Force Management

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

With the extensive attention from leadership directed toward the planning of sales kickoffs, the need to focus on what’s to follow too often gets lost. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel for a discussion on the incumbency of managers leading SKOs to dispense the knowledge, skills and cultural spirit to spark enthusiasm and a drive for success amongst employees in attendance. In the process, he also insists upon the need for sales reps to have a gameplan, as he puts it, “after the hoopla” of the SKO.Speaking of John Kaplan, you don’t want to miss our upcoming live Ascender Insights special, “The Plan to Make the Plan”, hosted by the man himself! Join us on January 23, 2025, from 10 to 11 AM Eastern Standard Time to hear John’s practical and time-tested advice on putting together a plan to improve your sales execution in no time.And that’s not even the best part—get this: All quota-carrying reps and first-line managers who register for the discussion are automatically entered into a raffle to win a free, one-on-on

There often comes a point in deals when it’s best for all parties to go their separate ways. Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss the key indicators that you should walk away from a deal and how to do so tactfully. She talks about:Evaluating whether or not you can be successful in solving the customer’s problems.The number one reason why deals stall.The importance of tangible Customer Verifiable Outcomes to indicate the customer’s interest throughout the deal.Using the letters of MEDDICC to gauge your progress in a deal.Walking away from a deal on terms that leave the door open for future engagements.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Lead Qualification | Ascender CourseGetting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender CourseExecuting Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseUncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender ArticleHow to Convince Your Customer to Take Action in Your Sales Process | Ascender ArticleCreating Urgency with Your Customer | Ascender VideoThe Coat of Pain |

Are you set up for success this year? Antonella O’Day walks through some key areas of focus as you come up with your own plan to make your plan this year. She covers ways to: Analyze trends from the past year and the competitive landscape.Set personal targets for 2025 based on data and personal experiences from 2024.Identify ideal customers and new growth opportunities.Reflect on past mistakes and successes to inform future strategies.Upcoming Webinar: Join John Kaplan for a webinar on "The Plan to Make the Plan" on Thursday, January 23rd. One lucky attendee will win a one-on-one coaching session with John. Register now to secure your spot: https://forcemanagement.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cb4xS0-zSjKA-eozmAA7RQ#/registrationThank you for listening!Visit 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

Our own John Kaplan tells his own story of a time when he had to decide what it meant to be uncommon. It’s the story that brought the often-heard phrase, “Who’s doing this?!” that many of you have heard in our Command of the Message® training. This episode is meant to bring you some motivation and inspiration as you focus on this month, this quarter and this year.Visit 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

A short word of thanks from the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast. Visit 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

It’s crunch time as you work to get those last-minute deals in by the end of the year. In this short episode, John Kaplan gives you some words of advice as you finish strong. Visit 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 approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on what’s gone well and what can be improved going forward. An important part of your year-end reflection is evaluating whether or not you’re at the right place to apply your skills. Today, John Kaplan gives you the tools to assess if you’re at the right company and breaks it down to three key considerations: what, how and why you sell.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Essential Questions to Help You Become a Better Salesperson | Ascender ArticleThe Currency of Value | Ascender ArticleMaking Sure the Customer Understands Your Differentiation | Ascender VideoAttaching to the Biggest Business Problem | PodcastFinding the Next Sales Job | 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.asce

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

Discovery can be a demanding process, and finding the right questions to ask requires intensive listening and thoughtful preparation. Fortunately, there are a few questions that are relevant to every deal and can help you get the ball rolling. These include:“Can you walk me through your current process?”“What’s working well in your current process?”“What struggles are you currently facing?”In today’s episode, John Kaplan goes into detail about the standard questions to ask in every discovery process and explains how to use the answers to dig deeper and ignite a sense of urgency within the buyer.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Executing Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender CourseDeepen Your Discovery | Ascender CourseKey Questions to Ask in Your Sales Discovery Conversations | Ascender ArticleUncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender ArticleHow to Convince Your Customer to Take Action in Your Sales Process | Ascender ArticleCreating Urgency with Your Customer | Ascender VideoT

The ultimate goal of every rep is to close deals, and in today’s episode, John Kaplan outlines the necessary steps for sellers to maximize their odds of landing the big one. He discusses:Prioritizing pipeline generation.Voracious qualification, the most critical factor for closing deals.Aligning your value proposition with the priorities of the buying company.Implicating the customer’s pain.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Plan to Make Your Plan | Ascender CourseHow MEDDICC Helps You Sell Better | Ascender ArticleValue Pyramids in Sales | Ascender ArticleUncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender ArticleOur Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender ArticleFrom Features to Value: Shifting Your Sales Approach to Close Larger Deals | Ascender ArticleReassess Your Pipeline Opportunities | Ascender ArticleBuilding Your Pipeline | Ascender VideoBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you

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 | Po

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 Conversati

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 salespeopl