Selling Externally vs. Selling Internally.

After being named the top sales performer among more than 500 peers in a national organization, I wasn’t just handed my next role, I earned it. I competed for it. It was a rigorous process, and I was up against the best. But that’s when the story changed.

In my previous role, I thrived by selling externally, engaging clients through a distribution partner channel, driving results at a regional level. My promotion moved me from the frontlines to the strategy table: now responsible for scaling those results nationwide. No budget. No team. Just influence, credibility, and the expectation to deliver.

On day one, I met my new manager. He offered no roadmap, only this: “Do what you did before, just nationally.” He suggested we reconnect in 90 days.

That was the start of a new kind of sales journey, one not directed outward, but inward.

The Internal Sell

I immediately began conversations with leaders across the business, departments I believed were natural allies in our shared goal of sales growth through the distribution channel. But I was met with resistance, hesitation, and in some cases, polite indifference.

The lesson came fast and clear: my greatest challenge wasn’t the market, it was my own organization.

Without formal authority, I had to lead through alignment. I tapped into what made me successful in external sales, listening intently, positioning value, building trust, but adapted it to a new audience: internal stakeholders.

I realized that relationship building wasn’t a “nice to have”; it was the job. It wasn’t enough to know what needed to be done. I had to make others care about why it mattered to them.

The 90 Day Reflection

When I sat down with my manager three months later, he asked me to describe my experience. I paused, then offered just one sentence:

“Selling externally is easier than selling internally.”

He was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Keep going,” he said.

What I Learned at the Strategy Table

This experience wasn’t just a transition in title, it was a transformation in mindset. I came to understand that:

• Top performers don’t automatically become top leaders. Success in one arena doesn’t guarantee influence in another.
• You must repurpose your past strengths. What got you here won’t always get you there, unless you adapt it.
• Being given a seat at the table means nothing if you don’t bring value to it. Influence isn’t granted, it’s earned.
• Cross functional collaboration isn’t a support function, it’s a strategic capability.

For any executive navigating organizational growth, transformation, or scale, this truth holds firm: the internal sale is often the most important one you’ll ever make.

Robbie