Find My Catalyst Podcast

Let's Fix Work with Laurie Ruettimann Wow, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that it took so long to publish this episode. This discussion with Laurie, is one of my favorite discussions I've had on the podcast. She demonstrates her passion behind fixing work, thinking, and change. Laurie is an author, speaker, podcaster, and overall badass. She helps companies, leaders, and HR departments fix work by creating policies, process, and programs that improve the employee experience. This week we discuss everything from suicide bombers, to weight loss, to premortems, to failure. Thank you Laurie for the awesome discussion, and thank you to Jennifer McClure for the introduction. Questions Discussed Why don't we blow HR up? Why do you we struggle with thinking critically? What are some things we can do to help with root cause analysis? What's the difference between compassion and empathy? Why is the HR function incomplete? How can we identify our fundamental flaws at an organization level? How did Laurie make the transition from being uncomfortable with sales to selling? What comes to mind when Laurie thinks about goal setting? How do you reconcile with mistakes? Did Laurie apply a premortem when she started her tech startup? What's a premortem? How can a premortem apply in sales? What are some lessons Laurie learned from building her podcast? Key Takeaways Some times systems are broken beyond repair Recognize the humanity - then you can have a core conversation. Understand what makes people human Go to compassion Moments of tension can create a feeling of being trapped. Double down on these moments. HR can be a bridge You can't do it on your own. Leverage relationships. HR as a consultative body - specialist The way of work is changing. You have to listen. You need to shut up. Corporations do not have imposter syndrome - Companies put themselves first. Consumption does not fix problems Know who you are, set reasonable goals. Do the hard and honest work of feeling the thing that is holding you back. The thing that makes us human is our capacity to try. We fail. We learn. We grow. Behavior changes can disrupt habits. Show Links Let's Fix Work Podcast Laurie's Website Laurie on Twitter Laurie on LinkedIn Call to Action What processes, roles, systems, do you want to "blow-up" in your organization? Let us know via twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course Are you looking for a way to improve your capability in sales, and grow your business? Would you like a framework, methods, approach, and tools that can help you put the concepts discussed on the podcast, into practice? This course is designed for you. We will apply the Revenue Operations Framework (Know your Customer, Know your Business, Know your Approach) and the foundational Sales Skills (Gathering Data, Story, Time Management, Project Management), to help you design your playbook, and start executing. Thank you

Demystify Sales - a Catalyst Sale Course I'm really excited to announce the launch of Demystify Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals. The intention is to help folks like you with a framework, approach, methods, and tools that will improve your capability, confidence, and success when it comes to generating revenue in your business. I look forward to your questions, your participation, and hearing about your success. Questions Discussed Why a course? How was the content was developed? Who is the course for? How did we decide what to include and what to cut? Where can we find the course? Key Takeaways There is a framework, approach, set of tools that you can use to increase your capability Sales is about helping people solve problems. Problems are known or unknown Solutions are unknown or known Practical application - We share how you can put this into practice, and demonstrate this via digital whiteboarding, using the tools provided in the course. Tools you can use in your business Call Plan Account Plan Territory Plan Time Tracker Note Cards Revenue Operations Model Sales Skills Get the course, do the work, put it into practice. Show Links Demystify Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals Catalyst Sale Courses Catalyst Sale Call to Action Buy the course, do the work, and let us know how this has impacted you and your business. Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course Are you looking for a way to improve your capability in sales, and grow your business? Would you like a framework, methods, approach, and tools that can help you put the concepts discussed on the podcast, into practice? This course is designed for you. We will apply the Revenue Operations Framework (Know your Customer, Know your Business, Know your Approach) and the foundational Sales Skills (Gathering Data, Story, Time Management, Project Management), to help you design your playbook, and start executing. Thank you

Asking Questions, Preparation, and Gap Selling with Keenan This is an episode that was a long time in the making. Keenan, author of Gap Selling, and CEO of A Sales Guy Consulting, joins me on the podcast this week. This is another conversation where you may want to turn the volume down if the kids are around. Keenan is awesome, he cares about the problems he solves, and he helps organizations and sales reps gain a better understanding of how to do this with their customers. We cover a lot of ground, including the fundamentals, Keenan's book, yard work, skiing, and simplifying the process. Thanks Keenan. Questions Discussed Why do organizations focus on product over the problem? Why do we struggle with questions? How many problems can an organization solve really well? How many problems will you take action on in a given day? How do we help customers reveal problems? Why do we complicate this stuff? Why do we focus on Us instead of the Customer? How can we do better? Why is it important to ask Why? How does Keenan help to create alignment in organizations? What lessons did Keenan learn from the social ski lesson/networking product he created? What one law does Keenan want to pass? Key Takeaways Sales has evolved over time, selling was... People on the side of the road (barking) As complication increased, we started talking about the solution Rackman - Spin Selling first started to get folks thinking about the problem Questions highlight your understanding of the concepts. Statements demonstrating an understanding of the words. Rarely can an organization solve more than 3 problems at once. Focus on the major problems. The ones that have the greatest negative impact, create the most pain. We make buying decisions on the problems we cannot solve ourselves. Stop guessing, start asking questions to reveal problems. Your customers care about the end result - they will go with genie if the output is what we want. Confidence is key. Keenan - 3 questions to support qualification Do they have the problem? Do they want to solve? Are they willing to go on the journey with you to fix it? The buyer journey is about the organization, less than it is about the individual - be aware. Pay Attention You need to understand the problem that you solve. Spend time training on the problems that exist The best salespeople know what they need to get out of the customer, they need to validate it, and get the customer to share it. Show Links Keenan Twitter Keenan LinkedIn A Sales Guy Consulting Gap Selling Seth Godin Drill Bit Story Call to Action Please let us know how you will apply at least one of the concepts or stories discussed today, in your business. Share this via Twitter or LinkedIn, and tag both of us. Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

Own the Outcome I'm owning the outcome - last week we missed the first weekly podcast release since our launch. This episode demonstrates how far in advance we record many of these episodes. One of my favorite quotes/mantras/sayings is "Control what you can Control" - this is related to the serenity prayer. This week - I'm going to go light on the show notes. Let me know if you value the more detailed notes we provide, or if the short summary is valuable enough. And yes - Jody's team won the cup. Show Links Catalyst Sale Catalyst Sale Course Interest List - Demystify Sales Catalyst Sale Podcast 7-Ps Podcast Episode Call To Action How do you own the outcome? - Let us know via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystifying Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals

Break Your Routine, Testing, and Specialization with Gaetano DiNardi This week Gaetano DiNardi joins me on the podcast. This episode has a couple of guys with NY roots, so don't listen to it with the kids in the car. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast, including testing, what works, pushing boundaries, and getting out of your comfort zone. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Questions Addressed Why is it important to break your routine? What are some mistakes early-stage companies make? What's wrong with generalization? What is the risk of CEO intuition? What can we learn from the HBR Milkshake Story? How does Storytelling play into Sales & Marketing? What are some common mistakes sales orgs make when they pitch you? How does the creative process apply to business? Key Takeaways Break your routine - Business, personal, step out of your comfort zone Getting comfortable asking for help Bande a paisa Early-stage mistakes - Product messaging fit Product channel fit Specialize - No generalists Scope creep is real. Risk of CEO intuition - Bias is real Connect the gaps between real-world and CEO visionary world. "Jobs to be Done" Framework Milkshake example - keep their car clean Drill deep into the problem There is always a deeper reason why Get to the root of the problem Know what your customer cares about Start at the end Future state Transition The story does not need to be long & drawn out Allow visualization Four Parts - Beginning, Gap, Future State, & End Symptoms are not actual problems - Know the difference Marketing automation does not work for sales Good methods… Show me you know me Skip the BS Get back to blocking and tackling, do the work. The creative process in business. Start with a formula Question based Know the bars, verse, and tempo Show Links Nextiva Gaetano - LinkedIn Gaetano - Twitter Gaetano's Website Call To Action How will you challenge the status quo and break your routine? Let Us Know. Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystifying Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals ---------------------- Subscribe to the Catalyst Sale Podcast Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Google Play Catalyst Sale In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. Sales is a Thinking Process.

Networking, Community, and Learning - with Guest Scott Ingram This week on Scott Ingram rejoins us on the Catalyst Sale Podcast to talk about community, networking, learning, and an event he has coming up in October in Austin. The Sales Success Summit will be held on October 14th and 15th in Austin. It is a curated list of experts who are the top performers in sales. Questions Addressed Why is it important to surround yourself with good people? How can I start building my own personal network? Why is Sales a dirty word? What was the catalyst for the Sales Success Summit? What are some of the core things Scott looks for when inviting speakers to the event? Key Takeaways Leverage the experience of others If you have applied yourself, and become an expert, it's gratifying to be able to give back and share that experience. Sharing provides a looping process to continue learning. You are not only taping that broader experience that they have, you are also tapping experience and insight that they have about you. "The Let's Figure It Out" approach is better than the "My Way" The challenging process can help inspire thought Questions provoke thought It comes down to ownership - If I come up with the answer, I own the process, I own the solution, it was my idea. If you are a seller - you need to get into the communities of your buyers. Bring in the right expertise and resources from within your organization Build Your Network Every week - have lunch or coffee with one new person outside of the sales organization - build your internal network Go find the number 1 person on the team - learn from them. Look outside of your sales team and look to other sales pros. Find complementary sellers. When you bring in others from within your organization to the sales discussion, you can leverage their experience to ask better questions. It's one thing to interview a top performer, it's another thing to hear one top performer ask another top performer a question. The summit is not your traditional conference - it is held in a full-service movie theater in Austin, it is an experience. Day 1 - Process Day 2 - Mindset & Managing Your Sales Career There are many opportunities to connect with speakers in an intentional way. We are all in this together - we can learn from others by leveraging their expertise. The more that you invest in your own development - the better. Do the Work - It's one thing to listen, another to learn, another to put it into practice. Show Links Sales Success Summit Sales Success Stories HBR article on Networking Call To Action Let Scott and I know what tip discussed you are putting into practice. Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystifying Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals ---------------------- Subscribe to the Catalyst Sale Podcast Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Google Play Catalyst Sale In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. Sales is a Thinking Process.

Mindset, Competition, Recovery, and Performance This week, Katherine Adamek joins me on the podcast. Katherine is a two-time Olympic medalist, World champion, Performance Mindset Coach, and owner of Fix Your Mindset. We cover a number of topics, including recovery, mindset, team, individual performance, self-talk, and many other things. Thank you, Katherine, for the awesome discussion. Questions Addressed How important is team, when it comes to mindset? What are some of the things we should think about when to comes to goal setting? Why is it that we are uncomfortable with the idea of learning? What are some exercises we can do to regain focus? Where does mindset come into play when thinking about change management? Why is recovery so important? What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness? Key Takeaways Competence builds confidence There is an inner wheel of self-judgment that gets in the way - watch out for the negative self-talk. Don't say things to yourself that you would not say to others. Habits and Routines are important "Experience is the thing you get, when you don't get the thing you want" "You're either in control, you are not in control, or you can influence but not control the situation" - Katherine Adamek "Embrace the suck" Cultivate that feeling of good enough every single day - fix your mindset. Taking the time to fix your mindset is what puts you in that space that you really truly want to be Call To Action Share with us how you are applying meditation and mindfulness to keep focus, and improve your performance. You can share this with us on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Show Links Fix Your Mindset Coaching Katherine on Twitter Vision Pursuit App Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Catalyst Sale - Demystifying Sales Course ---------------------- Catalyst Sale In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. Sales is a Thinking Process.

Mastermind - Creating Space to Shift Your Perspective This week on the podcast, Jody and I discuss the recent mastermind that he and Lee Cockerell facilitated earlier this year. I was one of the attendees, and it was an awesome experience. The experience was so valuable that Jody and I are planning on hosting a mastermind in Orlando next month. We announce the event during the podcast. If you are in Orlando, or happen to be in the area on August 17th, please head to https://catalystsale.com/mastermind to learn more. Questions Addressed Was it worth it to fly from Phoenix to Orlando to attend the April Mastermind? How did joining a group of people, who do not know anything about Catalyst Sale, help you? What were some of the lessons Mike learned from participating in the Mastermind? If you have gone to one Mastermind, why is it valuable to go to another? Key Takeaways The mastermind created an opportunity to create space, to focus on the important but not urgent things. A mastermind can be a replacement for a management retreat for a soloprenuer, founder, consultant You are not unique - you are not the only one who is struggling with many of the problems that are challenging you. The wisdom of the crowd and their experiences provide an opportunity to shift your mindset and perspective. Show Links Sales and Marketing Mastermind in Orlando on August 17th Announcing the Catalyst Sale Course - Demystifying Sales for Non-Sales Professionals Chat with Catalyst Sale - Live Chat Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Sales is a Thinking Process.

Storytelling and Sales This week on the podcast we revisit storytelling and sales, and share some practical examples of how the story applies in the context of sales. Stories support engagement, they help gain attention, they can help your customer envision a better tomorrow. Links to the episodes we have recorded with Donald Miller and JJ Peterson are included in the show notes as well. Questions Discussed Why does storytelling matter in sales? How important is the villain in the story? How do we identify the characters in the story? How do we uncover what success looks like for the customer? Key Takeaways Story can help the customer envision a future that is different than the current reality/current experience. Communicating with empathy is not about sympathy, it's about immersing yourself in their perspective. Looking at the world through their lens. Sales is about connecting a solution (known or unknown) to a problem (known or unknown) Any challenge your customer runs into is the "Villian". Stop guessing - ask more questions. Identify the right villain in the story. Validate this with the customer. Sometimes people change roles within the organization. Risk increases with assumption. Helping with the Transition Know where they are today Know where they want to be Be the Guide - share your expertise, help them navigate the obstacles, provide a plan - don't assume, validate. Share examples of success with your customers. It's not about you, it is about your customer. Focus on helping your customer, know that there is a process that they will need to go through. You can map out the journey (see the Revenue Operations Model below) Highlight opportunities for success, provide a plan. Learn More about the Catalyst Sale Approach to the Revenue Operations Model Show Links Announcing the Catalyst Sale Course - Demystifying Sales for Non-Sales Professionals EP #65 with Donald Miller - Story Brand EP #105 with JJ Peterson - Story Brand Building a Story Brand Chat with Catalyst Sale - Live Chat Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Sales is a Thinking Process.

Revenue Collective, Self Awareness, and Sales and Community - with Guest Sam Jacobs Sam Jacobs is the host of the Sales Hacker Podcast and founder of the Revenue Collective. Sam and I discuss a number of topics this week, including his time as a DJ, the catalyst for the Sales Hacker Podcast, why he started the Revenue Collective, and how we can do better when it comes to building teams, creating focus, leading, and executing. Thank you Sam. Questions Addressed Why did Sam not go the DJ route? What does the process look like as you identify fit for a person in a given role? How did the Revenue Collective get from identified problem to current business? Why is there this gap between those who want to be in the community, and the unknown that community exists? How do we improve alignment within our organizations? Key Takeaways Interesting fact - Sam was a DJ in college The importance and value of mimicking Good things take time to build Ask this question - Do they have the skill or do they have the will? Revenue Collective - A Career Enablement Platform Too much pressure on revenue, puts too much pressure on sales, puts too much pressure on... Start with the key questions Who is the right Customer? How much should we charge them? Are we charging the right amount? Are there enough of those people at that price to build a big company? How do we get a meeting with our prospect/ideal customer? Sales should be the end - invest first in customer success and marketing. Revenue Operations - navigating the process from unknown/known problem to unknown/known solution, and looking at this through the lens of the customer, the organization, the team, and the customer-facing rep. This is Hard. Keep things simple. Strategy is, "here is where we are trying to go", "here are the boundaries", go execute. Align goals - The KPIs should inform the objective statements. Show Links Sam's Linkedin Sales Hacker Podcast Sam's Twitter Revenue Collective - A Career Enablement Platform Thank You Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform. Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. Catalyst Sale Service Offerings Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit ---------------------- Subscribe to the Catalyst Sale Podcast Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Google Play Catalyst Sale In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. Sales is a Thinking Process.