanna lead with a story. I often travel abroad where there's not a lot of Black people on the scene. So when I'm shopping there, I stand out like a sore thumb because I look different. And with that said, I noticed sellers who notice me and go out of their way. And as soon as they approach me, they notice I have shopping bags. They start touching my arms, putting products in my face, trying to engage immediately. And I'm like, hold up press the brakes, okay? At that point, I no longer want to engage with no one. I don't know what is happening. I'm trying to find the nearest exit route because, quite frankly, my personal space… is being violated. You see, in the U.S., personal space isn't optional; it's expected. So, if we crowd the customer, we don't increase our chances of closing; we eliminate them… So, the second point I want to talk about is to please do not rush the sales process. I see the same pattern happening in the stores in the U.S. I'm talking about nail salons, massage parlors, or other businesses where they sell clothes or other items. And I'll give you an example… I walk into some of these nail salons, and as soon as I walk in, I'm told, "Sit down here, take off your shoes, pick a color. Do you want this? Do you wanna try that?" Everything is happening so fast, back-to-back, and there's no pause. There's no time to breathe. But when you rush the interaction, the customer doesn't feel helped; they feel handled, and that's how I felt. And, again, American customers, for the most part, do not respond well to pressure. If they feel pushed, they don't just walk out; they mentally check out. And once that happens, you've lost them. And for context, my parents are immigrants, and I was born here. I've witnessed firsthand how they move. They move with a deep sense of intentional urgency. This experience shaped how I see the immigrant hustle, and quite frankly, I respect it. And many of you who are listening have a lot of grit. So, whether you're building your business or simply trying to make it here in the States, you rely on that grit to help you accomplish your goals. And that drive, that persistence that is truly your superpower. But do not confuse grit… with proper sales technique. It's not the same thing. They won't yield the same results. Okay? So what works in a high-pressure sales environment… in one culture, and you may call that grit, can feel overwhelming or even aggressive in another environment. The average U.S. customer values autonomy. That means they want to feel like the decision to buy was theirs and not something that they were pushed into… And with that said, over the years, I worked in retail and call center operations. I've supported millions of customers by supporting the sales reps and customer service agents that supported those customers. And I've seen just about every sales approach imaginable as a sales trainer. And I can tell you this: none of those sales approaches that I have taught instructed me to train the reps to grab a customer's arms or use pet names like, "Pretty lady, come here. I have something to show you. You wanna buy?" None of that language exists in any sales curriculum. So, I say this because what feels friendly, again, in one culture can come across as unprofessional… and even uncomfortable to many customers. So, you may think calling someone "pretty lady" is a term of endearment. Well, your customer may not like that. In the U.S. market, pressure doesn't always create urgency for the customer to buy; it actually creates resistance… The moment a customer feels uncomfortable, the decision is already made in their head. They're going to say anything to leave your establishment or to get off the phone with you, and you'll hear the dreaded phrase… "I need to talk to my spouse," or "I need to think about it some more," or… "I'll be back." But what they're really saying quietly is, "I don't feel comfortable enough to stay in your establishment…" or… "to continue this conversation with you over the phone." And when they leave, they're not pausing their buying decision; they're just going to continue it somewhere else, like with your competitor. So, if you want to sell effectively to American customers, here's an approach that you may want to consider. Now, I'm not going to go over the whole sales process, but I'll give you, like, three steps to get you started. Number one… is respect the space. Start with a professional greeting: "Hi, how are you?" Or you can simply say, "Welcome." Let them know you're available, and then step back. Space isn't distance; it's respect. And respect creates the comfort needed for a sales interaction… The second step: you want to ask… and listen. Don't lead with everything you offer like, "Try this, try that. We have this discount. We have this promotion." Just lead with a question: "So what brings you here today?" or "What are you looking for today?" And then pause and listen. When customers feel heard, that's when the trust begins to build. And with step three, you're going to offer a recommendation… Now you're going to guide the customer with your solution or service. You're not going to list everything under the sun that you offer, but you're going to offer a clear and thoughtful recommendation based on what they told you when you asked them that question. That's the difference between selling with respect and following a sales process that's calm versus just rushing aggressively, trying to present every solution that you offer… So my final thought I want to leave you with is this: when you're in business to serve the customer, to provide a meaningful service or solution… but how you go about doing it matters just as much as what you offer. So, when you approach the customer the wrong way, like coming across as pushy, you don't just lose a sale; you risk losing more. Oftentimes… unhappy customers or unhappy prospective customers will go out of their way to share negative experiences with friends and family… and with their online audiences. So that word-of-mouth can hand business directly to your competition, who spent nothing on advertising, while you pay for the ads on Google and you paid for the ads on Groupon to get that customer in the door or to get that customer to call you. So when they come in or when they call just relax and try those three steps that I just talked to you about… So, again, how you sell is just as important as what you sell. So that is it for this episode. I hope that you found value in this conversation. You can reach me through email at sellingwithsabine@gmail.com. That's the name of the podcast at Gmail.com. And if you're serious about training your sales team to operate at a higher level—meaning no pushy, aggressive sales tactics or assumptive sales tactics then you're going to send me a message. And I'd love to connect to learn more about how I can serve you and your business. With that said, I have trained thousands of sales and customer service agents in the business-to-consumer space that's retail and call centers and I know what it takes to shift behavior to drive results that you're looking for, like happy customers… and that means more money coming into your business when they buy. So, again, I want to thank you for your time, and I'll see you in the next episode. And finally, I have a little favor to ask: if you could please like and subscribe to this podcast, that lets me know that you enjoyed it. Ciao. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingwithsabine/

    11 min

  3. APR 20

    Cultural Competency: Your Sales Advantage

    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: In this episode of Selling with Sabine, I explain how cultural competency becomes a real sales advantage not just a concept, but a strategy that directly impacts your ability to close. Transcript: Welcome to Selling with Sabine. I'm your host, Sabine Taylor, and I want to thank you for giving me your time today. I'm going to be talking to you in this episode about a topic that I think should be covered because it's going to help many business owners who deal with a demographically diverse customer base. So, this episode is about respecting the cultural nuances of ethnically diverse customers. So, I want to talk to you about how this all got started. Years ago, I attended a workshop hosted by my former employer called "Selling to Latinos." And in that class, we also talked about how to sell to Indians. I know that title for a class or a workshop may shock some, but at the time, I was a sales trainer supporting the New York Metro territory. In that particular state, I was working with a demographic that was at least sixty percent of documented immigrants. And based on a New York 2024 annual report by the mayor's office, that's about the number they quoted for their immigrant population. And keep in mind, that's documented immigrants. And I would say from experience that when you consider documented and undocumented, I would say the population is almost seventy-five percent to eighty percent immigrants. All you have to do is get on a New York subway train, and you will see what I'm talking about. Everyone speaks a different language. So, with that being said, that number, whether sixty percent or eighty percent, is very important because that represents a massive audience that shops differently. And that's no shade to them. It's a reality that you must understand to be successful if you sell to demographically diverse markets. So, for context, I am a proud first-generation African American who grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, and I watched my family hold special meetings with relatives before any major purchase. They wanted to be well educated and to ensure that they weren't going to be taken advantage of because English was their second language, and that their cultural shopping norms would not cause them to be treated differently in the sales process. So, a quick story I want to share is when I was nineteen, my parents called me. It was a very brief conversation. They said, "We want to buy an investment property." And I responded with one word, "Okay." I simply understood the assignment. I went to my accounting professors, and I said, "Hey, my parents want me to buy an investment property." So, after talking to them, I purchased a real estate book. And I bought the book based on their recommendations, and I studied it while I worked a part-time job. Now, when I hired the real estate agents, they didn't take me seriously. They would generally ask for my parents. And, basically, I had to fire one of them for failing to follow the sales process, and their delivery wasn't that professional. And the real estate agents assumed that my role as a child stepping in for my parents wasn't legitimate, even though we received the qualification letter from the bank that we qualified to buy a house. So, with that said, in many immigrant families, it's very common for young adults to take on significant financial responsibility. For me, that was normal. But for some of those realtors I was dealing with, it was not normal, particularly those who lack the cultural awareness to recognize and respect that dynamic. So, now let's talk about cultural competency in those communities. You see, trust for any customer, whether it's immigrant or not immigrant, is the ability to break the ice so that way that customer can feel comfortable with you. So, for instance, when I took the "Selling to Latinos" class, I learned that when talking to Spanish-speaking customers, if I was dealing with a man, I would say "Señor." If I was working with a woman who is under twenty-five, I would say "Señorita." If she was over twenty-five, I would call her "Señora." And in doing that, again, it would break the ice, and the customers would feel more comfortable in telling me about their needs. So, what I'm saying is that cultural competency can become your sales edge, all things being equal with your competition, such as price and the information you're giving the customer. But when you respect those nuances, like how they'll want to be identified—and also, in the class, I learned the Indian community shops in a group there's not one stakeholder; there are many stakeholders. So, some sales reps like to ignore the friends and family that the buyer brings with them. But if you understand that you've got to treat everybody with respect and listen to everyone's questions, those customers will see that. And instead of shopping the competition because you couldn't relate to them, they're going to stay with you because they're going to be like, "Okay, he or she gets me, and I feel respected. I feel seen. Let's close this deal." So, again, when you show respect for those cultural norms, oftentimes you will win. And what I mean by that is you will close more sales and increase your revenue. Because whether it's an immigrant or nonimmigrant, they do the same things all buyers do: they check the competition. And what could be different between you and your competitors is how you show up, how you make them feel seen, and in turn, they will feel respected and want to do business with you. So, that is it for this episode. I hope that you've gotten some value out of it. If you want to reach out to me, you can do so by emailing me at sellingwithsabine@gmail.com. If you are serious about training your sales team, you can also send me an email with your specific request, and I'd love to talk to you about it further. I have a ton of experience training people in retail stores and our call centers. And that is it for me today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Bye.

    7 min

  4. MAR 26 ·  VIDEO

    The Practice Advantage: Close More Deals—Even Without Perfect English

    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/

    10 min
  5. Audacity: It's Worth the Weird

    MAR 15

    Audacity: It's Worth the Weird

    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: sellingwithsabine@gmail.com In this episode of Selling with Sabine, we explore the concept of audacity and why so many highly experienced professionals hesitate to share what they know. If you've ever wondered why some people confidently build platforms and businesses online while others stay on the sidelines even with more experience this conversation will give you a new way to think about visibility, expertise, and what it really takes to bet on yourself. Transcript: Selling with Sabine Podcast Word of the Day: Audacity Welcome to Selling with Sabine. I'm your host, Sabine Taylor. Thank you for joining me today as we talk about sales, strategy, and the mindset shifts that help you build real opportunities in business and in life. And today's Word of the Day is… Audacity. Now when most people hear the word audacity, they think about someone being bold—maybe even a little outrageous. But in the world of sales and entrepreneurship, audacity means something very specific. It means having the courage to step forward and bet on yourself. And interestingly enough, the people who often struggle with this the most are not beginners. It's actually highly credentialed professionals. I'm talking about people with real experience—people who have worked inside major organizations, people who have trained sales teams, people who have closed significant deals, and people who have built strategies that helped companies grow. These are the professionals corporations rely on every day. But something fascinating happens when those same professionals start thinking about launching their own product, building their own platform, or starting their own business. They hesitate. And it's not because they lack knowledge. Most of the time they actually know far more than the people dominating social media with business advice. But corporate culture trains people to be careful. When you spend years working in environments with confidentiality agreements, compliance rules, and internal politics, you naturally become very thoughtful about what you say publicly. You learn to operate behind the scenes. You become the person writing the strategy… training the team… coaching the executives… —but rarely the person stepping into the spotlight. So what happens? You start watching the internet. And suddenly you see someone with a ring light and a microphone explaining concepts that you've been teaching inside companies for years. And part of you is thinking: Wait a minute… I know more than that. But knowledge alone does not build a brand. Knowledge alone does not build an audience. And this is where our Word of the Day comes in. Because the real difference between the person watching from the sidelines and the person building a business online is not intelligence. It's not experience. And it's definitely not credentials. The difference is audacity. Audacity is the moment when you decide that your experience has value outside of the building you work in. Audacity is when you say: "I can share the knowledge I've developed over a career." Because here's something many professionals discover when they start building their own business: You have to move from employee thinking to founder thinking. For many years, corporations reward people for executing strategies designed by someone else. Entrepreneurship flips that equation. Now you are the person creating the strategy. Now you are the one saying: "This is what I believe." "This is what I've learned." "And this is what I'm building." And yes… that can feel uncomfortable at first. Which brings me to the second shift. You have to become comfortable with visibility. Getting on camera. Publishing your thoughts. Talking about your experience publicly. And for many highly accomplished professionals, that feels strange. You might think: What if my former coworkers see this? What if someone thinks I'm trying to be an influencer? What if my neighbors think this is weird? But the entrepreneurs you see building platforms online didn't start because they were more qualified. They started because they were willing to look a little weird in the beginning. There's a phrase I once heard on a side-hustle podcast that stuck with me: "It's worth the weird." Because sometimes the very thing that feels uncomfortable in the moment—posting your first video, sharing your first insight, pitching your own idea, product, or service—is exactly the thing that opens the door to your next opportunity… your next partnership… your next business. So, if you are a highly credentialed professional sitting on years of experience, the real question isn't whether you have enough knowledge. You probably already do. And keep in mind—there are influencers online with no license, no traditional training, or limited formal education giving advice in areas like accounting, banking, finance, clinical topics- just to name a few. Some of them are building large platforms and businesses—not necessarily because they are giving the best advice, but sometimes because they decided: "If no one is going to give me a chance, I'm going to have the audacity to bet on myself." Then it becomes lights, camera, action. And they're speaking about topics where their experience may actually be limited. So again, the real question isn't knowledge. The real question is: Do you have the audacity to use your knowledge? Because once you decide to bet on yourself—once you decide your voice has value—you stop waiting for permission. And that's when the real opportunities begin. Thank you for joining me today on Selling with Sabine. And speaking of audacity, I'm going to put myself something out there. If you have a sales team in the business-to-consumer space, or maybe you have a partner that is reselling your white-label product, and it's difficult to communicate the message clearly over the phone or even in person, let's talk. You can email me at: sellingwithsabine@gmail.com Thanks again for listening to Selling with Sabine, and I'll see you in the next episode.

    7 min

  6. JAN 19

    Shooting your shot in sales: No Matter Who You Are

    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: sellingwithsabine@gmail.com In this episode of Selling with Sabine, I break down the reality of "shooting your shot" in sales moving past the color of your race and into the grit of daily sales execution. Transcript Welcome, everyone. This is Sabine Taylor, and thank you for listening to Selling with Sabine. I'm the host. Today, I want to talk to you about shooting your shots. What came to mind is a conversation I had with a friend many years ago. He was in the chicken business, and he felt that his prospective customers would not give him a chance because he was a Black man, and that they would be more likely to give a white woman with blue eyes and blonde hair a chance at selling. So he just thought that his customers would be racist toward him. And I understand that, but I kind of told him he needs to get over that. And anyone out there listening needs to get over that, because if you have a product or a service that can solve someone's pain point—meaning you can help them save money, be more productive, or feel safe—whatever you're offering, people will buy it, but you've got to shoot your shot. And there is a quote that I want to read to you, and Michael Jordan used to say it all the time: "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." And with that said, I worked in a high-tech cybersecurity company, and I was responsible for training my employer's partners' workforce. And it was a lot for me to do by myself. Oftentimes, it was overwhelming. I felt like I had more work than hours in a day. And so I took every request to set up a meeting to learn about products from different vendors, and they came from all over the world. They came from India. They came from Switzerland. They came from America. They came from Italy, and they were all pitching me. And I took it because I wanted to learn. And I can tell you they were shocked that I was a Black woman, and they weren't expecting that. But they followed the sales steps, and they pitched me their product. They explained how it could help me resolve my pain point—meaning be more efficient. And I was like, okay, I'll give you a chance. And so I onboarded them. Another reason why I took the call is because I wanted them to teach me what my competitors were doing, what was making them so successful. And that's something you have to keep in mind. As you talk to different customers, whether they sign up with you or not, you will start to learn about their pain points for your particular industry, and you might become a subject matter expert. So your customers may be attracted to the information that you have about their competitors, too. So you have something to offer. Don't just think that someone's doing you a favor. You have a product. You have a service. And it has features that your engineering team, or you, designed to make your customer's life easier. So, again, I want you to take every shot that you're supposed to take. And what I mean by that: send those emails, call those customers, go knock on those doors if that's what you have to do to talk to customers and to eventually get through those objections and finally close the sale. So that is what I have for today. If you want to go back and review some of my previous episodes where I talk about doing a mindset reset, look at some recent podcasts that I released. With that said, I want to thank you for listening, and I hope you have a great day. See you next week. And with that said, if you have any sales needs in terms of training for your staff, please keep in mind that I have trained over twenty thousand sales employees that focus on the business-to-consumer side. And I would love to have a conversation with you. You can reach me at sellingwithsabine@gmail.com. And I hope you have a great day. Bye.

    4 min

  7. JAN 8

    The $12 Million dollar Studio I Walked Away From

    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: sellingwithsabine@gmail.com In this episode of Selling with Sabine, I reveal why I walked away from a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity involving a $12M studio and a massive platform. On the surface, it looked like the ultimate break—but a single question about the contract changed everything. Transcript Hi, everyone. This is Sabine Taylor, your host of Selling with Sabine. Thank you so much for giving me a little bit of your time today. In this episode, I explain how prior exposure to contracts and licensing terms turned a flashy opportunity into an easy "no" for me. So, this is how it went down. A couple of years ago, I reached out to a company to ask them about pricing for software simulations. They called me back and quoted me something like $70,000 per minute. I thanked them and let them know it was outside of my company's budget. The conversation shifted, and the vendor—I don't remember his name, but he asked me if I'd be interested in creating sales courses for his company. The pitch sounded exciting. He told me all I had to do was write for thirty minutes a day, and his editing team would polish it. They would produce the course, distribute it across major platforms, and it would increase my visibility. I was like, "Wow, this is an awesome opportunity." It just seemed to fall in my lap. So, I said, "Okay, I want to learn more. But first, let me ask you this question: Is there a licensing deal?" He goes, "Well, you'll get access to our $12 million studio. We'll provide you hair, makeup, lighting, and the full production—but there's no licensing deal." My response was, "No, thank you. Not at this time." That raised all sorts of red flags for me. No licensing meant that I would be providing all of my intellectual property while they collected the revenue every time the content was watched, downloaded, or sold—not me. They would get the licensing deal, not me. It also meant that I could potentially limit my ability to create similar content in the future. So, again, I just said no. Not because I'm against partnerships, but because the deal did not make sense. I was thinking, "I don't need someone to give me a video for my website. I can create professional content myself or hire someone to help without giving up my ownership of the work." The only reason I knew to ask about licensing is because of my prior experience. You see, in a previous role, I had supported vendor contracts and had heard leaders discussing licensing terms ad nauseam. That experience and exposure helped me to quickly recognize when a deal was unbalanced, and that one wasn't. That realization is part of what pushed me into podcasting. It reminded me that my knowledge has value and that exposure alone is not a form of payment. So, what does it mean to you? Before you are ever faced with a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, you need to have a foundational understanding of how your value is protected. If you wait until the contract is in front of you, the excitement of working with a big brand could cloud your judgment. So, here is how you get ready: What you want to do right now is research what the standard agreements look like in your industry today so you can spot what seems off. You want to research things like standard agreements, but you also want to look at speaking and other unique opportunities that could be presented to you. You want to be ready before those opportunities come. You also want to know exactly what you're willing to share and what is strictly off-limits before the negotiation begins. Now, back then, I said no. Today, maybe I'll say yes because I've had time to think about the whole scenario. Now, I would be more strategic. I would probably produce a course, and I would not give them my best; I would give them "good enough." So, with that said, I'm going to stop here and say thank you for listening. Make sure you do your homework. Again, get prepared ahead of time so you're ready when the deal lands in front of you. I would love to talk to you if you would like me to come in and help train your sales team. Specifically, I focus on business-to-consumer sales. You can contact me at sellingwithsabine@gmail.com, and you can also go to my LinkedIn profile to learn a little bit more about me. With that said, have a great day.

    4 min

  8. JAN 7

    Word of the Week: Footnote — When Setbacks Don't Make the Headline

    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: In this episode of Selling with Sabine, I introduce Word of the Week and unpack the power of a footnote. I talk about letting go of what no longer deserves center stage and why that mindset matters in sales. Rejection happens—but dwelling on it drains your energy. Customers are waiting to hear your enthusiasm, and if you carry the last loss into the next pitch, you start behind before you even begin. sellingwithsabine@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingwithsabine/ Transcription  Welcome. My name is Sabine Taylor, and I'm the host of Selling with Sabine. Thank you so much for giving me your time and for listening to this episode, where I am introducing a new feature on this podcast called Word of the Week. This week's word is footnote. When we think about a footnote in a book, it usually sits at the bottom of the page. It's small, often italicized, and sometimes you almost need a magnifying glass just to read it. A footnote provides historical context or a data point we need to acknowledge, but it's never the main part of the story. And I want to share how I've used this word in my own life to help me move forward from a very traumatic situation connected to my father's transition. About two months ago, my father passed away. His passing itself was very expected. What was unexpected and deeply traumatic were the funeral arrangements and the family dynamics that surfaced during that time. You see, my father had a lot of kids, so I have stepbrothers and stepsisters. Although we lived in the same household, there was a significant age gap, and we often felt like strangers. Later, my father remarried someone more than three decades younger than him, and that honestly raised some eyebrows with me. That created distance between my father and me because he wanted me to form some type of close relationship with his new partner. I have my boundaries. I was clear with myself that I would remain cordial out of respect for my father, but that was all I felt emotionally able to do. At the funeral, all of these unresolved dynamics came to a head. Allegations were made about me. Lies were told. There were claims that I wanted my father's money and accusations that I was never there. I was honestly shocked because since graduating college, I never asked my father for a single penny. I also haven't talked to my cousin since junior high school—since seventh grade. So I was left wondering, where are all of these allegations coming from? And most importantly, where's the evidence? When I returned home, the events of the funeral replayed in my mind over and over again. Because I have a background in algebra, I did what I knew how to do. I created a bar graph showing the number of years I lived with my father compared to his other children. I sent it to a sibling along with a twenty-five-minute audio message because I felt that no one was going to talk to me that way. But then the thoughts kept coming—ideas like contesting the will, questioning signatures, and even considering legal action. While I may have had grounds, I started to notice something important. The situation was taking up too much of my time and too much of my energy. Instead of focusing on my podcast, my book, and the business moves I wanted to make, my mental space was consumed by the conflicts surrounding my father's transition. That's when it dawned on me: my father should have had an end-of-life conversation with all of his children, explaining the will, the funeral arrangements, and his wishes—but he didn't. And I realized something else. That wasn't my responsibility to fix. So I made a decision. I acknowledged what happened, but I reclassified it. I made it a footnote—a historical fact, something I could learn from but not live inside of. I closed that chapter and moved on to the next one. Five weeks later, after my father's transition, I took a trip to Italy. I visited Rome, Milan, and Florence. When I returned, I poured my energy into my podcast. As you can see, I've been releasing many episodes, and that's because I needed to replace the bad memories of the funeral. I began working on my book again, and I started searching for an editor. That's how I moved forward. Now, if you're asking, "Sabine, how does this apply to sales?" that's a fair question. In sales, we face objections and rejections constantly—hourly, daily, and weekly—and that level of rejection can be emotionally draining. What I've noticed is that there are generally two ways sales professionals handle objections. The first is what I call destructive dwelling. Some sales reps replay a failed sales conversation over and over in their minds, like a broken record. They relive every objection, every misword, and every moment they wish they could redo. The problem is that when they walk into the next sales meeting, they're not fully present—and customers can feel that. They can sense it from a mile away. Customers are waiting to hear our enthusiasm, and if we walk into the next sales pitch still carrying the weight of the last deal that didn't close, we show up with an energy deficit. Customers can hear that in how we respond and how we sell. On the other hand, the healthier approach is documentation. Strong sales professionals take the objection out of their heads and put it on paper. They journal what went well, what could have been improved, and what they learned from it. In doing that, they turn the experience into a footnote—a data point, not a defining moment. In sales, we have to make the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is always selling—being emotionally present, mentally clear, and ready to give the best version of ourselves to the next sales opportunity. That means recategorizing losses as insight, not identity. We have to learn from them, but not let them loop in our heads. We have to put them at the bottom of the page, make them a footnote, and then turn the page. I hope you found this episode helpful. If you'd like to talk with me about working with your team to help grow their business-to-consumer sales performance, I'd love to have that conversation. You can reach me at sellingwithsabine@gmail.com, and you can also visit my LinkedIn profile to learn more about my background. With that said, thank you for listening, and have a great day.

    6 min
See All (31)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Sabine, the host of the "Selling with Sabine" podcast, is a certified sales expert with extensive experience working with Fortune 150 tech companies, including telecommunications and cybersecurity. She also holds an Adult Learning Graduate certificate and utilizes her knowledge from her Instructional Design Graduate program to design and develop sales training assets, such as job aids and micro e-learning courses, for her clients. In her podcast, Sabine guides salespeople, solopreneurs, business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs on a short episodic journey of how to incorporate sales and service best practices to achieve greater success. If you'd like to connect with Sabine for your training or speaking needs, you can message her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesalestrainingarchitect/. Don't forget to follow her for more insightful content, and share the podcast with your friends, family and business associates!

Information

  • Creator
    Sabine Taylor
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Selling With Sabine