Key Performance Indicators This week is a repost of one of our original podcasts on Key Performance Indicators. We discuss some common errors when creating KPIs, general best practices, and some practical examples. We also discuss how KPIs can be established outside of sales, and be used to measure other aspects of the organization's success. W ...…

Regaining Momentum and Kicking off the New Year - Again Executing on Your Objectives - This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss maintaining focus on your goals in the New Year, at a time where you might be losing momentum. Momentum may have faded, you may have already decided to wipe the slate clean. It's February - get refocused, and ...…

Territory Planning that Works - A Catalyst Sale Approach This is a repost of one of our earlier podcast episodes where we cover a topic that we receive a number of questions on Territory Planning. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss the components that makeup the territory plan, including starting from ground zero, and defining yo ...…

How Do You Know When It Is Time to Add Members to your Team? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss some of the questions you should ask yourself when determining if it is time to scale your team, how to onboard new team members, and how to integrate them into your organizational culture. Thank you for sharing the Catalyst Sale Podca ...…

REPOST - Listener Question - Mentoring on the Job This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we review a listener topic. Spencer asked if we could discuss the importance of having a good mentor as a new rep OR a seasoned rep starting with a new company or in a new industry. It is through mentoring programs and job shadowing programs that organizati ...…

Sell Without Selling Your Soul - with author Liz Wendling Liz Wendling is a sales coach and consultant for women, sales professionals, and a few smart men. Liz is also the author of Selling Without Selling Your Soul Bringing integrity to the sales world was Liz's inspiration for this book. Since we are all selling something, Liz thought it was ...…

How Do You Know When It Is Time To Leave Your Job? This is the time of year where many of us take the time to reflect, we think about what the past year has provided, and what we plan to accomplish in 2019. This week we discuss some of the questions you should ask yourself when determining if it is time to look elsewhere, and move on. We also d ...…

The First Noel with Guest Jeff Noel Jeff is spent 30 years building an amazing career at the Walt Disney Company. The last 15 years a speaker with the Disney Institute. I am really excited to have Jeff join us this week, in what I hope is an annual Christmas appearance. This week we discuss Jeff's blogs, which he has published daily since April ...…

Common Listener Questions - Prospecting & Outreach Prospecting & outreach is another common topic we discuss with folks we coach, clients we work with, and listeners of the podcast. This week we dive deep into the tactical detail of conducting research, beginning outreach, and the importance of context. One assumption we make in this podcast is ...…

Leaders Eat Last - Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we review Simons Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last", the episode is brought to you by our sponsor - getAbstract. Questions Addressed How do we use tools like getAbstract? How do we apply the concepts discussed in Leaders ...…

Common Listener Questions - Pricing Another common set of questions we receive from those who listen to our podcast, as well as potential clients and current clients, revolve around pricing. How should we price our product or service? Also asked as, How should we approach price? These are two of the more common questions around pricing. This we ...…

How do you survive as a salesperson in a siloed organization? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we have a listener question. James wonders, how do you survive as a salesperson in a siloed organization? Many of us have dealt with this challenge at one point or another. Lack of access, lack of awareness, lack of engagement across functional ...…

Guest - Dan Pontefract, Author - Open to Think Dan is the author of Open to Think, an awesome read on the process of thinking, aspects of thinking, issues that get in the way of thinking, and what you can do about improving your thinking. We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did. Thank you for listening to & sharing the Catalyst Sale ...…

Reflecting on the Year and Getting Ready for Next Year Looking back on the year and preparing for the upcoming year is a practice that many of us consider this time of year. Some wait until the beginning of the year, some start around October/November. Reflection is critical, it provides an opportunity to evaluate and enjoy success, consider op ...…

The One Thing - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we review a book that applies to our work, our approach, and sales in general. The One Thing, by Gary Keller - is the book we discuss on this week's episode of the podcast. Please let us know what you think of this format, and if there are any books you would lik ...…

Guest - Josh Pigford, Founder of Baremetrics Josh is the host of the Founder Chats podcast, he is an entrepreneur, maker, and the founder of Baremetrics. Josh shares some great experience, perspective, and background. We discuss startups, his founder journey, learning, sleep, and more. Thank you for listening to & sharing the Catalyst Sale Podc ...…

Common Question - What If The Customer/Prospect goes Quiet - How do I Get Them To Re-engage? This is one of the more common questions we receive from listeners and from participants in our workshops/training sessions. How do I get the client/prospect to re-engage? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss how to avoid this situation, wh ...…

Guest - Mike Sarraille, CEO EF Overwatch Mike is a retired Navy Seal, founder of Vetted, and CEO of EF Overwatch. EF Overwatch connects veterans with companies who are looking to address talent gaps. They are currently focused on placing retired Special Ops & Combat Aviators. We cover a lot of ground in this episode. We discuss leadership, comm ...…

Take a Personalized Approach to Your Cold Outreach Do you remember playing Mad Libs as a kid? I remember long car rides and crazy stories. This is not an approach you should take with your outreach to prospects, nor should you take this approach when drafting your proposals. It is not personalized, and it is manufactured. This week on the Catal ...…

Guest - Donald Kelly, Host of The Sales Evangelist Podcast Donald Kelly joins us on the podcast, I think he is the first Miami Dolphins fan we have had on the show. We recorded this episode in August, and date it a bit with talk of 3 quarterbacks & 4-2 Jets records, given that the Jets are currently 1-3. Donald started off as a B2C Sales rep, a ...…

The Obstacle is the Way - a Catalyst Sale Book Review This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we are testing a new format. We will review a book that applies to our work, our approach, and sales in general. The Obstacle is the Way - the Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday - is the book we discuss on this week's episode o ...…

What does it take to Finish Big and what makes a Small Giant Bo Burlingham joins us this week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast to discuss two of his books - Small Giants & Finish Big. We also discuss the importance of knowing what question you intend to answer when conducting research, the importance of understanding this question for your audience ...…

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance Lack of planning can put you in a bad place - how do you avoid this? It is important to have the tools in your toolbox, but you actually have to use them, and they need to be ready when you need them. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss checklists, thinking through scenarios, and pla ...…

Your First 90 Days, Some DO's and DON'Ts This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we talk about your first 90 days in a new role, or with a new organization. Mike & Jody discuss some of their experiences in onboarding, considerations, and some general do's and don'ts. Thank you for listening to the Catalyst Sale Podcast. You can find additional e ...…

Applying the StoryBrand Framework with J.J. Peterson - Chief of Staff - StoryBrand. This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we revisit StoryBrand and the StoryBrand Framework. This is one of my favorite discussions to date, and one that I think many of you will save and listen to multiple times. We even manage to get some "free consulting" out o ...…

Sales for Non-Sales Professionals Part II - Workshop Feedback and Lessons Learned This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we share feedback captured from the "Sales for Non-Sales Professionals" workshops we have facilitated, discuss some general lessons learned, and provide a brief overview of the Catalyst Sale Process. Questions Discussed What ...…

Communicate with Empathy - Putting yourself in the shoes of others This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we chat about communication, specifically communicating with empathy. It takes us a little time to get to the practical application, but we end the discussion on a strong note with some guidance on how you can communicate with empathy. We a ...…

Common Questions and How we Interpret Them This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we take a different approach. Instead of focusing on one question or topic, we discuss some of the most common questions we receive from listeners. This was a little different, but I think you'll find the journey is pretty interesting. Questions Discussed What ar ...…

The Inbound Organization and How Sales is Changing with Guests, Dan Tyre and Todd Hockenberry This week HubSpot's Dan Tyre joins us for his second appearance on the podcast. We are also joined by the co-author of The Inbound Organization, Todd Hockenberry. We discuss a number of topics, including what it means to be an Inbound Organization, how ...…

Catalyst Sale Episode 100 This week Mike, Mike, & Jody celebrate the 100th episode of the Catalyst Sale Podcast. We share some of the lessons learned, share feedback we have received from listeners, chat a bit about previous guests, and discuss where we plan to take the show going forward. Show Links Most Popular Podcast - Don Miller First Podc ...…

Sales for Non-Sales Professionals A segment of the audience who listens to the Catalyst Sale podcast are not practicing sales professionals. This week we discuss some high-level topics related to sales for non-sales professionals. For the sales pros out there, some of this may be a little basic, but you may want to share it with other members o ...…

Christie Walters, co-host The Why & The Buy Podcast, and President iCore Strategy Christie is a speaker, sales & marketing strategist, coach, Gitomer certified advisor, and co-host of the Why and the Buy podcast. This week Christie joins us to share her perspective and experience as a certified coach. We discuss what changed in her approach pre ...…

Prospecting - building your well before you need a drink. We have recently passed the mid-point of the year for most sales organizations. How does your pipeline look for the remainder of this year? What about next year? Q2 has wrapped up, we are moving into what many see as the most financially active period of their sales year. This week on th ...…

Carol Quinn, CEO of Hire Authority and the Founder & Creator of Motivation-Based Interviewing Hiring is one of the most important decisions you will make as a CEO, Founder, Leader, or Manager. Carol Quinn joins us this week to discuss Motivation-Based Interviewing (MBI), the importance of hiring, common mistakes, and important considerations wh ...…

Transitioning from Sales Enablement to Organization Enablement This week on the podcast we discuss sales enablement as a function and the different lenses that an organization may use to inform their approach. We also discuss the idea of organization enablement and wonder if this will be the next evolution within organizations. Questions Asked ...…

Compensation, Building Business Acumen, and Networking Round 2 with Guest - Jennifer McClure - Speaker, Executive Coach, President of Unbridled Talent & CEO of DisruptHR Jennifer McClure, CEO Unbridled Talent & DisruptHR joins us for her second appearance on the Catalyst Sale Podcast. We cover a number of topics this week, including the gender ...…

Listener Question - Tips for Making the Transition to Field Sales This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we have a listener question. Chris from Ontario is the process of transitioning from an inside sales role to a field sales role, and he wonders if there are any best practices or tips to keep in mind when making the transition. We discuss th ...…

Leadership Lessons from Dan Cockerell This week Dan Cockerell joins us on the Catalyst Sale podcast to discuss leadership, experience, doing work, and his next journey. Dan recently retired from the Walt Disney Company, as the Vice President of the Magic Kingdom, and has recently launched his consulting, public speaking, and virtual COO practic ...…

Failing to Plan is a Plan to Fail Part II in our series on common challenges that we see across our customer and prospect base is focused on planning. Specifically developing the plan, adapting the plan, and execution. One of the biggest challenges organizations we work with have relative to planning, is clarity around expectations, which leads ...…

The Art & The Science of Sales - Leveraging Data to Take Action. This week Steve Will, Revenue Champion & SaaS Sales Leader, joins us to discuss sales, data, common challenges, dealing with conflict, and what's next. We discuss Steve's background and experience, both as an individual contributor, and leading sales teams. Questions Addressed How ...…

Coaching, Mentoring or Training - What's the Difference? On previous episodes we have discussed Mentoring in Sales (42), we have also discussed Coaching vs Training (79). This week we discuss all three approaches in the context of personal development and improving capabilities. We share our thoughts on the differences between Coaching, Mentori ...…

Managing an Exit - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly This week on the podcast, Mike & Mike tackle the question of a startup exit or merger from the perspective of the employee within the organization, to the founder/leadership team, to the company who is making the acquisition. Acquisitions & exits are tough, they become more complex as more informat ...…

Helping People Do Things Better - Learning, Sales, & Doing the Work This week Ryan Carson - Founder & CEO Treehouse joins us to discuss Learning, Sales, and Doing Work. Ryan continues to build and run his third startup, and according to him, you would have to kill him before he stopped working on his mission at Treehouse. He is passionate about ...…

Using Data to Improve Sales Performance, Management, and Leadership Rob Käll is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cein, Inc. Rob is passionate about data, machine learning, natural language processing, and using these technologies to improve organizations. We met Rob through a listener of the Catalyst Sale podcast, and we think you will enjoy getting t ...…

Infinite Learning - How Can You Apply It To Your Role? This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we discuss Infinite Learning. Specifically, what is it, how you can apply it to your job, how it applies to sales, and how we apply it within Catalyst Sale. Mike Simmons first heard the phrase Infinite Learning on a recent Masters of Scale podcast wit ...…

Storytelling, Entrepreneurship, and Lessons Learned from Working with Steve Jobs - Guest Anne Wolf Anne is the President & Founder of Wolf Communications. She is a Chief Marketing Officer by trade, she has carried a bag, starting her career in sales. Today, she works with entrepreneurs, many times in a Chief Strategy Officer role. We met Anne t ...…

Be Careful What You Measure Mike Simmons started the year attempting a 10k steps a day objective. Four to five days into the test he decided it would only be a 28-day experiment. This week we will discuss how this test applies in business and in life. We discuss the importance of choosing the right things to measure, choosing the right goals, a ...…

Blindspots - We all Have them This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, we have a listener question from Ann in San Diego. Ann asks - What is something you consistently find within organizations you work with? One of the most consistent things we see across all of the organizations we work with, are the blind spots they have created. Many times t ...…

Personal Relationships - Do they help in Sales? Is this the first time Mike & Mike are going to have conflicting viewpoints on the podcast? This week on the podcast, Mike & Mike tackle the question of personal relationships in sales. You may be surprised to see who takes which perspective. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and look forward to y ...…

Feedback Loops, including the OODA Loop & Leadership Lt Col. Retired, David “Chip” Berke is our guest this week. Dave served 23 years as a Marine, mostly flying airplanes as a fighter pilot. He is currently with Echelon Front as a Leadership Instructor. Dave shares his experience with the OODA loop as a pilot, forward air controller, and in the ...…