Diary of an IT Maintenance Seller

The renewal deal he’s been working on for months has landed. A £25K contract for IT server and storage support is confirmed. Better yet, the customer has added another £35K of equipment to the order - a real show of trust. They’re finalising the PO, and everything is lined up for signature… next week.

No drama for the seller. He's already on target for the year and looking strong for the quarter. But his manager? Not so much.

The Pressure Cooker

This seller’s manager oversees a team of seven, and collectively they’re falling short. With pressure piling on from the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), the manager is now pushing - hard - for the PO to be pulled into this month.

The ask is simple:
“Call the customer. Push the urgency. Offer a discount if needed. Just get it in.”

But that’s not how this seller works.

Why?

Because he’s a professional. And he knows the customer has already committed. Pushing now could signal desperation, or worse, make the customer question whether the pricing has been honest all along. And that could send them right back to the OEM or kill the momentum entirely.

The seller’s dilemma isn’t just about a deal. It’s about values. Integrity. Long-term relationship vs. short-term panic. It’s about resisting unnatural selling.

When Leadership Lacks Credibility

The twist? This sales manager has never actually sold. Eighteen months into the role and known for managing from spreadsheets, not relationships, he’s built a reputation for pressure over partnership.

The team know the drill:

• Create artificial urgency
• Demand daily pipeline updates
• Push deals into months they don’t belong in
• Panic, repeat

It’s leadership by fear, not trust and sellers are left wondering who they’re really working for: the customer or the dashboard?

So, What Should the Seller Do?

He should stay the course. Let the customer complete their process. Protect the relationship. Deliver the value promised and claim the win next month with his head held high.

Because real selling isn’t about closing deals at any cost. It’s about helping customers buy when they’re ready, not when your forecast demands it.

And if leadership can’t see the long game, maybe it’s leadership that needs to change.

If You're the CRO… Ask Yourself This

Are you building a culture of sustainable growth? Or are your managers so scared of missing a number that they’re creating panic zones instead of performance environments?

Here’s what sustainable growth actually looks like:

• Managers who have walked in a seller’s shoes
• Real pipeline coaching, not pressure tactics
• Trust-based selling strategies that honour the customer journey
• Healthy tension, not artificial pressure
• Organic growth, not month-end gymnastics

Want to Fix This?

If you're a CRO, Sales Director or Board Leader seeing this kind of short-term desperation in your teams and you're serious about building a high-performance, trust-first sales culture we can help.

At Baby Blue, our consulting team includes former sales leaders who’ve delivered double-digit growth without resorting to tricks, fear, or last-minute panic.

Led by Lee Bailey and Chris Smith, we’ve rebuilt sales teams from the ground up and helped Boards shape revenue cultures that win the right way.

Get in touch - and let’s talk about selling with integrity.

• info@babyblueitconsulting.com
• chris.smith@babyblueitconsulting.com