The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

When it comes to rejuvenating stalled deals, urgency is the factor that moves the needle. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about driving urgency in deals, discussing the use of discovery to uncover and attach to the customer’s biggest business issues, getting them emotionally connected to solving those issues, and subsequently articulating your value and comparative differentiation. Here ar...

In today’s episode, Brian Walsh joins Rachel to discuss building rapport with prospective customers. Brian covers the true meaning of rapport and how it applies to client conversations, as well as the right mindset for sellers to take into their early conversations with prospects, the importance of active listening as a way to gain trust, and determining the right time to deploy tactics such as st...

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. When selling a solution, you want to align with wide-ranging corporate initiatives and not just departmental one-offs. Many reps struggle to not only identify, but also align with company-wide initiatives that buyers are navigating with inside of their organization. John Kaplan explains how to recognize a corporate buyer and align your busines...

A robust pipeline is key to maintaining a steady flow of prospects and keeping track of the progress of each toward closing. With the current proliferation of AI tools on the market, sellers are better equipped than ever to tailor their prospecting approach to the unique concerns of each individual lead. Still, regardless of the technology, the fundamentals remain unchanged. Today, John Kaplan joi...

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Preparing for your deal is critical. Preparing others for your sales call has equal impacts on your success. If you want someone to join you on a call (product engineer, manager, etc.), you have to be able to provide them with fluency about the deal and clarity on their role in the conversation. John Kaplan covers what information you need to...

When it comes to attaining a consensus in a customer account and achieving the crucial “Collective Yes”, the greater the numbers on your side, the higher your chances of success. Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss the need to expand the depth and breadth of your presence in customer accounts, applying a multi-threaded approach in order to achieve top-down organizational agreement on yo...

Customer handoffs are a natural part of the selling process, but you don’t want to lose the customer relationships that you’ve worked so hard to build. Indeed, staying connected to customers over the long-term has numerous benefits, not only for the success of your solution, but also for your career as an individual seller. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to discuss these benefits, and he shares t...

Not many things are granted in sales, but adversity is one of them. When difficulties arise, resilience becomes a seller’s most valuable attribute. Joining Rachel for today’s episode is Force Management Facilitator Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos to cover the importance of resilience in sales. Pouli discusses the need to focus on what you can control, staying motivated when it feels nothing is going righ...

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. Ever had a customer ask you to consider a pilot project? Perhaps they don’t want to sign up for the full investment or they want to prove success before they move forward. Should you sell it? How should you handle it? Brian Walsh gives you a few things to consider. He talks about: Why pilot projects pop up. When it is beneficial to take on a p...

As a rep, a deal review is your time. They are your chance not only to level-set with your manager and teammates, but also to get whatever help you need in getting your opportunities over the line. It is within your control to own the agenda. In this episode, John Kaplan advises reps on ideal preparation in advance of deal reviews and the mindset necessary to get the most out of them. He also disc...

Before you can sell a solution, you must establish a baseline of trust with your customer. You build trust, in part, by demonstrating your willingness to understand the customer’s concerns and solve them. Today, John Kaplan discusses the effectiveness of recapping sales conversations as a trust-building tool that facilitates alignment with the customer and allows sellers to expand the conversation...

Salespeople frequently find themselves stuck with a single contact in a buying company, unable to engage departments necessary to a successful close, locked at a standstill. In today’s episode, John Kaplan explains how to multi-thread in a way that enlarges a company-wide understanding of the gravity and relevance of a technical issue and convinces all people involved of their responsibility and c...

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. If you’re finding yourself new to a selling role and trying to sell to more experienced executives and professionals - this is a podcast for you. If you’re leading a team of greener reps, share this one with them. John Kaplan shares how to prepare for conversations with experienced buyers in a way that will drive success and help you feel less...

Negotiating power is an invaluable currency in sales, one that gives you the leverage to move toward achieving a desirable outcome. As you approach the end of a sales process, the work you’ve done previously to establish yourself in a solid negotiating position determines the quality of the deal you’ll eventually land. Today, Tim Caito joins Rachel to discuss the importance of taking the right ste...

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. Responding to RFPs is often inevitable in many selling organizations. How do you respond in a way that gives you an edge? Brian Walsh joins us to share the importance of assessing your position and details how to determine an impactful response. He covers what to ask yourself as you qualify the opportunity, define your competitive position, an...

On our online subscription platform Ascender, users can ask questions and discuss their perspectives on a wide variety of topics pertaining to sales. Among the regular contributors to Ascender’s Engage section is Force Management facilitator John Boney, who has made a number of recent posts about selling and leading from a foundation of empathy. In particular, he has written about the concept of c...

There’s as much differentiation in how you sell as in what you sell, and standing out as a sales rep requires you to exhibit those special characteristics uncommon amongst your peers. Establishing differentiation is a tricky task, however, so today John Kaplan teaches how to simplify the process with ideas enactable by a mindset of open-mindedness, empathy for the customer and their needs, and con...

As with all aspects of selling, sufficient preparation is a prerequisite to successful negotiation. In today’s episode, Tim Caito shares the key points of negotiation prep for reps to focus on. He discusses: Starting your negotiation process early. Recognizing and dealing with customer anchors, and laying anchors of your own. Establishing your give–get strategy. Providing the customer with multipl...

Whether you're the top rep looking for even greater heights or someone looking to improve, you need a plan for success. And, you need to put it in motion now. What is your plan to make your plan this year? Force Management’s Co-Founder John Kaplan has been on all sides of this journey as a rep, sales leader, and top-tier trainer. He joins our Ascender team for a practical conversation on how to im...

With the extensive attention from leadership directed toward the planning of sales kickoffs, the need to focus on what’s to follow too often gets lost. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel for a discussion on the incumbency of managers leading SKOs to dispense the knowledge, skills and cultural spirit to spark enthusiasm and a drive for success amongst employees in attendance. In the process, he also i...

There often comes a point in deals when it’s best for all parties to go their separate ways. Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss the key indicators that you should walk away from a deal and how to do so tactfully. She talks about: Evaluating whether or not you can be successful in solving the customer’s problems. The number one reason why deals stall. The importance of tangible Customer...

Are you set up for success this year? Antonella O’Day walks through some key areas of focus as you come up with your own plan to make your plan this year. She covers ways to:  Analyze trends from the past year and the competitive landscape. Set personal targets for 2025 based on data and personal experiences from 2024. Identify ideal customers and new growth opportunities. Reflect on past mistakes...

Our own John Kaplan tells his own story of a time when he had to decide what it meant to be uncommon. It’s the story that brought the often-heard phrase, “Who’s doing this?!” that many of you have heard in our Command of the Message® training. This episode is meant to bring you some motivation and inspiration as you focus on this month, this quarter and this year. Visit Ascender, a platform design...

A short word of thanks from the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast.  Visit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career. Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/...

It’s crunch time as you work to get those last-minute deals in by the end of the year. In this short episode, John Kaplan gives you some words of advice as you finish strong.  Visit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your s...