Force Management

This episode covers how to approach sales conversations right now to mitigate stalled deals and communicate with purpose and empathy.  Many sales professionals and leaders within their organizations are wondering what’s working in sales conversations right, what isn’t, and who’s doing it well.  In this episode, John Kaplan covers how you can focus your sales teams on having purposeful conversations right now, including: How salespeople can focus on the buyer and be effective in their conversations to grab onto interest and opportunities How to use conversations to uncover changing needs and the specific challenges buyers are facing to approach them with viable solutions How to navigate what other organizations are dealing with to mitigate potential stalls and delayed in their deals Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website. Here are some additional resources focused on the importance of empathy right now :  Reframing Your Buyer Message for W

Please note this episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It takes a lot of “hands on deck” when trying to close a large opportunity.  Often, it’s up to the salesperson to ensure that he/she has the resources needed to get the deal done.  Whether it’s on one deal or to make your yearly goal, you need a plan in place to ensure everyone knows their role in moving the opportunity forward.  In this episode, John Kaplan talks through how to ensure you get the resources you need to close the deal and make your number.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.   Additional resources:  The Plan to Make the Plan

Growing companies are often challenged with translating the founder’s vision and story into sales conversations that highlight the value and differentiation of the solution.  In many of these companies, no one can sell as well as the founder.  In this podcast, John Kaplan talks through key steps companies take to scale that message and get an entire sales organization equipped to sell as well as the founder, including:  The key questions every person needs to answer the same in your company The test you can run right now in your own company to start building alignment How Force Management ensures they have a great pipeline of proof points.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

You know how important Champions can be to your sales process. But, how do you test them?  How do you ensure that your Champions are really able to articulate your value and differentiation?  We define Champions as:  people who actively sell on your behalf have a vested interest in getting the deal done  have power and influence within the company  In this podcast, John Kaplan breaks down key ways to test your Champions, including:  Key things to watch out for that may signal trouble in your deal The three things you need to enable them on How to find the gaps in your Champions understanding of your solution Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.   Additional Resources;  How to write a Champion letter

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. John’s advice is still applicable, but please understand we didn’t have the current context when recording.  In this podcast, John Kaplan talks through key areas to assess in your own organization after a less-than-stellar quarter, including:  How to make sure you have the right people to achieve your yearly goals How to build more accountability into the planning process as you move forward in the year The cadence with which you use to manage your teams   Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.   Additional Resources  Skill/Will Model

Elite leaders make the choice to work at their craft.  In this episode, John Kaplan shares a few lessons he’s learned as a sales leader, the mantra he follows and the one new hire that became an example of what not to do as a sales leader.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

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. Feel free to share with your teams and colleagues. Check out The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Every company needs to have alignment around the answers to the Essential Questions: What problems do you solve? How do you solve those problems? How do you solve them differently and/or better than the competition? And, where have you done it before?  In this episode, John Kaplan talks through how you can use our concept of the Essential Questions to align with your buyer and address your customer’s evolving challenges. He’ll cover how your organization can provide the most value for customers by: Reframing the essential questions based on today’s environment Achieving internal and external alignment around the key problems your offerings solve for your buyer's shifting challenges Preparing sellers with these answers and ways to be purposeful in their delivery 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 essential questions:  Maintain Sales Productivity: Five Ways Your Company Can Focus Your Reps on S

Deals are won or lost in discovery. A key part to successful discovery is the salesperson’s ability to articulate what they learned in discovery back to the customer. We call it playing back “What We Heard”. In this podcast, John Kaplan runs through best practices for using this information to your advantage, including: How it helps you overcome seller deficit disorder How to deal with sounding too repetitive How to use your customer to help you play back negative information Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.   Additional Resources:  A Buyer’s Perspective on Seller Deficit Disorder

We took a break from our typical podcast topics and talked about how salespeople and sales leaders can best use this time, even in the face of unprecedented circumstances.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

NOTE: This episode was recorded last month, prior to the Coronavirus shut down. Although the episode provides some good tips that apply to the situation many of us find ourselves in now, please listen with the understanding that Brian's comments were recorded without the current context. There’s not a sales leader out there that doesn’t want to make an immediate impact when they take on a new role.   However, the best sales leaders are also thinking about what they can do to create ongoing and sustainable success. It’s a two-pronged approach.  In this episode, Senior Director Brian Walsh runs through how to play the long game in sales leadership or even in your selling role.   He covers key things you should be thinking through as you map out your own plan for success as well as how to know if you’re in the right company for “the long game.”   Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

Even the most veteran sales reps can fall victim to lazy sales practices when they’re selling to someone they know. We think we can skip steps or cut corners in our sales process. These opportunities can fool us into thinking they’re a sure thing. In this episode, John Kaplan breaks down key triggers to watch out for and ways to hold yourself accountable.  We cover: Key steps to take when a former buyer is in a new company and wants to purchase again Red flags to watch out for when you have a “friendly” buyer The situation we find ourselves in frequently when we are selling to Force Management customers.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

We’ve all been frustrated by a pipeline full of slow-moving deals. The cause typically goes back to a few key areas where we as salespeople or sales coaches lacked focus. It goes back to basic sales fundamentals, but they’re things even veteran salespeople need to remember.  In this podcast, John Kaplan breaks down three key areas to assess if you have a pipeline full of deals that just won’t close. You’ll learn:  The three reasons your deals are taking too long to close An easy way to execute discovery to ensure you’re going up and down in an organization.  Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.   Additional Resources:  Why you’re struggling with metrics in your sales conversation: https://www.forcemanagement.com/seller-blog/why-youre-struggling-with-metrics-in-the-sales-conversation Asking Bold Discovery Questions: https://www.forcemanagement.com/seller-blog/asking-bold-discovery-questions Webinar: Predicting No Decisions: How to Win

Force Management continues to be a leader in building company alignment and equipping sales teams as we bring listeners an all-new weekly podcast series.  The Audible-Ready Podcast will feature B2B sales leaders and revenue-driving executives, who share their best insights on how a focus on sales effectiveness can help companies increase revenue, improve sales margins and gain market share. We’ll cover topics like: Sales Leadership, Sales Transformation, Sales Initiative Results, Sales performance, Adoption and Reinforcement, making quota, high-tech sales, enterprise sales, and so much more.

John Kaplan talks through best practices for preparing to sell the platform solution to your buyer, getting beyond just selling the smaller point solution.

You may know what makes your solution different than others in the market, but aligning that differentiation to the customers is how elite salespeople move the needle. In this podcast, John Kaplan runs through best practices for aligning differentiation to a customer's decision criteria. Learn more about Project Welcome Home Troops here: http://www.projectwelcomehometroops.org/Read why John is so passionate about this organization here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/special-mission-helping-veterans-joh

For many of you, the 4th quarter is well underway. Now is the time to assess where you're at and decide what changes you want to make for next year. In this episode, John Kaplan shares some motivation he learned from his college days! Fours up! Don't forget to follow Force - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/102429/admin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/forcemgmtIG: https://www.instagram.com/forcemgmt/

Why do reps struggle with metrics? It's likely because they're using them in the wrong way during the sales process. John Kaplan breaks down some tips in this short conversation. You can check out the blog referenced in the podcast here: https://www.forcemanagement.com/seller-blog/why-youre-struggling-with-metrics-in-the-sales-conversation

The people that hire you are not looking for okay, average or even good. They are looking for awesome, exceptional and elite. When salespeople take on a new career opportunity, they have made a conscious decision to pursue a career which is measured daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually on performance. Knowing expectations are high, how do we overcome the hurdles of average and operate at an elite level? Ray de Avila breaks down what it takes to be elite in this podcast.

Sign up for our webinar on selling and negotiating on value with Tim Caito and Joe Marcin here: https://forc.mx/2D9CqvkRead our Q&A series with John McMahon on your next sales career opportunity here: https://forc.mx/2ZdhEEn