The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

Join John Kaplan this Thursday for a conversation on equipping new hires to ramp faster. He'll be joined by the Shift Group's JR Butler. They'll cover key ways you can improve that onboarding process. It's a great conversation for anyone who manages a team. Register here: https://www.forcemanagement.com/know-your-people

John Kaplan, an expert in sales discovery and processes, shares invaluable insights on effective questioning techniques to unlock customer needs. He emphasizes the importance of thoughtful questions like, "Can you walk me through your current process?" and discusses how to engage clients meaningfully. Kaplan also explores the link between business pain and financial impacts, helping sales professionals create urgency and drive decision-making. This conversation is a treasure trove for anyone looking to enhance their sales strategy.

John Kaplan, an expert in sales strategies, shares invaluable insights on closing large deals. He emphasizes the importance of pipeline generation and disciplined qualification. Kaplan highlights aligning your value proposition with client priorities and the necessity of addressing their pain points. He also introduces the MedPIC framework for navigating complex sales, stressing the importance of probing deeper in conversations to uncover hidden urgencies. His strategies equip sales reps to maximize their chances of landing big deals.

In this episode, we cover one of our most popular topics among our listeners: metrics. And its popularity is well warranted, as it remains a major stumbling block for many reps. John Boney joins us to give pointers on leveraging metrics to strengthen deals while steering clear of the common pitfalls. He discusses:The different types of metrics and what matters to whom.Why reps tend to struggle with higher-level metrics.Asking the right questions to align with the customer’s metrics.Turning metrics into proof points.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseNavigating the Political Landscape | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Value-Based Selling | Ascender ArticleHow Big is the Pain: Identifying Pain with MEDDICC | Ascender ArticleA Perspective on Metrics in MEDDICC | Ascender VideoFreezing Up With Metrics and PBOs | PodcastUsing Metrics Effectively in Your Sales Conversations | 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/PlanComparisonCheck out this and other episodes of the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Have you checked out Ascender yet? Our online platform to help reps with the daily grind of sales. Don't miss our upcoming events: Webinar: Selling to Experienced Buyers with Antonella O'Day - Register here: https://hubs.la/Q02XTCl_0Visit the Ascender Platform: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ExploreCheck out Ascender's Community: https://community.ascender.co/

As we approach the end of 2024, many companies are in the process of setting their priorities for the new year. In today’s episode, John Kaplan talks about aligning your solution with the corporate priorities of your customers as opposed to simply a department. He discusses:The need to talk to those with access to discretionary funds.Understanding the problems that you solve and the implications of those problems.Questions that will reveal the initiatives the Economic Buyer prioritizes.Obtaining a comprehensive view of the buying organization and being able to traverse it fluidly.Advice on selling to the CFO.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseHow to Get Higher in Your Prospect’s Organization | Ascender ArticleEngaging the CFO | Ascender ArticleOur Best Content on Selling to the C-Suite | Ascender ArticleRise Above the Noise | Ascender VideoSelling to More Decision Makers | Force Management Article Broadening Your Sales Conversations | PodcastAscender Insights: Selling to the CFO w/ Jim KelliherVisit 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

Maintaining contact with accounts provides many benefits for an organization, and salespeople play a huge role in setting the foundation for a long-term relationship between two companies. Today, Brian Walsh draws on his wealth of experience to explain what reps must do to keep their organization tethered to accounts. Topics of discussion include:Having a mindset of long-term growth and lifetime value.Laying the necessary pre-sale groundwork to remain tethered to an account post-sale.Positioning yourself to be able to ask the buyer for access.Avoiding mistakes reps often make when trying to stay tethered to accounts.Additional strategies to stay in touch with customers.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseHow to Add More Value to the Sales Process | Ascender ArticleBuilding Up Your Referral Business | Ascender VideoTime to Value | PodcastWhat the Best Salespeople Do | 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, an expert in sales qualification, shares his insights on how to control deals effectively. He emphasizes the need for proactive selling techniques, like the MEDDICC framework, to navigate unexpected changes and new competitors. Kaplan discusses the importance of understanding buyer needs and staying adaptable, comparing preparation in sales to sports strategy. He highlights how continuous qualification and strong relationships help maintain control, ensuring deals progress with urgency.

If you’re a seller, you already know that rejection is a way of life. Unfortunately, a negative mindset about rejection remains the barrier that prevents many salespeople from reaching their fullest potential. In this episode, John Kaplan explains how to handle rejection in a way that sets you up for success down the road. He discusses:Viewing rejection as a learning opportunity instead of a failure.Taking yourself out of it and becoming unoffendable.Leaving the door open for conversations down the road.The importance of resilience in sales.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Objection Handling | Ascender CourseTraining the Seller’s Brain for Positivity | Ascender ArticleBuilding Your Pipeline | Ascender VideoBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | PodcastRoger Federer’s Commencement Address at DartmouthVisit 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

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.