In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the importance and value of practice. Key Takeaways: There is a time and place for thinking Planning is so important in all the work we do. You can draw a correlation between business and many things - business and sports, business and cooking, etc… You increase your ability to execute if you operate in that muscle memory mode. There is value in being intentional in the way you practice. Ask what missed opportunities your sales team had See if your team can ask follow-up questions during your role play exercises/scenarios Make sure to practice discovery calls Be thoughtful about how you approach things Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

On this episode, Mike is joined by Tim Clarke. They discuss building out process & timing and how you can build out your revenue operations engine. Tim is a Managing Partner at Growth Sigma. Growth Sigma helps growth leaders align and execute against the four most important parts of the enterprise sales system.  Questions Answered: How does system design apply in the context of Sales and building out revenue engines? What are the 4 P’s? Why do we overcomplicate building out a process? How can we build a culture over a period of time? What types of lifecycles do organizations go through? What are some questions reps can ask during an interview to know if an organization is using a systems based approach? Key Takeaways: 3 Roles of a Chief Revenue Officer Recruiting, onboarding and developing great Sales talent. Build an unbeatable Sales culture Build the sales execution system, go to market strategy, understand the buyer journey, sales process and scale. Chief Revenue Officers should be spending 100% of their time on building a great culture. 4 P’s Priorities Process - should be collaborative Positioning - what message resonates Performance - what types of behavior do incentivize Reality is, you should be looking to see who you can bring in that can bring the team together, communicate a clear cut strategy, understand how your customers buy and organize the team. It is important for leaders to set expectations properly. Organization Life cycles - Iterate - focus on product Growth - net new acquisition, retain what is sold Scale - how do we move to scale? Define ideal customer, determine how your buyers buy. Rep interview questions -  What are you going to do to enable my success? How would you define your ideal customer? What tools can I use across the buyer journey to help with my success? Show Links: Tim on LinkedIn www.growthsigma.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss confidence in sales, asking for help and enjoying the thinking that sales requires.  Questions Answered: How do we gain confidence when starting in Sales? Why do Sales experts not seek help? How do we enjoy the thinking that goes into Sales? Key Takeaways: Being able to trust the process leads to confidence When you have a stable set of systems, tools, methods and approach, you can improve confidence and capability. Territory Planning - understanding your ideal customer Account Planning - who, what, why, where, when, how Call Planning - who will be in the room, what are their objectives, what are our objectives, desired next steps Ego is the biggest challenge We struggle with “I don’t know.” If we check our ego at the door then we can improve our interest or capacity for asking for help. Don’t just assume people aren’t asking questions in the background. If you aren’t enjoying the process, maybe it isn’t the right field for you. Redirect into something you do enjoy. If you want to enjoy it again, train others. Have a question you would like us to answer in a future episode? Contact us: [email protected] www.catalystsale.com twitter Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike talks with Tanner Brock about his continued onboarding experience with Catalyst Sale.  This is the third round of this series.  Check out episodes 212 and 215, if you missed the first two sessions. Questions Answered: What’s not working? What are some of the things we will test regarding follow-up? What are some common challenges? What are some things we are going to start? Key Takeaways: Spraying and praying approach is not working. Squinting too much to fit people in. Go back and use frameworks to readjust. Focus more on people, not numbers. We may know what we should do, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into what we do. Stop creating unrealistic plans for the day. Create a combo of sequences to use with various prospects. Personalize the sequence to the people. Try to add value every time you reach out. Common challenges: deals stall, pipeline development, articulating what we do, confidence. Focus on and celebrate the little things. If you go into it positive, you have higher energy, you’re more effective, you’re more useful to people. Establish gates you want to move through and celebrate as you go through the gates. What qualifies as a win can be a challenge. Make sure you are doing the basics. Follow-up is important. Each success opens another gate. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here or contact Tanner - [email protected] Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Ep 212 Ep 215 Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

Mike Conner is back.... In this episode, Mike talks with Mike about ways to apply basic sales skills when job hunting, along with a number of other things.  Don't miss the last 10 min where we discuss some foundational things many sales pros miss. Questions Answered: How can you apply sales skills to a job hunt What basic things can early Sales Pros do better? Key Takeaways: Be sure to take time to have an evaluation process. Ask if you really enjoy what you are doing. Ask, is this new thing that I am looking to do the right fit for me? If you do good things over a long period of time, things tend to work out. Use the following criteria when thinking about a new position: Who is hiring? Who is thriving? How have they navigated their way through our current working environment? Are they living their mission? Try to make meaningful connections. Basic things that any early Sales Professional can work on doing better: Pick the company you are going to invest your time in wisely. Ask questions and take the information in. Listen to the answers. Don’t wait to build your network and build a diverse network Do the basics - ask questions, put together project plans, account plans, territory plans and call plans. Do the work. Don’t wait to continue learning new things. Leverage the people that are inside your organization. Show Links:  Mike Conner on Twitter Mike Conner on LinkedIn Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss a listener question regarding the Catalyst Sale Frameworks. Questions Answered: Why is it that the Catalyst Sale Frameworks are effective not just for sales, but for other areas of life? How does it change things to have a plan? Where else can the frameworks apply? How often do you think of the frameworks being used outside of sales? Why did you decide that The Reset was worth doing? Key Takeaways: Sales is Life and Life is Sales. In any engagement, you are likely trying to compel someone to take action. There is a direct correlation between the stuff we do everyday and sales. Life skills - communication, gathering data & conducting research, leveraging story, time management, project management. Having a plan creates a higher level of predictability that you will reach the desired outcome. By applying these processes and frameworks, you can get better in sales and in life. Sales for Non-Sales Professionals is for anyone who is interested in solving problems, in moving things forward, is interested in helping and transition in their lives or in the lives of others.  Sales for Non-Sales Professionals shows you how to use sales frameworks in the work you do to improve your ability and execute. The Reset and Sales - sales is about connecting the dots between a problem and a solution. The Reset helps connect the dots between your problem/goal and the solution. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Erik Kostelnik talk about solving problems, working towards execution and building out your business. Erik is the Founder and CEO of Postal.io  Questions Answered: Why do people struggle with engagement? How have things changed in our current environment? What is your approach to problem solving? How do you avoid scope creep? What is your decision making process? Why do we get sucked into the lures? How can you be easy to do business with? How can we manage the growth cycle? Key Takeaways: We struggle with engagement because we have been so focused on the digital world. We need to take a step back and ask what the customer journey looks like. Everyone is trying to navigate our current operating environment, companies need to be agile. It’s more important than ever to have a platform to manage your customer engagement items. The key is stay on the right path 5 Step Problem Solving Process Ideation Research Build/launch Understand what your KPI’s are Raise capital If you’re not experiencing scope creep you are either not asking the right questions or you are dead on right. Buyers are always influenced by the shiny lure and buzz words. Reduce the amount of friction that it takes people to get into the product. Be sure you know how customers go through your purchase process Getting people into our free trial is really part of our marketing. You’re not going to know where things are failing until they actually fail.  You have to set the business up to scale from day one meaning you have to have your 5 year plan and then you have to execute on your plan. Show Links:  Postal.io Erik on Twitter Postal on Twitter Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the definition of pipeline and common challenges associated with a Sales pipeline.  Questions Answered: When we say pipeline, what are we talking about? What are some common pipeline challenges? Are there different segments of the pipeline? Key Takeaways: Sum of all of the opportunity that is out there = pipeline Weighted probability of closing that business = forecast Challenge 1 - actually doing the work and getting in front of customers Challenge 2 - Deals sit in the pipeline for too long Challenge 3 - Neglecting to put things in the pipeline because you are not sure if it will turn into anything. Don’t get emotionally attached If you have a 45 day sales cycle, evaluate your pipeline every 15 - 30 days If you have a 6, 18 or 24 month sales cycle, evaluate your pipeline monthly or quarterly. A forecast is a sub-set of pipeline. If I am not managing the pipeline well, it will have a negative effect on my ability to forecast with any level of predictability.  I firmly believe you can forecast if you leverage data and simplify your process.  Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected]  Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike talks with Tanner Brock about his continued onboarding experience with Catalyst Sale.  Questions Answered: What has been the worst thing that has happened so far? How are you overcoming this issue? Why might our outreach number be lower than we expect? What’s next? Do we apply call planning in the context of outreach? How do we measure success? Key Takeaways: Adjustment into an official sales role has been the hardest so far. Rather than trying to be an expert, I am going to be a student. Listening to previous podcasts you have done has been helpful and studying the frameworks. It is important to be humble to understand why it isn’t working. There is a big lack of vulnerability in the marketplace. We need to ask if we have a problem with our ideal customer profile and ask if our message is clear. It can be rewarding to share my experience applying the Catalyst Sale principles in my own life. The only time I want to put together a call plan is when I am going to have a call. Structurally the same concepts apply to outreach we send out. All the Catalyst Sale tools build on each other and help you to think clearly Profit and loss help us measure success.  Gather data to determine if what we are doing is working. Test. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here or contact Tanner - [email protected] Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the best ways to handle mistakes when they occur. Questions Answered: What are the best ways to handle mistakes? How can we handle current mistakes? How do you view historical mistakes? Key Takeaways: It is great to share stories about lessons learned. It is important to be transparent and open. We can all learn from each others mistakes and learn from the stories that relate to those mistakes. If you are unable to fix or address the mistake on your own, it is important to get other people involved as quickly as possible. Don’t make a mistake bigger than it already is. Reach out to others. If you can fix it immediately, fix it! Depends on the scope of the mistake, the type of mistake and your capability to fix it. Owning mistakes can help build a greater level of credibility and trust. People can learn lessons from you when you share historical mistakes. Show Links: Link to Tanner discussion on Ego Link to Twitter Thread Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the importance of a good first customer interaction and discovery call/meeting. Questions Answered: What should the first customer interaction look like? What is involved in discovery? Why do you want to find out more about the person? How does knowing the person better help you with the sale you are trying to make? What else do we need to know about the first interaction? Key Takeaways: Ask questions. Do research - can be from public or private sources (asking questions.) Deliver the information you have in the context of what is important to the customer It’s important to know the person because they are going to either influence or make the decision. Asking questions and getting to know them helps them realize I am a human being and not someone just trying to sell something. Asking if they have any questions for you will let you know how engaged they are in the conversation. You can refer back to what these first questions revealed in future discussions. Builds a personal relationship. Be prepared to do a demo if necessary Show Links: Call Planning Podcast Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization Purchase Demystify Sales, A Catalyst Sale Course  here  Interested in working with us? Visit https://catalystsale.com and chat with us, or contact us via Twitter or LinkedIn. Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

This week Tanner Brock, founder of 9-5 5-9 Coaching joins the Catalyst Sale Podcast.  Tanner is joining the team in a freelance role as an Account Executive.  As an account executive, Tanner's focus will be on selling Catalyst Sale courses in the B2B space. Tanner is a non-traditional sales professional, who has not worked in an account executive role.  Tanner will be a guest on the podcast in the future, we will share his journey, lessons learned, mistakes, and wins. We discuss one common mistake today, specifically the tendency to focus on how we solve the problem (solution) rather than the problem. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization Chat with us or contact us via Twitter or LinkedIn. Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

This week we have a listener question - how do you avoid selling on price alone? Questions Answered: How do you avoid selling on price alone? How do you go about figuring out what the problem is? If a customer keeps driving conversation towards price, should we be concerned? Are there other bad habits to avoid? Key Takeaways: Price is one of those things that a lot of people want to know about, but no one wants to talk about in detail. Understand the value that you deliver to an organization. Ask questions about what is going on inside the business relative to the problem you solve for. Find out why they are interested in having a conversation with you, why they are interested in working with you. Be careful about assumptions, ask why price is important to them. Ask, “when you have made this type of decision before, what does the process look like?” Include price on the first page of your proposal. We find ourselves focusing on features and benefits of the tool or software rather than the actual business impact, the thing that you actually deliver, If you find yourself talking more about your product than your customers' challenge, you may be falling into a trap that will be relatively easy to compete with. Features are a dime a dozen. Focus more on value and business impact. Show Links: Submit Listener questions via Live Chat or email us at [email protected] If Disney Ran Your Life Podcast - Season 5  Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization Chat with us or contact us via Twitter or LinkedIn. Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Amanda Goetz have a great conversation about intention, focus, lessons learned in building a business, joining a business and starting over. Amanda is the VP of Marketing at The Knot and Founder of a new side gig.  Questions Answered: What drove you to start building out a side business? How do you keep things straight? How did you start to get comfortable with saying no to things? What compelled you to go out and raise money this time? How do you say no to people? How do you deal with the pain, conflict and challenges? Why do we struggle with transparency? What does community mean to you? How do we overcome not wanting to be self-promotional? Key Takeaways: Ask everyday, how am I going to approach this day and what does success look like Don’t believe in “mommy guilt” Whatever I am doing in this moment gets my full attention. Focus and Finish Your defense is your email. Not every email needs an immediate response. Your offense is when you are in control of what you are doing. In the absence of information, people spin and they ask a lot of questions. I believe in pro-active communication. When people don’t have a true North Star, that’s when you get unnecessary emails. Experience is the best teacher. You have to do applications of these things. When it comes to saying no to business relationships, I think a lot about where it needs to start and it needs to start with knowing yourself. It’s ok to acknowledge highs and lows and talk about those openly. Someone has to be brave enough to go first. This creates a foundation of trust and further vulnerability. Community means to me people who found connection through usually highs or lows. Brands that try to be everything to everyone end up being nothing to anyone. Self-promotion is very different than stating your thoughts. Put your thoughts into the world. You have to bet on yourself before other people will.  Show Links:  Amanda on Twitter Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

How do you create a great proposal? In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss best practices when it comes to proposal planning. Questions Answered: What goes into a proposal? Where does price go? What are some mistakes people make with proposals? Key Takeaways: One of the challenges people will make when coming to proposal writing is they feel like they have to put everything in there. I would challenge you to think of it as less is more. Elements of a proposal: problem we are solving for, why is it important to solve the problem, how do we solve the problem, price If we can cover all four of these things, we have given them a solid framework that they can use to justify a purchase. Proposal should be simple to understand and very clear. My preference is to deliver price as early as possible as late as necessary. At minimum on the first page so they don’t have to flip pages or scroll down. Don’t tell your organization’s entire story up front We tend to overcomplicate and make them too long. Another mistake is finding a proposal that works and then everyone on the team uses it.  Show Links: Planning Templates Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit  

A lot has happened since launching Catalyst Sale in 2015.  In the spirit of making it easier to work with us, Mike and Jody talk about Catalyst Sale and what Mike is working on now. We take some time and distinguish between Catalyst Sale the products, and the advisory services Mike provides. Questions Answered: What will listeners get when working with Mike? What will listeners get from Catalyst Sale? What are you most excited about moving forward? Key Takeaways: You will get tools, not scripts Catalyst Sale will help with  Frameworks Territory Planning Processes - The Catalyst Sale Process Training - Courses, content, blog, podcast Excited about the people I work with and the change happening in organizations.  If you have tried to figure out sales and feel there is a lot of noise and you aren’t sure what you should be doing, give me a call. We can talk through what will work best for you and your problem. My mission is to help people get better at Sales. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire Mike as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

Handling Objections In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss a listener tip regarding objection handling.  We bounce around a bit on this one, but ultimately bring it home with some practical thoughts on objection handling. TLDR - ask questions, gain context, don't react. Questions Answered: Do objection handling documents work? Can you build out questions on an objection handling sheet? Key Takeaways: Objection handling documents can work if you are not just reading off of a script. These documents can help with alignment within an organization. When dealing with a pricing objection, ask “from what perspective?” Don’t interrogate customers, but work to gather a bit more information. If you guess, you only have one chance of guessing right. Rather than answer the objection immediately, take a pause and ask one question.  Account plans are a useful tool - You can listen to our account planning podcast here Show Links: www.jodymaberry.com https://catalystsale.com Submit Listener Questions To: [email protected] DM us on Twitter  Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike talks with Chris Walker about marketing, sales, revenue operations and alignment. Chris is the CEO of Refine Labs. Questions Answered: How did you suddenly start to appear in everyone feed’s and gain a following? How do we design for the future? Where did your appreciation for doing the work come from? What are some biases that Sales folks have about marketing? Why don’t we do anything with the information we read or have access to? What are some biases that marketing folks have about sales? How does technology play a role? What mistakes do we make when thinking about brand? What are some buyer journey mistakes we make? Key Takeaways: Spent time working for others and getting good at my craft. I loved learning and tended to move outside of the function I was doing within those companies. Be aware of where you gravitate Sports, competitiveness helped me to work hard. You can work harder than others. Sales becomes a lot easier when you do marketing well. Change your intent with your activities. Help people without expecting them to buy. Ask yourself, “Is this the most important thing I can be doing?” Buyer has to go from 0% buying to 100% buying. How do we move buyers to a place where they want to talk to our Sales Reps? The idea that once a marketer passes a lead to sales, they are no longer responsible for it is something to challenge. Take responsibility for your piece of the puzzle. Discipline forces you to change your behaviors. Focus on your customer and then reverse engineer. Marketing is very simple. You need people in your organization to challenge the things you do today and find ways to make them better. The idea of more things will generate more results is something I challenge because typically it creates a lot of inefficiencies.  People that are smart and who execute will win. Brand is created based on the feeling you create inside of people. Mistakes are made when we don’t distinguish when execution is brand execution or sales activation execution.  Typically the average number of videos someone needs to see before being comfortable requesting a demo is 60. The buyer journey is not linear. Communicate in ways that aren’t salesy but are educational and objective. Show Links:  Chris on LinkedIn Refine Labs website State of Demand Gen Podcast  Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody tackle a listener question and provide tips on how to make it easy to do business with you. Listener Question: For companies not taking a beating, but also are not currently positioned for success, what are clever and nimble revenue leaders doing right now? Questions Answered: How easy is it for our customers to do business with us? What can we do to help our customers solve problems? Key Takeaways: Do not lose sight of your fundamentals Don’t make your problems your customers problems Think about modifying the terms and conditions in your contracts. Think about using electronic versions for digital signatures. Take care of the problem your customer is having right now Be aware of competition that exists in the marketplace and if the competition is a better fit for their current problem, consider referring. This helps with reduce scope creep and customers will appreciate the gesture and remember that in the future. Always ask questions Gather the information you absolutely need to understand their problem, when they need to solve it, understand who is impacted, why they care and how they have already attempted to solve the problem. When you continue to be contacted with a common set of problems from customers, a market driven pivot may be needed. Take advantage of the teams you have working with customers to gather feedback about what’s important to the customer. Remember, you have resources inside your organization that you can deploy in different ways. Take advantage of that resource.  Make it easy to work with you, make it easy to implement and help them be successful.  If you have a question you would like us to consider answering on the podcast, email us at [email protected] or [email protected].  ______________________________ Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://catalystsale.com

In this episode, Mike talks with Justin Rohner about entrepreneurship, mindset and gardening. Justin is the Founder and CEO of Agriscaping Technologies and Director of the Queen Creek Botanical Garden. Questions Answered: From an entrepreneurial aspect, where does creativity come into play? What questions do you use to drive curiosity? Should there always be balance? Are mindset and perspective critical? How do we avoid negative traps? Why do we fear talking about mistakes or sharing failure with others? Key Takeaways: Without creativity, the unknowns become scary and will scare you away from doing anything. Curiosity is the best pathway to creativity. Ask, “how do we serve people in the present moment.” Emotions are great indicators How can I use this emotion? What is it showing me? Energy is always good. It’s just a matter of how you direct it. Once we are aware that we are on a ladder somewhere, we can choose to jump up the ladder and re-address the situation. We are combining the best of productive agriculture with the best of ornamental landscape. A victim blames, an owner creates. Find community events that connect entrepreneurs The nature of a strong economy is expansion. Move forward with the concept of service to others The more people you serve more often, the more wealth you have. Ask the right questions, move things forward. Show Links:  Queen Creek Botanical Garden www.Agriscaping.com Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss a listener question related to adopting the Challenger Sales Method. Listener Question: My organization is adopting the Challenger Sales Method. I am curious on your thoughts on Challenger and training the team on the same process.  Questions Answered: What is the benefit of training a sales team all on the same process/method? What do you think about the Challenger Method? What’s the difference between process and method? How do you recommend pairing process with method? Do you recommend the Challenger Method? How do you suggest I model a new sales process when I am not a seller? Key Takeaways: Having a common language across the organization is very beneficial The Challenger Method offers the fundamentals you would expect. I would not describe the Challenger Method as a Sales Process. When implementing something new, it is important to be very clear about what you are trying to accomplish. Process = distinct set of steps Method = vehicle you use to get there, underlying principles Blending the Catalyst Sale combo of process, method, framework and approach, you create predictable sales outcomes and improved performance.  Keep with a consistent message Remember that change takes time Promote early adopters and recruit them to help you get others on board. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

*Language Warning* On this episode, Mike is joined by Scott Leese. Scott is the Founder of Scott Leese Consulting, Co-Founder of Surf and Sales and Co-Host of the Surf and Sales Podcast and author of Addicted To The Process. Mike and Scott discuss building a community, transparency and more.  Questions Answered: Why do people try to present a persona? How do I find a community? How do we become more transparent with others? Why do we fall into the trap of building a solution? Who can create urgency? Key Takeaways: People often try to present themselves as unbreakable Be open about what you have gone through. People resonate with this  Get comfortable with who you are Offer ideas to those around you There are several communities out there, but if you can’t find one that works for you, build one One of the best things you can do if you are struggling is help other people Don’t just go into a meeting and immediately start talking about your solution Find pain, build value, create urgency and discuss solution Urgency is inside people already, we just need to unearth it It helps to be a part of a tight knit community When you know someone well, it is easier to give precise, specialized coaching and feedback Leverage the tools available to you. You never know who you might be able to help or who can help you You can put your real self out there and it can be very rewarding Show Links: Scott Leese Consulting Surf and Sales Addicted to the Process Books Mentioned In This Podcast Episode: The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday Tribe by Sebastian Junger Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss how businesses may begin thinking differently due to the COVID19 Pandemic and taking a page out of Jeff Noel's book, Mike offers a 72 hour challenge. Questions Answered: Why is it important to think differently about things I already know? Will this pandemic change the way we do things? Key Takeaways: It’s important to have some sort of qualification process. Talk in 2 weeks when you have an update is soft. Hold your customers accountable and hold yourself accountable. Prepare for unknown unknowns. Don’t be so resistant to change. Communication about changes needs to be clear. 72 Hour Challenge: Take 10 minutes prior to every call over the next 72 hours to Call Plan. Document who is in the room, objectives (yours and theirs) and desired next steps. E-Mail us at [email protected] to tell us your experience with the 72 hour challenge. Show Links: If Disney Ran Your Life - Jeff Noel Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

The First 200! In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the first 200 episodes of the Catalyst Sale Podcast. They talk about what has changed, what has stayed the same and what we can look forward to in the future.  Questions Answered: Why did you start a Podcast? Why do you still do a Podcast? What has changed over the 200 episodes? What has stayed the same? What will change in the next 200 episodes? Key Takeaways: Started a Podcast to get content out in the marketplace Started bringing more guests on with a Sales background The definition of Sales has stayed the same. Connecting the dots between a problem that exists and a solution that exists. Look for more video content in the future Looking at introducing panel type discussions Looking to be more creative in the way we deliver content Would like to have more authors on as guests. Calls to Action: What would you like to hear more about on upcoming episodes? How can we provide you with more value? Do you know someone who would be a great guest? Are you interested in hearing from a specific author? Do you have a book you would like us to review? Email us at [email protected] Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

In this episode, Mike talks with Alanna Fincke about the timely topics of resilience, mindfulness, overcoming challenges and self-care.  Questions Answered: How can we overcome the challenge of uncertainty?  What are the 3 components? What are some tools we can use? What is mindfulness? What is resilience?  Can we build resilience? Why is self-care important? Key Takeaways: Resilience can be our guide right now Reframe your thoughts Trap It, Map It, Zap It: Trap It = recognize the signs of the emotion. Map It = Bring awareness to your thoughts. Zap It = Reframe your thoughts. Start small. One way is to write or discuss 3 good things that happened during the day Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment. Resilience is defined as our ability to bounce back from challenge, manage stress and move forward and thrive in our lives.  Let go of what you can’t control, but find one thing that you can control. Self-care is not a luxury. Burnout is real. Build a balance Iceberg beliefs - hidden beneath the surface of our consciousness. They are contracts about how we believe the world works. Many times we aren’t even aware of them. Some of the most challenging times can be an opportunity for growth. Show Links:  Alanna’s website Mequilibrium website Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

This is the 11th in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Alanna Fincke is the VP of Content at meQuilibrium, she is an integrative health coach, and resilience expert. She joins me today to discuss Resilience.   Questions Addressed What is Resilience? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Resilience? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Leadership in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Leadership in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? How important is Resilience as a leader? Show Links Alanna on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alannafincke/ Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss bad practices and offer some tips on how to avoid implementing them in your business processes.  Questions Answered: How do we know if we have a bad practice? How do we avoid bad practices? What is the first step to take in avoiding them? Key Takeaways: It is important to have an actual discussion with your customer. Ask, “Is this thing that I am doing better for me, better for the customer or mutually beneficial?” Leverage feedback loops, test, listen and adjust Start where the customer engages. Start at the beginning. The process should be good and comfortable for the customer. Give first. Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

On this episode, Mike is joined by Chris Ronzio. Chris is the Founder and CEO of Trainual. They discuss entrepreneurship, company culture and growing your business.  Questions Answered: What are the different stages of being an entrepreneur? Why is there a negative connotation to being self-employed? How can we improve communication with peers? How can we create a company culture with a remote staff? How can we scale our business? Why do we struggle with scaling? How do you create focus? Key Takeaways: Investing in experiences for your team gives them trust that they can communicate with each other. Quarterly Planning retreats, monthly outings, etc...set the foundation for communication following the interactions. It is crucial to have an open line of communication. Physical events, meeting together is very important to maintain a strong culture with a remote staff. Do It, Document It, Delegate It®. This is how you clone yourself. It sounds simple, but you need to follow the process for everything in your business. Delegation is hard, especially with things you are good at or enjoy. It is important to stop doing the things you are good at and stretch yourself. It is easier than ever to start a business because of all the tools that exist. It is harder than ever to scale because it is hard to hand off stuff. 90 challenges (both personally and professionally) help to stay focused. Annual planning and then checking in quarterly and monthly helps with focus. Show Links: Chris on Instagram Chris on LinkedIn Chris on YouTube The 5 Different Stages of Becoming an Entrepreneur on YouTube www.trainual.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

On this episode, Mike is joined by Dr. J.J. Peterson, Chief of Teaching and Facilitation at StoryBrand and Co-Author of Marketing Made Simple. They discuss sales funnels, narrative marketing and story.  Questions Answered: Is now a good time to build a Sales Funnel? What are the 3 steps to a Sales Funnel? What exactly is a Sales Funnel? What does a narrative approach mean? How do we build better call to actions? Is team alignment important? Key Takeaways: Implementation is key. Start doing something. A sales funnel is the path you take customers through when building a relationship. A sales funnel should have 3 levels: curiosity, enlightenment and commitment. Start with a one-liner to gain curiosity. Your website needs to be clear and compelling when telling customers what you do.  A narrative approach clearly articulates what your customer wants and what problems you can overcome for them.  When story follows a path, people engage more. Collaboration is so important. When your internal customers “buy-in” and own your one-liner, they all become Sales People and they see how they contribute to the overall vision. Show Links: Marketing Made Simple on Amazon J.J. on LinkedIn J.J. on Twitter www.storybrand.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Demystify Sales - the course Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

On this episode, Mike and Jody discuss using decision making frameworks, and how they apply to thinking, making decisions, and execution. Questions Answered: What are the things that get in the way of effective decision making? How do we avoid some of those challenges? What are some decision making frameworks? How does using a framework help us in our Sales roles? What do decisions look like with no framework in place? How do we get started using a framework? Key Takeaways: Use appropriate frameworks to help with decision making - the Franklin T, the Eisenhower box, etc.. "Do your best and forgive yourself" - Admiral Payne It’s important to be optimistic Decision frameworks can help us remove emotion Decision frameworks can help us to have a more critical eye Test different things to see what works for you Try using a sales process Test and determine the patterns you see within your business.  Show Links: Dan Cockerell Podcast - Episode 92 Demystify Sales - the course Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

On this episode, Mike is joined by Max Altschuler. Max is the VP of Marketing at Outreach, Founder of Sales Hacker and fellow Sun Devil! #ForksUp. They discuss empathy and things to consider when working with customers during a crisis.  Questions Answered: What inspired Max’s LinkedIn Post about Sales? How can you build trust and rapport digitally? How do you help your team during times like these? Key Takeaways: If you don’t understand basic EQ, you are going to miss the mark. Work on building a long-term relationship. Now is a critical time to build trust. In crisis, leadership has to stand up and be thoughtful about how they are leading their teams. Lead with empathy in your messaging, don’t be as aggressive.  Be purposeful in who you are contacting right now.  Show Links: https://www.outreach.io https://www.saleshacker.com Max on LinkedIn Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

This week, Mike and Jody discuss marketing and the how-to’s of building landing/sales pages.  Questions Answered: How do you distinguish between what works in the market and what you like to see when building landing pages? What belief has led people to draw out long landing pages? What are some common design mistakes people make? When you refer to the offer, what is that? Is there an order to the landing/sales page? Do you create different pages for different personas? Key Takeaways: To some degree people who are like you, will also like to see what you like when looking at a landing page. It’s not easy to make a decision to spend money, sometimes you want more information. If someone is on the fence, more information is not a bad thing. It helps to have bullet points, headlines, pictures and testimonials If price scares them away, that’s ok. It probably wasn’t for them right now anyway. Understand where the best real estate is for call to action buttons - top right corner. What you are offering people needs to be clear. Make the offer enticing enough that people don’t want to miss it. Answer some common questions on your landing/sales page. Answer questions before people even think to ask them. Keep in mind that to some degree, landing page marketing is similar to what you would say face to face, convey the same message. Show Links: https://jodymaberry.com https://jodymaberry.mykajabi.com/podcastmagic https://catalystsale.mykajabi.com/the-catalyst-core https://catalystsale.mykajabi.com/join Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

On this episode, Mike is joined by Steve Anderson. Steve is the author of The Bezos Letters. Questions Answered: How does Amazon do it? How are they growing? What is your approach to research? Why do we struggle going deeper? How do we work on understanding our flywheel? How do we make the complex simple? What does it mean to be dynamic? Key Takeaways: Bezos is the master of risk. He understands that businesses have to take risks if they are going to grow. All research starts with a question. You need to be curious. Interpretations help you go deeper. Keep asking “why” 5 times in hopes of getting to the core problem. Amazon’s flywheel isn’t necessarily your flywheel. It is hard to implement - every piece of the flywheel has to be working right. Treat every morning like it is your first day in business. As a business becomes successful, they tend to stop iterating. They need to be constantly watching how customers are changing. Dynamic means it is happening all the time. Core to being dynamic is experimentation.  Businesses need more experimentation, not more innovation.  Every business goes through cycles, don’t get overwhelmed.  Show Links: www.thebezosletters.com The Bezos Letters Jim Collins - Turning the Flywheel Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course  

This is the tenth in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Execution is a topic that is really important to me.  Specifically helping people, teams, and organizations get better at execution.  I've asked Brent to rejoin me to ask the questions this time.    Questions Addressed What is Execution? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Execution? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about execution in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about execution in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links Listen to the Entire Series - Share this Link Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the ninth in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Eric is the Chief Operating Officer of TeamSupport, expert in support and customer experience, and a friend.     Questions Addressed What is Support? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Support? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about support in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about support in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links TeamSupport Blog CustomerThink.com https://asponline.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss clarity and focus and the importance of both in Sales, Business, and Life.  We are including this in the topic specific curated list - because of the focus on two important topics.  This was recorded prior to the series launched last week, however I believe the content is relevant. Questions Answered: What is the difference between clarity and focus? How do they improve what we do? What is the impact of clarity and focus in Sales? How people can work with Catalyst Sale. Key Takeaways: Clarity - quality of being easily understood Focus - Center of activity or attention They provide us with a framework to use when making decisions Clarity and focus can help us make better decisions when we are forced to make a decision on where we are going to spend time, energy, or attention. Clarity gives focus and focus gives clarity - they go hand in hand Clarity and focus help you improve communication with your customers  Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization Show Links: Purchase Demystify Sales, A Catalyst Sale Course  here  Interested in working with us? Visit https://catalystsale.com and chat with us, or contact us via Twitter or LinkedIn. Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit

This is the seventh in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Myra is awesome, she is a creator, a curator, and collaborator.  We have connected a couple of times at various learning conferences and through twitter chats.  This is the first time she has been on the podcast, and it will not be the last.   Questions Addressed What is Collaboration? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Collaboration? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about collaboration in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about collaboration in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links Myra's Pinterest List of Resources Myra on Twitter Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the sixth in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Jeff Noel is a friend, podcaster, speaker, and educator.  He knows mindset, and he joins me today to discuss it.   Questions Addressed What is Mindset? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Mindset? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Mindset in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Mindset in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links If Disney Ran Your Life Podcast Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the fifth in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Lee Cockerell is a retired executive with the Walt Disney Company, and someone who has battled with anxiety and depression, and is winning the fight. Questions Addressed What is Anxiety? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Anxiety? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Anxiety in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Anxiety in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links Creating Magic Podcast Dealing with Anxiety Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the fourth in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Jody Maberry is a friend, podcaster, producer, marketer, and former park ranger.  He knows communication, and he joins me today to discuss it.   Questions Addressed What is Communication? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Communication? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Communication in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Communication in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links Jody Maberry Show Come Rain or Shine Podcast If Disney Ran Your Life Podcast Creating Magic Podcast Catalyst Sale Podcast Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the third in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Dan Cockerell is publishes the Come Rain or Shine Podcast weekly, and he is a retired executive with the Walt Disney Company.  He joins me today to discuss Leadership.   Questions Addressed What is Leadership? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Leadership? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Leadership in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Leadership in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? How important is reflection as a leader? Show Links Come Rain or Shine Podcast Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com 

This is the second in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Brent Schlenker is a community builder, and founder of the Learn Train.  He joins me today to discuss Community.   Questions Addressed What is Community? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Community? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Community in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Community in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? What is the connection between Community and Connecting? Show Links Brent on Twitter The Learn Train Community Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com   

This is the first in a series of short episodes where we will focus on specific topics that are relevant to today's working environment.  Many of us are making the transition to remote work, working from home, leading distributed teams, navigating our own personal experiences.  Dr. Erin Weiss is Clinical Psychologist, practicing in the Houston area.  She joins me today to discuss Empathy.   Questions Addressed What is Empathy? What are some common mistakes we make when thinking about Empathy? Why do we make these mistakes? How can we avoid these mistakes? How does this change when thinking about Empathy in the context of working from home or remote work? How does this change when thinking about Empathy in the context of Teams, Customers, and Self? Show Links David and Ehrin on the Sales Success Podcast Dr. David Burns Dr. Kristin Neff Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide at https://www.catalystsale.com   

Sales Career Guide Mike is joined by Andy Racic and David Weiss authors of Your Definitive Sales Career Guide. On this episode they discuss why they decided to write a book about a career in sales, and how to execute if this is something you are interested in exploring. Questions Asked: Why do people avoid the Sales Profession? It seems as though colleges are starting to bring in Sales Programs, will this trend continue? What are some of the messages in the book that are resonating with professors? How do you distinguish between Sales and Marketing? What are the gaps that this book fills? Who should buy the book? Key Takeaways: Several myths still hover over the Sales profession People generally don’t have an understanding of what modern professional Sales is Schools are interested as the importance of the Sales function within a company becomes more apparent Sales can be a great foundational career. Being in Sales teaches you several cross-functional skills Marketing tends to be one to many whereas Sales tends to be one to few or one to one Marketing empowers Sales to have more conversations with clients The book provides tips and tricks on how to be successful in sale, dispels myths and walks through how to get a job Business school professors looking to build a Sales program would benefit greatly from reading this book Show Links Your Definitive Sales Career Guide on Amazon www.salescareerbook.com Andy on LinkedIn David on LinkedIn Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

Ford vs Ferrari - Discussion with Jeff Bajorek  This week on the Jeff Bajorek joins Mike to discuss one of the best movies of 2019 - Ford vs Ferrari.  They share lessons that you can apply to Sales, Business, and Life, that come from the meeting. He's Jeff Bajorek - he'll help you rethink the way you sell®. I'm Mike Simmons - I build sales machines. Key Takeaways Put yourself in the shoes of your customer, employee, team. Ride alongs are important. Ask questions to confirm context. Live to fight another day. It's about the team. Do the Work. Show Links jeffbajorek.com The Why & The Buy Podcast - http://thewhyandthebuy.com/  Jeff's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffbajorek Jeff's Website - https://www.jeffbajorek.com/  Catalyst Sale Link Tree Mike's Twitter - https://twitter.com/simmons_m Ford v Ferrari Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course

Managing Director and Partner, Two Sigma Ventures - Villi Iltchev This week Villi Itchev joins Mike to discuss diversity in experience, investment, entrepreneurship, remote work, and lessons learned.  Villi has a multi-fadeted background to include: investment banking with Merrill Lynch, mergers and acquisition with Salesforce, an executive with Lifelock, and head of strategy with Box.  Questions Discussed How does Villi's background influence his approach to investment and research? How have his experiences rounded out his thinking? How does venture continue to innovate and transform? Why is it a great time to be a founder? What are some common misconceptions around investment? How will venture continue to evolve? What options are there for various types of investment? Why do we get drawn into the idea that we need to take on funding to build out to scale, or I'm less than? How will the future of remote work impact organization growth & culture? What inspired Villi's post on ARR being a vanity metric? How do you see the landscape of technology & software evolving over the next 15 years? Key Takeaways Massive transportation within venture.  The competitive nature of venture is commoditizing the asset class.  A data oriented approach is required. The ones that are standing still (just like any industry) are being marginalized  It's a great time to be a founder - it takes little investment to get started and you can make a lot of progress on your own prior to raising capital. There are an abundance of capital sources with different risk profiles. Best way to get started is family & friends. After you make progress start to look at traditional Angel & Seed financing - be honest with yourself about the type of company you are building. There are plenty of opportunities to build companies. There is nothing shameful in building something that will not grow at venture scale. Think about how Mailchimp started - small ambition, focused solution to an email template problem, that grew into something greater than expected. Start building, start playing, start dreaming - see where it takes you - chase your dream. It's a lot easier to get inspired when you interact with people who have a common interest - leverage your communities, networks, and the resources that are available. Shortage of talent, high demand for technology globally, will lead to a shift in remote work, and create opportunities for growth - the world is becoming smaller. Remote work will allow technology to spread much further. Bookings over ARR - a question you can ask - is your ACV (annual contract value) growing or declining?   Performance is measured by bookings growth. The last 20 years - we put success on the shoulders of the customer. We transferred costs. This shifted to the vendor being responsible for success, as payments shifted to overtime vs upfront. Cloud & SaaS changed the landscape of adoption Next 20 years - the software will make us better at our jobs. What does the next salesforce look like?  It will be about making the end-user better, within each core application. The intelligence will amplify capabilities. Show Links @villi on twitter [email protected] Villi on ARR vs Bookings Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course      

Continuous Learning, Creativity, and an Awesome Future - with Guest Don MacPherson Mike is joined by Don MacPherson. Don is the Founder of 12 Geniuses where they are educating leaders of today and building leaders of tomorrow. Questions Answered: What are some things you are excited about that will improve sales? What are the risks with technology? How can we be more creative around continuous learning? Why should we consider ways to be creative? Key Takeaways: Mobility has really changed the way we work. AI will really change Sales - more collaboration will be needed. The mountain of data we have will be a game changer. 127 new devices are added to the internet every second! Expand your ability to respond to the ups and downs of everyday. Be a continuous learner. Sales is a creative job. You have the ability to look at a situation and see it in different ways. Work with new people coming into the organization to help them discover the “language.” Remember how great the world is. Show Links: 12 Geniuses on Twitter 12 Geniuses on LinkedIn www.12geniuses.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course  

Masterminds - Time to Invest In Yourself With Others Mike and Jody are joined by Dan Cockerell as they discuss the benefits of attending a Mastermind. Questions Answered: What were some moments from the Mastermind that struck you? What is the benefit of a Mastermind? Why should we seek out a Mastermind event? Key Takeaways: Clarity, simplify and focus Don’t fall in love with the idea Keep it simple - why do people want to buy your product or service? Are you able to deliver it? How will you tell the story? We are all dealing with many of the same problems within our organizations. Problems related to people, process, technology, connections, culture and change. Engaging in conversations and having those conversations help you to gain a new perspective on how others are addressing those same challenges. Masterminds are another way to open your eyes to another point of view and to help point out blindspots.  It’s good to have someone who isn’t invested in you or your business ask the hard questions. It’s crucial to talk about what attending the event meant afterwards and then do the work.  Show Links: www.dancockerell.com Dan’s Podcast - Come Rain or Shine Catalyst Sale Link Tree Mike's tweets as he reflected & put the work into practice Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] 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 the products and services we provide via the following links. Growth Acceleration - Plateau Breakthrough Product Market Fit Demystify Sales - the course