2d ago in Behind the Close
Adapting and Thriving Amidst Resistance
A few years back, I was asked to help one of our retail partners with their sales team at the CNE in Toronto. At the time, I was the VP of Sales for a hot tub manufacturer, and although I could only attend for the first three days, I accepted the challenge. When I arrived, I met the team: three seasoned salespeople, each with over 30 years of experience. They were older, skeptical of me and my title, and weren’t thrilled that I was there. But I was there for the store owner, who had already warned me that his team was “old school”—rigid in their process.
We kicked off the day with a sales meeting. I led with respect, acknowledging their experience and encouraging them to share their favorite features of our hot tubs. I was impressed with how they delivered product knowledge, and we were all enjoying the exchange—until some customers arrived. Mark, one of the salesmen, started talking with a customer, and I hung back, listening in. With his 30+ years of experience, he didn’t ask the customer a single question; instead, he launched straight into why these hot tubs were the best, telling the customer everything rather than inviting them into a conversation.
Shortly after, another salesman, Larry, pulled me aside because his customer had asked a basic question: “Can these hot tubs be used in winter?” It’s an easy answer—yes, they’re built in Canada, for Canadians, and that’s one of our core selling points. We had even just reviewed it in our meeting, and it was in all our sales material. But Larry had been thrown off by the question, so I handled it and guided the customer toward a purchase. Feeling the thrill of closing the deal, I looked around for Larry, ready to hand it back to him. But he was nowhere to be found, so I gave the customer a little space while I organized an irresistible offer.
Just as I was getting everything ready, Larry returned. Arms in the air, he started accusing me of “stealing” his customer right in front of them. Calmly, I reminded him that I wasn’t earning any commission that weekend—any sale would go to the salesperson working with the customer. I was simply helping him because he’d left to get help with the question. I suggested we focus on getting the sale and could talk afterward. But Larry ran over to the customer and abruptly said, “If I give you this hot tub for half price, would you take it right now?” I cringed. Statements like that throw away all the value and trust we’d built in the presentation, making him seem desperate. The customer looked at him and said, “We’ll think about it,” then left.
When I checked on Mark, I found him alone, drinking coffee. I asked how it went with his earlier customers. He said, “They loved it! It’s the perfect size, fits where they need it, and it’s in their budget.” So I asked, “Great! Did they buy it?” He looked at me and said, “It’s not my first rodeo. I told them to take an hour to think about it.” I was stunned. They were ready, but he insisted they take time to “cool down and think about it.” Mark believed it built trust, but I couldn’t understand why he would let them walk away. I needed a break. When I took a walk, I spotted those same customers at a competitor’s booth, buying a lesser-quality tub.
At that moment, a Zig Ziglar quote hit me: “Selling isn’t something you do to someone; it’s something you do for someone.” I realized these salesmen weren’t adapting or learning—they were still stuck in their first year of sales, repeating the same mistakes for 30 years.
When I returned, I spoke with the owner, and we decided that every customer would speak with me before leaving the booth. If they didn’t, the salesperson would forfeit any CNE bonus. From then on, they reluctantly brought me into every conversation. The CNE went on for 22 days, and the team sold a total of 22 hot tubs—18 of which were sold during those first three days when I was there.
The Lesson Learned
Here’s what that weekend taught me, and it’s something I want everyone in The Sales Closer’s Playbook to think about. Sales isn’t about clocking years or even hitting quotas. It’s about listening, adapting, and staying open to new ways of reaching people. I don’t care if you have 30 years under your belt; if you’re not learning, you’re not growing.
Ask yourself: am I building my skills, or just building years? In this group, we’re here to grow 1% better every day. Whether it’s learning a new approach, sharing an insight, or just listening to a fresh perspective, that’s what will keep you sharp and thriving.
In The Sales Closer’s Playbook, we’re here to challenge each other, share openly, and help each other level up. Because selling isn’t something you do to people; it’s something you do for people. And we’re all here to do it better.
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Adapting and Thriving Amidst Resistance
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