The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

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 the techniques he’s accumulated over the years to remain tethered to clients.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Active Listening | Ascender CourseGaining Commitments | Ascender CourseNavigating the Competitive Landscape | Ascender CourseThe Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender ArticleWhy Your Active Listening Skills Are Crucial to Hitting Your Number | Ascender ArticleWhen to Use Customer Case Studies in the Sales Process | Ascender ArticleBuilding Up Your Referral Business | Ascender VideoStaying Tethered to Accounts | 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

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 right, leaning on MEDDICC qualification to overcome sales slumps, and asking for help.Check out Pouli’s book, How to Be a Well Being, and connect with him on LinkedIn.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Deepen Your Discovery | Ascender CourseTraining the Seller’s Brain for Positivity | Ascender ArticleAsking for Help | Ascender VideoDealing with Rejection in Sales | PodcastCarefrontation | 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

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 pilot project.Ways to increase the likelihood that a pilot project will lead to a permanent solution.Getting your customer to see the benefits of the metrics.Here are some additional resources:Selling “Pilot Projects” | Ascender Videohttps://bit.ly/425YzUwWhat the Best Salespeople Do | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/3Vyf1utVisit 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 of a similar nature 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/PlanComparisonCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

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 discusses how managers can foster a deal review environment in which reps are empowered to share their concerns and ask for the help they need.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Effective Opportunity Coaching Sessions | Ascender CoursePreparing for Opportunity Coaching | Ascender CourseKey Questions for Managers to Ask in Deal Reviews | Ascender ArticlePreparation | Ascender VideoAsking for Help | Ascender VideoVisit 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

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 to key stakeholders across the buying company.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Advancing the Deal | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseThe Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender ArticleWhy Your Active Listening Skills Are Crucial to Hitting Your Number | Ascender ArticleEssential Questions to Help You Become a Better Salesperson | Ascender ArticleOvercoming Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender VideoTips for Active Listening | PodcastOvercoming Challenges with Metrics | PodcastExpanding the Sales Conversation | 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

John Kaplan, a B2B sales expert, shares valuable insights on multi-threaded selling, which encourages salespeople to engage multiple departments for a successful close. He discusses the importance of fostering emotional connections and understanding customer needs to elevate sales conversations. Kaplan also highlights strategies for effective interdepartmental communication, emphasizing empathy in discussions, particularly with finance. Overall, the conversation focuses on expanding the sales approach beyond a single contact, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.

John Kaplan, a seasoned sales expert, dives into the nuances of selling to experienced professionals. He discusses how new sales representatives can overcome intimidation by focusing on buyer needs and challenges. Kaplan highlights the importance of understanding problems rather than just product knowledge to build confidence. He also shares the power of proof points to foster trust and offers strategies for empowering teams through effective knowledge sharing. With practical insights, this conversation equips sellers to engage successfully with seasoned buyers.

Tim Caito, a sales negotiation expert, joins Rachel to share powerful insights into closing deals effectively. They dive into the importance of building a strong negotiating position early on and understanding customer needs. Caito emphasizes the art of summarizing client conversations to reinforce requirements and navigate long sales cycles. Additionally, they discuss empowering customer champions to advocate for solutions, enhancing internal support and improving outcomes. Key strategies for effective communication and decision-making in sales are highlighted.

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, and strategize around the right next steps.Here are some additional resources:Differentiate How You Sellhttps://apple.co/3qFc11EGetting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversations [Podcast]https://apple.co/3HerprLExecuting Great Discoveryhttps://apple.co/3dSpXi6Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

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 carefrontation—an approach to giving feedback that balances directness and honesty with empathy and care for those on the receiving end of the help. In this episode, John joins Rachel to dive deeper into how salespeople and team leaders can implement carefrontation on a daily basis as they work and interact with colleagues and clients. Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Coaching Model Essentials | Ascender CourseCoaching the Coaches – Front-Line Sales Managers | Ascender CourseWhat Exactly is Carefrontation? | Ascender Community Post • Mastering Carefrontation: Avoiding the Pitfall of Brutal Honesty | Ascender Community PostNavigating the Balance of Carefrontation | Ascender Community PostThe Importance of Consistency in Carefrontation | Ascender Community Post How to Structure Effective Feedback to Your Sales Teams | Ascender ArticleTen Questions to Help Sales Managers Give Better Feedback | Ascender ArticleUsing Empathy in Your Sales Conversations | Ascender ArticleVisit 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