The Real Reason Your Employees Don’t Want to Sell (And What to Do About It)

If you've ever watched a golden sales opportunity walk right out the door, this episode will hit close to home. 

Michelle Terpstra tackles one of the most common frustrations for local business owners: team members who are excellent at their jobs, but totally allergic to selling. The issue isn’t your team. It’s the system they’re operating in. Instead of pushing scripts or forcing behavior,

Michelle breaks down the psychology behind why hourly employees resist sales conversations in the first place—and how a small shift can change everything. When selling feels natural and aligned with service, it stops being something employees avoid and becomes part of how they help customers.

Through two AI-powered roleplay scenarios, Michelle shows exactly how these interactions play out in real life—what goes wrong, and what changes when the approach is adjusted. If you run a local business with a team, you need to hear this before you post another job listing.

Chapters
[Start] Why Your Team Isn't Selling: The psychological barrier causing people to resist selling.  
05:28 Scenario 1: A real-world example of a missed sales opportunity.
08:24 Scenario 1 Breakdown: What went wrong and what could be improved.
18:34 Scenario 2: A second scenario with a different approach.
20:04 Scenario 2 Breakdown: Michelle’s input, showing how it can go right the second time around. 

Links & Resources
Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

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Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

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