About this Event
Why this workshop exists
Most experienced salespeople know their product or service well. Where things often become more difficult is in the conversation.
A buyer mentions a problem, asks about a solution or says they are looking for another supplier, and it is very easy to start explaining how you can help.
The problem is that what the buyer first asks for is not always what is really driving the decision.
What has changed? Why does it matter now? Who is being affected? What is the impact on the business if nothing changes?
That is where The Trusted Adviser Method comes in.
The workshop is about understanding what is really happening before you recommend a solution. It is about asking better questions, listening properly and getting clear on whether there is actually an opportunity worth pursuing.
Early registration offer
Register by 20 October 2026, and you will also receive a complimentary copy of The Trusted Adviser Method and a Sales Capability Assessment.
The assessment will help you identify your current strengths and development gaps before the workshop, so you arrive with a clearer understanding of where you need to improve.
This offer closes on 20 October 2026.
That means you are not turning up with a vague idea that you want to get better at sales. You already have a clearer sense of what you need to work on.
Once the first 20 places are taken, this offer closes.
What is The Trusted Adviser Method?
The Method is built around one simple principle:
Understand before you recommend.
That sounds obvious, but it is one of the easiest things to get wrong.
A buyer tells us something, we hear a problem, and we start thinking about the solution.
The Trusted Adviser Method slows that process down.
You first understand the situation, then what is really driving the issue, what it means commercially and whether there is a genuine reason to recommend something.
Sometimes that means the opportunity moves forward. Sometimes you uncover a bigger issue than the buyer first recognised. And sometimes you realise there is no real opportunity at all.
That is still a good sales conversation because both sides leave with more clarity.
What is The Trusted Adviser Method?
The Method is built around one simple principle:
Understand before you recommend.
The aim is to understand the situation, uncover the root cause, assess the commercial impact, and then decide on the appropriate recommendation.
Sometimes that means progressing an opportunity. Sometimes it means uncovering a bigger issue than the buyer first recognised. And sometimes it means recognising there is no genuine opportunity and moving on.
That is still a good sales conversation because both sides leave with more clarity.
What will we work on?
Throughout the workshop, we will focus on the parts of a sales conversation that often determine whether an opportunity moves forward or quietly disappears.
We will look at when salespeople start presenting too early, how to separate what the buyer first asks for from what may actually be driving the decision, and how to understand the commercial impact before making a recommendation.
We will also work through how different stakeholders see value, what can stop an opportunity progressing, and how to handle pricing, objections and uncertainty without creating unnecessary pressure.
A major part of the workshop will cover Advisor-Led Discovery. This is not about firing twenty questions at someone and hoping one of them uncovers the problem. It is about having a natural conversation, listening properly, checking assumptions and knowing when to ask the next question.
The focus is practical. We will work through real sales and business situations that you can relate back to your own clients and opportunities.
Who should attend
The workshop is designed for:
- Sales professionals
- Business Development Managers
- Account Managers
- Sales Leaders
- Consultants and Advisers
- Business Owners involved in B2B sales
If you are responsible for winning business, growing accounts or helping customers make better decisions, the workshop is relevant to you.
What you will leave with
The workshop is designed so that what you learn does not disappear the moment the day is over.
You will leave with practical material you can take back into your own sales conversations, including:
- The Trusted Adviser Method participant workbook
- Advisor-Led Discovery tools
- Discovery templates
- Commercial impact tools
- Sales conversation frameworks
- Recommendation and proposal frameworks
- Practical scenarios and reference tools
The aim is simple: you should leave with a method you understand, tools you can actually use and a better way of approaching your next client conversation.
Workshop agenda
Session 1 — Understanding today’s B2B buyer
We look at how buying behaviour has changed, why some traditional sales approaches are becoming less effective and what buyers increasingly expect from the people selling to them.
Session 2 — Advisor-Led Discovery
We work on moving beyond surface-level questions, listening properly and uncovering what is really happening inside the buyer’s business.
Session 3 — Understanding commercial impact
We explore how to connect a problem to its effects on revenue, costs, productivity, risk, customers, and overall business performance.
Session 4 — Making the recommendation
We look at how to turn discovery into a recommendation that is relevant, commercially justified and easier for the buyer to understand.
Session 5 — Objections, decisions and next steps
We work through uncertainty and objections without immediately resorting to pressure or discounting, and look at how to move the conversation towards a clear next decision.
Your Facilitator — Frank Ziovas
Frank Ziovas is the Founder of Alfa Consulting Services and author of The Trusted Adviser Method.
His work focuses on helping business leaders and sales professionals improve the quality of their commercial conversations, build trust and make better decisions.
Frank will also be speaking at the Malaysia Smart Cities Conference 2.0, alongside senior business, research and industry leaders.
Melbourne | 23 February 2027
Register by 20 October 2026, and you will also receive a complimentary copy of The Trusted Adviser Method and a Sales Capability Assessment.
Register now to secure your place.
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 01:00 PM
The Trusted Adviser Method — Half-Day Workshop Agenda
Host: Frank Ziovas
Info: The Trusted Adviser Method — Half-Day Workshop Agenda
8:30–9:00 | Registration, Breakfast & Networking
Arrival, refreshments and networking.
9:00–9:15 | Welcome & Trusted Adviser Mindset
Why sales problems often begin before the close. Understand before you recommend.
9:15–9:45 | Buyer Psychology
How buyers assess trust, risk, value and change.
9:45–10:30 | Advisor-Led Discovery
Uncover the real situation, commercial pressures, business impact and decision priorities.
10:30–10:45 | Refreshment Break
10:45–11:20 | The Emotional Bridge
Uncertainty → Pressure → Understanding → Trust → Clarity → Confidence → Decision → Action.
11:20–11:50 | Commercial Impact & Recommendations
Connect problems to cost, risk and opportunity before recommending solutions.
11:50–12:15 | Objections & Decision Confidence
12:15–12:40 | Follow-Up & Pipeline Discipline
12:40–1:00 | Practical Application & Action Plan
Included: Breakfast, refreshments and workshop materials.
Event venue & nearby stays
139 Cardigan St, 139 Cardigan Street, Carlton, Australia
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