The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

We’re diving into the one area of negotiation that many companies fail to pay attention to — the internal process behind every sales negotiation. In this episode, Force Management Senior Partner, Tim Caito explains how refining the internal process can enable your sales organization to increase deal velocity and achieve better outcomes. He’ll cover:   - Internal bottlenecks that hinder healthy pip...

Sometimes inspiration can hit you at the most unexpected times. For Senior Director of Consulting and Facilitation Patrick McLoughlin, it was during a Command of the Message training when he noticed the difference between two basketballs in his office.    What are the key differences between mediocrity and greatness?    What separates the best salespeople from the rest?    Patrick shares his thoug...

Are you struggling with motivation?   Especially in our current environment, finding motivation in a foggy sales environment can be a constant battle.   We sat down with John Kaplan to discuss ways to improve productivity and keep yourself and/or your sales teams motivated by being uncommon in what you do.   Here are a few topics we’ll cover:   - What to do when the opportunities in your territory...

We’re taking a deep dive into the critical roles SDRs play and the value they can bring to your company.   Special guest, Patrick McLoughlin, Senior Director of Consulting and Facilitation at Force Management, covers how sales organizations can benefit from generating alignment between their SDR/BDR organization and their sales organization. He’ll cover:   - The biggest mistakes sales organization...

There’s no doubt that next year’s SKO will be different from years past. In this episode, we sat down to discuss how some of the sales leaders we work with are approaching their sales kickoffs. Many of them are shifting to sales initiatives. In this episode, we cover:    - 3 key, sales execution areas of focus for sales leaders who are looking to improve their sales team’s ability to compete    -...

In this episode, we’re taking a step back to cover the most frequently asked questions we get from our customers, the sellers we train, and our listeners. From warming up cold calls and building pipeline to asking trap setting discovery questions, and getting to the economic buyer, John Kaplan covers it all.   Here are a few key insights you’ll want to tune in to hear:   - How sellers can nail the...

Proof points should tell a story of how your solutions effectively solved your customer’s problems and achieved measurable results.   Elite sellers know the story behind their proof points so they can better tie them to their live opportunities in a way that’s relevant and meaningful to their prospects. Elite sales organizations have a process for gathering these proof points so their sellers can...

Many sales leaders want to add MEDDICC into their sales organizations to improve sales qualification, mitigating losses and the number of deals in the pipeline that just aren’t progressing effectively.   Spoiler -  just adding the tool to your sales process won’t drive results. You as a sales leader, and your sales teams have to put in the work to make it work.   In this episode, Managing Director...

You know that champions can be a critical component of moving your deals forward.   However, identifying them isn’t always easy.   Do you really have a champion or just a coach? If you’re a manager, how are you helping your reps find, develop, and test their champions?   In this episode, John Kaplan will cover:   - Questions to help you identify a champion or coach   - How to know if your champion...

Many sales leaders are moving forward with their sales transformation initiatives, virtually. They’ve come to an understanding that they don’t have time to wait.   We sat down with Force Management's Chief Operating Officer Dave Davies and Brian Walsh, Managing Director of Facilitation and Delivery, to discuss how sales organizations are moving forward right now in a remote environment. They cover...

Moving opportunities forward and maintaining a healthy pipeline in this environment — are two critical areas sales organizations are struggling with right now.   In this episode John Kaplan talks through the three things you need in every deal, minimizing no decisions, discounts and other risks to their pipelines. He’ll discuss:   - How to determine your PBOS, Required Capabilities and Metrics   -...

This topic is so important we named our podcast after it.    In this episode, John Kaplan explains what it means to have an ‘audible-ready’ sales organization. He covers the five power plays of an audible-ready sales team and how sales leaders can equip their teams tools that enable them to keep the focus on their buyer.   Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Pod...

We’re using this episode to run through the most frequently asked questions we hear about sales negotiation.  Listen as Tim Caito discusses best practices managers and sales reps can instill into their negotiation process to ensure their business and procurement buyers view their solutions as valuable.  He’ll cover: How to navigate relationships with both buyer contacts and procurement professiona...

Salespeople, even veteran sellers, can struggle with warming up cold sales conversations and turning LinkedIn connections into active opportunities.    An avid listener recently asked that we cover how to get into opportunities and become immediately relevant to a prospect.    In this episode, John Kaplan explains how salespeople can be uncommon in their call preparation and conversations, so they...

Communication is a critical component to ensuring your teams stay focused.    For sales leaders, it can be the one thing that separates the best from the rest. If your people understand where they’re going and how they’ll get there, you are one step closer to your revenue goals.    In this episode, John Kaplan covers the concept of a leadership footprint to explains how leaders can:   - Outline th...

Please note this episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic.   Front-line sales managers typically have one of the toughest jobs in the entire sales organization.    Equipping them effectively takes a concerted effort. In this podcast, John Kaplan runs through best practices for helping them be successful, including:    - How to help them develop an operating rhythm   - How to get beyond...

This episode is just for people who are new to a head of sales role or for those people who are looking to jump ship.    John Kaplan outlines the key areas you need to assess for your success plan, including key questions to ask around:    - The sales message   - Sales execution and qualification   - Sales planning processes and management operating rhythm   - Sales talent   Check out this and oth...

Why do buyers use tricky tactics in negotiations?    Because they work!    In this podcast, Tim Caito shares how to best prepare yourself (and your teams) for those popular buyer tactics.   He’ll cover:   - The 4 main reasons buyer tactics work and when they originate during the process   - The key 5 tips for managing the negotiation process and preparing for success (to the best of your ability!)...

Keeping sales teams focused is an area many sales leaders are trying to excel in right now.   In this episode, John Kaplan walks through simple things you can do as a sales leader or manager to keep your teams motivated and disciplined.    He’ll discuss:   - How sales teams can use the ‘purpose, process, payoff’ call agenda to make sales conversations empathetic and relevant for buyers.   - How le...

This episode covers how to approach sales conversations right now to mitigate stalled deals and communicate with purpose and empathy.  Many sales professionals and leaders within their organizations are wondering what’s working in sales conversations right, what isn’t, and who’s doing it well.  In this episode, John Kaplan covers how you can focus your sales teams on having purposeful conversation...

Please note this episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It takes a lot of “hands on deck” when trying to close a large opportunity.  Often, it’s up to the salesperson to ensure that he/she has the resources needed to get the deal done.  Whether it’s on one deal or to make your yearly goal, you need a plan in place to ensure everyone knows their role in moving the opportunity forward....

Growing companies are often challenged with translating the founder’s vision and story into sales conversations that highlight the value and differentiation of the solution.  In many of these companies, no one can sell as well as the founder.  In this podcast, John Kaplan talks through key steps companies take to scale that message and get an entire sales organization equipped to sell as well as t...

You know how important Champions can be to your sales process. But, how do you test them?  How do you ensure that your Champions are really able to articulate your value and differentiation?  We define Champions as:  people who actively sell on your behalf have a vested interest in getting the deal done  have power and influence within the company  In this podcast, John Kaplan breaks down key ways...

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. John’s advice is still applicable, but please understand we didn’t have the current context when recording.  In this podcast, John Kaplan talks through key areas to assess in your own organization after a less-than-stellar quarter, including:  How to make sure you have the right people to achieve your yearly goals How to build more ac...

Elite leaders make the choice to work at their craft.  In this episode, John Kaplan shares a few lessons he’s learned as a sales leader, the mantra he follows and the one new hire that became an example of what not to do as a sales leader.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.