The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on what’s gone well and what can be improved going forward. An important part of your year-end reflection is evaluating whether or not you’re at the right place to apply your skills. Today, John Kaplan gives you the tools to assess if you’re at the right company and breaks it down to three key considerations: what, how and why you sell. Her...

Join John Kaplan this Thursday for a conversation on equipping new hires to ramp faster. He'll be joined by the Shift Group's JR Butler. They'll cover key ways you can improve that onboarding process. It's a great conversation for anyone who manages a team.  Register here: https://www.forcemanagement.com/know-your-people

Discovery can be a demanding process, and finding the right questions to ask requires intensive listening and thoughtful preparation. Fortunately, there are a few questions that are relevant to every deal and can help you get the ball rolling. These include: “Can you walk me through your current process?” “What’s working well in your current process?” “What struggles are you currently facing?” In...

The ultimate goal of every rep is to close deals, and in today’s episode, John Kaplan outlines the necessary steps for sellers to maximize their odds of landing the big one. He discusses: Prioritizing pipeline generation. Voracious qualification, the most critical factor for closing deals. Aligning your value proposition with the priorities of the buying company. Implicating the customer’s pain. H...

In this episode, we cover one of our most popular topics among our listeners: metrics. And its popularity is well warranted, as it remains a major stumbling block for many reps. John Boney joins us to give pointers on leveraging metrics to strengthen deals while steering clear of the common pitfalls. He discusses: The different types of metrics and what matters to whom. Why reps tend to struggle w...

Have you checked out Ascender yet? Our online platform to help reps with the daily grind of sales.  Don't miss our upcoming events:  Webinar: Selling to Experienced Buyers with Antonella O'Day  - Register here: https://hubs.la/Q02XTCl_0 Visit the Ascender Platform: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/Explore Check out Ascender's Community: https://community.ascender.co/

As we approach the end of 2024, many companies are in the process of setting their priorities for the new year. In today’s episode, John Kaplan talks about aligning your solution with the corporate priorities of your customers as opposed to simply a department. He discusses: The need to talk to those with access to discretionary funds. Understanding the problems that you solve and the implications...

Maintaining contact with accounts provides many benefits for an organization, and salespeople play a huge role in setting the foundation for a long-term relationship between two companies. Today, Brian Walsh draws on his wealth of experience to explain what reps must do to keep their organization tethered to accounts. Topics of discussion include: Having a mindset of long-term growth and lifetime...

Staying in control of a deal is all about qualification. Today, John Kaplan gives advice on being proactive, not reactive, in ensuring that the deal progresses in your favor and with urgency. He talks about: Being prepared for and adjusting to unforeseen changes. Dealing with the entrance of a new competitor. Qualifying proactively with MEDDICC. The importance of meeting the buyer where they are....

If you’re a seller, you already know that rejection is a way of life. Unfortunately, a negative mindset about rejection remains the barrier that prevents many salespeople from reaching their fullest potential. In this episode, John Kaplan explains how to handle rejection in a way that sets you up for success down the road. He discusses: Viewing rejection as a learning opportunity instead of a fail...

Sellers must understand the more detail-oriented technical pains as well as the wider-ranging business pains of a customer’s organization. Elite salespeople are able to balance both worlds. You should be able to speak with those involved with the operational aspects of a company, learn their pain through effective discovery, and then move up and tie those technical pains with business issues that...

Your customer may raise an objection at any point during the sales process, and there is an infinite number of objections a customer may propose. In this episode, Antonella O’Day discusses the mindset salespeople need to handle objections, and she explains three tactics sellers can apply to successfully deal with them. These tactics are: Showing the customer that you hear their objection. Understa...

In today’s episode, Rachel and John discuss the ever-pertinent need for sellers to identify and attach to the customer’s biggest business problem. John shares the mindset and the steps necessary for reps to make the right connections and get the information they need to do so successfully. He talks about: Tying technical requirements to business outcomes. Navigating the political landscape of the...

Don’t miss these upcoming Force Management Webinars:  Your SKO: Common Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make Planning a hashtag is a big undertaking. Even more difficult is executing an event that focuses on execution. Force Management’s Tim Caito joins Rachel Clapp Miller for a discussion on how to get beyond the “event” of the SKO and make it a driver of your revenue goals.   Sign up here: https://h...

There is an abundance of tools and processes available to reps today, but it is incumbent on each seller to incorporate them into a cohesive strategy. In this episode, John Kaplan explains how to successfully pull these tools into a swift selling motion. Topics under discussion include: Selling with an outside-in approach. The three buckets of information to fill during discovery. A golf takeaway...

On Ascender’s Engage page, we receive tons of questions from sales professionals throughout the country, many of whom face similar challenges. We have compiled a few of the most common questions to answer in today’s episode. They are: How do I handle a customer that is reluctant to proceed to the next steps? How can I open up customers who are close to the vest with positive business outcomes and...

In today’s quick episode, John Kaplan gives encouragement to sellers who may find themselves down on their luck. He discusses the tried-and-true actions within every seller’s control that will set you back on track, including: Assessing and attaching to the customer’s business issues (the what). Taking into account whom you are connected with in the deal (the who). Qualifying the deal early on and...

Get back to the basic sales fundamentals that help ensure great sales conversations. John Kaplan provides five things you can practice before you jump into that next prospect call.  Here are some additional resources: Purpose Process Payoff [Article] https://bit.ly/3spMjgA Improve Your Active Listening Skills [Podcast] https://apple.co/3md3HUO Maximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points [Podcast] h...

Though we often speak about the need to sell based on value, keeping the customer focused on value throughout the sales process is a challenging, elite skill. Joining Rachel in today’s episode to share his deep insights on this important topic is Force Management facilitator John Boney. He discusses: The buyer-focused mindset necessary to successfully sell on value. The relevance of the customer’s...

We’ve all worked for someone who we didn’t think was that great as a manager. How do you, a seller, handle the scenario in which you’re working for a bad manager but aren’t quite ready to leave? John Kaplan shares some advice on how to improve your work experience when in such a situation and what to look for in your next company. Here are some additional resources How to Ensure You're Selling For...

Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins Rachel for a conversation on the uncertainties reps often face in trying to discuss metrics with prospects. Pouli’s advice provides clarity on when and how to discuss the finer details of the deal with the customer. He talks about: Getting past the fear of disrupting the flow of a conversation. Remaining curious throughout a sales cycle. Coaching reps to embra...

As we move into Q3, some of you may find yourselves struggling to get deals over the line. In today’s episode, John Kaplan gets you refocused on the fundamentals in order to reopen closed doors and get deals moving. He discusses: Getting the buyer to understand how your solution increases revenue, decreases cost and mitigates risk. Connecting technical pain to business pain to create urgency. The...

Do you have customers delaying their signature? Do you have deals that are moving forward, but then stall right before the finish line? Force Management’s Tim Caito walks through action steps to reignite the stalled deal, including:  What areas to assess to determine how you can reignite the deal The people you should be using to help you drive urgency How to prevent the situation next quarter.  O...

Though we have many tools and strategies to help us qualify deals, sometimes the simple questions are enough to steer us in the right direction. Today, John Kaplan covers three key questions to ask yourself in every deal. They are: “Do we belong in the deal?” “What are our strong and weak points in the deal?” “What are the necessary steps to move the deal forward more efficiently?” Here are some a...

Understanding the needs of the buyer is the critical component of any sales process, and successfully doing so encompasses a wide spectrum of sales best practices. Joining us to shed light on this topic is Force Management Facilitator John Boney. In his first appearance on the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, John hammers home the strategies necessary to get to the root of a customer’s pain. He discus...