Donald, What Is Your GTM Motion Right Now? | Donald C. Kelly - 1987

I don’t believe in sharing sales advice unless I’m actively doing it myself. Right now, I’m building a podcasting agency, Blue Mango Studios, and putting these strategies into practice every day. I’m sharing what’s working as I go, so you can apply it to your own process.

Lead with a Point of Reference

• One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is reaching out without context. Buyers don’t respond because there’s no reason to.
• Instead, find a point of reference. That could be a post they shared, a comment they made, or a recent role change. When you lead with something relevant, you immediately separate yourself from generic outreach.
• That small shift makes it easier to start a real conversation.

Engagement Before Outreach

• Before sending a message, take a moment to engage. Like their content. Leave a meaningful comment. View their profile.
• These small actions build familiarity. When you do reach out, your name is no longer unfamiliar, which increases your chances of getting a response.

Turn Conversations into Opportunities

• Once you have engagement, the next step is starting a conversation. That might happen through LinkedIn, email, or a call.
• The key is not to rush the pitch. Focus on understanding what matters to them and how your solution fits into that.
• Conversations lead to opportunities. Opportunities lead to appointments.

Follow Up with Intention

• Most deals are not closed on the first interaction. It often takes multiple touchpoints to move things forward.
• That means consistent follow-up across multiple channels. Emails, calls, and continued engagement all play a role in staying visible and relevant.

A Simple Motion That Works

• This approach is not complicated, but it is intentional. Break through the noise. Create engagement. Start conversations. Then follow up with purpose.
• That’s the motion driving results right now. And if you’re willing to apply it consistently, it can work for you too.

“Break through the noise first. When you get engagement, you earn the right to start a conversation.” - Donald C. Kelly

Resources

• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help in creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and produced by Brightseed and Hill.