Catalyst Sale Podcast: Sales Training | Sales Strategy | B2b | Selling | Marketing

What happens when you get out of your office, and step into the operation? This week Justin Welsh joins me on the podcast to discuss a number of topics.  We discuss success and failure in sales, burnout and imposter syndrome, the transition from individual contributor to manager and leadership, and the importance of getting out and working in the operation. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.  Make sure you engage with Justin via Twitter or LinkedIn, to continue the discussion. Show Links Justin on Twitter Justin on LinkedIn The Official Justin - Justin’s Website   Call to Action How are you thinking about innovation in your organization?  How can you improve your capabilities and understanding by working within other groups, by putting yourself in their shoes? Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and th

#161 - Common Mistakes in Sales This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, Jody and Mike discuss three common mistakes in Sales.  We tend to focus on the solution instead of the customer problem We forget that the customer is the hero in their story We try to have one solution fit all challenges Key Takeaways: We forget that it’s all about the customer We continue to miss on empathizing with the customer We don’t take the time to design our interactions with the customer based on an understanding of how they go through the process You don’t come in and save the day, you help out on their big adventure Be a catalyst that helps them with their success Make the buyer look like the hero If you try to solve for each of them using the same lens, you are going to create some risk that is not necessary for the organization Use the right tool for the right problem inside your organization and realize that there are different perspectives that are necessary in order to look at each of these problems Show Links Dan T

Pricing, Productizing Services, and Creating a Product Ladder - with guest Paul Klein This week Paul Klein joins me on the podcast to discuss pricing, time, value, and making the transition from W2 to K1. Paul is the host of the Pricing is Positioning podcast, a Keynote speaker, and business consultant. Thanks Paul for the awesome discussion. Questions: What does the transition from W2 to K1 typically look like? How do you think about productizing services? Why do we fall into the hourly rate trap? If value is subjective, how can that help or hurt us? What are some common misperceptions around pricing when moving from W2 to K1? Why do we over complicate the process? Key Takeaways: Most people undervalue their services, their expertise The first sale is to yourself Recognize that there is value in what you do You can’t serve every client in every vertical Make it easy for customers to do business with you Give your customers three (3) choices when it comes to pricing - the sweet spot At the end of the day,

Guest - Dan Pontefract, Author - Open to Think Dan is the author of Open to Think, an awesome read on the process of thinking, aspects of thinking, issues that get in the way of thinking, and what you can do about improving your thinking. We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did. Thank you for listening to & sharing the Catalyst Sale Podcast. Questions Addressed Why do we struggle with thinking? Why do we like to go to the signal? How do we overcome stress, distraction or both? What are some ways leaders can build empathy? Prioritization - how can we do better at this? What inspired Dan to write the book? What are the three types of thinking? What are some examples of where things have gone bad when we fall to think? Key Takeaways Busyness gets in the way of Thinking We are distracted Our minds wander Think of the dogs in up - "Squirrel" Inability to say no gets in the way of Thinking We forget to subtract We are addicted to the dopamine hit We are good at doing. Plato's warning about

Transparency, Investment, and Struggle - with Rand Fishkin Rand is an author, founder, recent founder/ceo of SparkToro.  His book "Lost and Founder" is one that I wish I would have been able to read before we started Catalyst Sale. This episode has a fair amount of range, we cover a number of topics including investment, learning, diversity, and struggle. Thank you Rand for the awesome discussion. Questions Discussed Do Founders feel like they are the only ones struggling with their problem? Why should Founders not think that the organization who is going to provide some funding has their best interest at heart? How do you explain the different types of investment? Is there something you can do to help inspire curiosity? Where does diversity play in all of this? How do the MVP and EVP concepts apply to intrapreneurs? Key Takeaways When Founders take capital or attempt to raise capital, they don’t fully understand the mechanics of the investors from which they are raising and they don’t understand how prior

Lessons From Golf That We Can Apply In Business This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast Jody and Mike discuss how the lessons learned in golf apply to business and sales.  There are so many lessons that we can take from the course that apply to business and in life.  Plus we introduce you to 'el guapo'. Key Takeaways: Don’t let the last shot beat you You must be able to compartmentalize and move on You can plan a couple of shots ahead Be careful about how you rush into things This too shall pass. At any point in time, you can have a very positive set of events change the situation that you are in Assess and execute Take advantage of what you have in front of you. Stay focused Establish clear guideposts to ensure that you are constantly moving forward Realize that you have a number of tools that you can apply to the problem you are trying to solve Show Links Demystify Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals - Podcast Listener Link Catalyst Sale Courses Catalyst Sale Call to Action Buy the course, do the

Let's Fix Work with Laurie Ruettimann Wow, I'm sorry.  I'm sorry that it took so long to publish this episode. This discussion with Laurie, is one of my favorite discussions I've had on the podcast.  She demonstrates her passion behind fixing work, thinking, and change. Laurie is an author, speaker, podcaster, and overall badass.  She helps companies, leaders, and HR departments fix work by creating policies, process, and programs that improve the employee experience.  This week we discuss everything from suicide bombers, to weight loss, to premortems, to failure.  Thank you Laurie for the awesome discussion, and thank you to Jennifer McClure for the introduction. Questions Discussed Why don't we blow HR up? Why do you we struggle with thinking critically? What are some things we can do to help with root cause analysis? What's the difference between compassion and empathy? Why is the HR function incomplete? How can we identify our fundamental flaws at an organization level? How did Laurie make the transition

Demystify Sales - a Catalyst Sale Course I'm really excited to announce the launch of Demystify Sales - Sales for Non-Sales Professionals.  The intention is to help folks like you with a framework, approach, methods, and tools that will improve your capability, confidence, and success when it comes to generating revenue in your business. I look forward to your questions, your participation, and hearing about your success. Questions Discussed Why a course? How was the content was developed? Who is the course for? How did we decide what to include and what to cut? Where can we find the course? Key Takeaways There is a framework, approach, set of tools that you can use to increase your capability Sales is about helping people solve problems. Problems are known or unknown Solutions are unknown or known Practical application - We share how you can put this into practice, and demonstrate this via digital whiteboarding, using the tools provided in the course. Tools you can use in your business Call Plan Accou

Asking Questions, Preparation, and Gap Selling with Keenan This is an episode that was a long time in the making.  Keenan, author of Gap Selling, and CEO of A Sales Guy Consulting, joins me on the podcast this week.  This is another conversation where you may want to turn the volume down if the kids are around. Keenan is awesome, he cares about the problems he solves, and he helps organizations and sales reps gain a better understanding of how to do this with their customers. We cover a lot of ground, including the fundamentals, Keenan's book, yard work, skiing, and simplifying the process.  Thanks Keenan. Questions Discussed Why do organizations focus on product over the problem? Why do we struggle with questions? How many problems can an organization solve really well? How many problems will you take action on in a given day? How do we help customers reveal problems? Why do we complicate this stuff? Why do we focus on Us instead of the Customer? How can we do better? Why is it important to ask Why? How doe

Own the Outcome I'm owning the outcome - last week we missed the first weekly podcast release since our launch. This episode demonstrates how far in advance we record many of these episodes. One of my favorite quotes/mantras/sayings is "Control what you can Control" - this is related to the serenity prayer. This week - I'm going to go light on the show notes.  Let me know if you value the more detailed notes we provide, or if the short summary is valuable enough. And yes - Jody's team won the cup. Show Links Catalyst Sale Catalyst Sale Course Interest List - Demystify Sales Catalyst Sale Podcast 7-Ps Podcast Episode Call To Action How do you own the outcome? - Let us know via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook Thank You  Thank you for rating and reviewing the podcast via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform.  Ratings & reviews help others discover the podcast - thank you for helping us get our message out to the community. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.co

Break Your Routine, Testing, and Specialization with Gaetano DiNardi This week Gaetano DiNardi joins me on the podcast.  This episode has a couple of guys with NY roots, so don't listen to it with the kids in the car. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast, including testing, what works, pushing boundaries, and getting out of your comfort zone.  I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Questions Addressed Why is it important to break your routine? What are some mistakes early-stage companies make? What's wrong with generalization? What is the risk of CEO intuition? What can we learn from the HBR Milkshake Story? How does Storytelling play into Sales & Marketing? What are some common mistakes sales orgs make when they pitch you? How does the creative process apply to business? Key Takeaways Break your routine - Business, personal, step out of your comfort zone Getting comfortable asking for help Bande  a paisa Early-stage mistakes - Product messaging fit Product channel fit Specialize - 

Networking, Community, and Learning - with Guest Scott Ingram This week on Scott Ingram rejoins us on the Catalyst Sale Podcast to talk about community, networking, learning, and an event he has coming up in October in Austin. The Sales Success Summit will be held on October 14th and 15th in Austin. It is a curated list of experts who are the top performers in sales. Questions Addressed Why is it important to surround yourself with good people? How can I start building my own personal network? Why is Sales a dirty word? What was the catalyst for the Sales Success Summit? What are some of the core things Scott looks for when inviting speakers to the event? Key Takeaways Leverage the experience of others If you have applied yourself, and become an expert, it's gratifying to be able to give back and share that experience. Sharing provides a looping process to continue learning. You are not only taping that broader experience that they have, you are also tapping experience and insight that they have about you.

Mindset, Competition, Recovery, and Performance This week, Katherine Adamek joins me on the podcast.  Katherine is a two-time Olympic medalist, World champion, Performance Mindset Coach, and owner of Fix Your Mindset. We cover a number of topics, including recovery, mindset, team, individual performance, self-talk, and many other things.   Thank you, Katherine, for the awesome discussion. Questions Addressed How important is team, when it comes to mindset? What are some of the things we should think about when to comes to goal setting? Why is it that we are uncomfortable with the idea of learning? What are some exercises we can do to regain focus? Where does mindset come into play when thinking about change management? Why is recovery so important? What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness? Key Takeaways Competence builds confidence There is an inner wheel of self-judgment that gets in the way - watch out for the negative self-talk. Don't say things to yourself that you would not say to oth

Mastermind - Creating Space to Shift Your Perspective This week on the podcast, Jody and I discuss the recent mastermind that he and Lee Cockerell facilitated earlier this year.  I was one of the attendees, and it was an awesome experience.  The experience was so valuable that Jody and I are planning on hosting a mastermind in Orlando next month.  We announce the event during the podcast.  If you are in Orlando, or happen to be in the area on August 17th, please head to https://catalystsale.com/mastermind to learn more. Questions Addressed Was it worth it to fly from Phoenix to Orlando to attend the April Mastermind? How did joining a group of people, who do not know anything about Catalyst Sale, help you? What were some of the lessons Mike learned from participating in the Mastermind? If you have gone to one Mastermind, why is it valuable to go to another? Key Takeaways The mastermind created an opportunity to create space, to focus on the important but not urgent things. A mastermind can be a replacement

Storytelling and Sales This week on the podcast we revisit storytelling and sales, and share some practical examples of how the story applies in the context of sales. Stories support engagement, they help gain attention, they can help your customer envision a better tomorrow. Links to the episodes we have recorded with Donald Miller and JJ Peterson are included in the show notes as well. Questions Discussed Why does storytelling matter in sales? How important is the villain in the story?  How do we identify the characters in the story? How do we uncover what success looks like for the customer? Key Takeaways Story can help the customer envision a future that is different than the current reality/current experience. Communicating with empathy is not about sympathy, it's about immersing yourself in their perspective.  Looking at the world through their lens. Sales is about connecting a solution (known or unknown) to a problem (known or unknown) Any challenge your customer runs into is the "Villian". Stop gue

Revenue Collective, Self Awareness, and Sales and Community - with Guest Sam Jacobs Sam Jacobs is the host of the Sales Hacker Podcast and founder of the Revenue Collective. Sam and I discuss a number of topics this week, including his time as a DJ, the catalyst for the Sales Hacker Podcast, why he started the Revenue Collective, and how we can do better when it comes to building teams, creating focus, leading, and executing. Thank you Sam. Questions Addressed Why did Sam not go the DJ route? What does the process look like as you identify fit for a person in a given role? How did the Revenue Collective get from identified problem to current business? Why is there this gap between those who want to be in the community, and the unknown that community exists? How do we improve alignment within our organizations? Key Takeaways Interesting fact - Sam was a DJ in college The importance and value of mimicking Good things take time to build Ask this question - Do they have the skill or do they have the will? Reve

The Account Plan - a Tactical Discussion This is the third in a series of discussions around tactics.  This week we discuss the tactical side of building an Account Plan.   The Account Plan is a living, breathing document, it is not static.  It serves multiple purposes.  It helps the account rep/account executive/account manager maintain focus. It can be used as a project management tool. It can be used for reflection. It can support collaboration. It can be used as an Executive Summary. Questions Addressed Why do we use an Account Plan? Where do we start with the Account Plan? How can the Account Plan support onboarding a new rep? What are the major components that make up the account plan? Where do the Call Plan, Account Plan, and Territory Plan fit into the Catalyst Sale approach? The Catalyst Sale Account Plan Start with Why - Why does it make sense for the customer and the organization to enter into a business relationship. Document the Project Plan/Major Milestones Capture the Story - Who, What, Wh

SalesTruth with Author Mike Weinberg Mike Weinberg is a consultant, speaker, and has recently authored his 3rd book #SalesTruth.  Both of his first two books have been Amazon bestsellers, and Mike has spoken and consulted on 5 continents in the past year. This discussion hits a number of the items covered in #SalesTruth.  Additionally, we discuss hockey, the NY public school system, sales, sales management, critical thinking, and doing the work.  I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I did. Questions Discussed Why #SalesTruth? Why do we struggle with doing the work? What can we learn from mimicking those who are successful? Why do we rush to present and demo? What can we learn from Tom and Ron? We discuss these questions and many others. Key Takeaways The majority of the sales population today is under mentored and under coached. Watch the top producers in your company or industry.  Watch what they are doing to secure early-stage meetings with potential customers and mimic their approach.  Learn from

Digital Empathy, Marketing, Sales, and Influence with Guest - Brian Fanzo Brian is a Pager-Wearing Millennial Keynote Speaker | Podcaster| Empowering Digital Empathy & Inspiring You to #PressTheDamnButton.  His brand is iSocialFanz Digital Empathy, Data, Influence, Sales, Questions, Research, Taking a Personal Approach, and Getting Back to Basics, are all topics we discuss during the conversation.  I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. Questions Addressed What are some key mistakes people make when thinking about Digital Empathy? Why is it important to understand your customer, and make it easy for customers to work with you? How do we balance between the listening, spreading the word, and testing? Why is it important to ask your audience? What if I am just starting out, where do I start? Where can you find Brian? Key Takeaways  Be Willing to Ask More Questions - Revisit What You Know. Ask the Simple Question - Why? The things that worked 9-10 years ago in Sales and Marketing - work tod

Learning, Culture, Alignment, and Process with Guest Cyndi Laurin - Chief Training Officer - AMP Cyndi is the Chief Training Officer at AMP Business Systems, and the author of Catch! and Rudolph Factor.  She also keynoted TLDC19.  This discussion is a follow-up from the information shared during the keynote. Process improvement, training, learning, systems, education, operations, are all topics we discuss during the conversation.  I hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as I did. Questions Addressed Why do we fail at process? What are some things Cyndi likes to consider when beginning her process? Why is it important to be on the floor? What does the mapping out process look like for Cyndi? How do you distinguish between training and learning? Where does the scorecard come into play? What are some common mistakes organizations make with KPIs? Why do organizations struggle with alignment? How does Cyndi think about culture change within organizations? What if you could improve 1% each day? Call to Action T