Find My Catalyst Podcast

Sales Script? Is your Script getting in the way of Sales - Catalyst Sale Podcast Are you forcing a sales script on your team?  Has your organization given you a script?  Scripts might create efficiency, but they also create bad behaviors and laziness in the sales process.   Sales is a thinking process, Mike and Mike share their experience with scripts, the perfect message, compelling value proposi...

Traction is No Substitute for Revenue - Catalyst Sale Podcast Are you generating revenue or traction?  Traction may be a great first step when you are working your way out of rut, or a roadside ditch.  When it comes to your job as a Sales Professional, traction is no substitute for revenue.  It is critical that we are constantly evaluating our success against real metrics, and traction is not one...

Catalyst Sale Podcast - Finding Your Next Sales Job How does your sales process and approach apply to looking for your next career opportunity?  Is sales the right place for you?  Is an account executive or an account manager role a better fit, what about indirect sales?  How do you determine fit? Mike & Mike talk about identifying your next career move, and how to prepare to take advantage of an ...

Catalyst Sale Podcast - How to Get Over a Bad Year Sometimes, many times in higher risk sales, the year does not end as your originally envisioned.  High risk from a sales perspective, can mean emerging technologies, early adopter targets, or simply breaking ground in a new territory.  A bad year can be the result of poor planning, poor execution, or simply having the time run out on you.  When yo...

Catalyst Sale Podcast - Compensation Plans for Sales Professionals Compensation plans are something we all have experience with as sales professionals.  Whether it is designing a plan to reinforce desired behaviors, from a sales leadership perspective.  Or, modifying our behaviors to optimize a plan designed for us, from an individual contributor perspective.  Compensation plans require thought an...

Negotiation Many books have been written about the topic of negotiation.  In this week's episode of the Catalyst Sale podcast, Mike & Mike tackle a listener question.  They share their perspective on trades, common negotiation errors, the importance of assessing value, and slowing down the process.   Catalyst Sale Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and for...

Are trade shows are part of your business plan? If you are going to spend time and money on a trade show, you want to make sure you are getting the most from your investment.  In this episode of the Catalyst Sale podcast, Mike Conner and Mike Simmons offer insight and discussion about how to approach trade shows. Whether you attend a trade show as an attendee or have a team operating a booth, you...

If sales is a thinking process, where does artificial intelligence fit in the sale process?  Artificial intelligence can be used as a replacement for thinking. Or, artificial intelligence can be a tool to help a thinking sales professional enhance the sales process. Mike & Mike discuss how they have seen artificial intelligence impact sales, in ways that take away from the sales process and ways i...

Understanding the why will get you to the what.  The questions you ask shape the success or failure of the opportunities you are pursuing.  It is easy to present the information we know about the product or service you are selling.  When you do this you fall into the feature functionality trap. Mike & Mike get into their approach to asking questions, the intention behind those questions and how th...

Whether in baseball, football, life, or sales, slumps happen. Mike & Mike discuss slumps, how we get into them, and how to get out of them.   We all go through cycles, don't let yourself get too high, or too low.  Many times it is a mental game, you have to trust your process, and regain focus. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we...

Mike Conner is back this week.  Mike & Mike discuss proposals, common errors, and how to prepare your proposals for success.  At Catalyst Sale, when we get to the proposal stage of our sales process, we forecast at 90%.  We discuss why, and share our experience.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process...

The Catalyst Sale podcast has its first guest.   Lee Cockerell is a former Executive Vice President of Operations.  He is the author of Time Management Magic, and has recently launched his 4th book, Career Magic . Mike & Lee discuss time management, building trust, prioritization, and doing the right things now to prepare for the future.  How do you distinguish between important, urgent, and the t...

Episode 10 - Hiring a Sales Professional Mike and Mike share their thoughts on how they hire, what qualities and characteristics we look for, and how we partner with Arizona State University.  We share best practices lessons learned and common mistakes.  Whether you are thinking about hiring or going through the interview process yourself, you will find this episode valuable. Sales is a Thinking P...

Dreamforce is an annual event, this year ~170K developers, operators, consultants, and sales professionals met in San Francisco.   Mike and Mike share their thoughts on the event, lessons learned, best practices, and emerging trends they are most excited about. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process tha...

Episode 8 - False Starts & Stalls Everyone can think of a scenario where you thought the conversation was going one way, only to find that momentum stops.   Mike & Mike discuss their experience with false starts, how to avoid them, and why they occur. Whether it was with a customer, with your child, with you spouse.  This is a common occurrence in sales.  We think we have an opportunity, we think...

Episode 7 - Fit/Feasibility How do you know if you can deliver on the customer's requirements?  Have you ever said, 'yes, we can do that', only to find out you can't?  What about managing opportunity costs? Mike & Mike discuss the 3rd and 4th steps to the Catalyst Sale Process.  Can you address the problem that the customer is attempting to solve?  Is the customer the right client for your product...

Episode 6 - Ground Zero.   Is your product, your service, your capability, ready for delivery within the market?  Or, have you not reached your zero state.  Mike & Mike discuss the ground zero concept, and what happens if you are 'less than' zero. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process that enables resu...

Episode 5 - Qualification- How many times have you worked with a prospect, only to find that you missed critical pieces of information that could have accelerated the sales process or ensured success.  Mike & Mike discuss the importance of qualification, share some lessons learned and the risk of moving too fast when it comes to qualification.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a lea...

Episode 4 - Validation - How do you know if there is a deal to be had?  This is the first step in the Catalyst Sale process.  Mike & Mike discuss how to validate if you have a real opportunity, if you are working with the right organization, contact, etc.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process that en...

Mike & Mike discuss the role of the sales professional, the importance of connecting with customers, connecting solutions to problems, and share stories and lessons learned.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value w...

The confirmation step is critical, and often missed step in the Catalyst Sale process. Many Sales Reps stop when the deal is closed.  Mike & Mike discuss lessons learned, and how the confirmation step is really just the beginning. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That's why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a proc...

Episode 1 - Catalyst Sale: Sales is a thinking process, we are a learning organization.  We are committed to learning and the evolution of Sales.   In this episode, you will hear the Catalyst Sale story, our background, and what to expect from future episodes.   You will be introduced to Mike Conner & Mike Simmons – Catalyst Sale Founders, and industry professionals.  We expect engagement and look...