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

Catalyst Sale Podcast - How to Get Over a Bad Year Sometimes, many times in higher risk sales, the year does not end as your originally envisioned.  High risk from a sales perspective, can mean emerging technologies, early adopter targets, or simply breaking ground in a new territory.  A bad year can be the result of poor planning, poor execution, or simply having the time run out on you.  When you have a bad year it is important to compartmentalize and move on.  Evaluate what you learned, apply the lessons, get back to the foundational skills and process that have led to past success. Mike & Mike discuss key ideas and concepts around moving forward after a bad year, and not letting a bad year beat you twice. Catalyst Sale Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustain

Catalyst Sale Podcast - Compensation Plans for Sales Professionals Compensation plans are something we all have experience with as sales professionals.  Whether it is designing a plan to reinforce desired behaviors, from a sales leadership perspective.  Or, modifying our behaviors to optimize a plan designed for us, from an individual contributor perspective.  Compensation plans require thought and modeling.   Mike & Mike discuss their experience designing comp plans, risks in changing a plan mid-year, and their general thoughts on the considerations you should make from both the sales leadership & individual contributor perspective.

Negotiation Many books have been written about the topic of negotiation.  In this week's episode of the Catalyst Sale podcast, Mike & Mike tackle a listener question.  They share their perspective on trades, common negotiation errors, the importance of assessing value, and slowing down the process.   Catalyst Sale Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with

Are trade shows are part of your business plan? If you are going to spend time and money on a trade show, you want to make sure you are getting the most from your investment.  In this episode of the Catalyst Sale podcast, Mike Conner and Mike Simmons offer insight and discussion about how to approach trade shows. Whether you attend a trade show as an attendee or have a team operating a booth, you want to be deliberate about how you use your time.  Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover wh

If sales is a thinking process, where does artificial intelligence fit in the sale process?  Artificial intelligence can be used as a replacement for thinking. Or, artificial intelligence can be a tool to help a thinking sales professional enhance the sales process. Mike & Mike discuss how they have seen artificial intelligence impact sales, in ways that take away from the sales process and ways it enhances how a sales professional works with a customer.  Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to

Understanding the why will get you to the what.  The questions you ask shape the success or failure of the opportunities you are pursuing.  It is easy to present the information we know about the product or service you are selling.  When you do this you fall into the feature functionality trap. Mike & Mike get into their approach to asking questions, the intention behind those questions and how this approach can help you learn more about your customer, and deliver more value.  The trust you build with your customers accelerates when you start with them, and focus on learning about their business vs pitching yours. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop le

Whether in baseball, football, life, or sales, slumps happen. Mike & Mike discuss slumps, how we get into them, and how to get out of them.   We all go through cycles, don’t let yourself get too high, or too low.  Many times it is a mental game, you have to trust your process, and regain focus. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects

Mike Conner is back this week.  Mike & Mike discuss proposals, common errors, and how to prepare your proposals for success.  At Catalyst Sale, when we get to the proposal stage of our sales process, we forecast at 90%.  We discuss why, and share our experience.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our valu

The Catalyst Sale podcast has its first guest.  Lee Cockerell is a former Executive Vice President of Operations.  He is the author of Time Management Magic, and has recently launched his 4th book, Career Magic. Mike & Lee discuss time management, building trust, prioritization, and doing the right things now to prepare for the future.  How do you distinguish between important, urgent, and the things that are vital? Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn fro

Episode 10 - Hiring a Sales Professional Mike and Mike share their thoughts on how they hire, what qualities and characteristics we look for, and how we partner with Arizona State University.  We share best practices lessons learned and common mistakes.  Whether you are thinking about hiring or going through the interview process yourself, you will find this episode valuable. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never

Dreamforce is an annual event, this year ~170K developers, operators, consultants, and sales professionals met in San Francisco.   Mike and Mike share their thoughts on the event, lessons learned, best practices, and emerging trends they are most excited about. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We

Episode 8 - False Starts & Stalls Everyone can think of a scenario where you thought the conversation was going one way, only to find that momentum stops.   Mike & Mike discuss their experience with false starts, how to avoid them, and why they occur. Whether it was with a customer, with your child, with you spouse.  This is a common occurrence in sales.  We think we have an opportunity, we think we are moving forward with a deal, we think we are ready to go to market, then something changes.  You don’t get a call, someone misses a meeting, a contact becomes non-responsive. How do you get customers to re-engage?   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never sto

Episode 7 - Fit/Feasibility How do you know if you can deliver on the customer’s requirements?  Have you ever said, ‘yes, we can do that’, only to find out you can’t?  What about managing opportunity costs? Mike & Mike discuss the 3rd and 4th steps to the Catalyst Sale Process.  Can you address the problem that the customer is attempting to solve?  Is the customer the right client for your product, your service, your capabilities?  Can the customer implement the solution?  These are questions you should be able to answer before moving to proposal. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we me

Episode 6 - Ground Zero.   Is your product, your service, your capability, ready for delivery within the market?  Or, have you not reached your zero state.  Mike & Mike discuss the ground zero concept, and what happens if you are ‘less than’ zero. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about

Episode 5 - Qualification- How many times have you worked with a prospect, only to find that you missed critical pieces of information that could have accelerated the sales process or ensured success.  Mike & Mike discuss the importance of qualification, share some lessons learned and the risk of moving too fast when it comes to qualification.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our e

Episode 4 - Validation - How do you know if there is a deal to be had?  This is the first step in the Catalyst Sale process.  Mike & Mike discuss how to validate if you have a real opportunity, if you are working with the right organization, contact, etc.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We

Mike & Mike discuss the role of the sales professional, the importance of connecting with customers, connecting solutions to problems, and share stories and lessons learned.   Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about the people we work with every day and get great satisfaction from seein

The confirmation step is critical, and often missed step in the Catalyst Sale process. Many Sales Reps stop when the deal is closed.  Mike & Mike discuss lessons learned, and how the confirmation step is really just the beginning. Sales is a Thinking Process.  Catalyst Sale is a learning organization first and foremost. That’s why we care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. We aim to add value whenever we can, and our true success is measured by the sustainability of our work long after we complete a project. We surround ourselves with good company and never stop learning. We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our values. We care about the people we wo

Episode 1 - Catalyst Sale: Sales is a thinking process, we are a learning organization.  We are committed to learning and the evolution of Sales.   In this episode, you will hear the Catalyst Sale story, our background, and what to expect from future episodes.   You will be introduced to Mike Conner & Mike Simmons – Catalyst Sale Founders, and industry professionals.  We expect engagement and look forward to it. You can find us via LinkedIn, Twitter, & The Catalyst Sale Website on the links below Mike Conner on Twitter  Mike Simmons on Twitter  Mike Conner on LinkedIn Mike Simmons on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Catalyst Sale on LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Website We are Catalysts. We Connect people we know and people we meet to help create opportunity for others. We Challenge ourselves, our clients and our team, to discover what is possible. We Learn from others, others learn from us and that never stops. We Contribute our expertise to deliver results with meaningful projects that are aligned with our v