From Daunted to Determined: My Journey Through Challenges
Hi, my name is Brian, and I’m a Sales Intern here at Fyle— my journey into sales was anything but smooth. It’s been a rollercoaster of missteps, awkward demos, and hard lessons, but each stumble has shaped me into the salesperson I’m becoming. I once thought sales would be a walk in the park—turns out, it’s more like a marathon I showed up to without training.
It was two years into my job as a customer service representative—solving problems, handling complaints, and keeping my cool—I started wondering: What if I tried sales? My then-manager encouraged me, saying I had a knack for communication. Maybe—just maybe—this could be my golden ticket to a more exciting career (and, let’s be honest, a fatter paycheck). I had read enough success stories about people making it big in sales.
How hard could it be?
Turns out, it's harder than I ever imagined.
A Crash Course in Reality
Fast forward to my interview at Fyle with Sumit, who handled my second-round interview. Somewhere between my perfectly rehearsed answers, he hit me with a blunt question:
“What drives you to sales?”
Still high on my half-baked motivation, I confidently replied, “Communication.”
Sumit chuckled, and that’s when I knew I had walked into a trap. He went on to explain that while communication is important, it’s just one small piece of the puzzle. Sales demanded resilience, quick thinking, and strategic problem-solving—the works. That conversation planted the first seed of reality in my mind. But I had no idea just how quickly I’d experience my first real rejection.
My First Rejection Wasn’t from a Customer
A month into my internship, I had to conduct a spender-side demo. This was my chance to prove myself, I spent days preparing without the faintest idea of how things would unfold.
I had my talking points lined up, my responses to objections neatly displayed on a secondary monitor, and a structured flow planned to the last detail. I thought I was ready.
And then—it happened.
The next thirty minutes? A complete blur.
It wasn’t until I watched the recording of my demo that I fully grasped the disaster I had orchestrated. I saw myself fumble, hesitate, and confuse not only myself but also the attendees. I repeated points unnecessarily, tripped over my words, and at one painful moment, I heard myself gulp audibly. It felt like reading your old Facebook posts—cringy, unnecessary, and full of bad decisions.
The embarrassment was overwhelming. I wanted to dig a hole, climb in, and request permanent residency.
The Feedback That Changed Everything
Then came the dreaded feedback session. After my demo, Supratik (my onboarding buddy) had a discussion with Nihas (Sales Director). It felt like an eternity as they went over what had gone wrong. I sat there waiting, knowing the verdict wouldn’t be pretty.
Once their discussion was over, Supratik hopped on a call with me.
His first question: “So, how do you think it went, buddy?”
I had no words. I had lived through the horror once and then relived it in 4K resolution when I watched the recording of my demo.
After breaking down where I went wrong, Supratik pointed out that I had another shot at it.
That was all I needed to hear. If I got another chance, I wasn’t going to repeat the same mistakes.
I knew my approach had to change. The first thing I did was scrap my entire prep strategy. My so-called masterpiece of preparation had been my downfall. I had relied too much on scripting and structure instead of truly understanding the flow of a conversation.
This time, I did something different. I researched heavily on best practices—not just watching content but actively looking for patterns in what made great demos work. I started implementing small changes. Instead of memorizing answers, I trained myself to truly listen and respond naturally. Every practice session became a chance to sharpen my instincts. I learned to embrace pauses rather than fear them and to guide conversations instead of forcing them.
By the time my second attempt came around, I wasn’t just prepared—I was ready to adapt. This wasn’t about perfect delivery anymore. It was about understanding, engaging, and problem-solving in real-time.
And this time? I didn’t choke.
Five Months Later – A Different Salesperson
That moment could have broken me, but instead, it became my turning point. I realized that sales isn’t about memorizing scripts—it’s about understanding problems and solving them in real-time. I’ve stopped seeing failure as a dead end and started treating it as a lesson.
I’ve rewired my approach. Instead of relying on pre-written lines, I focus on active listening. I practice objections until my responses feel natural. Every demo, every awkward silence, every rejection—it’s all part of my training montage.
Five months later, I’m not the same intern who froze up in that first demo. My confidence has grown, my conversations flow more naturally, and I even joke about my embarrassing moments with the team. I’ve learned that the best salespeople aren’t the ones who never fail—they’re the ones who fail, learn, and come back stronger.
Lessons from the Trenches
Sales is a brutal yet brilliant teacher. It doesn’t just test your skills—it tests your resilience. My first rejection wasn’t from a customer; it was from myself. But pushing past that moment showed me that setbacks aren’t stop signs; they’re just checkpoints on the journey to getting better.
Here’s what I took away from it all:
✅ Rejection is a checkpoint, not a stop sign.
✅ Sales is about listening, not just talking.
✅ Preparation is great, but adaptability is king.
That first demo haunts me, but you know what? I’d do it all over again—because failure didn’t stop me. It built me.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in sales, it’s this—failure doesn’t kill you. But fear of failure? That’ll keep you from ever making it.