In this episode of our manufacturing podcast, Made to Grow, Rich Dale talks with Fred Copestake about practical ways to improve manufacturing sales without resorting to spammy tactics.
In a crowded market, prospects are swamped by AI-driven email and feature lists that miss the real problem. Fred shares manufacturing insights on shifting to outcome-focused conversations, using relevance over mass personalisation, and building repeatable processes for B2B sales. If you lead a sub-100 person factory, this episode covers grounded business development for manufacturing firms, from first contact to long-term relationships.
Watch this episode now:
About The Guest
Fred Copestake is a sales trainer and consultant at Brindis with 25 years’ experience across 38 countries, training 10,000+ salespeople. Author of Selling Through Partnering Skills (2020), Hybrid Selling, and Ethical Selling (2024), he helps engineering and manufacturing teams adopt collaborative, problem-led selling that supports sustainable growth.
Key Topics in This Episode
- Why relevance beats mass personalisation in B2B sales for manufacturers
- Moving from product talk to problem, outcome and value in manufacturing sales
- A simple five-part approach: find fit, research deeply, act as a sense-maker, co-create the solution, deliver outcomes
- Avoiding the “entitled approach” and the engineering “super-ego” in technical selling
- What hybrid selling looks like now, and when to prioritise in-person contact
- Cutting through noise in lead gen: short video, well-structured calls, and useful LinkedIn posts
- Using account-based marketing principles to target the right manufacturers and stakeholders
- A weekly rhythm for sales development for manufacturers: educate, engage, entice
What’s Next?
If you’re tightening commercial focus while modernising operations, pair this episode with Flowlens’ free FEARLESS Digital Transformation eBook. It outlines practical steps for change management and systems adoption, so your BD Strategy aligns with how you actually deliver.
Further Reading & Resources
- Download the free FEARLESS Digital Transformation eBook – Flowlens
- Fred Copestake on LinkedIn (scorecards and resources)
- Brindis – Sales training and consultancy for engineering and manufacturing teams
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