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

Common Questions and How we Interpret Them This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we take a different approach.  Instead of focusing on one question or topic, we discuss some of the most common questions we receive from listeners.  This was a little different, but I think you'll find the journey is pretty interesting. Questions Discussed What are some of the common questions we receive from listeners of the podcast? Common Question #1 - How do I get the right information out of the subject matter experts that I work with? Common Question #2 - How do I communicate better with Marketing?  i.e. marketing is calling a lead qualified, but when I speak with the contact - they are not really a qualified lead. Common Question #3 - How can I better communicate customer requirements to the product team? i.e. share customer requirements and use cases with the product. Common Question #4 - How do I know when it is time for me to leave the organization? Common Question #5 - I'm working with a prospect/customer, and the

The Inbound Organization and How Sales is Changing with Guests, Dan Tyre and Todd Hockenberry This week HubSpot's Dan Tyre joins us for his second appearance on the podcast. We are also joined by the co-author of The Inbound Organization, Todd Hockenberry.   We discuss a number of topics, including what it means to be an Inbound Organization, how the sales profession continues to change, why the buyer should be your focal point, and the difference between understanding the desired outcomes of your client vs being a "problem solver". Questions Addressed "Everyone wants to grow, no one wants to change" - what does this mean? How do I handle the internal conflict? What is the difference between "Change" and ongoing implementation/adoption of "Tactics"? What are some of the things we can do within our organizations to improve alignment? "To DO Inbound, You have to BE Inbound" - what does this mean to Todd & Dan? What is the inbound ecosystem? How does the inbound organization impact us at an individual rep l

Catalyst Sale Episode 100 This week Mike, Mike, & Jody celebrate the 100th episode of the Catalyst Sale Podcast. We share some of the lessons learned, share feedback we have received from listeners, chat a bit about previous guests, and discuss where we plan to take the show going forward.   Show Links Most Popular Podcast - Don Miller First Podcast Guest - Lee Cockerell EP #35 - Dan Peter Coaching Episodes #79 - Training vs Coaching #89 - Coaching, Mentoring, or Training? #98 - Coaching with Christie Walters EP #80 - Dave Berke Catalyst Sale Twitter LinkedIn hello@catalystsale.com Territory Planning that Works Catalyst Sale Workshops & Training 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.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook 

Sales for Non-Sales Professionals A segment of the audience who listens to the Catalyst Sale podcast are not practicing sales professionals.  This week we discuss some high-level topics related to sales for non-sales professionals.  For the sales pros out there, some of this may be a little basic, but you may want to share it with other members of your organization. Questions Discussed Why is sales an interesting topic to those who are not in sales? What comes to mind when thinking about sales for non-sales professionals? How does sales apply in a non-sales role? Key Takeaways Everybody sells We are all trading something, sometimes it is time, sometimes it is insight, sometimes it is information Sales for Non-Sales Professionals is one of the workshops we facilitate at Catalyst Sale. Sales is the activity that leads toward a business transaction Success is often measured by the dollars generated, number of people or number of companies you expose to your product. Sales is about connecting a problem to a so

Christie Walters, co-host The Why & The Buy Podcast, and President iCore Strategy Christie is a speaker, sales & marketing strategist, coach, Gitomer certified advisor, and co-host of the Why and the Buy podcast. This week Christie joins us to share her perspective and experience as a certified coach.  We discuss what changed in her approach pre-certification & post-certification, and discuss how coaching can help you and your organization. Questions Addressed What is Coaching? How does coaching differ from mentoring? What prompted Christie to become a certified coach? Can a boss be a coach? What are some questions we can ask ourselves to determine if coaching is something we will benefit from? Why is authenticity important? How does authenticity impact the way that she coaches? Key Takeaways True coaching is about helping you uncover the brilliance within yourself. As a coach you are not the sage on the stage, you are the guide on the side. The Mentoring relationship is two-sided, a coach is a

Prospecting - building your well before you need a drink. We have recently passed the mid-point of the year for most sales organizations. How does your pipeline look for the remainder of this year?  What about next year? Q2 has wrapped up, we are moving into what many see as the most financially active period of their sales year.  This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss the importance of prospecting and building pipeline.  We discuss a couple of best practices, tools, and tactics.  We also discuss how you may want to approach hunting within the base using methods similar to new customer acquisition. Questions Addressed Where do you start with prospecting? What are some best practices in building pipeline? How do you identify the appropriate vocabulary for a given vertical? What about prospecting within your existing client base? Key Takeaways Pipeline saves lives Start first by defining your "Ideal customer" Size of organization Market/Vertical Link to Territory Planning that Works Identify wh

Carol Quinn, CEO of Hire Authority and the Founder & Creator of Motivation-Based Interviewing Hiring is one of the most important decisions you will make as a CEO, Founder, Leader, or Manager.  Carol Quinn joins us this week to discuss Motivation-Based Interviewing (MBI), the importance of hiring, common mistakes, and important considerations when working through the interview process. Carol Quinn is CEO of Hire Authority and a national speaker with more than 30 years’ experience in interviewing and hiring. She has taught thousands how to hire High Performers using motivation-based interviewing. Questions Addressed What are the differences between motivation-based interviewing & behavior-based interviewing? How do you identify/reveal passion? What is the difference between an internal & an external locus of control? What's wrong with "one-upmanship" in the interviewing process What are companies doing when it comes to keeping track of data in their hiring process? How do you bring passion, attitu

Transitioning from Sales Enablement to Organization Enablement This week on the podcast we discuss sales enablement as a function and the different lenses that an organization may use to inform their approach.  We also discuss the idea of organization enablement and wonder if this will be the next evolution within organizations. Questions Asked Has your attitude about Sales Enablement changed? How does Sales Enablement gain a better understanding of the functional areas of the organization? How do we make the transition from where we are today, to Organization Enablement? Key Takeaways Start with considering the lens you are looking at enablement through Learning Operations Marketing Sales Operations Enablement Technologies we use at Catalyst Sale. HubSpot Pardot Funnelwise Slack Google When enabling sales, you should consider multiple functions within an organization.  Identify how these teams interact and cross paths with your sales team. Sales enablement created to address a gap - we needed someon

Compensation, Building Business Acumen, and Networking Round 2 with Guest - Jennifer McClure - Speaker, Executive Coach, President of Unbridled Talent & CEO of DisruptHR Jennifer McClure, CEO Unbridled Talent & DisruptHR joins us for her second appearance on the Catalyst Sale Podcast.  We cover a number of topics this week, including the gender pay gap, building business acumen, and networking both inside and outside of your organization. The gender pay gap discussion was prompted by a twitter chat initiated by a friend of the podcast - Cara North. Thanks for listening to the Catalyst Sale Podcast Questions Addressed How real is the gender pay gap issue? What can we do to fix the issues at an individual level? How can we prepare for the salary/compensation negotiation? How can we build our business acumen, financial acumen, understanding of general business strategy? How can people improve their approach to networking? Key Takeaways The issue is real, it is clearly an issue. Women are typically pai

Listener Question - Tips for Making the Transition to Field Sales This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we have a listener question.  Chris from Ontario is the process of transitioning from an inside sales role to a field sales role, and he wonders if there are any best practices or tips to keep in mind when making the transition.  We discuss the importance of planning, building rapport, being aware of your surroundings, and tips to keep the conversation on track. We wrap up the discussion talking about the transition from a customer success role to an account executive or account manager role. Please continue to send the questions and recommendations.  Thank you for engaging with us via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Questions Addressed What are some important considerations when making the transition from an inside sales role to a field sales role? What are some considerations around non-verbal communication when meeting with a customer? How do you overcome a reliance on scripts? What are some important

Leadership Lessons from Dan Cockerell This week Dan Cockerell joins us on the Catalyst Sale podcast to discuss leadership, experience, doing work, and his next journey. Dan recently retired from the Walt Disney Company, as the Vice President of the Magic Kingdom, and has recently launched his consulting, public speaking, and virtual COO practice. Questions Addressed Did Dan say "Yes" too fast at times? Was it tough to decide to make the move to leave the stability of the Walt Disney Company? How do you get feedback from the frontline when you are leading a large organization? How do you inspire others to engage? Why is hiring important, and how does Dan identify talent? Where does nature vs nurture fit in ideal roles? How can podcasting help with internal communication? How does Dan differentiate between Coaching vs Mentoring vs Training? What's Dan currently working on? What has Dan learned about selling? Key Takeaways Grab the next opportunity, and focus on it like every other job, and make good things h

Failing to Plan is a Plan to Fail Part II in our series on common challenges that we see across our customer and prospect base is focused on planning.  Specifically developing the plan, adapting the plan, and execution.  One of the biggest challenges organizations we work with have relative to planning, is clarity around expectations, which leads to issues with focus & expectations around speed.  Setting expectations, establishing a plan, working the plan, and adapting the plan all play a critical role in this process.  We hope you enjoy the discussion and look forward to your feedback. Questions Addressed What are some of the challenges organizations face when it comes to planning? Why is adapting the plan the third step? Why is it important as a park ranger to know how to take a punch in the head? How does this apply to us in Sales? Key Takeaways Defining expectations, creating a plan, adapting the plan.  One of the biggest challenges organizations face relative to planning, is clarity around expecta

The Art & The Science of Sales - Leveraging Data to Take Action. This week Steve Will, Revenue Champion & SaaS Sales Leader, joins us to discuss sales, data, common challenges, dealing with conflict, and what's next.  We discuss Steve's background and experience, both as an individual contributor, and leading sales teams. Questions Addressed How does Steve define success in sales? How do you distinguish between the Art & Science of Sales? How can you improve functional product knowledge? What are common mistakes companies make when thinking about data? What are some of the questions you should be asking when looking at data?  How can technology be leveraged to help improve Marketing & Sales alignment? What does the sales professional of tomorrow look like? Key Takeaways When Thinking of the Art - three things come to mind for Steve. Sales Skills Product Knowledge  Industry Knowledge Talk to your peers - Peer & Customers are a great source of information when it comes to industry know

Coaching, Mentoring or Training - What's the Difference? On previous episodes we have discussed Mentoring in Sales (42), we have also discussed Coaching vs Training (79).  This week we discuss all three approaches in the context of personal development and improving capabilities. We share our thoughts on the differences between Coaching, Mentoring, and Training, why one approach may be better than another, and when it might make sense to combine methods. Questions Addressed What's the difference between Coaching & Mentoring? How do you know if you need a coach or a mentor? How important is it to be coachable? How do I know if I should work with a coach? How can we connect with Catalyst Sale to discuss coaching? How do you know if Training, Coaching, or Mentoring is a better fit? Key Takeaways Coaching tends to be focused on the current task, or skill.  The coach and the person receiving the coaching, are looking at ways to optimize. Mentoring tends to consider the bigger picture. There may be more ambi

Managing an Exit - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly This week on the podcast, Mike & Mike tackle the question of a startup exit or merger from the perspective of the employee within the organization, to the founder/leadership team, to the company who is making the acquisition.   Acquisitions & exits are tough, they become more complex as more information is shared, especially if too much of the wrong information is shared or gaps are left in the information.  It is a delicate balance and a difficult dance. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and look forward to your feedback on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Questions Addressed What are some of the things you should not take for granted during an exit? What about timing, and the way organizations handle setting expectations on the amount of time the acquisition should take. How does managing an exit correlate with a sales process? How do you avoid losing key people? Let's say you are the company who is making the acquisition - how do you determine what to

Helping People Do Things Better - Learning, Sales, & Doing the Work This week Ryan Carson - Founder & CEO Treehouse joins us to discuss Learning, Sales, and Doing Work.  Ryan continues to build and run his third startup, and according to him, you would have to kill him before he stopped working on his mission at Treehouse.  He is passionate about helping people do things better. We discuss Ryan's background, why he started Treehouse, his experience with other startups, and what he's learned about sales now that he is leading the sales team.  We also discuss hiring for behaviors over skills, and how learning happens. Questions Addressed What’s broken in education? Where is the focus on innovation in education? How do you facilitate learning in a way that it makes an impact on the business? What is Ryan’s story? How can you create leverage? What has Ryan learned about managing a sales team within Treehouse? When it comes to hiring - what does it mean to hire for behavior vs skills? How do people learn?

Using Data to Improve Sales Performance, Management, and Leadership Rob Käll is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cein, Inc.   Rob is passionate about data, machine learning, natural language processing, and using these technologies to improve organizations.   We met Rob through a listener of the Catalyst Sale podcast, and we think you will enjoy getting to know him as well.  On this episode, we discuss measuring things that matter, using data to gather insight and improve outcomes, how Machine Learning + Human Intelligence improve performance, and many other topics. Questions Addressed Why is data important to Rob? What does it mean to measure what matters? What is Natural Language Processing? How can AI, Data, NLP, be used for personal development, coaching, and management? What does the future look like when considering AI? How do we differentiate between the signal and the noise when it comes to AI and Machine Learning? What are some of the things Rob knows now that he wishes he would have known 5 years ago? Ke

Infinite Learning - How Can You Apply It To Your Role? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we discuss Infinite Learning. Specifically, what is it, how you can apply it to your job, how it applies to sales, and how we apply it within Catalyst Sale. Mike Simmons first heard the phrase Infinite Learning on a recent Masters of Scale podcast with Reid Hoffman and Barry Diller. A link to that episode is included in the notes below. Questions Addressed What is the difference between Continuous Learning & Infinite Learning? Is it just another marketing thing? Some learning builds upon other learning.  How do you apply infinite learning in this context? How does Infinite Learning impact sales? What can we do differently? Key Takeaways Concept discussed on Master's of Scale Podcast w/ Barry Diller Continuous Learning - Natural curiosity, desire to keep learning.  If I'm not learning, I'm not getting better Infinite Learning - more of a learning loop - the importance of starting with a beginners mind when you

Storytelling, Entrepreneurship, and Lessons Learned from Working with Steve Jobs - Guest Anne Wolf Anne is the President & Founder of Wolf Communications.  She is a Chief Marketing Officer by trade, she has carried a bag, starting her career in sales.  Today, she works with entrepreneurs, many times in a Chief Strategy Officer role.   We met Anne through the TLDC18 conference. This week we cover a lot of ground, from the transition between sales and marketing, to Anne's time at Apple, to helping new entrepreneurs.  We hope you enjoy the discussion, and look forward to your feedback. Questions Addressed What is the difference between Brand Story & Authentic Story? What are some of the things a sales rep can do when trying to understand their story, or their customers' story? What was it like working with Steve Jobs? What are some common misperceptions among your students about entrepreneurship? What are some common challenges that you see when working with founders? What are some of the things that pe

Be Careful What You Measure Mike Simmons started the year attempting a 10k steps a day objective.  Four to five days into the test he decided it would only be a 28-day experiment.  This week we will discuss how this test applies in business and in life.  We discuss the importance of choosing the right things to measure, choosing the right goals, and choosing the right tools to capture the data.  We also talk about goal setting, and include a request at the end of the show notes. Questions Addressed Why did you do it? What did you learn? Jody is well over 700 days, over 8M steps - what do you think about someone who has accomplished that - or chosen that goal? How does this apply to business? Key Takeaways 10K steps is not a lot of steps, unless you choose the wrong measurement device Be Careful what you measure & How you measure those things Imagine how many times you get in your own way The tool I was using was not capturing an accurate measurement Be careful on how you decide to measure success Ask q