The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast

Episode Summary: "Finding the Business Pain w/ John Kaplan" (June 8, 2021)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on identifying and leveraging customer pain within the B2B sales process—specifically, how elite sellers connect both technical and business pains to drive urgency, attach meaningful value, and differentiate their solutions. John Kaplan and Rachel Klopp Miller break down why understanding the business pain (not just the technical one) is crucial to winning and growing deals, with actionable insights anchored in the MEDIC qualification methodology and real-world examples.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Critical Role of Pain in Sales Discovery

• John Kaplan underscores that it’s not enough to simply identify pain; sellers must get customers emotionally engaged with the negative consequences to create urgency.
  • Quote: “It’s not just about understanding the pain. It’s about getting the customer emotionally connected to the negative consequences of the pain to create that urgency of solving it.” (John Kaplan, 00:01)
  • The concept of making the customer “stand in their moment of pain” is framed as a crucial sales skill.
  • Kaplan humorously refers to high-urgency pain as “rip my face off” pain—pain the buyer can’t afford not to address.

2. Differentiating Between Technical and Business Pain

• Technical pain (often experienced by lower-level or technical buyers) differs from economic or business pain (felt by economic buyers/executives).
  • Critical distinction: Technical needs are necessary but insufficient for deal momentum or larger funding.
  • The best sellers connect the dots, positioning their solution where technical pain meets business pain.
  • Quote: “The most elite sellers always position themselves right in the middle of where the technical pain meets the business problem. You have to do both.” (John Kaplan, 02:22)

3. Language Matters: Who You Sound Like is Who You Sell To

• Memorable Maxim: “You get delegated to whom you sound like.”
  • Speak both technical and business languages to move freely within the organization.
  • Sellers must recognize how pain flows up and down the organization; understanding this allows them to “onramp” at different levels and attach their solution to larger business outcomes.
  • Quote: “You better make sure you know who you’re speaking to and what they care about.” (John Kaplan, 02:58)

4. Attaching to the Big Business Issue

• Attaching to business pain isn’t about being the sole solution, but about being an essential part of the overall answer.
• Real-world Example: Kaplan tells a story about an IT staffing company during a bank merger. The rep argued their solution was “just staffing,” but Kaplan clarified:
  • Without their specialized candidates, the multimillion-dollar merger integration couldn’t succeed.
  • Attaching the product/service to the larger business challenge earned the team credibility and ownership in the big picture.
  • Quote: “I'm just asking them to attach to a big business issue and get credit for attaching. Don't get hung up on [being] the sole solution.” (John Kaplan, 05:46)
• If you don't attach, you risk exclusion from stakeholder discussions and funding.

5. The Power of Champions and Coaches in Mapping Pain Flows

• Good champions will tell you the truth and help navigate organizational challenges—political or competitive.
• Champions have a vested interest in your mutual success, and will help you uncover real issues and red flags.
  • Quote: “Good champions will always tell you the truth. They'll deliver bad news that others won't. They'll also assist you in overcoming that news.” (John Kaplan, 07:18)

6. Differentiation: Link Your Strengths to Solving the Pain

• Sellers must frame their differentiation in terms of how they solve the customer’s pain better than anyone else.
  • Quote: “It's critical to align your differentiation to customer pain because in the end, you want to get credit for helping the customer solve that pain better than anybody else.” (John Kaplan, 08:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Rip my face off kind of pain.” (John Kaplan, 01:15)
  Captures the sense of urgency and emotional connection needed in uncovering true business pain.
• “You get delegated to whom you sound like.” (John Kaplan, 02:58)
  A succinct reminder about matching your language and level of conversation to your buyer.
• “Attaching to it gets you in the room, gets you in the conversation, gets you funding. Not attaching... leaves you out of all that.” (John Kaplan, 06:31)
  Emphasizes the tangible outcomes of tying your value to the big business issue.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01-01:04 – Why emotional connection to pain creates urgency in sales
• 01:51-02:40 – Technical vs. business pain: how to qualify both
• 02:58-03:58 – “You get delegated to whom you sound like” and how pain flows
• 04:09-06:18 – Real-world example: Attaching staffing services to a major business merger
• 06:46-07:57 – Leveraging champions and coaches to map and validate pain
• 08:27-08:54 – The importance of aligning differentiation with the customer’s pain
• 09:00-09:41 – Bottom line: Always ask, “What’s the biggest business issue facing your customer?”

Bottom Line & Actionable Takeaway

“The bottom line for me today is the first question you should always ask yourself—and be honest: What is the biggest business issue facing your customer?... Next, make sure that you’re always attaching to this big business issue. The most elite sellers position themselves right smack in the middle of where technical pain meets business outcomes. Today, take your rightful seat at the table. Go do it.”
– John Kaplan (09:00)

Final Thoughts

• Success in complex sales comes from moving beyond features and technical requirements, and focusing on the largest business issues driving your customers.
• Attach your solution to those issues, enlist champions to help trace and validate the pain, and differentiate by showing how only you can solve it “better than anybody else.”
• For sellers and leaders, this episode is a call to raise your level of discovery, value mapping, and internal positioning to create real urgency and impact.

[For full resources, connect with Force Management and explore previous episodes for deep dives on discovery and champion development.]