Sales Today
249 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago -‘What a time to be in sales’
People say this various times in many different ways – excited, exasperated, worried, pessimistic, optimistic, happy, sad, confused – the whole range of human emotions.
This is an exciting time to be in sales, if you are selling B2B complex solutions. It’s a time when you can bring huge value to your customers; it’s a time to thrive. But you need to know how, as it is a time unlike any before. The rules have changed and as a sales professional you can have a hand in redefining how the game is played.
Challenges salespeople face are:
· ‘Busy Busy Busy’ – being ineffective; it results in wasted opportunities, is tiring and stressful and means the focus is on the wrong activities to deliver results
· ‘Olde Worlde’ – being old-fashioned; when salespeople are self-centred rather than customer-focused, too technical in their approach or use bad techniques better suited to a bygone era of selling
· ‘Muddled Mindset’ – being misaligned; it can happen at organisation, management and individual level and the confusion leads to frustration and wasted effort.
By using a more collaborative approach salespeople can make a difference and sales can become a force for good and fight against the negative image it can often be associated with.
The Sales Today podcast explores how sales professionals can adapt and futureproof themselves by using the best practice shared by host Fred Copestake and the guests of the show.
What a time to be in sales!
Host Fred Copestake is Founder of Brindis, a sales training consultancy, and bestselling author of 'Selling Through Partnering Skills' and 'Hybrid Selling'.
Connect with Fred on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
www.linktr.ee/fredcopestake
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Episodes
Dave Plunkett - Developing a collaborative mindset
September 01, 2022 15:42 - 43 minutes - 40.7 MBDave is all about partnerships & collaboration. He explains they are not only of one the most enjoyable ways to work, but they push things forward in the most effective way. We talk about what makes a collaborative mindset and how focus on a greater good plus honesty are key factors. But effective collaboration does not happen by accident so systems/process/checks are also important. It is interesting how knowledge is something that you can give away yet retain it and we wonder why peo...
Jon Selig - Using comedy techniques to sell more
August 25, 2022 04:30 - 38 minutes - 36 MBJon understands how stand-up comedy works and brings this to the world of sales. The best comedians make it about their audiences and trigger their emotions. By discussing relatable topics - and highlighting common truths about life's struggles (like marriage, dating, raising kids or smelly socks) - comedians are able to capture and hold their audience's notoriously-hard-to-capture attention. Customers (or ‘micro-audiences’) are no different. A single joke (or ‘humour’) that highlights a...
Wesleyne - The Science of Selling STEM
August 17, 2022 17:11 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBWesleyne is a 'recovering chemist' who transitioned into an international sales manager leading teams of technical sales reps so understands the challenge of that role. She now focuses on helping others in Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing succeed in selling. We discuss what makes this type of sale different and how technically minded people can adapt. It can be hard to articulate to the customer what they need to understand especially when the information required is diff...
Ben Elijah - Bonus episode: Live Storytelling Coaching
August 07, 2022 22:51 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBBen is back! This time with his coaching hat on to elicit a story from Fred. After a reminder of why the method is so powerful, he explains the process and then uses it in real life signposting the stages. Is Fred clear on his customers? What is the old way and what has changed? Can he create a deep enough subconscious shift to stimulate a desire to do something different? You be the judge!
Chris Von Huene - Don’t Sell Everything at Once
August 03, 2022 16:19 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBTelling prospects not to buy the entire package straightaway... is this crazy? Chris explains that while it may initially cost him in commission he also knows that the customer is guaranteed to fail if they buy everything at once. It is all to do with having to deal with too much change. Even when they want to move fast it is best to go in phases. He explains that he wants them to be successful in the long-term as it is a partnership they are building. This is about mutual trust - in his are...
Douglas Cole - How to Influence Corporate Buyers
July 27, 2022 12:22 - 41 minutes - 38 MBAre you a strategist, change agent and decision architect? If you are selling B2B at a senior level you need to be. Douglas shares some of the principles and frameworks he has outlined in his book written as a result of his own sense-making. Sales professionals need to understand the overlapping external, organisational and interpersonal dynamics that present themselves with every opportunity. Genuine strategic conversations with an appreciation of change plus lessons from behavioural econom...
Mohamed Alyousuf - Selling in the Gulf: Emiratizing Content
July 25, 2022 22:33 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Mohamed is a marketer 'with a twist' and we talk about the importance of tailoring content to suit the target audience. When communicating with customers, it is key they feel the message is for them so language and how it is presented are important...
Jen Allen - When Selling Goes Wrong
July 20, 2022 16:04 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBIt was a dumpster fire. This is how a CEO described a salesperson attempting to be a 'challenger' and failing dismally (though the story is fairly amusing). In her role as evangelist for this style of selling Jen Allen takes us through what Challenger is and what it is not. We discuss why such a powerful approach is badly applied so often and what to do to avoid this. Research and respectfully 'second guessing' are the order of the day. Is this you or are you a butthead? Learn more at: https...
Antoine Marsden - How to Become an Elite Seller
July 13, 2022 13:48 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBAre you average or elite? Antoine shares his thoughts on what salespeople can do to reach the top of their game. He sees 'leading with problems' as a key way of beginning customer interactions to show you are different by having a focus on them. We talk about what 'personal branding' actually means for a salesperson and what to do about it as well as how elite performers take ownership of their own learning. Learn more here: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Yulia Neicovcean - Selling in the Gulf: Always Be Learning
July 11, 2022 21:56 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Yulia shares her experience working as a Sales Coach and we explore how learning can be turned into results. We address the myth of the 'natural born' salesperson and how the deliberate application of things known to work delivers a faster route to...
Fred Copestake - Collaborative Selling using the VALUE Framework
July 06, 2022 09:10 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBMake sure you are relevant. Sales professionals need to be increasingly aware of what they say and do. This episode gives an overview of the VALUE Framework introduced in the book 'Selling Through Partnering Skills' that encourages salespeople to work with a partnering mindset to develop a more collaborative approach. In the spirit of practising what we preach the YouTube version tries out new tech that can be used to up the video-selling game. Check out Fred Copestake Youtube and the ...
Corina Goetz - Selling in the Gulf: Be Curious
July 04, 2022 12:04 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Corina shares how she fell in love with the region and why she dedicates herself to helping others understand the potential of working there and how to do this effectively. Her advice is to focus on relationships which can be established by see...
David J.P. Fisher - Hyper-connected Selling
June 29, 2022 14:47 - 41 minutes - 38.8 MBDavid talks about how selling has evolved in line with technology and how professional salespeople must now adopt more of 'sales sherpa' approach to guide customers on their journey. This starts early and relationships can be front-loaded through the provision of insight using digital media. In the quest to stay top of mind salespeople should remain clear about what they want to communicate and be known for. Check out the cameo role of drumming alter ego D. Fish and think about what your '...
Anirvan Sen - Selling in the Gulf: Respect Relationships
June 27, 2022 16:57 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Anirvan talks about why many Western companies fail when even when great opportunities present themselves. He underlines the importance of relationships and how the region not having a singular culture makes this more complex. Patience is a virtue ...
Ben Elijah - Don’t Just Be Yourself
June 22, 2022 19:49 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MB"Be yourself" is not always good advice, especially when selling to people unlike you. Ben shares a mental algorithm anyone can use to improve their communication, messaging and storytelling. By blending thinking about trust/patience/stakes/hierarchy it is easier to define what to say and how to say it. It is a way to become the person you need to be in that moment, We talk about how this lends itself to better storytelling and why this is an increasingly hot topic. Ben also provides a simpl...
Zach Selch - Selling in the Gulf: Awareness and Adaptivity
June 20, 2022 17:55 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Zach has worked in 135 countries and shares his experience of selling in the region. He talks about the 'mechanics of sales' and cultural differences that can be faced. His advice is to be constantly aware and able to make the right choices in acti...
Fred Copestake - Sales Is More Challenging Than Ever
June 15, 2022 13:40 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBWhat a time to be in sales! It was already challenging enough and then a new set of challenges develop that sales professionals have to address to stay effective. This podcast explores those challenges and suggests ways salespeople can adapt to stay relevant. Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard Take the Hybrid Selling Scorecard Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Levent Yildizgoren - Selling in the Gulf: Mother Knows Best
June 13, 2022 13:54 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Levent talks about localisation and the importance language plays. He explains why even a little acknowledgement of the customer's language immediately starts talking to their heart. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Chris Bogue - Creating Effective Sales Videos
June 08, 2022 22:42 - 41 minutes - 38.7 MBChris has a background that lends itself to effective video making and now occupies a unique place on the sales and content marketing spectrum. He wants to get to the bottom of what works and defines that as professional, not the stuffy corporate efforts that get little or a negative response. Being funny and understanding improv makes a difference, as does being natural and showing a human side. We consider both outbound and inbound activity and the right material for each. But what about s...
Zaid Darwazeh - Selling in the Gulf: Don't Hurry
June 06, 2022 22:43 - 20 minutes - 19 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Zaid talks about the adaptations needed around language, culture and trust. He explains how pressure will have negative consequences but patience is rewarded.
Larry Long Jr - Get Zapped With Intentionality
June 02, 2022 06:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBLarry is a bundle of energy and positivity intent on a mission to help people get unstuck and not only discover inner greatness but also embrace and live it wholeheartedly. He shares how his Midweek Motivation Minutes have morphed into seven pillars to develop as a person and sales professional. These include storytelling, learning from strikeouts and you are what you eat. We talk about his definition of sales and how to commission breath can be avoided by ceasing to be a 'me-monster' and bec...
Daoud Abu Qasheh - Selling in the Gulf: Personal Connection
May 31, 2022 08:22 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBThis is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents. We talk about what is unique about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt. Daoud shares his thoughts and clear passion for sales based on a successful career built on an approach that localises best practices and ensures a strong relationship. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Carles Espert & Marta Piera - Sales Skills Are Life Skills
May 25, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBCarles and Marta are studying International Business at NTU and have been working on a project to help fellow students and young professionals recognise how important the ability to sell is in whatever career path is chosen. They reflect on some of the things they have learned, including what has surprised them about how professional salespeople approach the role and the importance of the skills required to achieve this. What have they learned that you could also apply? Listen to the new epi...
Harry Spaight - Selling With Dignity
May 19, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBHarry Spaight wonders whether 'sales is broken' whether it is the tactics used that are driving buyers to avoid contact with salespeople. There is a concern that when they do interact the whole experience is distinctly underwhelming. We can do better. The way we work to understand what value means should be a joy and pleasure to all parties. His approach to selling is based on service (not being subservient) and he illustrates this with the story of his own mission and living on a tropical i...
Simon Bowen - Buyer Safety and Visual Models
May 12, 2022 04:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBSimon Bowen is a visual models expert who excels in simplifying complex sales and positioning salespeople as the 'sage'. He explains that by moving from verbal to visual speeds up the process with deeper understanding and an ability to show more tangible outcomes. There has been a shift in markets and sales are changing with those who are able to make the customer feel safe most likely to be the ones with continued success. We talk about the new type of sales funnel where degrees of safety ar...
Ryan Reisert - Don’t Be Scared of the Phone
May 04, 2022 15:54 - 38 minutes - 31.9 MBRyan Reisert is much more than 'Just an SDR'. He is thoughtful and uses his methodological approach from a maths background plus research into language and human nature to become an expert in the art of cold calling. Over a successful career, he has developed ways to establish the right mindset and honed techniques for maximum effect. He shares ideas on creating the right mental state as well as skills that uses to improve his strike rate. Does scripting a call make sense? Find out as Ryan s...
David Hoffeld - Sell More with Science
April 27, 2022 15:02 - 48 minutes - 42.2 MBDavid is the author of the groundbreaking books 'The Science of Selling' and the recently published 'Sell More With Science'. He has pioneered a revolutionary sales approach based on research in neuroscience, social psychology and behavioral economics that has been shown to radically increase sales. He talks about how buying decisions are made and how smart sales people will align their activity accordingly. The elegant yet simple '6 Whys' framework is a fantastic way to understand this and ...
Minson Vo - Everything is a Negotiation
April 21, 2022 13:29 - 36 minutes - 31.1 MBMinson’s life pivots around negotiation. He believes that negotiation is fundamentally human interaction. This means that every conversation happens because people want or need something from one another, whether this is consciously, subconsciously, verbally, or nonverbally. Therefore, he believes it can be synonymous with conversation, persuasion, and conflict resolution. Despite still being a university student, he is purpose driven. He explains that today's world is filled with hate and vi...
Rachel Shi - Get your Selling up to Date
April 14, 2022 04:00 - 40 minutes - 34.8 MBRachel is a consultant, coach and sales professional who specializes in helping salespeople win more by becoming the best versions of themselves. Having started her career as a creative, she applies design thinking to the craft of sales, and believes that a career in sales is the biggest lever to transformative personal growth. She shares thinking on modernising sales using technology including social media, video and understanding the wider tech stack available to salespeople to professional...
Adem Manderovic - Selling Ahead of its Time
April 06, 2022 13:30 - 44 minutes - 37.6 MBEnforced time to reflect has given Adem a remarkable insight in how to turn sales around and use techniques ahead of their time. Can you send a fully tailored proposal to a prospect before you have even met them? He thinks so and shares how with modern technology amazing things are possible to those who want to believe. This thinking is at the forefront of what can be done... though many choose to disbelieve it. Do you? Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Rob Turley - High Volume is Dead
March 30, 2022 18:12 - 43 minutes - 37.5 MBWill a RevOps hitman have strong opinions? You’ll see. Rob Turley thinks, sees, and understands things differently. He is a disruptor in the sales and marketing space whose opinions are often considered unpopular because they shatter the deepest-rooted paradigms. His life goal is to optimize how we connect and do business at a real and human level. Rob has dedicated his career to destroying the traditional sales and marketing practices by transforming them into high-precision processes, bo...
Jamie Martin - Psychology of Sales
March 23, 2022 12:15 - 41 minutes - 35.6 MBJamie has a background steeped in psychology and a fascination in how people think and communicate. He uses this to help salespeople adapt their way of working to be more effective in today's enviroment. Modern techniques must meet established ways of selling to drive success. Can using LinkedIn make a difference to acheiving results? It does if you know how! Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Paul Ruppert - Humility and Agility
February 10, 2022 12:17 - 45 minutes - 40.7 MBSlow is smooth, smooth is fast. This is one of the adages Paul uses when thinking about how to approach sales and business in general. Prior to entering the private sector he served over a decade in policy and political roles as an assistant to a US Senator which involved being adaptabel, understanding different perspectives and problem solving - much like selling. Innovation is change and those able to drive that are a valuable resource. Invariably a focus on the desired outcomes for al...
Nigel Baldwin - Creating Revenue
February 10, 2022 12:11 - 35 minutes - 31.2 MBNigel talks about having the right mindset for sales and about how we think being an important part of success. An intention to serve drives our levels of understanding and how we can develop business. We talk about if being different is enough of a differentiator, and why keeping things simple but effective is often the best approach along with the power of asking why more often. Does this interview miss anything? Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Hybrid Selling: New Challenges and Solutions with Fred Copestake
February 09, 2022 17:39 - 15 minutes - 13.3 MBSalespeople across the world face challenges in all different types of selling. This episode covers the areas in which salespeople can improve and adapt to change. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Leigh Ashton - Sales Growth Mindset
February 02, 2022 21:30 - 42 minutes - 36.2 MBYour mind is a like a warehouse in darkness - and Leigh helps shine the light. Most successful salespeople operate with a growth mindset that allows them to learn, develop and better serve their customers. With usually more than one way to do something, it is key to understand where you are and how to progress. A curiosity about neuroscience, psychology and even quantum physics allows salespeople to think differently. Reflection and practice has an impact on how individuals improve. How ...
Fred Copestake - Why Sales Today?
January 24, 2022 13:55 - 11 minutes - 9.68 MBThe ‘Selling Through Partnering Skills’ podcast has rebranded and expanded to ‘Sales Today’! Listen for: What salespeople should/shouldn’t be doing How salespeople can build trust How content creation can help salespeople How to use video in selling How we can improve our digital selling …and much more! Learn more about Sales Today and Selling Through Partnering Skills here: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Tom Mills: Procurement - Just Like Sales
January 19, 2022 14:11 - 37 minutes - 32.4 MBTom is passionate about changing the image procurement has, and is on a mission to share information to help alter the current perception. He explains why it is a function that should not be avoided and that by proactivly involving professionals in this area better outcomes can be achieved faster. There are many surprising similarities between Procurement and Sales which Tom throws open to promote better understanding. There are huge opportunities for a salesperson taking what he describes...
Andy Paul - Stop Being So Salesy
January 19, 2022 14:09 - 42 minutes - 35.9 MBMuch selling today is old fashioned and doesn't work because buyers don't like it. Yet salespeople persist in using these techniques. Andy explains how this makes even less sense as it many of the practices are unnatural and defines this as 'Selling Out'. He offers far more effective ways for approaching sales - 'Selling In' built on the far more human pillars of Connection, Curiousity, Understanding and Generosity. Have you got the mindset and perspective to sell in a way more conduci...
Rob Geraghty - Virtual Presentation
January 19, 2022 14:07 - 40 minutes - 35.1 MBCan virtual presentations be better than those delivered in real life? Rob believes they can be... but usually they aren't. Working in this way requires a different understanding of engagement, reading the room and managing technology which, when done well, can have a real impact. To improve in this increasingly important area does not always require radical change as the 62 'micro skills' Rob starts to introduce demonstrate. Virtual and the use of video offer some excting options for sale...
Todd Caponi - Unexpected Honesty Drives Results
January 19, 2022 14:05 - 42 minutes - 36.7 MBTodd is a Transpaerncy Nerd, Sales & Science Amalgamator and a Sales Historian so this conversation had plenty of potential... which it certainly fulfilled. After discussing how much of the modern thinking about selling isn't really that new, the talk turned to 'leading with a flaw'. Behavioural science shows that we can reduce the brain's resistance to ideas by proactively discussing the things we aren't so good at. The opposite of pretending to be perfect and what many would think sa...
Harry & Larry Series: Leading
January 18, 2022 16:52 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBHarry and Larry talk about leading customers. That Salespeople are change agents and should think and act as such by challenging the status quo. They know that customers want to do things differently and that it is not always easy for them. They appreciate that the more comfortable they are with change themselves, the easier it it to help customers manage their changes. They talk about change as an opportunity. ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SALES? Selling is changing, and...
Harry & Larry Series: Opportunity Management
January 13, 2022 11:44 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MBIn this episode, Harry and Larry reflect on how opportunity management is different to account management, but that there are plenty of similarities. They talk about how it focuses on a specific project or an identified chance to win business and that it is all about information. They see how it is understanding what they know and what they don’t know and that by recognise that there are things they need to understand better, they can take steps to find out and make better decisions. A...
Harry and Larry Series: Essentials
December 30, 2021 13:08 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SALES? Selling is changing, and sales professionals need to keep in touch with the latest trends to stay relevant and further their careers. Hybrid Selling does not just cover the clever use of tools and technology: it defines the way salespeople can adapt to a future that needs a multi-faceted approach to drive success. The book by Fred Copestake covers: - The essentials of selling as a foundation for winning business - The virtu...
Harry and Larry Series: Expanding
December 28, 2021 09:31 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MBHarry and Larry talk about expanding relationships and reach as what they do as professional salespeople. They discuss how expanding a relationship is about starting off on a project, working on some initial opportunities and delivering on those by ensuring the customer enjoys the success they are seeking. ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SALES? Selling is changing, and sales professionals need to keep in touch with the latest trends to stay relevant and further their caree...
Harry and Larry Series: Value Selling
December 28, 2021 09:31 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBHarry and Larry talk about value selling having been around for a while. However, that does not make it any less important today. As salespeople, they know they must understand what value is but talk about how they can't really know what value is until they work out what it means to the customer. Once this is established, they can share insights and ways of working that are going to help. ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SALES? Selling is changing, and sales professionals n...
Harry and Larry Series: Virtual Selling
December 28, 2021 09:28 - 24 minutes - 23.4 MBHarry and Larry discuss how virtual selling and the associated skills are important for they way they need to work. They talk about how they can operate using the tools and the techniques offered by modern technology. ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SALES? Selling is changing, and sales professionals need to keep in touch with the latest trends to stay relevant and further their careers. Hybrid Selling does not just cover the clever use of tools and technology: it de...
Matthew Gowen - Reduce the Noise in Selling
December 08, 2021 14:08 - 35 minutes - 30.6 MBMatthew talks about how 'being a good guy' makes sense in modern selling. He shares his simple yet highly effective SPC (strategy, people, competition) approach, and discusses how being mission-driven helps avoid being drawn into the day-to-day dramas that can become distracting for salespeople. By avoiding this, better focus can be given to the things that make a difference - including building relationships that add value. Is he right that salespeople perform better when they...
Robin Waite - Developing a Money Mindset
November 29, 2021 15:03 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBWhat is your relationship with money? This can have a huge impact on how you present your prices to customers. As a business coach with a special interest in pricing, Robin encourages people to think about what money means to them - as it affects how they talk about it to customers. He shares strategies to help salespeople become more comfortable with commercial conversations. Developing a better understanding about money helps to make a more frictionless experience for buyer and s...
Jason Cutter - Selling with Authentic Persuasion
November 22, 2021 16:49 - 45 minutes - 40 MBJason refers to sales as a 'science experiment'. Not surprising with a former career tagging sharks. Now he helps sales professionals move from order taker to quota breaker by using an approach grounded in empathy and transparency. He speaks about the importance of managing comfort zones and ensuring customers are safe at all times. By assuming the role of a guide rather than wantng to be the centre of attention, salespeople can be more far more effective. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/f...