The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

How to Handle the Not Right Now Objection

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the year winds down, many sales professionals hear the dreaded phrase: “Not right now.” But what does that really mean? Is it truly a timing is...

The End of the Year mindset with John Boney

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the year winds down and Q4 ramps up, sales professionals face the pressure of closing strong. In this episode, Rachel sits down with John Boney to ...

Owning Your Success

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan, who explains the importance of owning your success and shares tips on how to put yourself in a ...

Prepping Others for Your Sales Calls

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Preparing for your deal is critical. Preparing others for your sales call has equal impacts on ...

Moving Up and Down in Organizations

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Discover the mantra you can use to successfully navigate opportunities that require you to move...

Go High, Go Low – Adjusting Your Sales Conversation

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. As a seller, you need to communicate effectively with people throughout an organization - both ...

Selling in a New Category

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. If you’re selling a new technology, it may be difficult to align to a pain point. How do you ...

Building an Accountable Culture

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming elite as a sales organization demands a culture of accountability. A great sales planning process combined with a voracious qualification pro...

Tips for Managing Your Time

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, John Boney joins Rachel to share his best advice on time management as a sales rep. He highlights the importance of operating wi...

Action Steps When You Inherit Accounts

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. One common scenario that all sellers are likely to face, especially when joining a new company,...

Influencing Your Customers’ Solution Requirements

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this episode, which was originally aired in August 2022, with John Kaplan. Solution requirements are a critical component of every deal you sell...

What to Do When You Lose

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about bouncing back from losses as a seller. For reps, he sheds light on the key factors to reflect ...

Building Purposeful Pipeline

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to explore the many elements involved in building a healthy pipeline, and doing so in a purposeful manner. He talks ab...

Elevating Your Sales Conversations Consistently

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For today’s episode, Tim Caito joins Rachel to share his insights on what reps can do to consistently elevate their sales conversations and get high...

Moving a Buyer from Interest to Intent

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss best practices on managing the transition of prospects from initial interest to buying inte...

Be A Better Sales Coach with Value-Based Techniques

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John Boney and Rachel speak about the need for sales leaders to coach based on value. They explore ways in which leaders can endeavor...

When to Back Up Your Deal

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rachel and John dive into a critical moment every seller faces: recognizing when it's time to pause, reassess, and reset a deal. They...

Selling to the Government in Today’s Environment

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s special episode for those selling to government agencies, John Boney joins Rachel to discuss how to respond and adapt to changing federal...

Handling New Product Launches

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Brian Walsh joins Rachel to talk about the mindset sellers need to have when their company launches a new product. He walks through key conside...

What Elite Sellers Do

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about the steps necessary to be an elite seller. He goes through and explains the habits and be...

The Mindset You Need When You’re New to Sales

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Force Management facilitator Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins Rachel to talk about finding the right mindset as a new sales rep. He advises p...

Competing initiatives: Moving Your Deal Forward

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Sellers often hear from prospective customers that they have too much going on and thereby cann...

Questions to Ask About Your Deal

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss questions that reps can ask themselves to maximize their ability to qualify deals. These questions, a...

Differentiation

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. There’s not a salesperson out there who doesn’t want more wins and bigger deals. The most e...

Communicating Customer Needs Internally

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Tim Caito joins Rachel to discuss how to communicate the needs of the customer internally, centering the conversation around three high-level c...

Driving Urgency in the Deal

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to rejuvenating stalled deals, urgency is the factor that moves the needle. Today, John Kaplan joins Rachel to talk about driving urgenc...

Building Rapport in Your Sales Process

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Brian Walsh joins Rachel to discuss building rapport with prospective customers. Brian covers the true meaning of rapport and ho...

Aligning with Corporate Initiatives

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. When selling a solution, you want to align with wide-ranging corporate initiatives and not just...

When AI Isn't Enough: Getting an Opportunity

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A robust pipeline is key to maintaining a steady flow of prospects and keeping track of the progress of each toward closing. With the current prolifer...

Prepping Others for Your Sales Calls

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. Preparing for your deal is critical. Preparing others for your sales call has equal impacts on ...

Building a Consensus in Your Prospect Accounts

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to attaining a consensus in a customer account and achieving the crucial “Collective Yes”, the greater the numbers on your side, the...

Staying Tethered to Customers

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Customer handoffs are a natural part of the selling process, but you don’t want to lose the customer relationships that you’ve worked so hard to b...

Resilience in Sales

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Not many things are granted in sales, but adversity is one of them. When difficulties arise, resilience becomes a seller’s most valuable attribute. ...

Selling a Pilot Project

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh. Ever had a customer ask you to consider a pilot project? Perhaps they don’t want to sign up f...

Prepping for Your Deal Reviews

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As a rep, a deal review is your time. They are your chance not only to level-set with your manager and teammates, but also to get whatever help you ne...

Recapping Sales Conversations

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Before you can sell a solution, you must establish a baseline of trust with your customer. You build trust, in part, by demonstrating your willingness...

Talking to Other Departments

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Salespeople frequently find themselves stuck with a single contact in a buying company, unable to engage departments necessary to a successful close, ...

Selling to More Experienced Professionals

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan.If you’re finding yourself new to a selling role and trying to sell to more experienced execut...

You Told Me

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Negotiating power is an invaluable currency in sales, one that gives you the leverage to move toward achieving a desirable outcome. As you approach th...

Responding to an RFP

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with Brian Walsh.Responding to RFPs is often inevitable in many selling organizations. How do you respond in a wa...

Carefrontation

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On our online subscription platform Ascender, users can ask questions and discuss their perspectives on a wide variety of topics pertaining to sales. ...

How to Stand Out as a Seller

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s as much differentiation in how you sell as in what you sell, and standing out as a sales rep requires you to exhibit those special character...

Preparing for Sales Negotiation Conversations

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As with all aspects of selling, sufficient preparation is a prerequisite to successful negotiation. In today’s episode, Tim Caito shares the key poi...

John Kaplan Webinar THIS Thursday

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're the top rep looking for even greater heights or someone looking to improve, you need a plan for success. And, you need to put it in mot...

What to Do After the SKO

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the extensive attention from leadership directed toward the planning of sales kickoffs, the need to focus on what’s to follow too often gets lo...

When to Walk Away from a Deal

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There often comes a point in deals when it’s best for all parties to go their separate ways. Today, Antonella O’Day joins Rachel to discuss the ke...

Key Ways to Make Sure You’re Set Up for Success This Year

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you set up for success this year? Antonella O’Day walks through some key areas of focus as you come up with your own plan to make your plan this...

The Uncommon Story

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our own John Kaplan tells his own story of a time when he had to decide what it meant to be uncommon. It’s the story that brought the often-heard ph...

Thank You to our Listeners

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A short word of thanks from the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast. Visit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy...

The Final Push

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s crunch time as you work to get those last-minute deals in by the end of the year. In this short episode, John Kaplan gives you some words of ad...

Are You Working for the Right Company?

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on what’s gone well and what can be improved going forward. An important part of your year...

Ramp Your New Hires Faster: Join our Webinar

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join John Kaplan this Thursday for a conversation on equipping new hires to ramp faster. He'll be joined by the Shift Group's JR Butler. They'll cover...

Discovery Questions You Don’t Want to Forget

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discovery can be a demanding process, and finding the right questions to ask requires intensive listening and thoughtful preparation. Fortunately, the...

Getting the Big Deal

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The ultimate goal of every rep is to close deals, and in today’s episode, John Kaplan outlines the necessary steps for sellers to maximize their odd...

Improving Your Metric-Based Conversations

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we cover one of our most popular topics among our listeners: metrics. And its popularity is well warranted, as it remains a major stu...

Selling to Experienced Buyers: Don't Miss This!

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you checked out Ascender yet? Our online platform to help reps with the daily grind of sales. Don't miss our upcoming events: Webinar: Selling ...

Aligning to Corporate Priorities

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we approach the end of 2024, many companies are in the process of setting their priorities for the new year. In today’s episode, John Kaplan talk...

Staying Tethered to Accounts

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Maintaining contact with accounts provides many benefits for an organization, and salespeople play a huge role in setting the foundation for a long-te...

Controlling the Deal

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Staying in control of a deal is all about qualification. Today, John Kaplan gives advice on being proactive, not reactive, in ensuring that the deal p...

Dealing with Rejection in Sales

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re a seller, you already know that rejection is a way of life. Unfortunately, a negative mindset about rejection remains the barrier that pre...

Technical and Business Pain

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sellers must understand the more detail-oriented technical pains as well as the wider-ranging business pains of a customer’s organization. Elite sal...

Three Tactics for Handling Objections

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your customer may raise an objection at any point during the sales process, and there is an infinite number of objections a customer may propose. In t...

Attaching to the Biggest Business Problem

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Rachel and John discuss the ever-pertinent need for sellers to identify and attach to the customer’s biggest business problem....

Upcoming Force Management Live Events

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t miss these upcoming Force Management Webinars: Your SKO: Common Mistakes You Can’t Afford to MakePlanning a hashtag is a big undertaking. E...

The Single Selling Motion

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is an abundance of tools and processes available to reps today, but it is incumbent on each seller to incorporate them into a cohesive strategy....

Answering Common Sales Rep Questions

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Ascender’s Engage page, we receive tons of questions from sales professionals throughout the country, many of whom face similar challenges. We ha...

Why You Aren’t Winning

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s quick episode, John Kaplan gives encouragement to sellers who may find themselves down on their luck. He discusses the tried-and-true act...

5 Things to Do Before Your Next Sales Conversation

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get back to the basic sales fundamentals that help ensure great sales conversations. John Kaplan provides five things you can practice before you jum...

Articulating Value Throughout the Sales Process

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Though we often speak about the need to sell based on value, keeping the customer focused on value throughout the sales process is a challenging, elit...

Working for a Bad Manager

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all worked for someone who we didn’t think was that great as a manager. How do you, a seller, handle the scenario in which you’re working ...

Freezing Up With Metrics and PBOs

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins Rachel for a conversation on the uncertainties reps often face in trying to discuss metrics with prospects. ...

When You Can’t Close Deals

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we move into Q3, some of you may find yourselves struggling to get deals over the line. In today’s episode, John Kaplan gets you refocused on the...

What to do about a Stalled Deal

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have customers delaying their signature? Do you have deals that are moving forward, but then stall right before the finish line? Force Manageme...

Key Questions to Ask in Every Deal

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Though we have many tools and strategies to help us qualify deals, sometimes the simple questions are enough to steer us in the right direction. Today...

How to Uncover Buyer Needs

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding the needs of the buyer is the critical component of any sales process, and successfully doing so encompasses a wide spectrum of sales be...

Identifying Different Buyer Personas

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every buyer has a unique personality, which requires a nuanced approach to every sales conversation. Today, Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos joins us to h...

Knowing When to Walk Away From a Deal

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s quick discussion, John Kaplan sheds light on a challenging decision for many reps: walking away from a deal. As ever, John shares the no-...

Do You Really Have a Champion?

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Finding a true Champion remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks for sales reps, as evidenced by the number of requests we continue to receive on t...

Five Areas Where You Need Consistency

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A comprehensive knowledge of sales fundamentals means nothing if you fail to apply it consistently. Today, John Kaplan discusses five areas that deman...

Three Ways to Save Time as a Quota-Carrying Rep

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re trying to exceed your quota this year, you need to make sure you’re spending as much time as possible on high-value sales activities. El...

Pursuing a Competitive Account

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you approach an account into which competitors are already firmly ingrained? How do you break a continuous cycle of rejection in favor of your ...

Time to Value: How to Sell When You Need to Show Value Quickly

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Regardless of the length of your implementation window in an opportunity, you must show your value. Brian Walsh joins us today for a quick discussion ...

Join Us! Common Mistakes When Articulating Value

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Force Management's Ascender team for our webinar THIS FRIDAY as we cover "Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Articulate Value". Hosted by Di...

Developing Mutual Action Plans

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk through the value of creating Mutual Action Plans with your customer, including: When you should use MAPsWhat a good MAP sho...

Selling to People with More Experience

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re making a career change or just joining the sales game, save this episode. Good selling is good selling, no matter your experience or ...

How Discovery Helps the Customer

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sales is a game of inches, and great discovery gives you an edge over the competition. A well-executed discovery process helps not only you, but also ...

Competing Against Other Priorities

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Getting your initiative to stand out in a sea of competing priorities is no small task, but it can be achieved with a proper understanding of the clie...

Capturing Value After the Initial Sale

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss keeping your value top of mind for the client throughout the entire customer engagement process. Joining us once again for...

Handling Competing Initiatives

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In many cases, your biggest competitors are not those trying to solve the same problem, but those geared toward the customer’s other initiatives. In...

Tips for Asking Great Questions

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A great discovery session requires great questions. In this episode, John Kaplan shares his insights on asking pertinent discovery questions. He discu...

Tackling the Competition

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You will inevitably face some form of competition in every deal. In today’s episode, Patrick “Paddy Mac” McLoughlin shares various tips on figur...

Where People Go Wrong with MEDDICC

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, we take a lot of the chatter we’ve heard about MEDDICC and break down our point-of-view about the methodology. John Kaplan sets str...

When Customers Go Dark

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All salespeople know of the frustration that comes with seeming abandonment by the customer. In today’s episode, Force Management Facilitator Diana ...

What Makes a Sales Negotiation Different

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Though training companies tend to lump negotiation skills into one bucket, sales negotiation has its own nuances that make it unique. Today, Tim Caito...

Moving into a Sales Manager Role

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you an individual contributor and want to move into a manager role? This podcast is a must-listen. John Kaplan runs through:things you need to mak...

Selling in a New Category

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re selling a new technology, it may be difficult to align to a pain point. How do you align to pain the customer doesn’t even know they hav...

Sales Conversations vs Business Conversations

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John Kaplan highlights the importance of business conversations as opposed to sales conversations when trying to navigate a landscape...

Three Habits You Need to Be an Elite Seller

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to be an elite salesperson, you need to put in the work. In this episode, John Kaplan runs through three key habits you need to execute on...

When Leadership Changes in Your Account

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are going to talk about what you do when you’re selling into an account and their leadership changes. Force Management Facilitator Diana Sh...

Going to a Startup

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Moving to a startup presents many opportunities, but it also poses its fair share of challenges. Today, John Kaplan shares his best insights to help g...