In this opening episode of a 5 part mini series of Sales Today, we do things a little differently.

Instead of the usual host-led interview, Fred Copestake is in the hot seat as James Michael turns the tables and leads the conversation. Chatting from opposite sides of the world – Fred in the UK and James in Australia – the discussion reflects a wider theme of this episode: sales has been turned upside down.

Together, they explore how selling has evolved from persuasion, pressure, and performance theatre into something far more human, ethical, and buyer-led.

In this episode, they cover:

• Why traditional, manipulative sales tactics no longer work in modern B2B selling
• How sales used to be treated as a "dark art" – and why that thinking causes problems today
• Fred's accidental route into sales and what 25 years across 38 countries has taught him
• The shift from "telling and pitching" to sense-making and clarity-building
• Why today's buyers often know more than the salesperson before the first meeting
• What it really means to sell collaboratively rather than persuasively
• How ethics, integrity, and conscience now play a critical role in long-term sales success

Key takeaway

Modern sales is no longer about control, clever techniques, or forcing outcomes.

It's about helping buyers make sense of complexity, supporting better decisions, and creating value through conversation – not pressure.

When selling is done well today, everyone wins:
the buyer, the business, and the salesperson themselves.

About the guests

Fred Copestake is the founder of Brindis, a sales training consultancy. With over 25 years' experience, he has worked in 38 countries, supported more than 10,000 salespeople, and authored three books:

• Selling Through Partnering Skills
• Hybrid Selling
• Ethical Selling

James Michael is the founder of Justified Talent, a recruitment business specialising in helping small businesses make their first sales hire. With a background in behavioural psychology, James takes a radically different approach to recruitment – focusing on assessment and behaviour rather than CVs and interviews.

Connect with James Michael

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

· Website: www.justifiedtalent.com

This is Episode 1 of a 5-part CEMMT Sales Series, exploring how selling must adapt to modern buyers, ethical expectations, and changing decision-making behaviours.

Subscribe to make sure you don't miss the next episode.

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

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vNdGEyZLeLE

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/

In this solo episode, host Fred Copestake conducts a live, first-reaction review of the My Sales Coach "State of Sales Coaching in 2026" Report.

Fred reads the executive summary, explores the data, and offers unfiltered commentary on what the findings mean for sales leaders, salespeople, and the future of coaching - human and AI.

He dives into coaching frequency, quality, barriers, performance impact, the role of AI, who salespeople trust as coaches, and why tenured sellers may be the most underserved group of all.

If you want to deepen your coaching culture, rethink how you support reps, and understand where the industry is heading in 2026, this is the episode for you.

Key Takeaways

• Coaching remains the most powerful but underused lever in sales performance.
• There is a growing disconnect between leaders who believe they coach more and salespeople who feel under-coached.
• Regular, structured coaching dramatically increases quota attainment, with weekly-coached reps 1.6× more likely to hit target.
• Human coaching is still preferred over AI-only solutions-trust and care still matter.
• Experienced sellers are the most neglected when it comes to coaching, despite being some of the hungriest for improvement.
• Sales managers often rate their own coaching highly, yet few have a coach themselves.
• A winning formula for modern sales teams: AI-powered, human-led, relentlessly consistent coaching.

00:00 Introduction to The Sales Today Podcast

00:26 Live Review of the State of Sales Coaching 2026 Report

01:36 Executive Summary by Kevin Beales

03:38 Survey Participants and Respondent Breakdown

04:37 Chapter 1: Changes Since 2025

06:06 Chapter 2: Coaching Frequency and Barriers

08:27 Chapter 3: Coaching Drives Performance

09:56 Chapter 4: Coaching in the Age of AI

12:05 Chapter 5: Who Do Salespeople Want to Be Coached By?

13:41 Chapter 6: The Rise of AI in Sales Coaching

14:56 Chapter 7: Experienced Salespeople and Coaching Neglect

17:08 Chapter 8: Who Coaches the Coaches?

18:21 Key Themes and Final Thoughts

Links and Resources

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

Download The State of Sales Coaching in 2026 Report

Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J3RfU28wapg

Watch my FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers

In this episode of The Sales Today Podcast I am joined by Gerry Hill - widely regarded as a "pipeline savant" to unpack the uncomfortable truths behind pipeline health, buyer-centricity, conversational skills, and what truly separates top performers from everyone else.

Together we explore why good intentions often crumble under commercial pressure, how weak pipelines drive unethical behaviour, and why modern sellers struggle with basic conversational competence.

Gerry also shares practical guidance for sellers stuck in a "crushing low," as well as his thoughts on resilience, generational shifts, and the realities of building a long-term sales career today.

Key Topics Covered

• Pipeline & Ethics: Why a healthy pipeline naturally leads to more ethical, confident selling and why scarcity triggers bad decisions.
• Buyer-Centricity Myths: The gap between what companies say about being customer-focused and what actually happens under quota pressure.
• Unnatural Acts of Selling: The uncomfortable tasks elite sellers consistently do (and others avoid) that drive predictable success.
• The Decline of Conversational Skills: How modern communication habits have eroded curiosity and real human interaction in sales.
• Resilience in Today's Workforce: Generational differences, culture shifts, and why resilience is becoming a defining competency.
• Career Ownership: Gerry's advice for younger sellers on financial literacy, choosing the right markets, and long-term career strategy.

"Selling is a series of unnatural acts. The people who win are the ones willing to do the uncomfortable things consistently."

Links and Resources

Connect with Gerry: https://linktr.ee/gerryhill
Phone: +44 7702 034081

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

Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/m9k5LXPqvoY

Watch my FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers