7 Shifts for Commercially Stronger Conversations

Threatening to walk away from a negotiation might sound like a powerful tactic. But what happens when someone calls your bluff? In this episode of Sales Today, Fred Copestake is joined by Mark Raffan, the Negotiations Ninja, to explore why walking away from a deal isn't always the clever negotiating move people think it is. Mark challenges the common misconception that walking away is a negotiation strategy, explaining why having genuine alternatives, preparing properly and understanding what you actually want are far more important than making empty threats. Fred and Mark also discuss the psychology behind negotiation tactics, why salespeople are often too quick to offer discounts, and where the line sits between persuasion and manipulation. In this episode: Why threatening to walk away can seriously backfire The difference between walking away and having a genuine BATNA Why preparation is essential for successful negotiation How buyers use simple tactics to encourage concessions Why salespeople shouldn't panic when a customer says no The surprising role of CRM in negotiation preparation The difference between persuasion, manipulation and ethical negotiation Because good negotiation isn't about winning a battle. It's about finding an agreement that works for both sides. Connect with Mark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markraffan Website: https://negotiations.ninja Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/LK5-wxsMKGQ   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/  

Having the best product or solution doesn't guarantee you'll win the business. So what really influences a customer's decision? In this episode of Sales Today, Fred Copestake is joined by Nick Buxton, founder of Value Led Growth, to explore the growing trust gap in B2B sales and why buyers are increasingly reluctant to take risks, even when a better solution is available. Nick introduces a simple but powerful equation: Buyer Confidence = Expected Value − Perceived Risk. Together, they discuss why salespeople need to look beyond ROI and product benefits, understand the personal risks buyers face, and make it easier for customers to move forward with confidence. In this episode: Why the best solution doesn't always win The relationship between value, risk and buyer confidence Why personal risk matters as much as business value How complex buying groups make decisions harder Why sales and marketing need to focus on the entire buyer journey How to reduce risk by moving from promises to proof Why selling less initially can create greater long-term opportunities Because winning business isn't just about demonstrating value. It's about helping customers feel confident enough to act. Find Nick and Value Led Growth on LinkedIn to explore more of his thinking on buyer confidence and value-led selling https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-buxton https://www.linkedin.com/company/value-led-growth   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/M6pDwQUqK3A   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Are your sales conversations too focused on your products and not enough on your customers' problems? In this special episode of Sales Today, recorded from a recent webinar, Fred Copestake shares seven practical shifts to help salespeople, particularly those in technical and engineering sales, have more commercially valuable conversations. Fred explores why product knowledge alone isn't enough, how to uncover what really matters to customers, and why moving from product to problem is the key to better sales conversations. In this episode: Product Gravity: Shift the focus from your products to customer problems. Commercial Curiosity: Understand what's happening in your customer's world. Deliberate Discovery: Ask questions that create clarity, not just gather information. Problem Fluency: Know your customers' challenges as well as you know your products. Customer-Defined Value: Focus on the outcomes customers actually want. Collaborative Conversations: Stop selling to customers and start thinking with them. Deliberate Commercial Thinking: Move from reacting to planning ahead. Fred also introduces the Engineering Sales Academy, designed to help technical salespeople develop and apply these skills through ongoing training, coaching and practical support. Because customers don't buy products. They buy outcomes. Find out more about the Engineering Sales Academy: Join the waitlist.   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/w7EYAIsXd6o       Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Being great at selling doesn't automatically mean you'll be great at leading salespeople. In this episode, Fred is joined by Kelly Riggs, founder of The Business LockerRoom and author of The Five Power Moves, to explore why the transition from top salesperson to sales manager can be so difficult especially when organisations provide little or no training for the new role. They discuss the five moves Kelly believes can transform sales management: creating clarity, holding regular one-to-ones, having effective coaching conversations, building individual sales plans and improving onboarding. They also explore why coaching is a fundamental skill for any sales manager and why deal reviews and pipeline reviews shouldn't be confused with actually coaching your people. In this episode: Why top sellers can struggle when promoted into management The five power moves of effective sales leadership Why clarity comes before accountability The importance of individual sales plans The difference between managing deals and coaching people Why great sales managers develop people rather than do the job for them A practical conversation about making the shift from successful salesperson to successful sales leader. Connect with Kelly ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kriggs ·        Get the Book: 5pmbook.com   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a_0FJEiUC6U   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/  

Sales coaching works. The problem is getting enough of it, at the right time. In this episode of Sales Today, Fred is joined by returning guest Kevin Beales, founder of My Sales Coach, to explore how AI could help solve that problem without trying to replace the human coach. They discuss the disconnect between what managers call coaching and what salespeople actually experience, why more technology hasn't necessarily created more capable sellers, and where AI genuinely adds value. The opportunity? Combine the empathy, expertise and judgement of a human coach with AI's ability to provide frequency, availability, context and timely intervention. In this episode: Why sales coaching is more than simply asking good questions The difference between coaching for growth and managing for performance Why AI role play and feedback alone won't solve the competence problem Where AI can strengthen coaching Why timing matters as much as coaching frequency How AI can spot coaching opportunities a human might never see Why the future could be human coaching amplified by AI A great conversation about using AI for what it does best - while keeping humans firmly in the loop.   Connect with Kevin ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbeales ·         Website: https://www.mysalescoach.com   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/a-mFuuWNN78   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

What really makes someone great at sales? In this episode, Fred is joined by Nigel Gracie to explore the three elements he believes sit behind sales performance: mindset, skillset and toolset and why mindset needs to come first. They discuss why self-awareness and emotional intelligence matter, whether empathy can really be taught (or faked!), and why understanding the person behind the buyer is just as important as understanding their business needs. They also look at why so much sales training fails to create lasting behaviour change and why simply giving people another methodology, tool or process isn't enough. In this episode: Why mindset comes before skillset and toolset The importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence Why you can't fake empathy Understanding the personal wins behind buying decisions Why great salespeople don't necessarily make great sales leaders Why sales training needs to change behaviour, not just transfer knowledge The link between enjoyment, repetition and performance A fascinating conversation about developing salespeople from the inside out, rather than simply giving them more things to do. Connect with Nigel ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelgracie Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/9qDLGXx27XQ   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

What really stops salespeople from making the call, asking the question or starting the conversation? In this episode, Fred talks with Christer B. Jansson about sales call reluctance and why it goes much deeper than simply not wanting to pick up the phone. They explore the thoughts and behaviours that can quietly limit sales activity, why fear of being "too salesy" can actually make sellers less useful to customers, and why doing lots of activity isn't enough if the conversations themselves aren't meaningful. They discuss: Why knowing what to do doesn't mean you'll actually do it The psychology behind sales call reluctance Why fear of being pushy can hold good salespeople back The difference between activity and meaningful customer contact How call reluctance can become part of a sales culture Why both skills and mindset need attention A fascinating look at what might really be happening when a salesperson knows exactly what they should do…but still hesitates   Connect with Christer ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/christerbjansson ·         Contact: [email protected]   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/gKusr1Bdy5w   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Manufacturing and engineering businesses do brilliant work. But are they always brilliant at explaining why customers should choose them? In this episode, Fred is joined by Andrea Wilson, MD of Support UK Manufacturing and founder of ManufacturingUK.org, to explore how manufacturers can communicate their value, build stronger relationships and ultimately win more business. In this episode: Why manufacturers need to talk about more than what they make How to communicate why customers should choose you Why relationships and collaboration can be a genuine differentiator The importance of having better commercial conversations Why technical expertise alone doesn't automatically create great salespeople Why AI should support human conversations rather than replace them Why shifting from product to problem creates better customer conversations The big takeaway? Stop assuming customers will work out why you're different. Understand what matters in their world, communicate the problems you can help solve and give them a reason to choose you. Because great engineering deserves to be understood as well as admired. Listen now: Win More Business in Manufacturing Connect with Anndrea ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-wilson-supportukmfg ·         Website: https://manufacturinguk.org Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/Tjts5LDOXt0 Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

What if salespeople understood what procurement teams are actually trained to do? In this episode, Fred is joined by returning guest Mark Schenkius, procurement expert and author of The Other Side of Sales and The Art of Spending Money Wisely, to look at sales from the buyer's side of the table. They discuss why procurement isn't simply about squeezing suppliers on price, why buyers think about risk as well as cost, and why something a salesperson sees as exciting - like innovation —-can look very different through procurement's eyes. In this episode: Why buyers and sellers can approach negotiations very differently Why procurement thinks beyond price and cost savings Why innovation can look like risk to a buyer How procurement uses silence as a negotiation tool Why understanding a buyer's objectives changes the conversation Why salespeople need to understand the buyer's world, not just their own How trust can change the relationship between sales and procurement The big takeaway? Step into the buyer's shoes. Understand what they're measured on, what they're worried about and how they see the decision - and selling becomes a very different conversation. Connect with Mark ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/markschenkius ·         Website: https://roi-10.com/en ·         Books:   https://amzn.eu/d/05nyfs8e                         https://amzn.eu/d/09Ge9mPq   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/K0DRtC8K-Gw   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

What if discovery started before the first sales meeting? In this episode of the Sales Today podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by David Kreiger, founder and president of SalesRoads, to explore why many salespeople are getting prospecting wrong and how a discovery-led approach can completely change the conversation. Rather than rushing to pitch, David argues that great prospecting starts with research, intelligent assumptions and genuine curiosity about what is happening inside the customer's business. With the information now available particularly through AI - there's increasingly little excuse for going into a prospecting conversation cold. In this episode: Why discovery should start during prospecting Using research to create intelligent problem hypotheses Why you don't always need to start with the decision-maker How frontline conversations can uncover valuable insights Earning the right to move higher within an account Why permission-based openers can work The importance of slowing down and getting your tonality right Why great prospecting should feel more like consulting than selling The big idea? Stop prospecting to pitch. Start prospecting to discover. Do that well and you become someone customers actually want to speak to - because you're bringing knowledge, perspective and insight rather than simply pushing a solution.   Connect with David ·         LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkreiger ·         Website: https://salesroads.com   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/Igka5Za7SQI   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/