Modern technology is reshaping how sales teams identify and qualify opportunities.

In this conversation, Fred Copestake speaks with sales tech expert Hanneke Vogels to explore how tools like HubSpot’s Breeze and other sales intelligence platforms can help define and refine your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

They examine how existing customer data can reveal key patterns and shared traits, enabling teams to pinpoint lookalike companies and prioritise outreach more effectively.

There's also a focus on how AI can support deeper customer understanding, allowing for more relevant messaging and stronger initial engagement.

The discussion also highlights how qualification is no longer a one-off task.

Using AI tools, transcription services, and structured CRM inputs, sales professionals can apply a more dynamic, data-driven approach to assessing opportunities over time.

Techniques such as role-based AI prompts - particularly for understanding decision-makers like finance directors are covered, offering practical ways to enhance both lead scoring and personalisation.

Whether you're reviewing your ICP or aiming to improve qualification consistency, this episode presents clear ways to use technology to sell smarter, not louder.

--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------

0:00 - Techniques for Modern Sales Success

09:49) - Effective Sales Qualification Strategies

Connect with Hanneke: linkedin.com/in/hannekevogels

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

Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard

https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube

https://youtu.be/ZweyyOH6m_s

This episode is a live recording of Fred Copestake’s show for the Alchemie Network, where he dives deeper into what makes true collaboration between sales and procurement work.

Picking up from the last session on the evolution of sales, Fred explores selling through partnering skills – a practical approach to creating better, more productive relationships.

With his usual energy, hard-won experience, and a few lighthearted moments, Fred unpacks six key elements of PQ (Partnering Intelligence) – the lesser-known but equally vital cousin of IQ and EQ.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why trust is the non-negotiable foundation of any relationship
• The “trust equation” (and how self-orientation can make it crumble)
• How to create a genuine win-win mindset without damaging your own position
• Why interdependence beats independence in modern sales
• How transparency builds credibility (and why leading with a flaw is powerful)
• The importance of being comfortable with change – for you and your customer
• Why future orientation helps both sides achieve meaningful outcomes

Fred also shares practical tools like mutual action plans, tips for handling resistance to change, and why buyers care about futures rather than just features.

Expect straight-talking insights, useful questions to reflect on, and a clear framework to help you recognise great sales behaviours – and spot the ones that fall short.

A must-listen for procurement professionals who want to work with genuine partners, and for salespeople who want to stand out for the right reasons.

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Join the Alchemie Network for FREE to connect with other forward-thinking professionals and get access to more events like this.

Connect with Fred on Linkedin

https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube

https://youtu.be/FHifHfaKXJw

Too many sellers treat sales like a checklist. It’s not.

Sales is a system - and when every part is strong, the whole thing works better.

In this special recap episode, we take a step back to zoom out and review the 15 core skills, tools, and mindsets covered so far on Sales Today.

Whether you're new to the series or have been with us since episode one, this is your chance to assess, reflect, and reset your approach to modern ethical selling.

What’s Covered:

• The 15 essential skills for modern B2B selling
• Why sales isn’t just a series of disconnected activities
• How each skill fits into a connected, customer-first system
• The #1 question you need to ask: Where should I focus next?
• A simple scoring exercise to guide your personal development

The 15 Essentials Recapped:

1. Ideal Customer Profile

2. Value Proposition

3. Sales Messaging

4. Account Planning

5. Change Drivers

6. Customer Value

7. Sharing Insights

8. Asking Better Questions

9. Structuring Sales Meetings

10. Writing Proposals

11. Delivering Presentations

12. Storytelling

13. Focusing on Outcomes

14. Running Better Reviews

15. Relationship Building

This Week’s Action Step

- Score yourself from 1 to 5 on each of the 15 areas (listed above).
- Avoid choosing 3 - force a choice!

Then:

- Focus first on your lowest scores.
- Strengthening weak links will lift your whole system.

Need a full scorecard template? Message Fred on Linkedin

Resources:

Fred’s books:
• Selling Through Partnering Skills
• Hybrid Selling
• Ethical Selling

Connect with Fred on LinkedIn to share your thoughts and hear more.

https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard

https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube

https://bit.ly/4o3XbgB

Sales Today – for professionals doing things the right way.