People pleasing gets a bad rap

People pleasing gets a bad rap.

And if you are a Retriever or a Shepherd, you have probably heard some version of it directed at you. You are too accommodating. Too slow to push. Too focused on how the other person feels instead of moving them toward a decision.

Here is what nobody says out loud: that instinct comes from something genuinely good. It is intuition. It is listening. It is caring about the person across the table enough to want the right outcome for them, not just the outcome that benefits you.

That is not a flaw. That is a foundation for trust.

The problem is not the instinct. The problem is what happens when you try to layer traditional sales techniques on top of it. The "I know best, just follow my lead" approach. The close-before-they-change-their-mind energy. For Retrievers and Shepherds especially, that approach flies directly in the face of who you are. You do not want to push someone into a decision they have not fully arrived at themselves. So you hold back. You second-guess. You wonder if you are just not cut out for this part of the business.

You are cut out for it. You have just been handed the wrong playbook.

The approach that actually works for your Trust Style looks less like a pitch and more like a guided conversation. You explore what they already understand about their problem. You listen for where they are in their thinking about solutions. Then you walk alongside them as they discover whether what you offer is the right answer for them. And if it turns out it is not a fit, that is useful information too. Clients who are not a fit ask for things you cannot or do not want to provide. The mutual exploration process protects both of you.

That is not weak selling. That is smart selling. It just looks different from what the traditional sales world has always rewarded.

My favorite clients are often like my friend Molly. She is a Shepherd. She came to me feeling overwhelmed and dreading sales, convinced she needed to do more cold calling to drum up new business. During our session together we discovered things she was already doing well, and a few new ideas, that gave her a workable plan she was genuinely excited to put into place. You can hear more from her here. [placeholder link]

Your people-pleasing instinct is not the problem. The mismatch between your natural strengths and the sales approach you have been handed is the problem.

If you have been feeling that mismatch lately, or if this summer has been quieter than you expected and you are not sure where to focus your energy next, I want you to know you are not alone. I am hearing it from a lot of business owners right now. Things feel stuck. There are a lot of ideas and promises floating around about what will fix it, and it is hard to know what to actually do.

That is exactly why I created the Sales Strategy Session. It is a limited time offer, available while I have space in my schedule, and seats are limited. If you have been thinking you need support figuring out where to focus or what your right next move is, this is your moment.

Grab your spot.