Why Sales Teams Struggle to Reach Senior Decision Makers (And What to Do About It)
Release Date: 06/11/2026
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Why Sales Teams Struggle to Reach Senior Decision Makers (And What to Do About It)
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info_outlineTake 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/
Connect with Fred
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredcopestake
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Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xLx9AmjYU2Y