In Episode 3 in this five part mini series of Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake and James Michael explore a question that challenges another long-held belief in sales: do great sales conversations succeed because of personality - or because of process?

This episode looks at how the most effective salespeople consciously select their mode during conversations, switching between listening, questioning, sharing insight, and guiding the discussion - always with the buyer's outcome in mind.

Rather than restricting creativity, process and structure create the space for better thinking, deeper understanding, and more human conversations.

In this episode, they explore:

• Why the ability to "select the mode" matters more than personal style
• The principle of seek first to understand, then to be understood — and why it's more relevant than ever
• How process gives permission to listen before presenting
• Why modern sales conversations must earn the right to ask questions
• The role of hypotheses and insight in opening meaningful dialogue
• How frameworks reduce cognitive load and free salespeople to focus on the buyer
• The balance between structure and creativity in complex B2B sales

Key insight

Great sales conversations aren't improvised.

They are guided by process, supported by structure, and brought to life through human judgement.

Process doesn't turn salespeople into robots. It removes uncertainty, so attention can stay where it belongs — on the customer.

Why this matters today

Buyers are busy, informed, and often sceptical of traditional sales behaviour.

Structure helps salespeople:

• Know when to listen and when to speak
• Lead with insight rather than interrogation
• Create clarity instead of adding noise

In complex sales environments, process isn't a constraint. It's a competitive advantage.

About the guests

Fred Copestake Founder of Brindis and author of Selling Through Partnering Skills, Hybrid Selling, and Ethical Selling. Fred has spent over 25 years working with sales teams across 38 countries, helping them move from personality-led selling to structured, collaborative approaches.

James Michael Founder of Justified Talent, James uses behavioural psychology and psychometric assessment to identify what truly predicts success in modern B2B sales. His work challenges outdated assumptions about personality, performance, and selling capability.

Connect with James

· LinkedIn: James Michael (Australia) https://www.linkedin.com/in/smesalesrecruiter/

· Website: www.justifiedtalent.com

Part of the Sales Today - CEMMT Sales Series

This is Episode 3 of a 5-part series exploring how selling must evolve to reflect how buyers think, decide, and behave today.

Subscribe to Sales Today to continue the journey.

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

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5F3NyWR1tEI

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/