The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

Hosted by Force Management

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351

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Dec 2025

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About the show

The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast is a weekly show featuring B2B sales leaders and revenue-driving executives, who share their best insights on how a focus on sales effectiveness can help companies increase revenue, improve sales margins and gain market share. It’s presented by Force Management, a leader in building company alignment and equipping sales teams with the ability to execute growth strategies at the point of sale.We’ll cover topics like: Sales Leadership, Sales Transformation, Sales Initiative Results, Sales performance, Adoption and Reinforcement, making quota, high-tech sales, enterprise sales, and so much more.

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December 2, 202518 min

How to Handle the Not Right Now Objection

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 issue, or something deeper? In this episode, Rachel Clapp Miller sits down with Antonella O’Day to unpack the real reasons behind this common objection and share actionable strategies to keep deals warm without being pushy. Antonella explains why “not right now” often signals more than just budget freezes and timing challenges. She outlines four key scenarios that could be at play—from lack of urgency to missing internal consensus—and offers practical questions to diagnose the situation. Plus, learn how to maintain momentum, deliver value during delays, and use cadence as a powerful lever to build trust and stay top of mind.If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a polite “no” into a future “yes,” this episode is packed with insights you can put into practice today. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “not right now” is rarely just about timing Four common scenarios behind the objection Diagnostic questions to uncover the real reason How to keep relationships warm without selling The role of cadence in building trust and credibility Tactical tips for delivering value during delays Key Takeaways: Treat delays as a window to build relationships, not as dead ends. Deliver value without asking for anything in return—become a trusted resource. Use intentional, varied touchpoints to stay relevant without being annoying. Ask candid questions to save time and preserve relationships.

November 11, 202516 min

The End of the Year mindset with John Boney

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 discuss how sellers can maintain focus, prioritize effectively, and execute with clarity and discipline during the final stretch of the year.Whether you're managing stretch deals, navigating procurement hurdles, or trying to re-engage quiet accounts, this episode offers practical advice to help you finish the year with momentum—and set the stage for a successful Q1. Key Takeaways: Intentional Urgency: Learn how to drive urgency without sounding pushy by aligning with customer outcomes rather than internal sales timelines. Pipeline Segmentation: Break down your deals into three buckets—winnable, stretch, and next-year opportunities—to focus your efforts where they matter most. Avoid Common Pitfalls: Discover the top mistakes reps make in Q4, including leading with discounts and ignoring procurement/legal timelines. Reactivating Quiet Accounts: Use proof points, industry insights, and respectful “breakup emails” to reignite stalled conversations. Mutual Action Plans: Co-create timelines with buyers to ensure alignment and avoid last-minute surprises. Leveraging Internal Stakeholders: Engage leaders and cross-functional partners early to help move strategic deals forward. Resources Mentioned: “Asking for Help” Podcast Episode

November 4, 202522 min

Owning Your Success

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 position to succeed as a sales rep. Plus, as promised, here is the definition of a floppy disk for our younger listeners: a thin plastic disk coated with magnetic material on which data for a computer can be stored (Merriam-Webster). If you have any ideas for future episodes, send them to Rachel at rclapp@forcemanagement.com. Here are some additional resources How to Ensure You're Selling for a Great Company (forcemanagement.com) How to Make Sure You're Working for Great Companies | Podcast Building an Accountable Culture | Podcast Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

October 28, 202510 min

Prepping Others for Your Sales Calls

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 your success. If you want someone to join you on a call (product engineer, manager, etc.), you have to be able to provide them with fluency about the deal and clarity on their role in the conversation. John Kaplan covers what information you need to share and how help ensure those joining you are best prepared. Here are some additional resources How to Ask for Help on Your Deals 5 Things to Do Before Your Next Sales Conversation Key Things to Do After Every Sales Call Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

October 21, 202514 min

Moving Up and Down in Organizations

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 up and down in organizations. Hear John Kaplan’s tips for continually building a business case that maps the technical capabilities of your solution to the required capabilities for different decision makers in an organization. He explains what the mantra is, how you can build it through customer conversations, and leverage it to get champions to sell on your behalf. Here are some additional resources Align with the Buying Process: The Power of the Mantra Why You’re Struggling With Metrics in the Sales Conversation Navigating the Decision Process With Multiple Buyers [Podcast] Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

October 14, 202514 min

Go High, Go Low – Adjusting Your Sales Conversation

Enjoy this replay of a great episode with John Kaplan. As a seller, you need to communicate effectively with people throughout an organization - both on the economic and technical levels. That means adjusting your sales conversation to what’s relevant to the individual in front of you. In this episode, John Kaplan shares insights that will allow you to swiftly adapt to any type of sales conversation. He gives advice to help you: Prepare for conversations at the executive table. Manage meetings wherein both technical and business buyers are present. Overcome Seller Deficit Disorder. Use the Mantra framework to narrate a story that every decision-maker involved in your deal can get behind. Here are some additional resources: Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison Ascender Sales Topics - Positioning Yourself against the Competition https://youtu.be/YayJtT22TEg Ascender Course: Getting to the Economic Buyer https://bit.ly/3U6dObH Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

October 7, 202521 min

Selling in a New Category

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 align to pain the customer doesn’t even know they have? Many AI startups have this challenge. How do you get the customer to see a new way of doing old things? In this episode, Brian Walsh breaks down ways you can think about your sales conversation so you’re able to drive urgency, even when you’re selling in a new category. He also runs through how to set up a test project, in order to build credibility with the customer. Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

September 30, 202515 min

Building an Accountable Culture

Becoming elite as a sales organization demands a culture of accountability. A great sales planning process combined with a voracious qualification process builds an ecosystem of accountability across large-scale sales organizations. John Kaplan shares what these companies implement to foster a culture of accountability, detailing key steps for leaders and reps to take. Here are some additional resources: Set A Results-Driven Sales Planning Mindset Develop a Sales Franchise Mindset How to Improve Qualification in Your Sales Organization Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

September 23, 202515 min

Tips for Managing Your Time

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 with a mindset of ownership over your territory, discusses the calendar management habits of elite sellers, explains how to balance current deals with pipeline generation, and urges reps to sell proactively rather than reactively. He also advises managers on adding value to teams while avoiding micromanagement. Here are some additional resources: Get MEDDICC Certified on Ascender! Actionable Account Planning | Ascender Course Effective Opportunity Coaching Sessions | Ascender Course Five Things to Help You Uncover New Business Opportunities | Ascender Article Sales Managers: Test Your Reps’ Ability to Compete in Deals | Ascender Article Are You Owning Your Success As a Salesperson? | Ascender Video The Franchise Mindset | Podcast Building a Rhythm Around Pipeline Generation | Podcast How to Uncover Buyer Needs | Podcast Visit Ascender, a platform designed solely for salespeople who own a quota. If you enjoy the Audible-Ready Sales Podcast, Ascender is perfect for you! We put out content every day with insights to help you level up in your sales career. Check out the platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Subscribe here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison

September 16, 202515 min

Action Steps When You Inherit Accounts

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, is inheriting others’ accounts. In some cases, you’ll follow someone who did a stellar job, and other times, you’ll have to pick up the pieces of someone not as successful. Both circumstances pose their own set of unique challenges. John Kaplan shares insights about how to approach joining a new account. He gives advice about: The first steps to take after inheriting an account. The need to be audible-ready to speak to the people already in the account you’re inheriting. How to begin developing the relationships you need within the account. What to do when faced with skepticism or hostility from the customer upon your entrance into the account. Here are some additional resources: Subscribe to Ascender: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/PlanComparison How to Ensure You're Audible-Ready in Your B2B Sales Conversations https://bit.ly/3G3mhIr Selling to Hesitant Customers | Podcast https://apple.co/3G1hTKa Check out this and other episodes of The Audible-Ready Podcast at Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .