Sellers often hear from prospective customers that they have too much going on and thereby cannot take on a solution. When you’ve got numbers to hit, how do you get a prospect to prioritize your solution over the other initiatives they are considering? John Kaplan joins us to share how best to align your solution with the business issues that matter most to a customer. Here are some additional resources: https://www.forcemanagement.com/seller-blog/what-to-do-when-youre-competing-against-do-it -i...
May 10, 2022•8 min
Join the Force Management Team! Opportunities at all levels and in various departments. If you're interested email Rachel at: rclapp@forcemanagement.com See all of our open positions here: https://www.forcemanagement.com/careers
May 06, 2022•53 sec•Ep. 163
It takes conviction to lead a sales organization to the next level. What can you focus on to help your sales organization deliver results? Dig deep into the mind of the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). John Kaplan goes one-on-one with Paul "PK" Kleinschnitz, CCO at BlueVoyant, an end-to-end internal and external cyber defense platform. PK digs into key areas of focus for leaders around: How leaders are driving alignment with their buyers today Building a sales culture that’s focused on individual...
May 03, 2022•43 min
As you navigate sales conversations with multiple stakeholders in an organization, understanding the internal, political landscape is critical. One move can make or break your deal. How do you do it without appearing like you’re going around someone or above their head? John Kaplan shares best practices to implement into your approach. Here are some additional resources: Why Sales Reps Struggle with Metrics in the Sales Conversation (the M & the W) How to Get Higher in Your Prospect's Organi...
Apr 26, 2022•14 min
In the quest to hit the number, sellers can find themselves challenged with knowing when to walk away from a deal. Save this episode as a reminder when you need it. John Kaplan joins us to detail how to ensure you’re spending your time on the right opportunities for your business and your buyer’s business. Here are some additional resources: How to Reignite Stalled Deals Why Your Deals Are Taking Too Long Finding the Business Pain Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at...
Apr 19, 2022•6 min
There’s not a salesperson out there who doesn’t want more wins and bigger deals. The most elite salespeople are strategic about how they align their solution’s differentiation to their buyer’s needs and as a result, they’re able to win more, high-value accounts. John Kaplan shares, where most reps are challenged when it comes to differentiating their solutions and the skills these reps can focus on to significantly improve their bottom line. Here are some additional resources: Stacking Customer ...
Apr 12, 2022•16 min
The idea of persuasion can give salespeople a bad rap. Instead, flip the script. The best sellers don’t persuade customers, they let customers persuade themselves. John Kaplan joins us to detail how you can get your buyer to come to their own conclusions in a way that steers the opportunity in your favor. Here are some additional resources: Improve Your Active Listening Skills Helping Buyers Reach Their Own Conclusions Getting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversations Check out this and other...
Apr 05, 2022•15 min
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 Professionals Overcoming the Seller Deficit Disorder Getting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversations Check ou...
Mar 29, 2022•16 min
Much like progressing a deal, as you progress in your sales career, being able to position your sales skills in those interviews can help you differentiate yourself, and win the role. John Kaplan explains how to position yourself as a buyer-focused salesperson and what to look for in the company that you’re interviewing for to ensure you can be successful. After the conversation, leave us a comment on LinkedIn. Share with us, “What was that one thing that made you qualify out a company you were ...
Mar 22, 2022•13 min
Force Management is launching a new podcast. Revenue Builders is hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan. They’ll interview C-suite leaders, PE/VC leaders and executives who’ve been there, done that and delivered results. It’s coming to you every Thursday and today we’re giving you a sneak peek of what to expect. Subscribe here: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders -podcast Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website....
Mar 15, 2022•21 min
If you want to be a great manager, it takes a different skillset than what it takes to be a great seller. After all, being a great player of the game doesn’t guarantee you’ll be a great coach. Our own Patrick McLoughlin is passionate about building valuable sales coaches. His “Manager Tip of the Day'' gets a lot of attention on LinkedIn so we decided to have him share his most popular tips for sales managers in this podcast. Here are some additional resources: Leadership Insights to Share With Y...
Mar 08, 2022•17 min
Becoming elite as a sales organization demands a culture of accountability. A great sales planning process combined with a voracious qualification process builds an ecosystem of accountability across large-scale sales organizations. John Kaplan shares what these companies implement to foster a culture of accountability, detailing key steps for leaders and reps to take. Here are some additional resources: - Set A Results-Driven Sales Planning Mindset - Develop a Sales Franchise Mindset - How to I...
Mar 01, 2022•16 min
Being able to execute memorable and impactful presentations is an often-overlooked sales skill. John Kaplan shares the key steps you can take to prepare and execute a buyer-focused presentation, even when you’re talking about yourself. Here are some additional resources: Purpose Process Payoff Align with the Buying Process: The Power of the Mantra Prepare and Practice to Confidently Execute Sales Calls Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or ...
Feb 22, 2022•20 min
The last two years have exposed some flaws in salespeople’s approach to customer meetings. If you want to be successful, you can’t go back to the way you secured or conducted on-premise meetings before the pandemic. Tim Caito shares the overlooked reasons customers prefer virtual meetings (besides convenience) and how to differentiate your approach to ensure you land and execute impactful meetings with customers. He shares three ways to prepare for and secure valuable meetings. Here are the Esse...
Feb 15, 2022•30 min
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 Sell Getting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Conversatio...
Feb 08, 2022•37 min
Segment's Chief Revenue Officer, Joe Morrissey, joins John Kaplan to discuss how Segment implemented a value-based sales motion to scale their organization’s product-led growth (PLG), increasing Annual Recurring Revenue by 150% over two years. They discuss: Elevating the go-to-market approach Key challenges when scaling product-led growth and how to overcome them The right time to invest in distribution and customer success Capturing cross-functional alignment behind customer outcomes Here are s...
Feb 01, 2022•38 min
The time period after your sales kickoff is a pivotal one. You spend countless hours planning and executing the SKO, but what’s the plan to maintain that momentum that’s created? What can you focus on as it relates to your day-to-day activities? Force Management Facilitator Antonella O’Day joins us to share the actions sales leaders, managers and reps need to commit to immediately following the SKO and how to build a successful long-term execution plan. Here are some additional resources on disc...
Jan 25, 2022•18 min
Defining metrics demands company alignment. Getting buyers to map to and define how they’ll measure success as it relates to your solution isn’t always easy. People may hesitate when it comes to being measured. John Kaplan discusses the role both companies and their salespeople play in ensuring their solutions get the credit they deserve for driving significant customer outcomes. Here are some additional resources: Navigating the Decision Process With Multiple Buyers [Podcast] The Decision Proce...
Jan 18, 2022•15 min
To celebrate our 100th episode, Brian Walsh joined us to interview Force Management Co-Founders John Kaplan and Grant Wilson. They discuss the journey from starting Force Management to celebrating nearly 20 years in business. We are joined by a special guest halfway through the episode - and he shares how John Kaplan almost quit sales for Krispy Kreme. Here are some additional resources How Do You Hire Elite Salespeople? https://bit.ly/3r8nsO7 How to Scale Product-led Growth https://bit.ly/3nfZn...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr
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 resources How to Ask for Help on Your Deals 5 Things to Do Before Y...
Jan 04, 2022•11 min
A montage of the funniest sales stories covered during our Lessons Learned in Sales series. Catch up on these highlights that you might have missed and share your funny stories with by leaving us a comment or tagging us on LinkedIn: The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast. Here are the full episodes featuring the stories we shared Patrick McLoughlin Antonella O’Day Tim Caito Brian Walsh Kamonte McCray Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our websi...
Dec 28, 2021•21 min
Any salesperson can tell a good story. Styles may differ, but your message is what matters. A great story helps your buyers understand what’s possible and how they can achieve their desired outcomes. Understand how to improve your storytelling skills and what to focus on to have a bigger impact on your buyer. John Kaplan shares a few storytelling tactics you can use to elevate your approach and move your deals forward, faster. Here are some additional resources: 5 Things to do Before Your Next S...
Dec 21, 2021•16 min
In this episode, we cover key steps to make sure you hold to your committed forecast. Force Management Senior Partner Paul DeMore has conversations with sales leaders nearly every week around enabling salespeople to hold to their committed forecasts. He joins us to share what’s top-of-mind right now for sales leaders looking to reduce slipped deals and improve win rates. He also shares actionable tips your managers and reps can use to improve outcomes and speed up their deals. Here are some addi...
Dec 14, 2021•15 min
Front-line sales managers this one’s for you! Your job is difficult. Often top sellers, who were promoted to managers, can find it challenging to coach the skills they excelled at. Being a great player of the game doesn’t directly translate into being a great coach of the game. The coaching skill set is completely different. If you find yourself often taking over deals for your reps, or are unsure of how to best support each individual on your team — tune in. John Kaplan shares his advice for fr...
Dec 07, 2021•17 min
Our podcast series “Lessons Learned in Sales” continues this week as John Kaplan talks with Force Management’s new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Kamonte McCray. They discuss: How feeling too comfortable in a big account put his company in a dangerous position, costing him the deal A deal negotiation that involved a language barrier and a lesson he’ll never forget A tricky negotiation tactic that reiterated the importance of staying calm and reiterating value during pricing conversations Here ar...
Nov 30, 2021•31 min
Ever advance a deal too quickly, only to find out you need to back up the sales process? John Kaplan joins us to discuss how to step back and work with your customer to ensure you’ve got all of the information you need to reassess and progress your deal. He walks through examples of how to back up your deals and get your customer to demand your help with solving an urgent business problem. Here are some additional resources on sales planning: Reassess Your Deals Helping Buyers Reach Their Own Co...
Nov 23, 2021•16 min
As the end of the year approaches, how are you going to make your plan next year? What do you want to deliver? If the answer is on-time-earnings and beyond tune in. Maybe you’ve had your best year yet and are wondering how to repeat that success or you’re looking for ways to improve next year. Whatever your goals are, now is the time to put in the work and ask for what you need to make it happen. John Kaplan joins us to share three areas you can focus on. Here are some additional resources on sa...
Nov 16, 2021•15 min
High-performing sales organizations don’t just know why deals are won and lost. These teams have a systematic way to leverage those insights to impact and improve future sales opportunities. In this episode, Force Management Facilitator and Senior Partner Tim Caito shares how to pull insight on lost deals into future sales activities to create more wins and less late-stage losses. He covers the common mistakes sales organizations make when compiling and sharing win loss data and a three-step app...
Nov 09, 2021•16 min
Sales is a game of inches. How you make your approach stand out from the competition (including do-nothing or do-it-internally options) can set you far ahead, or behind. There is as much differentiation in how you sell as there is in what you sell. But how exactly do you differentiate your approach? Tune in to hear five key steps you can take to make yourself stand out from the competition and bring value to your buyers. Here are some additional resources The Seller Deficit Disorder https://bit....
Nov 02, 2021•12 min
You know the deals you need help on, but how do you get the help you need? John Kaplan shares the best practices for getting the help you need on every deal. If you’re in a tight spot or find yourself needing similar support from deal to deal, this is a must-listen episode. Hear the best practices you can use to get the support you need and improve outcomes on future opportunities. Here are some additional resources: MEDDICC Resources https://bit.ly/3tmhnyd Finding the Business Pain [Podcast] ht...
Oct 26, 2021•9 min
