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-one coaching session with John! Sound good enough? Click here to register!

Here are some additional resources:

• Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender!
• Plan to Make Your Plan | Ascender Course
• Get the Most Out of Your Next Sales Training | Ascender Article
• Three Ways Managers Can Drive Value-Based Selling Practices | Ascender Article
• How to Coach Value-Based Sales Messaging Aligned with C-Suite Priorities | Ascender Article
• Sales Managers: Test Your Reps’ Ability to Compete in Deals | Ascender Article
• How to Structure Effective Feedback to Your Sales Teams | Ascender Article
• Sales Managers: Your Four Critical Roles | Ascender Article
• Ten Questions to Help Sales Managers Give Better Feedback | Ascender Article
• Our Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender Article
• Asking for Help | 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

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 Course
• Getting to the Economic Buyer | Ascender Course
• Executing Your Discovery Strategy | Ascender Course
• Uncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender Article
• How to Convince Your Customer to Take Action in Your Sales Process | Ascender Article
• Creating Urgency with Your Customer | Ascender Video
• The Coat of Pain | Ascender Video

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

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#/registration

Thank 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: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/
Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison

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 Article
• The Currency of Value | Ascender Article
• Making Sure the Customer Understands Your Differentiation | Ascender Video
• Attaching to the Biggest Business Problem | Podcast
• Finding the Next Sales Job | 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

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 Course
• Deepen Your Discovery | Ascender Course
• Key Questions to Ask in Your Sales Discovery Conversations | Ascender Article
• Uncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender Article
• How to Convince Your Customer to Take Action in Your Sales Process | Ascender Article
• Creating Urgency with Your Customer | Ascender Video
• The Coat of Pain | Ascender Video
• Providing Value in Discovery | 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

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 Course
• How MEDDICC Helps You Sell Better | Ascender Article
• Value Pyramids in Sales | Ascender Article
• Uncovering Hidden Pain Points | Ascender Article
• Our Best Content on Decision Criteria | Ascender Article
• From Features to Value: Shifting Your Sales Approach to Close Larger Deals | Ascender Article
• Reassess Your Pipeline Opportunities | Ascender Article
• Building Your Pipeline | Ascender Video
• Building a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | 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