Force Management

We receive numerous questions about Champions on our online platform Ascender. Patrick McLoughlin joins us for today’s episode to answer several of them. He goes over:The definition of a Champion.The best time to start building a Champion, and where to look for one.Nurturing your relationship with a Champion.How to turn a Coach into a Champion.Using your Champion to push toward a Collective Yes.Here are some additional resources:Building Champions for Life | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/hqpksValidating Champions | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/qaw0iAchieving a Collective Yes | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/hgkbsAscender’s Best Content on Champions | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/s05ylCommon Deal Questions | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/h90voVisit 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.ascende

This episode is for those seeking a new sales role. Antonella O’Day joins us to share considerations for your job search. She discusses:How to know when it’s time to leave a company.The importance of communicating problems with your current manager.Considerations when it comes to money.What to look for when assessing a new sales role.Determining if you and a potential new manager will be a good match.Here are some additional resources:Essential Questions for Your Next Job Search | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3NIMcsLLooking for a New Sales Role After a Layoff | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/3qUcb7IVisit 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 Sal

Join us for Networking Night hosted by Ascender by Force Management. The aim for this event is to allow job seekers to network with hiring managers who have open roles they're looking to fill right now.Date: Wednesday, July 12thTime: 6-7pm ETRegistration Link: https://www.ascender.co/job-seeker-sign-upsConfirmed companies include: ExtendFigmaBlinkThompson SafetyCorelightShowPadCatchpointSpringboardLogicsourcePaddleAgiloftSingleOpsFill out the form to save your spot in a breakout room. Have questions about the event? Email community@ascender.co.

We frequently discuss identifying, developing and testing Champions. Today, we’re talking about staying aligned with your Champion throughout the sales process. Brian Walsh joins us to share his unique insight. He covers:The need to maintain a low self-orientation.“Big-r” versus “little-r” relationships.Agreeing on a combined timeline with your Champion.The ill-advised “check-in.”Giving your Champion the credit they deserve.Here are some additional resources:Building Champions for Life | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3qFnXTvValidating Champions | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/43yEUgVAscender’s Best Content on Championshttps://bit.ly/43TMLFnVisit 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 an

The first meeting with a customer is typically hard-won, so you want to get it right. It will lay the foundation of not only your relationship with the individual you speak to, but the balance of your deal. Antonella O’Day shares tips to set you up for a successful first meeting. She covers:The goal of the first meeting and how to prepare.Sending an agenda in advance.Opening up a cagey customer.“Managing the clock” during the meeting.Taking command of the next steps.Here are some additional resources:Effective Pre-Call Planning | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/43TKcmXPreparing for and Engaging in Virtual Meetings | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/43nqekxOwn the Next Step in Your Sales Meetings | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/3oNgSjbVisit 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/Ascen

Many reps struggle with metrics. The challenge usually comes from not knowing the proper way to apply metrics to their sales conversations. In this quick episode, John Kaplan shares pointers on how to make effective use of metrics. He discusses:What metrics are and why they matter.How to speak about metrics in a way that is relevant to the higher-ups of an organization.The value in visualizing the buying organization as a house.Here are some additional resources:MEDDICC Certification on Ascenderhttps://bit.ly/3IVZmQpDigging Deep: Why Metrics Can Hurt You in Your Sales Conversations | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/3MV0IwaVisit 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

When you’re trying to close your pipeline, you don’t want a competitor to derail your deal. How do you stay on top of your differentiation and what the competition is doing? How much should you focus on your competition?Antonella O’Day joins Rachel Clapp Miller for a conversation on competitors. She talks about: How to best understand your competitorThe must-have information you need to know and the nice-to-know informationHow to avoid providing “air time” for your competitor in the sales conversationsVisit 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.

It is critical for reps to take command of the next step in sales conversations. Today, Brian Walsh walks us through best practices when it comes to transitioning to the next stage of a sales process.He talks about:How best to prepare for the next step.Positioning yourself before your prospect as a partner as you embark upon the next stage of your journey.The benefit of briefing your customer prior to meetings.Being able to adjust on the fly in case things do not go as intended.Here are some additional resources:Rep Operating Rhythm | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3M7GdgxShifting Your Sales Mindset | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3pmHOG4Preparing for and Engaging in Virtual Meetings | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/41eBwpoTips for Active Listening | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/42e78ghVisit 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.

In a discovery session, there comes an inevitable point when the customer asks you to talk about yourself or your solution. When this happens, the last thing you want to do is say too much. Brian Walsh discusses the need to minimize your own input and connect everything you say to issues relevant to the customer. He covers:The basic principles to follow when it comes to talking about yourself in a deal.Determining and conveying the problems you solve and the outcomes you drive toward.Pointing the conversation back to the direction of the customer.The importance of confidence.Here are some additional resources:Active Listening | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/427t6RPAchieving a Collective Yes | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3nHv8ZUTips for Active Listening | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/3nxE5VIVisit 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 le

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/Ascender/Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/P

Clients are often reluctant to open up to reps, but our special guest Rob Stenberg explains how you can use storytelling to break through that barrier. He discusses:Why storytelling is so effective.When in your sales process to incorporate stories.How to practice and prepare stories that resonateHow to use stories to encourage your customer to “stay in discovery”Here are some additional resources:Storytelling in the Sales Process | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3nfL4CNDiscovery Process | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/4229BdtFive Ways Stories Can Help You Create Urgency in the Sales Process | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/42dlI7eSharing Stories in Your Sales Process | Podcasthttps://bit.ly/42flEnjVisit 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/Ascender/S

You want to work for a company that equips its sellers for success. We often speak about Seller Deficit Disorder, with which reps fail to listen to—and understand the problems of—their customers, but in this episode, we discuss the lesser-known Sales Leader Deficit Disorder with our special guest, Force Management Senior Director of Facilitation Brian Walsh. He shares advice about:Picking a great company to work for.What steps to take if you find yourself working for a manager with Sales Leader Deficit Disorder.What to do if you feel you’ve been at a company or in a particular role for too long.How to salvage a relationship with a sales leader.Here are some additional resources:Essential Questions for Your Next Job Search | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3oJR0nXSales Challenges? Make Your Leadership Part of the Solution | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3DT8UbxFive Characteristics that Build Successful Sales Leaders | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3A2H3EQHow to Deal With Changes in Leadership |

Your customer’s decision criteria are great indicators of your chances of success in a deal. Thankfully, you have the power to mold the decision criteria to fit your own unique differentiators. Tim Caito joins us to explain how to influence the decision criteria in a manner that favors you. He discusses:Common mistakes reps make when trying to change the decision criteria.The difference between decision criteria and desired outcomes.The need to identify the customer’s biggest business pain when attempting to influence the decision criteria.Here are some additional resources:MEDDICC Essentials | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3ostFXIManaging a No Decision Deal | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3AyAR7vAchieving a Collective Yes | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3KRVQqAHow to Convince Your Customer to Take Action in Your Sales Process | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/3mLp2aLHow to Compete Against “Do It Internally” in the Sales Process | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/43QsIbJOvercoming Sales Challenges: Change the De

Though you might have incorporated MEDDICC into your sales process, you, like many new adherents of the methodology, may find difficulty figuring out the E: Economic Buyer. A common challenge is determining who exactly the Economic Buyer is and whether or not there is more than one in a deal, particularly a complex one. Force Management Senior Facilitator Brian Walsh joins us to clarify a bit of the mystery that surrounds the Economic Buyer. He covers:Why there is typically only one Economic Buyer in an account.Key traits to look for when trying to identify the Economic Buyer.How to respond if there is a new Economic Buyer in your deal.How to request the help you need as you navigate your deal.Here are some additional resources:Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3Km50LFMEDDICC Certification on Ascenderhttps://bit.ly/3zGfgJzWhat to Do if You Can’t Gain Access to the Economic Buyer | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/40Q7yIKWhat’s the Best Way to Test My Champion? | Ascender Articlehttps

A negative atmosphere can hinder a sales team’s prospects of success. It is incumbent on leaders to create an environment of openness in which everyone feels free to share their ideas, contributing to the team’s overall benefit. In this episode, Antonella discusses steps that leaders can take to foster a productive team culture through transparency. She covers:The importance of candidness within a sales team.Providing clear expectations for reps.Minimizing distractions so that sellers can execute to the best of their ability.Giving and receiving feedback as a leader.Here are some additional resources:The Team | Ascender Videohttps://bit.ly/3G5usUfThe Crucial Aspects of Leading Sales Teams Today | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3ZtLB0NVisit 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 pl

You are likely to come across buying organizations with conflicting priorities. It can be a real challenge to get people in different parts of a company to agree on a path on which to move forward. John Kaplan explains how you can set about getting various departments of a company on the same page. He discusses:Keeping people focused on the “why.”The role that Champions play in achieving a “Collective Yes.”Building a “What We Heard” slide with your Champion to fight Seller Deficit Disorder.What to do if you are without a Champion in an account.Here are some additional resources:Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3Z6fcgLBuilding Champions for Life | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/40k9w4dIs Your Champion Really a Coach? | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/40mjvWbThe Seller Deficit Disorder | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/42xLAvpThree Ways to Improve Your Sales Messaging | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3TB7mubVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota

Here’s a great episode for both reps and sales leaders.Salespeople are typically unenthused by the prospect of deal reviews, but they are a great opportunity for leaders to help their sellers identify strengths and weaknesses in their opportunities and get deals over the line. Antonella O’Day joins us to discuss what sales managers can do to help themselves and their reps maximize the benefit of deal review sessions. She provides guidance about:How managers can get reps to see the value in deal reviews.Ways that managers can educate themselves on an account in preparation for a deal review.How reps can equip their manager with the information they need for a deal review.Looking at a deal review as a collaboration rather than an inspection.Here are some additional resources:Progressing Deals to Close | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3ZWa67UMEDDICC Deal Confidence Self-Assessment | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3loFBsePreparing for and Engaging in Virtual Meetings | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3FyZYtzDig Deep

Changes are inevitable, and, in particular, changes in leadership occur quite frequently. John Kaplan explains how to adjust to a new sales leader. He discusses:Maintaining your focus when teams around you are being restructured.Adapting to a new sales style imposed by new leadership while still making it your own.Handling leadership changes in departments outside of your own that still affect you.The responsibility of sales leaders to help their teams understand a change.Here are some additional resources:The Top 3 Signs Your Sales Organization is Ready for Change | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3ZW9VJcSales Challenges: Four Ways to Keep Your Sales Team Focused on Sellinghttps://bit.ly/3ZBOihxVisit 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/Asce

Salespeople must be multi-threaded with their opportunities. Make an effort to connect to as many relevant stakeholders in the buying company as possible. John Kaplan explains steps you can take to reach key individuals in other departments of your prospect’s organization. He gives advice about:Connecting technical capabilities to business outcomes.Landing meetings with key stakeholders of other departments.Using the Three Ps—Purpose, Process and Payoff—to maximize conversations with high-ranking individuals in the buying organization.Here are some additional resources:Building Champions for Life | Ascender Coursehttps://bit.ly/3YnPSlRHow to Get Higher in Your Prospect's Organization | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3JgWH4pGet Beyond the Technical Buyer | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/4208wn0Sales Best Practices: 5 Ways to Prepare for Your Next Sales Meeting | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/41PEyBVVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy

Many sellers are feeling strain from the current state of the economy. Many reps are struggling to figure out the proper action steps to take in the midst of the challenges of the current environment. John Kaplan discusses ways to prevail through today’s economic headwinds. He talks about:The need to focus on what you can control.Staying committed to the fundamentals.Finding resilience during tough times.Here are some additional resources:Essential Questions to Help You Be a Better Salesperson | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/3YIMH9xWhy You Keep Losing Deals | Ascender Articlehttps://bit.ly/3kcNaBD5 Actions That Increase Sales Performance | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3Z6QoW4Overcoming Sales Challenges: Change the Decision Criteria | Force Management Articlehttps://bit.ly/3lQHIF6Visit 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 y