Sales Today

How is raising funds like selling?

James explains that this is because that is exactly what it is.

As a result selling is a crucial part of the founder's mindset when looking to raise capital.

We discuss how not thinking in terms of a 'campaign' and therefore not being properly prepared is a mistake often made when fundraising - just like in sales.

He shares how targeting the tight kind of investor an reaching out effectively are key to a successful campaign - again just like selling.

In another similarity to B2B sales pitching too soon is also a common fault.

The choreography of closing is a fascinating insight into understanding the audience and creating just the right amount of tension.

Are you giving yourself enough time to succeed?

Learn more at https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Link to James's book https://www.robotmascot.co.uk/free-resources/

What happens when you make a price increase request?

Martin talks us through the process a procurement professional will go through together with ways salespeople can deal with responses they might expect to get.

Unsurprisingly as with most negotiations this comes down to good preparation as well as an ability to remain calm and keep emotions in check.

An understanding of power dynamics and avoiding irritants becoming a major issue will also contribute to likely success.

How confident are you in pushing your price increase through?

Lisa explains how positive psychology isn't something 'pink and fluffy' but a study of optimal human function.

She explains how 30 years ago some psychologists shifted their focus fron trying to fix things to helping people thrive.

She shares the PERMA Model (Positive emotion/Engagement/Relationships/Meaning/Accomplishements) and we explore how salespeople can apply this to themselves and with customers to drive a more collaborative approach.

We consider how active constructive responses can stimulate the positive emotions that help build trust.

Are you ensuring psychological safety of customers with your interactions?

Email for free resource pack: [email protected]

Link for Rocky: www.rocky.ai

How do you listen?

Having worked both sales and procurement Graham is able to help answer this question.

He explains how the reponses to this rarely go deep enough and that this is a reason that business is lost.

Listening is the number one skill rated by buyers that sellers should have, yet few really reach the levels required to make a difference.

This is why he now dedicates himself to help improve this ability.

He shares a simple yet powerful model to make more of the oppotunities that can be uncovered with true 'deep listening' (Sense - Interpret - Evaluate - Respond).

We also talk about the addiction to distractions and whether there are differences in the virtual environment.

What would a 20% improvement in listening mean to you?

Pritha has noted that performance change happens when there is an emotional shift in the professionals.

She combines the science of selling with emotional intelligence to build 'Sales Intelligence' in the sales team.

We talk about how sales are best achieved when there is a mindset to serve and how high levels of self-awareness and self-management are key to achieving this.

Sales professionals can become paralysed with limiting beliefs but when they are able to see things more clearly great achievements can occur.

Ownership of personal development is another area that top performers excel in.

Can you desire to sell without coming across as pushy?

Drew explains how 'Adaptive Selling' is the ability of a salesperson to change their communication style, the content of their pitch, and their overall approach while interacting with prospects, based on perceived information about the person or situation.

Using a personality framework can reveal how prospects want to behave, communicate, and make decisions, so adaptive selling techniques can be implemented, reinforced, and scaled throughout the sales entire organization.

At times when many continue to see selling as a numbers game those that can adapt and genuinely personalise are able to build better relationships and work with customers in a more meaningful way.

We talk about whether technology takes away sales skill or is a way of augmenting the human to do a better job.

Can a machine really understand how somebody thinks?

Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Link to Drew's book: https://www.crystalknows.com/book

Brittany Baldwin has a simple philosophy, she aspires to inspire before she expires.

Her mission is spreading the message that selling is simple and there's nothing complex about having conversations with customers.

She explains that business is like a clock. The cogs need to turn and the hands need to tick. And it's the same with your sales.

You need to get the gears in place and your sales ticking, or the clock will eventually stop.

Saying the right thing, to the right person, at the right time to achieve the right results.

She shares her 5:5:5 method for more productive working along with ideas for more effective connection with customers.

Is it the right time for you to improve?

Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Aidan is Transformation Consultant in Innovation, Leadership, Neuroscience, Cognitive Bias, Culture and Mental Agility as well as a speaker, podcast host and retired professional rugby player.

He talks about the speed of change and what 'exponential change' really is.

We consider the brains response to crisis and how this can make you less intelligent meaning both a hazard and opportunity for salespeople.

Also on the agenda is trust and why it is important to understand thinking bias as we look to resonate with customers.

Making connections is key to a successful approach and it is evident when a seller doesn't have pure intentions.

This erodes trust and makes subsequent communication increasingly difficult.

How much do we need to reinvent ourselves to be successful today?

https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Todd is a Transparency Nerd, Sales & Science Amalgamator and a Sales Historian and also a second time guest on the show.

This time the conversation turns to sales leadership and how he dealt with promotion on the basis of 'we think you're ready'.

As someone who value process and structure he set about building a way of working optimised withh behavioural science.

This has further developed with an emphasis on the five key responsibilities as sales leader now and which his new book is written around (Focus, Field, Fundamentals, Forecast, Fun).

We talk about some of the more counter intuitive elements of selling and why seeing payoff of effort is important to for intrinsic motivation.

Ultimately though. has 'salesmanship' really changed?

https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Bob Moesta is a founder, maker, innovator, speaker and now a professor.

He is the pioneer of 'Jobs To Be Done' Theory.

He has worked on and helped launch more than 3,500 new products, services and businesses across nearly every industry, including defence, automotive, software, financial services and education.

As part of this he has turned his mind to how salespeople can perform more effectively and realised that it is all about helping customers make progress.

We need to understand the dynamics of the customer's work and use language to reflect this.

Taking an empathetic perspective and really listening is where value can be created and we can start the process of focusing on outcomes.

Are you working on the customer's progress or your own?

Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake