Know the Sales You Won’t Win

06/10/2025 6 min Episodio 7
Know the Sales You Won’t Win

Listen "Know the Sales You Won’t Win"

Episode Synopsis


What can we learn from Starbucks? When the coffee giant lost focus and started adding cheese toasties to the menu, it diluted the very essence of the "third place" it promised to be. The brand struggled until it returned to its roots: coffee.In this episode, Benjamin explores how this lesson is critical for sales professionals. A sales career doesn’t have to be a manic, 60-hour-a-week chase. The key to a calm, focused, and highly effective work life is knowing what you’re great at, who your ideal customer is, and—most importantly—which sales you should walk away from.Too often, we pursue every lead, believing that more activity equals more success. This only wastes time on work you'll never win and dilutes your focus on the clients you are perfectly suited to help.At Showing Up, we believe that knowing the sales you won’t win is just as important as knowing the ones you will. This clarity gives you more time, less stress, and better results.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why a calm, focused sales week is more effective than a frantic one.The lesson from Starbucks' identity crisis and how it applies to your sales strategy.How to identify your perfect customer and the sales you are most likely to win.Why walking away from a bad fit is one of the smartest moves you can make.ExerciseCreate a five-column checklist to define your ideal client.Who is your customer? (Be specific about size, location, and budget).What problems do they have?How do you solve them?Where do competitors do it better?Where do you do it better, and why?Use this framework to decide which opportunities to pursue and which to walk away from.Links & ResourcesLearn more at showinguplearning.comSubscribe to access our full library of sales training modules and get free access to The 12 Traits Clients Trust Most.Every subscription funds a free scholarship for a young person through the Showing Up Foundation.