Force Management

Regardless of the length of your implementation window in an opportunity, you must show your value. Brian Walsh joins us today for a quick discussion about how to successfully demonstrate value. He discusses:Developing a roadmap with short-term metrics.Helping the customer to see the business-wide benefits of your solution.Setting expectations that are high but realistic.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!The Currency of Value | Ascender ArticleArticulating Value and Differentiation After the Sale | PodcastProviding Value in Discovery | 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 Pod

Join Force Management's Ascender team for our webinar THIS FRIDAY as we cover "Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Articulate Value". Hosted by Diana Sheley, Force Management's Director, Facilitation & Consulting, we'll cover common challenges and ways to course correct when it comes to: Understanding and Articulating DifferentiationHow to Stack Rank the Required CapabilitiesKeeping the Focus on ValueAligning your Proof Points to Your BuyerThe session will be recorded. Click Here to Register

In this episode, we talk through the value of creating Mutual Action Plans with your customer, including: When you should use MAPsWhat a good MAP should do for both the seller and the buyerHow you get buy-in from the customer to create oneHow do you use them throughout the sales process and into your negotiations? Here are some additional resources:Ascender Course: Developing Mutual Action PlansOther 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

Whether you’re making a career change or just joining the sales game, save this episode. Good selling is good selling, no matter your experience or age. John Kaplan joins us to share best practices for green reps who sell to people with more experience. He shares lessons he wishes he learned earlier in his sales career. Here are some additional resources:Selling to More Experienced ProfessionalsOvercoming the Seller Deficit DisorderGetting Comfortable with Uncomfortable ConversationsCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Sales is a game of inches, and great discovery gives you an edge over the competition. A well-executed discovery process helps not only you, but also your customer. In today’s episode, John Kaplan shares his best insights on leading mutually beneficial sales conversations. Topics under discussion include:The importance of two-sided discovery.On-ramps to customer conversations.The three buckets that salespeople must fill in every customer conversation.The need to meet customers where they are.Keeping abreast of your standing with the customer and observing their level of engagement in conversations.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Discovery Process | Ascender CourseDeepen Your Discovery | Ascender CourseThe Currency of Value | Ascender ArticleArticulating Value and Differentiation After the Sale | PodcastOwn the Next Step in Your Sales Meetings | PodcastClosing the Sales Conversation | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you

Getting your initiative to stand out in a sea of competing priorities is no small task, but it can be achieved with a proper understanding of the client’s most urgent business needs. Today, Antonella O’Day joins us once more to share strategies that will help you rise above the noise and assert your solution as a must for the customer. She goes over:Ways to continually assess the priority of your initiative as a deal progresses.Questions to ask your customer that will give you a sense of the standing of your deal among the customer’s other priorities.Maintaining relationships with key individuals in an account to achieve broader buy-in.Remaining on the lookout for red flags indicative of an unvalued solution.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Achieving a Collective Yes | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Champions | Ascender ArticleRise Above the Noise | Ascender VideoHandling Competing Initiatives | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople wh

In this episode, we discuss keeping your value top of mind for the client throughout the entire customer engagement process. Joining us once again for today’s conversation is Tim Caito. He covers:The basics that need to be in place so you can create and capture value after the initial deal.How to stay tethered to the account and multi-thread yourself during the customer success phase.How to approach conversations in implementation and ongoing use to make sure value is top of mind.The importance of a quarterly value review.Here are some additional resources:Negotiation Mindset | Ascender CourseMaking 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 i

In many cases, your biggest competitors are not those trying to solve the same problem, but those geared toward the customer’s other initiatives. In today’s episode, John Kaplan explains how to set your own solution above competitors focused on competing priorities. Topics under discussion include:Aligning your solution with the customer’s challenges.Using your discovery process to answer key questions about the customer.Leveraging MEDDICC to account for competing initiatives.Going against “do nothing.”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Navigating the Competitive Landscape | Ascender CourseExpand Your Understanding of the Competition | Ascender CourseDealing with the Competition | Ascender VideoRise Above the Noise | Ascender VideoThe Coat of Pain | Ascender VideoMaking Your Competitor Nervous | Ascender ArticleVisit 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 conte

A great discovery session requires great questions. In this episode, John Kaplan shares his insights on asking pertinent discovery questions. He discusses:Preparing for a discovery session with an agenda.Earning the right to ask deep discovery questions.Asking questions that allow you to align your differentiation with the buyer.Tips for wrapping up a sales call.Here are some additional resources:A list of the questions John shared in the podcast: https://bit.ly/42AXxAZGet MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!https://rb.gy/skge08Deepen Your Discovery | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/k1ygvpEarning the Right | Ascender Videohttps://rb.gy/bk2tcwTwo Questions That Will Improve Your Sales Conversation | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/58dyg1Ascender’s Best Content on Decision Criteriahttps://rb.gy/daait9Visit 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 sa

You will inevitably face some form of competition in every deal. In today’s episode, Patrick “Paddy Mac” McLoughlin shares various tips on figuring out who your competitors are and positioning your solution as a top priority in the customer’s mind. Topics under discussion include:Gaining intel about a competitor’s activities within an account.Developing trust with a client over time.Questions to help you define your differentiation.Talking to the customer about renewals.Addressing solution requirements that a competitor is better equipped to fulfill.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Navigating the Competitive Landscape | Ascender CourseExpand Your Understanding of the Competition | Ascender CourseAscender’s Best Content on Decision CriteriaMaking Sure the Customer Understands Your Differentiation | Ascender VideoStacking Customer Requirements in Your Favor w/ Marty Mercer | PodcastVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Au

In this podcast, we take a lot of the chatter we’ve heard about MEDDICC and break down our point-of-view about the methodology. John Kaplan sets straight some misconceptions and misapplications about the popular qualification framework. He discusses:MEDDICC’s common misuse as a compliance tool.How to properly incorporate MEDDICC as a manager.Using MEDDICC throughout the entire customer engagement process.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!Avoiding MEDDICC Traps | Ascender LiveKey Things to Remember About MEDDICC | Ascender ArticleMaximizing MEDDICC Results | Force Management eBookVisit 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 Aud

All salespeople know of the frustration that comes with seeming abandonment by the customer. In today’s episode, Force Management Facilitator Diana Sheley joins us to share the action steps needed to recapture the customer’s interest. She talks about:The most common reasons why customers go dark.The importance of finding the customer’s business pain.Speaking to the right people in the organization.Keeping track of the customer’s shifting priorities.Here are some additional resources:Expand Your Understanding of the Competition | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/pckpr1Moving Buyers to Action | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/353bvjWhen Leadership Changes in Your Prospect Account | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/hjuvepVisit 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: h

Though training companies tend to lump negotiation skills into one bucket, sales negotiation has its own nuances that make it unique. Today, Tim Caito joins us to explain the elements that differentiate sales negotiation. He discusses:Why negotiation is a process, not an event.Managing a successful ongoing relationship with the customer.The need to negotiate with the individual with the ability to finalize an agreement.Broadening the value of your solution.Here are some additional resources:Negotiation Mindset | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/0phz28Anchors and Give-Gets | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/jydio9The Right Mindset for Sales Negotiations | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/7aysitShifting the Negotiation Away From Price | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/i8qtvlNegotiating Value – Presenting Multiple Options | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/66boscHow to Use “Most Likely Alternatives” to Improve Sales Execution | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/gu9n8yVisit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sa

Are you an individual contributor and want to move into a manager role? This podcast is a must-listen. John Kaplan runs through:things you need to make sure you’re aware of before you make the jumphow best to communicate your wish to be a managerwhat you need to be prepared for when you get the roleDon’t miss this episode! 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/PlanComparisonCheck out this and other episodes of the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

If you’re selling a new technology, it may be difficult to align to a pain point. How do you align to pain the customer doesn’t even know they have? Many AI startups have this challenge. How do you get the customer to see a new way of doing old things? In this episode, Brian Walsh breaks down ways you can think about your sales conversation so you’re able to drive urgency, even when you’re selling in a new category. He also runs through how to set up a test project, in order to build credibility with the customer. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

In this episode, John Kaplan highlights the importance of business conversations as opposed to sales conversations when trying to navigate a landscape of heightened buyer scrutiny. He discusses:The mindset you need for successful business conversations.Ways to hold yourself accountable for having business conversations.Tips for adjusting the business conversation for finance.A personal anecdote to demonstrate the importance of differentiation and influencing the Decision Criteria.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!https://rb.gy/skge08Rise Above the Noise | Ascender Videohttps://rb.gy/3iq0v1Dealing with Hesitant Buyers | Ascender Videohttps://rb.gy/2qi7ebSelling to the CFO w/ Jim Kelliher | Ascender Insightshttps://rb.gy/0ne41jLeading Through Economic Challenges with Murray Demo | Revenue Buildershttps://rb.gy/kow7b2Visit 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 c

If you want to be an elite salesperson, you need to put in the work. In this episode, John Kaplan runs through three key habits you need to execute on every deal. They are:A commitment to preparation.Voracious qualification.Relentless accountability.Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!https://rb.gy/skge08Preparation | Ascender Videohttps://rb.gy/o9awy8Take the Stairs | Ascender Videohttps://rb.gy/uyncslCheck out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Today we are going to talk about what you do when you’re selling into an account and their leadership changes. Force Management Facilitator Diana Sheley, talks through how you should maneuver this situation, how you can leverage your Champion and how you can sell in a way that minimizes this risk. Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!https://rb.gy/skge08Dealing With Changes in Leadership | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/n4u94aThanking Your Champion | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/yom5uuVisit 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.

Moving to a startup presents many opportunities, but it also poses its fair share of challenges. Today, John Kaplan shares his best insights to help get you prepared for the leap. He discusses:The need to consider the four essential questions.The concepts of minimum viable product (MVP) and the ideal customer profile (ICP).Taking charge of your own enablement at a startup.The “hundred-pound brain effect.”Here are some additional resources:Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!https://rb.gy/skge08Essential Questions for Your Next Job Search | Ascender Coursehttps://rb.gy/l24m3hFive Resources to Help You Find the Right Sales Job | Ascender Articlehttps://rb.gy/j7x0jzBuilding a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | Podcasthttps://rb.gy/91w6c4Visit 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.ascen

Some of you have some big sales goals as we start out the new year – those big whale accounts you’d like to attack. John Kaplan joins us on this episode to give you some motivation to go after accounts with incumbents. He covers: How to target the right accounts. Using your differentiation to position yourselfHow to use your proof points to tackle incumbent opportunities. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.