Find My Catalyst Podcast

Guest - Paul Michelman - Editor in Chief, MIT Sloan Management Review This week on the podcast Paul Michelman - Editor in Chief, MIT Sloan Management Review joins us for a great discussion that covers a number of topics, including the impact of technology on business and vice versa, and why the middle may not be the best place to be. Paul is the former Editor in Chief of Safari Books Online, he ha...

The Quick Fix? - Do the Work Every year, most of us start the new year with resolutions.  We resolve to lose weight, attain 125% of our quota, save for a down payment on a house, achieve better work-life balance, be more mindful.  Some of us execute on these resolutions.  Many of us fail within a couple of months or even weeks.    This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we talk about the risks asso...

Guest - Andrew Savikas - Founder, YieldTalk This week on the podcast another friend of Catalyst Sale joins us.  Andrew Savikas is the founder of YieldTalk. He is the former CEO of Safari Books Online, and he is a startup advisor who helps CEOs and Founders with strategy.   This week we discuss the importance of understanding history, similarities between those in sales roles and those in technical...

Guest - Pam Boiros - Principal Bridge Marketing Advisors This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast a great friend joins the discussion.  Pam and Mike Simmons worked with each other at SkillSoft in the early 2000's.  Pam is the principal and founder of Bridge Marketing Advisors.  She has a long history in Ed Tech, and is a marketing expert with both sales and marketing skills.  Pam currently works wit...

Guest - Scott Ingram - Host of the Sales Success Stories Podcast Scott Ingram joins us this week to share the insight and knowledge he has gained since launching the Sales Success Stories podcast.  He shares some thoughts on pattern recognition across his guests, practical examples of how they go about doing their work, and why they have been successful.   Scott also announces a conference he is l...

Guest - Brian Trautschold - Co-Founder, Ambition This week we are on location in Chattanooga with Brian Trautschold the cofounder of Ambition.  Brian and I revisit a common subject - there are no silver bullets. We also discuss how data can be used to self-assess and identify ways to improve personal performance, what's changing in sales technology, and why technology is not the solution for bad c...

Do you introduce additional risk by selling after "Yes"? We've discussed many topics on the Catalyst Sale podcast since the launch in October 2016.  This week we discuss selling after yes and the confusion that comes with lack of clarity around expectations. This is something that likely happens when the sales process is rushed, either by our side or the client's side.  If you skip steps or rush t...

Guest - Donald Miller - CEO, StoryBrand Don helps companies "clarify their message so customers engage", he is the CEO of StoryBrand and a New York Times best-selling author.  Don joins us this week on the Catalyst Sale podcast to discuss the StoryBrand Framework and how it applies to Sales professionals, marketers, and anyone looking to improve their success. Questions addressed What are two core...

What impact does an Agile development process have on Sales? We've discussed sales as an Agile process during previous episodes.  This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we discuss the impact of Agile Development Cycles on Sales. What happens when you develop product functionality in the context of sprints vs a waterfall approach? This week Mike Conner is back.  He and Mike Simmons discuss the thin...

Maintaining Focus and Doing the Things that are Important Time management is an area where most sales professionals struggle.  Everyone has the same number of hours in a day - 24.  What we do with these hours is up to us.  One way to make the most out of every day is to prioritize and execute.   This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we revisit the importance of doing the important things, and not...

Guests Christie Walters & Jeff Bajorek - Hosts - The Why and The Buy Podcast This week is a pretty special episode of the Catalyst Sale Podcast.  We have a roundtable of experience on the show, and we go a little longer than usual.  Christie Walters and Jeff Bajorek from The Why and The Buy Podcast  join us on part one of a two-part podcast. We discuss how Christie & Jeff met, why they launched a...

Are There Questions That Are Too Small to Discuss? Although we traditionally discuss some of the bigger problems that organizations run into when looking to generate sales and accelerate growth, sometimes it is the small things that can seem like big problems to new organizations. What happens when you make a decision today, with limited information, or decide to cut a corner, but it creates signi...

Guest - Jennifer McClure - Speaker, Executive Coach, President of Unbridled Talent & CEO of DisruptHR How do you innovate in a role that historically has been typecast as transactional?  Jennifer McClure joins us on the podcast this week.  We discuss innovation, building business acumen, how a role in Human Resources relates to sales, and a number of other topics. Jennifer was an amazing guest.  N...

The fundamentals are what they are - fundamental In this week's Catalyst Sale podcast we start with Zig Ziglar, and the foundational sales skills he shared with others.  We then transition into a discussion around other thought leaders from past and present that have shared ideas and concepts that help improve performance.  We wrap up with a request of our audience.  We ask the audience to share t...

Guest - Morgan Ingram, Manager, Sales Development at Terminus and Host of the SDR Chronicles The Sales Development Representative (SDR) role is another level of specialization within the sales function.  Some organizations have adopted this role and successfully integrated the position into their teams, while others are struggling with success. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, Morgan Ingram...

Territory Planning - A Catalyst Sale Approach This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss the components that makeup the territory plan, including starting from ground zero, and defining your area of focus. Traditionally this starts as a whiteboard exercise for us. We start with a blank whiteboard and go through yes/no questions to refine our focus. Given that this is a whiteboard exercise,...

Guest - Tiffani Bova - Global, Customer Growth, Sales and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce and host of the What's Next Podcast Tiffani Bova joins us on the Catalyst Sale Podcast this week to discuss innovation within the sales profession, customer experience, taking ownership of your personal development, and " What's Next " in sales and customer success. Have you thought about the transition f...

Listener Question - When does it make sense to buy a mailing list or leads? Buy vs Build is one of the most common questions facing business leaders today.  Jordan, a listener in Texas, asks when does it make sense to purchase a list?  We address Jordan's question, but also get side-tracked in the discussion and dive deeper into the concept of buy vs build.  This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast...

Special Episode - Lessons learned in Podcasting with Jody, Mike & Mike This is a unique podcast, it will be posted both in the Catalyst Sale Podcast feed & the Jody Maberry Show feed. This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast Jody, Mike, and Mike discuss the Catalyst Sale podcast, lessons learned, the importance of finding a good partner, and why we chose podcasting.   Questions Discussed What have y...

Is Your Process Slowing your Progress or Improving Performance? Process supports scalability and execution.  An effective process is important when creating predictable growth.  Lack of process usually results in higher risk, confusion, and inconsistency.  This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we discuss how process potentially prevents or limits progress. We also discuss how process for the sake...

Guest - Jen Spencer - Vice President of Sales & Marketing, SmartBug Media Jen Spencer joins us on the Catalyst Sale Podcast this week to discuss partners - where to start, what works, common errors, and how to reduce risk.  Mike and I also share our experience with partners, both as a partner and a company looking for partners. Jen shares her expertise, and fills in the blanks. Partners can accele...

Patience Matters in Sales? An aggressive mentality tends to be something we look for when identifying sales potential.  It is a characteristic that we reinforce when recognizing top performers and one we tend to highlight during an interview process.  What about patience though?  Where does patience fit in?  Can you be patient and aggressive?  Is there a difference between patience when it comes t...

Have you ever meet an emotional Sales professional?   Emotions are part of the game in life, and certainly in sales.   Don't let yourself get too high or too low.  If you read the press clippings or listen to the noise, remember that you are never as good as they say you are, nor are you as bad as you might think you are.  The inverse also applies. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we talk ab...

Listener Question - What are some best practices when working with a recruiter? Mike Conner is back this week, he and I tackle a listener question from Max in California.  Max is interested in our perspective on working with recruiters.  Specifically best practices, best approach & some ideas around what has worked for us in the past.   Recruiters - they can be the key to a successful job hunt, or...

Guest - Ira Bernstein - Founder, Rampt Consulting Ira Bernstein joins us on the Catalyst Sale Podcast this week to discuss onboarding - what works, where to start, common errors, and how to reduce risk.  Mike and I also share our experience with companies we have worked for and with, while Ira fills in the blanks and shares his expertise. Organizations who onboard effectively, establish outcomes,...