The podcast is based on the book ‘Selling Through Partnering Skills’. The interview format explores how guests use the concept of partnering intelligence (PQ) in their role related to the world of professional selling with the intention of providing listeners with valuable advice on how to adapt a more modern approach to selling.
Along with the guest’s background, each of the elements of PQ is briefly discussed to uncover real life application and best practice. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t come across the partnering intelligence/PQ as a concept before, if you are successful in sales you will certainly know and use the elements.
And that is the purpose of the interview to find out how others use partnering skills to strengthen their sales approach so that you can add to your own skillset.
The elements of PQ are
- Trust
- Win-win orientation
- Interdependence
- Self-disclosure and feedback
- Comfort with change
- Future orientation
Willy Bolander is a Sales Professor at Florida State University. Alongside talking about PQ, he gives a fascinating insight into sales education in the US college system.
The preparation some of the students go through is something that many full time sales professionals could learn from. Some practice advanced skills with the number of role plays they complete going into triple digits.
Willy’s take on how sales can be developed as well as his own unique journey is well worth listening to, with important points including:
Create something that didn’t exist
Be conscientious and competent
Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness
This week’s podcast features Trent Peek, Group Director at CCM.
Key points of the episode include:
– Avoid selling for the wrong reason
– Explore your weaknesses together
– We can’t stand still
This podcast special episode features an overview of the EVOLVE model, showing why it’s time for virtual selling to move over for a hybrid approach.
Ariel Feyderov is the sales and business development manager at Tektronix and the author of Sellosophy.
Some key points from the podcast:
– Sales is an exchange of values
– Following recipes or learning to cook?
– If you have a why, you can bear any how
In this episode, Fred speaks to Sales Technologist, Futurist and Author Justin Michael about what we might look forward to in 2021 and beyond… he told me what is happening NOW and it is well worth a listen.
This episode includes:
– McGyver your stack
– Leverage tech to elevate selling
– Beware amplifying garbage
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn and learn more about The Salesborgs, a B2B driven community with a focus on sales and technology.
This episode features Alexander Low who gave some great insights and solid practical advice on what we can use to make our selling more effective.
Alexander is a change consultant focused on delivering revenue, with a background in property and a particular interest in technology.
The episode features:
– Take control of your destiny
– Augment the humaness
– Understand the art of the possible
Connect with Alexander on LinkedIn and social media!
In this episode I was lucky enough to speak to the founder of SerialTrainer7, Simon Hares.
Simon is an international sales trainer and coach with over 20 years’ experience.
Key points include:
– We are not the centre of a customers life
– Beliefs manifest in conversation
– Don’t be a cock!
You can connect with Simon on LinkedIn, and visit his SerialTrainer7 website to find out more.
This episode features Michelle Hecht, sales trainer and coach at The Sales Rebellion. With twenty years of corporate sales experience, Michelle has revitalised her career path to pursue coaching and training with a focus on humanism and authenticity.
Key points include: We are emotional but complex creatures, Everything is transitional, Mitigate the potential of short term loss. Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn and by email: michelle@thesalesrebellion.com.
This episode features Mark Schenkius – sales trainer, and author of ‘The Other Side of Sales.’
Mark has fifteen years experience in procurement, working with Mars across technical and strategic divisions. He then set up his own company, ROI10, who now provide training and development support to professionals within sales and procurement. Alongside this, he lectures part-time in business economics.
We discuss how the elements of partnering skills can be used to develop buyer relationships, and gain a greater understanding of buyers.
Key insights from this episode include:
Ignore what buyers say
The best question in 15 years
Procurement has left sales behind
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn and visit his website www.roi10.com to learn more.
This episode features Steve Potiphar, founder of Impact on Performance – Sales Gym.
With a background in sales, he has worked his way up through the field of healthcare / medical technology. He then began working in sales performance and gained a new perspective of sales across multiple sectors.
He has now brought together his experience of sales performance, sales leadership, consulting and coaching to develop his own company, Sales Gym.
We discuss how the elements of partnering skills can be used to create good salespeople. Key insights from this episode include:
– Sales training doesn’t work
– The world doesn’t revolve around you
– People who sell, or salespeople?
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn, and join the Sales Gym community.
In this episode, I had the chance to explore partnering skills with Tom Williams.
Tom is the Chairman and Founder of Strategic Dynamics, and an advocate for buyer-centric selling with over twenty years experience in sales and marketing.
We talk through how he uses partnering skills in his profession, including: Improve current state through collaboration, Explore feasability of ideas, Get past status quo with via comfort, curiousity and concern.
Connect with Tom on LinkedIn!
Bob Britton is the Director of Sales Enablement for cybersecurity firm, Netsurion, alongside running his sales performance consultancy, Sales Enablement Sherpas.
In this episode, he shares his thoughts on partnering skills including:
– Don’t position yourself as a solution provider
– Externalise the problem
– Embrace the suck!
Based in Texas, you can connect with Bob on LinkedIn: brittonrobert.
Selling Through Partnering Skills is about using the elements of PQ to adapt and refine your approach to selling so that is becomes more collaborative.
One of the things we have created to help people on this journey is a diagnostic to help sales professionals understand themselves better in relation to this.
George is the CEO and Founder of Membrain, a sales platform centred around codifying our way of selling and driving successful behaviour.
In this episode, he shares his thoughts on partnering skills including:
– Win-win is about alignment
– Society is short sighted
– Complex B2B sales is change management
George is on a mission to elevate the sales profession with technology and partnering.
You can connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebronten/ and discover his B2B sales book ‘Stop Killing Deals’!
Tim runs the management consultancy practice ‘Consulting 51’, working with ambitious business leaders to help them achieve their goals through tailor-made services.
With an early background in mentorship and a particular interest in Fintech and Data Science Startup sectors, he is open to new opportunities and available to message through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guesttim/.
In this episode, Tim discusses how partnering skills were applied within his previous organisation’s sales team (Zoedale), where Fred coached during Tim’s role as Managing Director.
He shares his thoughts on:
Turning down business
Sharing how the customer feels
The best way to win new business
Register for Tim’s FREE Goals + Mindset Webinar with SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Ollie Ollerton on the 10th November 10am GMT live – recorded version available: https://www.consulting51.uk/create-a-positive-mindset-and-achieve-your-goals-webinar/
Warwick is the founder of Account Manager Tips, which he runs alongside his role as Key Account Manager at The KAM Club.
From initial industry pigeonhole frustration, his ambitious initiative has led him to expand into helping organisations grow their revenue through consulting, training, and account management.
We talk through how he uses partnering skills across both businesses, with a mix of digital community and organisation-based situations. Here’s what is included: strategies based on zero sum games, ideation to make ideas stick, and ‘don’t own the relationship’!
Connect with Warwick through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwickabrown/ and the hashtags #AMTips and #KAMclub.
Aaron Evans, Director Sales Enablement at GlobalData, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession.
In this episode: hacks for building trust, creating negotiaion rules, and the danger of instant gratification.
You can reach Aaron through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronevanssalesenablement/.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn and social media, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake.
Tim Royds, Director at highclere sales training, shares how he uses partnering skills within his career.
Tim is hugely passionate about the sales profession, and has been involved in sales since the 1980s. You can reach Tim through LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
www.linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Chris Slay, Managing Director of Skills Provision, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession.
Chris started off his career in the finance sector, and now provides professional recruitment services worldwide. You can reach Chris through LinkedIn or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Duncan Yellowlees, Director at Duncan Yellowlees Training, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession.
Duncan is a presentation trainer and speaking coach with a background in performing arts and a passion for storytelling. You can reach him through LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Stuart Taylor, Head of Sales Development at Refract, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession. Stuart has over 15 years experience in sales, and his current position at Refract involves leading and coaching sales teams. You can reach him through LinkedIn or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Mike Willoughby, Founder and Executive Director at MPI, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession. Maximum Performance International (MPI) is a training and coaching consultancy delivering transformative differences in business. You can reach Mike through LinkedIn or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Jeremy Cassell, owner of Jeremy Cassell Coaching, shares how he uses partnering skills within his profession.
Jeremy Cassell Coaching, which offers presentation coaching for business leaders and entrepreneurs, and is the co-author of the UK Business Book of 2018 ‘The Leader’s Guide to Presenting’. You can reach him through LinkedIn or by email.
Connect with your host, Fred Copestake, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Clare O’Shea, Founder and Lead Consultant at Marlow Sales Academy, talks to Fred Copestake. This episode explores how Clare uses partnering skills within her career. Clare has over 20 years experience in sales, consultancy and training. She has been at the center of UK sales qualifications since 1998, when she designed and delivered the first accredited training programmes, with the first Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP). You can reach her through LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.
Connect with Fred Copestake on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and order the Selling Through Partnering Skills book on Amazon now.
Fred Copestake is the podcast host and author of the book ‘Selling Through Partnering Skills’. In this launch episode he introduces the concept of partnering intelligence (PQ) that forms the basis of discussions with show guests.
Fred is a consultant, trainer, coach and an expert in helping sales professionals around the world improve their performance and unleash their full potential. He uses the elements of PQ to help salespeople develop a more modern collaborative approach to selling. The elements of PQ are
- Trust
- Win-win orientation
- Interdependence
- Self-disclosure and feedback
- Comfort with change
- Future orientation
Connect with Fred on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake