The Sales Evangelist

In the dynamic world of sales, the game has evolved. Gone are the days of relying on a single decision-maker to push a deal forward. Today, successful sales professionals understand the importance of engaging with multiple organizational stakeholders to secure the coveted win. In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald speaks with sales expert Nick Reed Smith. They discuss the increasingly complex world of sales and how to manage multiple stakeholders in the buying process effectively. Nick shares his experience and strategies for multithreading deals, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with various decision-makers and influencers within an organization to increase the chances of closing a deal successfully. Join Donald and Nick as they dive into the art of multithreading and uncover helpful tips for sales professionals seeking to improve their techniques. The Changing Dynamics of Sales Processes Nick highlights the evolving nature of the sales landscape, where deals are becoming more complex and multiple stakeholders are involved. He emphasizes the need for sales reps to adapt and find new ways to interact with buyers effectively. Becoming a Trusted Consultant One of the key shifts in buyer expectations is the desire for sales professionals to act as consultants rather than mere order-takers. Buyers want a partner who understands their needs, manages multiple stakeholders, and provides valuable insights throughout the sales process. Understanding Multithreading Nick introduces the concept of multithreading, which involves building relationships with multiple individuals within the buying organization. Rather than relying solely on one point of contact, sales reps should engage with decision-makers, economic champions, technical champions, and coaches to comprehensively understand the deal's dynamics. Mapping the Organizational Landscape To effectively multithread, sales professionals need to identify the key personas and individuals they should engage with within the buying organization. Nick advises sales reps to map out the various stakeholders they must interact with, ensuring they cover all necessary roles, such as CRO, CFO, Rev Ops, head of alliances, and VP of sales. Taking Control and Providing Updates Nick emphasizes the need for sales reps to maintain control of the multithreading process. Instead of asking permission to interact with other stakeholders, he suggests clearly communicating to the initial point of contact that multiple team members have been reaching out to their counterparts. This approach keeps everyone informed and engaged while setting the foundation for a collaborative relationship. Balancing Pushiness and Transparency Some may perceive constant engagement with multiple stakeholders as pushy, but Nick argues that it is necessary in today's sales environment. By framing the multithreading approach as a shared effort involving various team members, sales reps assert their expertise and demonstrate their commitment to understanding the organization as a whole. Managing multiple stakeholders in complex sales deals is a growing challenge for sales professionals. Through the art of multithreading, sales reps can build stronger relationships and easily navigate the buying process's complexities. The key takeaway from this discussion is that multithreading is not only a sales strategy but also a mindset shift toward becoming a trusted advisor and consultant to buyers. "Oftentimes, what I found the reason for me that it does slip is because, okay, I was spending too much time with the person I thought was the decision-maker. And maybe I didn't have enough knowledge of what was going on in other departments, or maybe there was someone else higher up that I needed more buy-in from them." -Nick Reed Smith Resources Nick Reed Smith on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. 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

Have you ever faced the challenge of trying to increase your outbound contact ratio? In today's highly competitive business landscape, reaching out to new clients can be challenging. But what if we told you there's a way to double your contact with prospects and see significant improvements in your sales results? In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with Richard from Durham Lane, an integrated sales and marketing outsourcing business based in the UK. They discuss the challenges of net new client acquisition and how Durham Lane successfully increased their outbound contact ratio by adopting a qualitative approach to prospecting. Richard shares valuable insights on intelligent prospecting, omnichannel strategies, and the importance of meaningful conversations with potential clients. The Importance of Intelligent Prospecting Richard highlights the need to move away from solely focusing on effort and instead embrace intelligent prospecting and thoughtful business development activities. Durham Lane believes in the power of engaging prospects in meaningful conversations to drive Net New client acquisition. They have developed techniques based on selling at a high-level methodology, which they successfully implemented to improve their outbound contact ratios. Omnichannel Approach for Effective Engagement Durham Lane emphasizes the importance of an omnichannel approach to maximize their outreach efforts. While technology plays a crucial role in facilitating communication, it's vital to understand the customer journey and use various channels to engage with potential clients. Richard explains that providing sales teams with tools like telephone, email, and LinkedIn is not enough. To ensure successful engagement, businesses need to support the entire customer journey and tailor messages to the buyer's specific state – whether they are in the problem education, solution research, or solution selection phase. The Power of Relevance and Call to Action Richard emphasizes the significance of relevance in messaging strategies. Using the same message for prospects at different stages of the buyer's journey often results in a lack of engagement. Therefore, Durham Lane focuses on creating tailored messages that address each targeted persona's specific problems, solutions, and aspirations. Alongside relevance, a clear and compelling call to action is essential to encourage prospects to take the desired next step. By emphasizing business fit and value, businesses can demonstrate their understanding of the buyer's needs and establish a meaningful connection. Swift and Strategic Follow-up One of the critical success factors in increasing outbound contact ratios is the speed and effectiveness of follow-up. Durham Lane prioritizes timely follow-up to keep prospects engaged and convert their interest into opportunities. They ensure that their sales team is equipped to have meaningful conversations, showcasing their understanding and expertise. Richard emphasizes the importance of being part of a consistent and valuable conversation thread that progresses from digital interactions to human communication. Richard’s experience and approach to increasing outbound contact ratios provide valuable lessons for businesses looking to improve their prospecting and business development efforts. Implementing these strategies can lead to more successful engagement, ultimately contributing to business growth and success. “Work with your colleagues in your marketing team and bring the two functions together because you should really be driving towards the same goal, which is peeking the attention of the right people in the right types of company so that your sales team can convert them into revenue and your customer success team can look after them for life. If you can achieve that, you have a winning strategy.” - Richard Lane. Resources Durhamlane.com [email protected] Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. 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 <a href=...

It's hard to keep up with the current methods of the sales industry? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," you will discover the sales industry's current SDR/BDR challenges and innovative strategies to combat them. Our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with Howard Dover, a sales expert, researcher, and professor, on how staying adaptable and adjusting helps you become a better sales rep. From the psychological toll of constant rejection to the destruction of dreams and careers, it is evident that a change is needed. Join us as we uncover the importance of innovation and adaptability in achieving success. The Changing Landscape of Sales Howard discusses research on the sales industry, sharing insights from tracking data on sales cities and the growth of Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). LinkedIn's 2018 report shows that the SDR function has experienced exponential growth, increasing by 580% over the past three years. Howard highlights the need for innovative approaches in sales outreach as the buyer's behavior evolves with each new tactic. The Power of Unique Prospecting The importance of pattern interrupting and capturing attention in sales outreach efforts is emphasized. Howard shares a personal example to illustrate the significance of having a captivating offer and using behavioral adjustment to act differently in certain situations. Buyers have become overwhelmed by traditional approaches, and Howard suggests that honest and unique methods can help sales professionals stand out. The Future of Sales and Strategies Reflecting on the future of the sales industry, Howard predicts a shift towards a full lifecycle approach, where salespeople will generate their own leads and build their own pipelines. The need to revisit older sales methodologies and find effective ways to adapt to the present market is discussed. He acknowledges the challenges of breaking away from conventional training and thinking but emphasizes the potential rewards of embracing a more agile and business-minded mindset. The Dust Bowl Analogy Drawing inspiration from the Dust Bowl disaster, Howard highlights the parallel between the flawed plowing technique and the challenges faced in the sales industry. The importance of adjusting and evolving approaches in response to changing customer behaviors is emphasized, drawing from interviews with successful students during the pandemic. Scott Leasey's belief in avoiding overprocessing and adopting creative, business-minded approaches is mentioned as a valuable perspective. Embracing Change and Human Behavior Howard encourages sales professionals to embrace change and understand human behavior, suggesting that success lies in creativity and adapting to the current market. The concept of standing out by grasping human behavior and exploring creativity is discussed. The risks of sticking to old methods are highlighted, with the speaker emphasizing the need to become adaptable and open to new approaches. The sales industry can be unforgiving, but there are strategies and approaches that can lead to success. By embracing change, staying agile, and thinking outside the box, sales reps in can navigate the ever-changing landscape and achieve their goals. "Being honest and unique in our approach can capture the buyer's attention and set us apart from the years of attempts to hack the system." - Howard Dover Resources Howard Dover LinkedIn The Sales Innovation Paradox by Howard Dover Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. 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, <a href=...

If you don't understand why people buy, you may want to kiss your career as a sales rep goodbye. Also, if you're having difficulty connecting with your prospects, you may not be able to reach your monthly goals either. Luckily, your host, Donald Kelly, spoke with the perfect guest to help you understand your prospects better. In this episode, Donald interviews Eric, a business strategist and coach, about understanding the reasons behind customer buying decisions and how to improve sales conversion rates. Eric introduces the BANK framework, an innovative tool that helps salespeople connect with customers more deeply by understanding their personality types and values. This episode explores the importance of understanding customer buying behavior and provides practical strategies for sales success. Understanding Customer Buying Behavior Eric highlights the need to go beyond traditional sales techniques and understand customers' underlying motivations. Salespeople often deliver the same pitch; some customers say yes, while others say no. Understanding why people buy is crucial to improving sales conversion rates. Eric emphasizes the significance of recognizing that individuals have different personality types, values, and decision-making processes. Introducing the BANK Framework Eric introduces the BANK framework, which stands for Blueprint, Action, Nurture, and Knowledge. The framework helps salespeople identify and adapt to each customer's personality type, enabling effective communication and building customer trust. The BANK framework goes beyond gender-specific differences and provides insights into the underlying values that drive customer decisions. Overcoming the Language Barrier Eric compares the struggle of ineffective communication in sales to speaking different languages. Salespeople often present their products or services in ways that resonate with them but may not connect with the customer. By understanding and adapting to the customer's preferred language, salespeople can bridge the communication gap and tailor their presentations to meet specific needs. The Four Elements of the BANK Framework Blueprint (B): Represents individuals who value stability, accuracy, and organization. They prefer logical and detailed information that helps them make informed decisions. Action (A): Represents individuals who value excitement, speed, and results. They seek quick solutions and appreciate presentations that offer immediate benefits. Nurture (N): Represents individuals who value relationships, collaboration, and trust. They respond to personal connections and appreciate salespeople who take the time to understand their needs. Knowledge (K): Represents individuals who value expertise, data, and evidence. They appreciate presentations that provide in-depth knowledge and demonstrate credibility. Implementing the BANK Framework Eric discusses how the BANK framework can be applied in sales scenarios. Salespeople are encouraged to assess the customer's dominant BANK code based on their preferences, communication style, and decision-making processes. Salespeople can tailor their presentations to meet each customer's needs and values by leveraging insights from the framework. Understanding customer buying behavior is crucial for sales success. The BANK framework emphasizes individual personality types and values, and provides salespeople with a powerful tool to connect with customers authentically. You can increase the conversion rate and build stronger client relationships by adapting your presentations and communication styles to the customer's preferred language. Using the BANK framework will improve your sales performance and enhance customer satisfaction with ease. "Because for many of us, we must understand why people spend money with us. Like, why is someone going to buy from us? And I'm hoping today that you can help us to grasp that better and grow in that understanding." - Eric Goodman Resources To get your complimentary personality report ($99 value) that will provide valuable insights and communication tips that you can apply right away please take 90 seconds and visit https://crackmycode.com/communicate Eric Goodman LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: normal;...

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly discusses the importance of utilizing LinkedIn effectively as a sales professional. Those working as business development representatives or trying to build a sales pipeline should tune in to this week’s episode. Donald shares three key focus areas for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to grab attention, generate more appointments, and ultimately drive sales. Utilize Your Banner ● Donald emphasizes the often overlooked real estate of the banner on your LinkedIn profile. This space provides an opportunity to showcase your value proposition and target audience. ● Potential prospects can quickly understand how you can help them if you clearly state who you serve and the industries you specialize in. ● Additionally, if your company has noteworthy brand recognition, include it in the banner to further establish credibility. ● Donald suggests using Canva to create a professional and eye-catching banner that aligns with your company's branding. You can begin selling to prospects even before you engage in a conversation by maximizing the potential of your banner. Take Advantage of the Name Pronunciation Feature ● LinkedIn offers a feature that allows users to record a 10-second audio clip pronouncing their names. ● While this feature is crucial for individuals with complex names, Donald recommends utilizing it regardless of the simplicity of your name. ● The audio introduction serves as an additional engagement tool and helps prospects connect with you on a deeper level. Optimize Your Headline ● The headline section is often filled with generic information such as job titles and company names automatically generated by LinkedIn. ● Donald suggests utilizing this space strategically. ● Consider using keywords your target audience is likely searching for, such as specific industry terms or pain points. ● Craft a headline that attracts potential prospects to learn more about you and your expertise. ● It's essential to align your headline with your specific goals and expertise, ensuring it accurately represents your value proposition. Be Proactive and Engage ● Donald advises being proactive and engaging with your LinkedIn network regularly. ● Interact with posts, share valuable content, and participate in industry discussions. ● Building a strong presence on LinkedIn will strengthen your personal brand, enhance credibility, and attract potential leads. Maximizing your LinkedIn profile as a sales professional can significantly impact your ability to grab attention, generate appointments, and close deals. These four tips will help you make a lasting impression on potential prospects and increase your chances of success. "Your profile needs to sell before you even have a conversation with someone." -Donald Kelly. Resources Donald C. Kelly LinkedIn 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. 2. 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. 3. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com. 4. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Are you holding yourself accountable? If not, then it’s keeping you from success within the sales industry. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with Jessica Schultz about the importance of holding yourself accountable as a sales representative. Discover what accountability means and how it can improve your sales performance. The Power of Leading by Example Jessica highlights the significance of leaders displaying the behaviors they expect from their team members. Leading by example sets the tone for the entire organization, as it helps build trust and respect among team members. Clear expectations should be set, and any issues that arise should be addressed through reporting and conversations with the team members involved. She also stresses that if team members consistently fail to meet expectations despite efforts to support and guide them, leaders should be willing to cut ties and send a clear message to others. Importance of Accountability and Feedback One-on-one meetings allow one to discuss concerns, ideas, and goals. However, Jessica acknowledges that one-on-one meetings can often be neglected due to other priorities. To ensure accountability, metrics should be defined, and transparent reporting should be implemented. The CEO's voice is vital in addressing underperforming team members, as a clear directive from the top can greatly impact the team's performance. Educating Leaders on Effective Sales Management Jessica discusses the need for educating founders and sales leaders on what good sales management looks like. Defining expectations with metrics and implementing transparent reporting are key to holding sales leaders accountable. She encourages sales managers to stay on top of expectations to ensure reps hit their goals. The Role of Sales Leaders in Deal Management Jessica emphasizes the importance of being prepared for calls, promptly following up with reps and customers, and staying engaged and available to support the sales team. The use of technology tools like Gong can help identify challenges and keywords in conversations but should not be relied upon solely. Managers must still actively listen to the entire conversation and analyze it further. Breaking Down Sales Metrics for Success Many companies struggle to determine which metrics to manage their sales representatives to. Jessica highlights the importance of breaking down revenue goals into actionable tasks for reps. Educating clients on critical sales metrics like average contract value (ACV) and conversion rates is also crucial. Founders may struggle to provide effective coaching, even if they listen to sales calls. She shares their approach to determining the number of weekly meetings with qualified customers to close deals and setting goals accordingly. Setting clear expectations for sales leaders and team members is crucial for a thriving sales organization. Jessica shares her insights on accountability for sales leaders and founders in optimizing their sales processes. "Clear expectations should be set, and any issues should be resolved through reporting and conversations." - Jessica Schultz Resources Jessica Schultz LinkedIn Amplify Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com. 4. 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 ...

Everyone needs a good book to help them build essential skills for their career. If you’re in the sales industry, you must grab a copy of “Nine Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders” to help you learn how to negotiate better. But how is this book going to help you become a better negotiator? In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly interviews the author and negotiation training expert, Mark Raffan. He shares his insights on why negotiation is often perceived as complex and how to navigate it effectively. Also, he discusses the key principles from his book, which aim to simplify negotiation and help readers achieve better outcomes in their deals. Mark Raffan Background Mark is a negotiation trainer at Negotiations Ninja, where he helps sales leaders develop and deliver content worldwide. His job is to help people make more money, close more deals, and become better negotiators. Recently, he wrote the book, “Nine Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders.” Dissecting the Complexities of Negotiation Mark begins by addressing the misconception that negotiation is a mysterious and magical process. He attributes this perception to media portrayals in movies like "Wolf of Wall Street," which depict negotiations as effortless and producing instant results. However, real negotiation is far from glamorous and relies on strategic planning rather than magic or tricks. Unlocking Success Drivers The book emphasizes the importance of understanding what one wants to achieve in a negotiation. Mark advises readers to define their contractual terms, target upsells and cross-sells, and identify strategic areas to drive value. This strategic planning is crucial in avoiding reactive behavior during negotiations, allowing negotiators to maintain control and increase their chances of achieving favorable outcomes. The Pitfall of Customer-Centricity While being customer-focused is essential, Mark cautions against neglecting the objectives and interests of their own organization. Many salespeople make significant concessions to meet the counterparty's demands, often at the expense of their own goals. The book advises sales leaders and negotiators to balance understanding the counterparty's needs and prioritizing their aspirations. Leadership's Role in Developing Negotiation Skills The book addresses sales leaders, highlighting the importance of educating and empowering sellers in effective negotiation practices. By encouraging a shift from solely focusing on revenue acquisition to considering deal quality, leaders can inspire their teams to think strategically. The goal is to foster a mindset that cultivates better long-term results and profitability. Understanding Deal Quality In today's market, the focus on growth has often overshadowed the importance of deal quality. Mark challenges this approach, emphasizing the need to evaluate the value and risks associated with each deal. He provides insights on determining deal quality and outlines strategies to build value while minimizing risks consistently. Listeners are invited to dive deeper into the subject matter by reading Mark's book, "Nine Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders." This enlightening resource is tailored to salespeople and sales leaders seeking to empower their teams and prioritize deal quality. So, if you're ready to unlock the secrets to uncomplicated negotiation and achieve better results in your deals, pick up a copy of the book today. "Real negotiation is significantly more boring. Real negotiation is about strategy. It's about planning." -Mark Raffan Resources Nine Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders Negotiations Ninja Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the...

In this episode, Donald speaks with Kevin, the Chief Technology Officer of the Americas at Ciena. They discuss the complexities and challenges of B2B enterprise selling. Kevin shares insights into the evolving landscape of enterprise deals, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind a product or service offering. The conversation highlights the need for effective communication and providing memorable examples to decision-making committees, ultimately leading to successful outcomes. The Increasing Complexity of B2B Enterprise Selling As technology advances, B2B enterprise selling has become more complex and confusing. The integration of tools like AI adds layers of complexity to the selling process. It is crucial to adhere to the basics and understand the fundamentals of enterprise selling. The Role of Kevin as the Chief Technology Officer of the Americas Kevin leads a technical team of sales engineers and sales specialists at Ciena. The team's primary objective is to assist business customers in making the right purchasing decisions. Challenges in Enterprise-level and Complex Deals In the past, individual decision-makers played a key role in the purchasing process. However, in today's enterprise deals, decision-making power rests with a complex council of decision-makers. Sales professionals must equip their customers with the necessary skills and tools to present the value proposition to the entire decision-making council effectively. Shifting Focus from the "What" to the "Why" Previously, the sales pitch predominantly focused on describing the technical aspects of the product (the "what"). With the involvement of decision-making committees, it has become crucial to emphasize the "why" behind the product/service offering. Sales teams need to explain the importance of the proposed solution, and its impact on the customer's business, and provide real-life examples to support their claims. This shift towards the "why" ensures a comprehensive understanding of the value proposition and makes it more memorable. Enhancing Memorability and Communication It is insufficient to rely solely on PowerPoint presentations or technical demonstrations to convey the value proposition. The sales team should strive to provide the customer with simple, memorable, and repeatable examples. These examples enable the customer to share their enthusiasm and effectively communicate the value proposition to their peers within the decision-making committee. B2B enterprise selling has become increasingly complex, necessitating a shift in sales strategies. Understanding the "why" behind a product or service offering and effectively communicating this value proposition to decision-making committees is crucial for success. Kevin emphasizes the importance of providing memorable examples and enabling customers to become effective ambassadors for the proposed solution. By focusing on the "why," sales teams can establish a deeper connection with customers and increase the chances of winning complex enterprise deals. "When you go to these decision-making committees, there's always others on the committee, but not necessarily in the room with you that are very interested in the why." - Kevin Sheehan Resources Ciena Sponsorship Offers 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. 2. 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. 3. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com. 4. 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 <a href=...

In this episode, host Donald Kelly speaks with Jack Funk from a small startup called Salesforce in the Silicon Valley area. Jack shares his experiences and strategies for closing deals in one call. With over three years of experience at Salesforce and as a certified admin, Jack has honed his skills in simplifying the sales process and bridging the gap between client problems and solutions. Keeping it Simple ● Jack emphasizes the importance of keeping the sales process as simple as possible to increase the chances of closing a deal in one call. He believes in the KISS principle (Keep it Simple, Stupid), which involves making it easy for prospects to buy from you. ● Rather than scheduling multiple calls for demos and presentations, Jack believes in providing all necessary information during the initial call. This approach saves time and caters to the busy schedules of decision-makers. Demonstrating Value ● When speaking with potential clients, Jack typically starts the conversation by getting to know their needs and pain points. If the prospect seems like a good fit, he quickly transitions to a live demo or screen-sharing session. ● By showing a personalized demonstration of how Salesforce can solve their specific problems, Jack creates a visual and interactive experience that engages the prospect. This approach helps build their understanding and trust in the product. Sales Karma ● Jack strongly believes in doing what is right for the customer. Instead of overselling or complicating the sales process, he aims to identify the core needs of the prospect and provide them with the exact solution they require. ● This philosophy aligns with his previous VP's motto: "See a bear, shoot a bear." By offering simplicity and addressing the customer's fundamental needs, Jack ensures a seamless sales experience and builds trust. Catering to SMBs ● While not exclusively limited to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Jack's one-call close strategy is particularly effective. In SMBs, decision-making processes are often simpler and less bureaucratic. ● Jack points out that conversations usually involve one or a few key stakeholders who have the authority to make a purchasing decision. By focusing on these decision-makers and their needs, Jack increases the chances of closing deals in a single call. Conversion Rate ● With his simplified approach and focus on providing value, Jack achieved an impressive 30% conversion rate using the one-call close strategy. ● While not every conversation resulted in a closed deal, Jack's process allowed him to quickly evaluate prospects and determine if there was a mutual fit. ● He maintained a high closing rate and effectively grew his client base by being efficient with his time and resources. Closing deals in one call may seem challenging, but Jack's strategies showcase the power of simplicity and personalized demonstrations. Sales professionals can improve their conversion rates by focusing on understanding customer needs, providing clear information, and selling only what is essential. Implementing Jack's one-call close strategy can save time and effort, allowing salespeople to be more productive and successful in their sales endeavors. "Make it as simple as possible to buy from you. Give the customer every piece of information possible to make a decision, even if they never talk to you again." - Jack Funk Resources Jack's LinkedIn 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. 2. 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. 3. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com. 4. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

You try to do everything you can to keep a prospect happy. By doing so, you believe it will prevent potential buyers from saying no to your services. However, avoiding tension within the sales process is a huge mistake. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly will discuss why sales reps need to create tension. He will also share different ways to create healthy tension that’ll help you close deals. Why Do You Need Tension? One problem Donald is seeing is that buyers are taking more time to decide what they should spend their money on. Because of this, sales reps need to ensure their deals, products, or services are good. Buyers' longer decision-making process also makes sales reps more fearful of creating tension. Even when they know their deals are good, sales reps are afraid to upset buyers. Sales representatives must remember that tension isn’t bad. It’s essential to have tension to help move along the sales process. Why Do You Need Tension? Don’t hold on to the fear of being declined: Donald discusses that many sales reps don’t push back when a prospect says they’re working with someone else. You can ask the potential buyer who the other vendor they’re working with, so don’t be afraid to do it. If the prospect becomes uncomfortable sharing the information, then it may be a red flag. Go deeper into the follow-up questions: If a prospect says they’re looking for a solution to a problem, then you should ask more questions to discover on the problem is affecting them. Look at tension as a good thing: Donald compares tension within the sales process to when a person starts working out more. When you first start exercising, your body hurts because you’re building muscles. Seeing it from this perspective should show you that when you create tension, it will provide benefits in the future. Prospect gives an objection: Most sellers try to jump in and offer deals when a potential buyer objects to their services. Instead, dive deeper and figure out why the prospect is objecting. Always remember that tension isn’t a bad thing. When you ask questions about a problem a prospect is having, you come across as an expert. Look for ways to have healthy tension in the sales process to help you progress the deal. Lastly, don’t end the conversation without having a clear next step. Be sure to set up an appointment with the prospective client to ensure they’re on board with you. “Sometimes sales are uncomfortable, and change is not always easy. So if a buyer is changing, there’s going to be a need for tension.” - Donald Kelly Resource Donald C Kelly LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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. Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Are you sending hundreds of emails, and no one is responding? You must listen to this week’s episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast to help you discover new outreach methods. Your host, Donald Kelly, speaks with Tom Slocum on the state of sales outreach. Listen to their advice on emailing, so potential customers will be more willing to work with you. Trends in Email Outreach During a conference, Tom discovered that many sales reps don’t follow up on emails. If you notice potential customers haven’t replied, try doing a follow-up email. When writing emails, it’s best to be creative to help make the message more personalized. You can do this by adding visualizations to bring a human effort into play. Consider including a video or voice memos to help make emails more engaging and personal. When sales reps take the extra step within their emails, it creates personalization. By taking the extra step, you make potential clients feel as though you care about their problems. You don’t have to be super personal in every email you send. Tom discusses the importance of bucketing and prioritizing when sending emails. Personalization Is Not Personalization Personalization is not bringing up random topics and hoping a prospective client will start conversing with you. You need to really pay attention to how they’re a good fit for the product you’re selling. Once you discover this, you can send an email discussing your services and how you can potentially help them. Remember clients want to feel as though you actually care about them and their problems. Advice For Management It can be hard to test new methods when you’re leading a team that’s sending 5,000 emails every day. Tom discusses why sales managers should create microenvironments, where certain teams test new methods. When the whole team tests a new method it can become scary. Either you or a specific group of people should test new methods to prevent everyone from worrying if it will work or not. Microenvironments also allow managers to evaluate theories effectively. After testing your methods on 100 accounts, ask for feedback to see if there was an improvement in the email outreach strategy. Using AI Tools for Email Outreach Tom shares how to use AI tools for creativity when sending emails to potential clients. He provides an example of how to research clients with AI tools and make personalized emails. The key is to use AI to help you work smarter, not harder. After listening to this episode, take some time to reflect on these methods and apply them to your outreach strategy. Don’t forget to find Donald on LinkedIn and let him know if these methods worked for you. “Everybody is going left, then you should go right. Try to be different to strike something within the person you’re emailing to help you stand out.” - Tom Slocum Resources Donald Kelly LinkedIn Tom Slocum LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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 ...

The most powerful online tool for sales professionals is LinkedIn. You know the platform is a goldmine for finding prospects and connecting with others in the industry. Currently, you have 400 connections on LinkedIn. But, have you even said anything to them besides Happy Birthday? Most people don’t know how to use LinkedIn properly. You may not even know how to start a conversation to make someone say more than “thank you.” In this week’s episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly shares his hidden strategy for starting conversations on LinkedIn. Listen to Donald’s advice to make prospective buyers reply to your messages. Don’t Engage in LinkedIn Phishing Do you send hundreds of automated emails hoping someone will bite? You do know this is basically email spam on LinkedIn, right? Instead, pretend it’s the 1950s and start conversations like people used to do. Silver Bullet: LinkedIn shares other celebrations with you besides birthdays. Donald tells you why it’s vital to pay attention to these. Also, Donald shares a story of how he uses this LinkedIn feature uniquely. He discovered the key to making people respond to messages faster. Consider Sending a Video You may be nervous about getting on camera, but it could lead to more engagement on LinkedIn. It's worth you overcoming your fears and taking this risk. Donald discovered by sending a personal video that his LinkedIn connection was more willing to do business. Pay attention to birthdays, work anniversaries, and promotions. You can use these celebrations to start great conversations on LinkedIn. Are you struggling to create the perfect LinkedIn profile? Check out our 6-week LinkedIn Prospecting Course and start generating 3-5 appointments per week. Donald shares insightful advice within this week’s episode. Subscribe and listen to The Sales Evangelist Podcast for more LinkedIn strategies. Resources The Sales Evangelist LinkedIn Course Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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. Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Another economic crisis is happening, so what does this mean for the sales industry? In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with Jeffrey Hayzlett about what to do during these challenging times. Discover how to increase your sales when the economy faces a crisis in this episode. Jefferey Hayzlett Background Jefferey has years of experience working as a primetime TV and radio host. He is now the owner and chairman of the C-suite network. The network includes radio stations, television shows, and podcast shows. He shares his knowledge of success to help others achieve their success in life. After experiencing several financial crises, he learned to turn the negatives into positives during tough times. Within this episode, he will share this knowledge to help you conquer challenging situations as a sales representative. Past Downturns Jefferey explains past financial crises, returning to the economic crisis of 1907. However, despite these challenging times, they still had good aspects. For example, during the economic crisis of 1907, the birth of General Motors happened. He is trying to point out that businesses can be created or bounced back even if a financial crisis is happening. How to Thrive During a Downturn Instead of focusing on the negatives, focus on the steps to make changes. Businesses have to adapt and be relentless during tough times. Jeffery shares a story of him working with a company during the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. The company had to lay off 8500, and billions of dollars were affected during this time. However, the company was able to survive during this challenging period. There will always be bad times for a company, and there's no way to escape it. During these dire times, you must remember not to complain and take action. Next, ensure every team member in your company is aligned with the mission. This means everyone knows where the company is going and how it will happen. Make sure you set the right mood for the company. If everyone believes their best days are behind them, then it is. Lastly, remember to always communicate with your team. Let everyone know your plans and the steps or actions you need for them to take to make your goals happen. During a downturn, it's essential for you to stop focusing on the negatives and develop a plan to make changes. With this week's episode, Jeffrey shares that it's all about mindset and your actions on how you can keep growing your business during tough times. Also, host Donald and guest speaker Jeffrey share insight on what you should be doing with your LinkedIn connections. Subscribe and listen to the Sales Evangelist podcast to get real and actionable tips for the sales industry. "For all those sitting out there saying, hey, it's not possible, Oh, it's too tough. Start selling and start making some moves; find some whitespace. You know, 53% of your customers would do more business with you right now. If you ask." - Jeffrey Hayzlett Resources Jeffrey Hayzlett email: [email protected] hayzlett.com Jeffrey Hayzlett Twitter Jeffrey Hayzlett Instagram C Suite Network Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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

What can you expect regarding AI technology and the sales industry? Is it going to replace sales representatives? How can you coach your sales reps with the use of AI? In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with John Barrow on the future of AI and the sales industry. Discover how leaders can leverage AI tools within the sales profession. John Barrows Background John Barrow owns the JB sales company, offering sales training to tech companies. He started his career when the internet was still in its fancy and saw the changes it made within the sales industry during this time. Now, he is seeing the industry change once again due to the development of artificial intelligence tools, such as Chat GPT. John knows with the changes made by AI technology, the sales industry will have to evolve with the tools to be successful. Teaching People to Be Robots Learning the sales process is becoming more difficult because leaders teach representatives how to use AI tools rather than the fundamentals. The sales reps have nothing to fall back on and are getting replaced by robots. Currently, he is working with AI tools for learning language models. It’s helping him gather a large pool of data and use only the information he approves in the LLM system. The AI tools help cut back research time for him and his team. John believes using AI technology will help coach sales reps more effectively. If a person cannot receive coaching from their boss, they can rely on the coaching from an AI tool. The Problem With Coaching in the Sales Industry While listening to a 45-minute sales call with a representative, it can be challenging for a coach to pull out every context of the call during a conversation. AI can transcribe the call and allow a coach to pinpoint a specific point where a sales rep needs improvement. Another area for improvement with LLM is teaching the sales reps how to sell a product correctly. Using an AI bot can help coach sales reps to sell products. John provides an example of using Salesforce and coaching sales reps. Do You Want to Be a Part of the Solution? AI is an evolution, like the Industrial Revolution, where companies need to think about how to use humans to operate AI. Learn how to leverage AI tools to stay afloat within the industry. Sales reps need to meet the customers where they are in support needs and educate them on how to use products. It will require sales reps to go further than full-cycle sales and know the product well. What Should Sales Leaders Do Right Now? John recommends that sales leaders turn their sales order into a sales lab, identify a component of the sales process, and do a sales hackathon. Listen to the podcast on how a sales leader can do this with the help of AI technology. Understand the importance of using AI within the sales industry. It increases employee satisfaction and engagement and reduces tech stack and spending. There will be a rebirth of everything in two to five years, and it could go really good or bad. John provides insight into using AI technology within the sales industry. Subscribe to the Sales Evangelist podcast and listen to how to use AI tools to help coach your team of sales representatives. “And I think what happened with Chad GPT and those tools that came out earlier this year is a fundamental shift. We are at Pandora's box right now. And it got opened, and we're not going back.” - John Barrows Resources www.jbarrows.com John Barrows LinkedIn John Barrows Instagram JB Make It Happen Mondays Podcast Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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

Are you scared to make that cold call? Your heart is pounding fast, and your hands shake as you pick up the phone to call a random stranger. Are they going to take the time to listen to you? Will you be able to make a sale? Or are they going to say something rude and hang up the phone? If you’re nervous about making the phone call, you must listen to this week’s episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast. Host Donald Kelly speaks with Larry Long Jr. on how sales representatives can overcome their fears of making the call. Listen for insightful tips on overcoming your fears of cold calling. Who Is Larry Long Jr.? ● Larry Long Jr. is a keynote speaker and MC coach with years of experience in the sales profession. ● He helps other sales representatives with performance coaching, sales, entrepreneurship, business, and training. ● He now hosts The Cold Calling Podcast, where he coaches sales representatives in making cold calls. How Do You Overcome the Fear of Failure? ● Larry shares a story of him making a cold call, and the person told him to jump off a bridge. Unsure what to say next, he told the person to have a blessed day and hung up the phone. ● How did he overcome this rejection? He kept going and continued to make phone calls and didn't let one objection hold him back from making sales. ● For you to overcome the fear of failure, give yourself grace. Yes, you will make mistakes, and potential clients will object to the sale you're offering, but you must keep going. Changing Your Mindset ● Larry shares a story of him playing baseball in college, and he was at the point where he wanted to give up. His dad told him not to give up and to have a positive attitude. He noticed a change in his baseball career once he changed his mindset and kept practicing. ● Larry and Donald share the importance of working with a company that strives to improve their employees. It’s also a good idea to seek advice from co-workers on how to do better. Winners Focus on Winning and Losers Focus on Winners ● Don't focus on another person's chapter in their career. You have no clue how hard things were for them in the beginning. ● Instead, focus on yourself and seek to improve from the day before. ● Have a purpose for why you must work hard and stick to it. Also, know everything will be okay when you focus on yourself instead of others. The Moral Obligation to Make the Cold Call ● Larry shares an inspiring quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Life's most persistent urge and urgent question is, what are you doing to help someone else?" ● Apply this quote to how you handle cold calls, and don't think about your needs. The sales industry is about solving problems and helping people. ● Listen to the Cold Calling podcast if you need help handling cold calls better. It'll help you leave your comfort zone and start putting yourself out there. This episode should motivate you to pick up the phone and make that cold call. Get out of your head and start making those cold calls today! Subscribe to the Sales Evangelist Podcast to become a better sales representative. Your host, Donald Kelly, is always here to help you achieve greatness and win big in the sales industry. “Sales is about service. It's about helping other people solve their problems. And just being empathetic, which sounds good. But it's amazing when you put it into practice.” - Larry Long Jr. Resources Larry Long Jr. LinkedIn Larry Long Jr.'s website Jolt - Larry Long Jr.’s book Cold Calling Podcast Sell It Like A Mango - Donald C. Kelly’s book Sponsorship Offers 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. 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. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com 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 Sales Evangelist.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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUD

Why having a sales trainer is a good idea? In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald Kelly will provide four benefits to having one. If you’re ready to save time and elevate your game, listen to why you need a sales trainer to help you achieve greatness! Why Listen to Donald on Sales Training? He has years of experience as a sales representative, sales leader, and individual contributor. Based on his three levels of experience within the sales industry, he will share the difference between those who do and don’t receive sales training. Donald shares his experience working with two companies that didn’t provide sales training. He had to figure out how to make sales independently and often struggled to close deals. When he started working with a company that provided sales training, he received a $30,000 deal within his first three months of working with them. Thanks to the third company investing in a sales training program, they were able to help their representatives improve their process. Sales Training Brings New Ideas A great sales trainer will bring fresh concepts to improve sales. Donald noticed after receiving sales training, he started to come up with different ideas on how he could improve his techniques. Companies can work with other organizations to understand what works and is not working within the industry. The ideas they receive help them create a sales process to win over potential customers. However, you must work with a sales trainer who is up-to-date with today’s methods and can provide fresh ideas. The new ideas give sales representatives the confidence to apply different techniques. A Sales Trainer Helps Improve Your Process Remember, sales fundamentals don’t change, but the process will! Don’t make the mistake of working with someone using an outdated sales process. Once again, you need someone skilled in using today's digital methods. 50% of potential customers are millennials, so it’s essential to have a sales process that will connect with them. Sales Trainers Can Help You Save Time As a leader, you can’t do everything on your own. You want your sales team to have the proper training, but you can’t provide one-on-one care to them. A sales trainer will help you save time and provide the proper training to your representatives. Listen to Donald explain how a sales trainer can effectively organize and guide your team. Generate ROI With Sales Training A good sales trainer will be able to provide examples of how they have helped other companies. Look at their case studies to see how they improved the sales process for others. Find a sales trainer that is actually selling! A proven track record will let you know the effectiveness of their work. These are the four benefits of working with a sales trainer. Donald Kelly still provides sales training and has a proven track record; visit the Sales Evangelist website to learn more. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the Sales Evangelist Podcast! Resources The Sales Evangelist Donald C Kelly LinkedIn Donald C Kelly Instagram Donald C kelly TikTok Sponsorship Offer This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

For the last few years, you have relied heavily on SEO strategies to attract customers to your business. Of course, there's nothing wrong with this. But as your business grows, you may want to hire a seller to attract more leads and improve sales. But how do you know you have found the right person to improve your sales strategies? In this unique episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly does a live coaching session with Cat Hutchings to help her find the perfect seller for her new business. Whether you're a business owner, sales professional, or simply interested in improving your sales approach, this episode offers actionable tips and advice. Cat Hutchings Background Cat Hutchings is a successful entrepreneur and Etsy owner of Spotlight Jewelry. She also coaches other Etsy owners to become successful on the e-commerce website. Cat is in the works of launching another business, so she came to Donald asking questions on how to find the ideal salesperson to join her team. Live Coaching Session: Hiring the Right Salespeople Many business owners ask themselves whether they should hire an individual or an agency when trying to get leads. Donald suggests using tools such as Apollo IO to attract leads. These tools allow you to view names, email addresses, and other contact information. If you decide to hire an individual, ensure they know how to handle the entire sales process and not just the end. Effective Outreach Strategies As a salesperson, you must research to target the right customers. Cat shares an example of a sales representative who researched her before reaching out. However, the sales representative did make a minor mistake, and Donald shared feedback on what he could’ve done better. Deep research and tools like CrunchBase can help identify relevant individuals. One can craft personalized and impactful outreach messages that resonate with potential customers by leveraging visible triggers or signals. B2B vs. B2C Companies and Marketing Collaboration Donald highlights the importance of collaboration between marketing and sales in B2B sales. While marketing lays the groundwork by running ads, email campaigns, blogs, and LinkedIn ads to attract the right audience, sales professionals take over to engage in one-on-one conversations and drive potential customers toward making a purchase. B2C sales typically have shorter cycles, often requiring a more transactional approach. However, certain products and services can be sold remotely and automatically through websites, reducing the need for active outbound efforts. Donald also shares the difference between working with a startup and a well-established company. Startups can attract individuals hungry for new challenges, those looking to add startup experience to their resumes, and professionals seeking to make a noticeable impact within smaller organizations. While there is an inherent level of risk, social proof and a proven track record can significantly attract the right individuals. Are Sales and Marketing the Same? You may think that marketing and sales are the same thing, but it’s not. Marketing is attracting leads to your business and getting them to the checkout point. Sales is the process of payment transactions within the business. Importance of Systems and Processes Donald emphasizes creating reliable systems and processes, particularly in sales. Documenting procedures and creating playbooks can make transferring roles within a team easier and more efficient. Strong systems and processes are vital in facilitating business growth and scalability. Host Donald Kelly shares insightful strategies for hiring the right people for your sales teams. He also advises attracting ideal customers, navigating B2B and B2C sales, and optimizing outreach efforts. Whether you're a business owner, sales professional, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge to help you succeed in the competitive sales world. "Finding the right people shouldn't be a challenge as individuals are willing to take the leap and join a startup." - Donald Kelly. Resources Cat Hutchings LinkedIn Cat Hutchings Instagram www.cathutchings.com SpotLightJewelry Apollo IO <a href=...

What makes some individuals outshine others in the sales profession? In this episode, our host, Donald Kelly, shares valuable insights on how sales professionals can thrive by mastering communication skills and taking imperfect action. As a seasoned sales expert, Kelly has built a successful empire, starting from a $39 microphone, and now running the Sales Evangelist and TSE Studios. Join us as we delve into the key skills to help you succeed in the competitive sales world! The Journey of Donald Kelly Kelly shares his journey in building the Sales Evangelist podcasting empire. The skills and experience he gained as a sales professional contributed to his success. Currently, at Podcast Movement, Kelly teaches podcasters how to sell their podcasts effectively and imparts valuable sales principles. The Key Skills for Effective Sales Communication Within the ten years of Kelly building his podcast empire and being a sales professional, he learned five effective skills that helped him succeed. These skills he shares can help sales professionals to thrive in any environment and adjust their strategies accordingly. 1. Finding People with Problems and Offering Solutions Finding potential clients who have problems is the main role of a sales professional. Using tools like Chat GPT, Apollo IO, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, sales reps can identify individuals using competitor software. By reaching out to these prospects, sales professionals can offer solutions to their problems, such as difficulty generating reports using their current CRM software. 2. Mastering Communication Skills for Success Effective communication is the key to conveying the value of what sales professionals have to offer. By practicing active listening, reflecting on past calls, and analyzing areas for improvement, such as asking more questions, using storytelling, or employing analogies, sales professionals can become exceptional communicators. Kelly highly recommends that sales reps enhance their communication skills with the Toastmasters program. 3. Adaptability and Creativity You must be able to adapt to the changes within the sales world. This is the best way for you to thrive within different environments. Be creative in your sales approach when reaching out to prospective clients. Consider using Chat GPT to create successful sales strategies in emails. You can also brainstorm with others to learn their secret tactics. Kelly suggests looking into Dale Dupree on how sales representatives can stand out among their prospective clients. 4. Design a Clear Plan You can’t just wing it as a salesperson; you must go into every approach with a clear plan. Donald shares his book, “Sale it Like a Mango,” to help sales representatives create a daily plan. Remember, you must think like an entrepreneur to thrive as a sales representative! 5. Taking Imperfect Action and A Positive Attitude Taking action is often more critical than perfect planning. Imperfect action allows for learning, iterating, and improving along the way. While setbacks and rejection are common in sales, maintaining a positive attitude is crucial. Believing in the value of one's product or service and confidently promoting it sets the foundation for success. Receiving a "no" should not discourage sales professionals from pursuing future opportunities. Donald provided actionable insights for sales professionals looking to thrive in their careers. Remember, success in sales is not just about planning but also about taking action and learning from it! “My philosophy is to be successful you must do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. If you can do that, money in the bank all day long.” - Donald Kelly Ready to take your sales skills to the next level? Don't miss out on valuable insights and strategies from industry experts. Subscribe to The Sales Evangelist podcast today and gain exclusive access to episodes that will transform your sales techniques.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Everyone fears AI tools will steal jobs, especially in sales. However, this is far from the truth! These advanced chatbots are here to make our work easier and get things done more efficiently. You just have to learn to use the AI tools and ChatGPT to your advantage. The host, Donald Kelly, and special guest, David Kreiger, founder of SalesRoads, explain how in this episode. They emphasize the importance of using AI to enhance the understanding of customers and prospects rather than merely automating processes. So, let's dive in and discover the power of composed audio and AI in sales. Utilizing Chat GPT for Role Playing and Coaching ● Most people find it challenging to use Chat GPT and feel the tool doesn't create exactly what they want. ● Kriger shares why you should give Chat GPT a persona when interacting with the tool and creating content. ● He also provides an example of how sales representatives can role-play with the tool to create buyer personas. ● You shouldn't rely solely on it to build customer profiles and buyer personas. Instead, view AI and Chat GPT as helpful tools within the sales process. Unveiling the Potential of AI in Marketing ● Donald discusses the introduction of Facebook ads and discovering the impact of incorporating complexity and more details in their ad content. ● They admit their early struggles with Facebook ads but highlight the pivotal role played by grasping the significance of feeding in detail. ● They express gratitude for the eye-opening insights shared by their conversation partner, acknowledging the transformative power of AI tools in generating different iterations of an ideal customer profile. The Benefits of AI in Crafting Ideal Customer Profiles and Buyer Personas ● The conversation delves into building ideal customer profiles and buyer personas using AI and chat GPT. ● Kriger emphasizes the value of engaging in conversations with the target market to create accurate profiles. ● He also highlights how AI tools can facilitate information generation and effortlessly interact with personas, providing insights that would be otherwise unattainable daily. The Three Tactical Ways to Use Chat GPT ● Tell Chat GPT who it is: It is still in its early stage, and you have to be as detailed as possible to get the desired results when using the tool. ● Take advantage of Chat GPT: Remember, it's not here to take our jobs! People who know how to use AI tools effectively will be the ones to excel in the sales profession. So, take advantage of this accessible technology and learn how to use it properly. ● Start using AI tools: If you want to create ICP, give it your marketing and buyer's persona information. You can only get good at using the tools by interacting with them and testing what does and doesn't work. "AI doesn't replace people; it gives you additional capabilities and superpowers." -David Kreiger Do you want to revolutionize sales performance and succeed in sales strategies? We know you do! So, be sure to follow the Sales Evangelist podcast to hear more from our wonderful guests! Resources David LinkedIn Sales Road website Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episod

Many sellers struggle with pushing clients to close a deal because they don't want to appear too strong. In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with L'areal Lipkins, a B2B sales team consultant. L'areal shares insightful questions to drive urgency and motivate prospects to act more quickly. Who Is L’areal Lipkins? L'areal owns Lipkins Consulting Group and works with B2B sales teams to sell value. She helps teams optimize their sales processes by applying guided strategies and psychology. Through her teachings, sales teams can understand why they're doing things and not only focus on selling tactics. She helps people make more money! The Problem With Urgency There are two types of salespeople: those who are too pushy and those who wait to close a deal. Don’t make the mistake of conversing too long or coming off too strong. It can cost you money! Use the Whole Pie framework to create value and urgency with enriching questions. What Is the Whole Pie Framework? The Whole Pie framework uncovers the real problem prospects are having and helps sellers to dive deeper into discovering it. Sellers ask three types of questions: problem, impactful, and emotional. With the framework, sellers can show prospects that their situation is important to them and they want to fix the problem. Problem Questions These questions involve what prospects are comfortable discussing. Sellers don't have to dive too deep into finding the problem. Problem questions include, "Tell me about that" or "When did you first notice this?" 80% of sellers make the mistake of selling the problem! Impact Questions These create a ripple effect of discovering actions prospects actions in making sales. How is it impacting the team, company, and association? Only 10% of sellers ask impact questions! Why don't sellers ask more impactful questions? The two reasons are the need for more training and learning to use their words. Emotion Questions Most salespeople don't ask these questions because they don't want to get too personal. Only the elite sellers dive this deep! Emotion questions are "I'm so tired of this not working" or "I feel overwhelmed." Sellers discover the personal impact that's keeping prospects from closing a deal. “But we all have problems; we're not going to pay enough, we're not going to pay because they're not big enough to solve.” - L’areal Lipkins Do you want to make more money? Of course, you do! Connect with L’areal Lipkins and follow the Sales Evangelist podcast to become a better seller. Resources L’areal Lipkins LinkedIn Lipkins Consulting Group What Top Performing Sales People Do Different? PIE magnet Sponsorship Offer This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing, and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

In today’s episode, our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with guest Tim Rohrer. Rohrer has years of experience in radio advertisement and is the author of “Sales Lessons From the World’s Greatest Mentor.” Discover how he learned the hard way that time kills sales. Time can kill sales: How is this possible? Tim shares his first loss while working as a radio advertisement before the days of social media. During that time, it was essential for a salesperson to have personal conversations with prospective clients. Tim found the perfect client and connected with him. He returned to his office to create a proposal and place it in a file until the meeting day. However, Tim saw him two days later, and the client asked him a question in an odd way. Tim didn’t think much about it, but his gut told him he should. When the meeting day came, he soon discovered why closing a deal is crucial when you have prospective customers where you want them. Always close a deal quickly and use tools to help you do so. For example, consider creating sales templates to give potential clients an idea of what they’re getting into. Then have them come in the very next day to have them sign the contract. Strike while the iron is hot! Those within real estate know, more than likely, there will always be two decision-makers when closing a deal. You show them everything they need to know to help them decide immediately. However, one potential client says we must consider it, and the other agrees. Do you let them leave so they think about it? The short answer to this is no! Tim shares why you must keep questioning them when they tell you we’ll think about it. What if the decision-makers are away? Tim shares why salespeople need to improve their communication and presentation skills. You won’t always be selling directly to the decision-makers. Sometimes you have to deal with the influencers. Influencers are your future salespeople. However, they’re not as good as you! Tim shares how you can help them remember key points of your presentation, so they’ll do an excellent resale to the decision makers. “Be ready to do business today with people who say yes” - Tim Rohrer Resources Tim Rohrer’s Book: Sales Lessons From The World’s Greatest Mentor Tom Freeze’s Book: question-based selling Website: TimJMRohrer.com Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers...

You find the perfect client and start proposing a deal with them. When you are about to close the sale, the potential client says, “I have to think about it.” What are you going to do now? In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks with Marcus Chan, the founder of Henley Consulting Group. Chan shares the Heart Framework to help sales reps overcome objections. HEART Framework H - Heard. Use this framework for any objection thrown your way. For example, if the objection is, let me think about it, start with the letter H for heard. You show them a little empathy and make them feel heard. E - Elaborate. Next, have them discuss what is on their mind with the letter E and elaborate on the objection. Ask, "Can you tell me more about that?" Marcus provides an excellent example of how digging deeper can help sales reps find the root objection. A - Aside from that objection. After you have them elaborate more, move on to A, aside from that objection. Do they have any other questions or comments that may make them object to the deal? R - Rectify Value - Make them tell you why they should take the deal. While they are talking about it, ask them what they like most about it or how they think it can improve their business. T - Transition to Close. After this, you may notice that they no longer have the same objection, move on to the letter T. The T stands for transition to a close. Show your potential clients how you can help them overcome their objections. For example, you can include a happiness guarantee within your contract. Tonality: does it make a difference? The way you deliver your message will relay differently to your clients. Your tone can show them that you care about their problem or it can make them feel like you’re just trying to close the deal. If your delivery isn’t making them feel at ease, their brain goes into fight or flight mode. By making them comfortable with your tone, they’re less likely to do this and more likely to listen to what you say. Why don't most sellers ask more questions? Often it's due to fear of not knowing what to say in case of an objection. However, some sellers are more worried about getting the sales as quickly as possible. Don't make the mistake of offering discounts and using closing tactics immediately. You're causing more problems and avoiding finding the real objection. Instead of rushing, take your time and converse with the potential buyer. Eventually, they'll open up and tell you everything you need. Do you want to start practicing the HEART framework? If you listen to the end, Marcus shares a detailed step-by-step for BDRs. It’s pretty simple, and you’ll probably have tons of fun while practicing the framework. Doing it daily will help you become great at using the HEART framework. Resources LinkedIn 6-Figure Sales Secret Book Sponsorship Offer This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing, and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Quality beats quantity when it comes to lead generation, prospecting, and moving customers through your sales funnel. Knowing who to talk to and how to reach them can save you from getting caught up in drawn-out back and forths with the wrong people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Dave Fink, the CEO and Co-founder of Postie. They talk about boosting efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process through focusing on ideal buyers. A Clear ICP Leads to Efficiency Casting a wide net and gathering as many leads as possible may sound like a great sales strategy, but it isn’t the most efficient. Developing specific Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) can help sellers identify customers that are a perfect fit. Weeding out clients won’t be a perfect fit may seem time-consuming, but in the long run, you avoid wasting time with prospects who can’t, or won’t, become customers. Engage the Right People Not everyone in the company is a decision-maker or influencer. The people who stand to benefit from your product may not have the power to buy, so figure out who does. With recent layoffs all over the tech industry, there are fewer people in companies so it may be easier to reach decision-makers. Not all decision-makers think or act the same way. Things change. Consider how macro trends may be impacting them and treat them with empathy. Handling Discovery Properly Do research about the person you’re going to be talking to and the company they’re a part of. Knowing their position in the company can help you understand their point of view. Just like doctors can have a great bedside manner that makes you feel safe and comfortable, sellers who treat discovery like a conversation rather than an interrogation will have more success. “I very much believe that information is power. Quite frankly, if you’re an inquisitive person, whether you’re successful in a specific prospecting initiative or sales cycle, you’re going to learn something from it.” – Dave Fink Resources Check out the website: http://postie.com for great content! Connect with Dave Fink on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

It’s challenging to be in sales right now, and keeping up isn’t enough – it’s time to get ahead of the curve. Bringing AEs and BDRs together to learn from each other will make your organization stronger and more cohesive. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Katie Swick, the Global Sales Enablement Lead at Stripe, to hear how her team’s collaborative approach to learning has revolutionized the way they sell. A Symbiotic Relationship When AEs help educate BDRs, the BDRs in turn become better at finding quality leads. This makes the AE’s job easier in the long run. BDRs learn better prospecting skills AND what makes a good AE through the program. This makes them more effective in their current positions but also prepares them to be great AEs in the future. AEs also report learning a lot from the process and see the value in training BDRs – they volunteer to help out! Getting Ahead of the Curve BDRs need to understand how to “lose fast” rather than hang on to prospects that aren’t going to go anywhere. AEs can educate BDRs on how to identify qualified leads. Technology is moving quickly, and prospecting in particular has changed a lot. BDRs can help AEs upgrade their prospecting skills. Bridging the Gap Between AEs and BDRs In cases where AEs are too busy to handle all potential accounts, BDRs can jump in and help move smaller clients through the pipeline. AEs also, in some cases, will help BDRs with prospecting to add to the top of their sales funnel. “The program is really meant to stay at that cutting edge and say, ‘Hey, what’s working? What’s not? How do we take advantage of that?’ Because we know that a sales technique that worked two years ago probably isn’t going to work today.” – Katie Swick Resources Reach out to Katie Swick on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Midway through the sales process, you might find your deals stagnating because you’re just not talking to the right people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly talks with Jakub Hon about connecting with the stakeholder who can make that final call. We’re sure you’re going to get a lot out of this interview. For more from Jakub, check out his webinar on August 2nd at 8 AM Eastern! Recognize the Buyer The buyer is someone who can say yes, even when the team says no, or vice versa. They have the final say on where the budget is going to be allocated. If your “champion” at the organization is on board, your next task is to probe them for more information that will lead you to the economic buyer. Ask questions about the organization’s approval process so you can start mapping it out. Ask “numbers” questions about budget, revenue, etc. to find out whether your champion knows the answers or knows someone who does. Stay aligned with your champion all the way through the process – you still want them on your team! Get Your Prospect to a Meeting If your champion doesn’t want you to bypass them to talk to their boss, ask questions they’re not able to answer and they’ll direct you to the person who can. If that doesn’t work, be blunt. It’s okay to give and take. Sellers like to give, don’t forget to ask for something in return! Offer things like demos and free trials in exchange for contact information for higher-ups. If you reach out to the economic buyer and they brush you off onto someone else, ask for a short meeting with them to discuss their perspective on where the business is headed. This won’t be a conversation about features – let them know that! Encourage Them to Talk If there is information out there on the company, you should already know it. Don’t ask the economic buyer about their value proposition. Do your homework. Start or end the message with questions. Even if they don’t answer the question, it may spark interest. All communication should be relevant and direct. Keep your conversation about business and not about features. “If you’re not aligning with the economic buyer and you talk just to your champion… usually these deals slip from the pipeline, because, guess what? There’s the competition talking to the [other stakeholders] and involving the economic buyer in their sales process. If you’re not in control of the process, there’s somebody else controlling the process.” – Jakub Hon Resources “How to Sell to the C-Suite” Webinar on August 2nd – Registration Link SALESDOCk.com Connect with Jakub Hon on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

It’s time to level up and set yourself apart in an executive’s inbox, but you know it’ll never happen as long as you keep parroting the same lines your prospect gets from every other seller. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly gets into why we should NEVER use the phrase “just bumping this up” in a follow-up e-mail. Listen in to hear the things you should say instead! The Problem With Saying “Just Bumping This Up” When you say, “Just bumping this up,” you’re prioritizing yourself in their inbox and insinuating that they aren’t organizing their e-mails. This annoys prospects and turns them off. Your prospects are busy people with a lot on their plate. “Just bumping this up,” is a filler phrase that doesn’t add any value and shows a lack of effort on the seller’s part. How SHOULD You Follow Up? Focus on the same pain point that you highlighted in the first e-mail. Then show the prospect your solution by making a quick video describing or demoing it. Think from your prospect’s perspective. They’re busy people – if their objection is that they don’t currently have time to meet, let them know you can meet later on. We use the Spotlight feature on LinkedIn SalesNavigator to identify prospects who have posted on LinkedIn during the last 30 days (try it free for 60 days at linkedin.com/tse). Use information from LinkedIn to identify triggers and bring those up in your follow-up. You can also use testimonials or describe the experiences of other clients who you serve. “No matter what you sell, whether it’s a water bottle or it’s a complex HR solution for an enterprise-level organization, you need to think, behave, and act like a consultant and recognize the capability in your role, and treat your e-mails and communication accordingly. Otherwise, [prospects] are going to treat you the way that you sound. You don’t want to sound just like a sales professional, just like an order taker. Jump up in your position.” – Donald Kelly Resources Check out episode 707 for more ideas on following up! Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

One size does NOT fit all! Having the power to customize a product or service to fit our needs makes us feel confident in how we’re spending our money. The same is true for our prospects. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Joe Ardeeser, the Founder/CEO of Smart Pricing Table, to talk about using optionality to build trust and give agency to customers. Ways to Offer Optionality Provide different service lines. If you have a customer who uses one of your services, tell them what else your company can do for them. Customize individual services. Talk to your customers about ways they can configure your service to work better for them. Offer options for different budgets. If you can’t downsize your offer, you might lose big deals. Build Trust With Prospects Offering a “good”, “better”, and “best” option can help customers feel comfortable because they can see that you’re not just trying to get the most money possible out of them. Buyers need to feel like they have agency and control over how much they want to spend and what they’re getting out of the deal. Prospects are probably going to have conversations with other stakeholders before buying. Arm them with the knowledge of your optionality so they can consider things in their own time. Don’t Lose Deals You can’t make EVERYTHING optional. Make sure the service will work, even if the customer wants a very stripped-down version. When customers don’t choose your product, most of the time you’re not going to know why. If you make it so that your prospect can add or subtract services to adjust the price, you can avoid losing deals by small margins. “Take some time to think through what you sell and define it well so that you can build things quicker. When you build things quicker, you have more options.” – Joe Ardeseer Resources Visit SmartPricingTable.com to schedule a demo! Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Prepare yourself: next time you pick up the phone for a discovery call, you’ll know exactly how to engage your prospect and let THEM convert themselves. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly has a great conversation with David Newman, author of the business bestseller “Do It! Marketing”. They go deep on what makes a successful discovery call, and here’s a hint: it’s not a bunch of small talk. Go Deep Fast Don’t spend your discovery call having surface-level conversations. Most sellers don’t go deep enough because they want to be liked and sound smart. Many sellers don’t ask questions to expand upon what prospects tell them. Instead, as David says, take off your ‘sales hat’ and put on your ‘investigative journalist’ hat. Most sales professionals think being likable is the same as being talkative. This is boring to clients – get them talking early and often! Become a Consultant David’s first question on a discovery call is: how have you arrived at where you are today? Another question David asks prospects is: do you mind if I treat you like a fee-paid client? This takes you and them out of buying-and-selling mode and puts you in a position to tell the prospect helpful information. When you have the prospect’s permission to tell them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, you can be real and honest. Treat Prospects Like Clients Ask: How do you see this ending up if all goes well? (Then ask: “What else?” several times!) Ask: What does that mean for you personally/professionally? What happens financially if this is successful or unsuccessful? Ask: Can you put a number on it? Don’t be afraid to get specific about numbers. Ask: Who else will notice these improvements? (This is key for finding out who else needs to be involved in this process!) “The more you treat prospects like clients and customers, the more clients and customers you will get.” – David Newman Resources Order David’s new book, Do It! Selling, from Amazon Get companion tools, videos, worksheets, and more at http://doitmarketing.com/selling Set up an exploratory chat with David! http://doitmarketing.com/call Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

If you’re not using LinkedIn to build up the front of your sales pipeline, let this be your sign to take the leap. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly has an info-packed conversation with Megan Killion, the powerhouse behind MKC Agency. You probably already know content creation isn’t just about sharing articles and posting pics. Listen in to hear proven strategies for connecting with the right audience and starting quality conversations. Content Strategy You can’t just “post and ghost”! Your engagement is necessary. Megan cautions against the use of LinkedIn pods that automate engagement using bots. Going this route won’t help you gain traction with the people you want to reach. Her number one tip for aspiring creators on LinkedIn is to use polls. LinkedIn’s algorithm results in more engagement with polls than other kinds of posts, but you have to be strategic about them. Identify Ideal Customers When you market to everyone, you market to no one. Use your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) to narrow down the list of people you’re interested in reaching with your content. Learn your buyers’ pain points, demographics, values, attitudes, etc. Get as niche as you can. Your ideal audience should be behind you in knowledge by 3-5 years. These people will find your content engaging without feeling like it’s above or below them. Setting Up Your Process Make a list of 5-10 subjects that you are an expert on. Within each subject, identify specific teachable topics. This is going to form the basis of the content you create (at least at first). “Niche down,” just like when you define your ideal customer. Get increasingly more specific about what you know well and speak on those things. Define who you are. Identify your values and the values of your business. Know what makes you unique and capture that in your content. “Our number one metric across all channels, whether you’re cold-calling, cold-emailing, sending messages, or posting content on LinkedIn, is QC: Quality Conversations. Are you starting quality conversations and finding out more info? If you’re not doing that, that channel is a waste for you.” – Megan Killion Resources Follow Megan Killion on LinkedIn - Message her telling her you heard about her on TSE and get access to her framework! https://mkcagency.com/ Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Don’t be intimidated by the business acumen that gets used every day in C-suite meetings! If you want to hold your own in these conversations and earn a seat at the table time and time again, you’ll need to get educated. We’ve got you. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly talks with David Graswick, VP of Sales for Databook. Listen in to learn the metrics you need to understand before meeting with management. The Language of the C-suite Execs are interested in the big picture. Sellers are not often taught how to have these types of business conversations – mastering this can set you apart. Anyone can say words like “revenue growth” or “back office efficiency,” but if you can become fluent in these topics and personalize discussions to your specific prospects, you’ll be invited into higher-level meetings more often. Sales leaders and sellers need to be educated before they can start having more informed, impactful conversations with buyers. 7 Financial Metrics for Sellers Revenue Growth. Executives compare their company’s revenue growth to that of their peers. They are motivated to hit targets because the company’s performance is directly linked to their bonuses and compensation. Profitability. Leaders have shifted away from a “growth-at-all-costs” mindset. In today’s market, sellers need to show how their product helps drive the company toward “smart growth.” SGNA (Sales, Growth, and Administrative Expenses). These are expenses directly linked to selling the product. The C-suite wants to lower SGNA margins, which can look like doing big deals in a shorter amount of time. Back-Office Efficiency. You may not have access to all of this information if you’re working with a private company, but you can make educated guesses based on how public peer companies are operating. Even if you’re not always correct, you’re speaking from an educated perspective. Productivity. Think of this as “revenue-per-employee.” Increasing productivity means finding ways to improve or maintain revenue from customers without increasing costs to the company. Investor Sentiment. An exec wants to make sure investors believe the company can meet Street expectations. Identify your prospect’s past issues and show how your product closes the gap between where your prospect is and their projected performance. Gross Margin. Any expenses that don’t fall into the SGNA category are considered a part of this metric. If you can help companies reduce costs in any way, you will get the C-suite’s attention. Strategic Relationship-Building With Databook Unlike a lot of other sales technology, Databook was built to help sellers create strategic narratives for their prospects. The key is to align Street expectations, management priorities, and the solutions you provide in a broader narrative. “You’re probably not going to tell these executives anything about their past performance they don’t already know. But, in my experience… if you can show how they are ranked and compared against their peer group, how that aligns with the Street expectations of your organization over the next two years, and where your solutions can help drive to that… That becomes a different narrative and a much better story that we’ve seen resonate at a much higher rate.” – David Graswick Resources http://www.databook.com Call (412) 807-9119 if you’d like to speak with David directly! Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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. Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The differences between you and elite sales earners are probably more subtle and nuanced than you think. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly sits down with sales revenue and profit growth expert Doug C. Brown to talk about the traits of “elite producers.” Listen in to discover the mental patterns that might be holding you back. What is an Elite Producer? They are both “top producers” (producing articles of value at the top of their industry) and “overachievers” (consistently exceeding expectations). They spend time improving their brain power, seeking out challenges, and bettering themselves. They use leverage to create better results. From each article of value they create (like a sale) they create byproducts (like referrals and networking opportunities). Adopt the Habits of Top Earners Take the time to learn what holds you back. Work on those “weaknesses” and turn them into strengths. Derive your confidence from that. Figure out your points of leverage and double or triple your efforts in those places. Don’t be afraid to invest. Use company money to encourage your growth and make your business more profitable. What You Believe Matters Your mind will find reasons not to push for more. Identify those thoughts and recognize that you can push past them if you choose to. If you allow yourself to get discouraged, you set yourself up for failure. If you believe things will go well, you will be more prepared when they do. “Elite producers really are the 1%ers. I am one, I have been one, and I went to others that I knew and I said… ‘Let’s find the real inward things that people are thinking and doing.’ I was really surprised that it wasn’t really that much different than things a top producer was doing. But there are these slight nuances that are within.” – Doug C. Brown Resources Tell Doug C. Brown you heard this episode and get access to his FREE E-book! Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Connecting with prospects over the phone can be daunting. Your success as a rep comes down to what you say, and more importantly, how you say it. In this episode, Donald Kelly meets with sales expert Jeremy Chen to discuss the dreaded cold call. Chen’s sales team primarily uses cold calling to generate business, but that’s not why he’s so passionate about it. He’s passionate because, in his words, “a cold call saved his life.” Always Act Like You Belong When job hunting, Chen accidentally called the CEO of a massive Canadian company! Even though the CEO hung up on him, he got a call back a few weeks later that connected him with a job. Because Chen didn’t initially know he was calling the CEO, he didn’t have any tension or fear when he called. Even execs are just people – embrace confidence. Just Make the Call You never know where a call will take you! When Chen called the CEO of Telus, it completely changed his life. Don’t get discouraged. Hang in there and try not to take the rejection personally. Keep trying. Use a Pattern Interrupt Chen uses transparency. He actually says, “This is a sales call… Feel free to hang up on me if you don’t take sales calls.” This weeds out the prospects who aren’t interested. If the person doesn’t hang up, Chen doesn’t use industry jargon. He explains things in layman’s terms. He asks questions and LISTENS. Instead of railroading prospects, he lets the prospect explain their pain. Remember Your Purpose Stay on target. In your first call, all you need to do is book an appointment, not make a sale. You might gain some insights into your prospect’s pain points. Take note, but don’t try to explore the whole story. Offer them a specific time (and place if you’re meeting in person). “Just make the call. I know that a lot of reps that I deal with today, they’re nervous, they don’t feel like their leads are the greatest, their territory sucks, whatever. Make the call. You have no idea where your next call is going to take you.” – Jeremy Chen Resources Reach out to Jeremy via e-mail: [email protected] For more information, check out: JeremyChenSales.com Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Being a “salesperson” isn’t enough. It’s time to become an industry expert with powerful insights to share with your customers. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly meets with Will Diaz, Vice President of Business Development at Arrive Logistics. Diaz speaks on the 20-week training program BDRs go through when they join the team and how that investment yields results on the sales floor. Arrive’s 20-Week Training Process 4 weeks are spent in the classroom learning about the freight industry and the ins and outs of the company. A few weeks are spent in an ops brokering program with a sales mentor. Lastly, there are several weeks spent ramping up and then finally, sellers are released onto the floor. What Are the Results? No one can sell something they don’t understand. Sellers also can’t take people through the sales process without knowing how each stage works or how to troubleshoot issues as they arise. Buyers are going to choose products and companies that provide value. Sellers that are personable and knowledgeable are part of what a company should offer. It does require capital to invest in a 20-week program and that’s not feasible for everyone! A company should aim to provide education and support to sellers as much as they can. Transform the Mindset Sellers need to think of themselves as business consultants, not just salespeople! This means they need an understanding of the industry and current events surrounding it. Diaz encourages sellers to examine how they’re going to be perceived by an outsider. Prospects might look you up on social media - how do you present yourself? In a conversation with a prospect, the seller’s confidence and command of the situation will depend on how prepared they are to be on those calls. “The way your people develop and how they’re going to start seeing results is going to be a reflection of how much engagement they get from you and how intentional was it?” – Will Diaz Resources Will Diaz on LinkedIn http://arrivelogistics.com for career opportunities or to learn more about Arrive! [email protected] Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Whether you’re a new BDR cutting your teeth in the industry or an experienced seller, you know how it feels to hear these 3 words: “I’m not interested.” How you respond is what defines you as a salesperson and determines your success. In today’s episode, Donald Kelly brings you data from his recent LinkedIn poll and offers a way to shift your mindset so that you can turn rejection into opportunity. Poll: Most Successful Prospecting Channel 43% of sales professionals that responded to Donald’s LinkedIn poll said the phone is most effective for them. This beats the second-most effective channel, social media, by 15%. Use Data to Find the Right Prospects Using tools like SalesNavigator, you can put your ICP into LinkedIn and use trigger events to identify sales targets that will be interested in what you have to offer. Identify a person in an organization that meets relevancy criteria: your product is relevant to their role and relevant to an issue they face. Social media can also help clue you in to trigger events. Look for blogs, posts, and other content that reflect problems your product can solve. What Happens If They’re “Not Interested”? Your prospect may not want to talk to you because you’ve created an interruption, or because they already have a product in place. Don’t be pushy! Find out why they’re not interested and then exit the conversation. You may get pointed in the right direction! Meaningful outreach and meaningful conversation are key. Use your quick call to gain information. “A conversation is meaningful when [sellers] get intel that can help move the possibility of that deal forward. That’s critical.” – Donald Kelly Resources Donald’s LinkedIn poll - Feel free to reach out to him and start a conversation! Check us out at http://thesalesevangelist.com! Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The discovery call is at the heart of the sales process. If you want to make the most of it, you have to come in with a plan. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly talks with Jessica Schultz, the CEO and Founder of strategic consulting and execution firm Amplify Group. They take you from determining which prospects are worth your 30 minutes, all the way through using your disco to write a great proposal. Fail Fast - Don’t Waste Time on a Bad Fit New reps often sink a lot of time into every prospect - even unqualified ones. Discovery is all about figuring out whether the person you’re selling to is a good fit. In tough economic times, it gets harder to close deals. Reps might be tempted to try to “make it work”, even if their product isn’t a great fit for the customer. Even if you manage to sell successfully to a “bad fit,” your customer will have a poor experience. Take the time to match your prospect up to your value proposition. If you don’t know your value prop or ICP, work with your sales leader! Before Your Discovery Call A 30-minute meeting goes by quickly! Send out an e-mail a couple of days before the meeting. Share information about what the business offers to give your buyer an opportunity to ask you questions. Putting the time into doing some research about the company and its pain points shows that you value your buyer’s time, which can help set you apart. Making the Most of Discovery When you’re doing your Q&A, pay close attention to your prospect’s pain points and outline solutions to them. Use these answers to help build your proposal. Record your calls and use a transcription service to refamiliarize yourself with your buyer before you talk with them again. Offer the price up front! If that disqualifies a lead, you can move on and your prospect will be glad you didn’t waste their time. “[The discovery call] is super important. It’s your first interaction, your first impression. This is true in any relationship, and sales is a relationship – it’s like a first date. You want it to go well. Leave a good impression.” – Jessica Schultz Resources Jessica Schultz on LinkedIn Amplify (https://www.amplifyscales.com/): Go-To-Market and RevOps Expertise and Execution Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

There’s no point in building pipeline if your buyers get dragged down by an overcomplicated sales process. Offering information on a streamlined, shareable platform just might be your business’s Holy Grail! In this episode, your host Donald Kelly meets with Gal Aga to discuss the challenges of supporting buyers at all stages of the sales process so that your deals actually CLOSE. Current Challenges B2B Sellers Are Facing Selling SaaS is complex. You’re often working with lots of stakeholders who may not have much context for what you have to offer, so they don’t understand why it’s important. We rely on a lot of decades-old technology. E-mails are difficult to keep straight, but this is still the main way sellers and buyers keep track of where they’re at in the sales process. Top sellers don’t sell, they help buyers buy. Your buyer is your “champion”; they’re willing to go to bat for you. The process shouldn’t be what’s holding them back. What Does a Digital Sales Room Offer? It’s a workspace that gives you and the prospect a place to keep information straight. It allows you to embed videos, summaries, case studies, ROI, and proposals. This makes it easy for the buyer to seamlessly bring in other stakeholders. Mutual Action Plans enable sellers and buyers to share information at every stage of the process. Use it for FREE. Not a free trial – your free Digital Sales Rooms can help you close deals as an individual, even if your business isn’t on board (yet). The Benefits in Practice Buyers have an easier time “choosing” you. Due to buyer complexity, buyers increasingly gravitate towards self-service to reduce the amount of time they spend going back and forth with a seller. Multithreading allows your “champion” to take the information you give them and bring only the relevant information to their stakeholders. Buyers and sellers have the opportunity to mutually control the process, rather than relying on keeping up spreadsheets and mutual action plans. Buyer visibility. 95% of the time your buyer spends discussing and decision-making with other stakeholders isn’t visible to you. With a Digital Sales Room, you can see who is viewing the information and use this context to offer information and build the right relationships. “We’re generating unique data points. Today, a lot of things that help you in forecasting are from a revenue intelligence platform, call recording, things that people said, and all that. You’ve already heard it. We’re bringing the asynchronous part… and you can take all of these data points into your CRM and use them to build better forecasting.” – Gal Aga Resources Aligned: Customer Collaboration Platform Mutual Action Plans with Aligned Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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. Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

You know you need to personalize your outreach, but you keep getting bogged down in trying to write the perfect e-mail or phone script. If you’re trying to write quick, to-the-point e-mails that actually get opened, you’re in luck. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly opens up a great collaborative conversation with Michelle Craig and Tom Slocum. Between the three of them, they bring a variety of opinions and offer specific tools to add to your arsenal for 2023. Your Subject Line Short subjects or posing as though you’re sending an internal e-mail are reaching a point of saturation. Describe what’s in the e-mail in as few words as possible. Avoid gimmicks like emojis, using the person’s name, etc. The Body of the E-mail The first line is sometimes more important than the subject line! People are reading on mobile and even smart watches! Garner interest without seeming like spam. Outline the problem and tie it back to your solution, but keep it short and sweet. This isn’t school - there’s no need to reach a minimum word count. If your organization demands that you follow a particular model, test new ideas on your own time and bring your findings to your leaders to see if you can change things up. Your CTA Try a soft CTA - instead of demanding a meeting, try something like “Would you like to learn more?” Many buyers can’t afford to spend 30 minutes in a meeting. Focus on getting them to reply to you without putting pressure on them. “Newer sellers get caught up in best practices, templates, frameworks, ‘this-is-the-way’, and forget that it’s a human on the other end of the e-mail, cold call, or LinkedIn message. Sure, different personas might have preferred communication styles, but each person is going to have different preferences.” – Michelle Craig Resources Michelle Craig on LinkedIn Tom Slocum on LinkedIn Uniphore.com Conversational AI & Automation TheSDLab.com Outbound Strategy that accelerates your growth Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

It’s never been more important to make the most of your outbound leads. Hopefully you already have a clear ICP and you personalize your outreach, but how do you turn your hard work into measurable results? In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and guest Ari Brinson get into a great conversation about how Brinson’s team was able to boost meeting numbers through effective personalization. Boosting Conversion Rates for Outbound Leads Work on creating accurate customer personas to make sure you’re connecting with the right people – otherwise BDRs are wasting time and energy. The sales landscape is changing: potential buyers are less likely to jump into buying and less willing to open up content that doesn’t seem tailored to them. Show Me You Know Me (Sam McKenna method) Make sure your value proposition is scaleable to the prospect you’re connecting with. The first three sentences of your e-mail and your CTA at the end are the most important. Personalize them to your prospect in a way that makes them want to meet with you. Frame the urgency for the buyer - what is the cost of inaction? Don’t personalize just for the sake of personalizing – that WON’T work. Tips for Adding Personalization that Works Tailor your message to the leader or buyer, not just the organization. If you can’t find information about the business, see if you can find their sales leaders on LinkedIn to see what they’ve been posting. Make connections on LinkedIn to get your foot in the door, NOT to pitch! If you pitch right off the bat, you come off as “salesy”. “Now, more than ever, the economic environment that we’re in is exposing that a lot of times [sales] is a long-term play, not a short-term play. And with quality in and outbound [leads], I think those complement each other rather than are inverses of each other.” – Ari Brinson Resources Ari Brinson on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

It’s time to start seeking the wisdom of our industry leaders to build pipeline. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly talks with Radhika Shukla about her years of experience bringing teams to success in sales. Her approach is equal parts methodical, data-driven, and human-centric. Listen in as she shares the proven methods she uses with her team to find new leads and convert them into happy repeat customers. Start the Planning Process Early Identify “big bets” that you need to win. These are new leads that are great fits for your business that you are going to prioritize. Collaborate with different people in your organization who operate at all stages of the customer satisfaction process. 7-Step Method for Lead Qualifying Start with your ICP. Create a customer profile and become familiar with the industry and common pain points. Ask the right questions. Think of asking effective questions and staying curious rather than jumping straight to solutions. Qualification criteria. Don’t be misled by following the wrong criteria – know what your criteria are from an early stage. Two-way qualification. From the early stages all the way through the end, give your customers a way to evaluate whether your company is bringing them value. Progress through the sales cycle. Take a structured approach to help you keep track of where you are at with your clients. Data analysis. Become a data-driven seller. The more reports you can get your hands on, the better you can assess your pipeline. Rigorous, regular pipeline review. Revise your plan every 2-3 months. Things change and you may learn new things. Prospecting to Triple Your Pipeline Invest in targeted research and networking to identify prospects. Network shamelessly. Don’t be afraid to seek referrals from your regular clients. Engage in multi-channel prospecting. Don’t stick to one type of prospecting: e-mails, social media, and phone calls will all reach different people. Follow up with your customers. Keep a regular cadence of connection with customers. “You have to focus on understanding your target market, your industry trends, the complete scenario. It’s very important to understand your customer’s business, but also the customer’s customer – how they go to market and how they sell their products and services to their customers. That deep understanding, often people miss.” – Radhika Shukla Resources Radhika Shukla on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Salespeople and leaders alike have access to great tech to simplify and streamline their processes. Tech, however, isn’t everything – if a seller isn’t spending much time selling, they’re still not going to hit quotas. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly talks with Tiffani Bova about shaping the employee experience to drive success. The Connection Between Employees and Growth Employees drive revenue. Even though powerful tech is out there to help you sell, a salesperson only spends 28% of their time selling and 54% of salespeople miss quotas. If sales reps don’t have the right tools and spend all their time doing administrative work, they’re not providing an excellent customer experience. Salespeople aren’t in control of the pitfalls in their tech, but they can help sales leaders understand what isn’t working. The Employee Journey A lot of energy is often put into improving the buyer’s journey. But the salesperson’s journey needs to match. The more back-end work the employee has to do per each step of the buyer’s journey, the lower their job satisfaction will be. Identify the steps in the seller’s process, and ask if things can be automated, streamlined, or eliminated. Getting Promoted vs. Showing Leadership The higher up you get promoted, the more long-term you should be setting your sights. The C-suite should not be focusing on the day-to-day. Great sellers get promoted, but selling and managing are two different skills. Engage with employees about what their struggles and needs are. Try to offer solutions, and if you can’t, at least you’re aware of the situation. “We do not have a technology problem. We have a people and process problem.” – Tiffani Bova Resources The Experience Mindset by Tiffani Bova on Amazon https://www.tiffanibova.com/experiencemindset/ Tiffani Bova on LinkedIn @tiffanibova on Instagram Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Whether you’re tired of receiving the same “pitches” all over LinkedIn or you’re a self-professed introvert like our guest Ben Lai, you know there’s a way to use LinkedIn to sell without selling out. Today on the Sales Evangelist podcast, Ben and host Donald Kelly tackle bringing humanity back to social media. Connection Requests: Being Other-Centric Your messaging should communicate that you care more about the person than the sale. Be courteous and authentic. Don’t use the same lines as everyone else – show others who you are. Identify a commonality that builds trust. People will then check out your profile, so if your message and profile are incongruent, you’ll lose that trust. If you have a limited market, personalize each connection request or meeting request, depending on what makes sense for you. Meeting Requests: Personal AND Commercial Before you reach out, give them a little bit of breathing room (about 1 week) after getting your connection request gets accepted. Find a conversational thing to ask them about, or find something of value to give to the person without them having to do business with you. Letting the meeting come about naturally makes your target more likely to respond. Follow Up: People are busy and don’t always respond right away. Some people you reach out to will want to reward your perseverance. If you don’t follow up, you seem like you don’t care. “If you’re out there to genuinely help people, you’re going to come across that way in the wording and in all of your mannerisms, whereas someone who is annoyingly persistent is predominantly self-centric. They’re only thinking about closing the sale.” – Ben Lai Resources SalesEthos.au - individual or team sales coaching Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Social selling can be successful IF you know where to start. Many sellers waste time chasing celebrity status thinking that’s the only way to generate leads, not knowing there are options that can consistently get them to their sales targets. In today’s episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, Donald Kelly talks with Tony Restell, the founder of Social-Hire, one of the leading social media marketing agencies in the UK. They discuss how to reach out to your target audience and convert that audience into opportunities. Two Roads to Success for B2B Social Sellers You become a celebrity in your field and receive inquiries based on your name/presence. For every “celebrity,” there are a lot of people who are trying to do that and failing. You grow your account by putting in consistent work and focusing your attention on a target market. This is the less risky way to generate leads. Writing Effective Connection Requests Think about how you would open up a conversation with someone at a trade show or a conference. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person. Drop a good question in the first conversation to get communication going. You have a 300-character limit. Use it to demonstrate your value as a connection, not to sell. How to Convert Your Audience into Opportunities Find ways to build trust and reach out without pitching. People on LinkedIn get pitched to all the time – you’ll be ignored. Restell’s strategy is doing short (5-10 minute) video calls with business owners on LinkedIn. They can use these short videos as content for themselves. Find ways to let your opportunities approach you. Asking for short interviews to gain information invites businesses to look into who you are and what you typically offer. “What we like to focus on is much more predictable and scalable [than attempting to be a LinkedIn celebrity], and it comes down to the consistency of effort. I guess that comes from my door-to-door sales background many years ago, where it was drilled into us that it’s all about the numbers and it’s all about improving your conversion rates between the numbers. If you do enough of the right things and you improve over time, you’re going to get a known outcome from that. And LinkedIn is no different for sales professionals.” – Tony Restell Resources Social-Hire.com – book a consultation call! Tony Restell on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

When faced with new challenges, your ability to adapt will determine whether you succeed. In the past 12-18 months, the market has undergone a massive shift. In today’s episode, you’re going to get the facts you need to respond. Your host Donald Kelly sits down with Kate Ahlering (CRO at Calendly) to talk about how automation can save you time and energy so you can apply your focus to the moments that matter. Challenges In the Current Market The game has changed from placing importance on “growth at all costs” (2020–2021) to “path to profitability” (2022-present). There is a lot more scrutiny from buyers on all types of investment. The path to profitability needs to be clear at the outset. The silver lining: sales organizations get to hone their craft, become more focused, and improve beyond what they’ve been able to offer in the past. Speed of Sales Cycle When balancing personalization with automation, some steps in the process require a more personalized approach than others. Find the parts you can automate. If a customer is already on your website, they’re ready to talk to you at that moment – most don’t want to send a lot of e-mails back and forth. Calendly Routing allows customers to easily book meetings with you from your website, cutting down the amount of time they spend in your pipeline. Getting the Right Meetings Booked Team selling is becoming increasingly common. Streamlining the booking process for collaborative meetings helps your customer get scheduled painlessly. Standardizing the process to whatever extent you can helps give your customers a consistent experience, and makes your process more scalable. Expansion Using Automation There’s nothing wrong with doubling down on your base, but must also demonstrate your value to that base or offer more value. Use analytic suites to become more educated on what works and improve conversion based on data. HackerOne, a global cybersecurity company, implemented Calendly and scheduled 114% more meetings while streamlining their process by 600 hours. “If you haven’t already, take a look at your customer life cycle map. What are the points in time that you really want to engage your customer? What are those high value conversations? What are those inflection points that are so critical? And [ensure] that you have the right amount and the right blend of personalization and automation to ensure that those moments happen.” – Kate Ahlering Resources https://calendly.com/ – Get started with a FREE trial Connect with Kate Ahlering on LinkedIn The Brevet Group: 21 Mind-blowing Sales Stats - check out this website for helpful stats Ahlering refers to How CI Assante Wealth Management Achieved 323% ROI with Calendly - Case Study HackerOne Realizes 169% ROI by Powering Customer Success with Calendly - Case Study Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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. Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

By now, someone has already told you that sales is about building relationships. If you’ve ever been lured into the trap of trying to be your prospect’s best friend only to find out they weren’t interested, you’re not alone. As you’ll hear in this episode, JC Pollard isn’t afraid to ask tough questions, and that’s how he became a top seller at Gong, hitting 190% of his quota in his first year. Listen in as he and Donald Kelly discuss “soft closing” to get the facts about where your deals are at. Setting Expectations and Being Proactive As a rep, you are (or should be) experienced with your sales process. Take a leadership role in outlining the next steps in the process for your buyer. Give the buyer options so they know you can either close the deal quickly or take more time to evaluate, depending on what they want. Position the outcomes on every call and keep inviting your buyer to tell YOU where they stand. Soft Closing Many reps don’t know how certain their deals are. Instead of keeping yourself in the dark, set your buyers up with an opportunity to close at every step of the process. If they say yes, this saves you a lot of time and effort. But if they say no, you have an opportunity to do discovery. Wrapping Deals Before the Trial Ends Never launch a trial or pilot without knowing what your customer’s success criteria are. If you believe your product has checked all the boxes before the pilot is done, check in with them and see if they’re ready to buy yet. If they say no, don’t be afraid to ask, “Why not?” “The best salespeople are ones that are friendly, liked, create rapport, and can really drop the hammer when they need to... That’s what I try to be. I get close with my prospects. I truly care about making friends with them – I keep in touch with people I sold Gong to a year ago. But when they say something throughout the cycle where I’m like, ‘You’re not thinking about that the right way,’ I’m not afraid to also call that out and be like, ‘Hey, can I challenge you on that?’ If you can marry the two, I think that’s where you start to see some success.” – JC Pollard Resources Gong website Reach out to JC Pollard on LinkedIn JC’s post calling out Donald Kelly on LinkedIn! Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Why do all presentations look and feel the same? Why does it feel like you have to leave your true self at the door and switch into ‘pitch mode’? Why isn’t there more storytelling? These are the big questions our guest Ravi Rajani sought to answer, and he packed this episode with so much of what he has learned. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and Ravi Rajani get pumped about the art of telling exciting stories in a sales environment – and the energy is contagious! Understanding “STORY” in a Sales Context S: Simplify story-selling: A simple, but powerful story can get attention, tug at emotions, and build trust. T: Tactically create your story bank: Include the right kinds of stories in your arsenal. O: Obtain delivery mastery: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. R: Ramp up your MVP story: Practice and fine-tune your story in low-stakes environments. Y: Yield long-term success: Over time, build up more stories to become second nature and conversational. Write Great Sales Stories With The ACORNS Checklist A: Attention-grabbing: Be unpredictable to interrupt your buyer’s pattern of thinking. C: Contain a relatable person: A listener should be able to see themselves as your main character. O: Organically unfold: Keep story arcs simple and easy to follow. R: Reveal a villain: Stories with a “villain” have more tension, which gets your listener’s attention. N: Nurture trust: The story should be a larger part of building a business relationship over time. S: Should add business value: Stories should lead right into your hook, prospect impact, and CTA (call to action). Using Stories to Incite Emotion Bring someone into the room. Rather than narrating, “This happened, then that happened…” Include dialogue. Rajani uses highly descriptive, sensory-focused language to pull listeners in. “What is a story? Let’s take it back to my guy Ralph Emerson. He once said, ‘The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.’ I actually believe that the creation of a thousand relationships is in one story.” – Ravi Rajani Resources DM Ravi Rajani on LinkedIn with the word “Donald” so he knows you heard about him here! https://www.theravirajani.com/yourelevatorstory - FREE script for your Elevator Story Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sale. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Take a moment to walk in your prospect’s shoes. Imagine you’re interested in a product and you reached out for more information, only to wait weeks to hear back. Chances are you went looking elsewhere for a more responsive seller – and if you want to BECOME that second seller, listen in. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and Aleks Gollu, founder and CEO at 11Sight, discuss the undeniable effectiveness of video calls and rapid response time. What Causes Friction? AI chat bots, long survey-style forms, and delayed response time are all points of friction that drag out and endanger deals. There is no reason why responses can’t be instantaneous – if your turnaround isn’t immediate, you could very easily lose your prospects. Two Ways to Talk On the Customer’s Terms Give your customer the option to schedule the meeting. Give them an option to get on an instant video call. Over 60% preferred an instant call! These options work best for high-velocity sales (conversion in 30-60 days). How Can Reaching Out in Real Time Scale Globally? Record a video that explains that you’re not available at that time and offers them an option to schedule a call. Use an outsourced agency that follows a sales script for their first call to move things forward. “A lead is 10 times more valuable in those first five minutes than anytime thereafter. When the phone rings, answer.” – Aleks Gollu Resources https://www.11sight.com/ - Call through the website, and let them know you heard about them on The Sales Evangelist Podcast. You’ll be transferred directly to Aleks! Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

New reps and veteran sellers alike are looking for the missing piece in their sales game – look no further. In this electrifying interview, your host Donald Kelly speaks with Amanda Holmes, CEO of Chet Holmes International, about how her finger-on-the-pulse approach connects with the foundational elements of her father’s work (The Ultimate Sales Machine) to bring us into the future of selling. What is a Dream 100? There is always a smaller number of better buyers than there are buyers. Selling to your better buyers is smarter and cheaper than selling to anyone else. When he was a seller, Chet Holmes spent his energy focusing on his ideal clients rather than selling to 20,000 prospects. “In your face, in your space, in your place.” Chet Holmes used a lot of marketing tactics WITHOUT spamming. Aim to be interested instead of interesting! Identify YOUR Dream 100 Start by going through your contacts and identifying the people who could be in your Dream 100 – without social media. Don’t get overwhelmed – start with a Dream 5 or Dream 10! Place your focus there, and build on it. 3 Dream 100 DON’Ts It doesn’t need to be “100”. The most important thing to do is find your better buyers – the customers who are really right for you. It doesn’t need to be people outside of your sphere. After looking through your contacts, check your social media, your CRM (customer relationship management), and other places in your SOI (sphere of influence). Bigger isn’t always better. Even if big accounts bring in a lot of money, they may not be profitable, and they may not need you. You may not like working with them, which makes them NOT a dream client! “My father was a fifth-degree blackbelt. He realized that there are only so many ways that you kick or you punch, and it’s just a matter of practicing these things over, and over, and over again. He’s famous for the saying, ‘Mastery isn’t about doing 4,000 different things, it’s about doing 12 things 4,000 times.” – Amanda Holmes Resources http://ultimatesalesmachine.com (Chapter 4 of the book is free!) Reach out to Amanda directly @amanditaholmes on Instagram Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sale. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

If you’re still trying to build pipeline by loading up your “spam cannon,” you’re living in the past. In today’s episode, your host Donald Kelly opens up a conversation with Drew Sechrist, the CEO and co-founder of Connect the Dots (a FREE program that helps you leverage your connections – see the Resources below for a tip to skip the waiting list). Sechrist shares the history of how he got his start as a seller at Salesforce, becoming a top seller, and learning the skills that helped him revolutionize his strategy. How Relationships Helped a Young Rep Become the Top Seller When Sechrist first started selling, he didn’t have a network to tap into. As he started selling to bigger more complex companies, having connections helped him get his foot in the door. The amount of people selling creates a lot of noise in the market, leaving buyers unsure of who to trust. Personal relationships built Salesforce from the beginning. At the time, there was no way to see how to leverage relationships with the click of a button, but now there are options like Connect the Dots, which shows reps who the buyers are and how to connect with them through the network they have. Taking Sales Beyond LinkedIn 50-90% of your LinkedIn contacts are people you may not know well, so even if you want to make connections this way, you’re going to face the same lack of trust you’re trying to avoid. CTD offers assistance in tracking relationship strength: whether you have a weak, familiar, or strong relationship with your contact. CTD also shows you a consolidated record of each of your contacts so you can evaluate them at a glance. The Problem With Cold E-mails Cold e-mailing is out for 2023 – it could even hurt your brand. Buyers are inundated with cold e-mails that target and pitch but don’t offer value. Your open rate might be high, but your response rate might not! “Just think about it: somebody comes up to you on the street that you don’t know and they’re proposing something to you, it’s like ‘Whoa, whoa, I don’t know you. I’ve got places to go.’ But if your friend comes up to you on the street and says, ‘Hey Donald, I think I’ve got something for you,’ you’re going to give that person a minute to hear them out… Your brand suffers a little bit if you make a request of somebody’s time and it’s not considered to be valuable.” – Drew Sechrist Resources E-mail [email protected] and let him know you heard about CTD on The Sales Evangelist Podcast, and you will be bumped to the top of the waiting list for FREE access to this program! Connect the Dots Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Creating and sharing content is the new frontier, but it can feel like a chore if you’re not sure how or why to use it. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly sits down with Zach Basner, digital sales and marketing coach extraordinaire, to show you how effective this type of content can be when used correctly. Listen in as they shed some light on the effectiveness of these strategies and how they can be used to up your game as a seller. The 80% Video What questions do your prospects always (or almost always) ask in your first conversation? This video should address those questions. This informs your prospects and can also disqualify leads without wasting your time or theirs. The Bio Video This is an employee bio video that allows a prospect to see, hear, and know the rep they’ll be in contact with. This isn’t the rep’s life story! Just include anything useful for your prospect to know so they have the opportunity to build some trust in you before they reach out. Think of it as a scalable approach to the time and energy that goes into building relationships with customers. Buyer’s Prep Guide This is for buyers who understand their problem and know what the solution is; they are ready to buy, but they’re deciding who to buy from. A buyer’s prep guide should give context as to the value of the product itself, not a biased view of why your product is the best. Walking buyers through how to evaluate your product will help eliminate objections before they come up in a call. “The best time to eliminate an objection is before it has to come up. Content like this will help us eliminate those long before they need to be brought up. If we’re not hearing the same objections that we used to, we know we’re doing this right.” – Zach Basner Resources IMPACT Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sale. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

We’re all trying to find creative ways to build pipeline, but sometimes it feels like we’ve exhausted every possible avenue. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly encourages you to look for leads in places you might have missed. Donald and his team use all of these methods and have done the hard work of testing them for their effectiveness. Give them a shot! 5 Ways to Build Pipeline this Quarter Current Customers: Selling to your current customers is the simplest, cheapest way to build pipeline because they already understand and believe in your product. Stay connected with them and build strong relationships so you can keep them up to date on your new offerings. Lost Deals: Deals fall through for many reasons, so it’s a good idea to check in with leaders to see if they know what went wrong. There may be opportunities to rectify some of the issues that occurred before. Existing Connections on LinkedIn: Your connections on LinkedIn, like your current customers, know of you and probably have some trust in you. You don’t necessarily need to pitch to them, just talk to them and see if what you’re offering can help them in any way. Referrals: Many of our customers are willing to give referrals, but we don’t always ask for them. Rather than ask your customers “who they know who could benefit from your services,” go to their LinkedIn profiles and see for yourself. Then reach out to your customer about those folks specifically. Past Leads: Your past leads were interested in your product at one point but were disqualified for one reason or another. Their situation or your offerings may have changed, so it’s a good idea to reconnect and see if now is a better time for them to move forward with your product. “Some of these people may be friends from college, some of these people may be past customers, some of these people could just be folks in your network that you’ve connected to, but for one reason or another, you haven’t quite navigated the path where you ask them for an opportunity. It is a loss if you’re not doing that.” – Donald Kelly Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com