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 [email protected]. 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.
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