Force Management

Today, Tim Caito joins Rachel to discuss how to communicate the needs of the customer internally, centering the conversation around three high-level concepts: the external sale, the internal sale, and achieving an ideal outcome using two-way guidance. In the course of the episode, he shares best practices on gathering necessary customer and internal requirements, finding the right balance between the customer’s view of a great outcome and that of your company, aligning with the customer’s Decision Criteria, and overcoming common internal bottlenecks.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Aligning Sales Planning and Execution Disciplines | Ascender CourseCreating a Political Advantage | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseNegotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CourseKey Ways to Prepare for Customer Anchors in Sales Negotiations | Ascender ArticleAligning to Win | Ascender ArticleHesitant Buyers? Aligning Your Solution to Corporate Initiatives

When it comes to rejuvenating stalled deals, urgency is the factor that moves the needle. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about driving urgency in deals, discussing the use of discovery to uncover and attach to the customer’s biggest business issues, getting them emotionally connected to solving those issues, and subsequently articulating your value and comparative differentiation.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Executing Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseEssential Questions to Help You Become a Better Salesperson | Ascender ArticleCreating Urgency with Your Customer | Ascender VideoRise Above the Noise | Ascender VideoThe Coat of Pain | Ascender VideoFind a Balance in Your Sales Discovery | Ascender VideoControlling the Deal | PodcastDiscovery Questions You Don’t Want to Forget | 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 eve

In today’s episode, Brian Walsh joins Rachel to discuss building rapport with prospective customers. Brian covers the true meaning of rapport and how it applies to client conversations, as well as the right mindset for sellers to take into their early conversations with prospects, the importance of active listening as a way to gain trust, and determining the right time to deploy tactics such as storytelling and sharing case studies.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Building Rapport Through Virtual Channels | Ascender CourseActive Listening | Ascender CourseKey Tips to Help You Have Better Sales Conversations | Ascender ArticleKey Things to Practice Before Your Next Sales Conversation | Ascender ArticleThree Ways to Make Sure You’re Focused on Business Conversations | Ascender ArticleFinish Strong 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 per

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. When selling a solution, you want to align with wide-ranging corporate initiatives and not just departmental one-offs. Many reps struggle to not only identify, but also align with company-wide initiatives that buyers are navigating with inside of their organization. John Kaplan explains how to recognize a corporate buyer and align your business outcomes with their pain points and other business issues.Here are some additional resources:Three Common Sales Challenges and What to Do About Them How to Get Higher in Your Prospect's OrganizationCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

A robust pipeline is key to maintaining a steady flow of prospects and keeping track of the progress of each toward closing. With the current proliferation of AI tools on the market, sellers are better equipped than ever to tailor their prospecting approach to the unique concerns of each individual lead. Still, regardless of the technology, the fundamentals remain unchanged. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to discuss the need for reps to grasp the foundational steps of pipeline generation first and foremost. He then describes how sellers can use AI as a means to refine and strengthen their approach.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Ascender’s Prospecting Elite Selling™ CertificationWhen to Use Customer Case Studies in the Sales Process | Ascender ArticleFrom Features to Value: Shifting Your Sales Approach to Close Larger Deals | Ascender ArticleKey Tips to Help You Have Better Sales Conversations | Ascender ArticleAmplify Value Negotiation with AI | Ascender VideoBuilding Yo

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Preparing for your deal is critical. Preparing others for your sales call has equal impacts on your success. If you want someone to join you on a call (product engineer, manager, etc.), you have to be able to provide them with fluency about the deal and clarity on their role in the conversation. John Kaplan covers what information you need to share and how help ensure those joining you are best prepared.Here are some additional resourcesHow to Ask for Help on Your Deals5 Things to Do Before Your Next Sales Conversationhttps://apple.co/3Fkf18LKey Things to Do After Every Sales Callhttps://apple.co/3DtcnvuCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

When it comes to attaining a consensus in a customer account and achieving the crucial “Collective Yes”, the greater the numbers on your side, the higher your chances of success. Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss the need to expand the depth and breadth of your presence in customer accounts, applying a multi-threaded approach in order to achieve top-down organizational agreement on your solution.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseNavigating the Political Landscape | Ascender CourseBuilding Rapport Through Virtual Channels | Ascender CourseThe Currency of Value | Ascender ArticleThe Importance of Multi-Threaded Selling | Ascender ArticleExpanding the Sales Conversation | PodcastTalking to Other Departments | PodcastStaying Tethered to Customers | 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

Customer handoffs are a natural part of the selling process, but you don’t want to lose the customer relationships that you’ve worked so hard to build. Indeed, staying connected to customers over the long-term has numerous benefits, not only for the success of your solution, but also for your career as an individual seller. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to discuss these benefits, and he shares the techniques he’s accumulated over the years to remain tethered to clients.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Active Listening | Ascender CourseGaining Commitments | Ascender CourseNavigating the Competitive Landscape | Ascender CourseThe Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender ArticleWhy Your Active Listening Skills Are Crucial to Hitting Your Number | Ascender ArticleWhen to Use Customer Case Studies in the Sales Process | Ascender ArticleBuilding Up Your Referral Business | Ascender VideoStaying Tethered to Accounts | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople w

Not many things are granted in sales, but adversity is one of them. When difficulties arise, resilience becomes a seller’s most valuable attribute. Joining Rachel for today’s episode is Force Management Facilitator Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos to cover the importance of resilience in sales. Pouli discusses the need to focus on what you can control, staying motivated when it feels nothing is going right, leaning on MEDDICC qualification to overcome sales slumps, and asking for help.Check out Pouli’s book, How to Be a Well Being, and connect with him on LinkedIn.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Deepen Your Discovery | Ascender CourseTraining the Seller’s Brain for Positivity | Ascender ArticleAsking for Help | Ascender VideoDealing with Rejection in Sales | PodcastCarefrontation | 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 t

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. Ever had a customer ask you to consider a pilot project? Perhaps they don’t want to sign up for the full investment or they want to prove success before they move forward. Should you sell it? How should you handle it? Brian Walsh gives you a few things to consider. He talks about:Why pilot projects pop up.When it is beneficial to take on a pilot project.Ways to increase the likelihood that a pilot project will lead to a permanent solution.Getting your customer to see the benefits of the metrics.Here are some additional resources:Selling “Pilot Projects” | Ascender Videohttps://bit.ly/425YzUwWhat the Best Salespeople Do | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/3Vyf1utVisit 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 of a similar nature every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career.Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Asc

As a rep, a deal review is your time. They are your chance not only to level-set with your manager and teammates, but also to get whatever help you need in getting your opportunities over the line. It is within your control to own the agenda. In this episode, John Kaplan advises reps on ideal preparation in advance of deal reviews and the mindset necessary to get the most out of them. He also discusses how managers can foster a deal review environment in which reps are empowered to share their concerns and ask for the help they need.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Effective Opportunity Coaching Sessions | Ascender CoursePreparing for Opportunity Coaching | Ascender CourseKey Questions for Managers to Ask in Deal Reviews | Ascender ArticlePreparation | Ascender VideoAsking for Help | 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

Before you can sell a solution, you must establish a baseline of trust with your customer. You build trust, in part, by demonstrating your willingness to understand the customer’s concerns and solve them. Today, John Kaplan discusses the effectiveness of recapping sales conversations as a trust-building tool that facilitates alignment with the customer and allows sellers to expand the conversation to key stakeholders across the buying company.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Advancing the Deal | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseThe Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender ArticleWhy Your Active Listening Skills Are Crucial to Hitting Your Number | Ascender ArticleEssential Questions to Help You Become a Better Salesperson | Ascender ArticleOvercoming Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender VideoTips for Active Listening | PodcastOvercoming Challenges with Metrics | PodcastExpanding the Sales Conversation | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed sol

Salespeople frequently find themselves stuck with a single contact in a buying company, unable to engage departments necessary to a successful close, locked at a standstill. In today’s episode, John Kaplan explains how to multi-thread in a way that enlarges a company-wide understanding of the gravity and relevance of a technical issue and convinces all people involved of their responsibility and capability to work toward a successful solution.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Creating a Compelling Business Case | Ascender CourseGetting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseChanging Your Approach with Procurement | Ascender CourseThe Importance of Multi-Threaded Selling | Ascender ArticleSell Solutions, Not Products | Ascender ArticleGetting to “We Need to Fix This Now” | Ascender ArticleUsing Empathy in Your Sales Conversations | Ascender ArticleExpanding the Sales Conversation | PodcastBeing Confident in Your Selling Process | PodcastMaking the Case to the CFO | PodcastVis

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan.If you’re finding yourself new to a selling role and trying to sell to more experienced executives and professionals - this is a podcast for you. If you’re leading a team of greener reps, share this one with them. John Kaplan shares how to prepare for conversations with experienced buyers in a way that will drive success and help you feel less intimidated going in. Great selling, is great selling, no matter your experience or background. Tune into this episode to hear tips and actions you can take right now. Here are some additional resourcesFinding Success with Procurement [Podcast]https://apple.co/3ARsxO0Overcoming the Seller Deficit Disorder [Article]https://bit.ly/3k2HwhlWhy are you talking? [Podcast]https://apple.co/3CVvgrOFour Essential Questionshttps://bit.ly/3maU5d3Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Negotiating power is an invaluable currency in sales, one that gives you the leverage to move toward achieving a desirable outcome. As you approach the end of a sales process, the work you’ve done previously to establish yourself in a solid negotiating position determines the quality of the deal you’ll eventually land. Today, Tim Caito joins Rachel to discuss the importance of taking the right steps throughout the lifetime of the deal to set yourself up for a successful close.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Negotiation Mindset | Ascender CourseAchieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseCreating a Political Advantage | Ascender CourseOur Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleUsing Multiple Options in Your Sales Negotiations | Ascender ArticleKey Ways to Prepare for Customer Anchors in Sales Negotiations | Ascender ArticleAnchors and Give-Gets | PodcastThe Right Mindset for Sales Negotiations | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh.Responding to RFPs is often inevitable in many selling organizations. How do you respond in a way that gives you an edge? Brian Walsh joins us to share the importance of assessing your position and details how to determine an impactful response. He covers what to ask yourself as you qualify the opportunity, define your competitive position, and strategize around the right next steps.Here are some additional resources:Differentiate How You Sellhttps://apple.co/3qFc11EGetting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversations [Podcast]https://apple.co/3HerprLExecuting Great Discoveryhttps://apple.co/3dSpXi6Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

On our online subscription platform Ascender, users can ask questions and discuss their perspectives on a wide variety of topics pertaining to sales. Among the regular contributors to Ascender’s Engage section is Force Management facilitator John Boney, who has made a number of recent posts about selling and leading from a foundation of empathy. In particular, he has written about the concept of carefrontation—an approach to giving feedback that balances directness and honesty with empathy and care for those on the receiving end of the help. In this episode, John joins Rachel to dive deeper into how salespeople and team leaders can implement carefrontation on a daily basis as they work and interact with colleagues and clients. Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Coaching Model Essentials | Ascender CourseCoaching the Coaches – Front-Line Sales Managers | Ascender CourseWhat Exactly is Carefrontation? | Ascender Community Post • Mastering Carefrontation: Avoiding the Pitfall of

There’s as much differentiation in how you sell as in what you sell, and standing out as a sales rep requires you to exhibit those special characteristics uncommon amongst your peers. Establishing differentiation is a tricky task, however, so today John Kaplan teaches how to simplify the process with ideas enactable by a mindset of open-mindedness, empathy for the customer and their needs, and conviction in the importance of what you have to offer.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Solution Mapping to Create Strong Value Propositions | Ascender CoursePreparing for and Engaging in Virtual Meetings | Ascender CourseMaking Sure the Customer Understands Your Differentiation | Ascender VideoRise Above the Noise | Ascender VideoOvercoming Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender VideoPreparing for Sales Conversations | Ascender VideoTips for Active Listening | PodcastArticulating Value and Differentiation After the Sale | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople

As with all aspects of selling, sufficient preparation is a prerequisite to successful negotiation. In today’s episode, Tim Caito shares the key points of negotiation prep for reps to focus on. He discusses:Starting your negotiation process early.Recognizing and dealing with customer anchors, and laying anchors of your own.Establishing your give–get strategy.Providing the customer with multiple options.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Negotiation Foundation & Mindset | Ascender CoursePreparing for and Engaging in Virtual Meetings | Ascender CoursePlan to Make Your Plan | Ascender CourseAchieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseKey Ways to Prepare for Customer Anchors in Sales Negotiations | Ascender ArticleUsing Multiple Options in Your Sales Negotiations | Ascender ArticlePreparing for Sales Conversations | Ascender VideoNavigating Anchors and Trades in Sales Negotiation | PodcastNegotiating Value – Presenting Multiple Options | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform desi

Whether you're the top rep looking for even greater heights or someone looking to improve, you need a plan for success. And, you need to put it in motion now.What is your plan to make your plan this year?Force Management’s Co-Founder John Kaplan has been on all sides of this journey as a rep, sales leader, and top-tier trainer. He joins our Ascender team for a practical conversation on how to improve your sales execution right now. We'll cover how you can gather and analyze, plan and strategize, and then organize and execute your way to your best year yet.We're giving away a one-hour coaching session with John to one attendee. Sign up here: https://hubs.la/Q033B0m10