Force Management

Have you ever caught yourself babbling in a sales conversation? John Kaplan has, and he shares some spirit around asking yourself the question - “Why are you talking?”Show your customer you’re focused on them and want to genuinely understand their business pain. John Kaplan joins us to walk through some small tricks he uses to make sure he keeps sales conversations focused on the customer. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on keeping the focus on the buyer:- Why Your Active Listening Skills Are Crucial to Hitting Your Number    - https://bit.ly/3hlHPUK- Improve Your Active Listening Skills [Podcast] - https://apple.co/2R1Tq0H- 3 Things You Need In Every Deal  - https://apple.co/3xWEJwt

How do you ensure you’re selling for a great company or moving to a great company?Part of believing that what you do matters, means loving what you do. Companies make great promises when looking to hire top sales talent or retain top performers. Be confident you’re in the right spot and making the right moves in your sales career. John Kaplan shares his opinion on how elite sellers ensure that they’re selling for great companies, including:- What evidence to look for- How companies enable salespeople to operate at an elite level- How to test the internal operations and traits of a sales organizationCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on picking a great company:- How to Ensure You're Selling For A Great Company - https://bit.ly/2RqFk8B- Signs You’re Working for a Company That’s Staged for Growth - https://bit.ly/3vGHQGG- Four Questions Every Sales Organization Needs to Answer  - https://bit.l

Great conversations only happen when salespeople aren’t afraid to be uncomfortable.Being elite often comes down to being the person who can ask great discovery questions with patience, empathy and confidence. Force Management Facilitator Antonella O’Day shares how to dig deep in discovery conversations in a way that creates a healthy tension in the conversation, including: - The biggest misconceptions when adding positive tension to sales conversations- How to prepare to drive interest from buyer- Best practices for helping sellers dig deep in a way that’s empatheticHere are some additional resources on discovery:- Executing Effective Discovery Podcast - https://apple.co/3dSpXi6 - Our Most Popular Content on Executing Effective Discovery  - https://bit.ly/3vkqP52 Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

This episode is the first in our new podcast series “Lessons Learned in Sales”, John Kaplan talks with Senior Director of Consulting and Facilitation Patrick McLoughlin about his own career including:- The lessons he’s learned from some great managers and the mantra he uses today- The worst mistake he ever made- The time a colleague stole a prospect’s glassesThis is a conversation you don’t want to miss! Here are some additional podcasts featuring PaddyMac:How to Move Yourself Beyond Mediocrity [Podcast]    - https://apple.co/3xbK1n9The Handoff: SDR to AE [Podcast]  - https://apple.co/32z7hgMImprove Your Active Listening Skills [Podcast]     - https://apple.co/3ek5YYzCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.  

Competitors catch up to your solutions. When they do, your “unique” differentiators won’t hold up. Marty Mercer stops by the podcast to provide tips on steering a buyer’s solution requirements away from your competition (including an impending “do nothing” or “no decision”). He teaches how to effectively prepare for conversations around decision criteria, so you can build out a list of buyer solution requirements that will validate a premium price. He also covers what to do when a customer shares a capability that you know your solution is at a disadvantage for. This episode is one of those that you’ll want to save and come back to time and again for a refresher when you’re up against challenging competition or need a solid win. Here are some additional resources on influencing customer requirements:- Navigating the Decision Process with Multiple Buyers [Podcast] - https://apple.co/3tiTSFI- How to Ask Trap Setting Questions - https://bit.ly/2Qf6gYx- Prepare and Practice to Confidently Execute Sales Cal

One of the most basic things you can do as a sales organization is ensure that your executive team and entire company is aligned on the key value and differentiation of your solution. When you have consistent answers to the essential questions, you have the framework to equip sales to articulate your solution’s business value and differentiation in a way that drives bottom-line impact. John Kaplan joins us to discuss how companies generate consistent, cross-functional agreement on the four essential questions, and why it’s critical to accelerating business growth.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on generating company alignment with the buyer:- Four Questions Every Sales Organization Needs to Answer - http://bit.ly/3c3jfnz- Intercom Increased Average Deal Size by 261% After Generating Alignment http://bit.ly/3e63YVn- The Secrets to Aligning Your Company on Customer Value and Differentiation -http://bit.l

Selling too low in an organization is a common challenge for many salespeople. Brian Walsh shares best practices from salespeople and company leaders who have enabled their teams to sell higher, aligning to bigger business problems. He covers: - How sales leaders and managers can look inward to improve their ability to equip sellers to sell higher and drive accountability around pursuing high-level opportunities- The framework and point of view salespeople need to get in front of decision makers higher, wider and deeper in a sales organization and make an impact- How sellers can leverage people lower in an organization to determine who key players are and gain access to them (i.e. why sellers shouldn’t right these people off)Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on Selling too Low:-Navigating the Decision Process With Multiple Buyers [Podcast] - Why Sales Reps Struggle With Metrics in a Sales Conversation- h

Improve your ability to navigate your buyer's decision process and win deals that involve multiple decision makers.John Kaplan walks through key tips for getting multithreaded in your deals and to ensure you’re communicating effectively with the key players in the buying organization, including: - What actions you can take early on in the sales process to effectively influence a customer’s decision process- How to get higher, wider, and deeper in your organization to determine key decision makers and multiple buyers who will have a say in the final “yes”- Tips for making an impact in front of each stakeholder in an opportunityCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on decision process:- How to Ask the Right Questions in Your Sales Conversation- http://bit.ly/2NoJ7Sy - Why Sales Reps Struggle with Metrics in the Sales Conversation - http://bit.ly/3keTi86- Executing Effective Discovery [Podcast]- http://apple.c

Selling to an economic buyer is always challenging and often different from one deal to the next. Improve your ability to make economic buyers and decision makers stand in their moment of pain and demand an urgent solution to their business challenges. John Kaplan breaks down three key questions you need to answer for your economic buyer in order to propel a deal forward. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on economic buyer:- Close the Excuse Department and Shorten Sales Cycles- http://bit.ly/3dzElMA- Maximize the Effectiveness of Proof Points [podcast]- https://apple.co/3btxqSy - Earn Your Right to Keep Talking [Templates]- http://bit.ly/2NQTDln 

Gearing up to launch a strategic initiative or are you in the middle of creating an adoption plan? Kathleen Schindler, Force Management Managing Director of Customer Success shares current best practices sales leaders are using to make changed behaviors stick. Kathleen supports some of our most successful customers and sales teams as they work to roll out new sales capabilities and make them stick. She shares:- How sales leaders and managers are leveraging the remote environment to drive adoption and accountability- What to think through when developing the long-term adoption plan for your sales initiative- How to incorporate managers in the adoption plan and support their ability to drive on-going reinforcement.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on reinforcing an initiative- Insights on Maintaining Virtual SKO Momentum- http://bit.ly/3uH7H1J- How to Equip Managers to Drive Lasting Results from a Sales In

In this episode, we’re sharing key insights on getting your buyer to come to their own conclusions. Remember, people rarely argue with their own conclusions. The more you can help buyers define business problems on their own, in a way that favors your solution’s value and differentiation, the more successful you will be. John Kaplan covers three types of questions you can use to help buyers articulate their business challenges.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on influencing buying criteria:- Enable Your Salespeople to Help Buyers Stand in the Moment of Pain- http://bit.ly/3c22WHg- How to Ask the Right Questions in Your Sales Conversation- https://bit.ly/2NoJ7Sy- Approaching Your Sales Conversations with Empathy [Podcast] -http://apple.co/387oYHE 

After elite athletes win champions and gold medals they don’t stop practicing. They continue the work that’s necessary to repeat success and beat their competition.Elite salespeople follow the same playbook. Whether you're at the top of your game or just starting, we break down our best tips to prepare and practice for your sales calls. John Kaplan shares the prepping and practicing tactics he uses and teaches to accomplish critical meeting goals and achieve success in his deals.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on preparing and practicing:- Lessons From a Sales Veteran [Podcast]https://apple.co/3nHKpES- Overcoming the Seller Deficit Disorderhttp://bit.ly/3saAM3w- Align with the Buying Process: The Power of the Mantrahttp://bit.ly/3sd3jFq

If you’re coming off the high of making a great number last year or last quarter, you may be struggling with how to repeat your success. If you’re coming off a year that didn’t pan out as you hoped, how can you clean slate and make this year your best yet? John Kaplan covers the two mindsets he used when coming off either a good year or a year riddled with challenges. He shares tips salespeople can apply immediately to get prepared and plan for a successful quarter, sales cycle or year. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on planning for a successful sales cycle:- The Plan to Make Your Planhttps://bit.ly/3mlUvv9- Crushed Your Number Last Year? Here's What You Should do Nowhttp://bit.ly/2OyrwHO- Create Value for Your Sales Team [Podcast]http://apple.co/3anlBOv

Making the shift from selling smaller deals to enterprise solutions that require multiple decision-makers is a common career progression path. This change may require you to change your selling approach. John Kaplan talks through specific things you want to pay attention to if you’re making this shift in your career. He covers:- How to identify economic buyers in a complex account and leverage them to progress your deals faster and at a higher value- A successful process for working with an economic buyer early on in the deal and during the deal to capture information that leads to better outcomes- How to keep economic buyers engaged after the deal closes to open up new opportunities for cross-sells, up-sells, and proof pointsCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on shifting to bigger sales- Lessons from a Sales Veteran Podcasthttp://apple.co/3nHKpES- Champions vs Coaches Podcasthttp://apple.co/3hhDqQ1- Why

Today we are marking our 50th episode! We rebranded the Force Management podcast last March and launched right before the Pandemic hit. To celebrate and share our appreciation for hitting record numbers of listeners, we’re sharing some of our most popular and albeit most valuable episodes. If you're a faithful listener, this episode can serve as a reminder of the episodes you may want to revisit. If you’ve missed some episodes, this is a great way to catch up on some valuable insights. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.All of the podcasts covered in this episode:- Executing Great Discovery w/ Brian Walshhttp://apple.co/2TC1kv5- Improve Your Active Listening Skills w/ Patrick McLoughlinhttp://apple.co/3ojaoTm- Getting into a New Opportunity w/ John Kaplanhttp://apple.co/34n8Y3o- How to Prepare for Buyer Negotiation Tactics w/ Tim Caitohttp://apple.co/3raJtdr- Coaches vs. Champions w/ John Kaplanhttp://apple.co/3hhDqQ1- Lessons From a Sales

What are you doing to ensure you’re creating value for your sales team? It’s hard to be steady as a sales leader or front-line manager when you’re carrying the number. If you’re in an organization that’s struggling or might not have the best leadership above you, this is a must-listen episode. Brian Walsh shares insights on how to overcome organizational challenges and lead your teams in a way that has a positive impact. He covers examples of what to do and what not to do as a leader at the end of a quarter when you’re in a flurry to hit the number. Tune in to hear tips for improving your leadership skills when you don’t have access to support from above you or you’re facing complex challenges that you don’t have the power to solve. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on - How to Help Your Front-line Sales Managers Lead Successful Teamshttp://bit.ly/3opxpnb- Being elite: 3 Lessons Learned as a Revenue Lead

While you’re working your current deals, there are key steps you should take to start the negotiation process early and drive better outcomes for you and your buyers. In this episode, Senior Partner Tim Caito shares how you can set yourself up for success before price conversations begin — and in the end, close for a premium. Tim’s perspective is helpful for anyone who wants to improve their negotiation process and put a stop to closing for a discount. Share with your teams to ensure they’re using these three concepts in their sales conversations in order to start the negotiation process early.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on negotiating early - Negotiation FAQs & Best Practiceshttp://apple.co/369t4OH- Finding Success with Procurement Podcasthttp://apple.co/38WH4wR- Changing Your Conversation with Procurement On-demand Webinarhttp://bit.ly/3nN97V4

We’ve all worked with prospects who drag their feet on making a final decision. You may even have some of these deals in your pipeline right now. If you do, this episode is for you. John Kaplan shares how to reignite your stalled deals and differentiate yourself from other competition that may still have a foot in the door (including a do nothing or do it internally option). Hear how you can differentiate your solutions from all other outcomes to close your current and future deals faster.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on reassessing your deals:- How to Reignite Stalled Dealshttp://bit.ly/3i8petF- Predicting No Decisions On-Demand Webinarhttp://bit.ly/2D0dxFa- Executing Great Discoveryhttp://apple.co/2TC1kv5

Turning over a potential deal from an SDR/BDR to an AE is a critical step in the sales process. We often say there’s as much differentiation in what you sell as there is in how you sell. When you create a good customer experience for the buyer, before and throughout the handoff process, you can separate your organization early on from competition, including “do nothings”. Patrick McLoughlin joins us to share what SDRs and AEs can do to establish a handoff process that ensures your buyers feel heard and interested in continuing to move the deal forward. Note: If you’ve been through CoM, hear ways you, as an SDR, can leverage your mantra to grab prospect interest or prepare great notes for your handoff to the AE.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on the handoff from SDR to AE:Aligning Your SDR Team with the Broader Sales Organizationhttp://bit.ly/2GaN1KyImprove Your Active Listening Skills Podcasthttp://app

Plan for a successful year and understand why some companies were able to turn the corner faster than others during the pandemic.One thing we often emphasize at the end of each year is coming up with a plan to make the plan. This year, that planning process may look a little different. What are you going to change next year?John Kaplan joins us to share spirit around how your entire sales organization can keep the focus on your buyer’s evolving business problems and drive great results because of it.Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Here are some additional resources on the great teacher, 2020:2020 The Great Teacherhttp://bit.ly/2M8PCrn Aligning With Your Buyer’s Changing Needs Podcasthttp://apple.co/31spJrV The Plan to Make the Planhttp://bit.ly/3mlUvv9 Four Reasons Your Sales Messaging Framework Needs a Refreshhttp://bit.ly/2M6hxIw