The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

With the distractions present in today’s world, making an effort to maintain buyer focus is more important than ever. Keeping your customers engaged is particularly crucial during economic downturns, when businesses and individuals alike are hesitant to spend the way they normally would. In this episode, John Kaplan sheds light on how to keep your customers focused when they may be wavering. John shares insight about:The importance of having an outside-in mentalityArticulating your solution’s value in alignment with your customer’s needsGetting your customer emotionally connected to their mission-critical problemsReengaging a prospect after they’ve gone darkHere are some additional resources:Keep the Focus on Your Buyer in Your Sales ProcessStrike A Balance – Align to the Buyer Without Losing Control of Your Deal Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

There is a motor that all great salespeople possess. It comes down to the tenacity they have to do the job well, a focus on their customer’s success and an overall accountability. The great thing about sales is it’s something you can work at. With sales as a profession, we’re often only limited by the amount of work we are able to put in. That’s why Force Management is launching our new product - a platform solely for salespeople who own a quota. Anyone can subscribe. In this episode, John Kaplan and Rachel Clapp Miller talk through Force’s new product. Get on the waitlist to join our Founders Circle: https://www.ascender.co Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Maybe you’ve hit a bit of a slump. Perhaps you’ve been down on your luck lately. You are not alone—as sellers, it’s disheartening when nothing seems to be going our way. It comes with the territory. How do you counteract a slide in fortune? John Kaplan shares some spirit and insight regarding steps to take to get out of a slump.Here are some additional resourcesHow to Determine Where Your Sales Team is Struggling the MostOvercoming Sales Challenges: Change the Decision CriteriaCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

There is always the possibility of a recession or financial downturn. During such times, companies are inclined to tighten their budgets, which may make salespeople like you nervous, to say the least. How do you sell effectively when your customers are focused on minimizing unnecessary costs and reevaluating their current budget line items? Get customer focused. People buy for three reasons: your solution will increase revenue, decrease cost, or mitigate risks. In this episode, John Kaplan shares how to align your solution with big business issues that will drive urgency from buyers.Here are some additional resourcesKey Ways to Gain Executive Buy-in and More Budget for Your Sales InitiativeGet Busy: Advice for Salespeople w/ John Kaplan | PodcastCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Sellers must understand the more detail-oriented technical pains as well as the wider-ranging business pains of a customer’s organization. Elite salespeople are able to balance both worlds. You should be able to speak with those involved with the operational aspects of a company, learn their pain through effective discovery, and then move up and tie those technical pains with business issues that will catch the attention of C-level executives. In this episode, John Kaplan explains in depth the differences between technical and business pains, how elite sellers connect the two, and the importance of getting customers to put on their coat of pain.Here are some additional resourcesEnable Your Salespeople to Help Buyers Stand in the Moment of Painhttps://bit.ly/2ZEoRgIFinding the Business Pain w/ John Kaplan | Podcasthttps://apple.co/3IjzrRbCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

All sellers occasionally go through rough periods. Maybe you’ve had some bad breaks or customer shake-ups. John Kaplan explains why you might be losing and offers suggestions for how to move forward after low periods, including attaching to the prospect’s biggest business issues, influencing decision criteria with your differentiation, and having reliable Champions and Coaches to support your opportunities.Here are some additional resourcesEnable Managers to Make an Impact on Future Deals Using Win/Loss Insights Sales Best Practices: Attach to the Biggest Business Problem Overcoming Sales Challenges: Change the Decision Criteria Beyond the Win/Loss Data with Tim Caito | Video  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Both sellers and buyers today recognize the power of testimonials when it comes to influencing customers to purchase a product or service—it’s ingrained in our society. However, it may be difficult for reps to determine where exactly they fit in when it comes to testimonials. What is your role? John Kaplan explains how to effectively leverage testimonials in a sales process to maximize the success and size of your deals.Here are some additional resourcesFour Ways to Use Customer Testimonials in Your Sales ProcessMaximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points in Your Sales ConversationsDevelop Proof Points That Make an ImpactMethods to Increase Sales: Nailing Your Proof Points Maximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points w/ John Kaplan | PodcastCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website .

We’ve all worked for someone who we didn’t think was that great as a manager. How do you, a seller, handle the scenario in which you’re working for a bad manager but aren’t quite ready to leave? John Kaplan shares some advice on how to improve your work experience when in such a situation and what to look for in your next company.Here are some additional resourcesHow to Ensure You're Selling For A Great CompanySigns You're Working for a Company That's Staged for GrowthCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Hear the practices that the most elite salespeople exhibit. John Kaplan joins us to highlight must-execute action steps for sellers including: expanding your referral networks, defining buyer metrics, influencing decision criteria, getting multi-threaded in your sales approach, and asking for help. Take your sales career to the next level. Use these action steps.Here are some additional resourcesWhy Sales Reps Struggle with Metrics in the Sales ConversationYour Most Critical Accounts: 4 Questions to AskSales Best Practices: 5 Ways to Prepare for Your Next Sales MeetingCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

When you work for someone else, much of your day to day can be out of your control and power. So, how do you take ownership of that which you can control? In this episode, John Kaplan explains the importance of owning your success and shares tips on how to put yourself in a position to succeed as a sales rep.Plus, as promised, here is the definition of a floppy disk for our younger listeners: a thin plastic disk coated with magnetic material on which data for a computer can be stored (Merriam-Webster).If you have any ideas for future episodes, send them to Rachel at rclapp@forcemanagement.com.Here are some additional resourcesHow to Ensure You're Selling for a Great Company (forcemanagement.com)How to Make Sure You're Working for Great Companies | PodcastBuilding an Accountable Culture | PodcastCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.