The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. If you’re selling a new technology, it may be difficult to align to a pain point. How do you align to pain the customer doesn’t even know they have? Many AI startups have this challenge. How do you get the customer to see a new way of doing old things? In this episode, Brian Walsh breaks down ways you can think about your sales conversation so you’re able to drive urgency, even when you’re selling in a new category. He also runs through how to set up a test project, in order to build credibility with the customer. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

John Kaplan, an experienced sales leader and consultant, shares insights on creating a culture of accountability in sales organizations. He discusses how accountability impacts predictability, trust, morale, and performance. Kaplan introduces the franchise mindset, encouraging sales reps to take ownership of their territories. He highlights the importance of strong qualification processes and quarterly reviews to maintain alignment. Lastly, he emphasizes the role of meritocracy and consequences in fostering accountability across teams.

John Boney, a seasoned sales practitioner and trainer, shares invaluable insights on time management for sales reps. He emphasizes treating your territory like a business by adopting an ownership mindset. John reveals effective strategies for balancing current deals with pipeline generation, highlighting the importance of weekly goals and time blocking. He advocates for proactive selling through strategic planning and offers advice for managers on how to effectively coach teams without micromanaging, fostering a culture of accountability and support.

John Kaplan, a seasoned sales leader specializing in account transitions, shares invaluable insights on inheriting customer accounts. He emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation before first calls and developing genuine relationships. Listeners learn tactics for handling customer skepticism, highlighting the need for listening and vulnerability. Kaplan warns against complacency, encouraging ongoing engagement and re-establishing rapport, regardless of past successes. His practical advice makes navigating the complexities of account management both manageable and effective.

Enjoy this episode, which was originally aired in August 2022, with John Kaplan. Solution requirements are a critical component of every deal you sell. These are things that must be in place in order for a buyer to achieve their desired outcomes, and they exist with or without your solution. In today’s episode, John Kaplan explains the importance of recognizing your customer’s solution requirements and what to do with that knowledge. You will learn how to:Bridge the customer’s current state to their desired future state.Position your value in a way that influences the customer’s requirements.Ask great discovery questions that show your customer how your solution is needed to solve their business issues.Here are some additional resources:How to Stack Customer Requirements in Your Favorhttps://bit.ly/3AMo4z3The Missing Link Between Your Differentiation and Your Buyershttps://bit.ly/3dVvQ0HCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

In this episode, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about bouncing back from losses as a seller. For reps, he sheds light on the key factors to reflect upon after losing, the importance of maintaining transparency with management in order to get appropriate feedback, the decisive benefits of early qualification, and applying the lessons learned from a loss to succeed in similar accounts. John also addresses managers, highlighting the need to foster an environment that promotes continuous learning and empowers sellers to take risks.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Win/Loss Review | Ascender CourseKey Questions for Managers to Ask in Deal Reviews | Ascender ArticleAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleClose the Excuse Department | Ascender VideoTake Ownership of Your Success | Ascender VideoAsking for Help | Ascender VideoPrepping for Your Deal Reviews | PodcastAttaching to the Biggest Business Problem | PodcastVisit 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/Ascender/PlanComparison

Joining Rachel is John Kaplan, a B2B sales effectiveness expert passionate about building healthy sales pipelines. They discuss strategic pipeline generation, highlighting the importance of quality over quantity in leads. John emphasizes defining an Ideal Customer Profile and aligning technical solutions with business outcomes. The conversation dives into mastering customer pain points and introduces the MEDIC sales qualification framework. John also shares insights on proactive pipeline management and the personal accountability necessary for sales success.

Tim Caito, a seasoned sales leader, shares invaluable insights on enhancing sales conversations to engage high-level decision-makers. He emphasizes the need for sales reps to understand strategic priorities and prioritize influence, not just org charts. Caito discusses how to tailor messages to address buyers' specific concerns and the importance of preparation in sales calls. He also highlights common mistakes in communicating with executives and the necessity of adapting engagement strategies as priorities shift throughout the sales process.

Antonella O’Day, a seasoned sales leader, shares her expertise on guiding prospects from mere interest to genuine buying intent. She emphasizes cultivating curiosity during initial calls to uncover true motivations. Antonella offers strategies for utilizing mutual action plans to foster alignment and trust with prospects. The conversation highlights the importance of asking insightful questions to deepen engagement and navigate complex sales dialogues, ultimately encouraging sellers to proactively address buyer challenges.

In this episode, John Boney and Rachel speak about the need for sales leaders to coach based on value. They explore ways in which leaders can endeavor to make every conversation with reps an opportunity to drive growth, not just hit a number. You’ll learn how to ask questions that uncover your reps’ motivations and struggles, differentiate solving and coaching, and lead in a way that builds trust and empowers your reps to take ownership of their challenges.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Coaching Model Essentials | Ascender CourseEffective Opportunity Coaching Sessions | Ascender CourseCoaching the Coaches – Front-Line Sales Managers | Ascender CourseThree Ways Managers Can Drive Value-Based Selling Practices | Ascender ArticleHow to Coach Value-Based Sales Messaging Aligned with C-Suite Priorities | Ascender ArticleRemember These Key Steps to a Value-Based Sales Conversation | Ascender ArticleKeeping the Focus on Value | PodcastHow to Uncover Buyer Needs | PodcastVisit 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/Ascender/PlanComparison