Sales Today

What really happens when a top salesperson gets promoted into leadership?

In this episode, Fred is joined by Amanda Downs, Director of Commercial at The Uspire Partnership and author of Step Up to Sales Leader, to explore the challenges of moving from individual contributor to sales leader.

From letting go of old habits… to leading former peers… to creating the right structure for growth, this episode is packed with practical insight for anyone stepping into sales leadership or supporting others to do it.

Key Takeaways

• Great salespeople do not automatically become great sales leaders
• One of the hardest shifts is learning to release the reins
• The "white knight" trap stops teams from growing
• Leadership requires clarity, structure, and consistency
• Amanda's GROWTH toolkit gives sales leaders a practical framework
• Positive regard and genuineness are powerful leadership habits
• Values matter most when things go wrong
• Sales leadership is not about doing more yourself — it is about enabling others

The Big Shift

Stepping into sales leadership is not just a promotion.

It is a move from doing the work to leading the people who do the work.

About Amanda Downs

Amanda Downs is Director of Commercial at The Uspire Partnership and author of Step Up to Sales Leader. She helps organisations develop stronger sales leadership through practical frameworks, coaching, and commercial insight.

📘 Step Up to Sales Leader - Available from 20 April on Amazon and through major booksellers.

Chapters

01:51 Stepping Up Challenges

05:35 White Knight Trap

07:49 Player Coach Debate

09:35 Growth Toolkit Overview

15:37 Release Reins Process

20:01 Leading Former Peers

21:48 Opportunities Magic Matrix

23:24 Gap Analysis Tools

24:59 Availability And Distribution Basics

29:48 Self Coaching And Imposter Syndrome

31:42 Touchpoints And Thought Leadership

33:00 Value Proposition Storytelling

35:16 Values In Action

Connect with Amanda

· LinkedIn: Amanda Downs - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2

· Email: [email protected]

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zsiv0vMrzKU

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/

Listen & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Sales Today Podcast for more practical insights on modern selling and leadership.

What if selling wasn't about speed… but about timing?

In this episode, Fred is joined by Mark Kempf, author of Unfurl Your Sales, to explore a different approach to selling -one that is gradual, progressive, and deeply personalised.

From slowing down to speed up… to building relationships that last decades, this conversation challenges the pressure to rush and reframes what effective selling really looks like.

Key Takeaways

• Slow down to speed up in sales
• Focus on quality over quantity
• Personalisation is about the conversation - not just research
• Confidence comes from competence and preparation
• Stop forcing urgency - align with the buyer's timing
• The goal isn't a sale… it's a long-term client

The Big Shift

Sales doesn't need to be rushed.

The best sellers move with intention, not pressure.

About Mark Kempf

Mark Kempf is the author of Unfurl Your Sales, bringing decades of experience in relationship-led, long-term selling.

📘 Unfurl Your Sales - https://amzn.eu/d/0hPZfBXL 👉 https://www.unfurlyoursales.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Mark Kempf

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v4hBh8Kk6ms

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/

Listen & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Sales Today Podcast for more practical insights on modern selling.

The way buyers buy has changed - but most sellers haven't.

In this episode, Fred is joined by Steve Knapp (co-founder of PLAN.GROW.DO) to explore what the Buyer Revolution really means for modern sales.

From buyers being 83% through their journey before speaking to you… to why most sellers are preparing for the wrong conversation - this episode challenges traditional thinking and offers a more practical, buyer-led approach.

Key Takeaways

• Buyers are further ahead than you think
• Your first job is to validate, not qualify
• Preparation must match the buyer's reality
• Most value is created before the first conversation
• Personalised content builds trust - corporate content doesn't
• It's easier than ever to sell… but harder than ever to stand out

The Big Shift

Sales isn't broken.

But the timing, approach, and expectations have changed.

The sellers who adapt to how buyers actually buy will win.

Chapters

0:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:35 Beyond Sales Training

04:21 Buyer Revolution Research

09:00 Validate Not Qualify

11:37 The Two 83 Percent Stats

14:33 Nurturing Between Orders

19:32 Hybrid Channels and Personalisation

25:57 Leadership and Measurement

28:04 Personal Brand Amplification

31:27 Resources and Wrap Up

Connect with Steve

Steve Knapp is co-founder of Plan Grow Do, helping organisations evolve their sales approach through training, coaching, and consultancy.

Website: https://plangrowdo.com LinkedIn: Steve Knapp - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveknappsales

Get Steve's Book - Selling Lubricants Smarter Buy on Amazon

Beyond The Blend Podcast - https://plangrowdo.com/beyond-the-blend-podcast

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BwRzJ2_JS-0

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/

Listen & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Sales Today Podcast for more practical insights on modern selling.

In this episode of the Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by Marc Baladi, sales and senior leadership coach, and co-host of the podcast Beyond Enough.

Together, they explore a challenge many people in sales quietly face: feeling overwhelmed, behind, or not good enough - even when they're capable and putting in the effort.

Marc's argument is simple but powerful:

You are probably not struggling with capability or effort.

You are struggling with cognitive load - and not knowing what "good enough" looks like.

In this episode

• Why "imposter syndrome" and "burnout" are real, but often misunderstood
• How cognitive overload shows up in sales and leadership roles
• Why your to-do list keeps getting longer
• The difference between what needs to be done and what you just feel you should do
• How to spot what you are avoiding
• Why defining a "good enough" day can reduce pressure
• The role of routines, values, and self-awareness in managing workload
• Why progress matters more than perfection

The 3 questions Marc shares:

1. What are the 3 things that actually need to be done today?

Not everything on your list matters equally.

Focus on the few things that genuinely move things forward.

2. What are you avoiding or letting slip?

Sometimes the issue isn't lack of effort - it's uncertainty, pressure, or misalignment.

3. What would a "good enough" day look like?

If you defined success more realistically, would you feel more in control?

Key takeaway

Most people are trying to do too much, prove too much, or be too perfect.

A better approach is to define your operating baseline - what good enough looks like for you - and work from there.

Because the goal isn't perfection.

It's sustainable progress.

Connect with Marc

· LinkedIn: Marc Biladi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaladi

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ucQEhWkWpmI

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, 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:

1. Earn trust faster
2. 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/