Kevin Cope, Founder and CEO of Acumen Learning and author of Business Acumen for Sales Success, explains that modern selling is won by understanding how a customer makes money, not by knowing your product best. He shows reps how to read a P&L, decode an earnings call, and pair that business insight with the EQ that AI cannot replace. The episode turns “business acumen” from a buzzword into a practical pre-call routine any seller can run.
In this conversation, Kevin and host John Golden explore why great salespeople so often stall below the top line, and how curiosity and financial literacy rebuild credibility with today’s better-informed buyers.
This episode answers:
- What is business acumen, and why do SPIN and Challenger assume you already have it?
- How can a salesperson read a prospect’s P&L and earnings call before a meeting?
- Why do thin-margin and high-margin companies buy so differently?
- How should salespeople use AI as a tool without outsourcing their judgment?
- Why is EQ the one advantage AI can’t replace in complex B2B sales?
- What daily habit builds business acumen over time?
Ready to close your own acumen gap? Grab the book and explore the programs at https://www.acumenlearning.com/.
Visit us on Apple Podcast. You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.
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