Need Expert Advice?Our Gurus Can Help

Sidelined in Sales: How to Handle a Competitive Colleague?

Kanchan Rai |646 Answers |Ask -Follow

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Mar 30, 2025

Kanchan Rai has 10 years of experience in therapy, nurturing soft skills and leadership coaching. She is the founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation, which offers mindfulness workshops to help people stay emotionally and mentally healthy.
Rai has a degree in leadership development and customer centricity from Harvard Business School, Boston. She is an internationally certified coach from the International Coaching Federation, a global organisation in professional coaching.... more

Asked by Anonymous - Mar 29, 2025Hindi

Recently I have joined in Sales of a construction firm. I have 20+ years experience. My colleagues sideline me for socially as well as in commercial aspect. One shroud lady colleague even grab my customers who are supposed to be attended by me. This hampers my performance. The lady colleague is well settled in the job & good at work. But she is very greedy & canny. Please suggest me steps to be taken to resolve the issue. Being in a team everybody should get equal opportunity.

Ans: Start by documenting instances where your colleague takes your customers. Keep track of assigned leads, interactions, and any proof that shows unfair interference. Once you have enough evidence, approach your manager diplomatically. Instead of complaining, frame it as a concern about fair opportunity and teamwork. You can say something like, "I’ve noticed some overlap in customer assignments, and I want to ensure a structured approach so that everyone gets a fair chance to contribute."

At the same time, build relationships with other colleagues. Even if they are currently sidelining you, consistency in communication and showing your expertise will gradually shift their perception. Join informal discussions, offer insights, and find ways to make yourself valuable within the team. Sales is as much about internal networking as it is about customer engagement.

For your customers, establish stronger direct relationships. The more your clients trust you, the harder it will be for someone else to take them. Be proactive in follow-ups, personalize your approach, and make them feel you are the go-to person for their needs. If you can, set up meetings or calls with them before your colleague gets the chance.

If your workplace has a CRM system, ensure that your interactions with customers are properly logged. This creates a record of your engagement and makes it harder for someone else to claim them unfairly. If processes for lead allocation are unclear, suggest to management that a transparent system be put in place to avoid conflicts.

This will take time, but by being assertive, strategic, and focused on performance, you can shift the dynamics in your favor. If you remain consistent and prove your worth, your position in the team will strengthen, and your colleagues will have no choice but to acknowledge your contribution.