Episode 117: Stop Selling to Everyone: The #1 Mistake Consultants Make That Is Killing Their Sales and Growth

Season #2 July 06, 2026

"If you try to sell to everybody, you're selling to nobody." — Diego Mangabeira

In this episode, AJ Riedel talks with Diego Mangabeira, a 14-year self-employed sales consultant with IBM and 3M on his resume, about the single positioning mistake that keeps consultants stuck: a too-broad ICP.

Diego shares what it actually cost him — in lost conversions, wrong-fit clients, and burnout — and makes the case for why going narrow is the fastest path to a predictable consulting pipeline.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode

If your pipeline feels inconsistent or your conversion rate is lower than it should be, the problem might not be your sales skills or your marketing — it might be your targeting.

Diego has spent 14 years in sales and still fell into the trap of trying to sell to everyone.

In this episode he breaks down the real cost of a broad ICP and explains exactly why narrowing your focus makes selling easier, faster, and more consistent.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why a too-broad ICP kills conversions — The direct link between trying to reach everyone and ending up with an empty pipeline, in Diego's own words from his consulting practice.

• The real cost of the wrong client — A concrete story of how one wrong-fit client cost Diego his sleep, his relationships, and ultimately the engagement itself.

• Three reasons to go narrow for 90 days — Focus, persona clarity, and faster closes: Diego's practical case for laser-targeting one niche segment starting now.

• Why selling yourself is harder than selling for clients — Even a 14-year sales veteran with Fortune 500 credentials struggles with this — and Diego explains why it's psychological, not a skills gap.

Listen to These Key Moments

• 00:07:01 — The ICP admission: Diego acknowledges his targeting is too broad and names the direct consequence: lack of conversion.

• 00:08:54 — The wrong-client story: What a 2017 contractor engagement that felt like employment really cost him — sleep, stress, and a marriage under strain.

• 00:12:22 — The 90-day focus challenge: AJ asks what laser-focusing on Series A/B startups would mean for Diego's revenue. His three-reason answer is the most actionable moment in the episode.

• 00:21:11 — Selling yourself vs. selling for others: The honest conversation about why sales consultants freeze when marketing their own practice.

Key Takeaways

• "If you try to sell to everybody, you're selling to nobody." A broad ICP isn't a minor inefficiency — it's the root cause of an empty pipeline.

• A wrong-fit client doesn't just cost you a contract. It costs you your health, your time, and your peace of mind. Diego walked away from one — and it was the right call.

• Niching down makes selling easier, faster, and smarter — not harder. Knowing one persona means knowing their pain, their language, and exactly how to close them.

• Imposter syndrome doesn't go away. It resets every time you level up. Even a 14-year veteran feels it again at every reinvention — that's not a warning to stop, it's a sign you're growing.

About Diego Mangabeira

Diego Mangabeira is a self-employed sales and marketing consultant with 14 years in practice. He has worked with IBM, 3M, and Series A/B startups across the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. He is ranked in the top 1% of LinkedIn's Social Selling Index in the sales and marketing category and is the creator of the Boring Sales methodology — a framework built on daily discipline over tactics. He publishes the Boring Sales newsletter.

Connect with Diego On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegomangabeira/

Episode Transcript

E116_Diego_Mangabeira_Transcript

Guest: Diego Mangabeira, Self-Employed Sales & Marketing Consultant
Host: AJ Riedel

Note: This transcript reflects the edited episode. Content has been trimmed to two core threads: (1) the cost of a too-broad ICP, and (2) why selling yourself is harder than selling for others. Filler words and brief host acknowledgments have been removed.

Introduction and Background

AJ: Welcome to this episode of the Thriving Through Podcast. Today my guest is Diego Mangabeira. Diego, it's so good to have you on the show.

Diego: Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thanks for having me, AJ.

AJ: You've got 14 years with your own company, IBM and 3M on the resume. In your headline you are top 1% on LinkedIn in sales and marketing. So here's my question — when someone asks you what you do, what do you say?

Diego: That's a great question. I'd say I'm a giver — I like to share everything that I have, that I learn. I think of myself as a polymath. I like to learn a lot of things. And the more you can learn, the better you become. In sales especially, you're always evaluating yourself, developing humility, and learning to understand the other person's position. That makes it easier to close — when you understand what someone actually needs.

The Too-Broad ICP Problem: Naming the Cost

AJ: When we talked earlier, you described your ideal client profile — your ICP — and you said it's C-levels, founders, SDRs, account executives across SaaS and IT and startups. Then you caught yourself and said that's too broad. When did you first realize your ICP was perhaps too broad?

Diego: When I was creating my SaaS products. Because I'm a sales expert, I figured I could sell to everybody. But if you try everybody, you're not selling to anybody. Most of the time, you're selling to nobody. So I went back and asked myself: who were my clients in the past? Which types of companies did I actually sell to? And most of the time, they were C-level at Series A, B, or C companies. They had VC backing. The job titles varied depending on company size, but it wasn't far from that.

AJ: You said exactly what I tell people — when your ICP is too broad, you're trying to sell to everybody. And yet, looking at your LinkedIn profile, you're still pretty broad. What has that actually cost you?

Diego: Lack of conversion. Lack of sales conversions. That's the direct cost. And I'm reinventing myself right now because of it — like the phoenix myth. I even updated my LinkedIn today because I'm launching a new newsletter called Boring Sales. It's more related to the methodology I've developed over the years. I'm migrating everything there. But I hadn't touched my headline yet. That's next.

The Wrong-Client Story: What It Really Costs

AJ: Give me a specific example of a prospect you spent real time with who turned out to be completely wrong for you. What did that actually cost you — time, money, energy, emotional?

Diego: I can go back to 2017. I was more of a marketing consultant at that time, leaning toward digital marketing. What happened was more of an employee-employer dynamic. I was a contractor helping them with strategy, but they treated me like an employee. They were calling me constantly. They didn't understand that our relationship was based on results, not time.

Diego: That was a real personal struggle. Even my wife felt it — I was stressed all the time. I decided to quit. I abandoned that client, because I was wasting my health. I was not sleeping at all. And I was selling my time for money, which doesn't go well if you stay in that mode for long.

AJ: When we talked earlier, you lit up when you described Series A/B startups specifically. What would it mean for your consulting revenue if you got laser-focused on that segment for the next 90 days?

Diego: That's better, for three reasons. First, focus — you know exactly where your time is going. Second, the persona is really similar, so you know how to talk to them. You understand their pain points and constraints. Third, it's easier to sell. Because you know everything about their world — the industry, the language, the problems. For me, SaaS and tech and AI — I understand that world. I'm not an engineer or a developer, but I was at IBM. Before AI was what it is today, I was working on the quantum computing side of things. So I get it. Bottom line: narrowing down makes selling easier, faster, and smarter.

AJ: Are you going to narrow down?

Diego: Yes, I will. Everything happens for a reason. I don't disagree with anything you're saying. And honestly, the timing of this conversation — it's exactly what I needed. Since I'm between engagements right now, I have the space to make this shift. So I'm doing it now.

Why Selling Yourself Is Harder Than Selling for Others

AJ: I hear this from other consultants who are in sales and marketing — it's really easy to help other people do sales and marketing, but when it comes to selling yourself, it's a whole different game. And it's harder. Do you find that?

Diego: Yes. I'm facing that right now. I've done this a lot of times with myself. I think it's fear — you're changing something again, starting something different. And the imposter syndrome comes back. It happens again every time. So you need to insist. You need to show up for yourself over and over again until you believe it. It's more physical than you think — you're working against your subconscious, which wants security and familiarity.

Diego: But inside that journey, you also need to achieve something. And most of the time, we can do that for other people without hesitation. We need to recognize we're good enough to do it for ourselves too. That's the work. We need to allow ourselves to grow. To sell more for ourselves. It's like the chicken and the egg — both sides have to exist together.

Building Confidence to Sell at a Higher Level

AJ: You mentioned that you struggled early on with shyness — that the idea of getting in front of C-levels and founders felt almost impossible. You said you've done a lot of work on that. Where does that shyness or imposter syndrome still show up for you?

Diego: Everything changed in 2010. I had worn glasses since I was a child, and braces for seven years. My self-esteem wasn't great. In 2010, I switched to contact lenses and got the braces off. And suddenly I had to ask myself: what do I do now? I started looking for personal development courses and books. And I started recording my own podcast — I've been a podcaster since 2013. English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Diego: I can't say podcasting is just for ego or brand or selling more. It's an exercise. You have to think quickly about what you're going to say. You learn how to use words — like a child learning a new language. That process built my self-esteem. It helped me believe in what I was able to share. And then I was able to sell to C-level executives. That's how it happened.

The Boring Sales Philosophy: Consistency Over Tactics

AJ: Tell me about the Boring Sales concept. What's the philosophy behind it?

Diego: I'm a high performer. I don't like to be stuck. And I don't wait for someone to tell me what to do. I decided early to do a lot of things in parallel. But I can't consider myself a role model for everyone — most people are looking for a salary, stability. I'm not. So what I can offer is this: know your culture, your vision, your values — and go. But it's not motivational. That's why it's boring.

Diego: You need to do everything day by day. Sales is that. A salesperson is like a warrior — most of the time you're going to be defeated. You're going to get more no's than yeses. And you need to keep going. That daily grind, that consistency — that's what creates results. There are no shortcuts. That's why I call it Boring Sales.

Closing

AJ: If you could go back and tell the version of you starting out in 2012 — knowing what you know now — what one thing would change the trajectory?

Diego: Do not try to imitate others. Try to be yourself. I've heard a lot of things, and I've quit a lot of times. My mother always told me that when I was doing things my way — the way I believed things should go — someone would show up and I'd go in a different direction. So the advice is: be more confident about yourself. Eat the frog and go.

AJ: Eat the frog — Brian Tracy. Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast, Diego. And for those of you listening, until next time, keep thriving through.