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

Connect with Fred: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredcopestake

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

Watch the full mini series playlist here

In this episode of the Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake tackles a challenge that many engineering and B2B sales teams face:

Why is it so difficult to engage senior stakeholders?

The common assumption is that senior decision-makers are simply too busy, too difficult to reach, or unwilling to engage.

But what if the real issue isn't access at all?

Fred explores why many sales conversations naturally sit at an operational level, while senior leaders are focused on entirely different concerns. The result is a disconnect between what sales teams are talking about and what senior stakeholders are actually thinking about.

In this episode:

Why access to senior stakeholders is often a relevance problem, not an availability problem
How operational conversations limit who engages with them
What senior decision-makers are really focused on
Why conversations about cost, efficiency, and features rarely gain executive attention
How strategic concerns trigger many buying initiatives
Why sales teams often become disconnected from where the original thinking started
The subtle shift that helps conversations reach higher levels of the organisation

Key Insight

Senior stakeholders are not avoiding conversations.

They are constantly making decisions, evaluating opportunities, assessing risks, and considering the future direction of their organisation.

The question is not: "Can we reach them?"

The question is: "Are we relevant to them?"

Key Takeaway

If your team struggles to engage senior decision-makers, don't start by focusing on access.

Start by asking:

"Are we talking at the right level for the people we want to engage?"

Because when conversations align with the priorities, concerns, and outcomes senior leaders care about, access often becomes much less of a barrier.

Free Collaborative Selling Scorecard

If you would like to assess how your sales approach aligns with today's buying environment, you can take the free Collaborative Selling Scorecard: https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/