Stop Trying to Convince Everyone!
The Sales Code - #13
One of the biggest traps in sales is believing it’s your job to convert every prospect.
Years ago, when I was building the marketing engine for Helbiz across Europe and the US, I thought my role was to bring everyone on board. Investors, partners, municipalities—if someone wasn’t convinced, I took it personally.
I’d spend hours in follow-up meetings, more decks, more justifications.
Over time, I realized something liberating:
The most valuable resource in business is not money—it’s your focus.
When you try to convince everyone, you waste your energy on people who were never going to say yes. Worse, you dilute your power with the people who are genuinely ready.
One evening in New York, after a brutal week of back-to-back investor conversations, I sat down and asked myself a simple question:
"Who actually wants this to work as much as I do?"
The answer was obvious. A handful of early believers had been leaning in since the first meeting. They didn’t need to be chased—they needed to be equipped.
I shifted my attention to them. Within weeks, momentum picked up. Deals moved faster. The energy in our pipeline transformed.
Insight:
Trying to sell to everyone is the fastest way to sell to no one.
Here’s what I do now:
Filter early. Pay close attention to whose body language lights up when you speak.
Lean into aligned prospects. They’re the ones who will champion your idea internally.
Politely let go of the rest. If someone needs to be convinced from zero, they probably aren’t your buyer.
Remember:
You’re not here to convert the uninterested.
You’re here to empower the willing.
- Ruggero