Do Salespeople Need FBI Hostage Negotiation Skills?

In this episode, Fred Copestake is joined by Ollie Whitfield of Slingshot Content to explore a sales tactic that surprisingly few salespeople use: running webinars themselves.   While marketing teams often lead webinars, salespeople can use them as a powerful way to stand out, demonstrate expertise, and create valuable conversations with prospects.   The key is doing them well.   Not product demos. Not long introductions. And definitely not disguised sales pitches.   Instead, the best webinars focus on insight, useful ideas, and real problems your customers face.   In this episode, we cover: Why webinars can help salespeople stand out Why most reps never try them What makes a webinar worth attending How to structure a webinar so people stay engaged Why titles and clarity matter The difference between public and private webinars How webinars create better follow-up conversations   Key takeaway A good webinar allows salespeople to teach before they sell. Done well, it helps build trust, demonstrate expertise, and create a natural reason to follow up with prospects. . Connect with Ollie ·         LinkedIn: Ollie Whitfield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olliewhitfield   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/haeCH5I4uLc   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/  

In this episode, Fred Copestake is joined by Ollie Whitfield of Slingshot Content to explore a sales tactic that surprisingly few salespeople use: running webinars themselves.   While marketing teams often lead webinars, salespeople can use them as a powerful way to stand out, demonstrate expertise, and create valuable conversations with prospects.   The key is doing them well.   Not product demos. Not long introductions. And definitely not disguised sales pitches.   Instead, the best webinars focus on insight, useful ideas, and real problems your customers face.   In this episode, we cover: Why webinars can help salespeople stand out Why most reps never try them What makes a webinar worth attending How to structure a webinar so people stay engaged Why titles and clarity matter The difference between public and private webinars How webinars create better follow-up conversations   Key takeaway A good webinar allows salespeople to teach before they sell. Done well, it helps build trust, demonstrate expertise, and create a natural reason to follow up with prospects. . Connect with Ollie ·         LinkedIn: Ollie Whitfield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olliewhitfield   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/haeCH5I4uLc   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/  

In this episode of the Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake speaks with Alex Nicholls-Gray, founder of The Prospect Experience Company, about why the prospect experience has never been worse and what salespeople can do to fix it.   With automation tools and AI making it easier than ever to send thousands of messages, buyers are overwhelmed with generic outreach across email and LinkedIn. The result? Lower response rates, more spam complaints, and prospects who ignore most messages.   Alex argues that the solution isn't sending more outreach it's improving the experience of being prospected.   Why Prospecting Is Getting Harder   Two key changes are shaping modern prospecting: Automation at scale: Sales tools allow thousands of messages to be sent instantly, often replacing thoughtful messaging with volume. AI-generated outreach: AI can produce polished emails quickly, but because everyone uses the same tools, many messages now sound identical. The result is more noise and less impact.   Three Ways to Improve Prospecting Alex suggests focusing on three simple principles: 1. Show effort: Prospects notice when real time and thought have gone into outreach. 2. Be creative: Memorable outreach stands out. If a prospect remembers your message months later, it worked. 3. Show personality: Human communication beats automated scripts every time.   Why Direct Mail Works   One overlooked approach is sending something through the post. Because inboxes are crowded but physical mailboxes are not, a simple handwritten card or small item can capture attention quickly. Alex often sends a card with a short handwritten note and a small item such as a tea bag - something simple but memorable.   A Simple Prospecting Metric   Alex suggests sales teams track one question: When you follow up, does the prospect remember your outreach? If they do, you've cut through the noise.   Connect with Alex Nicholls-Gray LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexnichollsgray Website: https://thepxc.com/   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QDArjg6vjVI   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/

Fred is joined by Mark Young, whose LinkedIn headline says it all: "A cat person helping technical AI founders earn trust before the first call."   This episode is a lively (and refreshingly sceptical) conversation about why so much LinkedIn advice is formulaic, outdated, or simply irrelevant - especially for technical founders and specialists who need trust, not vanity metrics.   What you'll learn Why a lot of LinkedIn "best practice" is recycled templates and pseudoscience The danger of chasing quick wins like "20,000 followers in 90 days" claims (and what's actually behind them) What LinkedIn's algorithm shift has changed (and why "do every format every week" can hurt reach) Why the people who "do best" on LinkedIn are often… the ones selling LinkedIn How to build trust with the right audience without trying to game the platform   The LinkedIn Audit: what Mark looks at Mark explains the simple profile elements that matter most if LinkedIn is going to work as a sales tool: Banner (top real estate): quickly signals "you're in the right place" Headline: follows you everywhere—comments, search, connection requests should clearly show who you help + how you help and can include a small "human hook" (yes, like cats or Mary Poppins) About section: should read more like a landing page than a CV clear ICP, clear outcomes, easy to contact you Credibility signals: proof, continuity, trust markers (without making it all about you) ICP clarity: pick a focus for your campaign (even if you can sell wider) Call-to-action strength: what you want people to do next, made simple   Trust on LinkedIn: what actually works Engage properly (not spam comments, not "AI parroting") Use LinkedIn like a real-world networking event: show up, contribute, be relevant Build familiarity and credibility before you ask for time or a call Avoid "potato-style" engagement hacks that create noise, not trust   Connect with Mark Young LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markyoungsocial Email: [email protected] Want an audit? Comment POTATO 🥔   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KTJSIrxcHWY     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/

In this episode of The Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by Sebastian Hidalgo, co-founder of DURINDAL and creator of the SWAT method - a sales framework influenced by hostage negotiation principles.   Fred admits he's often sceptical when crisis negotiation gets blended with commercial sales, so this becomes a lively, grounded conversation: what genuinely transfers, what doesn't, and how to use "hostage" techniques ethically to improve trust, discovery, and positioning.   What you'll hear in this episode Sebastian's unusual origin story: becoming a certified hostage negotiator at 18 The persistence it took to get accepted into training as a civilian and young applicant How later PSYOPs (psychological operations) training triggered an "aha" moment: he'd been applying negotiation principles in business without realising it Why Sebastian believes there's a gap between negotiation books (e.g. Never Split the Difference) and practical sales structure Fred's perspective: crisis negotiation ≠ commercial negotiation - and why that matters   The SWAT Method in a nutshell Sebastian explains SWAT as a four-stage sales method designed to: Earn trust faster Create positioning in real time - not just against competitors, but against the buyer's past failed attempts with similar solutions The four stages are: Influence Diagnosis Failure Mapping Value Alignment (what most people would call "the close", though Sebastian avoids that framing) Influence + Diagnosis + Failure Mapping sit mainly in what traditional sales calls "discovery", but with more emphasis on trust, relevance, and reducing friction.   Where the "hostage" skills show up (without the Hollywood nonsense) Sebastian's view: you don't need dramatic tactics - you need fundamentals executed well. Key transferable skills include: Listening (with intent - often reinforced by taking notes) Active listening + mirroring (what intelligence work calls elicitation: helping people talk themselves deeper into the real issue) Staying calm under pressure Reading the person in front of you (tone, pacing, reactions) rather than hiding behind slides He also highlights the need for flexible creativity - adapting your knowledge to the buyer's reality in the moment.   Key takeaway The value isn't "hostage negotiation theatre." It's using proven human skills - listening, trust-building, uncovering blockers early, and positioning through relevance  to make sales feel less "gross" and more like service.   Connect with Sebastian ·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dp-hidalgo Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.durindal.com     Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-IP6Z7zU9Rg   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/  

In this episode, Fred is joined by Tom Ridley, an AI sales coach, for a refreshingly grounded conversation about AI in sales.   Instead of racing through a list of tools, Tom makes a different point: AI isn't the story - being human is. The real value of generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) is that it removes the admin-heavy work salespeople hate and frees them up to do what matters most: have better conversations, build stronger relationships, and help customers make sense of complex decisions.   They explore how to use AI to research accounts, focus on the right opportunities, prepare sharper conversations, and even critique proposals through the lens of different stakeholders (CRO, CFO, Procurement). Along the way, they also tackle a real risk: AI can create a false sense of confidence if you stop at surface-level answers, which is why critical thinking and comprehension matter more than ever.   This episode is all about making AI feel accessible and giving listeners permission to start simple, build confidence, and improve one step at a time.   What You'll Learn Why AI in sales isn't "about tools" - it's about freeing time to be more human What generative AI actually means (and how it differs from older AI like recommendations/analytics) How AI helps with the "admin" tasks salespeople avoid: CRM, account research, note tracking How to use AI to narrow 300 accounts into a focused "top 20" priority list The danger of "AI confidence" without real understanding (Dunning–Kruger in the AI era) Why you need to keep probing deeper instead of accepting the first AI response How to use AI as a memory + insight engine across long enterprise sales cycles Simple ways to use AI to: generate questions find non-obvious insights critique proposals roleplay stakeholder objections Treating AI like an "employee" you manage - and why prompt clarity matters A practical way to measure ROI: did it move you forward and improve the quality of the activity?   "AI can do the tasks salespeople don't like… so you can focus on great conversations."   If AI feels overwhelming, this episode is your reset.   Start simple. Use what you already have. Focus on better conversations, not shiny tools.   And if you want to go deeper, Tom shares how he helps teams build AI into sales workflows from SDR to CRO level.   Connect with Tom           LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomridley Website: https://amplify-consultancy.com Podcast: The Business and Bots Podcast (with Dexter Winters)  YouTube:   Spotify:     Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/FnyRVZdj5Xc   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/

In this episode, Fred is joined by Chelsea Burns - marketing psychologist, brand ethicist, and non-manipulative marketer to explore where ethical marketing and ethical selling overlap… and where they can go wrong.   Chelsea introduces a practical way to draw the line between persuasion and manipulation: Agency - a person's genuine ability to choose. From there, the conversation goes deep into real-world examples of questionable tactics, why "FOMO" can backfire, and how the brain evaluates purchases immediately after the transaction.   Chelsea also shares her four pillars of ethical branding - consent, reciprocity, trust, and belonging and explains how relational psychology can turn ethics from "debating club theory" into day-to-day, tactical decisions that build long-term relationships (and better business).   Fred rounds things out with sales parallels like transparency selling, "lead with a flaw," and a brilliant ethics conundrum involving goats, segmentation… and B1G1.   What You'll Learn Why ethical persuasion is possible and why "all marketing is manipulation" isn't true The ethical line: agency and a customer's ability to choose A real example of manipulative tactics (and how they show up in launches) Chelsea's four pillars of ethical branding: Consent Reciprocity Trust Belonging Why manufactured urgency and "never-ending discounts" blur ethical consent How FOMO can turn into FOMU (fear of messing up) and increase buyer anxiety Why buyers judge value immediately after purchase and how negative emotion backfires The "transformation arc" in marketing and selling: current state → desired state → bridge Why implementation is what people pay for (not just information) A practical ethics test: transparency + intent + consent + follow-through   If you want marketing and selling that drives results without crossing ethical lines, this episode will give you a clear framework  and a few things you may never unsee again.   And if you've ever wondered whether a tactic "works" but feels a bit… off ,Chelsea's agency test is a great place to start.   Connect with Chelsea ·         LinkedIn: Chelsea Burns:  linkedin.com/in/chelseaburns26 ·         Website: https://www.the-marketing-psychologist.com/   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/2CHGDwCMtpc   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/

In this episode of The Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by sales thought leader, author, and one of the kindest people in the profession, David Brock.   Together, they explore David's new book "Is Good Enough, Good Enough?"  and why it's not another "do this, do that" sales methodology book. Instead, it focuses on the mindsets and behaviours that separate high performers from those who are simply checking the boxes.   With win rates often accepted at 15–20% in many SaaS environments, David challenges the idea that "making the number" should be the benchmark. The conversation asks a bigger question: what becomes possible when we stop settling for good enough?   In this episode, they explore: Why David wrote Is Good Enough, Good Enough? and what triggered his frustration The hidden cost of "acceptable" win rates and how much time teams spend losing Why sales improvement isn't just about tools, process, tech, or methodology What really separates high performers: mindsets and behaviours Why customer centricity is still misunderstood (and often too seller-focused) How to build trust by leading with what the customer cares about - not your product Why buyers increasingly want rep-free journeys (and what that really means) How questioning needs to evolve from "agenda-driven" to "sense-making" The role of curiosity and continuous learning in modern, complex sales How insight works in the real world - and why it doesn't need to be revolutionary AI as an amplifier: how it boosts good thinking (and scales bad thinking fast) Why curiosity may be the most important starting point for sellers and leaders   Key insight The biggest performance gap in sales isn't caused by a lack of methodology. It's caused by settling. When salespeople stop being curious, stop learning, and start focusing on themselves instead of the customer, "good enough" becomes the standard - even when far better is possible.   Practical takeaways Lead with the customer's world, not your product story Ask questions to understand, not to "set up" your pitch Use insights to start conversations - you don't have to be perfect, just thoughtful Let AI support deeper research and better preparation, not lazy automation Build your foundation: curiosity, customer focus, discipline, accountability, and care   About David Brock David Brock is a respected sales leader, writer, and author of Sales Manager Survival Guide and Is Good Enough, Good Enough? His work focuses on helping sales professionals and leaders perform at a higher level by strengthening the behaviours and thinking that drive real results.   Where to find David Brock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebrock Blog: https://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/ Book: Is Good Enough, Good Enough? available on Amazon - https://a.co/d/8qcWKx9   Connect with Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Free resources Collaborative Selling Scorecard Check how your sales approach fits today's environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers    Watch this episode on YouTube

In this episode, Fred is joined by John Richardson, Co-Founder and Director of Coaching at My Sales Coach, to explore a key question: how do you get faster, more meaningful results from training and coaching?   Their answer is simple but powerful: start with the right assessment.   They unpack why great coaches are always assessing (without judging), how the right diagnostics can shorten the path to meaningful improvement, and why revenue alone isn't a useful starting point for development. John explains how My Sales Coach uses assessments to build coaching plans with focus, structure, and evidence of progress and why the Objective Management Group (OMG) assessment stands out for sales performance.   The episode finishes with practical guidance on how to position assessments in a way that builds trust, reduces anxiety, and helps salespeople see the value: better outcomes, faster - without overwhelm.   What You'll Learn Why assessment is the shortcut to meaningful development (without "wasting time") The difference between coaching with structure and coaching by guesswork Why "more revenue" isn't a straight line from "better selling" How to use assessments to create coaching focus without overwhelming the rep Why OMG is not a personality test or a skills matrix and why that matters The two "below the surface" indicators that often unlock the biggest progress: Need for Approval Supportive Buy Cycle How "Will to Sell" works (Desire, Commitment, Motivation) and why it can be uncomfortable - but useful How to position assessment so it feels like support, not judgement Why top performers still benefit from diagnostics (elite sport analogy)   If you're responsible for sales performance and want training/coaching to land faster and stick longer- this episode is a must-listen.   And if you're curious about using assessment to create more focused, personalised development, connect with John directly:-    Connect with John ·         LinkedIn: John Richardson:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrichardson11/ ·         Website: https://www.mysalescoach.com/ ·         Email: [email protected]   Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/AvQrgeEAEwI     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/

In this episode of The Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by communications and speech coach Susie Ashfield, author of Just F**king Say It and a third-time guest on the show.   This is an "emergency podcast" sparked by a moment on LinkedIn: Susie posted a video where she stumbled and left it in. No polishing. No AI. No pretending.   Because as AI-generated content gets smoother, faster, and more convincing, the thing that makes us stand out is increasingly simple:- being human.   Together, Fred and Susie explore what we risk losing when we outsource too much of our thinking, speaking, and creativity and how sales and communication can stay authentic in a world racing towards perfection.   In this episode, they explore:   Why Susie kept the mistake in her LinkedIn video and why it mattered The "volcano project" problem: what happens when the parent (or AI) does the work Where AI is genuinely useful (time-saving, editing, polishing) vs where it flattens originality Why "give me 10 creative ideas" isn't actually creative The difference between amplifying your thinking and outsourcing your thinking Why micro-mistakes, humour, and real reactions build trust and relatability The Pratfall Effect and why small imperfections can increase likability Why AI scripts often sound "political" - and why humans respond more to "comedian energy" How to make better videos without becoming artificial Why quality beats quantity in sales outreach - and why AI-driven scale can backfire A powerful story about effort, authenticity, and why "rubbish" sometimes wins   Key insights AI can make your content look perfect. But perfection isn't what creates connection. The future belongs to people who can think, speak, and show up with enough courage to be real - including the pauses, the stumbles, the humour, and the moments that don't land perfectly. Because that's where trust lives.   Practical takeaways for salespeople and creators Use AI for the practical work (drafting, editing, formatting, speeding up execution) Keep the creative work human (insight, point of view, story, judgement, humour) Don't fear mistakes - small imperfections can increase engagement and relatability Ditch the "social script" of long intros and credibility lists: lead with the audience's problem Prioritise quality connections over mass automated outreach   About Susie Ashfield Susie Ashfield is a communications and speech coach and the author of Just F**king Say It. She helps people speak with confidence and impact  without sounding scripted, robotic, or artificial. The book is also available as an audiobook, read by Susie herself (of course).   Get in touch with Susie ·        Search Susie Ashfield online to find her work and the book:  https://amzn.eu/d/aIZJK6N   ·        LinkedIn: message Susie Ashfield directly - she replies - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannahashfield/   Connect with Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake   Free resources Collaborative Selling Scorecard Check how your sales approach fits today's environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/   Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/R6iKggd27NA