Marcus Cauchi

Principled Selling®  with The Ally Method ™

Headline: Unlocking Hidden Revenue: The Ally Method - Ethical Selling That Works

About: Tired of soul-crushing sales tactics that leave everyone feeling icky? The Ally Method flips the script. It's about building genuine trust, empowering buyers, and creating win-win partnerships that last.

Think of it as the "Science of Alliance" - a research-backed approach that helps you:

Close more deals ethically: No manipulation, just authentic connection.
Build a pipeline that flows: Attract your ideal customers organically.
Unlock hidden revenue: Maximize customer lifetime value through trust.
Intrigued?

Visit thesellercode.org. If it resonates, take step 2. If not, we're probably not a good fit. (And that's okay!)
Take our Selling Aptitude Test: See how you stack up against the top 4%. https://mailchi.mp/laughs-last.com/selling-aptitude-test
Book a free 30-minute debrief: Get raw, unvarnished feedback on your approach.

The Ally Method is especially powerful for underdogs and those with limited budgets. It levels the playing field by leveraging the power of trust and human connection, turning constraints into advantages.

Ready to ditch the sales grind and embrace a better way? Let's connect!

Head Coach

Success With Integrity

Traditional sales training focuses on the visible matter – tactics, techniques, processes. Yet absent is the unseen energy that binds relationships and accelerates deals.  

My offer provides the dark matter missing from standard sales models. I unlock the invisible forces of emotional intelligence, authentic connection, and consultative mindsets.

This dark matter fuels exponential growth through:

- Jedi-level listening skills to unearth customers' latent needs
- EQ mastery to build profound trust 
- Strategic guidance identifying unseen opportunities
- An ethical approach earning loyalty beyond transactions
- Proactive value creation versus reactive pitches

Standard sales training neglects this dark matter. It emphasizes visible matter like pitch scripts, demos, and closing tricks. But absent are the invisible competencies that convert relationships into revenue.

I multiply your existing training and experience with the dark matter of consultative mindsets, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence. This complete approach accelerates results by activating the unseen energies driving engagement and fulfillment.

Unleash the dark matter within your sales team. Transform transactional performers into trusted strategic advisors who ignite growth. Let’s fuel your explosive sales potential.

Discover your #BuyerSafety Score

https://mailchi.mp/laughs-last.com/selling-aptitude-test

30-minute free consult. No pitch. Ask me if you want coaching. I won’t sell it to you. It only works if you want it and implement what you learn. That comes with deep reflection, practise and confronting your limitations. 

If you’re ready to discuss coaching at that level, invite me to talk about it. Otherwise, we’ll focus on what matters most to improving your results without my help. Go on. Click and book if you want to know something about yourself you are unaware at this moment?

Successful Selling

My coaching provides professionals with the mindsets, toolsets, and skillsets to maximize their potential and live life to the fullest. 

Through immersive 1:1 sessions, I guide you on a journey of self-discovery, relationship building, and purpose alignment. My relatable, down-to-earth style creates a judgement-free space for you to engage deeply with what matters most.

Using proven frameworks rooted in human psychology, I enhance your emotional intelligence so you can understand motivations, connect empathetically, and communicate authentically. Thought-provoking stories, exercises and metaphors shift your perspective to unlock growth. 

You'll gain clarity on your values and talents so you can orient your life around meaning, not just achievement. Our work extends beyond the self to relationships - strengthening bonds, resolving conflicts, earning trust. With self-awareness comes the ability to create reciprocal, fulfilling connections.

Equipped with this knowledge of yourself and others, you're empowered to live with integrity. My guidance aligns your leadership, service and impact with your highest ideals. You contribute value in ways that feel effortless and fun.

The result is an empowered version of you. Fulfilled, at peace, surrounded by meaningful relationships. You have tools to continually evolve and actualize your potential while uplifting others. 

The impact spans all areas of life. As we dissolve what holds you back, you transform personally and professionally. My clients become more purpose-driven leaders, connectors, partners. They create positive change through the clarity and skills gained in our work together.

The journey isn't always easy, but with commitment it's life changing. Are you ready to uncover your best self and live life to the fullest?

Coach

Principled Selling is an ethical approach to sales focused on creating value versus making a transaction. It aligns sales with service through deep curiosity about the customer's true needs.  

Our mindset starts with abundance - there are endless opportunities for mutual benefit. We succeed by helping others succeed. This mentality enables authentic, consultative conversations.

By asking thoughtful questions, we uncover what matters most to customers both professionally and personally. This allows us to craft tailored solutions using our full capabilities.

We don't sell - we advise. Our goal is forming partnerships where the customer accomplishes their goals through the ongoing value we provide.

This requires moving beyond features to understand workflows, challenges and objectives. We architect solutions to customers' future goals, not just current pain points. 

Winning business is simply the byproduct of delivering extreme value. We earn trust by positioning ourselves as guides who enable customers' success.

What makes this approach unique is the mindset shift from transactional to transformational. Product knowledge is secondary to aligning with the customer's purpose.

Our superpower is human insight. We don't target companies, we serve people. This creates loyal advocates who reward partners that help them progress.

Principled Selling builds relationships and reputations. Customers refer others to us because they appreciate our impact on their lives and organisations.

This isn't a tactic, it's a conviction. We succeed by realising others' potential. Are you ready to experience the power of partnership?

Principled Selling - Aligning Sales with Service

Channel Sales Excellence

A trimester-based program for driving exponential partner growth through principled selling and partnering.

Trimester 1 - Recruitment:
Onboard new vendor partners and build internal team to facilitate training.

Trimester 2 - Foundations:
Train partners in core values and skills of principled selling and partnering. Establish reciprocal mindsets.

Trimester 3 - Implementation:
Partners apply learnings in field with shadowing. Gradual leadership development within the cohort.

Trimester 4 - Facilitation:
Cohort 1 runs most sessions having now internalized methodologies. Partners become teachers.

This cycle continues, embedding ethical partnership and consultative selling into the culture.

Outcomes:

Trusted advisor selling skills to maximize deal sizes
Retention of accounts via strategic partnerships
Ongoing value-add through lifecycle selling
Development of partner leadership and expertise
With the model proven, sales growth in the 000% range is achievable by scaling number of partners. But foundations must be laid first.

Let's discuss how we can collaborate to drive exponential growth through principled excellence.

Channel Sales Excellence

No one wants to make a hire.

Everyone wants to hire someone who will succeed in the role, fit in and contribute, improve over time and stay, ideally growing and evolving with the organisation.

What is the single highest hidden cost in most companies?

Wrong hires? You hire Mr Bean in a tux instead of James Bond! I've been there, I'm sure you have too.

Wrong hires are the highest hidden cost in any business. Hire great people and you prevent 95% of the management problems you usually have to tackle. Hire the wrong person and you have just bought a management problem, hours of lost time, and the distinct possibility that one person could derail your entire team.

And yet, most managers see recruitment as a chore, not THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT responsibility of every manager - to hire the best people.

Have you been left feeling SORE after hiring for Skills, old Results, Experience?

What if you knew which aspects to recruit for, how to uncover those qualities, what good, bad a meh! look like, how to identify Red Flags, and hire James Bond instead of Mr Bean? 
What effect would that have on your performance as a manager?
On your team's performance?

What if you could free up 1 day a week to focus on what matters most to you accomplishing all you need to, to succeed in your role? To focus on designing systems, coaching, field visits, meeting customers, cooperating with other departments?

To unlock your time, start at the foundation. Who not how!

Would you be willing to take a deep look at who you hire, why you want those people, and what conditions you need to create so not only do you hire someone who succeeds and fits in, but will free up your time to develop your people, midwife deals, plan and strategise?

DM me to talk about predictive hiring. Put Bond not Bean in the heading so I know you wnat to discuss predictive hiring.

Hiring Winners - Predict Who Will Succeed Before Putting them on Payroll

Create a world-class third-party selling program!  

Channel sales is selling that takes place by means of any third party. Sales completed through value-added resellers, partners, systems integrators, independent representatives or agents, licensed distributors, and franchisees are all examples of channel sales. Many companies operate under a channel-sales model without ever having heard of the term!  

Regardless of what it's called, this model presents both special challenges and special opportunities. Whether you are an early-stage venture or a small vendor of products, intellectual property, or services looking to build your footprint quickly and reliably; whether you already have a channel process in place and you want to improve or revitalize it, or you are aiming to create your first channel program from scratch; whether you are working with a group of independent agents or you are looking to build a franchise operation from the ground up - this book has been written with you in mind.

"I used Making Channel Sales Work as my blueprint at my last company which we grew to over a $1bn in ARR. I am using it again at Hubspot. I run the channel for EMEA. With this as my blueprint and applying what I learned from coaching with Marcus. I'm able to raise 2 kids aged 6 and 3 whilst doing my job successfully in 8 hours a day, being fully present and finding joy whether I am at work or at home." - Silke Ahrens, EMEA Director of Partner Sales

Author: "Making Channel Sales Work" #MakingChannelSalesWork

The Seller Code

We're engaging #ethical sellers who believe customers are the reason we exist, they rent outcomes, and deserve an ally in the salespeople who serve them in pursuit of their better future outcome. All buyers want to do is make the right decision. They want an ally, not an accomplice, and not an adversary.
 
thesellercode.org

"I wouldn't want that done to me, and I don't want to be someone who does that to others." - Dave Davies, co-author, Making Channel Sales Work

Community Builder

The Red Thread

Talent you won't find in agencies. Talent that knows you pay for results not cosmetics.

Business Partner

TheInquisitor Podcast

🚀 Ready to level up your leadership game? Tune into [Your Show's Name]!

🎧 Join the ranks of forward-thinkers who, just like you, are in the trenches of sales, management and leadership. Our podcast isn't about buzzwords or quick fixes. It's real talk, real challenges, and real growth.

Each week, we dive into the topics that matter:

Cutting-edge strategies to stay ahead of the curve.
Honest discussions about the ups and downs of climbing the career ladder.
Practical advice that you can put into action immediately.

💡 Think of it as your go-to resource for fresh ideas and a no-nonsense approach to professional development. So, whether you're on your way to work or taking a breather, make the most of that time. Listen in, get inspired, and let's shake things up together.

➡️ Subscribe to TheInquisitor podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/theinquisitor-podcast/?viewAsMember=true

Join the conversation. Share your thoughts. Take action. Let's grow together.

#Leadership #Innovation #CareerGrowth #Podcast #TakeAction #ProfessionalDevelopment

Podcast Host

CommonThread AI

As a CFO, you're constantly juggling financial risk, revenue generation, and return on investment. But what if there was a solution that could help you achieve your goals and stay ahead of the competition? That's where Common Thread comes in. Our powerful #revenueoptimization platform can help you make better decisions, optimise your sales process, improve customer retention, and allocate resources more efficiently. With Common Thread, you can achieve increased revenue, improved ROI, and reduced financial risk. So why not take the first step towards a better financial future? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.
Common Thread, The Revenue Lens
Website: https://www.commonthread.ai/

Founder, Advisor

Mobile Practice

Sales training routinely fails to deliver the intended outcome - increased sales and permanent positive behavioural change - without practice. 70% of learning happens in the field, outside of the classroom. And that practice MUST be relevant to the context in which the salespeople live and work. Mobile Practice helps enterprise field sales and channel sales leaders drive permanent performance improvement in their sales results through micro coaching and timely, relevant practice interventions tailored exactly to sellers real world needs.

Clients include Tag Heuer, Sodexo, Veoilia, Rimova, Protexin, Mavic and EntreMont

If you want your salespeople to realise the investment you intended by implementing the training you have paid for, and enable your managers to coach at the point of greatest need to overcome the learning-knowing-doing gap, call me on +44 7515 937221 or DM to learn how.

If you are trainer and want to drive additional incremental revenue in your core training business, we are seeking partners. Our partners typically generate as much as £/$/€5.18 in core training revenue for every  £/$/€1 invested in Mobile Practice

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Notion - STAR®

What are you doing today to prepare your managers for what is to come?

STAR™ enables managers to turn every coachable moment into a learning opportunity. 

* Recover up to 2.5 months for EVERY manager in your business
* Focus managers on high value activities including design, leadership and coaching
* Free managers from upward delegation
* Drive massive employee engagement
* Release simultaneous and massive discretionary effort at scale
* Create a change wave in the next 2 quarters
* Turnaround failing change and transformation programmes
* Remove managers as bottlenecks
* Empower everyone in your organisation to meet their full potential
* Reliably push decision making down the chain of command

On average, managers get 16-20 interruptions every day where a member of their team asks them a question or needs help. What if, each time they stop, think "Is this a coachable moment?" and ask an insightful question that helped the person solve their own problem for themselves? That means 3840-4800 teachable moments are being lost by almost every manager in your organisation EVERY year. 

Unlock the latent potential across every manager in your business and turn those missed opportunities every year into a creative change wave.

Learn what the London School of Economics says the positive impact of implementing STAR™ in 62  companies - ask me how

Chief Revenue Officer (Fractional)

White Rabbit Intel

"These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them." Every lead is a Glengarry lead with White Rabbit Intel. If you're old enough to remember Glngarry Glenross, then you're scarred enough by listening to salespeople whinge about the quality of the leads, how it's marketing's fault, the economy is tough and Covid means no one is picking up. if you're sick of listening to those excuses, I have great news ...

White Rabbit Intel can help you pinpoint exactly who is most likely to buy from you and which of your salespeople should engage each prospect in the buying committee for maximum probability of a meaningful conversation. Bring precision, accuracy and effectiveness to your marketing, sales, customer success and account growth activities.

No more smiling and dialling. No more conflict between marketing and sales. Imagine a pipeline full of highly probability prospects, accurate forecasts and the ability to pinpoint where you should spend your marketing budget for maximum effect.

If you want to test the your own data against these outrageous claims, then drop me a line using this link to book a 15 minute call  - https://linktr.ee/marcuscauchi

Board Member

Upside Saving

Upside deliver marketing certainty to retail brands and help consumers save money through instant cash back and affinity spending. Retailers can hyper-target attributable offers to drive loyalty, customer acquisition and growth of incremental wallet share in a socially responsible manner.

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) (Fractional)

Serving principled sellers who walk the tightrope between doing what's best for the customer and compromising their values to survive or keep their bosses happy

I guide professionals to live & lead with purpose by unlocking their full potential - not just externally but also internally. 

With targeted personal growth & conscious relationship building, I instil the skills & mindsets to bridge the gap between outer success & inner fulfilment. 

My relatable, ethical approach provides proven frameworks that are the building blocks of Principled Selling. 

You'll learn to really understand human psychology, express yourself authentically, uncover root causes of suffering, & contribute to society I inspire hope that we can all evolve through self-awareness & mutual understanding.

As a bold, thoughtful sales professional, manager, leader or founder you've achieved outward success - status in your field, financial stability, respect from colleagues. 

Yet, you feel an inner sense that something is missing. There's a lack of fulfilment in your work, a shortage of trust & depth in your relationships with colleagues & a pull towards more meaning and purpose.

I work with professionals who feel the same way. 

They poured energy into building their careers but neglected their inner lives & personal relationships. Over time this led to disillusionment & isolation.

Good news. With focused personal development & relationship building, you can transform this feeling of emptiness into profound purpose & connection without numbing.

My role is to help unlock your full potential. Yours is to achieve all you want in life, succeeding professionally, and as a complete human being.

If you're ready to bridge the gap between your external success & internal fulfilment, let's have a candid discussion about what matters to you, where you feel stuck & how we can get you to the next level in both your work & personal life.

With commitment to personal growth & conscious relationship building, I'm  certain you can align your vocation with your values & live with integrity. Are you willing to take that first step on the journey?

**
How to engage with me if you want my help:

Take my selling aptitude audit (7 mins). I based the results on my observations of the top 4% producers. Your responses will be compared with how they behave. Define a clear path for you to raise your performance in the next 30 days & learn something about yourself you didn't know.

https://mailchi.mp/laughs-last.com/selling-aptitude-test

Complete the audit. Book 30-minutes for a free debrief
No strings
I won't talk about coaching unless you bring it up
You have to ask me to sell you coaching
I don't need more clients but I do want those who genuinely want my help.

What’s wrong with salespeople?

“Would love to connect. Really impressed with your work. Would love to connect.” or some such shit. 
Connect. 
PITCHSLAP. 

INSTANT Disconnect. 

FFS. 

Doing this says you stink of desperation, play the numbers game and serve your interests not your customers’. 

I won’t buy from you and will never refer you even to people I dislike. Save us both the bother.

Marcus  Cauchi

I help leaders remove fear from decisions so people can say what’s real.

Brindis

Leading a specialist sales training consultancy dedicated to Collaborative Selling

By having direct interaction with stakeholders we are better able to deliver required outcomes more effectively.

We are all about ‘performance enhancement’ for the people we work with and all over the world Brindis has worked with clients to improve the results of both individuals and teams.

By identifying the things to change to achieve maximum impact Brindis can help deliver the outcomes desired by sales people, managers and the organisation in general.

Our work now concentrate on championing 'Collaborative Selling' which we deliver through the 12 week Accelerator programme and ongoing Academy

Founder

Supporting the Collaborative Selling Accelerator and Academy by designing and delivering real life and virtual sessions to improve sales performance 

Areas covered include:
- Sales
- Negotiation 
- Account Management 
- Presentation Skills 

Training can be delivered in English or Spanish

Sales Trainer

Using a pragmatic rather than dogmatic approach to work with sales professionals to help them achieve results. 
- Embedding learning from training
- Using opportunity management techniques
- Preparing for pitches and presentations
- Shifting performance blockages
- Planning account activity
- Designing personal development plans

Sales Coach

Collaborative Selling = Selling for the modern era.
This one-day online event is designed for Sales Specialists.
Are you: - 
- In B2B, complex sales?
- Involved in high values sales?
- Sales Executive, Account Manager, Business Development Manager?
- Responsible for winning business?
This is for you and your colleagues if:-
- You have a sales team
- You drive sales via indirect routes
- You work with Partners; Channel Managers/ Distribution Managers etc

Follow our Think, Learn, Do method to get the most from the day.

We believe in this concept so passionately and want to share it so the fee is purely to cover costs and all proceeds will be donated to B1G1.

Timetable
08:00 Why Collaborative Selling? – Conquer the challenges of modern selling (Fred Copestake)​​
09:00 Scale Your Sales - Master the art of the Trusted Advisor (Janice B Gordon)
10:00 Personal Branding – Maximising your impact using technology (Alexander Low)​
11:00 The Other Side of Sales – Think like a buyer (Mark Schenkius)​
12:00 Sales Stereotypes - How they help and hinder (Suchi Pathak)
13:00 KEYNOTE Flt LT Zane Sennett - RAF Red Arrows
14:00 Sell With Insight: Using scorecards to discover and share value (Daniel Priestley)
15:00 Video in Selling -  The modern buyer requires a modern seller (Mario Martinez Jr)​​
16:00 Psyche to Sell - Beat the bots (Anita Nielsen)
17:00 The Perfect Close – The secret to winning more deals (James Muir)​​
18:00 Let’s Do The Time Warp Again - The evolution of sales (Quiz Show with special guest host)​​ ​
All day event suitable for multiple time zones
Times in GMT

https://lnkd.in/drSzakPS

Host - Collaborative Selling Summit

Responsible for running Corona Extra's European Training Academy, a project that delivered training and consultancy work in some 18 countries working in both 'On' and 'Off' Trade.

Specialisms: Sales, Key/National Account Management, Negotiation,  Management, Leadership, Brand Selling, Channel Management/Selling Through Distributors, Planning and Selling Promotions, Brand Management, Marketing, Team Building, Customer Service,

Principal Consultant

Ethical Selling

Tired of the old, pushy sales tactics? 

Welcome to a new approach that’s not only ethical but also incredibly effective.

This book guides you through a transformative journey to master the art of selling by doing the right thing. 

The ETHICAL Model is powerful framework that breaks down the principles of ethical selling into clear, actionable steps, helping you build trust, create genuine relationships, and achieve remarkable results.

You’ll discover:
- Why ethical selling is not just good for your conscience but also great for your business
- How to overcome common myths about ethical selling
- Practical strategies to implement ethical selling in your daily practice 
- How to align your sales career with your personal values for greater fulfilment and impact 
- Ways to make a real difference in your professional life and the relationships you build with your customers

Ethical Selling is more than just a book - it’s a movement. 
Join the new era of sales where doing the right thing is the smartest business decision you can make.

Author

Institute of Ethical Selling

The Institute of Ethical Selling (IES) was founded on the belief that trust, transparency, and integrity should be at the heart of every sales interaction. 

It is dedicated to transforming the sales profession by providing education, resources, and certification for individuals and organizations committed to ethical practices.

The mission is to create a global movement that elevates the standards of sales, ensuring that both buyers and sellers thrive in a relationship built on trust.

Why Ethical Selling Matters...

- Ethical selling is the foundation of lasting success in today’s business landscape.

- Unethical practices may lead to short-term gains but often result in customer distrust, legal risks, and damage to your brand.

- Ethical selling enhances your credibility and builds stronger client relationships. By prioritising honesty and transparency, you reduce stress, improve job satisfaction, and position yourself as a trusted advisor.

Ethical practices not only benefit your clients but also boost your long-term success and career growth.

Ambassador

MySalesCoach

Is your Sales team getting the coaching they deserve?

We help busy Sales managers and aspiring, coachable reps reach their true potential with expert, 1:1, frequent coaching

Sales Today

Originally called 'Selling Through Partnering Skills', the show rebranded in January 2022 to reflect broader discussions on things affecting the world of sales and what sales professionals need to do to stay relevant now and in the future.
 
Episodes are based on discussions around:
	
- Collaborative Selling 
- Hybrid Selling 
- Specific skills and tactics (eg Video in Selling or Understanding Procurement)
- Mini series (eg 'Trust or Bust' or 'Selling IT')

Host Fred Copestake is Founder of Brindis, a sales training consultancy, and author of 'Selling Through Partnering Skills' and 'Hybrid Selling'. He is an expert in helping salespeople around the world improve their performance and unleash their full potential.
 
Connect with Fred on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

www.linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Hybrid Selling

Are you ready for the next evolution of sales?

Selling is changing, and sales professionals need to keep in touch with the latest trends to stay relevant and further their careers.

Hybrid Selling does not just cover the clever use of tools and technology: it defines the way salespeople can adapt to a future that needs a multi-faceted approach to drive success.

The book 'Hybrid Selling - How salespeople can use a complete approach to drive opportunities in the new world of sales' acts as a guide in this area

It covers

- What are the essentials of selling as a foundation for winning business
- How virtual selling techniques and innovative tools can give you an edge
- How to manage sales opportunities based on delivering outcomes
- Why salespeople must embrace the skill of leading customers
- What value really is and how to create it with – and for – customers
- The key elements needed to expand meaningful business relationships

Selling Through Partnering Skills

‘Selling Through Partnering Skills’ looks at the evolving world of sales and sets out what people need to do to refine their approach. It explores how they can take it to the next level through understanding partnering intelligence (PQ) and using the innovative VALUE Framework.

Classic, Consultative, Value Based and Enterprise selling are all considered using existing and more modern thinking, together with advice on practical application of the most relevant techniques.

Put simply, it helps individuals and businesses improve how they sell in the modern sales environment so they will achieve better results.

Konsälidön

We are at a crossroads.

Ideas and models which defined the consulting industry are no longer as effective and viable as they were in the past. Clients expect more from their advisors as they require that much more to survive in today’s market.

Konsälidön is the tipping point ushering in the new era in consulting. We have built a first-of-its-kind digital platform to connect organizations with consulting teams more efficiently than in the traditional consulting partnership model. 

Our platform enables us to operate an agile, decentralized and distributed global consulting firm with very low overheads – which means that our clients see work with senior experts for faster more impactful results.

This, we believe, is the future of consulting.

Partner

Loughborough University School of Business and Economics

Associate Lecturer

TTM Associates Ltd

Designing and delivering management and leadership programmes for clients in Europe and the Middle East.

Our Award-Winning approach focuses on developing the organisation’s most important asset: People

It sparks innovation and prepares them to cope with change and make the best out of every opportunity.

The ultimate goal is to cohesively help companies to fully integrate their Business Strategy, Talent Strategy and people’s Behaviours to deliver ultimate and innovative customer impression and value

Senior Management Consultant

Author | Trainer | Coach | Working with engineering and manufacturing sales teams | Selling has changed – have you?

Sales is changing... are you?

MEET FRED ► Over the last 25 years I have travelled round the world 14 times visiting 37 countries and working with over 10,000 salespeople

YOUR CHALLENGES ► Salespeople involved in complex B2B sales often struggle with these issues:

• ‘Busy Busy Busy’ 
– this is being ineffective. It results in wasted opportunities, is tiring and stressful and means the focus is on the wrong activities to deliver results

• ‘Olde Worlde’ 
– this is being old fashioned. It is when salespeople are too self-centred rather than customer focused, too technical in their approach or use bad techniques better suited to a bygone era of selling

• ‘Muddled Mindset’
 – this is being misaligned. It can happen at organisation, management and individual level and means that the confusion leads to frustration and wasted effort

SOLUTIONS ► Salespeople can use a ‘partnering mindset’ to develop more a modern and collaborative approach to working with customers. #CollaborativeSelling

This helps by:
 
• Countering ‘Busy Busy Busy’ by becoming more effective. 
- Prepare to make the most of opportunities
- Plan to balance work and reduce stress
- Process to focus on the right activity

• Countering ‘Olde Worlde’ by getting up to date. 
- Flip attention to the world of the customer
- Follow an approach that identifies issues rather than forces a solution
- Focus on things that actually work rather than old school tricks

• Countering ‘Muddled Mindset’ by creating better alignment. 
- Clarity within the organisation
- Coaching by management 
- Confirmation for individuals they are doing things right

WHY ME ► Using my experience to understand what's needed to be successful in sales today I wrote my first book 'Selling Through Partnering Skills’ 

Yet selling continues to change at pace, and sales professionals need to keep in touch with the latest trends to stay relevant I wrote my second book ‘Hybrid Selling’

Recognising what customers are really looking for is the reason behind book three ‘Ethical Selling’

We talk about these things on the podcast I host – ‘Sales Today’ 

LET’S TALK ► Ring the bell 🔔 on my profile to get notified about my posts. DM me or book straight into my diary for a chat here: https://calendly.com/fredcopestake 

OUTSIDE OF WORK ► Sport especially rugby (which I used to referee), travel to Spanish speaking countries, food and drink. We have three cats Oscar, Luna and Caspar

MY GOAL ► It's all about 'good people doing good things in a good way'

Fred Copestake

"I don’t hate salespeople.... I hate how most of you sell to me"

The orange hat recently got upgraded with mind reading powers (AI is so last year)

It gives a startling insight into the mind of the customer

"You come in talking.
You assume what I care about.
You push 'the solution' before I’ve even defined the problem."

Oh dear... it doesn't stop there though

"Let me be clear: I don’t need a pitch.
I need help making a decision."

And there's more

"I’ve already done research. Don’t repeat it.
I’m under pressure. Don’t waste my time.
I want relevance. Don’t guess what that means."

My goodness... anything else?

"The problem isn’t your product.
It’s that you’re more focused on getting a “yes” than helping me say it confidently."

So what to do?

I've captured the customers voice against the VALUE Framework

"If you actually want to earn my attention - and my business - do this instead...

🔸Validate = right opportunities

"Ask why I’m exploring this now. Find out if it makes sense for both of us.

🔸Align = right research

"Come in knowing the basics. Show me you’ve done more than skim the website."

🔸Leverage = right conversations

"Ask questions I haven’t thought of yet. Make me think differently."

🔸Underpin = right solutions

"Don’t pitch. Prove. Connect what you do to what I want."

🔸Evolve = right outcomes

"Tell me what happens after I sign. I’m buying results, not a project plan."

Final words?

"If you treat me like a deal, I’ll walk.
If you treat me like a partner, I’ll buy.
It really is that simple.
Make it easier for me to say yes.
Or stop complaining when I don’t."

Tough stuff 

Would your customers be saying this about you?

#OrangeHatThinking

Sales Trainer | Author | Coach | Working with engineering and manufacturing teams | Selling has changed – have you? 🇬🇧 🇪🇸

It's not always what it seems 


Travelling for work often isn't as glamorous as it may sound

Rock up at hotel...

- Game of padel 

- Lounge by the pool

- Hit the gym 

Often no time for that even if they are open 

(To be fair this hotel in Madrid was having a refurb)

People sometimes forget why you are traveling 

It's not a holiday 

Brilliant if you can combine work and pleasure which I've done before 

But that's not the primary reason 

It's about quality of work

People getting together to multiply the impact of activity 

That's now a key factor in deciding if I will travel 

Will it make a difference? 

I've been blessed to work in 38 countries 

Some trips have been a waste of time 

Some I've not particularly enjoyed 

Some both!

It's time to be more picky 

Does it fit professionally and personally 

I'm not being a diva about this

Just practical

Life is too short

“I’m just not the sales type”

I hear this from engineers all the time

The idea that sales is only for slick, outgoing people is one of the biggest myths holding good technical experts back

Sales isn’t about being loud

It isn’t about pressure

It’s about listening, asking smart questions, and helping customers make sense of their world

That’s problem-solving... and engineers are brilliant problem-solvers

You don’t need to become someone else
You just need to apply the skills you already have in a different way

Have you ever told yourself you’re “not a sales type”?

#sales #engineering #manufacturing

(Check out this FREE course for engineering sales https://lnkd.in/eved3-Uv - unlisted on YouTube so no sign ups )

What if sales paid no commission?

Just gave a salary like a normal job

Maybe that would solve the 'salesiness' issue

Or

Maybe no one would want to do it

Doctors don't get a bonus

(And we love that comparison)

But then bankers do

It's unlikely to happen

Yet nothing wrong with a cheeky hypocritical question though

They help people to think... and earn us commission

“You're telling me stuff I already know. I’ve got internet access!”

You wear the Orange Hat to your first sales meeting with a prospect... mind-reading function activated

Is that what they are thinking before slide 5?

Along with

- “This could’ve been an email. Or a brochure. Or just a Google search.”

- “You’re here to understand me... not educate me on your product.”

- “I don’t need a guided tour. I need help making a decision.”


If your sales meeting feels like a website… you're not helping. You're reciting

Parroting

The customer isn’t impressed by your knowledge.

They want you to help them make sense of things

Partnering


What should the customer experience instead?

Use the VALUE Framework to shift from your perspective to theirs

This is what they are thinking 

🔸 Validate = right opportunities

"Start by checking if this is actually worth my time – not just yours."

🔸 Align = right research

"Come in already knowing the basics. Ask me about what’s not on the website."

🔸 Leverage = right conversations

"Challenge my assumptions. Ask sharper questions than my team does."

🔸 Underpin = right solutions

"Don’t explain features. Show how this fits my priorities."

🔸 Evolve = right outcomes

"Don’t stop at the sale. Help me believe I’ll get results after signing."


Customers don’t want more information.
They want better insight.

Are you adding value through sense making?
Or just restating what they already know?

Many salespeople today are still parroting rather than partnering

Why?

#OrangeHatThinking
#VALUEFramework


(The mind reading enabled Orange Hat is priceless and not for sale

Training to achieve the same effect is... at a fair price... and guaranteed! 

Ask me how)

Full of smart people wanting to make a difference


Not there!

Round the corner

The MySalesCoach coaches get together last week was a chance to hang out with some top folk

Huge amounts of experience generously shared

Plus an opportunity to learn more about using assessments to have even greater impact (via Ben Tagoe of Objective Management Group )

Coaching can have such a profound effect it's sad that it's often the piece that's ignored

Not by everyone though

And judging be some of the stories shared in the group some salespeople are benefiting massively

Are you?

taplio

The Battle

Marcus Cauchi

Fred Copestake

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taplio

The Battle

Marcus Cauchi

Fred Copestake

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Marcus Cauchi's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreFred Copestake's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMarcus Cauchi's LinkedIn Performance