Why do I post so much about cats?
Fred Copestake
Sales Trainer | Author | Coach | Working with engineering and manufacturing teams | Selling has changed – have you?
Welcome to the?July Edition?of Sales?Today?newsletter for B2B sales professionals, the fourth edition
I'm staying 'going large', because as it is monthly publication and I want to make sure you've got plenty of food for thought
So what to expect
The focus is all about enabling more good (sales)people doing good things in a good way.
Thanks for taking a look
FRED
Why do I post so much about cats?
It's to do with qualification
I use it as a reminder to myself to talk (create content) for the right type of people
You don't have to like cats to be someone I would work with
But you do need to be CAT
Assuming an interest in B2B selling and wanting a more modern (collaborative) approach the people who will get the most out of my work have CAT characteristics
Let me explain
In the early days of the Sales Today podcast I had the pleasure if interviewing David Allison
His work on Valuegraphics immediately resonated with me and I used his book to identify the 'value archetypes' of those who will take the most from the Collaborative Selling Accelerator
Basically, these will be people who are
Creative – they rank creativity as their highest value and also value a sense of belonging and a connection with family, although it may sometimes seem as though these are afterthoughts. They get easily frustrated when they’re bored and they are highly aware of their emotions
Adventurous – they are driven by a desire for personal growth, new experiences, and belonging. They will certainly have lived in many different places, and perhaps different countries. Possessions are less important than experiences. They like being financially secure, but they aren’t willing to sacrifice their experiences to make that happen
Tech Savvy – they are big users of social media and are primarily drawn to technology because it fosters relationships. They value belonging, community, and family, and they often find those things online. With a strong altruistic streak, they use technology to connect, not for personal growth, entertainment, or to show off the latest iPhone
If what I talk about resonates with you… this is why
If it doesn't, well that’s OK... you want to do stuff in a different way
How clear are you what your perfect customer looks and thinks like?
One of the ways to think about this is that for each opportunity should undertake a kind of psychological qualification. That is, to make an assessment on how a business, and those involved, think and act during the buying and selling process and the time after a deal is done.
As well as looking at some of the more practical or quantitative criteria to help judge attractiveness/winability I would advocate some more qualitative ones to try to gauge thinking and operating style. Basically, are they going to be receptive to a sales approach strongly grounded in partnering skills?
Essentially we are trying to predict how well a potential customer would respond to a sales approach using a partnering mindset. Efforts to work in this way need to be reciprocal, or as the old saying goes ‘it takes two to tango’ and this is where the PAQ or Partnership Approach Questionnaire helps.
The PAQ is a series of questions to help the salesperson decide whether to a use more of a partnering approach in how they conduct business with the customer. It does not necessarily mean that a full partnership/strategic alliance is to be sought but working with this mindset will help in moving the sale along.
In many ways it is adding another element to more traditional forms of qualification by focusing on how the customer thinks. It adds an element of psychological profiling so PAQ could indeed also stand for ‘Psychological Account Qualification’
The PAQ involves a salesperson screening an opportunity through questioning themselves. As we will explore later in the book, questions are about stimulating thinking.
Here are some of the questions a salesperson might think about as they are weighing up a customer and using more of a partnering approach.
Let me know if you are a sales professional and also CAT and I will send you some stuff that would be wasted on others
Also, apologies to David Allison for somewhat butchering his fantastic work
Check out the ‘proper’ labels and definitions of the archetypes here
Part 4 - Leading the Way
June 2020
As we get into the middle of the year, it seems that Harry is doing far better than Larry. He is adopting new thinking and is open to new ways of working. He is keeping a positive mindset and pushing himself out of his comfort zone. Larry, not so much. As you will hear he is struggling and finding things quite tough. Let’s listen in to their next meeting.
Harry – Hey, Larry. How are you doing?
Larry – Honestly, not so good.
Harry – Really? Tell me about it.
Larry – It’s just all the stuff that’s going on. I was waiting until I could get back out and do the stuff I used to, but I can’t see when that’s going to happen. Lockdowns don’t seem to finish, customers don’t want to go back to doing what they used to do. Everything is different.
Harry – Everything is different. Did you try any of the things I suggested?
Larry – I’ve done a bit.
Harry – Well, OK. I am going to be quite direct to you, Larry, because I’ve got your best interest in heart. If you only do a bit, you’ll only get a bit back. What I’ve done is really throw myself out there. I’ve worked hard, but I’m reaping the rewards. I’m talking to people, I’m getting results. Customers are coming to me now. I’m not having to force myself on them. They want to interact. Look, I’m not saying this to rub your nose in it; it’s because these are the facts and I want you to be in the same position.
Larry – I want to be in the same position.
Harry – You’ve got to do new stuff, then. You know I’m learning law stuff?
Larry – You and your learning.
Harry – Yeah, because it makes a difference. The more that I can learn, the better, because I can apply it and I can help my customers. That’s what I’m finding now.
Larry – Is that the latest lesson?
Harry – If you want to treat it like that.
Larry – I might as well.
Harry – OK, here’s the latest lesson, then. I’ve become more and more aware that we’re change agents. We’re trying to get customers to change. That’s what we’ve always done in sales. We’re trying to move people. We’re trying to influence them. We’re trying to do this for their own good.
Larry – Yeah. That’s fair.
Harry – Very much so. Our skills as change agents are key. That’s what we’ve got to do. Customers are often stuck.
Larry – Customers are stuck? I’m stuck!
Harry – That’s why I am trying to practise what I preach. And I’m talking to you because I want you to be able to use this stuff to help other people.
Larry – I want to help other people.
Harry – I know you do. So, think of yourself as a change agent. Think about how you can understand them, their issues, their concerns, and how you can help them move through their change curve. Remember the work we did a little bit back, where we learned that people deal with change in different ways and that if we can recognise where they are in that process, we can adapt how we work with them so that we’re doing what’s right for them at the time?
Larry – I kind of remember.
Harry – Well, think about it like this. I know that I see change as an opportunity. I relish it and I’ll try and implement things to take advantage of the fact that things are different. It gives me an opportunity to talk to people and show them new things. However, I know I’ve got to be careful; when people are being affected by change, they might be in denial. Or they might be getting quite angry about the situation, quite frustrated, quite confused. I can overwhelm them with being too excited, too positive. So, I sometimes must temper what I do.
Larry – We should do that with me.
Harry – I am doing it with you. I’ve played this right down, but I’m going to be more direct with you because I know that is what you want. I’ve known you for a long time and I know that if I can give your cage a bit of a rattle you’ll come through.
Larry – Yeah. Fair enough. I know I can be a bit negative sometimes.
Harry – Not normally. But I’ve seen you over the last few months, when you have been a bit negative, and I know that it’s not you. Which is why I want to help you. I want to help you, just like I would help my customers.
Larry – Nah, it is appreciated. It’s just hard.
Harry – I totally understand; and I’m not saying it’s easier for me. It’s just that I’m trying to embrace it and I’m trying to learn. The whole scenario is confusing, but I’ve come across this really cool model that I’m using to try and get my own head around things and which I’m sharing with customers.
Larry – You and your models.
Harry – Because they work, to help understand and make sense of a situation so that we can then explain it a bit better and then use our skills as salespeople to help customers out.
Larry – Fair enough. So, what are you going to share with me?
Harry – VUCA.
Larry – No need to be rude!
Harry – [Laughs] No, VUCA: V – U – C – A.
Larry – What is VUCA when it’s at home?
Harry – VUCA’s a model that was originally used by the military. At the end of the Cold War things got a little bit confusing because it wasn’t clear who the enemy was, any more. Military and security forces had to adapt and what they said is that the conditions they found themselves in were VUCA, which stands for volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
Larry – Say those again?
Harry – Volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous; or volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
Larry – OK, got ya.
Harry – And that pretty much describes the situation we’re in at the moment, right?
Larry – It does.
Harry – Well, in 2007 a guy called Bob Johansen came up with the VUCA Prime model as a way in which we can deal with those kinds of situation. How we can sort of neutralise them, if you like. There are ways that we in the business world can do stuff to take those away or to minimise the threats that they might bring.
Larry – OK. Tell me more.
Harry – Well, it’s pretty cool because it uses the same initials. It is still VUCA. But what we are saying is that vision rises above volatility. Understanding reduces uncertainty. Clarity counters complexity, and agility overcomes ambiguity.
Larry – Run them by me again. I will think I am with you.
Harry – No problem. So, vision rises above volatility. That is what we want to do with customers anyway, we want to have a joint vision. We want to share what it is we’re trying to achieve together. We can then form a plan and we can work on that. Things that we’re doing become a lot more predictable, so we reduce volatility. Then, the better we can help customers understand where they want to be and how we can help them, the better we can work with them to achieve that. We can collaborate more with them.
Larry – Totally. Yeah.
Harry – OK. So, next up: understanding reduces uncertainty. If you think about it, uncertainty basically comes from not knowing stuff. The more we know, the easier it is to understand things. It’s kind of obvious, really.
Larry – Yeah. I guess it is.
Harry – That’s why we ask customers questions. Not necessarily so we get to know stuff, but by asking them questions, they can start to understand things better. We share information, we bring stuff to the table. We bring insight; remember, insight is the salesperson’s most valuable commodity. We bring that so that people can start to get a better understanding of things. We help get rid of some of the unknown elements. And that’s even if we’re just uncovering the known unknowns by recognising what we don’t know, and that we’re going to do something about it.
Larry – That’s helpful. It makes sense. And I could see myself doing that.
Harry – Cool. Well, I’m glad I’m getting a bit of clarity, because that’s the whole point. Clarity counters complexity. We are in a complex situation now and there is much confusion going on. But the more that we can use things to help us become clear ourselves, and help the customer become clear in what they want to do, then the better we can operate as salespeople. That’s why I like models. That’s why I like processes. That’s why I like having things that I can hang work and deliberate action around because it makes us far more effective.
Larry – Yeah, you do love your models. To be fair, I can see that it works for you.
Harry – Works for me, works for everyone, really. That’s why I’m such a big fan.
Larry – OK. What else do I need to know?
Harry – Well, the last one is agility overcomes ambiguity. We want to be agile. We want to be able to react quickly. We need to respond to people. We’ve got to be able to say, look this has changed, this is different, this is a threat and this is something we need to deal with, but we’re set up to do it. The more agile we become the more effective we can be. The better we can operate.
Larry – Oh man, that is cool. I like VUCA.
Harry – Absolutely. Understand VUCA and combat it with VUCA Prime. Try and think about how you can do that, because really it’s good selling anyway. But if we’re doing it very deliberately, if we’re doing it very thoughtfully, it’s the same as a lot of things we do as a salesperson, we can become better, more useful and add more value to customers.
Larry – Yeah. I like it a lot.
Harry – Cool. You look a little bit happier.
Larry – Happier; not happy, but happier.
Harry – Come on. You’ve got to be happy. You’re understanding VUCA now. How cool is that?
Larry – Yeah, pretty cool.
Harry – So, are you going to do anything with it?
Larry – I’m going to try.
Harry – Come on. There is no try. Only do.
Larry – OK, Yoda.
Harry – [Laughs] I am your mentor. I will be your guide.
Larry – Funny guy.
Harry – Is it something that you can do, though?
Larry – Yeah, I’m going to give it a go.
Harry – May the force be with you.
The friends signed off their call, and though Harry was still concerned for Larry he knew him well enough to know he would be able to make sense of it all. From past experience he knew Larry was resilient and would be able to overcome these issues. He hoped that his friend would be able to do this sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Harry had plenty of thinking of his own to do.
Public Speaking
I did various webinars, workshops and talks this month... but none as big as the speech at my friend Sarah's wedding.
It was quite a shock when she said that in the absence of her father this is what she would like
The walking bit was OK but the speech tested me
I'm used to standing up and talking but getting the content right took some thinking
However, with a bit of Vanilla Ice (audience participation of "Nice, Nice, Sarah"), some Welsh language skills and the invitation for guest to do a 'double toast' (from me but most importantly on behalf of her Dad) all seemed to go well
Grab a Gift
We have just added a new resource to our website
It is report based on 22 years of training in 36 countries which gave me the opportunity to recognise what the best salespeople this
Using this and an understanding of how sales is evolving and what professionals do to stay relevant allowed me to write my books but we thought it would be good to share this as a quick reference and resource for individuals and sales leaders to share with their team
This is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents.?
We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt.
Corina shares how she fell in love with the region and why she dedicates herself to helping others understand the potential of working there and how to do this effectively.
Her advice is to focus on relationships which can be established by seeking a better understanding of people and culture.
The key to everything is keeping an open mind.?
Listen to the episode HERE
Make sure you are relevant.
Sales professionals need to be increasingly aware of what they say and do.
This episode gives an overview of the VALUE Framework introduced in the book 'Selling Through Partnering Skills' that encourages salespeople to work with a partnering mindset to develop a more collaborative approach.
In the spirit of practising what we preach the YouTube version tries out new tech that can be used to up the video-selling game.
Check out?Fred Copestake YouTube ?and the Collaborative Selling Scorecard
This is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents.
We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt.
Yulia shares her experience working as a Sales Coach and we explore how learning can be turned into results.
We address the myth of the 'natural born' salesperson and how the deliberate application of things known to work delivers a faster route to success.
The key to implementation is not just information.
Listen to the episode HERE
Are you average or elite?
Antoine shares his thoughts on what salespeople can do to reach the top of their game.
He sees 'leading with problems' as a key way of beginning customer interactions to show you are different by having a focus on them.
We talk about what 'personal branding' actually means for a salesperson and what to do about it as well as how elite performers take ownership of their own learning.
Listen to the episode HERE
It was a dumpster fire.
This is how a CEO described a salesperson attempting to be a 'challenger' and failing dismally (though the story is fairly amusing).
In her role as evangelist for this style of selling Jen Allen takes us through what Challenger is and what it is not.
We discuss why such a powerful approach is badly applied so often and what to do to avoid this.
Research and respectfully 'second guessing' are the order of the day. Is this you or are you a butthead?
Listen to the episode HERE
This is a special series tailored for people working and selling in the region to discuss some of the unique challenges it presents.
We talk about what is different about selling in the area and what the best companies and salespeople do to adapt.
Mohamed is a marketer 'with a twist' and we talk about the importance of tailoring content to suit the target audience.
When communicating with customers, it is key they feel the message is for them so language and how it is presented are important.
With different nationalities represented in the region, this takes some thinking.
Listen to the episode HERE
Hybrid Selling does not just involve 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.
Success today and tomorrow is based on recognising what value really is and creating it with customers, while expanding meaningful business relationships.
In this episode Mike, Dan and the team discuss why creativity is so undervalued, why most businesses fail, and we’re joined by Fred Copestake (author of Hybrid Selling) and Holly Allen (SDR Coach) to discuss if old-school selling is dead.
Our online business community is for people that want to grow their audience, improve their marketing and sell more stuff. When you join you get access to exclusive weekly content, invited to our private Slack community, access to regular Q&A sessions with Mike, Dan & the VAMO team plus invites to our community meetups across the UK.
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Estate Agency Sales Manager for Bairstow Eves Billericay
2 年You have a very dreamy smile haha