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Working With and Identifying Channel Partners - Catalyst Sale Podcast Partners can accelerate growth in your startup. They can also cannibalize your business if you choose the wrong one. When you evaluate your partner strategy, it is critical that you identify your primary objectives. Are you focused on growth in new markets? Do you have enough margin in your business to properly compensate a partner? How much time will you save with this approach? How much will it cost you? Are you better off building the capability internally? Once these questions are answered, and you have identified your target partners, the tough questions follow. Are they the right cultural fit? How do our business objectives align? How will their customers respond to the product? How will their sales team sell the product? Why will their sales team sell the product? Mike and Mike share their thoughts on partner management, qualification, and execution. They discuss best practices, common mistakes, and share their personal experience. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

The Call Plan - Catalyst Sale Podcast How many times have your wrapped up a conversation with a client or prospect, and thought 'crap, I missed that'? Call planning is a foundational skill. Ben Franklin said, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!" Planning is a crucial skill in both sales and life. Yet, many rush this step or skip over the basics because they just want to talk to the customer. We challenge you to take a breath, relax, and identify your goals and objectives before jumping on that next call. Mike and Mike share their thoughts on call planning, concepts that tend to be missed, and also share a basic call plan that will help you keep your meetings on track. You can download the Call Plan discussed in this podcast via the following here. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

The Vend Zone - Catalyst Sale Podcast We have all experienced it at one time or another. You are looking for more out of a relationship than the other party has in their mind. The dreaded friend zone. Sales is a skill/capability that requires the ability to build relationships over time. Relationships can evolve, they can also get stuck. As a sales professional you try to avoid being caught in an order-taking role, but sometimes you are unable to break through the type-cast. Sales training events or seminars discuss taking a consultative approach to working with your customer. They discuss how to avoid an order-taking and being pulled into a transactional role. Sometimes this is truly a function of the product, the relationship, or the need of the customer. We discuss how to identify when this is the case. Mike & Mike also share their experience getting stuck in the "Vend Zone", how you can avoid this trap, and prevent the relationships with your customers from devolving into this category. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

Agile Sales - Catalyst Sale Podcast Is sales agile? Mike and Mike tackle this question of sales in the context of agile methodologies. We also discuss how this development approach applies within the Catalyst Sale Process. Successful sales professionals are agile by design. Whether thinking about how we work with customers or how we work with our team, critical thinking and iteration are core requirements of the job. Mike & Mike also share some experience with cross-functional team communication, process application, setting expectations, and the importance of listening to your customer. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

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 proposition, etc. Many times these are created based on the 'ideal' scenario. Scripting is different than having a call plan. We also discuss how we coach our team to prepare for calls, the importance of calling a time out, and why "I don't know" is an OK thing to say. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

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 of them. What are you moving forward? What's actionable? Are your activity based metrics reinforcing the wrong behavior? Mike & Mike discuss key ideas and concepts around identifying the right metrics to measure success, and determining that you & your sales team are on the right path. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

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 opportunity when it presents itself. We talk about assessing gaps, clarifying goals, and designing a plan for success. We also talk about looking internally for new opportunities. Why a startup may be a good fit for you, and why to avoid that environment. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about the people we work with every day and get great satisfaction from seeing them thrive. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

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 you have a bad year it is important to compartmentalize and move on. Evaluate what you learned, apply the lessons, get back to the foundational skills and process that have led to past success. Mike & Mike discuss key ideas and concepts around moving forward after a bad year, and not letting a bad year beat you twice. Catalyst Sale 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about the people we work with every day and get great satisfaction from seeing them thrive. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website

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 and modeling. Mike & Mike discuss their experience designing comp plans, risks in changing a plan mid-year, and their general thoughts on the considerations you should make from both the sales leadership & individual contributor perspective.

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 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 whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about the people we work with every day and get great satisfaction from seeing them thrive. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below; Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Simmons on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website