The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

John Kaplan, a sales leader at Force Management, shares valuable insights for sales professionals navigating common challenges. He addresses how to engage reluctant customers and encourages the use of authenticity to build trust. Kaplan highlights techniques for overcoming gatekeepers and emphasizes the importance of a structured discovery process. He discusses measuring sales excellence through feedback and strategic questioning, providing practical advice to enhance client relationships and drive successful engagements.

In today’s quick episode, John Kaplan gives encouragement to sellers who may find themselves down on their luck. He discusses the tried-and-true actions within every seller’s control that will set you back on track, including:Assessing and attaching to the customer’s business issues (the what).Taking into account whom you are connected with in the deal (the who).Qualifying the deal early on and throughout the sales process.Staying on top of the foundational skills.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseNegotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleClose the Excuse Department | Ascender VideoDo You Really Have a Champion? | PodcastEnabling the Internal Sell | 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

Get back to the basic sales fundamentals that help ensure great sales conversations. John Kaplan provides five things you can practice before you jump into that next prospect call. Here are some additional resources:Purpose Process Payoff [Article]https://bit.ly/3spMjgAImprove Your Active Listening Skills [Podcast]https://apple.co/3md3HUOMaximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points [Podcast]https://apple.co/2XAxEE5Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

John Boney, a facilitator with Force Management, dives into what it takes to sell based on value. He emphasizes the importance of a buyer-focused mindset and understanding the customer's Decision Criteria. Boney highlights the challenges of adapting to shifting customer priorities and the significance of engaging multiple stakeholders through multithreading. He also discusses how to navigate the political landscape within organizations to effectively communicate value propositions, ensuring sellers stay aligned with buyer needs.

John Kaplan, a management consultant and career strategist, shares valuable insights on dealing with ineffective bosses. He discusses the importance of personal accountability and proactive improvement in challenging work environments. Kaplan emphasizes building supportive networks and viewing oneself as a hero in adversity. He offers practical advice on assessing company culture during job interviews to ensure a better management fit for future opportunities. Listen in for strategies to turn challenges into career growth!

Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins Rachel for a conversation on the uncertainties reps often face in trying to discuss metrics with prospects. Pouli’s advice provides clarity on when and how to discuss the finer details of the deal with the customer. He talks about:Getting past the fear of disrupting the flow of a conversation.Remaining curious throughout a sales cycle.Coaching reps to embrace the uncomfortable conversations.Viewing different individuals in the prospect company as rungs of a ladder.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Negotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CourseManaging Challenging Negotiation Tactics | Ascender CourseKey Questions to Ask in Your Sales Discovery Conversations | Ascender ArticleAsking the Tough Questions in Your Sales Conversations | 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

As we move into Q3, some of you may find yourselves struggling to get deals over the line. In today’s episode, John Kaplan gets you refocused on the fundamentals in order to reopen closed doors and get deals moving. He discusses:Getting the buyer to understand how your solution increases revenue, decreases cost and mitigates risk.Connecting technical pain to business pain to create urgency.The importance of multi-threading.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseHesitant Buyers? Aligning Your Solution to Corporate Initiatives | Ascender ArticleMoving Buyers to Action | Ascender ArticleThe Coat of Pain | Ascender VideoPodcast: How to Engage Other Departments in Your Sales Process | PodcastGetting Different Departments to Agree | 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

Do you have customers delaying their signature? Do you have deals that are moving forward, but then stall right before the finish line? Force Management’s Tim Caito walks through action steps to reignite the stalled deal, including: What areas to assess to determine how you can reignite the dealThe people you should be using to help you drive urgencyHow to prevent the situation next quarter. Other Assets with Tim CaitoMaking QBRs Valuable | PodcastAnchors and Give-Gets | PodcastThe Right Mindset for Sales Negotiations | PodcastShifting the Negotiation Away From Price | PodcastNegotiating Value – Presenting Multiple Options | PodcastHow to Use “Most Likely Alternatives” to Improve Sales Execution | 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.

Sales expert John Kaplan discusses key questions for deal qualification: Do we belong in the deal? What are our strengths and weaknesses? Steps to move deal forward efficiently. Emphasis on MedPIC, value frameworks, and discipline in sales. Importance of deal fit, ideal customer profile, and Medic/MedPIC. Tools like MEDIC for organization qualification processes.

Understanding the needs of the buyer is the critical component of any sales process, and successfully doing so encompasses a wide spectrum of sales best practices. Joining us to shed light on this topic is Force Management Facilitator John Boney. In his first appearance on the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, John hammers home the strategies necessary to get to the root of a customer’s pain. He discusses:The importance of active listening.Identifying patterns while refraining from assumption-making.Conducting a thorough needs assessment during a customer conversation.Dealing with a buyer’s resistance to questioning.The need for quantifiable metrics.The WAIT acronym: “Why Am I Talking?”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Selling to the CPO (Chief People Officer) | Ascender Insights EventAttaching to the Biggest Business Problem | Ascender Insights EventSelling to the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) | Ascender Insights EventActive Listening | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseOvercoming Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender VideoPreparing for Sales Conversations | Ascender VideoImprove Your Active Listening Skills | PodcastSales Qualification Best Practices: How to Back up Your Deal | 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.