
The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast
The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast is a weekly show featuring B2B sales leaders and revenue-driving executives, who share their best insights on how a focus on sales effectiveness can help companies increase revenue, improve sales margins and gain market share. It’s presented by Force Management, a leader in building company alignment and equipping sales teams with the ability to execute growth strategies at the point of sale.We’ll cover topics like: Sales Leadership, Sales Transformation, Sales Initiative Results, Sales performance, Adoption and Reinforcement, making quota, high-tech sales, enterprise sales, and so much more.
Latest episodes

Dec 27, 2022 • 17min
When Competition Comes Knocking
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career. Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Competition comes in varied forms in a sales process and you need to be prepared. When your competition comes knocking, you need to highlight your differentiation. In this episode, John Kaplan discusses ways that you can improve your position in competitive deals. He explains: Why competition is always present in each of your deals.What to do when your buyer tells you that they see value in a competitor’s offering.How to equip your Champion to effectively articulate your competitive differentiation. Here are some additional resources: Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Stacking Customer Requirements in Your Favor w/ Marty Mercer | Podcasthttps://apple.co/3FV1w1F Resources to Help Your Salespeople Enable Champions https://bit.ly/3jdQ0pm Articulating Differentiation: 5 Ways to Trap the Competition https://bit.ly/3FCDuqC Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Dec 20, 2022 • 22min
The Outcome Conversation
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Outcomes are a critical component to the sales conversation. In a tight economy, people aren’t always looking to solve problems—they’re looking to drive outcomes. In this podcast, Brian Walsh breaks down the importance of defining outcomes with your customer.He discusses:Why PBOs are critical for each of your deals.Discovering who is responsible for keeping track of PBOs.Moving the conversation from the problems to the outcomes.Building “Positive Business Intent” with your customer to make them realize the value that your relationship adds to their business. Here are some additional resources:Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Three Ways to Improve Your Sales Messaging https://bit.ly/3FS4S5w Four Ways to Build Positive Business Intent https://bit.ly/3FUue2J Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Dec 13, 2022 • 17min
Key Tips for Your Next Sales Job Interview
Key tips for job interviews in the sales industry, including showcasing how you will sell for the hiring company and identifying red flags. Treating interviews like a sales process, conducting thorough research, asking value-based questions, and demonstrating knowledge about the company. Understanding the sales role, being a pipeline generator, and influencing marketing qualified leads. Knowing the manager and coaching culture before accepting a job. Treating the recruitment process like a sales process, selling yourself, and closing the job offer. Ascender and Force Management.

Dec 7, 2022 • 1min
Get Your Deal Questions Answered
Join us for our Ascender LIVE Deal DeskForce Management's Patrick McLoughlin will join us to take on your sales execution questions. Walk us through specific scenarios on deals you're this close to closing, dig into your MEDDICC steps on a deal, or get feedback on an approach you're using. Whatever it is you're looking to work on, we can use this session to help.Here's the link to register: https://www.ascender.co/dealsSubmit questions anonymously by emailing Community@Ascender.co.

Dec 6, 2022 • 12min
Avoid Getting Overwhelmed with Technical Discussions
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ When selling technical solutions, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with trying to articulate the features and functions of a solution.How do you demonstrate that you have an informed point of view, without getting bogged down in technical details that steer you away from the value conversations. In today’s episode, John Kaplan explains how you can be successful selling technical, complicated solutions while tying them to overarching business issues. He explains:The importance of understanding the challenges facing the buyer—to sit in the buyer’s seat.How to get the timing right with regards to “getting in the weeds” of technical discussions.How to attach to the biggest business issue.The need to use the internal resources available to you. Here are some additional resources:Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Why Sales Reps Struggle with Metrics in the Sales Conversation https://bit.ly/3fE11Pi Sales Best Practices: Attach to the Biggest Business Problem https://bit.ly/3U7Sbs0 Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Nov 29, 2022 • 24min
Taking Ownership of Your Pipeline
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content nearly every day on that platform that helps you operate at an elite level. Subscribers also have access to a community and a curriculum where they can earn selling credentials, including a MEDDICC certification.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ As you try to set yourself up for success in the upcoming year, it is critical that you get your mind right with regards to pipeline generation. Pipeline is directly related to your personal income and is the most reliable way to make sure you are on track as a seller. In this episode, John Kaplan speaks about taking ownership of your pipeline and treating it as a franchise. He discusses:The need to own your pipeline as opposed to relying on marketing or your BDRs solely to drive pipeline for you.Having a franchise mindset about your pipeline.Making sure that you work for a company that provides you a territory that’s proven and can be successful.Not being afraid to ask for help.Here are some additional resources:Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison The Franchise Mindset | Podcast https://apple.co/3UpAlQZ Building Your Referral Network | Podcast https://apple.co/3U7vZ0X Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Nov 22, 2022 • 15min
Go High, Go Low – Adjusting Your Sales Conversation
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ As a seller, you need to communicate effectively with people throughout an organization - both on the economic and technical levels. That means adjusting your sales conversation to what’s relevant to the individual in front of you. In this episode, John Kaplan shares insights that will allow you to swiftly adapt to any type of sales conversation. He gives advice to help you:Prepare for conversations at the executive table.Manage meetings wherein both technical and business buyers are present.Overcome Seller Deficit Disorder.Use the Mantra framework to narrate a story that every decision-maker involved in your deal can get behind. Here are some additional resources:Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Ascender Sales Topics - Positioning Yourself against the Competitionhttps://youtu.be/YayJtT22TEg Ascender Course: Getting to the Economic Buyer https://bit.ly/3U6dObH Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Nov 15, 2022 • 15min
How to Prepare for Next Year
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career. Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ As the end of the year approaches, sellers are preoccupied with many things—their deals, their bonuses, maxing out their accelerators, etc. As a result, reps often neglect to plan for the upcoming year. In the haste to “get deals done,” sellers tend to disregard what matters most: pipeline generation. In this episode, Force Management Senior Director of Facilitation Brian Walsh joins us to share tips on how to take advantage of year’s end to plan for the upcoming year. He discusses: Common mistakes sellers make that cause them to be unprepared for the next year.Making the self-commitment to form an operating rhythm around generating pipeline and servicing accounts.Viewing pipeline generation as a team sport and pulling resources that your company offers.Steps that reps can take today to set themselves up for success in the new year. Here are some additional resources:The Plan to Make the Plan https://bit.ly/3Bze9vPCreating a Franchise Mindsethttps://forc.mx/3FuvR7kJoin Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Nov 8, 2022 • 30min
Cold Calling: Moving from Reluctant to Confident w/ Jason Bay
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career. Join our Founders Circle here: https://www.ascender.co/ With cold calling, your aim is to turn strangers into paying customers. Outbound Squad CEO and founder Jason Bay joins us to explain how to get your mindset right around being a great cold caller. He discusses: Taking reps through pattern interruption. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Nov 1, 2022 • 14min
Broadening Your Sales Conversations
Force Management has launched our new product: Ascender. It is a platform 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 that will help you to level up in your sales career.Join our Founders Circle here: https://www.ascender.co/ Sellers often find themselves trapped in conversation with one member of the buying company, typically someone involved with technical pain. As a result, reps can lack a fundamental understanding of not only other technical issues, but also overarching business issues, thereby limiting their ability to make their solution relevant in the eyes of the customer. In this episode, John Kaplan explains how to take the next step and move beyond the early stages of a sales conversation. He talks about:The importance of broadening the sales conversation as early as possible.Connecting technical pain to business pain.The need to understand the solution requirements and metrics that will drive the customer’s desired business outcomes.How to access key individuals in the buying organization.Here are some additional resources:Selling to More Decision Makershttps://bit.ly/3FehXpFRemember these Phrases to Sell More Dealshttps://bit.ly/3TPQPl6Finding the Business Pain w/ John Kaplan | Podcasthttps://apple.co/3gG8ZHN Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.