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

The First Noel with Guest Jeff Noel Jeff has spent 30 years building an amazing career at the Walt Disney Company.  The last 15 years a speaker with the Disney Institute. I am really excited to have Jeff join us this week, in what I hope is an annual Christmas appearance.  This week we discuss Jeff's blogs, which he has published daily since April 1st 2009, goal setting, sales, learning, and execution.  I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Questions Addressed Why The First Noel? How does Jeff achieve balance? Why did Jeff select to focus on mind, body, spirit, health? Do you want to be the best in the category, or do you want to be the category? How can we be better salespeople, and not focused on the pitch? "Don't let your learning lead to knowledge, let your learning lead to action" - what does this mean to Jeff? Is there any guidance Jeff would give folks on going through the process of setting goals for the next year? Key Takeaways Jeff has blogged every day, since April 1st, 2009 Mind

Common Listener Questions - Prospecting & Outreach Prospecting & outreach is another common topic we discuss with folks we coach, clients we work with, and listeners of the podcast.  This week we dive deep into the tactical detail of conducting research, beginning outreach, and the importance of context.  One assumption we make in this podcast is that you are operating in an organization that has not adopted an inbound approach, and the core of your business comes from direct outreach and prospecting. Questions Addressed If someone asks for help with outreach, where do you start? What action should we take if we are starting from zero when prospecting? What are some common mistakes we make when conducting outreach? Key Takeaways First, assess your current situation, you can start with these questions... How do you define prospecting? How do you define outreach? How do you define your business development process How do you find customers? Be careful about going too broad. There is a difference b

Leaders Eat Last - Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we review Simons Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last", the episode is brought to you by our sponsor - getAbstract.  Questions Addressed How do we use tools like getAbstract? How do we apply the concepts discussed in Leaders Eat Last? What did August learn from reading the book? What are the differences between the approach taken at Costco vs GE? Why is Trust Important? Call to Action Let us know how you gather feedback. Let us know how you plan to apply the concepts discussed in Leaders Eat Last to your workday? Show Links Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek Carol Quinn - Motivation-Based Interviewing Time Management - Lee Cockerell episode getAbstract Catalyst Sale Live Chat 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 mes

Common Listener Questions - Pricing Another common set of questions we receive from those who listen to our podcast, as well as potential clients and current clients, revolve around pricing. How should we price our product or service? Also asked as, How should we approach price? These are two of the more common questions around pricing.  This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we discuss pricing, and wrap up the discussion with a brief conversation on addressing the price objection. Questions Addressed What is the difference between value and price? How can we make the price easy to understand? Market Response - using market data to iterate. How do you handle the price objection? Key Takeaways Your pricing should be simple, but that doesn't mean it is easy to do. Your pricing should be easy to understand Should be easy to work with When I buy coffee at Starbucks, I know what it will cost.  The price is on the board behind the barista. Is it (your product or service) worth the trade? B2B - the decision is mo

How do you survive as a salesperson in a siloed organization? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we have a listener question.  James wonders, how do you survive as a salesperson in a siloed organization? Many of us have dealt with this challenge at one point or another.  Lack of access, lack of awareness, lack of engagement across functional areas within an organization.  In many organizations, this is by design. In others, it is a function of the culture.  Silos create an alignment risk and do not let you leverage the collective intelligence and expertise of the broader team.   We discuss this, and a couple of other items, including survival on the podcast this week. Thanks for listening.  If you know someone who could benefit from this conversation, please share the episode. Questions Addressed If we have a question for the podcast, where can we send them? How do you survive as a salesperson in an organization, with no marketing systems? What is a 'siloed' organization? Can you control the silo? Can y

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

Reflecting on the Year and Getting Ready for Next Year Looking back on the year and preparing for the upcoming year is a practice that many of us consider this time of year.  Some wait until the beginning of the year, some start around October/November.  Reflection is critical, it provides an opportunity to evaluate and enjoy success, consider opportunities for improvement, and determine focus for the following year. This week on the podcast we talk about the importance of reflection, establishing goals, measuring, and iteration.  Questions Addressed Why is it important to reflect? How do you set goals & reflect? How have you performed against goals in the past year? When you set yourself up for the year, identify goals, how do you plan for opportunities that you are not aware of? If we are going to fall short of our goals for the year, how do we adjust late in the year? How important is it to focus on things outside of sales? (i.e. fitness, family) What else should we be looking at as we wrap up the yea

The One Thing - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we review a book that applies to our work, our approach, and sales in general. The One Thing, by Gary Keller - is the book we discuss on this week's episode of the podcast. Please let us know what you think of this format, and if there are any books you would like us to add to our review list. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor - getAbstract.  Questions Addressed How do we apply the concepts discussed in The One Thing? How do we use tools like getAbstract? Key Takeaways Superior success comes from the extraordinary focus on your “ONE Thing.”   Multitasking is a weakness, it is not a good thing Your brain will not allow you to do multiple things at once There are switching costs in moving from one thing to another Multitasking gives you the chance to screw up multiple things This applies to big things and little things Ask the focusing question What is the one thing I can do such that, by doing it, everything els

Guest - Josh Pigford, Founder of Baremetrics Josh is the host of the Founder Chats podcast, he is an entrepreneur, maker, and the founder of Baremetrics.  Josh shares some great experience, perspective, and background.  We discuss startups, his founder journey, learning, sleep, and more. Thank you for listening to & sharing the Catalyst Sale Podcast. Questions Addressed Why is it important to be open/transparent with your numbers? How has transparency impacted the way you have built out the Baremetrics team. What compelled Josh to share his absurd list of products, apps, websites, and business? Where does "Learning by Doing" fit into Josh's process? What did Josh learn from starting a band? Where did Josh learn the importance of delegation? The "Primary job of the CEO is putting things in motion" - How does Josh think about accountability? What are some of the patterns Josh has noticed from the interviews he has had on the Founder Chats Podcast? What is Josh's learning process? Key Takeaways Baremetric

Common Question - What If The Customer/Prospect goes Quiet - How do I Get Them To Re-engage? This is one of the more common questions we receive from listeners and from participants in our workshops/training sessions.  How do I get the client/prospect to re-engage?   This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss how to avoid this situation, what to do if you are in this situation, and we have a bonus question around sales rep compensation/credit. Thank you for listening to, and sharing the Catalyst Sale Podcast. Questions Discussed  How do I get the customer to re-engage? Why is this a common question? Is it important that the content is generated by your organization? What if you are in a rut, how do you get out? Bonus Question - How do I make sure I get credit for the sale? Key takeaways Sometimes the question is driven by sales management and frequent requests for updates.  CRM may not be current, account plans may not be current. Sometimes the question is a result of sales rep activity or perceptio

Guest - Mike Sarraille, CEO EF Overwatch Mike is a retired Navy Seal, founder of Vetted, and CEO of EF Overwatch.  EF Overwatch connects veterans with companies who are looking to address talent gaps.  They are currently focused on placing retired Special Ops & Combat Aviators. We cover a lot of ground in this episode.  We discuss leadership, common mistakes leaders make, how to overcome these mistakes, and why you should consider hiring veterans in your workspace.  We also discuss the direct correlation between military experience and the private sector. Questions Addressed How does military experience apply to the non-military workspace? What are some common mistakes leaders make? As a leader, how do I check myself to make sure I'm not making these mistakes? What is meant by leading up & down in an organization? Leadership development and learning over time Can you describe the onboarding process when adding new leaders to a team? How can we help veterans make the transition to the private sector?

Take a Personalized Approach to Your Cold Outreach Do you remember playing Mad Libs as a kid?  I remember long car rides and crazy stories.  This is not an approach you should take with your outreach to prospects, nor should you take this approach when drafting your proposals.  It is not personalized, and it is manufactured. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, Jody and I share some stories about guest requests we have received, including some good behavior and some bad ones.  We take these stories and connect the dots between this, and your cold outreach to prospects. Let us know how you personalize your outreach to new prospects.  Questions Discussed  How often do you receive requests to be on the podcast? What if, I don't know you, but I'm a fan, how do I ask to be on the podcast? How do you personalize outreach? How does this relate to sales?  Key takeaways The copy paste approach is lazy and is not effective. Typos can be repeated Context is lost Don't play the numbers game Psuedo customized is

Guest - Donald Kelly, Host of The Sales Evangelist Podcast Donald Kelly joins us on the podcast, I think he is the first Miami Dolphins fan we have had on the show.  We recorded this episode in August, and date it a bit with talk of 3 quarterbacks & 4-2 Jets records, given that the Jets are currently 1-3. Donald started off as a B2C Sales rep, and made the transition into B2B before starting the TSE Podcast, the Sales Podcast Network, and his coaching & training practice.  I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I did.  Thanks for your patience with the Jets vs Dolphins banter.  Questions Addressed Who is Donald Kelly? What are some things that happened last year that have led to this year's success? What was the struggle between "I need to bring in others", instead of "doing it myself"? What patterns has Donald Kelly identified while recording 950 episodes? What is Donald's approach to helping people solve problems? Everybody can sell, what does this mean? Dolphins/Jets talk  Key Takeaways When

The Obstacle is the Way - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we are testing a new format. We will review a book that applies to our work, our approach, and sales in general. The Obstacle is the Way - the Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday - is the book we discuss on this week's episode of the podcast. Please let us know what you think of this format, and if there are any books you would like us to add to our review list. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor - getAbstract.  Questions Addressed Why review a book? Why did we choose - The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday? How much of what you hear is magnified by your own perception? Many of us get stopped in our tracks when faced with obstacles, what aspects of the book resonated with you? How do you use tools like getAbstract? Key Takeaways Stoicism - Perception, Action, and the Will There are things that will happen that are outside of your control. If you allow these things to impact you

What does it take to Finish Big and what makes a Small Giant Bo Burlingham joins us this week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast to discuss two of his books - Small Giants & Finish Big.  We also discuss the importance of knowing what question you intend to answer when conducting research, the importance of understanding this question for your audience, and where community fits. Questions Discussed What inspired you to do the research for Small Giants? What is the Small Giants Community? What compelled Bo to write Finish Big? How do you know if you have asked enough questions to get to the root of the story? Why do founders try to manage the exit on their own? What does research mean to Bo? Key Takeaways Zingerman's - 2003 coolest small company in America Small Giant's have a quality - MOJO - which is the business equivalent of charisma. Most companies lose their mojo as they get larger. Bo started with what do these companies have in common. Run by people & started by people who had a clear idea of who

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance  Lack of planning can put you in a bad place - how do you avoid this? It is important to have the tools in your toolbox, but you actually have to use them, and they need to be ready when you need them. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss checklists, thinking through scenarios, and planning. Thanks for listening, and for sharing with a colleague. Questions Discussed What's the worst that can happen? How is anticipation a part of preparation? How can a SMILE save your day? Key Takeaways Always look left before going through intersections It is not enough to be prepared, you have to execute. It is one thing to have the tools, have the checklist. It is another thing to make sure you are ready to use them when it counts. The fundamentals are critical Asking effective questions is a good step.  One you should consider is "What's the worst that can happen?" Always have an out, always have a backup plan. Leverage concepts like the "Crush Workshop" to an

Your First 90 Days, Some DO's and DON'Ts This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we talk about your first 90 days in a new role, or with a new organization.  Mike & Jody discuss some of their experiences in onboarding, considerations, and some general do's and don'ts. Thank you for listening to the Catalyst Sale Podcast.  You can find additional episodes at https://catalystsale.com/podcast  Questions Discussed What advice do we have for people who are taking on a new role? What type of information are you trying to gather in the first 90 days? How do you go about "learning" in the first 90 day period? Is there anything that you should NOT do during the transition period? What is one thing that we/I can do tomorrow to help make the first 90 days more successful? Key Takeaways Whether onboarding a new client or moving into a new role in an organization, keep in mind - you don't know what you don't know. 30/60/90/180/365 plans are important.  Failing to plan is a plan to fail. Try to remove or limit your p

Applying the StoryBrand Framework with J.J. Peterson - Chief of Staff - StoryBrand. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we revisit StoryBrand and the StoryBrand Framework.  This is one of my favorite discussions to date, and one that I think many of you will save and listen to multiple times.   We even manage to get some "free consulting" out of J.J. on the podcast, and have applied his recommendations to our home page.  Thank you J.J. Questions Addressed How has StoryBrand impacted what we are doing at Catalyst Sale? Why do we/Companies want to be the hero? Why do we feel like we have to fall back on feature functionality, rather than the customer story? Does the hero know what success or failure looks like at the beginning? How can we communicate better, and speak more plainly? Have you used the Starbucks test? How can you create magical moments in your customer experience? Key Takeaways StoryBrand - brand scripts at Catalyst Sale - when we consider new products or services, a StoryBrand brandscript i

Sales for Non-Sales Professionals Part II - Workshop Feedback and Lessons Learned This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we share feedback captured from the "Sales for Non-Sales Professionals" workshops we have facilitated, discuss some general lessons learned, and provide a brief overview of the Catalyst Sale Process. Questions Discussed What did we learn? How did this change the course? What were some of the common questions asked? What was it about the process slide that led to the detailed discussion around process? What is the Catalyst Sale Process? Why were the participants interested in the process? Lessons learned. The expectation was that we would have people who were interested in sales, but not necessarily interested in selling.  ~75% of the participants were people who were not in a sales role, but are being asked to sell. We ended up spending over an hour on the sales process.  I did not expect this. We thought we would start with definitions, then move into concepts.  A significant amount of

Communicate with Empathy - Putting yourself in the shoes of others This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we chat about communication, specifically communicating with empathy.  It takes us a little time to get to the practical application, but we end the discussion on a strong note with some guidance on how you can communicate with empathy. We also add a point of clarification on the front end of the podcast.  If you are looking for us online, you can find us at https://catalystsale.com Questions Addressed What does empathy mean? What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? What does it mean to communicate with empathy? What do you think of when you reflect on Lee Cockerell’s quote – “Candor is Truth with Empathy” How does Empathy impact Sales? Key Takeaways Empathy - Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Empathy - Evaluating a situation through their eyes. Being empathetic is doing what you can to put yourself in the shoes of others. Focus on how others may receive the message based on their e