Mon, March 31, 2025

I Was Telling Stories Horribly Wrog Until I Changed This | Donald Kelly - 1885

shownotes Mentioned in this episode: HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Fri, March 28, 2025

Three Simple Ways To Get Appointments On LinkedIn | Donald Kelly - 1884

In the last episode, I shared some hidden gems on what prospects really want when they go on LinkedIn. I also provided some examples of how to engage with customers on the platform. But what I didn’t show you was how to turn these prospects into appointments. You’re going to find out in this part two series of my little LinkedIn rant. Connect, Share, and Engage to Generate Leads on LinkedIn If you remember from the last episode, I discussed how connecting and engaging with a prospect is better than the generic connecting and pitching method.  Connect with a prospect on LinkedIn, share relevant content there, and engage with those who engage with your content. Even if no one is commenting on your posts, still keep sharing.  Another idea is for you to comment on other content in the groups your ICP is in. Remember the data I shared on why people are on LinkedIn? When you’re engaging and sharing content that your prospects are interested in, it helps you pop up in their news feeds more and become seen as an industry expert. When they become more familiar with you, they’ll be more likely to respond when you pitch. Start a Newsletter It’s never too late to start a newsletter, and don’t get lazy with it. Consider the questions and challenges your prospects are having and share solutions on how they can fix them in your weekly LinkedIn newsletter.  Doing this once a week will show you as a source of information for the industry. People are coming to you to become educated! I share how you can create weekly emails with ChatGPT without just copying and pasting. Also, once you’re well connected with your prospect, shoot them a message asking for permission, and then pitch them your services. If you’re not sure how to do this, send me a connection request and ask how. “Information from you allows you to engage with people on LinkedIn.” - Donald Kelly. Resources Connect and follow me on LinkedIn . Do you need help with creating a podcast? Check out Bluë Mango Studios . Join my LinkedIn Prospecting Course for more guidance.  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 Linked

Mon, March 24, 2025

Pitching On LinkedIn Don't Work, Do This Instead! | Donald Kelly - 1883

LinkedIn is a goldmine for opportunities, but the challenge many sales reps are finding is that no one is responding to their messages after connecting. In this episode and the next one coming up, I’m sharing LinkedIn tips that provide the right touch to get prospects to start engaging with you. My research will help you network better and close deals, without resorting to those silly automated messages. Why Sending Pitch Messages Is A Mistake? Recently I did a LinkedIn poll that said, “When you accept a connection request, what percentage of them turn into pitches right after?” Out of the 316 people who responded to the survey, 60% of them received pitches in the next line of communication and did not like it. My poll result shows that prospects really hate those automated LinkedIn messages, especially right after you just connected with them. Just because they match your ICP, doesn’t mean it gives you the authority to pitch your services. Your prospects aren’t machines who are just going to do business with you because you have a great product. Sales reps who think that prospects are supposed to say yes to their first pitches often believe that sending out hundreds of automated LinkedIn messages works. It doesn’t, and you’re making it harder on yourself to close deals by doing it this way. What Do Prospects Want? I share more stats to help show you how to stop automating messages. For example, regarding content consumption, 40% of users between 30-49 consider LinkedIn as their primary news source.  The stats I share show why people are even on LinkedIn, which is to grow their network, find industry insights, solve business problems, and engage with thought leaders. From this research, you can see why your prospects are on LinkedIn: they’re trying to find answers, solve problems, and get news. What Can You Do To Get Their Attention? Instead of sending automated LinkedIn messages after a connection, consider sending, “Hey, thank you so much for connecting with me,” and then figure out a way you can connect back with them in the message.  Prospects are networking to build a community; how can you become a part of their community without pitching to them right away? I share how you can keep the engagement going to help close a deal by simply being a friendly person. “We’re polluting everything just for a short-term win, hoping to get by. But in reality, we’re damaging ourselves, our company, our careers, and our industry. The way we pitch on LinkedIn is why 30% of people are deleting messages after they see them.” - Donald Kelly.  Resources Connect and follow me on LinkedIn . Do you need help with creating a podcast? Check out <a

Fri, March 21, 2025

What Should I Do When I Get Rejected? | Jacob Hicks - 1882

There’s no way around it; you’re going to hear "no" repeatedly in this industry. However, how you handle those "no's" is what turns you into a better seller. My guest, Jacob Hicks, is going to show you how he turned 70% of his "no's" into future "yes's." Meet Jacob Hicks He is a successful sales coach passionate about empowering leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs to achieve clarity and fulfillment in both their business and personal lives.  Since 2014, he has been a sales leader who has exceeded goals, set records, and effectively led teams across diverse industries.  When he isn’t working, he is dedicated to continuous growth through reading, music, investing, and mission work. What to Do When You Get Rejected Jacob believes that all success stems from prospects telling you "no." You learn significantly more from setbacks. This is where you can reflect on what went wrong and how you can improve your deal-closing process. He also believes that without a strong follow-up system, you will not be able to grow as a seller. You can work on your closing techniques, product knowledge, and other systems, but without a strong follow-up system, nothing else will be effective. Why Following Up Is Important? You call a prospective buyer, and they tell you they are not interested. Is there a way to still follow up, even after they have said "no"? Jacob views it as a retreat point and interprets the "no" as the buyer saying they are not interested in the product or service at this moment. His preferred line for this type of rejection is, "Would you be offended if I stayed in touch with you?" He has found that 90 to 95% of the time, people are open to you reaching out to them again. This allows you to continue following up with them a couple of times a month and provide value until they are ready to do business with you. Following Up Role-Play Jacob and I engage in a sales role-playing scenario where he is the seller and I am the prospective buyer. He demonstrates how he handles my rejection by providing value and establishing a follow-up system. Our role-playing illustrates that a "no" can evolve into a "yes" over time. "When you’re stuck in a rut, you have to do something to change the dynamic. If you’re sitting at your desk all day, get up and stand or do something different to get you out of your comfort zone, helping you remember that you’re trying a new closing technique." - Jacob Hicks. Resources Visit Jacob’s website for more information and resources. Listen to <a href="https://jacobhickscoach.com/purpose-driven-progress-podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_bl

Mon, March 17, 2025

Your ICP Suck... Do This Instead! | Ronnell Richards - 1881

A big problem a lot of sellers have is they don't know who their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is. But, with the right framework, you'll be able to go after the right buyers every time. My guest, Ronnell Richards, founder of Sayless Academy, will share how to find your ICP and how to reach them the right way. Meet Ronnell Richards Ronnell Richards is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and sales consultant with over 20 years of experience.  He's put his sales and marketing expertise into comprehensive LinkedIn Learning courses and his book, "Shut The Hell Up and Sell."  On top of his professional work, he mentors entrepreneurs and supports community initiatives, helping businesses succeed and creating social impact. Why You Gotta Know Your ICP Ronnell says a lot of tech companies don't actually have an ICP and just sell to anyone who comes along.  But, in today's tough market, knowing your ICP stops you from getting pulled every which way and missing out on big wins.  The more specific you are with your outreach and messages aimed at your ICP, the less you get lost in the crowd. What's the Difference Between an ICP and a Strong ICP? Ronnell made 37 questions for his clients to answer about their absolute best customers. This helps them figure out all the things they have in common with those top clients. They usually find their ICP is way more complex than they thought.  A strong ICP means you're targeting buyers you know you can crush it with, and avoiding those who aren't a good fit. Seeing Your ICP as a Person It's a whole different ballgame when you see your ICP as a real person, not just a target. What's their day-to-day life like? Are they going through a rough patch? I actually just put up a LinkedIn post about this, it's titled " I'm Not Just a Sales Guy ." Instead of getting bent out of shape when your ICP doesn't reply to your emails, Ronnell says it's way better to build connections and make sure your outreach lines up with what they need. The secret to building strong relationships with your ICP is having shared values. This is how you get repeat business. "Relationships are everything. The reason I can still do business with someone I worked with twenty years ago is because we clicked and built a real relationship." - Ronnell Richards. Resources Conne

Fri, March 14, 2025

Three Simple AI Process Every Seller Should Be Adopting | Stan Robinson - 1880

Everywhere you turn, there’s a new AI tool being developed, and you may be hesitant to try them out. AI technology is here to advance how we do things, especially within the sales industry. However, people tend to use them the wrong way. Luckily, my guest, Stan Robinson, is here to share three AI techniques you can integrate into your workflow. Meet Stan Robinson Stan is the CEO of Social Sales Link, which teaches revenue-driven professionals to create more trust-based sales conversations using LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, and AI. Having coached over 1,000 business development professionals on social selling, Stan, who studied Psychology at Harvard and international affairs at Princeton, continues to expand his expertise through ongoing courses on sales, leadership, and AI. AI for Sales Reps: How to Work Smarter AI tools shouldn’t replace your work ethic; instead, you should be using them to enhance your sales skills. Stan shares how sales reps should be using AI: Messaging that connects: Don’t use AI tools to create generic outreach messages. Instead, use them to tailor your messages based on a prospect’s industry, role, and unique challenges. Role-playing: Sales leaders can use AI-powered role-playing tools to help their reps prepare for real objections on calls. You can train it to act as a tough prospect with a price concern and refine responses in a low-pressure environment. Faster research: The best thing about AI technology is that it cuts down on time spent doing research. Use AI to scan industry trends, analyze competitors, and summarize prospects’ pain points. This can help you quickly understand your buyers and craft a personalized message that feels more natural. AI Should Enhance the Human Touch—Not Replace It Sales is all about building relationships, so use AI to make your efforts more effective. Stan shares these tips to keep the human touch when using AI tools: Build trust: Buyers connect with people, not bots. Use AI for support: Let AI assist in research and messaging—but keep conversations personal. Stay in control: The best sales reps use AI strategically while focusing on building genuine connections. “AI tools are not going to take your jobs. It’s the individuals who are learning how to converse with the tools who will take away the jobs. So, start using AI tools to make them work for you.”

Mon, March 10, 2025

Case Study: The Proper Way To Multithread | Donald Kelly - 1879

You've heard me talk about multithreading over and over again. Today, I’m sharing more insight with a personal experience of mine and how I worked with multiple people in an organization to close a deal. Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and send a message with the title: "multithreading" and tell me what you liked about this episode. Sales Challenge with Multithreading Multithreading is where you take two or more different paths to connect with individuals in an organization. The challenge I find that most sales reps have with doing this is whether someone will get mad at them for doing it. I even had this problem when first starting out. Will they think of you as a playa? Maybe if you’re doing it with a small company, but with a bigger one, it’s actually a good idea to multithread. The thing is, you can’t be giving the same value proposition. If you’re saying the same thing over and over again, you’re going to lose. The CEO and marketing director have two different problems and responsibilities, so you’re going to have to provide two different value propositions to do multithreading correctly. My Multithreading Case Study I share my personal experience of multithreading for my production company, Bluë Mango Studios. I engaged with Mike on LinkedIn, who was overseeing events for the organization. He wasn’t the right person for me to discuss the proposition with, so he told me who else I could connect with. I reached out to Lenny on social media, but I didn’t hear back from him. This is where I went back to Mike and asked how he saw my proposition benefiting him and the company.  After talking with him some more, Mike was kind enough to let Lenny know that I was going to contact him about how I could help the organization. When you do multithreading correctly, one individual can see how your value proposition can help solve a company’s problem. Also, get out of your own head. People get busy and may not have been able to see your message yet. Give it some time and try again to get your value proposition across. “People often fail at multithreading because they’re using a generic message and not reaching out to the individuals.” - Donald Kelly Resources Connect and follow me on LinkedIn . Do you need help with creating a podcast? Check out Bluë Mango Studios

Fri, March 07, 2025

The 3 C's Of Effective Selling Framework | Luke Lunkenheimer - 1878

One of the biggest mistakes new salespeople make is winging it, even after receiving training. This is going to have you leaving lots of money on the table, and the only way to turn this around is by developing a framework that actually works. My guest, Luke Lunkenheimer, is going to share the 3 C’s Selling framework that’ll change your mindset to improve your sales game. Give it a listen; it may even help you in other areas of your life! Meet Luke Lunkenheimer Luke grew up as a regular guy from a small town and started out in the industry as a car salesman. For years, he did not live up to his full potential in the sales industry, losing unnecessary money. He finally figured out what he was doing wrong. After developing his new sales approach, he realized that you need a certain mindset and values in order to make it in this industry, which he is going to share with you in this episode. Now, Luke is a successful entrepreneur, owning the Paid 2 Persuade sales training platform that is transforming and empowering sales teams to achieve lasting success. What is the 3 C’s Selling Framework? Luke shares that the sales framework isn’t something that provides a step-by-step introduction to closing a deal. Instead, it helps you differentiate a leading sales professional from someone who just does it to get a paycheck. The framework is also the foundation of what he teaches in his Paid 2 Persuade sales training course. It includes: Content: From the time of saying hello in a sales conversation, you need to know what you’re trying to accomplish right now. Are you trying to get them to buy a product from you, or are you trying to change their way of thinking? Confidence: Sales is the act of transferring your certainty onto the client. The only way you can do this successfully is by having a high level of confidence as a sales representative. Cadence: Start role-playing, practice your sales skills, and educate yourself on how to become better. Once you get into your rhythm, it’ll help you with being uncomfortable and push yourself to do better. How to Create Your Own Sales Framework If you prefer not to use Luke’s framework, creating your own is simple. He shared some advice on how to do this: Self-education: Don’t think that because you’re not in school anymore, you should stop learning, especially

Mon, March 03, 2025

Marcus Sheridan | 4 Simple Ways To Become The Most Known & Trusted In Your Industry

I had to do it again and bring back Marcus Sheridan for another episode. Today, we’re going over details of his new book, “Endless Customer,” and he's going to share four ways to make your brand the most trusted in the industry. Background on The Newest Book After the rise of AI tools, Marcus noticed a major change in the sales industry. It’s getting harder and harder to produce content that will generate leads. Also, those who are not using AI technology in some form within their work are struggling the most now. On top of this, companies are having a harder time gaining consumer trust, all thanks to the advancement of AI. This is why Marcus wrote the "Endless Customer" book! To generate leads and to shine through AI, you’re going to have to become a well-known and trusted brand, which you can do with the help of his guidance. How Can You Make Yourself Stand Out If you’ve noticed, not too many people are using Google nowadays. Also, when you search on Google, a lot of AI answers or Reddit posts pop up too. Stop caring so much about keywords and instead start telling AI why you need to be trusted. Marcus shares that you can do this through the four pillars in his book: You have to be willing to say what others are not in your market. Get serious with video content and do what others are not. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2;

Fri, February 28, 2025

Bob Burg | The Go Giver!

I’m giving you another rerun again. Yes, I know, but you’re going to love this episode with my guest Bob Burg, who is an expert sales leader and author with a real go-giver attitude. Listen to this live episode to get the right mindset to help you get prospects. Meet Bob Burg Bob Burg is a salesman who has written a series of books about The Go-Giver, a parable about the principles behind the kind of success most sellers are hoping to achieve. After spending some time in the sales industry, he realized that he wasn’t living up to his potential. Until one day he had a conversation with another salesman and recalling how his parents worked to make other’s lives better, it hit him.   Instead of trying to meet quota, Bob shifts his focus on how he can serve others, and his reward happens to be more money coming into his pockets. Great salesmanship is about the other person and how they’ll benefit from your product or service. Focus on Value People aren't going to buy from you because you need to meet quota or because you’re a nice person. They are going to buy from you because they’ll be better off after they do. Salespeople need to focus on bringing value to the prospect’s life. Value comes first, and the money you receive is a natural result of the value you provided. Value Without Attachment Although people often suggest you should give without expecting anything in return, Bob doesn’t exactly agree with that. Instead, give value without attachment to the result. If you’re in business serving other people, you should expect to profit greatly because you’re bringing value to the marketplace. Just don’t be attached to that result. Give value because it’s who you are and what you do. When that happens, you create a benevolent context for success. You develop great relationships with people who feel good about you. Communicating Value Bob shares how sales reps can communicate value to prospects through these five elements:  Excellence <p

Mon, February 24, 2025

Donald Kelly | My Company Hates Me!

You started working at a new company, and on the outside everything seems great. But when it comes time to find leads, everyone completely ghosts you. Even the management-level employees are nowhere to be found. It kind of makes you feel like everyone hates you. I have experienced the same situation, and I’m here to share some tips to help you out when you start a new sales position and it seems like no one can help you get started. Find People Close to Your Proximity If you’re struggling with finding leads, consider getting on LinkedIn and network with your connections who are close to your ICP. I share a strategy that I teach in my LinkedIn prospecting course. It’s a neat sales trick that works every single time, only when they know you already! You can also ask your proximity connections how they can give you insights on getting leads if my first strategy doesn’t work for you. Target Accounts When you have an understanding of those who can potentially buy from you, you can focus on your ICP and target those accounts. Per week, find two to three accounts within a specific organization that are a part of your ICP. Tier 2 Outreach Campaign As an individual sales rep, you may not be able to do a full cold outreach campaign. But you can use tools to help you do one on a smaller scale.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list

Fri, February 21, 2025

Christian Jack | The Psychology of Persuasion

Sometimes it's better to break the script and listen to what your client is saying when trying to close a deal. In today’s episode, I chatted with Christian Jack, founder of the Sales Dojo and a master of influence, about why it’s important for sellers to understand the psychology of persuasion. He breaks down how the human mind works when sellers become too pushy and how agents can overcome this challenge. Meet Christian Jack Christian Jack is a highly respected sales coach and growth consultant with a proven ability to scale businesses to multiple eight figures. He provides fractional CRO services, one-on-one coaching, and tailored sales training that empower professionals and entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable growth. His practical, personalized approach enables clients to maximize their influence, boost performance, and achieve long-term Sales Is All About Connecting The Dots You want to be a top-performing agent, but to get there, you need to understand that it’s not about meeting goals or persuading someone to make a decision.  Sales is about helping prospects connect the dots and showing them that you’re the right person to help them. Three points can help prospects connect the dots before you try to persuade them: verbal communication, non-verbal communication, and listening to get them to open up. Verbal Communication Comes Last <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: b

Mon, February 17, 2025

Denise Murtha Bachmann | Your Selling To The Wrong Problem

Staying curious is one of the top skills a sales professional must have in order to succeed in this industry. But why is it so important? My guest, Denise Murtha Bachmann, a sales coach and founder of the Sellovatorz programs, is here to tell you about it in this episode. She's going to share how to flawlessly conduct a discovery call and get to the root cause of a problem to help close a deal. Meet Denise Murtha Bachmann Denise Murtha Bachmann is a sales strategist, coach, and fractional sales leader who helps businesses humanize their sales approach while leveraging AI for smarter selling. With a deep focus on relationships, curiosity, and uncovering the probable root cause, she empowers sales teams and founders to build predictable pipelines and close more deals with authenticity.  Through her Sellovatorz programs Denise is redefining modern sales by balancing cutting-edge technology with the human touch buyers demand. Take a Step Back and Slow Down Most sellers try to rush through the sales process to hurry up and close the deal. However, Denise shares that it's better to slow down and ask prospects questions to learn their root problem. Prospective buyers know they have a problem and want a solution to it. But if sellers take the time to help them identify the root cause of the problem, prospects will realize that money isn’t a problem when it comes to fixing it. When you give them the ability to see that you’re trying to solve the bigger problem, y

Fri, February 14, 2025

Tim Riesterer | The Three Value Conversations

We are going old school today. I’m sharing a past episode of my conversation with Tim Riesterer, co-author of The Three Value Conversations , where he shares details of his book. Check it out to learn the conversations you need to be having to master your sales craft. Meet Tim Riesterer Tim is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of Corporate Visions. He has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales and is a co-founder of Customer Message Management. Tim also worked with Corporate Visions LLC, where he was the CEO until it was acquired by Corporate Visions in 2008. He brings a lot of great insights to a sales conversation, and during this episode, he offers some great thoughts relative to his book.    Importance of Value Conversations Being a sales professional is hard! You have to provide a solution that isn’t complex and too difficult for your prospects to understand. How can you do this when you’re stuck at the proposal stage, getting caught up on prices, and unable to build your pipeline? By having conversations with prospects that help educate them and bring value to them! The Three Value Conversations Tim breaks down his book in full detail and shares how to overcome common sales challenges to bring value to prospects: <li class="MsoNormal" style= "

Mon, February 10, 2025

Donald Kelly | 4 Things You Must Know About Every Prospect You’re Multi-Threading With

Hey, hey, hey! I’m back on the road again and here in Dallas celebrating the Sales Kick-Off Season. While here, questions on multi-threading kept popping up, so I’m here to share the four characteristics you must know about your prospects to help you out with this sales challenge. Also, don’t forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn! Individual’s Title Yeah, I know, a pretty obvious thing to know about your prospect. But it’s so important to know this because each individual you’re dealing with must be able to move a deal forward in the pipeline.  If their job role is unable to do this, then you’re not talking to the right person. Look at their LinkedIn profile or ask other individuals within the organization to learn more about their title. Know Their Responsibilities Sometimes a job title can mean nothing, and a person can just be filling a specific role until the right person comes along.  If you’re getting nowhere from learning about an individual’s job title, learn what their responsibilities are within an organization.  I like to use ChatGPT to learn more about a person’s job responsibilities. This can give you an idea if they’re the right person to speak to about moving forward with your offer. How Do They Influence the Deal? You have to sit back and think about how this person influences a deal you’re trying to make with th

Fri, February 07, 2025

Dia Bondi | Ask Like an Auctioneer?

No, guys, this episode has nothing to do with you switching professions and becoming an auctioneer. However, you will learn four core principles from the industry that will help you become a better sales professional. My guest, Dia Bondi, leadership communication coach and author of Ask Like an Auctioneer, is going to share how to articulate the offers you bring to your clients in a unique way. Also, don’t forget to download the hidden gems she shares at the bottom of these show notes. Meet Dia Bondi Dia has an exciting background as a leadership communications coach with over 20 years of experience. She has worked on high-profile projects, including helping Rio de Janeiro win the bid to host the 2016 Olympics.  With a unique love and hobby for fundraising auctioneering she became inspired to write the book "Ask Like an Auctioneer," which focuses on making impactful asks.  Paddle Through The No Auctioneers have a tendency to speak fast, or maybe they’re just good at doing a special chant.  The chant they do allows them to keep going until they get a final bid, the highest offer.  If you paid attention, the auctioneers are paddling through each offer until they are able to maximize the initial offer. Importance of Value Another core principle of auctioneers is not defining an offer based on the price. The price is to show the value of the product and how individuals can see that value. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level1

Mon, February 03, 2025

Mike Murphy and John Murphy | How To Use Sales Navigator To Target C-Suite Executives

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a handy tool to help you find prospects, but if you’re not using it right, you won’t be able to target the ones who have the say in closing a deal. How can you learn to use it to get in touch with C-suite executives? Find out in this episode with my guests Mike and John Murphy, the father-and-son duo of Text Tonality, and learn their three-step strategy for using LinkedIn. Where Did Their Passion for LinkedIn Come From? After struggling to find new clients, John turned to his son Mike for help. Mike had a unique strategy that helped his father find high-stakes clients in no time. Thanks to Mike’s method, he and his father are now the proud owners of Text Tonality. Understanding What Filters Are When you first use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you’ll notice the many different filters within the tool. Mike noticed that people usually use the filters incorrectly in two different ways: either using too many or not enough filters. There are a certain number of filters you can use to help you find the right clients. If you DM Mike, he gives you the code to his free training to help you learn this trick. What To Say to C-Suite Executives When You Find Them John shares that to get your message out correctly, you first have to position yourself in front of them. They have to see how you can help them with their problem. If you can’t get them to see this, then they’re not going to spend 30 minutes on the phone with you. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom:

Fri, January 31, 2025

Donald Kelly | Not Interested: Use The "Go Around The Block" Principle

You're having a wonderful time speaking with a prospect and believe they're going to take the deal. But when you go in to offer it, they quickly shut you down with the most disappointing sales objection: "not interested." Instead of tackling the objection with different common sales methods, try this unique strategy that I share in this episode. What is the Go Around The Block Principle? Inspired by one of my trips, I created this concept to help tackle a sales objection that most reps seem to struggle with the most.  The idea is for you to prepare before the meeting by doing research on the prospect. You can use what you learn about the prospect to help connect with them better before pitching the deal again. Deflect the Sales Objection I share a short story on how I used a prospect's area code to help build a better connection with them before closing a deal.  Of course, you won't always get this lucky, but try going on their LinkedIn profile to see if you can find a specific person, job role, or content they share to bring up during the meeting. Get the prospect to talk about something they're interested in; they will be more likely to hear your offer again. "Your job right now is to have conversations. The more conversations you have, the more opportunity you have to get the person to listen." - Donald Kelly Resources Looking for a new Sales Coaching Software, try out Ambition Do you need help creating a podcast? Visit

Mon, January 27, 2025

Donald Kelly | Three Things I Do To Fix The Awkward Moment When A Prospect Answers

Fri, January 24, 2025

Josh Garrison | Apollo Secrets: Three Sales Practices You Must Abandon From 2024

You can always get the best sales secrets from the top companies in the industry. In this episode, I’m chatting with Josh Garrison, the Vice President of Apollo.io, about the top three sales practices you must stop doing in 2025. Even if you don’t use this sales enablement AI platform, these tips will help you boost your performance and close deals faster. Meet Josh Garrison Josh Garrison oversees product growth, content marketing, and customer education at Apollo.io. He has 15 years of experience founding companies, leading teams, and writing the bestselling book Outbound Sales. As a two-time founder, he created the “full-cycle selling” framework to share a proven approach to B2B sales. Only Let AI Do Some of the Work Are you still making the mistake of using AI to do all your work? If you haven’t realized it yet, people want a human touch, and too much AI can damage their trust in a company. Josh shares that it’s better to use AI for specific tasks.  For example, AI tools have gotten better at research and summarization. Use the information from your research to personalize emails and connect with customers. Diversify Your Outreach If you’re still relying solely on email for outreach, Josh suggests adjusting the timing of your emails and not limiting them to one specific part of the day.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "col

Mon, January 20, 2025

Bob Spina | Excelerating Deals By Slowing Dow

You want to move your deals through the pipeline, but you have no idea how to do it. In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Bob Spina, a successful sales expert known for building and advising high-performing sales teams, on deal acceleration. Join us to hear his strategies on how to slow down and achieve greater success. Meet Bob Spina Bob is well-known for working with Gong and scaled it from under 21 million in revenue to the empire they are today. His focus lies in enhancing revenue processes and strategies, offering his expertise across various companies to drive successful outcomes.  Currently, Bob is dedicated to advising company leaders, sharing his deep knowledge of accelerating deals and navigating multi-stakeholder environments. The Importance of Focusing and Understanding the Industry We discuss the necessity for sales reps to go beyond tool training and understand the industry trends and challenges faced by their target markets.  Having business acumen and understanding what's on the minds of C-level executives gives salespeople a consultative edge, establishing credibility and accelerating deals. The Power of Relevance and Relationship Building Understanding your customer's industry and delivering relevant information can set you apart from competitors who rely on generic, automated messages.  Authent

Fri, January 17, 2025

Donald Kelly | How I Booked Eight Appointment From LinkedIn In One Week!

Is it possible to get multiple appointments on LinkedIn in just one week? Guys, I'm telling you that it is, and in this episode, I'm going to show you how I got eight appointments in five days. I promise it's no influencer trick and has everything to do with prospecting. Take a look at your LinkedIn Connections Go through your LinkedIn connection list and group them into potential customers, past customers, and people you know but don't know what you do. For the ones grouped in "people you know," try booking a 5-7 minute meeting by doing the most simple thing: ask permission to ask a question. Appointment Influencers Past coworkers could be your connection to getting appointments for a specific organization.  You may have to set up an appointment with them, but at least they can probably influence a deal for you. Look for Partners Sometimes you have to provide opportunities to others to help you set appointments. I share how I did this with a recruiting firm and some of my sales reps. If you give to others, they will be more willing to give to you. Post LinkedIn Polls Creating LinkedIn polls on an industry issue and responding to those who engaged with it is a great way to find prospective clients. They're telling you what their problem is, and you can use this to your advantage. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal

Mon, January 13, 2025

Donald Kelly | How Can I Turn My Connects Into Appointments?

While working with a fellow sales rep, I noticed the many phone calls he was making and how many of them weren't turning into appointments. Does this often happen to you?  In this episode, I show you how to fix this common sales mistake and turn those phone calls into deals. If you'd like to try my tips, connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message . Have The Right Offer  You’re getting connections, but it’s just not going the way you want it to.  To change this, start with having the right offer to provide to your prospects.  You know you have a tailored offer when some sales team members are getting appointments. Articulate The Message  Thanks to my speech debate days, I tend to speak fast. I’m sure you noticed on this podcast.  But when dealing with prospects, I slow down to help articulate the offer value to them. You can practice this with someone not in the sales industry to see if it makes sense to them. Stop Rushing  Phone calls are not a race to the finish line, so don’t rush your prospects off. Take the time to help them see the value of your sales offer.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level1 lf

Fri, January 10, 2025

Donald Kelly | My Top Five Sales Predictions For 2025

I’m being like Edgar Allan Poe in this episode and providing you guys with my top five sales predictions for 2025. Will there be an increased use of AI tools in the sales industry? Are consumers wanting more human connection? Tune in to find out! Sales Prediction 1: Increased AI Technology Use  Yes, it’s true. AI tools are not going anywhere, and more than likely, you’re going to use them more and more this year. You’ll probably even find yourself not even realizing that you’re using them.   The downside is that 55% of consumers don’t like for companies to rely so heavily on AI technology. They believe it lacks authenticity and transparency . So, keep this in mind when you’re sending your automated cold emails to prospective customers.   Sales Prediction 3: Old-School Networking Is Winning  I also share another statistic on how AI-generated content provides a negative brand image. What’s the point of using it if your audience is going to see it as a bad thing? This is when old-school sales methods come into play: networking.   Get your face out there and attend networking events . Those within the Boomers, Millennials, and Gen X can spot AI content from a mile away.   Humans want connection, and if you’re not providing that in some way, then you’re going to lose business.   What are my sales predictions 2, 4, and 5? I gave you a teaser of some of my predictions in these show notes. To learn the rest, you’re going to have to click the play button to find out.   <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-b

Mon, January 06, 2025

Walter Crosby | How To Fix Inaccurate Sales Forecasts Once And For All!

How can you optimize your pipeline to ensure accurate forecasting and set your team up for success? Join me and my guest, Walter Crosby, as we explore how transforming ineffective habits can lead to better outcomes in your sales process. By the end of this episode, you’ll gain clarity on your pipeline and learn to identify which prospects are most likely to deliver the results you need. Meet Walter Crosby Walter Crosby is a seasoned sales expert and business consultant with decades of experience in helping organizations refine their sales processes and drive sustainable growth.  He specializes in developing tailored strategies that align sales pipelines with business goals.  His expertise lies in sales leadership, process optimization, and revenue forecasting. Accuracy in Sales Forecasting  Walter shares actionable tips for creating accurate sales forecasts .  The key takeaway? Quality over quantity.  Learn how to identify realistic opportunities and focus on meaningful data, ensuring your forecasts are reliable and actionable. Gatekeeping: Building the Right Pipeline  Your pipeline is only as good as what you let in.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-alig

Fri, January 03, 2025

Donald Kelly | 10 Biggest Takeaways From Consulting and Coaching Teams In 2024

Happy New Year! Let’s kick off 2025 with some sales tactics in this episode. Today, I’m sharing ten key insights from my experience coaching and consulting sales teams in 2024. Here’s five of them below, tune in to learn the rest of my sales tips!  Find Your Ideal ICP  Are you still working with different types of clients and struggling to figure out which one is the right fit for your business? It’s time to double down and define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).  Focus on what works and identify the best individuals who can buy from you. This will help you stop spinning in circles and spreading yourself too thin.  Also, create social media content tailored to this ICP to bring them to you. Cold Calls Still Work  Don’t listen to those who say cold calling doesn’t work , because it does. You need to spend more time on this sales outreach method. I share an interesting story with one of my classes about how cold calling still gets results. If you stay consistent, you’ll see success. So, don’t abandon it! Get Social   You probably realize how important it is to have social media accounts, especially LinkedIn .  You don’t need to do the latest TikTok dances, but you should share educational content. <li class="M

Mon, December 30, 2024

Liesl Nel | LIVE COACHING: Gaining My Customers Trust

If you don’t build trust with your customers, you’ll never close a deal—there’s no way around it! You’ve already heard how companies can build customer trust, but how can an individual seller do this? Join me and my guest, Liesl Nel, in this live coaching session as we share strategies to help your prospects feel safe and confident in doing business with you.   Meet Liesl Nel  Liesl Nel is a seasoned sales professional in the yachting industry, specializing in working with charter agencies, particularly in the Mediterranean region.  Her expertise lies in navigating the complexities of B2B sales and addressing the unique challenges within this niche market.   Building Open Relationships Liesl emphasizes the importance of maintaining open and frequent communication with agencies.  This helps address challenges proactively and assures agencies that customer data will enhance rather than compromise the customer experience. She also shares how face-to-face interactions are better for building trust instead of email marketing.  Storytelling and Customer Reviews  Using stories and customer reviews to demonstrate repeat business and successful partnerships can significantly build trust.  Liesl suggests leveraging third-party success stories to reassure new prospects. Authenticity and Honesty Liesl advises sales leaders to coach their teams on being authentic and transparent. Acknowledging and addressing problems openly fosters a collaborative and trustworthy environment. "I always tell my sales agents to be authentic. Don't hide any problems. If we're having a problem, admit to our B2B customers we're having this problem. We're going to solve it for you. We're going to work together on it versus there is no problem. Be open, honest, and vulnerable. People understand that things do go wrong, but we are going to fix it and we want to continue our relationship." - Liesl Nel.  Resources Liesl Nel on LinkedIn Moorings.com   Sunsail.com  Sponsors

Fri, December 27, 2024

Gail Kasper | Adopt These Simple Strategies & Your Prospects Will Buy

Sometimes, we make the sales process harder than it needs to be. If common sales methods aren’t working for you, check out this episode with my friend and guest, Gail Kasper. She shares how going above and beyond—like overnighting an apple pie—can convince a prospective buyer to do business with you. And don’t forget to check the resource section for a freebie! (No, it’s not a free apple pie.)   Meet Gail Kasper Gail Kasper, a Master Sales Trainer and author of Unstoppable and Sell Like A Cockatoo, is renowned for customizing sales programs that boost revenues and revitalize even seasoned sales teams.  With experience working with Fortune 500 companies, she sets the gold standard in sales training.   As a seasoned TV host, Gail has shared her strategies on leading podcasts and local affiliates nationwide.   Why Another Sales Book?   With countless sales books out there, why did Gail write another one? Because so many people enter sales roles without understanding what to expect.   Gail shares innovative methods to help new sales reps stand out and guide buyers through the sales process to close deals.  She also emphasizes the importance of getting back into networking and making phone calls to build human connections with buyers and other sellers.   Cockatoo Selling: What Is It? Cockatoos build momentum during their dancing routines, moving their body language and tone in sync to capture their mate’s attention.   Similarly, successful sellers must build momentum with their prospects, taking time to connect and avoiding the rush to close a deal.  Building strong relationships leads to long-term partnerships and opportunities to ask for referrals down the line.   The Role of Questioning   During the discovery phase, effective questioning is vital for building rapport and closing deals.  Gail explains that asking thoughtful questions keeps potential customers engaged and fosters trust.   By understanding a customer’s unique challenges and goals, you position yourself as a problem

Mon, December 23, 2024

Pinar Erzin | LIVE COACHING: How Do I Differentiate As A Startup?

Just because you’re talking to a customer doesn’t mean you’re the only one making an offer. So, how do you stand out in a niche-specific market when there are so many competitors vying for your buyers? In this episode, I sit down with Pinar Erzin, Co-founder of Most Sailing, to discuss how startup companies can differentiate themselves in niche markets.   Meet Pinar Erzin Pinar is the co-founder of Most Sailing, a company specializing in the luxury yacht charter industry. Her role focuses on building meaningful relationships with clients and standing out in a competitive, relationship-driven market.   In our conversation, Pinar shares the challenges and lessons she’s learned in creating a unique value proposition in such a specialized field.  Together, we explore strategies for building lasting client relationships, standing out from the competition, and adding value beyond price to succeed in niche markets.   The Power of Relationships Success in niche industries often hinges on trust and personal connections. Pinar shares that attending events like MMCAS Summit and the International Charter Expo helps build rapport with industry peers and clients. Differentiation Beyond Discounts While price often takes center stage, true differentiation comes from delivering consistent value and exceptional service. Pinar believes it’s better

Fri, December 20, 2024

Martina Hršak | Company's Need To Build Trust As Well, Not Just Sellers

Trust is everything in the customer service industry. It’s not only essential for sellers to be trustworthy; businesses must also strive to build trust with their customers. If you’re unsure on how to create strong customer relationships, tune in to my guest, Martina Hršak, as she shares actionable insights on trust-building skills. Growing Up in Croatia and Entering the Yachting Industry During her youth in Croatia, Martina never imagined herself in the yacht business due to her tendency to get seasick. Yet today, she leads MMK Systems, a company that provides the Booking Manager System, the leading software for yacht charter businesses worldwide. The Importance of Trust in Sales   To build a successful business relationship in B2B sales, customers must trust the companies they’re buying from. Martina shares how businesses trust MMK Systems with their critical data, such as personal information and finances.   Key factors that can easily destroy trust in any industry include:   Misleading statistics or facts   Data misuse   Conflicts of interest (e.g., mergers or acquisitions within the industry)   Businesses that mishandle these factors and fail to build trust with their buyers are unlikely to succeed.  <li class="MsoNormal" s

Mon, December 16, 2024

Robert Kennedy III | The Better You Communicate The Better You Sell

Fri, December 13, 2024

Carson Heady | Three Eternal Truths For B2B Sales Success That Most Sellers Avoid

Mon, December 09, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 7 - Objections Handling

Your prospect has rejected the deal, and now you’re unsure whether to try another sales tactic to change their mind or simply move on. This final episode of the Back to Basics series will guide you in overcoming sales objections and keeping your pipeline moving forward. Slow Down It’s natural to do everything in your power to get a prospect to say yes. This can often lead to rushing the sales process in hopes of securing that long-awaited agreement. Instead of speeding up, take a moment to pause and breathe deeply. Begin addressing the objections raised by your prospect calmly and methodically. Taking the time to regroup prevents panic and helps you avoid costly mistakes. Express Appreciation Your prospect may have valid reasons for hesitating or declining to move forward in the sales process. Acknowledge this by expressing understanding and gratitude for their time. Next, use a softener to gain permission to dive deeper into their concerns. I explain how to do this in the episode, which will help you uncover the root cause of their objection. Don’t forget to use the “5 Whys” technique to get to the heart of the issue. Schedule the Next Meeting Once you’ve identified their real concern and explained how you can help solve the problem, schedu

Fri, December 06, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 6 - How I Conduct Effective Discovery Calls

Before visiting Dubai, I did some research to determine if it was the right destination for a trip. If I hadn’t taken a few minutes to do so, I could have ended up having a horrible experience.   This is why it’s important for you to conduct discovery calls—to ensure you and your prospect will have a pleasant experience working together. In this episode, I share the basics of a discovery call and how to set one up properly to ensure you land a deal with your prospect.   The Purpose of Discovery Calls Discovery calls are meant to determine if you and the prospect are a good fit for each other.  Too often, sales reps focus solely on their own goals instead of the prospect’s needs. If you’re only focused on reaching your quota, how can you be sure your product will actually solve the prospect’s problem?   Steps to a Successful Discovery Call   Confirm the Appointment: Before the day of the discovery call, confirm the meeting and ensure that the right individuals will be attending.   Build Rapport: Start by asking probing questions to help the prospect feel comfortable and begin building a relationship.   Provide an Agenda: Clearly outline the purpose of the discovery call. This conversation is your opportunity to understand what’s going on with them and explore how you can provide a solution to their problem.   Pay Attention to Pain Points When the prospect begins sharing their challenges, listen with the intention of truly understanding their needs.   One of my future guests shared an active listening technique to help improve this skill. Also, pay attention to what the prospect isn’t saying, as this can help you uncover problems they may not even realize they have.   “To help the prospect, you must focus on them. This is how you know that you can provide a solution for them.” - Donald Kelly. Resources The Sales Evangelist Sales Planner Cold Call Openers The Sales Evangelizers Facebook Group

Mon, December 02, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 5 - The First 10 Seconds!

Fri, November 29, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 4 - Make Your Cold Calls Warm With This Hack!

Mon, November 25, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 3 - I Have No Time To Prosect

Fri, November 22, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 2 - Mutlitasking

Thu, November 21, 2024

Ante Mihaljevic | Is Building Just Low Key Manipulation?

Wed, November 20, 2024

Donald Kelly | Back to Basics Series Part 1 - I Hate Following Up

Fri, November 15, 2024

Eugene Theodore | You Are Telling Prospects The Wrong Stories

Fri, November 08, 2024

Cindy Allis | How Can I Get Them To Buy Sooner?

You’re waiting for a client to respond to your offer, but it’s taking longer than expected. How can you get them to speed up their decision? Listen to my conversation with Cindy Allis, CEO and Co-founder of Floatist, where I show her how to create urgency and close deals faster. Meet Cindy Allis Cindy Allis is the CEO and Co-founder of Floatist, a B2B tech company in the yacht industry. Currently, her industry is facing seasonal challenges, making it harder for her sales team to navigate the B2B sales cycle. In our discussion, Cindy shares some of her team’s strategies, including offering incentives to help customers make quicker decisions. I also provide tailored sales advice to address the challenges her team faces during the Q4 period. Insights on Sales Seasonality Cindy highlights the impact of seasonality on their sales process, explaining how charter companies’ pricing strategies influence their business.  She notes a recent extension in the peak season, driven by market trends and events like the Olympics.  This shift complicates their sales outreach, requiring her team to adapt their strategies to keep up. Mutual Action Plans and Digital Sales Rooms I introduce the concept of mutual action plans and digital sales rooms as tools to guide prospects visually through the sales process. Given that 65% of people are visual learners, these tools prevent information overload and keep prospects engaged. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; m

Mon, November 04, 2024

Jorge Soto and Justin Dorfman | Buyer Enablement: Selling The Way Your Buyers Buy

Fri, November 01, 2024

James Buckley | Cold Calling & Emailing Prospecting Habits You Must Adopt In 2025

Sometimes, getting a prospect to say “yes” requires the right personality. But what if your personality doesn’t quite match theirs? How can you prevent them from hanging up the phone? My guest, James Buckley—the self-proclaimed phone expert and co-host of the Sell Better Podcast—is here to share the communication style you need to instantly increase your cold-call success rate. Click play and learn how to align your sales style with your prospect’s personality. Meet James Buckley After meeting James Buckley, it’s clear why he’s known as “the phone guy.” His communication style evokes emotions far more swiftly and effectively than email ever could.  James personalizes his sales approach by being authentic, intuitively connecting with prospective customers in a way that builds rapport and trust.  Thanks to his unique methods, James has become a valuable resource for both new and seasoned sales professionals.  Be sure to check out Sell Better, where he shares daily and weekly sales tips. Have the Right Personality The wrong approach could be keeping you from closing deals. James explains how to tailor your communication based on personality cues you can often pick up from LinkedIn profiles.  For example, if someone appears friendly in their profile, adopt a jovial tone; but if a prospect’s profile has a more serious vibe, use a tone that matches. Think Smaller with Emails <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black;

Mon, October 28, 2024

Chris Caldwell | The Mistake of Trying To be Liked!

Here’s a shocking fact, reps don’t have to be nice in order to make a deal. Unconsciously, your need to be liked is turning you into a pushy salesperson. Listen to this episode with my guest Chris Caldwell to help you stop making this sales mistake.  Chris Caldwell’s Background Chris Caldwell is a sales trainer and expert who runs “Sell As You Are,” a company that helps sales professionals succeed by embracing their authentic selves. With experience coaching youth soccer and leading sales retreats, Chris has deep insights into human behavior and the psychological needs that drive success. He focuses on aligning beliefs and behaviors with genuine intent, offering practical strategies to foster personal power, authenticity, and commitment in sales teams. Unmet Needs in Sales How do sales reps manifest their unmet needs in sales contexts? Chris provides an analogy of parents at a youth soccer game, demonstrating how people often project their unfulfilled emotional needs onto external situations or people. This behavior negatively impacts sales performance and client relationships. The Power of Setting the Frame To set clear expectations and agendas with prospects, try using Chris’s framework for sales conversations. His framework allows you to stay confidently in control throughout the sales process. The Importance of Getting to the Truth The primary objective of every firs

Fri, October 25, 2024

AJ Wilcox | Three LinkedIn Ad Strategies Sales Teams Should Implement

LinkedIn Ads are a great way to help sales teams reach their target audience with less stress. But to make them work, you’ll need the right LinkedIn Ad strategies. In this episode, I’m joined by AJ Wilcox, host of the LinkedIn Ads Show podcast. Discover his three tactics that will have prospects running to your inbox. Meet AJ Wilcox AJ Wilcox is a seasoned expert in LinkedIn advertising. He runs a podcast dedicated to LinkedIn Ads and manages a successful LinkedIn Ads agency. Initially an SEO and Google Ads specialist, AJ transitioned into LinkedIn advertising while working for a SaaS company. His expertise quickly grew, leading him to manage LinkedIn’s largest spending ads account worldwide. Why Should Sales Teams Use LinkedIn Ads? Most people avoid using LinkedIn Ads for two reasons: 1. They’re expensive 2. They believe they don’t work If you’re one of those who think Meta Ads are better than LinkedIn Ads, AJ is here to prove you wrong. He explains that LinkedIn targets a company’s audience with ease, and the return on investment is 2x higher with LinkedIn Ads. Three LinkedIn Ads Strategies for Sales Teams AJ shares these LinkedIn strategies for sales teams: Thought Leadership: Posts that feature a human face receive more reactions on LinkedIn. Instead of sharing company content, showcase an employee or CEO offering advice. AJ tested this method and saw a 5 to 16 percent increase in click-through rates. ABM Strategies: LinkedIn is the top social media platform for ABM (Account-Based Marketing) strategies. Having a list of leads that haven’t signed up yet at your fingertips makes it much easier to reach companies’ buying committees. This helps increase brand recognition on LinkedIn and improves sales teams’ deal closure rates. Engaging Leads in the Sales Pipeline: Sales reps can collaborate with the marketing team to create personalized campaigns for the company’s leads list. This ensures ongoing engagement with leads and keeps them moving through the pipeline. “When we show these sales reps, as opposed to their company posts, they’re getting on average more than one extra se

Mon, October 21, 2024

Will Barron | My Proven Framework To Overcome Your #1 Deal Killer

What in the world is the status quo? How is it able to keep you from closing deals? My guest, Will Barron, founder of Selling Made Simple and the Salesman Podcast, is here to reveal the number one deal killer. Tune in to learn more about the status quo, Will’s experience with it, and how he was able to overcome this sales challenge. Introducing Will Barron Will Barron, the mastermind behind Selling Made Simple and the Salesman Podcast, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in B2B sales. He specializes in helping salespeople close more deals in a simplified manner. Will’s strategies revolve around understanding the root causes of sales stagnation and turning them into actionable steps. What is the Status Quo? You know that feeling where you won’t do anything unless there’s a massive reward at the end? It kind of stalls your motivation to get things done. This feeling illustrates the concept of the status quo. Many salespeople face situations where deals stall and ultimately fall off the pipeline, not due to competition or pricing, but simply because of inertia. There are psychological and business factors contributing to the status quo. Often, it’s not about the product or the competitor, but more about the inherent resistance to change. Engaging with Decision Makers Often, you may find yourself speaking to individuals who lack the authority to move deals forward. You want to communicate with the decision-makers

Fri, October 18, 2024

Emily Davidson and Mike Montague | The Best Game Plan To Close More Deals In Q4!

In the early days of my career, I had the chance to go through Sandler Sales Training. While there, I met my two wonderful guests for this episode, Emily Davidson and Mike Montague. The principles they taught in that course provide excellent strategies that you can use during this year’s Q4 to help prepare for Q1 next year. Take notes and listen to their game plan, which will surely help you close more deals before the new year. Common BDR Challenges During Q4 You may wonder how to make the most of the remaining months of the year. Which deals should you focus on? Should you let any clients go if you know they won’t make a decision before the end of the year? These challenges can cause a lot of anxiety, but with a strategic plan, you can overcome them. Mike suggests continuing to prospect during this time. You don’t want to start the new year trying to rebuild your sales pipeline. Don’t start fresh in 2025 and bring Q4 clients along. Prioritizing Deals You may find yourself with deals that are moving very slowly through the pipeline or with nothing at all. What actions should you prioritize to help close deals? Follow the Sandler Sales Training Care Plan, where you assess your accounts and prioritize which ones to keep. Mike and Emily provide examples of the Care Plan to help you understand how to apply it to your situation. Sales leaders may need to help team members prioritize their deals. Sometimes an outside perspective can help a sales rep view their accounts objectively. Be Creative with Your Prospecting During this time of year, most sales reps are out enjoying the holiday festivities like everyone else. You may be tempted to do the same, but if you want to close deals, you’ll have to put in some work. The good news is, if you get creative with your approach, you can still have fun while doing it.  Attend the Christmas parties, but use the opportunity to talk to decision-makers. Don’t take a vacation during this time—use it to cold-call CEOs and presidents. The key is to work smarter, not harder, during this season. “Ou

Mon, October 14, 2024

Mark Roberge and Donald Kelly | Three Case Study Helping Sellers Get Over 120% of Quota

In sales, you can’t rely solely on the product to close deals; you need the right strategies and mindset to get prospects to say yes to your offers. Some companies excel at this, while others need a bit of help. Join me and my guest, Mark Roberge, in this episode as we share three case studies of businesses that turned their sales success around. Meet Mark Roberge Mark Roberge is a renowned expert in sales and venture capital, known for his data-driven strategies that transform businesses.  As the fourth employee at HubSpot, he developed a scalable sales model that fueled the company's growth.  In addition to mentoring startups, he shares his sales expertise through podcasting and speaking at major events like the Inbound conference. Understanding the Reticular Activating System (RAS) Your brain filters information all the time, and often in ways that may keep you from succeeding in sales.   We explore the Reticular Activating System (RAS) and how the brain prioritizes information it deems important.  Your mindset and perception influence your belief in the effectiveness of your sales strategies.   For instance, if you believe cold calling is ineffective, your RAS will filter information that supports this belief, often leading to self-fulfilling outcomes. Sales & Psychology: The Connection   <li class="MsoNormal" style= "c

Fri, October 11, 2024

Dr. Jean Oursler | The REAL Truth Behind Why You're Not Prospecting Enough

Continuing from our last topic on prospecting, this episode dives deeper into it. I’m sharing an episode from last year featuring my discussion with Dr. Jean Oursler. She discusses why you’re not prospecting enough and what you can do to overcome this unique sales challenge. Meet Dr. Jean Oursler Dr. Jean Oursler is a renowned sales trainer known for her innovative approach to boosting new business development.  She created the Caveman Brain System, a methodology based on understanding how the amygdala’s fight, flight, or freeze response can hinder sales success.  Through her coaching, Dr. Jean aims to spread the principles of the Caveman Brain System widely, enabling teams to improve their business outcomes significantly. Caveman Brain: What Is It? Our brain still operates as though we’re living in the wild, even though society has evolved.  Dr. Jean explains that the amygdala plays a major role in how we interact with the world around us. For example, you might struggle with cold calling because of your fight, flight, or freeze response.  Your amygdala is trying to protect you from perceived dangers, and without you realizing it. This primitive part of your brain holds you back in sales situations, creating unnecessary fears and inhibitions. Practical Steps to Harness the Caveman Brain Dr. Jean offers actionable advice on how to deal with the Caveman Brain: Positive Self-Talk and Affirmations: Write down affirmations and repeat them daily to change your mindset. If you can’t come up with your own, try these: “I am a fabulous salesperson” or “People love reading what I write.” Understand the Source of Fears: Are you holding onto fears from childhood, culture, or past experiences? For example, maybe your parents told you not to talk to strangers, and that fear still influences your behavior. Simplistic Approach: Focus on basic goals like making a friend or solving a problem, rather than just closing the sale. Transforming Your Sales Mindset If you want to become a g

Mon, October 07, 2024

Donald C. Kelly | The #1 Sales Pipeline Killer & How To Fix It ASAP!

How’s your sales pipeline going? It’s not performing as well as you need it to during this time of year. That’s why in this episode, I’m going to show you how to fix it fast and continue growing your business before the holidays arrive. What's the Number One Sales Pipeline Killer?   You’re doing everything right to grow your pipeline, and everything is going great. You’re getting clients, and they’re saying yes to your pitches.   But now things are starting to slow down, which is frustrating when you’re getting used to the groove.   Listen to my short story on how I overcame this unique challenge. It may help you when your sales pipeline suddenly slows down.  Always Be Prospecting Closing deals is what makes you money. Once those are done, you’re going to need more to keep the money rolling in.   This is why you always need to be on the lookout for new business opportunities.   You don’t want your pipeline to dry up, because once one deal closes, you need to be ready to close another one ASAP.   If you want to learn how to close deals faster, join my Sales Mastermind Class. You can find the link in the resource section. Self-Discipline for Prospecting  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-l

Fri, October 04, 2024

Dale Dupree | Using Creativity To Close More Deal In The World of AI

One thing that AI lacks, which humans possess, is creativity. I'm not suggesting you stop using the technology because of this, but it's important to be aware of its limitations. When you add your personal touch to AI-generated content, you can close more deals more effectively. Learn how in this episode with Dale Dupree, where he shares tips on incorporating creativity into AI-driven processes. Is AI Preventing Society from Being Creative? As you may notice, tools like ChatGPT and other AI platforms can often sound robotic. Dale discusses how AI lacks emotions and likely always will.   While researchers are working to infuse human emotions into AI, upon closer examination, this thinking proves to be flawed.   AI doesn’t understand emotions the way humans do. When it comes to tone, feeling, and triggering the brain to take action, a human touch is still necessary. Have a Bigger Purpose Than Making Money Yes, you entered the sales industry because you wanted to make money. But to get where you want to be, you have to work for it. You can’t always rely on AI to do your job for you.   While your goal is to make money, you also need a deeper purpose for why you’re doing what you do.   Strive to achieve great things and have a vision or sense of impact for your organization. Why are you trying to sell your product to your buyers? How does it help them with their problems?  <l

Mon, September 30, 2024

Zach Bradshaw | How To Listen For What Your Prospects Are NOT Saying!

Most sellers take the time to master their pitching or objection handling skills. However, do you ever stop to take the time to master your active listening skills? Join me in this episode with my guest, Zach Bradshaw, President of Business Development at Brightkey, as we deep dive into the nuances of active listening in sales. Introduction: Meet Zach Bradshaw Zach is the Vice President of Business Development at Brightkey, a company that specializes in providing managed services to businesses.  His success stems from the many failures and obstacles he faced throughout his professional journey.  Overcoming rejected proposals and poor approaches has allowed him to hone his ability to listen to clients.  Now, he guides his team to approach client interactions without preconceived notions and to focus on genuinely understanding clients' problems in order to address them.  The Power of Listening in Sales Recently, I conducted a LinkedIn poll and discovered that one of the most important sales skills is active listening.  However, this doesn’t just involve using your ears to understand consumers' pain points. Zach shares that a seller must also take the time to understand the unsaid and read between the lines, which is a crucial aspect of active listening. Preparing for Effective Sales Conversat

Sat, September 28, 2024

Donald Kelly | The Three Most Important Things I Took Away From Inbound 2024

Recently, I attended HubSpot's 2024 INBOUND event, a three-day conference showcasing the latest in marketing, sales, and AI. Listen to this episode to hear the three biggest takeaways from the event. Why is HubSpot’s INBOUND Conference Important? HubSpot is one of the leading marketing companies, dedicated to gathering and sharing essential industry insights. The conference is a key platform for unveiling the latest trends and innovations in marketing, and sales. INBOUND brings together industry leaders, offering attendees the chance to network, share ideas, and build partnerships with top professionals in their fields. It also features thought leaders and innovators who inspire attendees with new perspectives and creative solutions to business challenges. 1. Search is Dying To some extent, search engines are declining. Is it even worth caring about what Google thinks of ChatGPT writing anymore? HubSpot estimated that search is projected to decrease by 25% by the year 2026.   Why is this happening? Honestly, what’s the point of using Google when you can just use AI? 2. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize There are some terrible cold emails out there, and recently, I received one. A guy literally pitched podcasting services to me (Donald C. Kelly😭). How funny! If he had done his research, he would’ve known why he was wasting his time.   <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-a

Mon, September 23, 2024

Andrew Barbuto | 5 Simple Things Top Producers Do That Average Sellers Hate!

Fri, September 20, 2024

Ian Agard | What You Are Missing With Their Personal Brand In 2024

In 2024, building a personal brand is essential for success. In this episode, I sit down with Ian Agard, a sales coach specializing in personal branding, to discuss how sales reps can strengthen their brand to enhance sales performance. Tune in to hear Ian's insights on leveraging your personal brand to close more deals. Meet Ian Agard Initially, Ian started his career as a marketer and eventually transitioned into becoming a proficient seller. His exceptional ability to connect with people, attributed to the strong personal brand he has built over time, sets him apart.  Ian has progressed through roles as a sales leader and a sales coach, where he now runs a sales coaching program called "Level Up."  His program is designed to help Business Development Representatives (BDRs), Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), and Account Executives (AEs) earn their next promotion within three to six months by focusing on mindset, habits, and mastering essential sales skills.  Why Personal Branding Matters A personal brand is what people think of when they see or hear your name. This is how you share your values, expertise, and journey, without having to explain it to every potential client. Ian shares how building a personal brand allows salespeople to create a strong connection with followers and better opportunities for sales growth.  Building Your Brand: A Step-by-Step Guide <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stop

Tue, September 17, 2024

Gregg and Mike | This Is What Happens When They Follow The Process!

Fri, September 13, 2024

Rabi Gupta | Does Cold Calling 2.0 Any Better Than Regular Cold Calling?

There's no denying how AI has changed the way we do business in the sales industry. In some areas, it’s better and in others, we’re still working out the kinks. But, has it improved the way we do cold calling? In this episode, I have an engaging conversation with Rabi Gupta, the CEO of Evabot, on how AI can bridge the gap between sellers and buyers. Learn how to use AI tools to improve your cold calling techniques.  Meet the CEO of Evabot Rabi Gupta is a co-founder and CEO of a startup company. His day-to-day responsibilities involve managing various aspects of the business.   He is passionate about identifying and solving problems that salespeople face by using innovative technology and artificial intelligence.  Rabi's leadership and expertise drives his company's mission to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of sales teams. Cold Calling 2.0 Defined Buyers are tired of hearing the same old tired pitches, making it harder for sellers to meet their quotas.  Cold Calling 2.0 uses AI technology to help sellers become more efficient in researching buyer’s potential pains and challenges. For example, a seller can use an AI tool to find a specific issue highlighted within a company’s quarterly report. The unique approach keeps sellers from using generic sales outreach techniques and makes cold calls more valuable to prospects.  AI’s Role in Sales Enhancements <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bot

Thu, September 12, 2024

Josh Shirley | The Rule of Seven For LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful tool for growing your business and gaining clients. However, using the marketing tool can be a bit complicated. If you’re unsure how to use Sales Navigator, tune into this episode. I chat with Josh Shirley, a seasoned sales professional from Sandler, on the most effective ways to use the tool to help grow a sales pipeline.  Josh Shirley’s Background Josh Shirley is a representative of Sandler, a renowned sales training organization.  He highlights that his relevance arises when sales leaders seek an institutionalized system offering predictable outcomes based on set inputs.  Sandler’s methodical approach provides sales professionals with the structured support similar to those in other professions with established educational backgrounds, enabling them to perform effectively right from the start. Referrals: The Gold Standard of Leads Referrals are the golden component of receiving sales leads. Josh shares personal experiences about how structured approaches to request referrals can significantly enhance lead generation. The LinkedIn Rule of Seven Josh shares explains that for every seven LinkedIn connections, there's typically one person willing and able to refer you. He outlines three practical applications of this rule to improve your referral tactics. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-heigh

Fri, September 06, 2024

Donald Kelly | 5 Effective Cold Call Openers Most Sellers Are NOT Using!

You call a potential client, and when they answer the phone, what do you say to reel them into your offer? “Hello, how are you doing? My name is Kevin?” No, this is going to get you hung up on. Listen to this episode to find out what you’re supposed to say instead. I share five effective cold call openers to help you start conversations with prospects. Also, don’t forget to download the call opener document for the other five tactics.  1. Curiosity Opener Curiosity makes a prospect more interested in your call and open to conversing with you.  Try verifying the prospect’s name and referencing something you saw about them on LinkedIn. Make sure it's relevant to a business problem they're currently having. This initial spark can pave the way to a longer dialogue where you can provide value. 2. Referral Opener You can consider this one as the golden opener.  Use this call opener when you know someone within the prospect's professional network to boost your credibility. Mentioning a mutual contact can make the prospect more inclined to listen to what you have to say. 3. Problem Solver Opener Take time to research a common challenge in the prospect’s industry.  Start by stating that you've spoken to others in the same field who have faced similar problems. Then, ask how they are currently handling this challenge.  This approach not only shows your understanding of their industry but also positions you as a potential problem-solver. 4. Industry Insight Opener A part of being a seller is being an expert in industry trends, and you can use this as an advantage when cold calling. After you verify the prospect’s name, share an interesting trend within their industry. This will show the potential buyer that you’re well-informed and that your solution is timely and beneficial to their needs. 5. Value Proposition Opener If nothing else works, then try to deliver a compellin

Mon, September 02, 2024

Moustafa Moursy | The Personal Sales System That Will Boost Your Numbers Fast!

You may be working at a company that doesn't have a good CRM, which can easily make your job stressful. How can you overcome this challenge to boost your sales? Listen to this episode and hear my conversation with a ten year veteran sales professional. I chatted with Moustafa Moursy on how to develop your own personal sales system to help close more deals fast. Moustafa Moursy’s Background Moustafa Moursy runs Push Analytics, a full-service digital agency.  His team specializes in various areas, including CRM implementation and consulting, helping businesses elevate their operations to the next level.  With experience across numerous industries, Push Analytics is a top-tier HubSpot partner and offers tailored solutions for complex business needs Why Do Sellers Need a Workflow? If you don’t have a personal system of management, you’re only going to get so far. You may be good at the day-to-day workflow or a specific skill, but without a personal system, you’re only going to get so far. The personal system allows you to recognize your strengths and weaknesses.  What Should Be In Your System? It depends on what type of service or product you’re selling. The more complex your workflow is, the more planning you will have to do to build your system. <

Fri, August 30, 2024

Yano Anaya | Stop Making This Mistake When Closing The Deal

You’re using every sales tactic, method, and technique to get a potential buyer to close a deal. When you think they are going to say yes, they end up telling you I have to think about it some more. Within your mind, you think you did everything right. So why are they telling you no? In this episode, you’re going to find out the error you made. I chat with a special guest with a surprising background, Yano Anaya, who shares the number one mistake sellers make when closing a deal. Yano Anaya’s Background Do you remember the two sidekicks of the bully who got his tongue stuck on the pole? Well, one of them was Yano Anaya. After spending years as an actor, he decided to make a switch to entrepreneurship. His unique background helped him become a sales marketing expert.  Currently, he runs The Christmas Story Family, selling merchandise from the movie. Also, he is the host of a new podcast, “Talking a Christmas Story,” where you can hear behind-the-scenes stories and personal memories from the cast. Psychology Trick To Close More Deals As a seller, you kind of have to ask your potential customers for money. That’s the business of sales. Yano noticed how sellers often struggle with this challenge and are unable to close deals effectively. He shares that if you have a problem with asking then you may ha

Mon, August 26, 2024

Donald Kelly | The Three Most Important Things I Learned In Salesforce 2024 State of Sales Report

Where does the state of sales stand today, and what should you prioritize to strengthen your pipeline? In this episode, I explore the Salesforce 2024 State of Sales Report to provide answers. Join me as I uncover the top three insights from the report. Partnerships In the Salesforce report, I came across a compelling statistic: 89% of teams currently leverage partnerships, and 50% expect to do so within the next year.  As reaching prospects becomes increasingly challenging, partnerships offer a powerful solution by providing direct introductions within organizations.  I share an example of why partner deals are so effective and why this approach is set to become a major trend in the sales industry. Recurring Sales Revenue More companies are shifting towards recurring revenue models instead of relying solely on one-off sales.  Recurring revenue provides a more stable and predictable income stream, which is crucial in today’s fluctuating market.  This approach is important because it enhances financial stability and drives long-term business growth. Importance of Personalization According to the Sales report, 86% of buyers are more inclined to make a purchase when their goals are understood.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bott

Fri, August 23, 2024

Moustafa Moursy | Three Game-Changing CRM Tips Every Company Needs to Adopt

In the world of sales, the relationship between sales teams and their CRM tools can often be strained. But what if I told you that the problem doesn't lie with the CRM itself, but in how it's being used?  Imagine having a toolkit that can drive your business to the next level when configured and utilized correctly. This is where the expertise of Moustafa Moursy, the insightful founder of Push Analytics, comes into play. Listen to our conversation to discover how to make your CRM work for you and not against you. Guest Introduction Moustafa Moursy runs Push Analytics, a full-service digital agency.  His team specializes in various areas, including CRM implementation and consulting, helping businesses elevate their operations to the next level.  With experience across numerous industries, Push Analytics is a top-tier HubSpot partner and offers tailored solutions for complex business needs. Common Misconceptions About CRMs We dive into the common pitfalls organizations face regarding CRM expectations.  A prevalent issue is the assumption that simply having a CRM will automatically boost sales.  Moustafa clarifies that a CRM is merely a tool. To make the CRM effective you have to properly set it up and strategically plan on how to use it for your business.  Choosing the Right CRM <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; ve

Tue, August 20, 2024

Guitze Messina | Just Follow Up!

How many times do you follow-up with a potential customer? Is it just one time? This may be the reason why you’re not meeting your sales quotas. In this episode, I chat with Guitze Messina, the Director of Latin America for HARDI, on the importance of following up. Listen and learn essential follow-up techniques to help you close more deals. Guest Introduction Guitze Messina brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as the Director of Latin America for HARDI.  The organization groups together distributors and manufacturers of HVAC equipment across North and South America.  Guitze has a strong background in sales and recurrent sales strategies, which he shares in this episode. Importance of Follow-Up Starting off, I share how follow-up is a known driver of sales success and most reps fail to execute it effectively. Guitze supports this by sharing startling statistics: 44% of salespeople follow up only once, and a whopping 56% don't follow up at all.  Moreover, 88% of business is closed after five follow-ups, underscoring the necessity of persistent follow-up. Strategies for Effective Follow-Up Guitze shares practical strategies for making follow-up less daunting and more effective: <li class="MsoNorma

Fri, August 16, 2024

Kristi Jones | What The Top 10% Sellers Do Outside of Work That You Should Adopt

Lebron James is 39 years old and is still playing basketball as if he just got out of high school. Do you know why he’s still able to run up and down the court so smoothly while most of us can barely make it up a flight of stairs? It’s because he puts in the time and effort to keep his body in tip-top shape.  This example provides you with what to expect from my conversation with my guest, Kristi Jones. She shares what the top ten percent of sellers are doing outside of work that’s helping them close deals. Tune in and hear what separates top performers from the rest of the pack. Met Kristi Jones Kristi Jones is a seasoned sales professional with a wealth of experience in helping organizations improve their sales processes and achieve remarkable results.  She has worked extensively in the sales arena, collaborating with various companies to refine their strategies and elevate their performance.  Kristi is also an accomplished author, having written books that delve into sales and personal development.  Personal Sales Math Understanding your own sales metrics is crucial for success. Kristi emphasizes the need for sales professionals to know their average sales, sales cycles, and close rates. This allows individuals to tailor their pipelines and targets, making it easier to hit quotas consistently.  Top performers are those who understand their personal sales math and apply it diligently. Beyond the Surface <li cla

Wed, August 14, 2024

Armand Farrokh and Nick Cegelski | Traditional Cold Calling Sucks, Try This Instead!

Cold calling is becoming increasingly difficult for sellers. The old methods aren't working, and you have no clue what the new cold outreach techniques are. Don't worry, I got you covered. In this episode, I'm joined by Armand Farrokh and Nick Cegelski, co-authors of the book "Cold Calling Sucks, That's Why It Works." Together, we discuss the challenges of cold calling and share proven strategies to improve success rates based on their extensive experience and data analysis. Data-Driven Strategies for Success Nick shares data on the success rates of different call openers. He recommends using well-researched and context-based openers to increase success.  My guests also discuss the effectiveness of describing a problem with dangerous specificity to establish credibility and capture the prospect's attention. The Power of Personalized Openers Armand and Nick emphasize the importance of using personalized, context-based openers to stand out from the typical cold caller approach.  You can establish a friendly rapport and credibility with prospects by conducting moderate research and focusing on relevance. Handling Objections with Empathy and Humor My guests stress the need for cold callers to recognize objections as interruptions and respond with understanding and humor, rather than being defensive.  They recommend isolating and practicing core talk tracks, such as openers and objections, to improve the overall s

Fri, August 09, 2024

Phillip Swan | What Customers REALLY Want In 2024

Mon, August 05, 2024

Stu Heinecke | Use Contact Marketing to Break Through to Anyone

Fri, August 02, 2024

Wendy Weiss | Three Steps To Making The Perfect Cold Call

How can you gracefully sauté around the nay-sayers when making cold calls? You might have to learn from a ballerina to find out.  In this episode, I sit down with Wendy Weiss, the Queen of Cold Calling, to discuss the power of mastering the art of cold calling. Wendy shares her journey from ballerina to sales trainer and how the principles she learned in ballet class have transformed her approach to sales. Meet Wendy Weiss Initially, she aspired to be a ballerina and pursued a dance career. However, she worked at a telemarketing agency focused on business-to-business development to support herself financially between dance gigs.  Years later, when her ballet career ended, Wendy realized that her expertise in cold calling was a marketable skill. This realization led her to write her first book, " Cold Calling for Women ," and launch her own business. Now she helps business owners, sales professionals, and individuals build their sales pipelines and grow their businesses more effectively. The Ballet Class Model Wendy explains the three-step model she learned in ballet class and how it applies to sales: Warm-up: Define your target audience and create a script that resonates with them. Rehearsal: Practice your script and prepare for potential objections. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; vertical-align: baseli

Mon, July 29, 2024

Anthony Nava | How We Consistently Shatter Sales Target With A Lean Team

In the sales world, the mantra "do more with less" often feels more like a challenge than a guiding principle. In this episode, I chat with Anthony Nava, Senior SDR Manager at Crunchbase.  With years of dedicated service and experience, Anthony reveals the innovative strategies that have helped his team thrive despite tight resources. Discover how Anthony's blend of empathy, tech-savviness, and strategic thinking can transform your sales team's performance. Meet Anthony Nava He leads the sales efforts for the team, contributing significantly to their success through various innovative and strategic approaches.  Anthony has navigated the company's various transitions and challenges, leveraging tools like AI to maximize efficiency and performance.  Before joining Crunchbase, Anthony amassed valuable skills and knowledge that have made him an effective leader and a critical asset to the organization. Embracing AI to Boost Sales Efficiency When faced with limited resources, Anthony leverages AI tools to drive efficiency and maintain high performance. Essential tools mentioned include: Attention AI: Helps in call listening, note-taking, and integrating insights into Salesforce, saving time for SDRs and allowing for focused coaching. Crunchbase Insights: Using AI to determine accounts in a buying position, providing a strategic advantage by identifying potential deals before competitors. Adjusting Your Ideal Cu

Fri, July 26, 2024

Donald Kelly | The "Close File" Still Works

Understanding human psychology will always move your sales pipeline faster than the speed of lightning. In this episode, I share a simple trick that helped my podcasting company secure valuable appointments and generate significant revenue. Discover why the "Close File" method still works and how you can use it. Understanding Human Behavior One of sales's most fundamental and overlooked aspects is understanding human behavior. Every title, email, and phone call in sales is not just a transaction, but an opportunity to connect with a real person who craves genuine interaction.  By grasping the nuances of human psychology, salespeople can navigate conversations more effectively and close more deals. The "Close File" Strategy The "Close File" strategy is an email tactic that can effectively filter out non-responsive leads and revive interest from potential prospects. I share an example of a simple yet effective email that asks the recipient if they still want to proceed or if the file should be closed.  This approach leverages psychological triggers like FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to prompt responses. Why It Works The success of the "Close File" strategy lies in its psychological underpinnings.  People fear missing out on valuable opportunities, and the confident, straightforward approach of closing the file catches their attention.  This method cleans up your pipeline and accelerates the decision-making process for leads. “The idea of you closing something and taking it away makes them want it even more. It's kind of like when you were a teenager, and your parents told you not to do something. It made you want to do it even more.” - Donald Kelly. Resources LinkedIn Sales Navigator   TSE Sales Mastermind Class TSE studios Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers <li dir="

Mon, July 22, 2024

Chip Massey & Adele Gambardella | Two FBI Negotiation Tactics That Will Increase Your Close Rate

Have you ever wondered how FBI agents can get suspects to tell them everything within seconds? Those tactics they’re using can be surprisingly practical in your sales game.  In this episode, I invite two exceptional guests, Adele Gambardella, and Chip Massey, to share their unique hybrid of sales wisdom drawn from their expansive backgrounds. Listen to discover forensic listening and effective convincing techniques to boost your sales success. Guest Introductions Adele Gambardella With over 15 years of experience running her own agency, Adele shares the journey of transitioning from cold calls with limited success to securing significant clients through strategic media coverage offerings. Adele expertly discusses how her PR and journalism background seamlessly blended into her sales tactics, making her exceptionally skilled in selling concepts and narratives. Chip Massey Chip details his fascinating transition from FBI special agent and hostage negotiator to business consultancy, where he met Adele. The collaboration between Chip’s high-stakes negotiation skills and Adele’s PR expertise forms the foundation for their innovative sales training firm. His profound understanding of human behavior and negotiation lends invaluable insights into the sales process. Forensic Listening <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"

Fri, July 19, 2024

Eric Hamilton | Three Things Winning Sellers Do Different Than Underperformers

What are three things you can do to become a top-performing seller? My guest, Eric Hamilton, will reveal the answer in this episode. He uncovers what sets top performers apart in the challenging world of sales. Also, you'll hear insights from his latest book, "The Sales Blueprint: What Winners Do Differently." Listen to gain actionable strategies to help you excel even in tough economic times. Eric Hamilton's Background Eric Hamilton is a seasoned sales leader and the author of "The Sales Blueprint: What Winners Do Differently."  Throughout his successful career, Eric has emphasized the importance of disciplined, consistent sales processes.  Eric's systematic approach aims to provide a structured, repeatable framework that new and seasoned sales professionals can leverage to achieve consistent success. Key Ingredients of Sales Success Eric breaks down sales success into three main components:  Preparation Mindset Execution The Power of Preparation Eric explains that being prepared days, even weeks, in advance is crucial.  <li

Mon, July 15, 2024

Shane Evans | How Enablement is Changing – and How You Don’t Get Left Behind

There’s a sales enablement evaluation going on. Are you ready for its changes?  In this episode, I chat with Shane Evans, the Chief Revenue Officer at Gong. Together, we explore the rapidly evolving world of sales enablement and its challenges. Discover actionable strategies to improve your sales performance and productivity. Guest Introduction: Shane Evans Shane Evans is the Chief Revenue Officer at Gong, a role that involves overseeing anything that touches customers or prospects interested in Gong.  His team includes sales development reps, solution engineers, implementation consultants, and customer success representatives.  With a focus on creating high-performing sales teams, Shane brings unparalleled insights into how data and technology can transform sales enablement . The Problems in Sales Enablement Shane reveals some alarming statistics that highlight problems in the current state of sales enablement: 77% of sellers' time is spent on mundane tasks like data entry. Sellers are hitting only 30% to 35% of attainment, affecting their motivation and overall company performance. Only 1% of data from sales interactions makes it into CRM systems. The Role of Revenue Intelligence<

Fri, July 12, 2024

Alan Versteeg | How to Win The Fight For Your Prospect's Attention

Capturing your prospects' attention is more challenging than ever, thanks to our distracting world. So, how do you cut through the noise and effectively engage with potential clients?  In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, I speak with Alan Versteeg, a seasoned sales leader and head of Growth Matters. Hear his insights and strategies for grabbing your prospects' attention and turning it into meaningful business opportunities. About Alan Versteeg Alan Versteeg is the mastermind behind Growth Matters, an organization dedicated to enhancing sales management development.  His mission is to provide sales leaders with the tools they need to improve their game and, by extension, help their sales teams excel.  In this episode, Alan emphasizes the critical role of sales managers in driving sustainable sales performance and the importance of mindset in successful selling. The Importance of Mindset How important is mindset in sales? According to Alan, you can’t sell anything unless you have this specific mindset to make it in the sales industry. He suggests that sales professionals should view their roles as noble and genuine efforts to help customers. This conviction translates into clarity, confidence, and, ultimately, competence.  Alan points out that many top salespeople become mediocre sales managers because they lack this foundational mindset . Relevance: The Currency of Value <ul style="mar

Mon, July 08, 2024

Jay Johnston | Three Things Every Seller Must Do To Land Their Dream Job

Are you excited to enter the world of sales? In this episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, I chat with Jay Johnston, an expert in tech sales and job placement.  We explore the vital steps aspiring sales reps need to take to land their first job. Jay shares his insights on the three crucial elements every seller must master to secure their dream job. Additionally, he offers practical advice from his own experience and how he successfully navigated the tech sales landscape. Jay Johnston’s Background Jay Johnston is a seasoned professional with a remarkable background in the tech sales industry.  Having achieved significant success at Dell, Jay advanced through four different roles in just two and a half years. He is now dedicated to helping others land competitive roles in tech sales through his company, where he serves as both a coach and mentor.  Importance of Good Documentation Jay Johnston emphasizes that your resume and LinkedIn profile are more than just documents; they are your Trojan horses. These documents often create the first impression and strongly influence hiring managers' perceptions of you.  Jay shares tips on crafting a visually appealing resume and a compelling LinkedIn profile that stands out.  Power of Proper Preparation Preparation is key to crushing any job interview.  Jay details his approach to categorizing potential interview questions into three sections. He explains how different types of questions require different preparation strategies.  Asking Amazing Questions The ability to ask thoughtful, insightful questions can set you apart from other candidates.  Jay discusses the importance of doing your homework and crafting questions that show your interest in the company and demonstrate your analytical skills.  Asking questions that reveal your awareness of the company's goals and challenges can make a lasting impression on hiring managers. “How can you sho

Fri, July 05, 2024

Brian Town | The Best Tactic For Moving Deal Through Pipe Faster!

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, I chat with Brian Town, a top salesperson and marketing firm owner from Michigan. Our discussion focuses on mindset, visualization, and confidence as crucial tools for achieving sales success. Discover his secrets to moving a sales pipeline faster than ever before! Meet Brian Town Brian Town is a sales professional who wears many hats. He is the driving force behind a successful marketing firm collaborating with major organizations to enhance brand visibility.  As a seasoned author and the top salesperson in his company, Brian brings a unique blend of expertise and experience.  His profound understanding of sales strategies has been instrumental in overcoming common challenges that sales professionals face. Importance of Mindset and Visualization Amid the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, maintaining a positive mindset has never been more crucial.  We discuss the powerful concept of "flick back, flick up." This technique involves recalling a past successful moment to regain composure and confidence during sales pitches .  Brian shares anecdotes from his sports and sales experiences, showcasing how visualization has enhanced his performance.  The emphasis is clear: visualizing moments of peak performance can significantly boost one's effectiveness in sales. Rejection and Motivation Navigating through rejections is an inherent part of the sales profession.  We stress the importance of persistence and finding motivation in the relentless pursuit of closing deals.  This understanding fosters a connection with potential clients, enabling sales professionals to move deals through the pipeline more efficiently. Confidence and Belief Brian shares insights from his forthcoming book, "The Lonely CEO," where he outlines strategies for building confidence in sales.  He emphasizes the psychological aspect of recalling p

Mon, July 01, 2024

Feras Alhlou | The Number One B2B Deal Killer

What’s the number one deal killer, and how can you stop it from happening? Find out in this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.” Join me as I delve into a conversation with Feras Alhlou, a seasoned professional with a wealth of knowledge in sales strategies, business growth, and entrepreneurial advice. With a career spanning over two decades, Feras is a treasure trove of insights on deal killers, effective follow-up techniques, and customer engagement strategies that boost sales performance.  Don't miss out on the opportunity to gain from his expertise- hit play now! Feras Alhlou’s Background Feras Alhlou boasts over 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley, having navigated the highs and lows of the startup ecosystem.  Originally hailing from sunny Florida, he found himself in the tech hub of the world, where he rose to the position of Vice President at a cutting-edge high-tech company. However, after experiencing a layoff during a dry job market, Feras took destiny into his own hands by co-founding a business with a friend.  Today, Feras is dedicated to helping other entrepreneurs scale their businesses to seven and eight figures while avoiding the pitfalls he encountered on his journey. Identifying and Eliminating Deal Killers Right at the beginning of the episode, we tackle one of the most critical issues in sales: deal killers.  Listen to Fera discuss how delayed response and poor time management keep reps from closing deals at 4:58.</l

Fri, June 28, 2024

Ryan Pereus | This Is Why Your Cold Calls Are Not Working

Mastering the art of cold calling is a challenge, but it's a skill that can transform your sales game. If you're looking to level up your sales techniques, this episode of 'The Sales Evangelist Podcast' is a must-listen. In this episode, I had the pleasure of discussing with Ryan Pereus, CEO and founder of Superhuman Prospecting, the practical application of cold outreach methods in building effective sales pipelines. Tune in and get ready to implement his special cold-calling techniques.  Ryan Pereus' Background Ryan Pereus is an established figure in the sales development space, having dedicated the past seven years to mastering the intricacies of cold calling in the B2B marketplace. He is the CEO and founder of Superhuman Prospecting, a company he created that emphasizes perfecting cold outreach strategies using a USA-based team.  Ryan's passion for cold calling and innate talent have allowed him to manage approximately 80 to 100 monthly campaigns.  Based out of Philadelphia, his journey and expertise in the cold calling domain have made him a valuable resource for teams and individuals looking to enhance their sales outreach efforts. Understanding Product Relevance The key to effective cold outreach is understanding what makes a product relevant to the target market.  Starting at 5:09, you'll hear my guest, Ryan, discuss why product relevance determines the success of a cold call campaign. He'll also reveal a fascinating case that enabled his team to secure approximately 100 monthly meetings, underscoring the transformative power of hyper-relevant solutions in appointment settings. The Four Pillars of Cold Call Success At the 7:09 mark, Ryan breaks down the four essential elements for successful cold call campaigns: 1. Product Relevance  2. Target Market Accuracy 3. Strength of Messaging 4. SDR Execution Tune in to hear how these four elements

Mon, June 24, 2024

Casey Stubbs | This Practice Helped Me Shatter My Goals This Year

Having the right mindset will always help you in the worst situations. If you don’t believe me, tune into this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.” In this episode, I chat with Casey Stubbs, an experienced entrepreneur and mentor, on the essentials of having the right mindset to set and achieve goals, overcome setbacks, and thrive in business and investing. Click play to change your negative thinking to positive ones!  Guest Introduction: Casey Stubbs Casey Stubbs is an entrepreneur and content creator specializing in investor and trader education, focusing on achieving success in financial markets.  His journey began in 2009 when he launched his website TradingStrategyGuides.com to provide educational resources for financial market participants.  Despite the initial pressure of providing for his family, Casey transformed a challenging situation into an opportunity, which has since flourished into a successful business and a rewarding career. Overcoming Setbacks Expecting and enjoying setbacks may sound counterintuitive, but it’s essential for personal growth.  Casey highlights that setbacks are temporary and help build character, resilience, and perseverance.  Setting a mindset that embraces challenges prepares you to face them head-on and emerge stronger. Setting and Achieving Goals <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001p

Fri, June 21, 2024

Edwin Aristor | Not Doing This In Your Discovery Call Is Killing Your Deals

Do you know the most powerful trait to have as a sales professional? Find out in this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.”  In this episode, I chat with Edwin Aristor, a GTM Growth Strategist with Praxis Labs, about how curiosity can transform sales performance and foster meaningful client relationships. Click play to learn more! About Edwin Aristor Edwin Aristor is a multifaceted individual whose roles span from father and husband to sales professional and men's retreat facilitator.  Currently working with Praxis Labs, Edwin is part of the go-to-market team, focusing on promoting an immersive learning platform designed to build inclusive leadership skills. The Role of Curiosity in Sales Curiosity is a deep, authentic commitment to understanding prospects and clients.  Edwin emphasizes the importance of accepting surface-level answers and engaging in deep discovery to unpack layers of business challenges.  Tune in and hear why authentic listening and asking probing questions are cornerstones of effective sales strategies. Sales Vulnerabilities and Growth Edwin shares a story of one of his coworkers learning why vulnerability in sales is necessary. Hear why openness fosters a

Mon, June 17, 2024

Jason Kramer | Successful Cold Email Magic Word Count

What’s the ideal word count for a successful cold email? To find out, tune into this episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Jason Kramer to discuss the ins and outs of effective email outreach. Jason, the founder of Cultivize, shares his proven framework for enhancing email effectiveness and driving better results in the sales process.  Click play to gain actionable insights and strategies in email outreach. Meet Jason Kramer Jason Kramer founded Cultivize, a company dedicated to helping businesses optimize their sales process through nurtured lead generation and effective use of CRM tools. With a marketing background and deep sales experience, Jason has pioneered innovative strategies for ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. The Magic Number for a Successful Email One of the key takeaways from this episode is the ideal word count for an email. But what is it? To find out, tune into this episode at 3:33! This magic number ensures clarity and focus, making your emails more effective . Effective Cold and Warm Outreach Strategy Jason sheds light on different strategies for cold outreach and warm leads. He provides a detailed email framework that includes: <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; vertica

Fri, June 14, 2024

Sara Plowman | Friday Phone Calls: My Secret to Booking Appointments

Are you dreading the thought of cold calling on a Friday afternoon? This episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" could change that.  Join me and my special guest, Sara Plowman, as we delve into the art and science of cold outreach. Click play to hear her practical cold-calling strategies that have propelled her success in the competitive world of sales development and account management.  Sara's Journey in Sales Sara Plowman is a seasoned professional in the sales industry, currently serving as a Senior Business Development Manager at Pareto.  Unlike a traditional SDR, Sara is involved in the entire sales cycle—from cold outreach and booking meetings to running those meetings, closing deals, and managing accounts.  Her love for outbound sales and the hunting aspect has been a significant driver of her success at Pareto, where she has progressively taken on more responsibilities over the years. Cold Calling and the Summer Friday Strategy (5:09 - 8:36) If you go back to my episode with Vlad Oleksiienko , you know that many sales reps choose not to do cold-calling. However, Sara has found the perfect cold outreach strategy to book more appointments and win clients. Sara's enthusiasm for cold calling shines through as she explains her unique strategy of utilizing Summer Fridays for outreach.  Recognizing that executives are often in good spirits and more relaxed toward the end of the week, Sara has found that Friday cold calling can lead to higher appointment-setting success rates. <

Mon, June 10, 2024

Vin Matano | My Four Part Cold Email Secret

How do you get high email open rates? Discover the secret framework in this episode of the "Sales Evangelist Podcast." I, the podcast host, sit down with special guest Vin Matano and discuss his four-part cold email secret . I'm telling you, you don't want to miss this episode.  Vin shares his deep expertise in cold email outreach. Tune in to learn his effective email strategies that'll bring you tremendous success. Who Is Vin Matano? Spending six years at Demandbase, Vin started as a BDR (Business Development Representative) before moving into a closing role on the mid-market major's team.  Recently, he embarked on an entrepreneurship journey, eager to leverage his rich experience in sales. But that's not all. In this episode, Vin unveils the number one outreach channel that played a pivotal role in growing his pipeline. The reveal happens right at 1:09. And no, it's not cold calling. Can you guess what it is? Cold Emailing Success: What’s His Secret? (2:36 – 4:04) Many sales representatives struggle with personalized outreach . What on earth are you supposed to write?  Vin shares the ideal email structure to help you figure it out: Observation Problem Statement  <li class

Fri, June 07, 2024

Donald Kelly | We Are Making Some Changes

Welcome back to another fantastic episode of the "Sales Evangelist Podcast." As your host, Donald C. Kelly, I have some big news to share! I'm pretty excited about this, and I know you will be too. But what's the big news? Don't keep yourself in suspense! Click that play button and get ready for the big reveal. The Sales Evangelist Podcast Updates I'm sure you've seen some of the changes my team and I have made. But in this special episode, I share with you what's really going on behind the scenes:   Is It Over for the TSE Podcast? The TSE team has been a consistent presence in the podcasting world since 2013, and we're now at episode 1800. This long-standing commitment to providing you with valuable sales industry advice is a testament to our credibility. So, if you're looking for a reliable source, who is better than us? Listen to this episode and find out whether "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" is over. New Design If you have not noticed, the TSE brand design has a fresh new look. Let's give a special shoutout to our talented graphic designers who made it possible.  But why the sudden changes? Who am I trying to look special for? <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2

Mon, June 03, 2024

Marcus Sheridan | Why Sales Professionals Need Inbound Marketing and Transparency More Than Ever Before!

Yes, inbound marketing and transparency are still important in 2024. This is why I'm sharing a special rerun of 'The Sales Evangelist Podcast' episode 078 . In this episode, I have the privilege of chatting with Marcus Sheridan, aka 'The Sales Lion,' on how to make inbound leads more effective for a sales pipeline. And here's the kicker: The secret to generating leads has nothing to do with meeting quotas.  Click play to gain invaluable insights and improve your inbound marketing skills. I promise, it's a listen you won't regret ! Marcus Sheridan’s Background Marcus helps businesses embrace the power of content and inbound marketing through his personal experiences.  He and his team offer content marketing consulting & workshops, HubSpot consulting, speaking opportunities, and blogging services.  Marcus is passionate about selling and the power that comes to an organization and sales professional when they learn to incorporate inbound marketing and transparency concepts. Assignment Selling (17:16 - 21:12) Through an engaging example, my guest Marcus introduces the concept of “assignment selling.” Tune into his story at 17:16 and hear why providing prospective clients with valuable content should happen before direct sales engagement . Marcus also shares why this me

Fri, May 31, 2024

Dre Baldwin | My Formula To Build Sales Discipline & Habits

You have a fantastic business idea and often daydream about how life will be once you make it. However, once you start putting in the work, staying excited about your big idea becomes a lot harder. How can you stay disciplined to ensure you become a successful sales professional? Tune into this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast to find out. Your esteemed host, Donald Kelly, engages in a captivating conversation with Dre Baldwin, a renowned speaker celebrated for his vibrant energy. Dre shares his remarkable journey from basketball to YouTube fame, offering profound insights on mindset content, the third-day concept, and the crucial aspect of professional discipline. Click play to discover more about staying disciplined when reaching your goals! From Basketball to Mindset Content Dre shares his background as a basketball player and transitioning to creating content on YouTube. Initially, he wanted the channel to only focus on basketball videos, but after sharing life advice, he realized he could broaden his service to a wider audience. His ability to reach people through these videos laid the foundation for his future endeavors. The Third Day Concept (2:45 - 5:11) You know how on the first and second day of starting something new, you’re super pumped about getting everything done. But come the third day, you’re ready to throw in the towel. Now, all your plans are on the back burner until you finally decide to work on it. This is what my guest, Dre Baldwin, means when discu

Mon, May 27, 2024

Matt Wolach | My Three-Step Process for Closing Deals

Are you struggling to close deals in today's challenging sales environment? Join your host , Donald Kelly, as I sit down with Matt Wolach, a seasoned software sales coach. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, you’ll learn how to boost your closing rates with Matt's secret sales tactics. Tune in and take the first step toward transforming your sales game! Guest Introduction Thanks to Matt Wolach's years of software sales background, he has successfully started and exited multiple companies.  His transition to full-time sales coaching was driven by his passion for helping others improve their closing rates and achieve consistent sales success. Matt currently coaches over 270 companies worldwide, significantly impacting their sales processes and results. Why should you listen to my guest, Matt Wolach, on improving sales deals? Tune in and hear how the DEAL methodology boosts his client's sales closing rates. One client increased their closing rate from 1.9% to over 30%! Challenges in Sales (3:33) Within the episode, Matt shares how many Account Executives (AEs) and Sales Engineers (SEs) feel undersupported in their roles. He also highlights how organizations that lack systems struggle with consistent sales closing . Listen to him explain how proper guidance helps sales teams stop using discounts to move deals forward.   The Perfect Deal Process: DEAL <ul style="margin-top

Fri, May 24, 2024

Donald Kelly | The Best Follow-Up Sequence I Have Ever Used

After scheduling an appointment with a prospective client, you’re confident they will close the deal once you speak with them again. However, when you enter the Zoom meeting, they’re not there. After sending several follow-up emails, it’s clear that this client got away. The follow-up game is pretty annoying, so how can you avoid this from happening ever again? Click the play button and listen to your host, Donald C. Kelly, on The Sales Evangelist Podcast! In today’s episode, I’m sharing effective sales follow-up techniques that can dramatically improve your sales process. The Importance of Follow-Ups (2:10 - 2:38) Many sales professionals fail not because of their pitch or product but because they need a consistent follow-up system. With a proper follow-up strategy , you can gain quality opportunities. Your role in the follow-up process is crucial. It's about getting prospects to reconnect with what you're selling. To learn how to do this effectively, listen to my key sales strategies that will empower you to close deals and engage prospects. Sales Fundamentals: Follow-Up Techniques  What are the follow-up secrets I share within this episode? Below are some of the methods you'll learn more about when you tune in: Appointment Scheduling: I will share how you can avoid endless follow-ups and ensure your prospective client attends the meeting. Tune in at (3:32)! Vary Follow-Up Timing: Don't fall into the trap of calling a prospect at the

Mon, May 20, 2024

Dan Fantasia | 5 Things Sellers Must Demonstrate To Get Hired

Are you a seller trying to find your dream job? Discover how in this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast.  Host Donald Kelly chats with guest Dan Fantasia, the CEO of Treeline Incorporated, on the crucial aspects of sustaining a sales career and excelling in job interviews.  Click the play button to learn the five tricks to help sales representatives get hired immediately!  Changing Lives Through Recruitment Treeline Incorporated, a Boston-based sales talent recruitment firm, has significantly impacted the lives of over 3500 individuals. With 23 years of experience, Dan and his firm provide invaluable advice to those seeking to change their careers. Research and Preparation: The Backbone of a Successful Job Search (4:10 - 8:43) Why is it important to research a company before the interview ? Dan explains how research enables you to gauge if the company aligns with your values. Are their core values in sync with yours? Do you possess the requisite skill sets as per the job descriptions?  He also answers a question that many new salespeople wonder, "Should you focus on one specific industry or be open to all types of jobs." Listen to the episode to discover the answers. Why Are You a Good Fit? (10:05 - 14:38) To determine if you're a good fit for the company, it's crucial to consider your skillset as a seller. Dan offers distinct advice for salespeople at different stages of their careers- those who are just starting out and those who have been in the industry for years.  How do you ace the most common interview question, "Why do you think you're a good fit for the company." Reading job descriptions and understanding the company's core values will help you formulate a smooth answer. Be Present (14:39 - 21:36) You will only make it far if you strive to improve as a sales rep. Listen to Dan's story of how being distracted can cause you to be less engaged during the interview process. His example shows how important it is to ignore distractions to be within the present moment.  Know Your Story (21:52 - 25:30) What does it mean to know your story? You must understand what you bring to the table for a successful interview.

Fri, May 17, 2024

Susie Tomenchok | How to Negotiate Without Manipulating Your Prospects

Today, we're going into the archive and bringing out an episode where Donald is joined by executive coach Susie Tomenchok to learn how sales professionals can master negotiating without manipulating. Negotiation isn’t manipulation: Incorporating negotiating strategies and techniques helps you and your team reach its needs or goals and opens the door for priorities to be rearranged and met. It’s not a winner/loser situation – negotiation should come from a place where you look to satisfy everyone. Low-stakes negotiation happens every day. Mastering negotiation is the key to developing long-term success. Conveying your interests isn’t manipulation – it’s telling your story to meet your needs. Barriers to entering a high-stakes negotiation: PACE: Prepare – aware – close – evaluate Prepare, think at the moment, and be as objective as possible. Be aware of both your and the other party’s interests. Uncover relevant information to reach the close. How can you expect to negotiate well if you don’t know what you want? There are many pieces of leverage at play when in negotiation. Be mindful of those levers to explore and realize what solution honors both parties. Understand the solution from their perspective: Negotiating conveys interests and beliefs – it’s an opportunity to connect and learn to know, like, and trust another person. As a seller, asking questions about the other party helps you learn more about them and why they’re not siding with you on the issue. Even if you know the answer, never make an assumption. Let the other party be heard.  Be intentional with silence: Practice what you say, and teach yourself not to ramble after speaking. Some people think of it as a game – just practice not talking, and you’ll grow more comfortable with it. We listen least actively to people we know. Practicing silence can interrupt that cadence a

Mon, May 13, 2024

Andrew Kappel | My One-Page Business Case To Win Executive Buyin

Are you ready to revolutionize your sales strategy and close deals faster than ever? In our latest episode, we dive into the innovative world of sales acceleration with Andrew Kappel, a seasoned sales consultant with a knack for transforming sales strategies from the ground up.  Join us as Donald Kelly, our host, explores Andrew’s approach to crafting compelling one-page business cases that speak directly to executive needs, streamline the sales process, and drastically improve client engagement. Click play now! Andrew Kappel’s Background He has a decade of experience in sales consulting and specializes in sales strategy and sales acceleration services.  Before establishing his consulting practice, Andrew spent three years as a delivery consultant, and his duties paralleled those of a customer success team , only without a tangible product.  Andrew's extensive background in various sales environments has equipped him with a keen understanding of different industries, sales processes, and the intricate dynamics of complex deals. Creating Impactful Business Cases Business case development is crucial for securing executive buy-in and facilitating successful internal selling strategies .  Listen to Andrew’s expertise in developing a brief yet powerful business case that centers on the SP 30 framework. From listening to this business case framework, sellers can create successful sales pitches through situational awareness, problem ident

Fri, May 10, 2024

Brady Jensen | False Patterns: "Your Best Customer" Probably Doesn't Look Like Your Next Customer

Are you struggling to pivot sales strategies based on a single customer’s feedback? Is it hard to understand why a seemingly perfect sales approach failed? If you answer yes to both questions, you must listen to this episode of The Sales Evangelist. Host Donald Kelly chats with Brady Jensen, a leading expert in market research and customer identification, about the importance of real-world data in crafting effective sales motions and enhancing customer credibility. Click play now to learn how to build a reliable, data-driven sales process! Brady Jensen’s Background  Brady Jensen is a seasoned professional with expertise in harnessing real-world data to enhance go-to-market strategies for sales organizations.  As the CEO of Aggregate Insights , he specializes in translating non-sales interactions into valuable sales insights.  His company aims to help create stronger connections between sellers and buyers. Tune in and hear how his knowledge will boost your team's credibility and competitive advantage in sales scenarios. Real-World Data for Go-to-Market Professionals  Brady shares how go-to-market professionals can leverage real-world data and refine their sales strategies.  Hear how this approach helps sellers understand buyer’s behavior and assists in tailoring the sales process to meet the customers' exact needs. Sales and Marketing Al

Mon, May 06, 2024

Gabe Lullo | How Sellers and Leaders Can Use Content To Grow Pipeline

Creating content on LinkedIn is essential for inbound marketing and growing a sales pipeline. But you need to figure out how to do it.  Learn how to do it in this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast." In this insightful episode, Gabe Lullo, the CEO of Alleyoop, joins host Donald Kelly to delve into the transformative role of content in sales strategies.  With a focus on empowering sales development representatives (SDRs) and sales organizations, Gabe shares his journey from a hands-off LinkedIn user to a content-driven leader. Discover how this shift has exponentially boosted his company's success rates.  Click play now! Understanding Alleyoop's Mission Gabe Lullo is the CEO of Alleyoop and a frontrunner in sales development and prospecting.  He emphasizes that while Alleyoop doesn't handle sales directly, it specializes in optimizing the front end of the sales cycle, primarily using phone communication, and supports these efforts through various channels.  The primary goal is to increase opportunities for clients to drive revenue. The Importance of LinkedIn and Content for Sales Donald and Gabe discuss the strategic use of LinkedIn and content creation as essential tools in sales.  Gabe, having seen over a 100,000% increase in impressions year-over-year since heavily investing in LinkedIn content, stresses the massive potential content holds for generating business leads and enhancing company visibility. Content Creation vs. Traditional Outreach <ul style="ma

Fri, May 03, 2024

David Blaha | 5 Things You Must Do To Close More Enterprise Deals

Do you want to master the art of effective closing? The only way for you to become one of the greats in enterprise sales is by listening to an expert.  In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly chats with David Blaha, a seasoned professional with a 30-year track record, including pivotal roles at American Express and his current position as Chief Revenue Officer at Extend. Listen to these proven strategies to gain practical closing skills for enterprise-level sales. Click play now! David Blaha’s Background David Blaha's rich negotiating background starts from his impactful years at American Express.  After American Express, David transitioned to working with startup companies, enhancing their growth trajectories before joining Extend as the Chief Revenue Officer. Through his story, you'll discover the importance of continuous learning and growth to develop a positive mindset for enterprise sales. Enterprise Sales: A Strategic Approach The secret to effective closing in enterprise sales is to remember it's an ongoing process. Never fall into the trap of believing that this step only matters at the end of the sales cycle.  David shares how this approach establishes connections and secures smaller commitments throughout the negotiation.  New Sales Motto: It's a marathon, not a sprint!  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align:

Mon, April 29, 2024

Peter Smith | Why 58% of Salespeople Are In the Wrong Job & How To Fix It

What are the key traits to becoming a successful sales representative? Discover them in this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.” In this enlightening episode, host Donald Kelly sits down with Peter Smith, a seasoned sales leader and the author of the intriguing book "Hiring Squirrels."  Peter shares invaluable insights on identifying and nurturing the right talent in the sales industry. Click play to learn the critical traits of successful sales professionals and a roadmap for leaders striving to enhance their teams' performance.  Peter Smith's Background Over the years, Peter Smith has carved a niche in the luxury jewelry sales market, building and developing highly effective sales teams.  He is not just a consultant but also an esteemed author and a columnist for industry magazines.  His approach to sales training is sculpted around his published works, which focus on hiring strategies, the psychology of storytelling, and key sales techniques. The Squirrel Hiring Philosophy Peter explains the unique, attention-grabbing title of his book "Hiring Squirrels," inspired by the concept introduced in Mac Anderson's book "You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School."  The idea emphasizes hiring individuals who innately possess the necessary skills for a specific role rather than attempting to train those who do not.  Peter highlights the importance of identifying salespeople who are naturally equipped for their roles, as approximately 58% of individuals in sales positio

Fri, April 26, 2024

Dayna Williams | Three Practical Ways to Develop High Converting Reps

Mon, April 22, 2024

Candace Taber | Enabling Sellers to Become Buyer-Centric with Business Acumen

Do you struggle to connect with executive decision-makers despite knowing you have the solutions they need?  In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with Candace Taber, a maestro of sales enablement whose insights into the alchemy of effective selling are nothing short of transformative. Candace doesn’t just sell; she evangelizes with wisdom, empathy, and a deep understanding of the elusive art of buyer-centric selling.  Let Candace guide you through the intricate dance of matching your pitch with the specific objectives of every stakeholder in the room. Click play now! About Candace Taber Candace Taber is a devoted wife, mother, and sales enablement leader focusing on equipping sales leaders to amplify their impact.  With a firm belief that leadership is the cornerstone of effective sales enablement, Candace dedicates herself to preparing leaders to excel in their roles and create force multipliers within their organizations. Foundations of Effective Sales Enablement Donald and Candace discuss the misconception that sellers should inherently possess the knowledge necessary for success.  Rejecting this idea, Candace emphasizes the employer's role in equipping and enabling employees.  This means providing a clear performance path, feedback mechanisms, and the resources employees need to thrive in their environment, contributing to the employer-employee value exchange. How to Position Messaging to Executives <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0

Fri, April 19, 2024

Phil Gerbyshak | My Step-by-Step Process For Building Pipe Using Sales Navigator

Every experienced sales rep knows they must use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to build an effective sales pipeline. But, do you know how to use it correctly? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald is joined by sales expert and coach Phil Gerbyshak to dive deep into the practical ways sales professionals can utilize LinkedIn Navigator to build a strong sales pipeline.  Phil shares his passion for the toolset and a refined process for leveraging the platform's capabilities. Click play to learn how to maximize LinkedIn Sales Navigator for effective sales outreach and networking. Getting to Know Phil Gerbyshak Phil Gerbyshak hosts the “Sales Leadership Podcast,” offering insights to sales leaders and those aspiring to lead sales teams.  His expertise spans mindset, skillset, and toolset in sales, and his coaching and training methods have helped many sales reps elevate their game.  To connect with Phil, visit philgerby.com and drop him a line. The Power of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Phil advocates for LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, touting its superiority to the free version of LinkedIn by providing a more robust set of tools tailored for sales professionals. He credits Sales Navigator with streamlining his outreach process and enhancing his ability to target the right connections. Building a Winning LinkedIn Profile Phil reminds us of the often-overlooked aspect of having a fully updated LinkedIn profile. He stresses the importance of a current headshot and a headline clearly outlining who and how you help. This complete profile strategy is vital when prospects compare your profile to others. Tips for a Stand-Out LinkedIn Profile Ensure your banner portrays a clear and relevant message. Update your featured section to break the scrolling pattern with rich media content. Share skills relevant to your position that your prospects and customers value. Are you ready to unlock the secrets of LinkedIn Sales Navigator and transform your sales game? Tune in to listen to the latest episode with Phil Gerbyshak and Donald Kelly.  Phil shares

Wed, April 17, 2024

Donald Kelly | What Could Prevent Us From Working Together?

Are you tired of pouring your heart into sales deals only to watch them fizzle out at the eleventh hour? There's nothing more frustrating than a deal that stalls, especially when it is just within your grasp.  But what if you could pinpoint why your deals are stalling and prevent it before it happens?  In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly shares a pivotal question that too many sales professionals overlook. Listen now to prevent your next sale from stalling and set yourself up for a cascade of successful closes! The Stall Deal Dilemma Donald shares his insight into a common pitfall where sales professionals are left in the dark, wondering what went wrong.  He unveils that critical question you might not be asking—one that can make the difference between a deal stalling or sailing smoothly through your pipeline. Mastering Communication: Asking the Right Question Donald emphasizes the importance of this essential yet often overlooked question: "What do you see that could prevent us from partnering together?"  Multiple variations of this question can be useful, but the core idea remains the same—identifying potential roadblocks early in the sales process.  By tackling these issues upfront, you can avoid stalled deals and foster better communication with your prospects. Why Don't Sellers Ask the Hard Questions? Many sellers hold back on asking probing questions due to a lack of confidence or fear of jeopardizing the deal.  Donald dispels these concerns, advocating for professionalism and assertiveness in sales interactions.  By asking tough questions, you become a knowledgeable advisor and not a pushy salesman.  Benefits of Uncovering Objections Early Donald discusses the advantages of early objection handling, which include:  Building trust and authenticity with your prospect. Demonstrating your experience and foresight as a sales professional. Enabling a clear path to address and mitigate potential obstacles.

Mon, April 15, 2024

Sabine Gedeon | 5 Step Framework For Turning Connections Into Relationships on LinkedIn

One of the most common mistakes people make when using LinkedIn is not taking the time to build authentic relationships.  Don’t go adding hundreds of connections to your LinkedIn profile. Instead, do this! Listen to this insightful episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly chats with guest Sabine Gedeon on the world of LinkedIn networking. Sabine shares her extensive experience and lays down a five-step process to leverage LinkedIn for effective relationship-building and networking.  Click play now! Meet Sabine Gedeon  Sabine is the CEO of Gedeon Enterprises. She is also a coach, consultant, speaker, and author.  Remember to connect with her on LinkedIn to learn about her. Evolution of LinkedIn  Sabine takes us through the history of LinkedIn, from its original use as a platform for recruiters to its transformation into a hub for marketing, networking, and community building.  She emphasizes the need for people, especially HR professionals, to engage more actively on the platform. The Five-Step LinkedIn Strategy  Sabine outlines her five-step approach to using LinkedIn effectively. 1. Connectors Mindset: Understanding your 'why' and what you offer.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black;

Fri, April 12, 2024

Donald Kelly | Personalized LinkedIn Connection Request or Not?

You're about to send a LinkedIn connection request, and the platform allows you to create a personalized message. Do you take the time to do it? Yes or no? If you choose not to do it, you must tune into this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast." Even if you said yes, still click play. Host Donald Kelly delves into the ongoing debate surrounding LinkedIn connection requests. Should sales professionals personalize them or keep them generic?  Discover the importance of personalized connection requests and learn how to create meaningful conversations that can lead to sales opportunities. The Great LinkedIn Debate Donald addresses a common question among sales professionals: the importance of personalizing LinkedIn connection requests.  He debunks myths, points out common mistakes, and emphasizes the potential impact of a well-crafted, personalized approach. Personalized vs. Generic Requests Donald discusses why generic messages are ineffective and often ignored.  He advocates for personalized messages, which he argues can significantly increase your chances of connecting and engaging with your targeted prospects. The LinkedIn Monetization Insight An interesting point Donald raises is LinkedIn's decision to charge for personalized connection requests.  He interprets this as evidence of their effectiveness and a tool that LinkedIn monetizes because it works, not because it doesn't. This key insight provides a unique perspective on the platform's internal data and user behavior. Donald's LinkedIn Connection Strategy Listen to Donald's own methodology for LinkedIn engagement.  His process involves Sales Navigator, account and lead list building, proactive engagement with recent posters, and meaningful follow-up through multiple communication channels.  Donald's tactic is all about grabbing attention, starting conversations, and fostering relationships that lead to sales opportunities. Engagement Leads to Opportunity Donald emphasizes that engagement is the key to unlocking potential business opportunities.  <li dir="lt

Wed, April 10, 2024

Donald Kelly | Take Control of The Meeting

Do you have full control over your sales meeting? Is it difficult getting your prospects to go in the direction you want them to go? You answer "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second question. Right? Well, you know what to do now! Tune into this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," where host Donald Kelly dives deep into mastering client interactions. Within this five-minute episode, you'll be ready to take control, establish authority, and confidently guide your prospects. Take advantage of these critical strategies that can accelerate your sales success! Taking Control of Your Sales Meetings The key to having a successful sales meeting is being in control of its direction.  Donald emphasizes that while catering to the prospect's requests is essential, offering them a meeting roadmap ensures they recognize you as an expert in your field.  The Agenda of A Guided Sales Session To lead your sales meeting, set a clear agenda. Address the prospect's hopes and set the stage for the main goal. It's to guide them through informed choices.  Donald suggests asking prospects what they want to learn. This is to consider the meeting effective.  Then, build the conversation around those objectives. Also, share your expertise and insights. Expert Advice on Pricing Queries One common challenge salespeople face is when a prospect jumps straight to pricing. Donald advises against catering to this demand blindly.  Instead, offer transparency about your pricing range while steering the conversation back to understanding their specific challenges and whether your service is a good fit. Maintaining Control with A Robust Conclusion Donald stresses that you should reserve the last five minutes to review the main points and schedule the next meeting.  This strategy helps maintain the sales process's momentum and positions you as a prepared and experienced professional. Join “The Sales Mastermind” for hands-on guidance and an interactive learning environment. It's an opportunity for you to practice, role-play, and get actionable tips to enhance your sales performance. Lastly, subscribe to keep up

Mon, April 08, 2024

Donald Kelly | Best Sellers In History - "Mary Kay Ash"

Today, we're going into the archive and bringing out an episode from the best sellers in history series. Let’s talk about Mary Kay Ash and how she built her empire from the strong skill sets she developed as a salesperson. Sales Spotlight - Mary Kay Ash Mary Kay Ash is world-renowned for being the makeup and skincare queen.  Her pink Cadillac has become iconic. How did this come from someone who kept getting passed over for promotion?  Because she is considered to be one of the best sellers in history. Here are five reasons why:  Had a purpose and a why Created a vision or a common cause Had a strong and impressive work ethic Had the desire to create and give rewards Willing to take action Mary Kay Ash was born on May 12, 1918, in Hotwells, Texas. For most of her childhood, she took care of her sick dad while her mother made the family's earnings. At 17 years old, Mary Kay married Ben Rogers and had three children with him before Ben went to war in WWII. Their marriage eventually ended, and Mary Kay was left with three children to care for.  She needed to make money to feed her children, so she started working for Stanley Home Products in 1939. She’d go into someone’s home and host parties to encourage people to buy household items. Mary Kay was great at her job, and she became a top seller. By 1952, Mary Kay was hired by World Gifts. After 10 years, however, she quit her job. At that time, the sales force was mostly made up of men, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get ahead because she was a woman. She saw the men she was training were getting promoted, going onto better jobs, and they were

Fri, April 05, 2024

Claudio Meidler | How To Fight For Your Share of Wallet and Win Each Time

Are you ready to uncover the secrets of successful sales strategies in a highly competitive landscape? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly chats with guest Claudio Meidler, an experienced sales professional working as an account executive for Google's German team in Dublin. Claudio shares his insights on navigating the competitive landscape and securing the share of the wallet when selling to enterprise or mid-level organizations. Tune in to this enriching episode and gain a fresh perspective on navigating the modern sales landscape with confidence and finesse. Building Credibility and Delivering Value Claudio emphasizes the importance of standing out in terms of service level and delivering value beyond the competition. He discusses the significance of conducting thorough research before approaching potential clients understanding their needs, pain points, and industry-specific knowledge. Claudio highlights the effectiveness of providing insights, market knowledge, predictions, case studies, and testimonials early in the conversation to build immediate credibility and trust. Unconventional Approaches to Success Donald and Claudio discuss breaking away from traditional sales tactics and how being direct and tactful can yield powerful results. Claudio discusses the importance of addressing unspoken concerns and objections, expressing understanding and empathy, and using direct language to navigate potential hesitations or objections from the buyer's side. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertic

Wed, April 03, 2024

Donald Kelly | How To Properly Prep Your Prospect For Your First Meeting

Are you properly preparing for first-time meetings? Failing to do so can lead to missed opportunities and lost sales.  But don't worry—in this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly will share valuable tips on effectively preparing prospects and ensuring a smoother, more productive interaction. Click play to hear what one of the industry's top sales leaders says about this essential step in the sales process. The Importance of Preparing Prospects Donald emphasizes the significance of prepping prospects before meeting with them.  In a world with automated scheduling tools, it's essential to go the extra mile to personalize and optimize the prospect's meeting experience. The Strategy Donald suggests a simple yet powerful strategy to prepare prospects effectively.  He recommends sending a quick video introduction to the prospect, providing a warm welcome, and addressing potential questions or concerns they might have.  Additionally, including specific details about the upcoming meeting and offering personal contact information can further enhance the prospect's preparedness and engagement. Enhancing Engagement and Courtesy By implementing this strategy, sales professionals can significantly enhance engagement and courtesy from prospects.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-heigh

Mon, April 01, 2024

Hannah Ajikawo | The Best Sales Plan For The Quarter

Are you ready to unlock the secrets to successful sales strategies and go-to-market plans? In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with Hannah Ajikawo, a seasoned sales professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Hannah shares invaluable insights into understanding the B2B buyer journey, setting up go-to-market infrastructure, and optimizing sales processes to drive higher deal value. She also reveals the essential elements of a winning sales strategy plan and uncovers the secrets behind successful sales initiatives. Tune in now to discover proven strategies and insider tips that will propel your business to new heights! Hannah's Professional Journey Hannah provides an overview of her rich professional background, emphasizing her extensive career in sales.  Her professional journey spans from prominent global corporations to disruptive startups.  Notably, she shares her experience of working with an AI company in 2011, showcasing her early engagement with groundbreaking technologies and go-to-market strategies. The Evolution of AI Technology Drawing from her experience with an AI company, Hannah recounts her involvement in selling visionary AI solutions to leading B2B information providers.  She elaborates on the groundbreaking nature of their tool, highlighting its potential to automate data processes and generate substantial value for businesses, including a memorable interaction with Google. Sales Strategy Planning <li class="MsoNormal" style= "

Fri, March 29, 2024

Vlad Oleksiienko | Cold Emailing at Scale In 2024

Are you ready to transform your cold email outreach strategy for 2024? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Vlad Oleksiienko, a growth leader with extensive experience in sales development and cold outreach at scale. Vlad shares valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cold emailing in 2024 and beyond.  He focuses on the challenges and effective strategies for sales reps to scale their outreach efforts. Prepare to revolutionize your approach to cold emailing and propel your sales growth to new heights. Tune in to learn from the expert himself! The Challenges of Cold Emailing at Scale Vlad delves into the challenges faced by sales reps in the realm of cold outreach.  He highlights the evolving nature of email inboxes, the impact of AI-generated emails, and the growing demand for personalized and relevant communication from buyers. Tailoring Cold Outreach for Different Markets Vlad emphasizes the importance of tailoring cold outreach strategies based on the market and company.  He distinguishes between high-volume, low-touch cold emails at scale for SMBs and mid-market companies without SDRs and the more targeted approach taken by enterprise SDRs. Intent-Based Cold Outreach Vlad introduces the concept of intent-based cold outreach, emphasizing the significance of leveraging specific signals or triggers to identify prospects likely to engage with the outreach on a deeper level.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-hei

Wed, March 27, 2024

Donald Kelly | Ask Everyone For A Referral

You have a client on the phone, and they decide not to close the deal.  Do you? Tell them to have a good day and hang up, or ask if they know anyone else needing your services. In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald C. Kelly shares the most overlooked strategy of asking everyone for referrals. With a passion for empowering sales professionals, Donald shares valuable insights and practical tips to help you unlock the potential of referral generation. Tune in to elevate your sales prowess and harness the power of referrals! Utilizing Untapped Potential Donald discusses the importance of recognizing the untapped potential in every interaction.  He encourages sales professionals to assume that everyone they speak with knows someone who could benefit from their services. The Art of the Ask From his own experiences, Donald shares a simple yet powerful approach to requesting referrals.  He outlines the process of respectfully inquiring if the contact knows anyone who could benefit from the offered product or service.  Donald emphasizes delivering value and building rapport before requesting a referral. Referral Incentives and Tools Donald explores the potential of i

Mon, March 25, 2024

Lori Richardson | My Best Advice For Finding & Keeping Top Talent

Are you tired of the high turnover rate in your sales team? How do you identify and retain top sales talent?  In a world where finding the right sales professionals can be challenging, Lori Richardson, a seasoned sales strategist with over 20 years of experience, joins Donald on "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" to share her invaluable insights on bringing in the right talent and keeping them motivated for long-term success.  In this episode, Lori offers practical advice for both sales professionals and leaders, shedding light on the qualities to look for in salespeople, the role of effective leadership, and how to identify the right company culture. If you're ready to revolutionize your sales team and boost your own sales career, you won't want to miss this episode! Qualities of Successful Salespeople Lori emphasizes the importance of key qualities in successful salespeople. She highlights the significance of coachability, strong will, and the ability to accept rejection without being deterred.  Lori also acknowledges the role of personal attitudes and beliefs, emphasizing the need for individuals to have a positive mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement in sales. Hiring the Right Talent Donald and Lori discuss the challenges of identifying the right talent for sales roles.  Lori stresses the necessity for individuals considering a sales career to test the waters and emphasizes the need for companies to look for coachability and sales DNA in potential hires.  Additionally, she provides insights into a comprehensive process that utilizes data to achieve more accurate hiring decisions, providing a proactive approach to ident

Fri, March 22, 2024

Chet Lovegren | The Perfect Questions To Ask In Your Next DISCO

Are you tired of lengthy, drawn-out discovery calls that seem to go on forever without getting to the heart of the matter? Imagine condensing those time-consuming conversations into just 15 minutes while delivering maximum impact.  In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Chet Lovegren to reveal the secrets behind shortening discovery calls while achieving outstanding results. Chet, a master at sales consulting, shares practical role-playing examples and outlines four key questions that can transform your discovery process. You'll witness practical demonstrations on identifying challenges, understanding their context, gauging expertise, and establishing implications—resulting in streamlined yet effective discovery interactions.  Tune in to revolutionize your discovery calls and enjoy results that speak for themselves! The Essential Four Questions for a Successful Discovery Chet highlights the importance of the four key questions that form the foundation of a successful discovery process.  These questions involve identifying challenges, understanding context, gauging expertise, and establishing implications.  Chet emphasizes the need for sales professionals to tailor these questions to the specific needs of their prospects and their respective industries. Simplifying Complex Sales Processes Donald and Chet stress the significance of simplifying the sales process and avoiding overly complex approaches.  Chet shares his experience of condensing discovery calls from 30 minutes to just 15 minutes, showcasing the effecti

Wed, March 20, 2024

Donald Kelly | Stop Lazy Prospecting

Are you ready to revolutionize your approach to finding prospects? Do you sit back and hope they'll come to you, or are you casting wide nets on LinkedIn, crossing your fingers for a response? Let's face it. These tactics scream "lazy prospecting." But fear not! In this thrilling episode of The Sales Evangelist, the charismatic Donald Kelly is here to transform your strategy. Dive into this power-packed five-minute episode and unravel the secrets behind proactive prospecting. Say goodbye to the old ways and hello to a new era of engagement. Don't miss out! What Is Lazy Prospecting? What exactly is lazy prospecting? In the episode, Donald explains it’s making a phone call without researching the prospect. When prospecting, you should do your prep work. This involves seeing who else works in the organization and looking at the individual’s LinkedIn profile. However, most sellers take this time to scroll through their phones, hoping for the best. Donald explains how most sales representatives become lazy prospectors without realizing it.  LinkedIn Profile Before making a phone call, review the prospect's LinkedIn profile. Scroll through to see their achievements, recent work events, or posts they’re engaging in.  Donald shares how you can use this information during a phone conversation with your prospects. Hint: Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator during your research! Multi-Threading in Sales Speaking of Sales Navigator, it’s the ideal tool for multi-threading. Use it to find someone within our prospect’s organization you can engage with and talk to on LinkedIn. Donald shares how to multi-thread within the episode correctly to help you connect with your prospects and close a deal. Are you a fan of quick, impactful insights? Dive into our five-minute episodes that pack a punch! Hit subscribe and immerse yourself in the latest trends and updates from the sales world. Our mission? To empower you to double your deal closures by enhancing your pipeline like never before. Join us for these brief yet potent episodes and say goodbye to lackluster prospecting. Transform into the sales leader you're destined to be. Let's do this! “The more shots you take on g

Mon, March 18, 2024

Derek Rahn | The Data Says To Go Small & Niche Right Now

It's all in the data, right? But what's good is the data if you don't know how to utilize the information? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," Host Donald Kelly chats with Derek Rahn about current sales data trends and the need for sellers to niche down within their industry. Tune in and discover how to help you build your pipeline and close twice as many deals as you are now. Derek Rahn’s Background Derek has over 15 years of experience in sales and marketing, specifically within the B2B space. He is the VP of demand generation of Lead Genius, which crafts tools to help companies find their ideal customers. His position allows him to see the current trends and changes within the sales industry. Challenges in the SaaS Landscape One challenge Derek sees within the SaaS industry is that too many team members interact with one customer. This harms the client's relationships with the company and can easily cause misunderstandings. He suggests limiting the number of employees speaking with potential clients during the sales process. Derek also noticed that sales representatives have too much going on with their daily workloads. For example, IC roles are becoming more management-oriented due to the increased team size. He explains whether this has a positive or negative impact on sales companies. Current Sales Data Trends One trend that Derek notes is the rise of verticalization within the industry. The old method of se

Fri, March 15, 2024

Patrick Tinney | The Biggest Mistakes Sellers Make When Negotiating

Wanna know the secrets to mastering the art of sales negotiation? Once you learn them, you'll never go hungry again! But first, you must tune in to hear this episode of "The Sale Evangelist Podcast." Host Donald Kelly chats with Patrick Tinney, author and founder of Centroid Training & Marketing. They delve deep into the world of sales negotiation and strategic planning. Patrick also explains why these sales techniques are a lost art in the industry and the biggest mistakes most sellers make. Listen and discover how to become a better sales negotiator in this episode. Also, don't forget to grab your copy of Patric Tinney's books down below. He shares a world of sales knowledge within this episode and his books! Patrick Tinney’s Background Patrick is the author of four books. The one he shares and discusses within the episode is “Unlocking Yes: The Revised Edition.” He was among the first to write a sales negotiation book after Brian Tracy. Only a select few are brave enough to share their knowledge of sales negotiation. This is due to its complexity; you need the right experience to teach others.  Common Mistakes and Challenges in Sales Negotiation Partick discusses how, in the Far East, people live for negotiation. However, in North America, people prefer to avoid the negotiation process and find it uncomfortable. He also shares how some sellers are afraid to make mistakes during negotiations. But you shouldn't let this stop you from trying to negotiate.  In the world of bus

Wed, March 13, 2024

Donald Kelly | 4 Simple Steps For Handling Any Objection

Mon, March 11, 2024

Dr. Jean Oursler | The REAL Truth Behind Why You're Not Prospecting Enough

Having the right mindset is crucial to being a successful salesperson. So why do we often get locked up in a mindset of fear, and how can we change that? In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and Dr. Jean Oursler (Ph.D. in Business Psychology from the Chicago School) are here to teach us about our “ Caveman Brain ” so that we can harness the way we are wired and make it work to our advantage.  What is Your Caveman Brain? The amygdala is a part of the brain that controls our fear responses to our environment. Dr. Oursler calls this the “caveman brain” Our “caveman brain” exists to protect us from getting hurt or dying, so we can’t get rid of it or turn it off! We don’t have to run away from predators or protect our young from danger anymore, so nowadays, we fear things like rejection, losing our reputation, or being a pushy salesperson. How Do We Work WITH the Caveman Brain? The amygdala only knows what it sees and hears. Pay attention to the media and information you consume! Identify your personal fears. Know what is holding you back and why. Use positive self-talk to give the caveman brain information to overcome your fears. Think of these as affirmations or talking yourself up. [Tweet "Almost everything that’s happening in your life that isn’t happening the way you want it to comes down to your caveman brain. When you realize that and you start to fix that, everything else falls back in

Fri, March 08, 2024

Amanda Holmes | 3 Biggest Mistakes Sellers Make Deploying Their Dream 100 List

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. <li class="MsoNormal" styl

Wed, March 06, 2024

Donald Kelly | We Already Have A Vendor

Mon, March 04, 2024

Brandon Lee | Three Overlooked LinkedIn Practices You Need To Adopt

How do you move beyond having a network of connections on LinkedIn to leveraging it to drive meaningful conversations and opportunities? In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly chats with Brandon Lee, the founder of FistBump, on the best practices for maximizing your impact on LinkedIn.  Discover powerful techniques for engaging with prospects, creating compelling content, and establishing genuine connections that lead to tangible results. Tune in to hear essential strategies for utilizing LinkedIn to drive sales success. Brandon Lee’s Background Brandon founded Fist Bump, which offers a done-for-you and done-with-you model aimed at C-suite sales leaders looking to leverage LinkedIn more effectively.  The service appeals to individuals seeking guidance on improving their LinkedIn utilization and those lacking the time to do it themselves. LinkedIn as a Sales Tool Donald and Brandon discuss the critical role of LinkedIn in B2B sales and business. They tackle the common issue of professionals failing to effectively utilize their LinkedIn connections after making them, highlighting the need for a more strategic approach to networking and relationship-building on the platform. Best Practices for Utilizing LinkedIn Brandon emphasizes the importance of adopting a networking, rather than a purely sales-driven, mindset when using LinkedIn.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vert

Fri, March 01, 2024

Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon | The Framework for Closing 6-Figure Deals

Are you ready to elevate your sales game and close those six-figure deals? In this episode, Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon joins host Donald to share her insights on transforming sales mindset and strategy. Dr. Darnyelle has a wealth of experience and knowledge working with business leaders to achieve significant revenue growth and success.  Her approach integrates business growth strategy, talent development, leadership development, and sales psychology. Discover how to revolutionize your sales approach and cultivate a mindset that drives unprecedented success. Tune in to this episode with Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon and ignite your journey to selling millions! Overview of Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon's Work Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises, a company that specializes in helping business leaders reach their revenue goals. The focus is on driving revenue growth and achieving millionaire status. Transforming Sales Mindset Dr. Darnyelle emphasizes the importance of understanding the connection between how salespeople see themselves and how they perceive money.  She highlights the critical impact of early childhood beliefs about money and the need to dismantle limiting beliefs to drive sales success. The Sell Millions Method Dr. Darnyelle introduces the "Sell Millions Method," which encompasses five pillars: strategy, sales, systems, support, and success mindset. Each pillar aligns sales strategies with individual mindset and money consciousness to drive improved sales outcomes.

Wed, February 28, 2024

Donald Kelly | This ONE Strategy 3X My Pipeline

Do you want to learn a simple strategy to improve the quality of your deals? If so, you must tune in to this quick 5-minute episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.”  In this episode, host Donald Kelly shares a simple yet powerful strategy that served as a game-changer in significantly improving the quality of deals in his pipeline. He stresses the impact of accountability and how it transformed his sales approach, leading to a remarkable three-fold increase in revenue. Discover the secrets to boosting your sales performance through the power of accountability. With the right mindset and strategy, you can achieve remarkable sales success. The Power of Accountability Donald emphasizes the crucial role of accountability in driving sales performance, drawing from his experience as a CEO striving to maintain consistent prospecting efforts amidst a busy schedule.  He acknowledges the lack of individual accountability many sales professionals face and the transformative effect it can have on productivity and results. The Mastermind Experience Drawing from his participation in a mastermind group of high-achieving individuals, Donald reveals how the group's collective accountability and peer pressure fueled his professional growth.  The environment of striving for improvement and supporting one another led to a significant spike in revenue and provided invaluable insights that could be applied to the sales team. Implementing Accountability in Sales Donald shares how he translated the mastermind concept into a sales team context, creating a mutual accountability and goal-setting culture.  By breaking down overarching goals into manageable micro goals, the team saw a substantial elevation in their performance, ultimately resulting in increased revenue and productivity. Unleashing the Potential for Growth Highlighting the transformative impact of accountability, Donald underscores that even high-performing individuals can achieve more by embracing the concept of continuous improvement.  He encourages representatives to seek accountability partnerships within their organizations to unlock their full potential and elevate their sales game. The power of accountability cannot be underestimated when

Mon, February 26, 2024

Tanessa Shears | Sleep + Productivity = More Sales

How do sleep and sales relate? You’ll have to listen to this exciting Sales Evangelist Podcast episode to find out. Host Donald Kelly delves into the crucial topic of sleep and its impact on sales performance with guest expert Tanessa Shears.  Tanessa, a specialist in wearable tech and health hacks, discusses how improving sleep quality can lead to increased energy, clarity, and better problem-solving skills, making it a foundational element for a successful sales career. Tune in now to gain access to Tanessa's wealth of knowledge and uncover actionable strategies to optimize your sleep quality, enhance your energy levels, and revolutionize your sales performance. Impact of Sleep on Sales Professionals Tanessa highlights the common tendency among sales professionals to neglect quality sleep to pursue productivity and achieve sales targets.  The "hustle and grind" culture often leads to sacrificing sleep and neglecting personal health while striving for professional success.  She emphasizes the detrimental effects of insufficient sleep, including brain fog, stress, and compromised cognitive function, that can significantly hinder sales professionals' performance. Addressing Sleep Challenges in Sales Tanessa shares her experiences working with entrepreneurs, a group often caught up in the fast-paced business world, where neglecting sleep and health has become normative.  She emphasizes the need to recognize the actual sleep time versus the time spent in bed, the importance of consistent sleep schedules, and the significant impact of sleep quality on overal

Fri, February 23, 2024

Julie Thomas | Your Stuff Just Not Relevant To Me!

When looking for potential clients, do you actually take the time to do proper research? Or do you quickly scan their website and pitch to them, hoping they'll reply?  If you do not research properly, you'll never join the top 10% sales representatives club. In today's fast-paced sales environment, it's becoming increasingly essential for sellers to ensure they're selling the right products to the right people. Discover why value selling is vital in this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast." Host Donald Kelly speaks with Julie Thomas, the CEO of Value Selling Associates, about the challenges facing sales teams and the power of value selling.  Julie shares insights into the changing dynamics of sales, the key to grabbing the attention of potential buyers, and the importance of being authentic and customer-centric in sales. Click the link to listen now and discover strategies to propel your sales success to new heights. Value Selling and Julie's Background Donald congratulates Julie on her book and delves into her background at Value Selling Associates.  Julie explains the company's role as a world-class sales methodology used by B2B sales teams globally.  She shares her journey of writing the book to highlight what has changed and what has remained constant in the sales landscape. Challenges in Grabbing Attention Julie discusses the challenges sales teams face in today's marketplace, emphasizing that getting the attention of potential buyers for initial conversations is harder than ever. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-ali

Wed, February 21, 2024

Donald Kelly | Donald Tip - Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up!

Are you struggling to follow up with your prospects and close more deals effectively? Imagine if you could learn a proven method to follow up with potential clients that actually works. In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly delves into the crucial aspect of follow-up in sales. He emphasizes the importance of strategic, persistent, and creative follow-up methods to nurture prospects and drive sales success. Tune in to discover practical tips to enhance your follow-up process, supercharge your sales pipeline, and double your closed deals! Importance of Follow-Up Donald begins by highlighting the common pitfall of salespeople failing to follow up with prospects effectively. He stresses that a lackluster "just following up" approach is ineffective and doesn't make a lasting impression.  Acknowledging the complexity of prospects' lives and competing priorities, he emphasizes the need for sales professionals to take proactive steps to stay top of mind. Strategic Approach to Follow-Up Donald advocates for strategic follow-up, urging sales professionals to always book the next appointment with a prospect at the end of the initial meeting.  He emphasizes the importance of setting clear expectations and providing an agenda to ensure that follow-up meetings are structured and productive. This proactive approach demonstrates professionalism and keeps the sales process moving forward. Creativity in Follow-Up An important aspect of Donald's advice is the need for creative follow-up methods.

Mon, February 19, 2024

Jim Vaselopulos | Stop Approaching Prospects As Subservient But As a Peer

How do you approach your prospects as a sales rep? Do you send them hundreds of emails when you connect with them, or do you take the time to build a relationship with them? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," you'll find the best way to approach prospects. Host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Jim Vaselopulos, a CEO consultant and leadership expert, on selling and building long-term relationships in business-to-business (B2B) sales.  Jim shares the keys to building long-term client relationships, behaving as a peer, and delving into consultation-oriented sales. You'll also witness a role-play scenario showing how to engage with potential clients at a peer level and focus on solving their real business challenges. Click play now and prepare to gain a wealth of wisdom that will transform your sales game forever! Embracing the Role of Salesperson Jim candidly shares his initial reservations about the sales profession, describing his reluctance and skepticism due to preconceived notions about salespeople being perceived as "slimy."  However, through his journey, he discovered a new perspective under the mentorship of Ford Harding, a renowned figure in the realm of sales.  Harding's insight that "sales is the highest form of consulting" profoundly impacted Jim's perception and approach, leading him to embrace the role of a salesperson with pride. Challenges in Building Peer Relationships Donald and Jim delve into the concept of establishing peer relationships in sales, highlighting the significance of approaching clients as equals from the outset.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: n

Fri, February 16, 2024

Brynne Tillman | 1st Connections: Yours Lowest Hanging Fruits on LinkedIn

What’s the best way to get referrals on LinkedIn? Find out in this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.” Host Donald Kelly speaks with Brynne Tillman, an expert leveraging LinkedIn for sales outreach.  Brynne provides valuable insights and practical tips on using LinkedIn to secure referrals. Her game-changing strategies will help you master the art of building valuable relationships, sparking meaningful conversations, and closing more deals.  Ready to supercharge your sales game? Listen to this electrifying episode now! Brynne Tillman’s Background Brynne is a renowned expert in LinkedIn outreach, particularly in helping sales professionals establish credibility and start conversations with potential customers.  She highlights the importance of leveraging social proximity and delivering value through LinkedIn outreach to facilitate genuine conversations and identify potential opportunities. Understanding Referrals on LinkedIn Brynne emphasizes the significance of understanding social proximity and leveraging connections to reach targeted prospects through referrals, introductions, and permission to name-drop.  She breaks down the concept of referrals, introductions, and permission to name-drop, shedding light on how each approach facilitates trust-based interactions and fruitful opportunities. The Power of Referrals Brynne provides statistics on the effectiveness of referrals, citing impressive connection rates, call accept

Wed, February 14, 2024

Donald Kelly | I Want Some Love TOO: I Never Get Any Engagements On My LinkedIn Posts!

You spent a week crafting the perfect LinkedIn post and are ready to share it. However, after five hours, you only get crickets on your post.  Maybe if you wait a few days, someone will acknowledge it. Two days later, you receive one like on your LinkedIn post. Frustrated, you scream, “Why is no one paying attention to my content on LinkedIn!” In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald C. Kelly discusses the importance of generating engagement on LinkedIn. He provides valuable insights on creating compelling content to capture the attention of potential prospects.  Donald outlines three key strategies to boost engagement: focusing on top-of-funnel discussions, addressing objections, and curating relevant content. Discover the best way to get attention on LinkedIn in this five-minute episode. Understanding Your Audience for Effective Content Creation Donald emphasizes the significance of understanding the needs and interests of one's ideal customers. He recommends aligning content with top-of-funnel topics, such as common questions and initial concerns in prospect conversations. Using his own experience, Donald illustrates how he addresses queries about leveraging LinkedIn for sales and team performance, emphasizing the importance of tailoring content to address prospective clients' early-stage inquiries. Overcoming Objections Through Strategic Content Creation Donald delves into how sales professionals can transform common objections into engaging LinkedIn posts. He introduces the "feel, felt, found" strategy, a powerful approach to constructing persuasive content by acknowledging objections, empathizing with prospects, and ultimately offering solutions. Through an example related to CRM adoption objections, Donald demonstrates how to craft a thought-provoking post that delineates common objections and effectively provides insights into the benefits of CRM integration. Leveraging Curated Content for Enhanced Engagement Acknowledging the value of third-party insights, Donald advocates for incorporating curated content into LinkedIn posts. By sourcing relevant articles and resources addressing prevalent challenges experienced by prospects, sales professionals can position themselves as valuable sources of industry knowledge. Donald highlights employee retention as a critical concern for businesses and encourages leveraging curated content to offer ins

Mon, February 12, 2024

Paul Butterfield | Effective Discovery That Helps Prospects Create a Vision

Are you tired of the same old tactics falling flat in your sales discovery calls?  Everyone wants to make a sale, but too often, the approach is to pitch the product or service right out of the gate. Is there a better way to connect with your prospects and truly understand their needs before you dive into your sales pitch?  Host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Paul Butterfield on having a solid strategy for sales discovery in this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast." Paul dives deep into the importance of understanding the customer's journey and shares insights on creating a unified, customer-focused experience across various teams.  He emphasizes the need for a robust discovery process and how it can significantly impact the quality of the buyer's experience. Tune in to hear how effective discovery calls can revolutionize your sales approach and elevate your success in closing deals. Paul's Experience and Expertise Paul is the founder of the Revenue Flywheel Group, focusing on enabling B2B companies to create a unified customer journey.  With extensive experience in the field, Paul brings real-world examples to support his insights, making this episode a valuable resource for sales leaders and individual contributors. The Flawed Approach to Discovery Calls Paul highlights the all-too-common practice of immediately jumping into a demo without fully understanding the customer's needs.  He acknowledges the prevalence of pitch decks laden with bragging rights and emphasizes the need for a shift in mindset regarding the purpose of a sales interaction. The Power of Effective Discovery <li cl

Fri, February 09, 2024

Jake Tacher | Three Simple Follow Up Strategies Every Seller Should Adopt

Do you take the time to follow up with potential clients? Maybe a client told you right now is not the time they want to work with you. Just because they said no then doesn't mean you should give up. Sales representatives need to have a follow-up process to know when it's time for them to contact old business deals. In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Jake Tacher on the importance of doing follow-ups to gain clients. Jake shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in the sales world, shedding light on the critical role of follow-up in sales success and providing actionable insights for sales leaders and individual contributors. Discover the three follow-up strategies he shares in this episode. Jake's Background and Expertise Jake is a seasoned fractional CRO professional and sales director. With a career that spans from starting as an SDR to becoming a sales manager, he now focuses on driving growth through sales coaching, consulting, and recruiting.  Jake also offers sales training programs and shares his extensive experience transforming underperforming SDRs into high-performing assets. The Definition of Effective Follow-Up Jake defines effective follow-up as any contact attempt-based activity with a prospect that aims to push them along the buyer's journey.  Whether it's aiming for a meeting or a closed deal, the essence of follow-up lies in continually engaging with prospects to move them closer to the desired outcome. Challenges and Solutions in the Follow-Up Process <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-

Wed, February 07, 2024

Donald Kelly | When Is It The Right Time To Email A Prospect?

Are you struggling to get responses from prospects on LinkedIn after reaching out to them? Do you wonder what's the best time and approach to email them? If so, you're not alone.  In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly delves into a strategy to help you navigate this challenge and increase your chances of securing appointments with your dream clients. So, grab a seat and dive into the world of effective LinkedIn outreach strategies. Understanding the Best Timing to Email Prospects Reaching out to prospects on LinkedIn is just the first step. Donald stresses that the best time to email prospects is after establishing a connection.  He emphasizes the need to refrain from automatically pitching your services as soon as someone connects with you. Instead, he advocates for a more personalized and strategic approach. Creating Personalized Connections Donald explains that the key to effectively transitioning from a LinkedIn connection to an email pitch is to identify a relevant challenge that the prospect is facing to which you have a potential solution.  He provides an example of leveraging a LinkedIn conversation to create a personalized email pitch, ensuring that the prospect feels valued and understood. Bridging the Gap with Relevancy To increase the chances of a positive response, Donald emphasizes bridging the relevancy gap between the prospect's challenges and the solutions you can offer. 

Mon, February 05, 2024

Grant Lira | The Unscripted Path: Ditching Sales Scripts for Creativity and Connection

You rely heavily on your sales script to win over prospects. Right? If you do, there's no need to feel ashamed about using them. The company created them to help you know what to say.  However, a creative approach in your sales pitch is a better way to gain clients. This is especially true when trying to build authentic relationships.  In this episode, host Donald Kelly engages in an insightful conversation with Grant Lira, the co-founder of the Empathy Firm, discussing the art of creatively connecting with prospects in sales. Through Grant's valuable insights, you'll learn practical strategies for establishing genuine connections with potential clients.  Tune into this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" to help you become more authentic and productive in sales interactions. Embracing Authenticity in Sales Conversations Grant emphasizes the importance of embracing authenticity in sales conversations, encouraging sales professionals to engage in genuine dialogue rather than adopting a scripted or robotic approach.  He highlights the significance of establishing a human connection, as it fosters an environment conducive to open communication and mutual understanding.  By approaching potential prospects with authenticity and sincerity, sales professionals can build trust and rapport from the outset. Preparing for Meaningful Interactions Grant shares proactive strategies for preparing meaningful interactions with prospects before the actual sales call.  He recommends sendi

Fri, February 02, 2024

Matt Doyon | The 3x3 Sales Coaching Method

Are you ready to boost your sales performance to the next level? You can start by taking ownership of your professional development. Stop waiting for the company to provide the necessary training and build your sales skills yourself.  How can you do this? In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with Matt Doyon, a seasoned sales leader, on the game-changing concept of the 3x3 coaching methodology. Matt shares his experiences and insights to show how this coaching framework can revolutionize sales training and improve performance. Hear why sales representatives must take ownership of their skill development for tangible results. Matt Doyon's Background During his tenure at Rock Content, Matt Doyon pioneered the "three by three coaching" method.  With a focus on empowering individual sellers, Matt's approach emphasizes skill development, accountability, and personal ownership of the coaching process. The Three-by-Three Coaching Method Explained At the core of the three-by-three coaching method lies the belief that individual sellers are the owners of their coaching process.  This framework provides guardrails to enhance accountability and drive skill development.  The first "three" refers to the skill category - technical, professional, and personal skills. These categories e

Wed, January 31, 2024

Donald Kelly | What Should I Put In My LinkedIn Headline?

Filling out your LinkedIn profile is a lot more challenging than you thought it would be. However, whatever you add must make you stand out from everyone else within your industry. One way to do this is by creating a memorable headline to grab a person's attention. But what's the trick to crafting a headline to make someone want to work with you? In this short episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," Host Donald Kelly shares tips on how to write the perfect LinkedIn headline. Get your notebooks and pens ready and learn how to do this simple SEO technique. LinkedIn Headline: What Do You Put in It? The LinkedIn headline is right underneath a person’s name and is a title they created for themselves. They may have their position and the company they work for within this section—for example, Sales Representative at HubSpot. Donald shares that the number one reason for creating a LinkedIn headline is search engine optimization (SEO). Your potential clients are looking for someone to help solve their problems. The best way to help them find you on LinkedIn is by using SEO keywords in your headline. For example, a person may seek someone knowledgeable about marketing automation. You should write “marketing automation specialist” as an SEO keyword within your LinkedIn headline.  Donald also discusses it’s okay to use the company that works for the name within the headline section if it’s a big company, such as Google. However, using an SEO keyword is better if you work for an unknown company. Donald shares examples of crafting the perfect LinkedIn headline within the episode. <p class="

Mon, January 29, 2024

Richard Harris | This Is The ONLY Way You Should Offer A Discount!

What's the best way to offer a discount to a client? Find out in this exciting episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast. Host Donald Kelly speaks with sales expert Richard Harris about his new book, "The Seller's Journey," and dives into the intricacies of mastering sales strategies.  Richard shares valuable tactics around sales, pricing, negotiation, and creating win-win scenarios with customers. He also addresses the critical role of understanding procurement and highlights the importance of qualifying for discounts and leveraging them as a sales rep. Hear why you should pick up a copy of Richard's new book and how it can help you in your sales career. Richard’s Background Richard is a sales strategist and trainer with extensive experience in go-to-market and founder-led sales strategies.  He is also the author of the recent book, "The Seller's Journey," which encapsulates his decade-long expertise in sales. Earning the Right to Ask Questions Richard discusses his niche in sales training, where he emphasizes the importance of earning the right to ask questions, which questions to ask, and the timing of these questions in the sales process.  Through his extensive experience in consulting, Richard has honed his framework for enabling sales professionals to navigate the intricacies of engaging buyers effectively. Highlights from "The Seller's Journey" Book Richard delves into the core concepts of his book, "The Seller's Journey."

Fri, January 26, 2024

Monica Stewart | How to Build Pipeline Non Traditionally

Sometimes, stepping outside of the box works magic when traditional methods fail. Sales representatives must quickly think of unique ways to build their pipeline when nothing else works. But what if you can't think of any new sales techniques? Listen to this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast" to discover new sales methods. In today's insightful episode, host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Monica Stewart, an expert in aiding startup founders to grow and scale their sales organizations sustainably.  They discuss various critical points addressing the challenges and innovations within sales strategies. Monica shares valuable insights and suggestions for revolutionizing sales approaches.  Learn non-traditional sales methods for building a pipeline in this TSE episode.  The Paradigm Shift in Sales Training Monica and Donald discuss the vast differences in training among salespeople and the urgency of embracing nontraditional methods for pipeline development.  They acknowledge that adapting B2C selling tactics to B2B environments has multiple benefits.  Monica also illustrates the importance of creativity in nurturing partnerships, the strategic use of influencers, and inbound methodologies to decrease customer acquisition costs and expedite the sales process. The Art of Building Partnerships Monica emphasizes the need for careful consideration while forming partnerships. She points out the necessity of assigning a dedicated person to manage these relationships, ensuring these valuable connections don't become an afterthought. Partnership nurturing is a pivotal activity to prevent the stagnation of these crucial relationships. <li class=

Wed, January 24, 2024

Donald Kelly | How To Turn Lost Deals Into Opportunity

Two months ago, your client said they didn't want to close the deal. So, this means that it's over and done with. You should just move on to the next one. Or maybe you should follow up to see if they will work with you now. Why? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly shares why those lost deals are actually golden opportunities. So, don't cross those potential clients off your list yet, and hear why you need to contact them again. The Number One Strategy To Close Deals Donald begins by breaking down the math of how many prospective clients a sales rep may lose within a given year. Most salespeople don’t take the time to return to those prospects and move on to the next one. However, Donald shares an excellent strategy for contacting those potential clients again to close a deal. LinkedIn Sales Navigator List After you take the time to figure out how many prospects told you no, create a lost deal list in LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You'll receive notifications on their recent activities after you add these individuals to the list. These activities could include a change of job, recent posts, and more. Donald shares why contacting someone who recently changed jobs and works in another company is a great idea. Also, pay attention to the individual's activities within the last 30 days. If you see they posted something, take the time to comment on it. It's a great way to start a conversation and build relationships on LinkedIn. Remember, you can use Sales Navigator for a 2-month free trial to see if you like it. The link is down below within the resource section. Do you want more sales tactics to boost your pipeline? Subscribe to The Sales Evangelist Podcast to help close twice as many deals as you are now! "Lost deals are never truly lost. They're opportunities in disguise." - Donald Kelly. Resources Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn LinkedIn Sales Navigator Course Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot. With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools

Mon, January 22, 2024

Aaron McReynolds | Sales is Changing... Here's Why and how To Adopt

You might have already realized this, but the sales world is changing. To make it, you must learn marketing skills to gain new clients. But everyone is not meant to be a marketer. How can you adapt to these changes and become successful at relationship-based selling?  Start by listening to this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast” to learn how to adopt SaaS marketing skills. In this episode, Donald engages in a dynamic conversation with Aaron, the CEO and founder of Alysio, a people performance management platform for go-to-market teams.  Listen for valuable insights on the changing landscape of sales, the need for creativity and personalization, and the principles that drive effective sales strategies in the modern era. Adapting to the Changing Sales Landscape Aaron begins the conversation by shedding light on the evolution of sales. He emphasizes the need to adapt to the dynamic nature of sales, especially with the significant changes brought about by technology and unprecedented events like the COVID-19 pandemic.  Drawing from his extensive experience in B2B SaaS sales, he presents a compelling case for embracing data-driven strategies and connecting with customers in a way that resonates with the current sales landscape. The Three Dimensions of Sales Success Drawing from Alysio's approach to sales, Aaron eloquently articulates the three critical dimensions of a great day in sales - customer data, revenue data, and people data.  He underscores the importance of leveraging data at the team and individual levels to coach and train sales representatives effectively.  Aaron's vision of a future where these three dimensions intertwine seamlessly reflects the innovative and strategic mindset that drives Alysio's approach to empowering sales teams. Embracing Creativity and Personalization in Sales One of the core themes of the conversation is the need for creativity and personalization in sales.  Aaron shares impactful examples of creative approaches to outreach, such as leveraging personalized emails and running a successful podcast to connect with CROs. He emphasizes the shift from traditional sales tactics to engaging, entertaining, and personalized strategies that resonate with the modern buyer's mindset. T

Fri, January 19, 2024

Adam Robinson | ATTENTION: The Next Big Things In Sales

The world is changing, and sales representatives must adapt. This is especially true when it comes to content creation. Do you know what the top-performing social media content is nowadays?  It's video creation! If you're not taking the time to create and promote videos, it may keep you from building your pipeline. In this thought-provoking TSE episode, host Donald Kelly speaks with Adam Robinson, founder and CEO of Retention, about his approach to content creation. Adam discusses the significance of establishing content pillars and sub-pillars to maintain coherence and deliver a unified message. This technique has been instrumental in Adam's success, solidifying the foundation for his content strategy. Discover Adam's methods to improve your sales techniques. The Chris Walker Method Adam credits Chris Walker for the impact his approach has had on Adam's own content creation journey.  By consistently reinforcing a central message, Adam emphasizes the role of repetition in strengthening the audience's understanding and recall.  He also touches upon the growing propensity for video content, hinting at the potential crossover for YouTubers into corporate positions, as video prowess becomes increasingly valuable in business. Building Trust with Organic Content Both Adam and Donald concur on the superior efficacy of organic social content compared to traditional ads when building trust.  Donald personally reflects on his inclination towards products discovered on social media, favoring YouTube for its less intrusive nature over website videos. This preference underscores the shift towards content platforms that offer a more genuine connection with audiences. Adam's Philosophy on Social Media and Connection Adam elucidates the pivotal role of social media in forming relationships and amplifying one's presence.  He shares his own narrative of venturing into content creation, underlining the initial uncertainties and the growth that followed.  His experiences testify to the value of perseverance and authenticity in the content creation landscape. Establishing a Unique Voice The conversation delves into Adam's early challenges in con

Wed, January 17, 2024

Donald Kelly | 3 Ways To Get Responses From Your ICP on LinkedIn

You’re sending LinkedIn connects one after the other. But no one responds to your messages. It’s making you lose confidence in your professional sales skills. However, you shouldn’t give up hope just yet. Take the time to listen to this five-minute Sales Evangelist podcast episode. Host Donald Kelly shares three actionable tips to help sales representatives always get responses from their ICPs on LinkedIn. Tune in and hear what those tips are. Tip 1: Make Sure They're Active on LinkedIn Donald shares that just because you see someone on LinkedIn doesn't mean they actually get on the platform. To ensure they're active on the platform, take the time to see if they're posting anything and how often they do it. You can quickly look into this by using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. If you don't have the tool, Donald shares an actionable tip on how to do this within the episode.  He also suggests you listen to past TSE episode 1743 on how to find active ICPs on LinkedIn. Tip 2: Be Patience One of the biggest mistakes most sales reps make on LinkedIn is connecting with people and trying to sell immediately. Donald discusses that connecting with them and building a relationship is better before trying to sell. This will help the potential buyer feel more comfortable talking with you and trust that your product is worth the money. You can do this by engaging with them on the platform. Start by reviewing what they share on LinkedIn and commenting on their posts. Tip 3: See What They Like on LinkedIn Another way to start conversations on LinkedIn is to see what content they like. You can review their recent activities on their profiles to see if a conference is coming up or if they like posts from a specific trend. Donald also shares you need to connect with people within your ICP company. Doing this will make you seem less of a stranger and help your potential buyer feel more comfortable talking to you. Bonus Tip: Write Personalized LinkedIn Messages Sending a personalized message doesn’t mean discussing personal matters such as

Mon, January 15, 2024

Matt Dixon | The Jolt Effect: How Top Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host, Donald Kelly, talks with Matt Dixon about how top performers overcome customer indecision. At the beginning of the pandemic, sales went entirely virtual overnight. Matt, and his team, studied 2.5 million recorded sales calls to answer the questions: what possesses a customer to go through an entire sales process and then not follow through, and what do the best salespeople do to avoid that happening to them? The answer is the JOLT effect. What do most salespeople do when customers get cold feet? Many salespeople are taught that the reason this happens is that you haven’t beaten their status quo.  They dial up the FOMO. Matt found that this increases the odds that the customer will do nothing.  Two reasons that the deal could be lost to no decision The customer still feels the pull of the status quo and they believe what they are currently doing is good enough. They don’t see that switching to your product is a better alternative.  They are indecisive about changing the status quo. They don’t know what to pick, they feel a lack of information, or they feel like they won’t get what they are paying for.  How do you overcome customer indecisiveness? The JOLT effect During Matt's study, he found that there are four behaviors that high performers use to get customers unstuck. The acronym JOLT.  Judging the level of indecision. The best salespeople use a t

Fri, January 12, 2024

Kristie Jones | How To Become A Top Seller In Any Company

What makes the top ten percent of sellers different from the other ninety percent? Listen to this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast to find out. Donald sits down with Kristie Jones in this riveting episode to discuss strategies for excelling in the sales industry.  Kristie, an expert working with early-stage startups, shares her extensive experience in formalizing sales processes and managing hiring practices. This episode delves into the intricacies of selecting the correct sales role, leveraging one's strengths, and the importance of personal development for career success. Tune in and gain insightful advice on helping young sales professionals reach their full potential. Choosing the Right Sales Role Kristie explains the motivation behind her book, addressing the common pitfall of entering unsuitable sales positions.  She stresses the vital role of self-awareness in sales success, advocating for individuals to understand themselves before attempting to comprehend the prospect.  Drawing parallels with sports, she discusses the significance of finding a perfect match in one's sales career to reach their full potential. Taking Ownership and Embracing Opportunities Amid the exploration of various sales approaches, Kristie emphasizes the necessity to take initiative and seek one's own opportunities.  Referencing sports icons like LeBron James and Novak Djokovic, she underscores the dedication and sacrifice required to achieve greatness, a principle applicable in both sports and sales. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: .0001pt; li

Wed, January 10, 2024

Donald Kelly | How Do I Find "Engaging" Prospects on LinkedIn?

Do you need help finding your ideal prospects on LinkedIn? In this five-minute episode of the “Sales Evangelist” podcast, you’ll discover seven ways to find the perfect clients. Host Donald Kelly shares simple methods to help sales representatives find clients they really want to work with.  Discover the seven best ways to find the right LinkedIn contacts. 1. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator Donald stresses the point of finding clients who need your services. He suggests creating an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to help you find the right ones. One of the best ways to do this is using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can use the spotlight filter to find engaging people posting on the platform. You can use your ICP to target potential customers based on their industry, interests, and the companies they work for. Also, pay attention to how often they post on LinkedIn. Potential clients are more likely to engage with you than ignore you. 2. Look at the Engagement on LinkedIn Posts Consider looking for LinkedIn posts based on your industry. Then, pay attention to the individuals engaging with these posts. Look through their profiles and see if any of them match your ICP. 3. Industry Influencers <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: b

Mon, January 08, 2024

Justin Su'a | 10 High-Performance Habits That Lead To Success

An article entitled 10 High-Performance Habits that Lead to Success by Justin Su’a is noteworthy. This isn’t a normal article.  It talks about 10 specific principles that, if practiced carefully, will help increase one’s performance and mental toughness.  Justin Su’a is a former competitive baseball player and despite not having the physical prowess and physical ability like some other players, he was still able to gain success. His family trained him to face any adversity with a positive mindset. Their team also had a sports psychologist who spoke to the players about tools and strategies that were taught to Olympians.  The principles taught by the sports psychologist resonated with Justin and ignited a desire for him to follow the same career path. These principles not only work for sports but can be applied by people of all walks to every aspect of life.  Here are the 10 high-performance habits that lead to success:  Win the morning Do hard things Embrace feedback Learn from failure Choose your attitude Do one more Have a purpose Recommit ev

Fri, January 05, 2024

Kiran Ramaiah | 5 European Outreach Practices Americans Must Adopt In 2024

Have you ever wondered how the sales process is in Europe? One of the key differences between American and European outreach methods is phone usage. European sales representatives rely less on phone calls than in America when contacting potential customers. But why is this, and could it be a better outreach strategy? In this exciting episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Kiran Ramaiah, a sales expert, on European outreach strategies. Sales representatives across the globe rely less on spamming their prospects and instead focus on building authentic relationships when selling. Tune in and discover why it’s better to follow this method. Understanding GDPR and Sales Outreach in Europe The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has significantly shifted the landscape of sales outreach in Europe.  Consent is paramount, with emails and LinkedIn messages being the go-to methods, while phone calls require prior consent.  Kiran and Donald discuss how prospecting in Europe demands a nuanced approach—longer cadences, compelling subject lines, and concise messaging—to navigate this regulated environment successfully. Prospecting with Precision Kiran outlines the cornerstone of European prospecting: tailored messaging and meticulous research on buyer personas.  He emphasizes the effectiveness of LinkedIn for uncovering trigger events and crafting relevant connections.  Donald concurs, stressing the importance of simple yet impactful messages resonating with the prospect's interests and needs. Sales Sequences in the European Market Challenges in Europe include the difficulty in cold calling and the necessity to refine sales tactics based on contacts' roles and industries.  Kiran shares why grasping buyer personas and industry-specific peculiarities is key to developing effective sales sequences. Sales Cadences and Cultural Considerations Recognizing cultural differences in outreach is crucial.  European cadences stand in stark contrast to their American counterparts, requiring thoughtful spacing of communication to respect the recipient's tim

Wed, January 03, 2024

Donald Kelly | Creating 2024 Sales Vision, Standard and Goals

Do you have a clear vision of what you want for 2024? If not, then you are already setting yourself up for failure. This year should be about improving your income, succeeding, and thriving in the sales industry. But the only way to do this is by establishing a clear vision for yourself. In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly dives into the importance of creating a vision as a salesperson. He provides practical insights and tips on how sales professionals can develop a vision, set effective standards, and achieve their goals to thrive and succeed in 2024. Understanding Vision, Mission, and Standards Donald clarifies the distinction between vision and mission. He highlights that while the mission statement reflects current actions and objectives, the vision pertains to future aspirations and long-term goals. Drawing from an example by the Lassian blog, he illustrates how a sales professional's vision may encompass aspirational goals, such as becoming the top performer in their organization or making a meaningful impact in a specific area, while their daily mission involves tasks and responsibilities to achieve that vision. Incorporating Standards Donald emphasizes the importance of setting minimally acceptable levels or benchmarks, which individuals should continually work towards.  He draws parallels between standards in sales and other professions, emphasizing that standards serve as critical metrics that align with an individual's mission and vision. These standards represent the key performance indicators (KPIs) necessary to achieve long-term goals. Practical Application for Sales Professionals Donald provides actionable advice for sales professionals, focusing on implementing these principles in their daily routines.  He emphasizes identifying three critical standards directly contributing to achieving the set vision.  Additionally, he suggests incorporating specific daily goals or KPIs that align with these standards.  For instance, he recommends setting goals for prospecting time, outreach efforts, and referral requests, emphasizing their direct impact on achieving the established vision and standards. This episode provides valuable guidance for sales professionals seeking to elevate their pe

Mon, January 01, 2024

Anthony Iannarino | Do A Negativity Fast This Year

Have you ever noticed how hostile the world is today? You go to turn on the news, and the reporter is discussing the latest shootings or the war in Russia. When you scroll through social media, you notice the many arguments people are having over the slightest disagreement. What about your inner self? Do you find your mental health in a primarily negative state? When one bad thing happens to you, do you fixate on it all day? With so much negativity around, how can you change it to thrive in a more positive environment? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Anthony Iannarino, the author of the book "The Negativity Fast." Tune in to discover the health risks of negativity, the benefits of gratitude, and why you need to grab a copy of this book. Negativity Fast Background After the shutdown and people returning to their regular routines, Anthony noticed how everyone around had a negative aurora around them. Everybody complained about everything, no matter how minor the issue was. Due to this, he conducted research on why humans are more pessimistic and struggle with staying positive. In his book, you’ll discover the scientific reasons for negativity and how people can switch to becoming more positive. One thing he noticed while researching and writing the book was that he was writing it for the wrong group of people. He believes mindfulness and knowing the importance of mental health should be taught to children in elementary schools. Doing so will help them remain optimistic as they become adults, and they can struggle less when it comes to their mental health. Why Are People So Negative? Anthony discus

Fri, December 29, 2023

Chris Beall | Our Most Downloaded Episode in 2023!

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Chris Beall to talk about the MOST important objection you’ll face as a seller and why sellers often can’t overcome it. Who is Chris Beall? Chris is the CEO of the software company ConnectAndSell and offers one INSANELY valuable tool to sellers: The ability to talk to as MANY people as you want at the push of a button. Throughout his career, however, he’s encountered one trend. The Number One Objection Sellers Face: In the COUNTLESS sales reps that Chris has worked with, the most common objection they face, and the hardest to overcome, is a simple phrase. That phrase is “I’m all set.”. What triggers this objection? Most people think that cold calls are mostly marketing. Marketing gets TOO involved within the process of the cold call, and going into a cold call with a marketing mindset is deadly. One of the most FREQUENTLY used tactics in marketing is establishing a niche. Define your niche or area of expertise and then do something to differentiate yourself from the competition. Although this is a useful avenue for marketing, it’s TERRIBLE during cold calls. The reason is simple: If you try to establish a category or niche during a cold call, you come off as condescending. Think about it: You’re effectively telling whoever you’re calling that THEY’RE incompetent and that YOU are better at whatever your specific niche is. Doing this within the first cold call, to a completely new buyer, is a surefire way to get the “we’re all set” objection. Why should the buyer go with your solution when they think their solution is already effective? So, how should sellers overcome this objection? You have to RELIVE the fear of whoever you’re calling. Virtually ALL cold callers assume the person they’re calling is angry or annoyed with them. In reality, though, this person is scared. You’re someone they do not know, and we’re naturally afraid of the unknown. To overcome this natural fear, empathize with them. View the world through THEIR eyes. They see YOU as a problem. Acknowledge that, and then offer a solution to that problem. This begins to build TRUST between you and the person you’re calling. If you want to learn more about Chris’s strategies, you can check out his podcast called Market Dominance Guys , or his company website at ConnectAndSell.com. Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot. With HubSpot sales h

Wed, December 27, 2023

Donald Kelly | 5 Ways To Start Conversations With Cold Prospects On Linkedin

Mon, December 25, 2023

Donald Kelly | 3 Things Every Seller Must Do The Last Week of December

It’s the end of the year, and you’re enjoying the good food, presents, and holiday spirits. But you still need to complete some tasks before December is over. In this short episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly shares three things sellers must do by the last week of December. What are those three tasks? Tune in and find out! They may set you up for bigger wins in 2024. 1. Be Transparent With Past Potential Customers ·         You want to tell your past potential buyers that you’re still trying to close the deal, but not how you think it should be done. ·         Donald shares excellent examples of how to do this correctly. ·         Remember, it’s not about you and trying to close deals. It’s about how you and the product can help solve their issues. ·         Donald discusses how you can take advantage of LinkedIn in the episode. If you need help, consider taking the LinkedIn Sales Navigator course. 2. Reconnect With Customers and Connections ·         You probably have hundreds or thousands of connections on LinkedIn. But how many of them do you actually engage with? ·         Donald discusses why this is important and provides examples of reconnecting with customers on LinkedIn. ·         Money in the bank: customers are more likely to offer referrals! 3. Focus On Lost Deals ·         Do you ever circle back to your lost deals? You may want to give this a try. ·         Donald shares why this technique works for sales representatives around this time of the year. ·         Who knows, they are more willing to work with you now than they were last time. It won’t hurt to try. Short, sweet, and juicy sales tips! While waiting for the last week of December to be ove

Fri, December 22, 2023

Phil Agnew | 6 Sales Tips That Most Salespeople Don't Know

Here’s one thing you’re not taking the time to learn: the human mind. Understanding why people buy things allows you to have the upper hand in the sales process. In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly invites Phil Agnew, the UK's number one marketing podcast host, to share insights on psychological nudges that can benefit salespeople.  With his background in marketing and expertise in behavior science and psychology, Phil brings to light six psychological effects that can significantly impact sales. Tune in and learn how psychology greatly influences people’s buying decisions. Understanding the Effects The episode features a comprehensive discussion of six effects psychologists and behavioral scientists discovered over the years.  These effects are anchoring, scarcity, reciprocity, social proof, the Prattful effect, and the labor illusion. Anchoring and Its Impact on Sales Phil explains the anchoring effect, which is the concept that individuals are anchored to the initial information they receive.  He delves into practical examples of how anchoring influences decision-making and shares insights on how salespeople can use anchoring to their advantage. Leveraging Scarcity in Sales The conversation then moves on to scarcity, a psychological concept where a scarce resource is perceived as more valuable than an abundant one.  Phil discusses innovative ways to apply scarcity and shares compelling studies demonstrating the effectiveness of leveraging scarcity in marketing and sales strategies. Reciprocity in Salesmanship Phil delves into the concept of reciprocity, focusing on the human tendency to return a favor.  He shares engaging stories, including the fascinating tale of the world's most successful used-car salesman, and provides practical insights on implementing reciprocity in sales strategies. The Power of Social Proof Social proof is the next psychological effect examined in the episode.  Phil elaborates on individuals' tendency to follow others' actions and illustrates how salespeople can use social proof to influence the dec

Wed, December 20, 2023

Donald Kelly | The Get To Know Me Post

How do you get people to know you before they meet you? In this five-minute episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly will tell you exactly how. Donald emphasizes the importance of creating a point of reference and humanizing oneself in prospects' eyes before initiating sales conversations. Discover valuable insights on building connections with potential prospects before engaging with them. Building Relationships on LinkedIn Donald discusses the challenges of reaching prospects through traditional means, such as emails and phone calls, and highlights the effectiveness of creating a point of reference on LinkedIn.  He suggests that LinkedIn serves as a social gathering spot and provides an opportunity to bridge the gap between a sales professional and a prospective client by allowing them to see the human side of the individual. The "Get to Know Me" Post One of the key strategies that Donald shares is the concept of the " Get to Know Me " post on LinkedIn.  He encourages listeners to utilize the featured section of their LinkedIn profiles to highlight a post that showcases their personal side instead of a sales pitch.  By steering prospects to this post, individuals can offer a glimpse into their personal life and interests, thereby breaking down the initial barrier and shaping a more relatable image in the eyes of potential clients. Humanizing the Sales Approach <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color

Mon, December 18, 2023

Gretchen Gordon | Why Sellers Are Not Hitting Their Numbers

No matter what you do, you never reach your monthly sales goals. You try every sales technique in the book, but your quota is nowhere near where it should be. Maybe you’re a sales leader with one or two reps meeting their monthly quota. But, the rest is struggling to make it. How can you quickly change this around and ensure every seller on your team meets their numbers? Tune in and listen to this week’s episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast.” In this episode, we delve into the world of sales leadership with Gretchen Gordon, the president and founder of Braveheart Sales Performance, a sales consulting firm.  Focusing on small and medium-sized businesses, Gretchen leads a team dedicated to maximizing organizational growth and developing individuals in sales roles and sales leadership positions. Grab your notebook and pen and listen to her insightful advice for sales representatives.  The Importance of Effective Sales Leadership Gretchen provides insights into the crucial role of effective sales leadership in maximizing growth and individual performance within organizations.  She emphasizes the significance of confidence, skill sets, and mindset in creating a happy, accomplished sales team. Challenges in Sales Leadership Gretchen discusses the common challenge of promoting top sales performers into leadership roles without providing the necessary training and resources, leading to ineffective leadership practices.  This highlights the need for a shift in mindset and skill set when transitioning from an individual contributor to a leadership position. Adapti

Fri, December 15, 2023

Brian Will | NO...The Psychology of Sales and Negotiations

Are you ready to learn top sales tricks from a seasoned professional? Tune into this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast. You’ll learn sales psychology techniques to win clients over in five minutes or less.  Host Donald Kelly sits down with Brian, an experienced entrepreneur and sales strategist. They discuss the ins and outs of masterful sales techniques and negotiation psychology.  This compelling episode offers listeners an in-depth overview of Brian's robust background in business and sales and the wisdom he's encapsulated in his book and coaching programs.  Brian’s Background Brian is a seasoned entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in business, having started and sold multiple companies across different industries.  His entrepreneurial journey also includes running a coaching program designed to aid other entrepreneurs in navigating the complex world of business.  Brian has not only applied his extensive sales knowledge practically but has also authored a book focused on sales and negotiation psychology. The book is a culmination of his years in the field, providing readers with insights into understanding clients' psychologies and the inherent mistrust they often have toward salespeople.  His deep understanding of the sales process is backed by his history of hands-on experience and his dedication to teaching others through various platforms, including his media presence and the courses he offers. Educating the Customer: A Delicate Balance Brian draws an intriguing analogy between purchasing a car and buying a CRM system — customers don't always need to know every single detail, akin to not requiring an entire owner's manual.  This idea aligns with his belief that the essence of a successful sale is not about overwhelming customers with information but rather about asking appropriate questions, navigating objections, and guiding the customer toward self-realizing their needs. Negotiation Tactics and Sales Psychology The conversation transitions to negotiation strategies, emphasizing making low initial offers and understanding the client's perspective.  Brian explains that the art of closing effectively involves leading a potential customer to conclude the deal themselves, a technique he elucidates through a compelling role-pl

Wed, December 13, 2023

Donald Kelly | 5 Ways To Do Daily Outbound With LinkedIn

Many sales representatives believe that doing outbound with LinkedIn takes a lot of work. But not with these five simple techniques. In this unique episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly shares five ways to do daily outbound prospecting on LinkedIn. Tune in and discover these short and sweet tips.  1. Reach Out to People You’re Already Connected With Donald discusses this as one of the easiest ways to do outbound on LinkedIn.  2. Utilize the “Permission To Ask a Question” Technique He shares the importance of reaching out to clients within your networking connection.  3. Pay Attention to Who Engages With Your Posts These people can be potential clients!  4. Celebrations If you see someone celebrating something, start a conversation with them.   5. See Who Is Following Your Company They’re already following your brand, so reach out to them. There you have it! Short, sweet, and juicy LinkedIn outbound techniques. To build your pipeline and close more deals, subscribe to the TSE podcast to learn more about effective modern sales methods. “If you’re not posting on Linked

Mon, December 11, 2023

Gabe Lullo | Cold Calling's Not Dead...It's Just Harder!

You made five hundred cold calls in one day. In four hundred calls, no one answered, and in another fifty, the potential clients said a hard no. In twenty-five calls, you received maybes; in the last twenty-five calls, the potential buyers said yes. With you making so many calls in one day, you figured more people would say yes. This is why so many sales representatives believe cold calling is dead. Bust, honestly, it’s not. It’s just the old methods of cold calling are dead. In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Gabe Lullo about the new cold calling techniques. Gabe shares his expertise and insights on cold calling, sales strategies, and staying relevant in the ever-evolving sales landscape. Discover the importance of relevant messaging, personalization, human touch, and effective communication in this insightful episode. Is Cold Calling Dead? Addressing the prevalent debate, Gabe firmly asserts that cold calling is far from dead. Supported by data and real-life experience, he emphasizes the effectiveness of cold calling in qualification, call-to-action, and appointment setting, debunking the myths surrounding its relevance in the current sales environment. Modern Sales Approach Gabe stresses the importance of an omnichannel approach, integrating call, email, and social platforms to establish meaningful and relevant connections with prospects.  He emphasizes the need for high-volume activity paired with a relevant message, highlighting the power of personalization and the human touch in driving engagement. St

Fri, December 08, 2023

Dr. Stephen G. Timme & Melody Astley | Insight-Led Selling

How can you interact with potential buyers (especially enterprise clients) that encourage a dialogue? After all, landing the sale isn’t the only part of the equation; you first have to get their attention! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Dr. Stephen Timme and Melody Astley to discuss their recent book Insight-Led Selling , which details how to learn how buyers think. But first, why did they write a book? Ultimately, Stephen and Melody wanted to create a resource their clients and community could utilize. It’s harder than ever to sell to enterprise sellers (yes, people say that every year. But it’s true!) And COVID-aside, the subscription-based economy is growing. There are more stakeholders than ever before in traditional buying processes. At the same time, implementation costs for platforms are lower, making it easier to switch between service providers. They interviewed many executives to see how they felt about sales.  From AT&T, Coca-Cola, Proctor and Gamble, and even Honey-Baked Hams, Stephen and Melody interviewed executives to learn firsthand how they felt about salespeople. (If you were curious, Honey-Baked Hams didn’t even give them coupons. We’re just as disappointed as you are.) They asked one simple question: what could sellers do better? Below were the three overwhelming responses: <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: bla

Wed, December 06, 2023

Donald Kelly | Google and Yahoo Changed The Game

Oh no! It’s happening again. The biggest search engines are making changes. But, this time, it’s to protect people’s email accounts. Sellers sending out over 500 emails per day may want to stop because there will be repercussions for doing so.  In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly addresses the recent strict changes announced by Yahoo and Google regarding email outreach.  How will these changes affect your sales approach? What are the limits to how many emails can you send now?  Tune in to this week’s episode and learn how to adapt to these recent changes. Understanding Yahoo and Google's Changes Donald breaks down the changes announced by Yahoo and Google, highlighting that bulk senders who dispatch more than 5000 emails per day must adapt to align with the heightened requirements.  These changes aim to shield end users from spam and potential security risks associated with excessive unsolicited emails. Insights Derived from Mailgun Referencing insights from Mailgun, Donald delves into the implications for sales professionals and how these changes impact their outreach strategies.  He emphasizes that aligning with the standards enforced by Google and Yahoo is essential for safeguarding email deliverability and maintaining a positive sender reputation. Essential Practices for Email Outreach Donald outlines three crucia

Mon, December 04, 2023

Brian Liebel | The Snowball Effect For Building Sales Pipeline

In this episode of the TSE podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with development lead Brain Liebel from Ambition. They dive deep into the rhythms of successful sales strategies and performance to redefine the sales approach.  Donald and Brian unpack the essence of human interaction in sales, the strategic 'snowball effect' of building a robust sales pipeline, and how to turn data from sales conversations into tactical gold. Let's sift through the invaluable insights from this rich discussion. Human Interaction: The Core of Sales In today's world, where automation and technology are prevalent, the importance of human connection can sometimes be underestimated. However, Brian underscores the irreplaceable value of human-to-human interaction, especially during the initial conversations in the sales pipeline.  Using analogies from lead utilization, he emphasizes the need for salespeople to focus on engagements ready to blossom instead of wasting potential opportunities. Creating a Documented Sales Process Drawing from his expertise, Brian advises having a carefully documented process within sales teams. This cornerstone allows for iteration and implementation of tactical solutions, moving beyond the often insufficient directive of simply 'putting in more effort.'  The systematic approach is about leveraging every lead and conversation to build a 'snowball' that grows over time - a strategy that becomes increasingly more potent as insights and data are collected. The Role of Ambition and Networking Brian shares his experience with Ambition, a sales coaching and performance management platform.

Fri, December 01, 2023

Donald Kelly | What Prospects Want That Sellers Are Not Delivering

In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly explores the common pitfalls of salespeople and emphasizes the importance of understanding and providing what buyers truly want. By shifting the focus from selling to educating, sales professionals can build trust, provide valuable insights, and ultimately close more deals. Common Mistakes Made by Salespeople Donald highlights the tendencies of salespeople to rely on automated emails and fail to listen to buyers' needs truly.  He also underscores the issue of pushing products or services onto buyers without understanding their actual requirements.  These common missteps contribute to a lack of trust between sales professionals and their potential clients. The Essence of Selling By redefining the essence of selling, Donald emphasizes the importance of persuading someone of the merit of a solution rather than simply pushing products or services.  He delves into the concept of buyers seeking solutions to their problems, as opposed to being pitched generic offerings. The Desire for Education A key insight from Donald is the revelation that buyers crave education and seek out sales professionals who can serve as industry authorities.  Salespeople can capture potential clients' trust and interest by providing relevant insights and foresight. Shifting from Selling to Educating Donald encourages a strategic shift from selling to educating, urging sales professionals to focus on mastering their industry and understanding the recurring problems buyers face. By adopting the role of an industry guide, sales professionals can effectively educate and provide solutions tailored to the specific needs of potential clients. Practical Strategies for Success The episode offers actionable strategies for sales professionals, such as analyzing the commonalities and differences among their top clients to identify key drivers behind successful deals.  It is through these insights and foresight that sales professionals can engage buyers in meaningful conversations and educate them effectively. Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn Donald shares insights into leveraging LinkedIn as a powerful tool for educating potential clients and building a robust sales pipeline.  He emphasizes the impact of educational cont

Mon, November 27, 2023

Travis Ashby | What Sales People REALLY Want!

What inspires you to be the best sales representative in your company? Is it to take a vacation to Hawaii?  Is it to earn enough to buy your significant other a horse? Or maybe you just want to have money and live comfortably.  Despite naming off different common wants most people want in their lives, many salespeople don’t know what they really want. So, how do you dig deeper into your wants and discover your real desires? In this episode of the TSE podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with Travis Ashby, a seasoned sales professional, on the deeper desires of salespeople beyond monetary incentives. Travis shares his journey of finding his purpose and how it led him to create a platform that helps sales leaders understand and support their team's goals and ambitions. The Changing Landscape of Sales Incentives Travis highlights how the world of sales has evolved, particularly in light of recent events like COVID and the "great resignation."  He explains that today, salespeople are looking for more than just a paycheck, and leaders must adapt their approach to motivate and retain their sales teams. Going Beyond Transactional Motivation Travis emphasizes that monetary incentives and transactional rewards such as gift cards, cash bonuses, and swag have historically driven sales.  However, he believes that true motivation and happiness in sales come from aligning personal goals with company objectives. Helping Sales Reps Discover their True Desires <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align:

Fri, November 24, 2023

Donald Kelly | 7 Ways Salespeople Can Show Their Clients They Care

When was the last time you did something nice for someone? Did you notice how their eyes shine bright like a diamond?  How about their smile? Did it become as big as the Grand Canyon? When people become this happy from others making nice gestures, it creates a warm feeling they’ll never forget. This is why sales representatives should take advantage of this, and Donald Kelly is here to tell you why. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, Donald explores the importance of showing appreciation to prospects and clients as a sales professional. Listen to this special Thanksgiving episode for seven powerful ideas to help you build stronger and lasting client relationships.  Utilize LinkedIn Sales Navigator Donald recommends creating a list on LinkedIn that includes all of your customers and prospects. This lets you be notified whenever they change jobs, get promoted, or leave their company.  Acknowledging these developments and sending a personalized message demonstrates that you care about your client's success. Put Them on Blast Highlighting your clients on social media platforms such as LinkedIn is a powerful way to show appreciation. Posting about their achievements, charity work, or unique offerings not only acknowledges and recognizes them, but also boosts their visibility and reputation.  This gesture can go a long way in building stronger relationships and fostering goodwill. Consider Appropriate Gifts <li cla

Mon, November 20, 2023

Matt Phillips | Mental Toughness For Sales

What’s the number one skill you need to make it as a sales professional? Do you know? It’s self-confidence. If you don’t have the confidence to sell your services or products, how do you expect potential customers to buy from you? Of course, developing self-confidence is easier said than done, and many people struggle with it. However, if you listen to this special episode of the TSE podcast, you’ll gain knowledgeable insight on becoming mentally tough for the sales industry. Host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Matt Phillips, a leadership coach, on how sales professionals can build mental toughness. Discover how you can prepare mentally for sales in this episode. 5 Elements of Mental Toughness Matt developed five elements to help sales professionals build mental toughness. These elements include: Self-belief: If you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t succeed in sales. Matt discusses the importance of self-belief and how it helps a sales rep. Focus: What are you focusing on right now, and is it helping your career? Sometimes distractions get in the way, and you have to shift your focus on what’s really important. Emotional control: You can't break down when things go wrong. When it happens, you must control your emotions to advance your career.  Energy: Your energy is essential to gaining clients as a sales professional. If you believe nothing good is coming your way, it won’t. Also, remember to be mindful of your energy at home, as it carries into the workplace. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: n

Fri, November 17, 2023

Carl Sajous | How to Show Up Authentically Every time

With the rise of AI tools, most sales representatives utilize them to their advantage to help save time. However, the problem with using these tools is the risk of sounding too robotic and not coming across as genuine.  In this profession, sales reps must be authentic to help them build relationships with potential customers. How can you use AI tools and still show up authentically every time with your clients? In this episode of the TSE podcast, host Donald Kelly welcomes Carl Sajous, the sales director at HR tech company Fringe. Carl shares his insights on the importance of authenticity in sales and how building genuine relationships can lead to business success. He discusses the challenges of maintaining authenticity in the age of AI and offers practical tips for building relationships and closing deals.  The Power of Authenticity in Sales Donald highlights the value of authenticity in sales and praises Carl for being genuinely passionate about his work.  Carl emphasizes the need to be true in every conversation and transaction.  He believes authenticity allows for deeper connections and meaningful relationships with prospects and clients. Balancing AI and Authenticity The rise of AI technology has made sales processes more efficient, but it can also compromise authenticity.  Carl shares his perspective on using AI tools like Chat GPT to improve sales interactions.  He explains how he leverages AI to understand common industry talking points and stands out by offering unique insights and solutions. The Importance of Active Listening Donald and Carl discuss the art of active listening as a crucial aspect of building relationships.  Carl emphasizes the need to listen attentively without preconceived notions.  Sales professionals can offer tailored solutions by genuinely understanding a prospect's struggles and pain points.  Carl encourages his team to use their ears more than their mouths, allowing them to absorb information and provide meaningful feedback. Being Genuine in a Professional Setting Carl shares his e

Mon, November 13, 2023

Lawrence Wayne O'Connor | Being Picky With Whom You Add To Your Pipeline

Fri, November 10, 2023

Donald Kelly | The Number 1 Reason Prospecting on LinkedIn Is Not Working!

In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly dives deep into the number one reason why prospecting on LinkedIn may not be working for you and, most importantly, how to fix it. Kelly breaks down the common challenges sales professionals face and offers practical steps to enhance prospecting efforts on LinkedIn.  Understanding the Problem Kelly opens the episode by addressing the frustration of salespeople not receiving responses or appointments through LinkedIn.  He attributes this challenge to the focal point of prospecting efforts - the people being targeted. Focusing on the Right Accounts The podcast outlines the importance of targeting accounts more inclined to purchase, emphasizing the concept of foresight in understanding buyer behavior.  Kelly suggests analyzing past successful deals to identify commonalities among the organizations, individuals, or industry trends, effectively creating a target account list based on these insights. Leveraging Relationship Explorer Kelly highlights the value of using LinkedIn's Relationship Explorer feature to identify shared connections with targeted individuals within an organization.  This approach enables sales professionals to establish more meaningful and genuine connections, increasing the likelihood of engagement. Embracing Foresight The episode stresses the significance of discerning potential buying signals, such as job changes within the target organization.  Kelly underscores that people who have recently changed roles are more likely to be open to making purchasing decisions, making them prime prospects for outreach. Harnessing Alerts for Actionable Insights Kelly advises the strategic use of LinkedIn's alerts feature, which provides timely updates on the target accounts, including job changes, content sharing, and hiring activities.  This empowers sales professionals with actionable insights to engage with the right prospects on time. Personalizing Connection Requests Kelly emphasizes the importance of crafting pers

Tue, November 07, 2023

Donald Kelly | The New Way Buyers Are Researching Your Solution

"Are you tired of your sales outreach falling flat and not getting the results you want? Well, you're not alone.  Many sales reps miss out on a crucial aspect of their customers' buying behavior. In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly emphasizes the importance of utilizing LinkedIn as a tool for generating sales opportunities and engaging with prospects.  He highlights recent buyer behavior trends and provides insights on overcoming common challenges faced by sales professionals on LinkedIn. Listen to this week’s episode of the TSE podcast to hear a powerful strategy to maximize its potential. Recognizing the Potential of LinkedIn  Many sales representatives acknowledge being present on LinkedIn for years without seeing significant business results. Donald acknowledges the frustration and attributes the lack of effectiveness to a failure in properly utilizing the platform. He encourages listeners to acknowledge that their prospects are active on LinkedIn and proposes that engagement is key to success. Being an Active Participant  Donald points out that a common mistake on LinkedIn is observing and not actively participating. He urges sales professionals to break free from being wallflowers and actively engage with their network. Donald reveals the core strategy: posting at least one piece of content on LinkedIn every week. Overcoming Excuses and Fin

Fri, November 03, 2023

Carlos Oquendo Jr | Internal Buy-In - The Sale Before The Sales

Did you know that you can close a deal before the actual sales process? Say what? That doesn’t make any sense. Actually, it does. But for it to make sense, you must listen to this week’s episode of the TES podcast. In this episode, host Donald welcomes Carlos, a Dynamics and Business Application Specialist at Microsoft, to discuss the importance of internal buy-in for sales reps.  Carlos shares his insights and experiences in navigating large organizations and building strong relationships with internal partners. He highlights the significance of trust and effective communication in securing warm leads and closing deals successfully. Carlos' Role at Microsoft Carlos briefly explains his role as a dynamics and business application specialist at Microsoft, specifically focusing on the banking vertical.  In this position, Carlos collaborates with large banks to help solve operational and sales force issues using Microsoft's CRM tools and local platform.  He expresses his excitement and passion for his work at Microsoft and emphasizes the value he brings to the table through his expertise. Understanding the Power of Internal Buy-In  Carlos emphasizes the significance of internal buy-in for sales reps. He highlights how sales professionals often struggle to realize the power of gaining support within the buyer's organization before closing a deal.  Carlos admits that he faced similar challenges when he started as a young sales rep, and he acknowledges that many others are still trying to figure out this process.  The Significance of Internal Partnerships  Drawing from his 15 years of experience in various sales roles, Carlos emphasizes the importance of building alliances with internal partners.  As a specialist, Carlos is not the primary point of contact with customers. However, he realizes the significant impact of warm leads generated through strong relationships with internal partners in increasing the probability of closing deals successfully.  Carlos shares an example from his early days as a field sales rep at Bank of America, where he developed a fruitful partnership with a financial center manager. This partnership allowed Carlos to enhance his lead generation efforts and create a successful sales pipeline.  <li dir="ltr" aria

Mon, October 30, 2023

Donald Kelly | 5 Ways To Do Daily Outbound With LinkedIn

Fri, October 27, 2023

Matt Reuter | Here's Why People Connecting with Us & Showing Up to Appointments

Are you struggling to make meaningful connections with prospects in today's cluttered and noisy marketplace? If so, you're not alone. In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Matt Reuter, a senior director of Sales Development for RealPage. Matt shares valuable insights and strategies for increasing connection rates with prospects in today's competitive market.  He highlights the challenges sellers face, particularly in terms of breaking through the clutter and noise, and offers practical tips to overcome these obstacles. Matt emphasizes the importance of smart and strategic activities, focusing on outcomes rather than sheer volume, and understanding the nuances of prospect behavior to maximize connection rates. Craving Results Drawing inspiration from Tim Grover's book, Relentless, Matt emphasizes the significance of craving results and focusing on the right activities.  By understanding the desired outcomes and having a relentless drive to achieve them, sellers can channel their energy and efforts into activities that are more likely to yield positive results. Understanding Your Prospect Matt emphasizes the need for sellers to take a step back and truly understand their prospects. This includes considering factors such as their industry, location, and daily routines.  Drawing from his experience working with diverse teams across different cities, Matt recognizes that work-life and business practices vary across regions.  Sellers can align their outreach efforts with prospects' preferences and schedules by understanding these nuances. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-botto

Mon, October 23, 2023

Spencer Muhonen | My Multithreading Secret

Do you struggle with multithreading as a seller? Would you like a secret technique to help you develop relationships with decision-makers? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Spencer Muhonen on the concept of multithreading in sales and shares strategies and tactics for effectively implementing it. They provide insights based on their experience in the industry, offering valuable tips for BDRs and sellers looking to improve their pipeline and build relationships with multiple stakeholders. Who Is Spencer Muhonen? Spencer is a senior tenured SDR for Awardco, a SaaS company based in Provo, Utah, that focuses on employee recognition and incentives.  He shares his role and highlights the importance of targeting traditional personas in prospecting, along with key internal champions in other departments to strengthen the case for sales. Collaborating With the Sales Department Donald and Spencer emphasize the significance of multithreading in modern sales, as sellers must engage with multiple stakeholders throughout the buying journey.  They caution against ineffective approaches, such as cheesy sales tactics or simply blasting outreach to a list of focus accounts without a thoughtful strategy. Spencer defines multithreading as expanding outreach beyond traditional personas and titles, reaching out to key decision-makers in various departments to build credibility and enhance the pipeline. He explains that sales departments can be excellent sources of internal champions, as people in sales are often looking to grow their own pipelines.  Spencer highlights his willingness to have meetings with other sales professionals who approach him on LinkedIn, even knowing that he is not a decision-maker. This reciprocal approach can lead to strengthened relationships and mutual support. Engaging With the Finance Department Donald and Spencer further discuss other effective multithreading strategies, such as contacting the finance department.  Spencer emphasizes the importance of vendor managers and their oversight of profitability and contracts.  By connecting with finance teams during the RFIs or RFPs pr

Fri, October 20, 2023

Nick Reed Smith | How To Effectively Manage Deadlines and Multiple Stakeholders

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

Mon, October 16, 2023

Richard Lane | How We Increase Our Outbound Contact Ratio

Fri, October 13, 2023

Why The Current SDR/BDR Play is Dead | Howard Dover - 1712

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 he

Wed, October 11, 2023

Eric Goodman | How To Truly Understand Quickly WHY Your Prospects Buy

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l6 level1 lf

Mon, October 09, 2023

Carlos Oquendo Jr | Internal Buying - The Sale Before The Sales

Our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with Carlos Oquendo Jr., a business application specialist at Microsoft. He shares his insights and experiences in developing strong relationships with internal buyers to increase sales success. Carlos provides valuable strategies and examples to help sales reps navigate large organizations and achieve their sales goals. Listen to this week’s episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast to help you become a better sales representative. Understanding the Role of Internal Partners in the Sales Process ●     Carlos emphasized the significance of internal buy-in before making a sale. ●     He highlighted the challenges sales reps face when deals fall through due to the internal team's lack of support and understanding. ●     Carlos explained how, as a specialist, his role involved working closely with internal partners to build trust and gain customer introductions. Doing this increased his chances of closing deals and achieving sales targets. Developing Trust with Internal Partners ●     Carlos shared his firsthand experience from his early days as a field sales rep at Bank of America, selling merchant services. ●     He recognized the importance of cultivating relationships with the financial centers he was assigned to to receive referrals and warm leads. ●     Carlos proactively approached the center managers and asked about their expectations, indicating his commitment to meeting their needs. ●     As a result of consistently delivering excellent customer service, Carlos earned the trust of his internal partners. The faith of his internal partners helped him gain an increase in referrals and success. The Power of Follow-through and Integrity ●     Carlos stressed the importance of following through on commitments made to both customers and internal partners. ●     He shared his approach of promptly contacting customers who referred to him, ensuring a seamless experience and building trust. <p class="normal" style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -

Fri, October 06, 2023

Donald Kelly | Three LinkedIn Profile Features Most BDRs Are Are Not Using!

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 o

Mon, October 02, 2023

Jessica Schultz | Accountability: The Secret to Massive Sales Growth

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.  <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 le

Fri, September 29, 2023

Mark Raffan | 9 Secrets to Win Deals and Influence Stakeholders

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. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: .0001pt; li

Mon, September 25, 2023

Kevin Sheehan | How To Close Complex B2B Enterprise Deals With Internal Buyers

In this episode, Donald speaks with Kevin, the Chief Technology Officer of the Americas at Sienna. 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 Sienna. 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 re

Fri, September 22, 2023

Jake Funk | The B2B Sales One Call Close Strategy

In this episode, host Donald Kelly speaks with Jake Funk from a small startup called Salesforce in the Silicon Valley area. Jake shares his experiences and strategies for closing deals in one call. With over three years of experience at Salesforce and as a certified admin, Jake has honed his skills in simplifying the sales process and bridging the gap between client problems and solutions. Keeping it Simple ●     Jake 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, Jake 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, Jake 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, Jake creates a visual and interactive experience that engages the prospect. This approach helps build their understanding and trust in the product. Sales Karma ●     Jake 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, Jake ensures a seamless sales experience and builds trust. Catering to SMBs ●     While not exclusively limited to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Jake's one-call close strategy is particularly effective. In SMBs, decision-making processes are often simpler and less bureaucratic. ●     Ja

Mon, September 18, 2023

Donald Kelly | Creating Healthy Tension

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

Fri, September 15, 2023

Tom Slocum | The State of Sales Outreach

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

Fri, September 15, 2023

Tom Slocum | The State of Sales Outreach

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

Mon, September 11, 2023

Donald Kelly | The #1 Way To Start Conversation on LinkedIn

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 cl

Fri, September 08, 2023

Jeffrey Hayzlett | How to Use a Downturn to Double Sales

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. <li

Mon, September 04, 2023

John Barrows | Death of the Average Sales Reps: The Future Sales Rep = Ironman/Ironwoman

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 coa

Fri, September 01, 2023

Larry Long, Jr. | Just Make The Call!

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 Winner

Mon, August 28, 2023

Donald Kelly | 4 Benefits of Having a Sales Trainer

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</

Fri, August 25, 2023

Cat Hutchings | [LIVE COACHING] What Should I Know Before Hiring My First Seller

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. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom:

Mon, August 21, 2023

Donald Kelly | 5 Things Every Seller Must Master to Be Great!

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: nor

Fri, August 18, 2023

David Kreiger | 3 Tactical Ways ChatGPT Can Help You Set More Appointments

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 t

Mon, August 14, 2023

L'areal Lipkins | How to Create Value and Urgency by Asking Better Questions

Fri, August 11, 2023

Tim Rohrer | How Time Kills Deals and Ways to Move the Sales Along

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l10

Mon, August 07, 2023

Marcus Chan | How To Get Over Any Sales Objection!

In this episode, host Donald Kelly chats with Marcus Chan, the founder of Henley Consulting Group. Chan shares the Heart Framework to help sales reps can overcome objections. Heart Framework 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. Next, have them discuss what is on their mind with the letter E and elaborate on the objection. Simply 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. 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 stands for reclarify value, meaning you 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. 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. You show your potential clients how you can help them overcome their objections. For example, you can include a happiness guarantee within your contract. Tonality: How does it make a difference? The way you deliver your message will relay differently to your clients. It helps show that you care about their problem or are 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 conversate with the potential buyer. Eventually, they'll open up and tell you everything you need to know. 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 </

Fri, August 04, 2023

Dave Fink | How to Identify Key Stakeholders and Properly Engage Them

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 <li dir="ltr"

Mon, July 31, 2023

Katie Swick | This is How BDRs & AEs Should Collaborate In 2023

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-

Fri, July 28, 2023

Jakub Hon | How to Engage Economic Buyers and Get Them to Talk

Mon, July 24, 2023

Donald Kelly | Stop Saying "Just Bumping This Up"

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. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-b

Fri, July 21, 2023

Joe Ardeeser | The Power of Optionality to Close More Deals

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

Mon, July 17, 2023

David Newman | Three Things to Make Your Next Discovery Call a Guaranteed Success

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 <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-al

Fri, July 14, 2023

Megan Killion | A Comprehensive Guide to LinkedIn Content Strategy for B2B Sales Pipeline Expansion

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 <ul style="margin-t

Mon, July 10, 2023

David Graswick | 7 Financial Metrics Sellers Must Know to Build Pipeline with the C-Suite

Fri, July 07, 2023

Doug C. Brown | How to Think, Act and Perform Like the Top 1% Earners

Mon, July 03, 2023

Jeremy Chen | Three Phone Strategies I've Mastered to Consistently Build Quality Pipeline

Fri, June 30, 2023

Will Diaz | Upskilling New Team Members for Better Results

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! <a href=

Mon, June 26, 2023

Donald Kelly | "I Am Not Interested!"

Fri, June 23, 2023

Jessica Schultz | Mastering the Discovery Call

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 <a href= "https

Mon, June 19, 2023

Gal Aga | How Digital Sales Room Help Sellers Close More Deals

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. Multithr

Fri, June 16, 2023

Michelle Craig & Tom Slocum | How to Write Personalized Emails in Less Than 3 Mins that Your Prospect Will Reply to

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 affor

Mon, June 12, 2023

Ari Brinson | What We Did at Challenger to Fix Our Outbound Deal Conversion Rate

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

Fri, June 09, 2023

Radhika Shukla | How We 3X Our Sales Pipeline At Microsoft

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal

Mon, June 05, 2023

Tiffani Bova | How to Increase Growth Focusing on Employee Experience

Fri, June 02, 2023

Ben Lai | How to Craft Compelling Outreach Messages on LinkedIn

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.   <p class=

Mon, May 29, 2023

Tony Restell | Quick Social Selling Hacks You Can Mimic to Start Conversations with Your Next Three Clients

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 <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-a

Fri, May 26, 2023

Kate Ahlering | Why Automation is Key in Giving Revenue Teams a Crucial Edge Over Competitors

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

Mon, May 22, 2023

JC Pollard | How I Used Soft Closes to Catapult Sales & Hit President's Club at Gong

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 <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jc-po

Fri, May 19, 2023

Ravi Rajani | How to Use Storytelling to Grab Attention in a Down Economy

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size

Mon, May 15, 2023

Aleks Gollu | How to Remove Friction, Be the Fastest, and Win More Deals

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 anyti

Fri, May 12, 2023

Amanda Holmes | 3 Biggest Mistakes Sellers Make Deploying Their Dream 100 List

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. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: arial, helvetica,

Mon, May 08, 2023

Drew Sechrist | Leveraging Relationships To Build Sales Pipeline

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

Fri, May 05, 2023

Zach Basner | 3 Pieces of Content You Can Use as a Seller to Shorten Your Sales Cycle

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

Mon, May 01, 2023

Donald Kelly | 5 Overlooked Ways to Build Pipeline this Quarter

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 fun

Fri, April 28, 2023

Will Yarbrough | How to Encourage & Motivate Your Team Beyond Being Money Driven

There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to work every day for the paycheck. But if you go one step further, ask yourself, what is that paycheck for? What do you REALLY care about? In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and guest Will Yarbrough break down a word that all sales leaders should be thinking about constantly – “motivation.” Listen in to hear how you can improve yourself or your team by tapping into those unique drivers that go beyond the dollar sign.  Why Should We Go Beyond Being Money Driven? People want to spend their paychecks on the things that matter to them. There’s nothing wrong with making money, but it’s just a means to an end. Whether you’re a sales leader or an individual contributor, if you want to get better, you have to see how that fits into the big picture of your goals in life. Each decision you make should support those goals. Focusing on things other than money will reach sellers who aren’t that motivated by the money itself. This drives performance up and sets you apart from a hiring perspective.  How Can Leaders Help? Spend a lot of time with your team members. Make time for one-on-ones where you can ask questions and understand the things that motivate them. Each person is unique, and their motivations can be complex. Using the REKS framework, help team members identify how to proceed toward their goals. Be the coach in their corner, providing both encouragement and accountability. All the greats have coaches who help them practice and improve. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in

Mon, April 24, 2023

Alex Levin | How to Generate Pipeline During a Challenging Economy

You can’t control the changes that are currently happening with the economy, or the changes that are to come. What matters is how you respond in each moment. If you’re not sure how to approach selling in the current economy, fear not – our guest today brings the knowledge and experience that has helped him find great success in his business. Alex Levin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Regal.io , and he’s here today to sit down with your host Donald Kelly. Together, they share the wisdom that can get you through a tough period in the market and even help you see it as an opportunity for growth.  4 Tips for Success During Challenging Economic Times Invest in your craft. If you have enjoyed the luxury of a fairly passive sales experience during the last couple of years, now is the time to shift gears. Get better educated on how you can take a more active role in selling, rather than taking orders and filling them. Learn to create urgency. People get used to the way things are, and during a time when they’re cutting costs, they aren’t actively searching for new places to invest their money. It’s your job to help them see how much better things could be if they use your product or service. Go to conferences. During the height of COVID, doing everything online made a lot of sense. Now, buyers are starting to get out to conferences again. These are great places to network with peers and make personal connections with new and existing prospects. Do things that don’t scale. Now is the time to show your clients how much they matter to you. If you have the resources, find ways to meet with them in person or be physically present if there are events where you can support them. Become a respected part of their team rather than just a voice on the other end of a phone line.  Advice For New (or Experienced!) Sellers Trying to Build Pipeline <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: nor

Fri, April 21, 2023

Chris Duprey | 5 Habits of Being A Great Sales Team!

In this episode, your host Donald Kelly sits down with Chris Duprey, Chief Strategy Officer at IMPACT ( impactplus.com ). Duprey has an engaging, no-nonsense approach to sales training, and wants to help you and your team master the basics so that you can go from being decent at sales to being truly great. Check out the list below and see what’s holding your team back, then listen in as Donald and Chris delve into each one, point by point!  The 5 Habits of A Great Sales Team Have a team mentality. Top performers will burn out if they’re the only ones doing all the work. Go beyond sharing wins – share losses too. Even top sellers should be willing to talk to the team about what’s not working and why.  The best teams roleplay… a LOT. If you want to improve, practice! Work with others to get better. You’re not going to win unless you do the reps. Duprey recommends doing it weekly! The best teams watch their sales calls. Record your calls so that you can go back and review them later. Just like a sports team watching their old plays, watch the calls you make and watch calls other people make! Sales leaders: watch a lot of sales calls your team makes. Gain peer status with your buyer. Nobody wants to be sold to – people will accept guidance and assistance from someone who knows their stuff. Ask great questions, give realistic advice and don’t be needy! You proactively work on communication. Obsess over how you communicate. If something goes wrong, figure out what you missed. Also, learn how to deliver your message and have an engaging presence. “If you just do the basics, that’s what makes the best the best… I was a paratrooper and I had friends that were in the special forces. Everyone thinks we all did special things – we all just did the basics A LOT and got really good at the

Mon, April 17, 2023

Dr. Jean Oursler | The REAL Truth Behind Why You're Not Prospecting Enough

 Having the right mindset is crucial to being a successful salesperson. So why do we often get locked up in a mindset of fear, and how can we change that? In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and Dr. Jean Oursler (Ph.D. in Business Psychology from the Chicago School) are here to teach us about our “ Caveman Brain ” so that we can harness the way we are wired and make it work to our advantage.  What is Your Caveman Brain? The amygdala is a part of the brain that controls our fear responses to our environment. Dr. Oursler calls this the “caveman brain” Our “caveman brain” exists to protect us from getting hurt or dying, so we can’t get rid of it or turn it off!  We don’t have to run away from predators or protect our young from danger anymore, so nowadays, we fear things like rejection, losing our reputation, or being a pushy salesperson.  How Do We Work WITH the Caveman Brain? The amygdala only knows what it sees and hears. Pay attention to the media and information you consume! Identify your personal fears. Know what is holding you back and why. Use positive self-talk to give the caveman brain information to overcome your fears. Think of these as affirmations or talking yourself up. "Almost everything that’s happening in your life that isn’t happening the way you want it to comes down to your caveman brain. When you realize that and you start to fix that, everything else falls back into place.” – Dr. Jean Oursler <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal

Fri, April 14, 2023

David Bennion | How to Encourage the Prospect to Make a Change on the First Call

Today’s guest brings his top-tier track record to the show to help you and your team convert your prospects into customers using his proven, customer-first approach. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly sits down with David Bennion, the VP Sales at Apollo.io, which serves over 160,000 companies and more than one million users worldwide. Bennion shares his clear-eyed, precise understanding of his team’s success and the steps it takes to get there.  As a Seller, Learn to: Identify your customer’s issue, even if they haven’t identified it themselves Quantify that problem - how impactful will solving the problem be? Ask the right questions so you can truly understand where your prospect is coming from. When they trust you enough to describe their company’s pains (or even their personal ones), show empathy! Know whether your product can actually solve their problem - and learn to graciously walk away if it can’t  Common Mistakes in Selling (And How to Avoid Them) DON’T just drive your company’s agenda. Instead, think about what you can offer to the customer. DON’T limit your pitch to just data points. Instead, offer some real-life examples of your current customers’ success with your product DON’T add to your prospect’s list of problems they have to deal with. Instead, show them how seamlessly your solution can be implemented “I think, sometimes in outbound [sales],

Mon, April 10, 2023

James Boreham | 5 Things You Must Do To Boost Email Open Rates & Close Deals Faster

Writing intriguing, trustworthy e-mail content in today’s market can feel like a losing game. How do you stand out from the crowd without resorting to gimmicks (which doesn’t work anyway)? Enter your host Donald Kelly and our guest James Boreham with five tips on creating e-mails that create unforgettable first impressions your clients will still be talking about years later (true story!).   Current Challenges In Email Prospecting People are flooded with information. When you reach out to someone, you’re just one out of so many notifications they’re going to see that day Buyers are burned out when it comes to e-mail. E-mail prospecting is up 30% since the beginning of the pandemic, but reply rates are down 50%   Do These 5 Things to Boost Your E-mail Open Rates Use short, intriguing subject lines. Most e-mails are viewed on mobile devices. On a smaller screen, only a small amount of text makes it to your prospect’s eyes before they decide whether it gets opened or goes to the trash.  TRY THIS: Send the e-mail to yourself before it goes out. Does it look like marketing fluff? Or does it look important? 2.            See the prospect as your equal. Even though you might be reaching out to prospects who have a lot of experience in their field, you are the expert in YOUR field (which is your product). Don’t condescend, but don’t beg either. Know the worth of your information and your product to become a trusted advisor who commands respect. <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; vertica

Fri, April 07, 2023

Richard Smith | How I Use LinkedIn to Shatter My Sales Numbers

Your social media presence can build your credibility, community, and pipeline… or break it. Most people don’t create content on LinkedIn, so they miss out on all of the opportunities that can come along with having a sizeable following on the platform. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly sits down with Richard Smith,  the VP of Sales for Allego. Listen in to hear how Smith grew his social media audience to the point where his content now generates conversation, interest, and qualified inbound leads. Why DON’T People Post on LinkedIn? People don’t think they have anything interesting or novel to contribute People are happy to read and don’t feel like it’s necessary to make the extra effort to post “Head trash” – people don’t want to embarrass themselves if no one interacts, or say the wrong thing and end up in trouble professionally How to Do LinkedIn Posts the Right Way Keep your day job. Smith uses LinkedIn to generate leads for his sales job, but it took years to build his audience. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Build a community, not an echo chamber. Discussion is healthy – while you don’t want to be inflammatory just for the sake of getting attention, don’t try to pander to your audience either. Your reputation on social media will follow you everywhere, so be educated, honest, and authentic. “The key is to almost “anti-sell,” and this is quite strange for some people to hear. You have to be on there, not wanting to sell your product – you have to be on there building an audience… And that is the key starting point.” – Richard Smith TSE episode 578: How to Use Technology to Better Coach Salespeople with Richard Smith Allego: Sales Training and Sales Enablement Platform Website Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the fastest way for sales professionals to update Salesforce. Move at the speed of thought with Scratchpad. Try it for free or learn more at Scratchpad.com .  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 go

Mon, April 03, 2023

Donald Kelly | Three Prospecting Strategies We Adopted Coming Into 2023

Spring is a time for change and renewal, which means it’s time to reevaluate the sales strategies you or your company have always used. In sales, it’s crucial to set yourself apart from the competition, and we want to show you how to do just that using efficient methods that WORK. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly takes you through the Top 3 Prospecting Strategies he and his company are utilizing in 2023.    Why Do We Need New Strategies? Since the beginning of the pandemic, e-mail outreach is up 50%, but reply rates have decreased by 30% Writing a great subject line and e-mail content does no good if the person on the other end doesn’t feel motivated to reply   3 Strategies to Adopt in 2023 Create previous engagement. Before you reach out to a potential buyer, create a connection with them. Don’t just start with a cold e-mail! Use social media to gauge interest. If you work for a bigger firm, look at who follows your product on LinkedIn. That list will have prospects on it who are already interested, and may just need more information (and that’s where you come in!) Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator. In the episode, Donald runs you through how to use the Spotlight feature to look at activity levels on LinkedIn so you can decide whether to reach out via LinkedIn (or some other way).   “Everybody knows the play that we’re running. They know these strategies. So what are we going to do? How are we going to be different?” - Donald Kelly

Fri, March 31, 2023

Mark Raffan | We Need to Cut Cost: The #1 Thing on Your Buyer's Mind Right Now

Is putting your customer first tanking your value? You’ve heard this phrase before: “The customer is always right.” No one is going to tell you to ignore your customer’s wishes completely. But sacrificing your needs (and the needs of your business) to make your quota is a dangerous game that can leave you feeling like you lost, even when you make a sale. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly and guest Mark Raffan are here to remind us, point-blank, that a successful salesperson needs to set expectations and retain value in every negotiation.   There Is No “Win-Win” Move away from a “win-win” mindset. If you put too much effort into trying to get your customer to win, you run the risk of letting them win at your expense. Instead, hope for outcomes that you can both agree to Keep your goals in mind when selling. Don’t get so swept up in trying to meet your customer’s needs that you totally forget about your own (or your company’s). Take on deals that are profitable. Even when you’re trying to make quota, the more concessions you make, the more value you lose   3 Layers of Concessions Conditional Giving. If a potential buyer asks you to make a concession, ask them to make a concession as well.  “Portional” Giving. If a salesperson is asked to make a concession, only make a portion of it, don’t give the full concession. Scarcity. When a potential buyer asks for a concession, respond by letting them know it will be difficult to do, don’t immediately accept i

Mon, March 27, 2023

Craig Colby | Setting Boundaries During The Sales Cycle By Knowing When to Say No

Communication is key. You’ve heard this phrase before, but how does it apply to sales? Hopefully, at this point, you know from experience that selling is about more than just being an outgoing person with a great smile. If you want to be great at sales, you have to offer more to your customer. In this episode, your host Donald Kelly has a conversation with Craig Colby, the co-founder and president of OneStream Software. Colby brings his experience and dedication to the table to show us how clearly setting expectations can lead to strong, long-term relationships with customers.   Why Should We Set Expectations? Your prospect might be jaded. Have you ever wondered why your customers seem defensive as soon as you start your pitch? They’ve probably had other businesses overpromise and underdeliver, and they don’t want it to happen again. Your customer is looking for a trusted expert. You’ve put in the work to learn what your product can do, and what it can’t. Your customer hasn’t. It’s the salesperson’s responsibility to help their customer understand the capabilities AND the limitations of their product so the customer can act in their own best interest. Your reputation is forever. If you promise outcomes your product can’t deliver, your customers will remember that, and they’ll spread the word. Build long-term relationships with prospects by acting with integrity and empathy for their situation. That’s what will end up setting you apart.   How Do You Start Saying “No”? If you can tell your product isn’t right for a customer, you can say “no” while still educating them. Give an explanation for why it’s not a good fit, or the conditions under which your product might become a better fit in the future <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list

Fri, March 24, 2023

Andy Buyting | The Business Development Assembly Line Sales Strategy

Don’t ever let anyone tell you there’s nothing new under the sun. Thought leaders don’t approach the world or their industry that way, so why should you? In this episode, Donald Kelly connects with Andy Buyting – coach, professional speaker, and best-selling author of How to Win Clients and Influence People. In this episode, Buyting introduces his proven-successful take on how to reinvent the relationship between sales and marketing which he outlines further in his 2021 book, Double Sales/Zero Salespeople. See the special offer in our Resources for a free half-hour call with one of the authors of the book!  Why the “assembly line”? Division of labor: splitting any complex process into specific tasks, and allowing people to specialize on one part of the task Application in sales and marketing: Where a typical salesperson may be responsible for generating leads and prospecting all the way through making the final sale, Buyting recommends separating the tasks among dedicated people Optimize: Once you know what each stage of the process is for your business, you can optimize and automate parts of the assembly line  “Smarketing”: Intersection of Sales and Marketing Frequently, sales and marketing operate too separately, and each department thinks it has all the answers when it comes to meeting goals Marketing can help businesses find the right customers, but it can fall apart if salespeople are just selling and not providing value Having sales with no marketing can be expensive, payroll-wise! <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: li

Mon, March 20, 2023

Joe McNeill | Stop Wasting Time Chasing Accounts, Focus on Buyers Instead

We are all defined by how we handle the challenges we face. The only constant in life is change, and it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in – you have to learn how to adapt. Our guest today offers his solution to how sellers can approach their job during the current market so that you can successfully, and organically reach your goals. In this episode, Donald Kelly sits down with Joe McNeill, the CRO at Influ2, to talk about the current landscape, the shortcomings of how sales are currently being done, and how to shift your focus so that you can connect with the right buyers for your product.  Challenges in Sales Today E-mail outreach is up +50% since 2020, but replies have decreased by 30%. Limited outreach methods are leading to limited results 72% of SDR teams are behind their pipeline goals. Some sales leaders think making more calls and sending more e-mails is the answer SDRs and AEs are not always getting support, so they are not as efficient in their jobs as they could be  How to Change Up Your Playbook for Success People buy, not companies. If there are multiple people involved in the buying decision, create messaging that applies to each of them Efficiency is growth. You’ll only have enough bandwidth to create focused messaging if you’re specific about who you reach out to Pragmatic messaging. Using “silver-bullet”-style messaging probably won’t relate to buyers who are being faced with difficult decisions. Focus on how you can provide support <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline

Fri, March 17, 2023

Donald Kelly | Five Things You Must Do to Have an Effective Weekly Planning Session

Do you know that feeling you get when you spend some time planning out the week ahead? It’s that sense of peace that lets us know we’re going to achieve our goals and nothing is going to get missed. Planning seriously increases our productivity, so why aren’t we all taking the time to do this at the beginning of each week? Whether you just can’t seem to find the time or you don’t know how to get started, Donald is here to help. Take out your Google Calendar or your favorite scheduler and let’s get to it!  How to Make the Most of Your Weekly Planning Session Define your purpose for the week. Take a second to decide what you’re trying to accomplish this week. Look at your key performance indicators (KPIs), and make a plan for how you’re going to reach those things.  Plan activities accordingly. Decide what things are going to go on your calendar based on your KPIs. Highlight the “money generating activities” you do each day, and fill your day with those activities first. Put in your recurring meetings and activities. What activities are written in stone each week? Block those things out so you know what time you have available for the random appointments and meetings that will come up. Fill in your client meetings. Schedule meetings with potential clients or prospects. You might not want to set them in stone right off the bat in case of schedule changes, but pencil them in so they’re present in your overall plan. Fill in other activities. If you have a random assortment of little tasks you need to do, work-related or not, try to plan them so that they don’t mess up the flow of your week too much. Take some time to fit them in during the least obtrusive times possible. “I would like most of us to be in that ‘Yes, I plan religiously’ category. I know when you do, your pipeline’s gonna be great, your pipeline

Mon, March 13, 2023

Andie Jewett | How To Achieve Sales Success Using This Story Framework

Don’t. Be. Boring. Every time you talk to a new client, in the back of your mind, you know you’re not the first person to ever pitch to them. You might not even be the first person to pitch to them that day. You need to stand out, and more importantly, be remembered. In this episode, Donald Kelly sits down with Andie Jewett, the Senior VP of Business Development at AMP Agency. They talk about the core elements of an amazing pitch, and how to make sure you’re not making the same mistakes as everybody else. Jewett’s Background Started in account management, with clients like Blue Cross Blue Shield and NinetyNine Restaurants Now works with AMP Agency, overseeing business development and reaching out to potential clients Most Common Pitching Mistakes - and How to Fix Them Don’t jump into your pitch immediately, placing the focus on you and your product. Do your homework so that you know your client, ask them questions, and place the focus on them. Don’t recite all your great ideas or figures one after the other in a list. Your client won’t remember them all! Instead, take them on a journey with a narrative thread.  3 Core Elements of a GREAT Pitch Make the client the main character. It’s not about you, or your product. Your client is the hero of the story. Build a profile around who that customer is based on your research. Then, use this to address their needs and aspirations when you make your pitch. Take them on a journey. A story has a beginning, middle, and end. Have one main idea, or “h

Fri, March 10, 2023

Kay Miller | Boost Your Close Rate By Selling To Your "Moose"

The days of the “spray and pray” method of selling are over. Nobody wants to be sold to, and bland, generic pitches are a dime a dozen. So how can you set yourself apart and improve your closing rates? Today, your host Donald Kelly asks Kay Miller, author of “Uncopyable Sales Secrets,” exactly that. Listen in to find out how you can identify, and sell to, YOUR Moose. Don’t forget to scroll down for an exclusive offer just for TSE Podcast listeners! Miller’s Background Miller broke through the glass ceiling in a male-dominated field, becoming successful in a short time Got hired by Walker Exhaust, the largest automotive muffler manufacturer in the country, and became the top salesperson in the U.S., earning her the nickname “Muffler Mama” What is a Moose? How do I Identify Mine? Your “moose” is your perfect customer. For a moose-hunter, the moose is their target. Any time spent hunting other animals is time they can’t spend moose hunting. Study your “moose”. Learn your ideal customer’s aspirations and needs so you can best understand how to help them. Search for success. Who are your best clients? Who is a pleasure to work with? Try to find yourself more customers like that – people who align with your vision and want your help. How Do You Set Yourself Apart? Find unique ways to reach out to customers – snail mail? A video recording? Homing pigeons? Just kidding on that last one, but you do have to be special to be noticed. <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: #1d1c1d; margin-b

Mon, March 06, 2023

Helen Fanucci | Here's How Our Team Consistently Shattered Our Multibillion Quota

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, Donald Kelly talks with Helen Fanucci about her timely book, Love Your Team: A Survival Guide for Sales Managers in a Hybrid World. The impacts of the pandemic continue to affect how we do business in 2023. The value of remote work can be seen and felt by workers across a variety of industries, including sales. So how do you connect with your team, ensuring their success and building their skills along the way? Fanucci’s experience as a Customer Success Sales Leader at Microsoft has given her a unique perspective, and she brings her expertise to this conversation.   Three Steps for Leaders to Help Their Team Build Pipeline The 3x Rule. Have 3 times the number of customers in the pipeline than what is needed to meet the quota. Fill in the gaps. Ask your team who they’re talking to on a given account, and see how your network, connections, or position can help them get in touch with decision-makers. Use tools like Linkedin Sales Navigator. Use the tools at your disposal and share the information you get with your team.   Three Ways to Build Your Team Members as Professionals Encourage critical thinking. Whether they’re successful or struggling, talk through your assessments with your team members. Help them learn to ask the right questions so that they can begin to assess themselves and search for solutions. Work side by side. As your team members start to have bigger accounts, help them understand the nuances of those customers. Think back to when you were first starting - did you have the kind of mentor you needed? If not, what would that have looked like?<

Fri, March 03, 2023

Natasha Ho | Mindset and The Way You Think - Why You Don't Have to Work So Hard for Sales

What makes this conversation between Donald Kelly and Natasha Ho so special is not just that they’ve both found success in sales, it’s that they genuinely want others to find that same success. Listen in as they discuss the limitations many sellers create for themselves and the ways you can open up new opportunities for yourself by asking important questions.   Natasha Ho’s Background After getting her degree and working her dream job, she realized she didn’t want to progress in that line of work and found a new dream She built her own business and became successful after she learned how to sell her product Sales consulting on the side led her towards a path that was ultimately more fulfilling  Seeing Opportunities, Not Limitations High-Ticket buyers are like Santa Claus - you have to believe in them for them to exist. Your first high-ticket buyer could already be in your network, but you’ll never know unless you start to trust that they’re there. Identify prospects by listening. When you start looking for customers or clients, identify the people who want your help and who are willing and able to invest in it. Open up a conversation. Once you’ve identified someone to sell to, be willing to open up a dialogue.   Know Yourself, Know Your Buyer What is your overall vision? What is your big goal? Before you start thinking about

Mon, February 27, 2023

Donald Kelly | How to Start Meaningful Conversations That Lead to Appointments

We know you want to set more appointments. You’ve got this - this is a skill just like any other, and you can learn how to do it. It’ll take some practice and a little bit of creativity, so there’s no better time to start. In the previous episode, Donald Kelly took you through two parts of his four-part strategy. If you haven’t heard that episode yet, it really sets the stage for this one, so go back and check it out first. Then meet us back here so you can learn to start the conversations that will lead to appointments. Set the Stage for a Dialogue - How Donald Uses the Strategy After making a list and choosing someone to reach out to, reach out with a personal touch so you can to build a connection Find the engagement path: Look for places you can connect - LinkedIn or Instagram are examples. Comment on a post asking a question, send them a video response, etc. You can mention the topic you connected over when you reach out by email, as long as it’s relevant! This can increase your reply rates It’s okay to play the numbers game, but if you have a focused list, you can use your time to make a more personal, fruitful connections Hey, we know it can be easier said than done! If you’re interested in checking out the course offered by TSE, check out the link below. Resources TheSalesEvangelist.com/linkedin Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. <p class="MsoNormal" styl

Fri, February 24, 2023

Donald Kelly | My Number One Strategy to Book More Appointments In 2023!

Whether you’re a brand new BDR or you’ve been in sales for a while, we know you care about bringing your best in your professional life. If you didn’t want to improve, you wouldn’t be here, right? Today is your lucky day - on this episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly is going to share the strategy he has developed to help you get more appointments booked than ever before. This is a 4-part strategy, and in this episode, Donald will take you in-depth into two of the parts to help you get started. Part 1 - Relevance Analyze your ICP - Trigger #1 Donald looks for is a business leader who is new to the role - these people are likely to want to make changes Trigger #2 is whether the target has been active on LinkedIn in the last 90 days Cold e-mails fail if the salesperson doesn’t understand the person/business they’re emailing if they do not present a point of reference, and if the e-mail isn’t relevant Find a focused list of people you can reach out to - people who will be interested in what you have to offer Part 2 - Engagement This is about an interaction between two people - it has to feel like a real connection Some personal touches in e-mail or over LinkedIn can spark conversations - Donald gives an example of a time this worked for one of his BDRs Cold, unsolicited e-mails could start damaging brands - if they are irrelevant and don’t spark engagement, the brand will be associated with that <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom

Mon, February 20, 2023

Derrick Williams | Secrets I Have Learned From Interviewing Consultants and Sales Leaders

Sometimes the most interesting conversations are between experts on parallel paths sharing their journeys and noticing what their paths have in common. This conversation between Donald Kelly and Derrick Williams (Founder and Principal of 3Link Consulting) is an example of just that - they both have a keen sense of sales trends that has been honed over years of work in the industry. Williams is as knowledgeable as they come, but like Donald, he’s always learning more from the best and most educated voices in sales today. They discuss Williams’ new project, The Sales Consultant Podcast, and cover some of the salient pieces of information that have started to reveal themselves as important as Williams has been going through his first round of interviews. Whether you’re new in the field or have years of experience, check out the new podcast, and become a fly on the wall in a conversation between leaders in the field.   A Throughline: Focus on the Fundamentals Communicating Value - Know how to open calls, all the way through to the end of the conversation. Discovery - Even if you have a good conversation with someone, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to lead somewhere. To be most efficient, try to avoid going down the wrong path by taking your time in the discovery phase. Practice - If you haven’t mastered the basics, you can’t move past the basics. Practice demos and rebuttals in real-time. As Williams says, “Get those reps up.” Keep your mind clear.   No Time for False Positives False positives, or going too far down a fruitless path, is not something businesses can afford to do in the current sales climate. <li class="Ms

Fri, February 17, 2023

Jarrod Best-Mitchell | How I Utilize Personalized Video to Build a Community and Generate Leads

In this episode, Donald meets with Jerrod Best-Mitchell, a passionate seller who has dialed in using video to make connections online. Best-Mitchell is a master of his craft - he has sent 6000 personal videos on LinkedIn so far and has gained so much knowledge in the process. Listen in so you can learn how to up your personalized video game so you can generate leads, and build connections and community. Why use video? Videos are the quickest way to build relationships and trust with strangers. Letting someone get to know you is what begins building community. And community is the direction sales are moving in 2023 and 2024. Personalized videos may take a bit longer, but if you can isolate a few people to reach out to with short, engaging videos, it can increase your response rates and make you more efficient as a seller. But all videos are not created equal - Best-Mitchell has great tips to make your videos count. In sales, and especially when you’re starting as a BDR or SDR, the way to be successful is to set yourself apart. Break the mold. It’s another way to stretch, become more flexible, and learn new skills. 3 Do’s and Don’ts for Personalized Video Content Don’t say your name. Don’t start with “hi.” Imagine you’re running into an acquaintance on the street. If you’re reaching out, they probably already know your name, so say their name. Make it personal. Do your research. It takes very little time to read through someone’s content, their personal bio, or their posts. Find something you personally connect to and start from there. Start a conversation, not a sale. Keep it short. As Best-Mitchell says, “This is not a Martin Scorcese film.” Keep it brief, meaningful, and interesting. In the episode, Donald and Jerrod go over ways to overcome the obstacles associated with video, namely, the time it takes and how to not come in sounding like you’re about to give a terrible pitch. It’s clear, just from listening to this call, how personable and informative Jerrod is. We learned a lot, and we know you will, too. If you want to reach out to Jerrod, find him on LinkedIn , or on his website, jerrodbestmitchell.com. And of course, the TSE community by sending a message to Donald. Drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram @donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. “There must be the top 20 people on your list that day that you can send a video out to. You can look at your list and tell - these are the best ones. And you may not get them on a phone call, but video might be the next option… Personalize the video, please, don’t send them a generic text. It will make a massive difference in your pipeline, and it will probably improve your response rate.” - Jerrod Best-Mitc

Mon, February 13, 2023

Michael Schill | My Journey From Being An Athlete to Professional Selling

If you are ready to take control of your own destiny, get ready to hear the conversation with someone who has done exactly that. In this episode, Donald meets with Michael Schill, a former athlete who learned his skills in sales from NYT Bestselling Author and Real Estate mogul, Grant Cardone. Schill is now the founder of his own organization, Full Circle Agency . Listen in as he discusses how he got to where he is today, the lessons he has learned, and how he makes sure he will achieve his goals for the future. Schill’s Background He played football for Florida State University, where he learned the discipline it takes to improve - if you don’t show up and train, you don’t win. Academics were also a huge focus for him - Schill graduated with a BA in Exercise Science from FSU. He received a world class education working with Grant Cardone, training extensively in sales and learning how to solve the problem every product faces: building awareness. A Few of Schill’s Core Tips for Success Have a schedule. The only things that go on the schedule are “profit and/or potential profit-producing activities.” Always be “on.” As he puts it, “all the greats have it.” No matter how many people you’re speaking to, or what you’re speaking to them about, you always represent you. Learn to communicate effectively. If you can learn to get your message across concisely and correctly, this is what can take you to the next level. Of course, in the episode, we go into way more depth on these topics and so much more. You’re sure to find yourself inspired to get out there, work hard, and make things happen for yourself. Connect with Mike on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @mikeschill_ or you can find him on LinkedIn . You can also follow his organization @thefullcircleofficial on Instagram, or reach out on their website, thefullcircle.io. If you want to reach out to Donald, drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram @donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. “Treat [sales] as if you are approaching a game, because when it’s all said and done, it is a game. You’ve gotta train every single day, and if you don’t train every single day, you can’t expect results.” - Michael Schill Resources The E-Myth by Michael Gerber Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com .  This episode is brought to you in part by L

Fri, February 10, 2023

Wesleyne Whittaker-Greer | Top Strategies to Build Your Confidence in Sales

Confidence is key in life, but ESPECIALLY in sales. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, our host Donald Kelly meets with Wesleyne Whittaker-Greer to discuss different ways you can increase your confidence as a seller. Strategies For Building Your Confidence Talk to yourself like you’re your own best friend. Practice selling. Be open to constructive criticism. If you want to connect with Wesleyne or learn more about building confidence, you can connect with her on her LinkedIn . You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com . 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 .

Mon, February 06, 2023

Shirelle Francis | How I've Found Success In Tech Sales

Tech sales can be one of the most daunting sales industries to work in, but this doesn’t mean finding success is impossible. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, our host Donald Kelly interviews Shirelle Francis to talk about her success in tech. How Shirelle Overcame Challenges The first challenge that Shirelle faced was finding a mentor. She looked for a black female mentor who had previously found success in sales and studied AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE from this mentor. The second challenge that Shirelle faced was finding proper training. This ties into finding a mentor. As Shirelle looked for a mentor, she also sought out useful training for sales and not only mentored someone but studied the craft of sales. The third challenge Shirelle faced was getting access to capital. She overcame this by searching for a sponsor and actively seeking training and someone to teach her. You can connect with Shirelle on her LinkedIn or check out her website at www.ileapgroup.com . You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com . 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 .

Fri, February 03, 2023

Donald Kelly | How To Achieve Success In Sales

Being successful is EVERYONE’s goal in life. So how can sellers achieve this success? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist podcast, our host Donald Kelly goes over some different ways sellers can reach the success they’re aiming for. 5 Keys For Achieving Success You have to have a clear definition of what success actually IS for you personally.   You have to help people solve their problems.   You have to know where you can improve.   You have to continually improve yourself and work towards perfecting your craft.   You have to do self evaluation. You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com . 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 .

Mon, January 30, 2023

Ted Blosser | Everyone Is a Seller Headed Into This Fiscal Year!

Now that 2023 is here, EVERYONE is a seller! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Ted Blosser to talk more about selling in this upcoming year. The Importance of Momentum Momentum is KEY in business, whether you’re a seller or not. Think about it: If you’re some start up company, you have to generate momentum to build your business. If you’re a seller, you have to generate momentum for your sales. Momentum is key. This is DOUBLY true with the current economic situation. As business slows and profits wane, sellers and businesses have to be ready to REBUILD that momentum to come back even stronger as the economy recovers. Generating momentum is important, yes, but how do you actually build this momentum? Through SELLERS. Blosser gives the example of Tesla in its early years: Elon Musk made EVERYONE act as a seller when the company nearly went under. Being able to sell is critical in the generation of momentum, Three Key Points For Sellers Blosser has also identified 3 KEY things for sellers to keep in mind, in the upcoming year. The first thing is: Focus on outbounding. The second thing is: Make everyone a seller . As different people interact with clients throughout the sales process, they ALL have a chance to add value and upsell. Get everyone involved to think, and act, like a seller. The final thing is: Change marketer’s mindsets. This combines the two other points. Marketing teams generate leads and CONSTANTLY interact with clients. This is your BEST opportunity to upsell and get extra profits from qualified leads. The Mindset Shift In the past, especially when the market was more saturated, businesses and sellers took a quantity over quality approach. Sellers focused SOLELY on just sheer numbers, but not things like conversion rate. With the current state of the market, quality is king . Instead of focusing on several inefficient things, focus on a few VERY efficient ones. Blosser compares this to a regular infantry vs special ops approach: Instead of sending waves of infantry out, send a few highly specialized, and effective, soldiers out. If you want to connect with Ted Blosser more, or learn about shifting your mindset, you can talk to him on LinkedIn or at his website, www.workramp.com . You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifica

Fri, January 27, 2023

John Butler | Three Powerful Principles Elite Sellers Adopt To Consistently Build Pipeline

Continually generating leads and beginning the sales cycle with qualified leads is the CORE of any seller’s career or B2B business. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with John Butler to discuss three principles you can adopt for a consistent pipeline. Intangible Traits Athletes and Sellers Have Both elite athletes and champion sellers are goal oriented. They have a passion for excellence. They practice their craft with intention. What Elite Sellers Are Doing They conduct DEEP account research. They follow up in unique, creative, and personalized ways. They maintain and FOLLOW strong and stringent sales processes. “Top sellers provide personalized AND relevant content to buyers - John Butler”. If you want to connect with Butler, you can check out his website at www.shiftgroup.io or connect with him on LinkedIn. You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com . 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

Wed, January 25, 2023

Hendrik Isebaert | The End of Sales Activities

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Hendrik Isebaert to talk about ending sales activities, and how it can help you MAXIMIZE your selling potential and profit. The Issue With Numbers According to LinkedIn, during the pandemic, the percentage of emails that sellers sent out increased by 50%. Despite this rapid increase though, buyer responses went DOWN by 30%   Both the market AND buyers have changed over the past few years. As a seller, you HAVE to adapt to these changes to remain relevant and proficient.   In the modern day, whenever buyers are polled on their opinions of sellers: The MAJORITY of the time, buyers don’t think sellers give them any value. Combating These Trends There are a few different methods Isebaert suggests to stay relevant in today’s changing sales landscape.   The first method is: Having a platform that delivers buyers relevant content. By the time a seller and buyer first meet, the buyer has already done 60 PERCENT of their process through research. If you host a platform that helps them actually conduct that research, you’re both offering value AND staying at the top of their mind.   The second method is: Remaining educated. Knowledge is power. As a seller, you should CONSTANTLY be learning about the current state of the market AS WELL as what your specific buyer is looking for. Utilize what you learn to help finalize the deal.   The third method is: Talk TO your buyer, not at them. Isebaert specifically suggests using things like digital salesrooms to conduct presentations. Why? You can personalize your buyer’s experience AND have a two way conversation with them. If you want to learn more about Hendrik Isebaert, you can check out his website at www.showpad.com or connect with him on LinkedIn. You can talk to Donald and drop him a message on LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram at donaldckelly. You can also join TSE’s space on Circle to talk to Donald and other sellers looking to improve their craft.

Mon, January 23, 2023

Tom Kulzer | How to Send Emails Google Likes That Won't Go to Spam

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Tom Kulzer to talk about how you can send optimal emails that will see results. Understanding Emails Over the years, Google’s spam filter has slowly increased. Kulzer says that Google’s filter has gotten better at figuring out what people WANT and what they DON’T want. Whatever isn’t wanted will go to spam. If your emails are going to spam, then it means that Google’s determined something in your email is what people AREN’T wanting. To avoid getting sent to spam, then you have to send emails with things people will want to see, at least according to Google. Setting Expectations One tool you can use to avoid your emails being marked as spam is by setting expectations. The example that Kulzer gives is How many emails your recipient is expecting. If someone signs up for your newsletter and is expecting an email once a month, but starts receiving daily emails, they’ll likely start putting your emails down as spam. Set expectations for your receiver upfront . Provide information on what you’ll be emailing the receiver, and how often they can expect emails. If you meet your receiver’s expectations, they’ll not only engage WITH your emails but also not mark them as spam.     Understanding Google’s Process If you want your emails to be seen and engaged with, you have to understand just exactly how Google processes your email. Google has information that you, as a sender, don’t. Google knows things like how the recipient responded to the email, whether or not they marked it as spam, how much of the email they read and how long they spent reading it, etc. You, as a sender, have to make sure your email meets the things Google is looking for. Structure your email in such a way that it won’t get sent to the wrong folder. Make it engaging, so your recipient will actually read the email. The Framework of a Good Email   Use your own domain when sending emails. Kulzer has noticed that MANY business owners want to send emails from their Gmail accounts

Fri, January 20, 2023

Roger Smith | How to Establish A Sales Belief System

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our show host Donald Kelly meets with Roger Smith to talk about why you should establish a sales belief system, as well as how to actually establish one. The Importance of a Sales Belief System When Smith first started as a sales rep for his company, whenever he was closing the deal, he would VISIBLY shake. It got to the point where he believed the buyer thought he was having some sort of seizure. He knew that if he wanted to combat this and improve as a seller, he was going to have to work hard. VERY hard. Smith learned early on that, without a belief system, sellers would start running into issues. Specifically, doubt would start to form. As doubt continued to grow in the seller's mind, the likelihood of successfully making the sale would decrease. Without a belief system in place, sellers start to doubt themselves. The Four Foundations of a Belief System Once Smith knew just how CRITICAL a belief system is, he then identified four critical things that make up the belief system. The first aspect of a sales belief system is believing in yourself. Having belief in yourself and your selling prowess creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your actions will NATURALLY gravitate towards successfully making sales. So you, as a seller, need to do things to INCREASE your self-belief. Smith worked tirelessly to master his craft as a seller. This mastery naturally improved his confidence, which then led to him becoming a better seller. Think about your weaknesses as a seller. Address them and work to correct them. This all leads to confidence, translating to you becoming a BETTER seller. Confidence naturally improves when you see results. So make sure you’re seeing results, or working towards them! The second aspect of a sales belief system is believing in your product or service. Just like how having self-confidence is key, having confidence in whatever you’re selling is key. Think about it: If you don’t trust or believe in what you’re selling, then why should your buyer Understanding EVERYTHING about what you’re selling is critical to believe in it. Know the pros AND cons of whatever you’re selling. If you know the pros and cons of your product/service,

Mon, January 16, 2023

Evan Powell | Selling The Way Your Buyer's Buy

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Evan Powell to discuss how you sell products the same way your buyers are looking to buy. Who is Evan Powell? Powell originally started as a sales rep, but went on to help cofound Reprise, a software company focused on developing demos for software. The company’s website is www.reprise.com WHY sell the way your buyers are looking to buy? There’s been a shift in HOW buyers are actually buying in this new year. Powell started selling in the early 2010s, and in his experience, buyers wanted to learn what they didn’t already know. Buyers wanted their hands held, instead of doing the research on their own. In TODAY’S environment, however, things aren’t like that. Buyers are jaded and have developed a buying process that THEY want to use. Remaining relevant and actually adjusting to this shift is KEY in selling and not becoming an anachronism. Here’s a figure to keep in mind: 77% of buyers say their last B2B buy was TOO difficult. How do you sell like buyers want to buy? The first thing to do is to: Provide your buyer with information. Buyers spend VERY little time actually talking to sales reps. Instead, they’re doing research to figure out the best product/service to buy. Provide them with this information . Less than 5% of a buyer’s time is ACTUALLY spent talking to a sales rep. Powell suggests actually EMAILING your demo/pitch BEFORE you do any calls. Make the information available. Also, DON’T try to force them into a call. A lot of buyers are ghosting sellers early into the process because they’re NOT YET ready to actually have a meeting. Another way to make this information more available is to: Stop gating so much content on your company website. Again, one PRIMARY way that buyers actually do their research is through company websites. When that information is

Fri, January 13, 2023

Joe Khoei | The Two Most Important Reasons Why Senior Executives Meet With Salespeople

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Joe Khoei to talk about how YOU can maximize your chances of selling when meeting with senior executives. Why do senior executives WANT to talk to salespeople? There are two reasons why senior executives want to talk to you as a salesperson. The first reason is: You have something to tell the senior executive that they DON’T already know. The second reason is: You have something to tell the senior executive that their team is UNABLE to do. If you want to talk to a senior executive, you HAVE to have either or both of these traits. Giving the senior executive something valuable: One tip that Khoei suggests is using case studies . According to LinkedIn, although email outreach has gone up 50%, email replies have actually gone down a WHOPPING 30%. You HAVE to make yourself stand out. How can you do this? Utilize a case study, then apply it to the senior executive’s business or personal life. Don’t just bombard the senior exec with generic talk. Instead, find something that YOU can offer, personalize it to the senior exec, then offer it! Khoei’s example case study: One company that Khoei was working with spent: 1.5 million dollars on leads, and generated 34,000 leads, for an average of $427 per lead. An average of $427 per lead doesn’t sound terrible, right? Despite this, the company ONLY had a closing rate of 2.6%. Based on a projection that Khoei did, this company could’ve saved an INSANE 600k in closing leads. Instead of reaching out to a senior exec with something that sounds copied and pasted, Khoei suggests reaching out to the senior exec wit

Wed, January 11, 2023

Ashley Winston | How to Unlock Your Earning Potential This Year

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Ashley Winston to discuss how you as a seller can MAXIMIZE your earnings this year. The problem with untapped potential: Most of us have absolutely INSANE potential that’s just begging to be tapped into. The issue is, we simply never fully tap into it. In the sales world, this means sales and earnings left on the table. Fear is perhaps the BIGGEST hurdle to fully realizing your potential. Most sellers, and people in general, prefer to stay in their comfort zones. Why go out and face danger, when you could simply remain safe? The problem is, you’ll only grow when exposed to danger. Without stress, there is no adaptation. Another hurdle people face is their atmosphere. If you’re wanting to become a better seller, you have to SURROUND yourself with an environment conclusive to that. Surround yourself with great sellers, go to areas where you can learn about the process. Create an environment or find one that relates to your goals. How do sellers overcome these obstacles? The first step is simple: Change your thinking . It may be cheesy, but the absolute TRUTH of it can’t be denied: Believe in yourself. Oftentimes, your self-imposed beliefs can actually LIMIT your potential. Have more confidence in yourself! Genuinely BELIEVE you can become a great seller and you will see results. So how do you change your thinking? Through training. You have to STOP having negative thoughts and start REPLACING them with positive ones. Ashley uses the metaphor of a garden: Your mind is like an unkempt garden. There are flowers, yes, but also PLENTY of weeds. Get rid of the weeds and replace them with flowers. Along with changing your thinking, you HAVE to change your circle . You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with, as the saying goes. Surround yourself with people who align with your goals. If you are surrounded by success, you will start SEEING success. If you are surrounded by negativity, you will see negativity. You can connect with Ashley on her website at theashleywinston.com <span style= "

Mon, January 09, 2023

Mohannad Ghannoum | Change Your Perspective!

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Mohannad Ghannoum to discuss the importance of changing your perspective, to become an even more effective seller. Mohannad’s Observations: Mohannad enjoys philosophy. He once listened to a philosopher discussing passion and purpose, and how to find it. According to this philosopher, there can be two reasons you’re not passionate about what you do: A.) You already have it or B.) You don’t know yourself well enough. Prior to this, Mohannad had worked for three years in sales but never found much success. He decided to dedicate himself FULLY to sales to determine whether or not it was something he was TRULY passionate about. What did Mohannad do? To discover his passion, Mohannad began to OBSESSIVELY study and take in every single thing he could about his career. He would read books, listen to podcasts, talk to seasoned sellers, etc., anything he could do to learn more. The idea behind this is simple: Mohannad was trying to get RESULTS. By learning everything he could about selling, he was BOUND to become a better salesperson. Once he started seeing results, he became more passionate about selling and wanted to see even BETTER results. The importance of changing your perspective: The saying goes that the grass is always greener on the other side. FAR too often, people absolutely dread their jobs, thinking it’s not something they’re passionate about. There is a level of experimentation in finding your ideal job, yes, but perhaps you’re the problem and not your job. In Mohannad’s case, after he started to make the most of his career, he began finding more success, by CHANGING HIS PERSPECTIVE. If you’re TRULY passionate about what you do, then you’ll have better results than someone who isn’t. You’ll simply put in more effort. By changing your perspective on selling, you can find more success. Find passion in what you do and you’ll put in more effort. All of this equates to you becoming a BETTER seller. If you want to learn more about changing your perspective or talk to Mohannad, you can reach him on Li

S40 E1630 · Fri, January 06, 2023

Chris Beall | The Most Important Objection The Majority of Sellers Trigger & Cannot Handle

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly meets with Chris Beall to talk about the MOST important objection you’ll face as a seller and why sellers often can’t overcome it. Who is Chris Beall? Chris is the CEO of the software company ConnectAndSell and offers one INSANELY valuable tool to sellers: The ability to talk to as MANY people as you want at the push of a button. Throughout his career, however, he’s encountered one trend. The Number One Objection Sellers Face: In the COUNTLESS sales reps that Chris has worked with, the most common objection they face, and the hardest to overcome, is a simple phrase. That phrase is “ I’m all set.” . What triggers this objection? Most people think that cold calls are mostly marketing. Marketing gets TOO involved within the process of the cold call, and going into a cold call with a marketing mindset is deadly. One of the most FREQUENTLY used tactics in marketing is establishing a niche. Define your niche or area of expertise and then do something to differentiate yourself from the competition. Although this is a useful avenue for marketing, it’s TERRIBLE during cold calls. The reason is simple: If you try to establish a category or niche during a cold call, you come off as condescending. Think about it: You’re effectively telling whoever you’re calling that THEY’RE incompetent and that YOU are better at whatever your specific niche is. Doing this within the first cold call, to a completely new buyer, is a surefire way to get the “we’re all set” objection. Why should the buyer go with your solution when they think their solution is already effective? So, how should sellers overcome this objection? You have to RELIVE the fear of whoever you’re calling. Virtually ALL cold callers assume the person they’re calling is angry or annoyed with them. In reality, though, this person is scared. You’re someone they do not know, and we’re naturally afraid of the unknown. To overcome this natural fear, empathize with them. View the world through THEIR eyes. They see YOU as a problem. Acknowledge that, and then o

S40 E1629 · Wed, January 04, 2023

Trent Anderson | How to Use the First, Last, Best, Worst Strategy to Level Up Your Team

Mon, January 02, 2023

Donald Kelly | Here's How I'm Planning In 2023 & You Should Copy It

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly goes over some lessons he’s learned about planning throughout 2022, and how YOU can use those lessons to build a pipeline and convert sales to boost your profits. Sellers losing focus and not planning: Too often, sellers get lost in the MYRIAD of different tools, techniques, strategies, and ideas they utilize. All of these are important, yes, but they’re only tools. They shouldn’t be a seller’s main focus. The first lesson: Utilize a focus word. With 2023 coming up, look back on your strengths and weaknesses throughout 2022. What single word can sum up all of your shortcomings? Throughout the year, focus on that word and act on it. This maintains focus AND helps you better yourself as a seller. The second lesson: Take feedback into consideration. When you’re prospecting and looking for new clients or building relationships, FOCUS on the ones that are producing results. If a buyer pays well, focus on that buyer! Keep those consistent earnings coming in. This keeps your company profitable while LETTING you seek out new clients. The third lesson: Plan daily. Take 15 minutes at the start or the end of the day to plan the next day’s activities out. Having a plan going into the next day lets you prioritize what NEEDS to be done and keeps your diligence up. You’ll know exactly what to focus on, and you’ll be more likely to get it finished. The fourth lesson: Track your work. For a day, write down EVERY single task you do and then review it at the end of the day. Out of all of the work you did, what work led to the most profits? What work led to the newest buyers, and what work produced the greatest results? Hone in on that work and eliminate what doesn’t work. This is ONLY possible through tracking your work. The fifth lesson: Utilize a timer for your work. Set a timer for some amount of time, like 15 minutes, and for the full 15 minutes focus on whatever task you need to focus on. This ensures that you’re GENUINELY focused on the task at hand, and eliminates distractions that might pull you away. The sixth lesson: <span style= "font-w

Fri, December 30, 2022

Donald Kelly | Three Changes You Will See From Me In 2023

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host Donald Kelly goes into three changes he’ll make going into 2023. These three changes will help YOU to make more sales and perfect your craft as a seller. The first major change of 2023: The first upcoming change is a slight shift in branding. The podcast’s name, logo, and design will ALL remain the same. However, there will be a slight shift in branding as well as the podcast’s cover. The second major change of 2023: The second major change coming up will be the podcast emphasizing the PIPELINE, both building your pipeline and converting sales from your pipeline. The third, and final, change of 2023: The final change you can expect to see is the shift in the community. In the past, we’ve promoted our Facebook and LinkedIn communities, but those platforms will be taking a backseat. Instead, TSE is going to promote its community on a new platform called Circle.so. How do these changes help you as a seller? Learning to build a pipeline and close a pipeline is CRUCIAL for your success as a seller. That’s why going forwards we’ll be pushing it so hard. Learning more information on how to successfully build and close your pipeline will only make you an even more effective seller. Circle.so is a platform that’s similar to Facebook. On the site, you’ll see different circles where people are discussing various ins and outs of selling. All YOU have to do is join a circle to talk with fellow sellers and together develop your craft! It’s a platform with PLENTY of invaluable information and insight from experienced sellers. Going into 2023, we also plan on being FAR more active on social media. What can you expect to see are tips and tricks about selling, including content on courses the podcast offers as well as the podcast’s newsletter. All of these are designed to be INCREDIBLY valuable tools for sellers to utilize. You can connect with Donald and communicate with him on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Tik Tok under donaldckelly. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at</sp

Mon, December 26, 2022

Donald Kelly | The Number One Thing 87% of Buyers Say They Want From You In 2023

Going into 2023, with a changing business landscape, buyers are looking for something DIFFERENT. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly goes into what buyers are now looking for, and how you can meet their needs. What are buyers looking for in the upcoming year? According to the State of Sales, from Salesforce, 57% of buyers prefer engaging with companies and sellers through digital means. Along with preferring digital communication, buyers have also said that they prefer YOU to go where THEY are. You have to appear wherever your buyers are, whether that’s on social media or platforms like YouTube. How to take advantage of this knowledge and meet buyers’ wants: Since buyers are actively WANTING to talk to your company through digital means, provide SOME WAY for them to actually talk to you digitally. Platforms like LinkedIn are perfect for this. But beyond LinkedIn, you can also use social media platforms to communicate and market to buyers. UTILIZE A DSR. A DSR, or digital salesroom, is a centralized location where buyers and sellers can meet. Instead of having to browse countless sites to try and find information, the buyer can access all the information they need STRAIGHT from the DSR. It also allows all of your sellers to consolidate in one location, instead of having to communicate through other, less efficient ways. A DSR not only streamlines the entire sales process but also PROVIDES what digital platform buyers are looking for! The MAIN thing that buyers want, however, is for you to be a TRUSTED ADVISOR instead of a salesperson. A whopping 87% of buyers have claimed they prefer advisors over sellers. Why is this? Buyers come to sellers to solve a problem. Instead of being marketed to some product or service, buyers want SOLUTIONS. Buyers want someone who they can TRUST to give them a valuable and efficient solution to whatever problem they’re facing. Another thing to take advantage of in 2023 is Intent-based data. What is intent-based data? It’s data that takes what buyers are looking for into consideration. Things like what they search for online, and their interest in your product or service, among others. If you TAKE this data into the mind and utilize it, you’ll drive both sales AND traffic to your business  If you want to

Fri, December 23, 2022

Donald Kelly | Selling Will Be Harder In 2023 But Here Is How You Address It!

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly discusses why 2023 will be a difficult year for sellers. He also discusses how, despite the upcoming challenge, how you as a seller can continue to succeed in your field. What exactly is going to be different about 2023? Ever since the pandemic, inflation rates and the general cost of living have STEADILY increased. This makes people far, FAR more hesitant to actually spend money. Why should someone buy your product or service when money is already tight? Alongside higher inflation rates, the feds have also hiked up interest rates to curb inflation. Since there are higher interest rates, people are less likely actually to borrow money. This means that businesses will be slower to grow. Here are some quick facts, from Donald’s personal experience and the State of Sales report: 69% of sellers are saying that selling is actually becoming HARDER for them. 92% of sellers claimed that they’ve had to start using a NEW method of selling their product or service. With all of this in mind, what can you do as a seller to keep a steady stream of purchases coming in? One key thing to focus on, with the current market, is to focus on LOW RISK but HIGH REWARD activities. One example of this is cross-selling. Are you maximizing your profits off of current buyers? What can you do, or offer, existing buyers to generate even more income? Another activity you can do is focus on cross-functioning. Work within your organization and your different departments to help create cohesiveness. Instead of working in multiple, different organizations, you can focus on working as an ENTIRE unit. A third example of what sellers are doing to keep steady profits and deals coming down the pipeline is targeting new markets. Instead of continuing to operate in the exact same way, see if there aren’t different methods or people you can promote to. Are there buyers more comfortable with parting with their money? Is there some tweaking you could do to get a RECURRING payment? Again, focus on low-risk ventures that will bring in the highest rewards. You can connect with Donald more and learn about perfecting your craft as a seller

Mon, December 19, 2022

Paul Owen | Sales Lessons from Sport: Planning Is Liberating, Not Restrictive

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly meets with Paul Owen, the owner of Sales Talent, to discuss the importance of planning when it comes to sales, and why all salespeople should have some sort of a plan to maximize their performance. The importance of planning in the world of sales: Many salespeople will go into a deal without a plan in mind. Instead, they simply rely on their past experiences and instincts. This CAN work in some instances, but having a plan is always better. When you approach each sale with a structure in mind, you can replicate success more reliably. Instead of winging it and simply having one-off successes, a plan gives you the framework and tools you need to consistently make a profit. Why don’t salespeople utilize planning more? A lot of salespeople believe that going off of a plan is too RESTRICTIVE. One big misconception sellers have is that sales are too dynamic and unique to utilize one sales plan. Sales are unique, yes, but they still have some commonalities. These commonalities allow sellers to actually utilize a plan to better equip themselves to finalize the deal. Another reason why salespeople don’t use planning more is that they’re naturally good at selling. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. This CAN work if the salesperson works individually. When they start to build a business, however, they’ll run into issues. Unless the entrepreneur finds people who are also naturally good at sales, they won’t be able to teach new sellers how to effectively sell. Having a plan in place can alleviate this problem. How can you start using planning in your sales? Take notes of past sales, and what did and didn’t work, and utilize that to create a plan. Although sales are unique, there are still common themes and elements between them. Take those common themes and elements and use them to create a framework for your future sales. Use buyer feedback. Ask past clients for their experience and utilize this feedback. Implement what works and get rid of what doesn’t to streamline your sales process and create planning designed to increase your sales. You can get a hold of Paul Owen and learn more about using structure and plans in your sales through LinkedIn. Owen also runs a website

Fri, December 16, 2022

Richard Mugica | The Top Three Issues Sellers Face When Closing

Wed, December 14, 2022

Chad Lakin | How To Leverage Video Throughout The Sales Process

Video can be a crucial part of the sales process. People love stories. Video is a great way to share your service or product story. Chad Laken joins Donald today on how to utilize videos throughout sales process. Video is powerful Video can be daunting and somewhat intimidating. Using video in emailing a prospect adds a deeper touch. It takes 8-12 touchpoints. Video expands your ability to build trust. Individualize your video for a stronger impact. Your video is a great way to introduce you and your company to all decision-makers. Personalization at the top of the sales funnel. Create helpful content for your prospects Developing the business relationship with video will launch you further than the funnel. Rinse and repeat your bank of video content. Make a video answering commonly asked questions from your prospects. 95% of retention is increased when you use a video. Top use cases to utilize video Put context to your video to make a lastly impression Send a video when you are being ghosted by your prospect. Develop a journey map for your video content. Have fun! “Video is what makes great salespeople memorable.”– Chad Lakin Connect with Chad on LinkedIn or Shootsta This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com .  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.  The sales landscape is totally changing. You need to adapt to succeed. Deep Sales , a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE . This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. The power of scheduling automation has never been more critical than it is today. Your sales team needs a solution to easily meet with prospects at the right time, every time. Finish the year strong and request a demo of Calendly today at <a href= "http://calendly.com/tsepodc

Wed, December 14, 2022

Chad Lakin | How To Leverage Video Throughout The Sales Process

Video can be a crucial part of the sales process. People love stories. Video is a great way to share your service or products story. Chad Laken joins Donald today on how to utilize videos throughout the whole sales process. Video is powerful Video can be daunting and somewhat intimidating. Using video in emailing a prospect adds a deeper touch. It takes 8-12 touchpoints. Video expands your ability to build trust. Individualize your video for a stronger impact. Your video is a great way to introduce you and your company to all decision makers. Personalization at the top of the sales funnel. Create helpful content for your prospects Developing the business relationship with video will launch you further than the funnel. Rinse and repeat your bank of video content. Make a video answering commonly asked questions from your prospects. 95% of retention is increased when you use a video. Top use cases to utilize video Put context to your video to make a lastly impression Send a video when you are being ghosted by your prospect. Develop a journey map for your video content. Have fun! “Video is what makes great salespeople memorable.”– Chad Lakin Connect with Chad on LinkedIn or Shootsta This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com .  LinkedIn  The sales landscape is totally changing. You need to adapt to succeed. Deep Sales , a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE . Calendly The power of scheduling automation has never been more critical than it is today. Your sales team needs a solution to easily meet with prospects at the right time, every time. Finish the year strong and request a demo of Calendly today at Calendly.com/TSE .  Credits As one o

Mon, December 12, 2022

Douglas Cole | How to Think Like a Strategist When Selling to Corporate Executives

Thinking like a strategist when selling to corporate deals will get you to the closing table. The order taking days are gone! Donald chats today with Douglas Cole who is a sales leader at LinkedIn, an advisor with start-up accelerators in North America, and a part-time university lecturer at The Rotman School of Management and The Schulich Executive Education Centre in Toronto. Author of The Sales MBA . Dominant Themes in the Sales Process Sales Strategist - the company's competitive position and its market facing position. Change Agent – the organizational dynamics, happening within the company, at any given time. Decision Architect – interpersonal (human psychology) and how that affects your interactions with that prospect. Strategist: Precise understanding of where this company competes and how do they win. Being able to make the connection between your product and how it benefits your prospect. Research is critical to be able to have these conversations. Change Agent: Being able to find the catalyst to create transformation. Where is the energy in this organization? How can you feed the energy with your product or service? Decision Architect: Behavioral economics play a large part in closing the sale. Limited by the attention of the buyer. Obtain the commitment of the buyer. Motivate the buyer to act or move forward with your product. Use of influence levers (scarcity, social proof, etc.) Change your mindset: How do you per sieve yourself? Are you likeable, are your trustworthy? Think of yourself as a Sales Strategist, Change Agent and Decision Architect. “Selling is a thinking game.”– Douglas Cole Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn or www.TheSalesMBA.ca   This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com .  LinkedIn  The sales landscape is totally changing. You need to adapt to succeed. Deep Sales , a part of the n

Fri, December 09, 2022

Tom Burton | The 3 Rules for Effectively Selling to Millennials

More than 50% of the workforce are millennials. Millennials are now the predominant decision-makers in B2B purchasing decisions. Tom Burton, author of The Revenue Zone joins Donald to discuss the top three rules for effectively selling to millennials.  Change is Inevitable  Younger buyers have no tolerance for the traditional B2B model. They want to do their own research and control their buying journey. Preference is to avoid talking to salespeople. 80% more millennials are likely to buy if the sales process is consultative.     The Three Rules The mindset of a salesperson needs to be different. The buyer wants to be in control of their journey. Today’s salesperson needs to be flexible. Make your content accessible to your buyer – (non-gated). Create relevant content that is frictionless. Enable the buyer experience to be guided step-by-step. Takeaways Confused prospects don’t become buyers. Answer the first questions of your prospect of what is the value proposition. Share the recommended journey. Buyers want guidance. Works well through social selling.   “The buyer wants to be in control of their journey. Today’s salesperson needs to be flexible .” – Tom Burton Connect with Tom at www.TheRevenueZone.com   This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and s

Thu, December 08, 2022

Grady Anderson | Three Key Insights You Must Know When Selling To Europeans

Relationships are important Doing business in Europe has some similar characteristics to doing business in the United States. Data privacy is one of the critical aspects of doing business effectively. Need to understand the payment platforms and the rules. Sensitive to the borders and cultures. Getting down to business is totally acceptable – don’t be offended. What to be aware of in selling to Europeans You have to be GDPR compliant to avoid a deal going south. Germany is extremely strict on GDPR. Navigating the potential language barriers of each country takes research. Consider investing in salespeople that can speak the language of the country you are prospecting too. Being aware of slang and how that can impact your ability to communicate. Stay aware of how the currencies rates are changing from day-to-day. Messenger tools are valuable in assisting your sales efforts Apps that have the ability to translate your marketing campaigns are key to your success. WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber are some powerful tools. “It makes a huge difference when an American salesperson or marketer can take a second to understand who it is that they're they're communicating with, and not be so domineering from a cultural perspective.” – Grady Anderson Connect with Grady via: LinkedIn This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com .  LinkedIn  The sales landscape is totally changing. You need to adapt to succeed. Deep Sales , a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE . Calendly The power of scheduling automation has never been more critical than it is today. Your sales team needs a solution to easily meet with prospects at the right time, every time. Finish the year strong and request a demo of Calendly today at Calendly.com/TSE .  Credits</strong

Mon, December 05, 2022

John Stopper | What You Need To Do To Hit Your Enterprise Sales Target Today

Fri, December 02, 2022

Scott Smyth | How to Do 6 and 7-Figure Deals Over the Phone

Mon, November 28, 2022

Paul Reilly | Selling Through Tough Times

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald speaks with professional speaker, author, and sales trainer, Paul Reilly. They discuss Paul's book “Selling Through Tough Times”, how to thrive through a downturn , and 6 steps to staying mentally strong.  A “Tough Timer” mindset A tough-timer mindset is about finding the opportunity in a struggle, being steadfast, and staying humble.  During tough times, progress is more important than performance. When you are facing tough times you need to continue to progress toward your goal, this will help you to stay motivated.  Daily mental flex Paul has developed six steps to help you stay mentally strong.  Gratitude Continuous improvement Self-discipline Positive reframing Pruning negativity and planting positivity Make success easier tomorrow by taking action today Anyone can utilize these six steps no matter how much experience you have as a seller.  What do buyers think during tough times? Customers buy differently during tough times and you need to understand how your customers define value during difficult moments. People are often fearful during uncertain times and often hit the pause button in order to conserve cash. How can you position yourself for success during tough times?  Focus your time, energy, and effort on the most viable sales opportunities. Detail what business you are trying to avoid so that you can limit wasted time.  Shift your customers' attention to the future and help them remember their goals.  Episode Resources <span

Fri, November 25, 2022

Donald Kelly | What Sellers and Sales Leaders Are Grateful For

Mon, November 21, 2022

Rob Ashton | Three Things Every Seller Must Change to Convert More Prospects When Writing Emails

Fri, November 18, 2022

Mike Orlick | Why Clear Use Cases Enable Sales Teams to Sell Complex Technologies

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald talks with the head of sales at Transcend, Mike Orlick. They discuss the importance of use cases, how to effectively utilize them, and how to better provide value to your clients.  What is a use case and how do you utilize it?? A use case comes down to the business outcome and what they mean for your client.  Mike suggests getting quotes from previous clients who have had success with your product and then target similar individuals in your ICP. This helps to validate your product.  You can utilize use cases when new protocols impact your industry. When you understand a prospect's situation they are more likely to trust you with a solution.  Become an investigator and problem solver You get into enterprise sales by going deep and helping companies improve their business.  When you join an organization who has already started to prove use cases, you can go in with a use case and become a trusted advisor to a company by asking the right questions and truly wanting to solve their problem.  How can you start utilizing use cases? Map out what your product does, what it solves for, and who it solves those problems for.  If you already have customers, interview them to find out why they brought you in and what problem you are solving for them.  Mike’s last piece of advice Be genuine and have a real interest in uncovering and solving business problems.  To hear more from Mike, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit transcend.io This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folders, files, and half-filled spreadsheets? (Not that we’re speaking from personal experience.) Luckily, we’ve found the solution. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Scratchpad creates a streamlined workflow that allows everyone to be a little more productive each day without the hassle of updating a database with whatever info you can find. Get Scratchpad free at <a hre

Mon, November 14, 2022

Matt Dixon | The Jolt Effect - How Top Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host, Donald Kelly, talks with Matt Dixon about how top performers overcome customer indecision. At the beginning of the pandemic, sales went entirely virtual overnight. Matt, and his team, studied 2.5 million recorded sales calls to answer the questions: what possesses a customer to go through an entire sales process and then not follow through, and what do the best salespeople do to avoid that happening to them? The answer is the JOLT effect. What do most salespeople do when customers get cold feet? Many salespeople are taught that the reason this happens is that you haven’t beaten their status quo.  They dial up the FOMO. Matt found that this increases the odds that the customer will do nothing.  Two reasons that the deal could be lost to no decision The customer still feels the pull of the status quo and they believe what they are currently doing is good enough. They don’t see that switching to your product is a better alternative.  They are indecisive about changing the status quo. They don’t know what to pick, they feel a lack of information, or they feel like they won’t get what they are paying for.  How do you overcome customer indecisiveness? The JOLT effect During Matt's study, he found that there are four behaviors that high performers use to get customers unstuck. The acronym JOLT.  J udging the level of indecision. The best salespeople use a technique of pings and echoes.  O ffering a recommendation. If everything looks good, then doing nothing seems like the best option. The best salespeople narrow the options and then recommend to the customer what they believe would be best.  L imiting the exploration. When the customer asks for more information it may feel like the customer is making progress. Beyond a certain point, the customer is engaging in analysis paralysis. To limit their exploration you need them to trust you and consider you the expert.  T aking r

Fri, November 11, 2022

Russ Heddleston | Surviving Enterprise Sales In a Tight Economy

Right now, more so than ever, it is critical for salespeople to learn how to navigate in a tight economy. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host, Donald Kelly, talks with the co-founder of DocSend, Russ Heddleston, about how to listen more, use the prospect's language, and how do ONE thing well for them.  Why won’t order-takers survive in a tight economy? Over the last few years, more and more order-taking roles are being pushed to automation. The role of the salesperson is changing because of the amount of competition and vendors. What can we do? Be curious and listen more Your first job is to listen and understand why you are having a conversation and how you can help your customer.  Look up who you are talking to ahead of time. Russ says that very few of the salespeople he talks to have done their research ahead of time.  The process will move faster if you are more patient on your first calls.  Bridge the gap between value and the company's goals Companies have been through the ringer in the past year, so have empathy for your prospect. Your best bet to get them to buy is to understand their business. Understand what they are trying to solve so that you can become a partner to them.  Use their own language The person you are talking to is not the only person involved in the buying decision. Even if you convince them, they need to convince everyone else in the company.  To help your champion save time, recognize their language and use it so that they can turn around and explain it to their company.  If you are not versed in their industry, talk to product marketing and your support team, then document it for the next person.  Do ONE thing well for them Make it simple, not complicated, for why they should buy.  Take all the value propositions your product has a

Mon, November 07, 2022

Jennifer Smith | 3 Ways to Train and Ramp Your Team in Half the Time

If you are a BDR, SDR, or AE you are going to benefit from today’s podcast. In today’s show, Donald talks with Jenner Smith about three ways to train and ramp your team in half the time.  What problems arise when training a sales team? Productivity. Jennifer says that it is all about spending as much time as possible doing the thing that drives the most impact.  Scale yourself Scaling yourself is all about figuring out the core things you are good at and spending as much time on them. Take the other tasks that are filling your time and reduce them, automate them, or delegate them.  Jennifer challenges you to track how many interruptions you have and the time you spend doing various tasks on an average day. They add up.  Get people the things they need Get information to the right people at the right time so that they can be effective with their time. Scale your best rep Have your best reps, the folks who have been there a while and know what they are doing, record how they do what they do.  Share this information with the rest of your reps so that they can learn from the information and knowledge that makes your best rep really good.  If all the reps are able to share with each other what is working, everyone will learn together to create a rapid learning machine.  Last advice from Jennifer Anything that you are doing that is not talking to a customer, ask yourself “Could I scale this in a particular way?” To connect with Jennifer connect with her on LinkedIn and check out scribehow.com . Use promo code “The Sales Evangelist” for a discount on the paid service.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folders, files, and half-filled spreadsheets? (Not that we’re speaking from personal experience.) Luckily, we’ve found the solution. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Scratchpad creates a streamlined workflow that

Fri, November 04, 2022

Greg Nutter | Three Critical Pillars of Effective Selling

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald talks with Greg Nutter about three critical pillars of effective selling. Greg has been a consultant for 17 years and is the author of his book P3 Selling .  Three areas that B2B salespeople need to understand   Problem   Understand the problem, influence the perception of those problems, and message back to those problems about how well their solution addresses it.  Greg sees salespeople constantly talking about the product. Without the context of the problem, a customer wanting to solve any discussion around product features makes no sense.  Businesses don’t buy products, they buy solutions to problems.  How can you identify the problem? Ask questions to your customers.   People   Understand who is impacted by those problems, their perspective, and their decision influence.  Over the last 10 years, we have gone from 3 or 4 people involved in a B2B purchase, to 10 to 15. Try to understand everyone's perspective so that you can message them.  “The race doesn’t always go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s how you bet.” If you cover more people you are more likely to win.    Process   Understand what the buying process looks like, where the prospect is in the process, and how you are positioned in that buying process.  What matters most is what the prospect is doing. Are they looking for information? Do they understand the importance of making a change? An individual process is where an individual goes through their own steps to determine if they want to buy your product.  The compliance process is when the subject matter experts are brought in to w

Mon, October 31, 2022

Ari Brinson and Kristen Bentley | The Scary Truth of Cold Calling That's Preventing You From Hitting Your Numbers

The sales process seems to be getting more difficult and if you don’t know what you are doing it can be scary. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald talks with salespeople Ari and Kristen about how to overcome the fear of cold calling.  What makes cold calling scary? No being prepared to have conversations with high-level executives and to overcome their objections. If you learn what the prospect is selling and who they are selling to you will have a better chance. The fear of sounding stupid. If you haven’t done your research you will sound like you don’t know what you are talking about. The conversation will be more organic and authentic if you have done research beforehand.  The fear of hearing no. Once you accept that a majority of the people you call are going to say no, it is easier to handle it. Reframe your thinking and realize that the prospects who say no aren’t the ones you are looking for.  How do you effectively do research and still maintain volume? As you get better at research, you can do it a lot faster. With experience, you can see common trends in each industry.  Have an understanding of what their business is going through, even if you are totally off, a good senior-level leader will appreciate the fact that you did research.  Focus on what they sell, who they sell it to, and how they sell it. You don’t need to read an entire annual report to understand what they do.  Use all resources available to you including job descriptions.  What advice do Ari and Kristen have for BDRs who are scared You won’t get over the fear of making calls by not making calls. Make as many calls as you can and learn from your mistakes.  Practice with a team lead, manager, or AE. Record your role plays and have your manager review them.  Let yourself be vulnerable and let yourself make mistakes.  No question is a dumb question, if you are having trouble ask for help.  To hear more from Ari and Kristen , connect with them on LinkedIn.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folder

Fri, October 28, 2022

Taylor Clawson | What Every SDR Should Know When Handing Off a Deal to Their AE

What are things you can do to improve the handoff to your AE? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald talks with high school teacher turned salesperson Taylor Clawson about how to improve the handoff from SDR to AE.  What problem does ineffective communication bring?  Deals collapse because they make the environment seem unprofessional and give the impression that you are not knowledgeable.  Why do SDRs have bad handoffs? Depending on where you work, SDRs can get paid on how many appointments they set up.  If processes aren’t in place for SDRs to hand off qualified prospects, deals fall apart.  Taylor believes it stems from the organization and what process they have in place for SDRs.  What qualifying questions does Taylor have in place?  Truly understanding their needs. That is an ambiguous but important question.  What is their timeline?  Taylor says that the more information the better. What is their personality like, what are they expecting, who is going to be on the call, and what is their style?  What can an SDR do to ensure a smooth handoff? Make sure that everything is as detailed as possible in the CRM.  In Taylor’s organization, the SDR calls the prospect the day before the demo to confirm and ask final qualifying questions.  It’s important to build trust with your SDRs and have a relationship with them. Taylor’s SDRs give her feedback and she gives them feedback as well.  Taylor’s last piece of advice Build trust with one another.  For more content from Taylor, connect with her on LinkedIn .  This episode is brought to you in part by

Mon, October 24, 2022

Nicolas Sosa | The Secret to Booking Demos that Actually Show Up

As a BDR, nothing is more frustrating than doing all the work to book a demo and the prospect doesn’t show up. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist Donald talks with Nicolas Sosa, an automation specialist at IBM, about how to make sure you book demos that actually show up.  Why don’t people show up?  There are things that you can control, and things that you simply cannot control. You cannot control if someone shows up or not.  Focus on the right authority If you are not speaking to the decision maker, or the champion (a person heavily involved in the decision making process), it is really hard to progress that call.  As a BDR, you need to make sure you are talking to the right people.  Gatekeepers do a very good job at gate keeping, try building a relationship with them. Be transparent with the gatekeepers.  Make sure you understand the reason they are showing up Walk away with very specific challenges and pain points - wanting to make more money isn’t a good enough reason.  Knowing why the prospects are showing up shortens the sales cycle.  Communicate with your AE so that you know what they are expecting.  Don’t promise the prospect a solution to all of their problems. Try using the words “if” and “qualify”. As a BDR, you don’t need to close the deal, you are just closing time.  Accept the invite right away When you are closing time, make it very clear what kind of meeting it will be, then make sure that you stamp time on their calendar.  Send them a calendar invite and make sure that they accept it. The simple things are where the money is at.  If you see this as pushy, you aren’t understanding the value of the product.  For more content from Nicolas, connect with him on LinkedIn .  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folders, files, and half-filled spreadsheets? (Not that we’re speaking from personal experience.) Luckily, we’ve found the solution. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to chan

Fri, October 21, 2022

Tanner Stewart | Three Things Every BDR Must Master When Doing Cold Calls

No matter what you’re doing right now, cold outreach should be a part of everyone's game. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald talks with Tanner Stewart, an account executive at Home Care Plus, about three tips he has for every BDR doing cold calls.   Biggest challenges sellers face when it comes to cold outreach? Know which people to call in the first place. If you’re calling hundreds of the wrong people every day, you can be a great seller and have little success.  Focus on the right people and the right message. 3 things every BDR must master when doing cold calls   Be a human, treat your prospects like humans   When you ask someone how they are, you have to actually mean it.  Be genuinely interested in them. If a prospect asks you how you are, be genuine and vulnerable. This helps them bring their guard down.  Instead of starting a call by saying “here's what we are doing and here’s how we can help you with” start with, “I've been talking to some folks, and here are trends I am seeing in the industry, are you seeing this as well?” Be present when making calls and when they do answer, don’t be afraid of the interaction or being genuine.    Product selling vs. solution selling   Avoid the temptation to dive deep into your product.  It’s not bad to want to give them information about your product but think about relating what you tell them back to what they have told you about their challenges.  Care enough about the prospect to alleviate their pain points.    Asking questions and knowing when to ask them   Instead of diving into your product, ask them a question. You can ask them if what they are doing is working for them. Little follow-up questions help you dig deeper. A great question is “Can you tell me a little more about that

Mon, October 17, 2022

Wayne St. Amand | Deal Closing Content That Can Help You Close 10% More Deals

Sales and marketing have the same goal: to close more deals to make their organization more revenue. The relationship between sales and marketing professionals can be a powerful tool if connected properly. However, meaningful and practical connections are often lost between the two. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CMO at Allego, Wayne St. Amand, to learn deal-closing content strategies to help marketing and sales professionals become more aligned in their goals.  Three things to do less of as sellers and marketers: Don’t allow the relationship between sales and marketing to be treated like a drive-thru window. Salespeople ask for marketing collateral, create it, and the seller moves on.  Stop guessing what sales needs; the departments should co-create materials together. Don’t focus exclusively on top-of-funnel activities because interacting with all sales funnel stages allows the most opportunities to develop and move forward. Creating can be asynchronous; marketing can review recordings of sales calls to determine additional materials that might be needed.  Guessing is the enemy of sales: However, there is a difference between guessing and making assumptions; assumptions are a necessary tool (that should be verified and refined whenever possible.) Three things to do more as sellers and marketers: Treat your sales enablement process as the final mile between sellers and success. Create as much common ground as possible while speaking the same language. Mirror the speech patterns of the people working with you to create an atmosphere that best pushes forward. Have more direct interactions with your market. Prospective, current, and past customers have a lot to teach the organization. Wayne’s final piece of advice? Excellence doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The ultimate answer and best version of achievement happen when you can learn, teach, and work with the people and groups around you. To get in contact with Wayne, find him on LinkedIn

Fri, October 14, 2022

Garnor Morantes | LinkedIn Introduces Deep Sales

As technology, tools, and culture evolve, sales strategies evolve alongside them. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the Director of Integrated Marketing at LinkedIn Sales Solutions, Garnor Morantes, to learn about “deep selling” - a powerful new way to connect and build sales-enabling relationships. Being loud and clear about the messaging is the best way to make new sales.   Since the pandemic, email outreach has gone up by 50%. However, responses have declined by 30%.  Buyers are getting more bombarded with messaging from sellers, so what are his insights? It’s a growing problem. Nearly 60% of the buyer journey is sent without the salesperson, meaning the buyer is researching and looking into solutions before contacting a seller.  B2B selling is in a crisis.  Buyers don’t want it because of the increased amount of sales without a seller. They can do information, talk to colleagues, or read online reviews, testimonials, and demos to see if it's right for them. Insights from the buyers help a seller determine who, where, and when is the right time to talk to a potential buyer. What is deep sales? It boils down to a new category of sales intelligence - a technology based on actionable insights like deeper account insights, relationship intelligence, and more robust buyer intent data. Those three types of intelligence make up the concept of deep sales. Spending time understanding the buyer’s journey and filling out changes in the hiring process can make up company funding. Shedding light on the best way to maximize and be a top seller is to use deep sales. Some of the software out there is a part of it - interactions on the platform. Intent-based solutions are essential. Deriving benefits from a deep sales strategy: LinkedIn launched content about utilizing Sales Navigator to refocus outreach efforts based on user intent.  </li

Mon, October 10, 2022

Miranda Morrison | The Money Outreach Sequence

To some people, building outreach sequences for prospects is easy. However, for most people, that isn’t the case. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the co-creator of the Money Sequence, Miranda Morrison, to explain how she built a sequence that doubled engagement upon implementation. Sequencing, especially in tech sales, is critical. Before the money sequence, Miranda’s company had email segmentation for many audiences depending on their interests, position, and what information would be most pertinent to them. What made it successful was the combination of ‘spray and pray’ with highly personalized and individualized approaches.  Personalizing later in the sequence (by reference to an article or important piece) shows a degree of research that is most effective without spending too much time. Personalization at scale is the best approach. However, there are times a more personalized email is more appropriate, which is often later in the sales cycle. What metrics were they focused on? The goal for each SDR was to book ten meetings each month, and Miranda found that short and sweet messaging was well-opened but infrequently responded to.  Moving to a more personalized sequence later in the cycle resulted in a larger shift. After converting to the money sequence, Miranda adjusted her copy to be more bulleted and more personalized that presented the same information, but the tone as a whole was catered more toward the job title of the prospect. The Money Sequence - 18 steps over 28 days: Always start with a phone call and ensure you have the correct phone number. Call and email on day one.  Day Two - Phone call again Day Four - Phone call with an email. With this email, Miranda utilizes <a href= "https://www.drift.com/offers/drift-platform/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google_Search_Brand_US_Beta&utm_term=drift&utm_network=g&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsqZBhAlEiwAqAHElclvhZ2asws8xmxZ-8OSKRqZuw3eiT

Fri, October 07, 2022

Brendan Kelly | Three Things Every New BDR/SDR Needs to Know

For many people, entering the sales profession can seem overwhelming. What are the right strategies, tactics, and mindset to do the best job possible? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the Account Executive at Challenger, Brendan Kelly, to learn his takeaways and thoughts after working in sales for six months.  Before starting his job, Brendan assumed he would just make phone calls every day. However, he soon realized high activity isn’t the long-term solution; it’s a burn-out-inducing, needle-in-a-haystack mentality. Instead, who, when, and why he reaches out to prospects is far more important. Intention and consistency are what yield success for new sellers. He learned to keep it simple. The person on the other end appreciates the authenticity. Whether he gets the meeting or not, the person should have a positive experience from the discussion. The intention is to get the win, and a win doesn’t always equal a meeting.  Business acumen Brendan didn’t know: A lot of acronyms and the specifics of what stakeholder titles mean were confusing. It takes time and curiosity to learn it all.  It won’t happen overnight, and it’ll take effort to learn the ins and outs of a job title. To learn, get in situations where it comes up and have the confidence to ask someone what it means. It’s as simple as searching it on Google and writing it down to remember later. Prioritize the learning and schedule time to devote to complex topics to better understand them.  Sales is collaborative. It isn’t the cutthroat environment he thought it was going to be. While you need a level of self-motivation to thrive and succeed, it isn’t a process done alone.  Since day one, Brendan was able to rely on his Account Executive for advice and to help him hone his craft. <span style= "font-weigh

Mon, October 03, 2022

William Padilla | Three Things BDRs Get Wrong When Structuring Their Day

The best-sellers aren’t always the most charismatic, understanding, or intelligent. Sometimes, all it takes is an organized, structured, and productive day. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by tech sales Account Executive William Padilla to learn how he structures his day to make sales, make connections, and impact his work.  Many old-school sales organizations are built on price.   However, with tech sales, a single deal can require an 8-month process of creating the relationship first. BDRs might only have 6-8 qualified demos each month, but creating that number of opportunities requires much more leg work behind the scenes. Planning and prepping your day: Don’t go into your day winging what you plan to do. For example, Will realized he was too distracted and hit his metrics only by scrambling on a Friday afternoon. He decided to structure his day, achieving all his late-stage interactions in the morning to reserve his afternoons entirely for prospecting. He’s not more talented than the next seller; he’s more structured. Your mindset creates the structure needed to foster more sales. BDR roles are fairly science-based because it’s focused on hitting metrics and quotas.  When Will needed to book eight demos per month, he quickly realized that not every cold call was a qualified demo.  He would make sure to have at minimum four cold calls set up each week with qualified leads.  What every demo number you need to hit, book double to ensure enough opportunities to reach your quota. Implement the 5x5 rule - don’t log off for the day unless you have five new companies to prospect and five contacts within each company. Be like Batman and Robin; work with your AE: As a BDR, understand that your account executive is your teammate. So sometimes, it helps

Fri, September 30, 2022

Lauren Golden | How to Apply the Daily 5 Strategy to Get More Done!

For many sellers, there’s too much to do in too little time. So how can we find the extra time in our day to accomplish everything we want? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by author, speaker, and the founder of The Free Mama , Lauren Golden, to understand how we can implement time management strategies to get more done in less time. Productivity is only so much of time management; busy work is a significant problem. Being “busy” doesn’t always mean you’re “producing.” There are many ways to feel busy without actually doing anything beneficial. Preparing for your next day at the end of the current day is a great way to ensure you stay on track and focused on what moves your bottom line. Never begin work before understanding what needs to be done. Implementing the Daily Five: It’s not about doing everything on your to-do list; it’s about accomplishing the major, most needle-moving activity you can. For sales professionals, the needle-moving business is closing deals, especially if the contact is a latter-stage sales prospect. Self-sabotaging is a frequent element at play in prioritizing. Often, the most challenging task is the one that will make you the most productive. Be clear on your goal; if you aren’t sure of your goal, you won’t know how to prioritize. Don’t fall victim to others’ priorities: Put your needs first. Consider blocking time for self-care, errands, and family time, so you don’t allow other people to schedule time with you at those intervals.  Discover what you’re currently doing that can be cut or approached differently to create more time in your day. Lauren’s advice for people looking to adopt a more time-managemental mindset:   There’s always more work to be done, so create boundaries that prevent you from pushing all the time. <s

Mon, September 26, 2022

Luke Charlton | Three Things You Must do to Write Better Cold Emails

Cold emails are a hallmark of modern selling, yet many salespeople don’t include the correct information to yield the right results. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by content expert and sales professional Luke Charlton to learn how sellers can write better cold emails to see more success. How can sellers write better emails? When you start sending people new information, many notice the open rate drop markedly after a few weeks. People lose interest. That led Luke to question what media kept people’s attention - streaming, social media, film, and television. He realized that to get people to read his emails, he needed to make them more entertaining. Luke’s three tips for better email writing: When you tell a story, it doesn’t necessarily have to be personal. Instead, it could be something that sparks emotion in you.  What’s the lesson of the story? Whether it’s about sales, dating, or how to pick something for dinner, there should be a derived lesson from the story. Once the lesson is explained, it’s easy to transition to the close. In the close, you pitch or offer whatever the email's goal is to get more people involved. Entertaining emails receive higher engagement because people look forward to reading them. The more you email, the more money you’ll make.  If you send pitch-heavy emails that aren’t entertaining, you’ll likely have many people unsubscribe. But by creating fun emails people want to read, they’ll look forward to a daily email.  The typical rules of sales emails don’t apply if the email is entertaining enough. People are willing to read longer content and paragraphs rather than skim bullet points if they feel moved to continue reading. However, that only happens if you properly captivate them. To learn more from Luke, visit 9emailoffers.com or the15minuteclientworkshop.com for content and information about successful email marketing. You can also join his private community for free training at thehermithole.com or connect with him on LinkedIn for regular content.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase

Fri, September 23, 2022

Todd Mitchem | 3 Tools to Ensure You Tell Stories that Win the Deal

Stories are a part of the sales process, but there are better strategies and tools to help sellers refine their storytelling abilities. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales speaker and managing partner of Amp, Todd Mitchem, to learn how he utilizes storytelling to make more sales.  What’s wrong with storytellers today? Sellers tell stories thinking they should be solely personal anecdotes before the work conversation begins.  In actuality, the most powerful stories are upfront with a purpose that launches into the pitch, intro, or discussion. Second common mistake? Not setting up the story. Sellers either set up too much or don’t set up enough to give the listener the correct amount of information to engage properly. Three elements of a sales story: Set up the customer's struggle, allowing them to see how the story relates to them.  Dictate the solution and derive benefits or successes from implementing the seller’s product or service. Explain what the story means to the prospect - why should they care? A story’s impact is only as good as the person telling it: The best salespeople are the ones who care about (or at least respect) what they’re selling. The story has to be honest to be impactful. While it doesn’t have to be your story, it should be genuine.  Great storytellers practice their craft; a salesperson can’t expect to nail it just by winging it during meetings. If done right and truthful, storytelling is the most powerful element to any sales process. Lead with what matters: Think from the perspective of the prospect; why does the sale or the pitch matter to them? They don’t care how many sales

Mon, September 19, 2022

Chris Pistorius | How I'm Utilizing Loom Videos To Get A 20% Reply Rate

Video content is a powerful tool to help any seller accomplish their selling goals. However, it’s only powerful when executed and distributed properly. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by digital marketing professional and owner of KickStart Dental, Chris Pistorius, to learn how any seller can capitalize on video production to garner prospects’ attention. What are things people get wrong with video production? There isn’t a process in place. He uses Lucidchart , a mind-mapping software that helps chart the process and gather steps for a seller to visualize. Map it out and have a plan, but continue with the understanding that it will likely change. Have your Dream 100 - the list of one hundred targets you’d like to acquire as clients. Get a CRM system that fits our needs. Chris uses Pipedrive , but Salesforce and other top CRM systems are viable options depending on your volume and process.  Maintain consistent communication: GoHighLevel is a tool built for marketing agencies that set up automated email sequences depending on the receiver’s responses (or lack thereof.) Use a variety of channels to interact with prospects. Send an email offering a unique video email to each prospect offers an individualized follow-up that can be made once someone has expressed interest. In your video content, magnify the existing pain points the prospect has to validate their belief in the pain point and encourage them to use you to solve that pain. Use platforms like Loom to screen-shar

Fri, September 16, 2022

Harry Spaight | How to Get Past the Discouragement of the Word No

Whether you’re a sales professional or work in another industry, hearing the word ‘no’ can get anyone in a negative mindset. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Harry Spaight, a sales coach and consultant who wants to help every salesperson overcome their fears to find sales success. Why does discouragement affect us so badly? As sellers, we frequently take rejections personally.  Even if the sale is rejected for a myriad of reasons, the seller will still assume they are the reason the prospect is not interested in the sale. We make offers through options, just like a fine-dining server. Each time a server makes an option, they expect a rejection. If professional offers can get into the same mindset, we can lead with service in mind. If someone doesn’t want your offer, think about what other options might impact their business or be helpful to their work. Sales is a place of service. There are so many choices with what you’re selling. Make it easy for a buyer to work with you and you’ll find sales naturally coming your way. Help buyers quantify their pains. Don’t encourage someone to purchase your product if the pain is not enough to justify the purchase - it results in remorse for the product. People will solve their problems one way or another. If you can provide benefits in addition to a solution, you’ll give long-term value the buyer can’t supply themselves. Sales isn’t a numbers game; it’s a skills game. If you believe sales is a numbers game, you do a poor job with the person in front of you to get to the easy yes. Dig deep and find the prospect’s challenges to determine if they’re a viable candidate for the product. There are numbers tied to sales that are important. However, the numbers shouldn’t be at the expense of the conversations with the prospects in front of you.</span

Mon, September 12, 2022

Donald Kelly | 5 Email Mistakes Most Sellers Make Daily

Anyone in sales sends emails. (If you don’t, we’re a bit concerned.) But how can you go about sending emails effectively that generate results? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses five things you need to be aware of to send an effective email.   You don’t need to tell them your name.   Your email is full of precious information, and emails already have the ‘from’ section, email domain, and signature. AKA, the prospect already knows who you are!  While you might want to explain on a phone call, it is repeated information in an email.   Explain a relationship or medium the prospect can refer back to.   The point of reference connects you to the prospect. For example, did you meet them through LinkedIn, or did a mutual connection refer you? State this existing relationship to build pre-existing rapport with the prospect. If no relationship exists, tie your outreach to the organization’s goals or content the company posted online.   State the use case.   Give the prospect a reason to continue reading.  Provide the use case quickly in the email, or you risk turning the prospect off before they understand what value you can offer.   Don’t put things that trigger the spam filter.   The fewer links in your email signature, the less likely it will trigger a spam filter.  Research what elements of an email contribute to a spam filter, and rewrite or restructure your emails to avoid those pitfalls.   Have just one call to action.   People are busy. If you ask the prospect for multiple different things, they’re less likely to fulfill any of those actions.  Make it simple to give people an easy way to respond and move further into the pipeline. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tir

S35 E1593 · Fri, September 09, 2022

Justin Cunningham | Transform Your Belief & Transform Your Sales

When it comes to improving sales, all it might take to reach your goals is a shift in mindset. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Justin Cunningham to learn how any sales professional can stand out, transform, and optimize their mindset for better performance.  You won’t be able to sell until you believe you can sell. Adjust your beliefs. Try integrating a value-based reframe - People will form their beliefs after an experience. During your next relationship or interaction, you’ll subconsciously look for those same affirming beliefs to support your existing notion.  Decide that you want something better and find evidence to support that new belief. Set yourself apart to win larger-scale accounts: Learn what they’re passionate about and what drives their bottom line to integrate a plan framed directly to them. A gatekeeper will pass individualized materials and information to a decision-maker rather than a mass-sent supply of information. Don’t act like an employee; act like a business partner. When you focus on creating unique connections, relationships, and moments with others, you’ll realize you’re far more critical than a cog in the business machine. If you try something new, what’s the worst that can happen? Propose new growth ideas and ways to improve your organization; if that is considered negative, it likely isn’t the best environment for you. How leadership empowers their teams: Most people are completely underutilized. People are motivated by many different things, and determining your team’s perspectives and mindset can be a powerful way to unify positions toward a common goal. Ask yourself and your team if your current actions are contributing to the company goal. If not, change your behavior. Justin’s final takeaway?  Believe that your radical insights are worth sharing. Don’t be afraid to tell your ideas to those around you. Read <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Clicking-Trends-That-Dri

Mon, September 05, 2022

Steve Brossman | Self Selling Secret - How Not to Lower Your Value with Each Prospect

It’s an all-too-common sales tactic to reduce your price to drive more sales. However, it can be easy to reduce our worth far below the time, energy, and thought it takes to provide the service we have. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by professional sales coach Steve Brossman to uncover his secrets to creating sales without lowering your worth. The three levels of influence: Imposed: Present and pitch information to the client to make an informed buying decision Collaborative - When the client is involved, they invest to co-create a solution. Self-influence - With the right connections and collaboration, the buyer knows you’ll deliver more than whatever money you charge. Shift your sales mentality: Instead of portraying selling as taking from buyers; shift your perspective. Instead, think of it as giving greater value than what they’re willing to invest. Create information and relationships through your videos, content, and messages to potential buyers.  Come with high energy. Build the buying energy, not just the sharing of information. Steve’s four-letter framework to sell anything: D - Data, demonstrate, and deliver information.  N - Narrative. Use a narrative to frame the solution, whether it’s a quick story about how you’ve used it or a case study. Q - Quantifiable results. Those results are significantly greater than the investment to deliver C - Confirm and continue with the sale.  Steve’s major takeaway? Collaborate, don’t convince. You’ll never win the sale with just a pitch and close; it takes collaboration, research, and work to make the close. For more information and content from Steve, email him at steve@stevebrossman.com . For TSE

Fri, September 02, 2022

Heather O'Neill | What if Your Biggest Sales Challenge is INSIDE You?

Working in sales becomes drastically easier when we have a mindset and behavior that encourages our best work. But how can we curb limiting beliefs to develop a consistent and positive change in behavior? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by speaker, author, and podcast host Heather O’Neill to discuss how sales leaders can inspire change in their mindset for performance growth.  Our existing beliefs can hold us back:  Our perceptions about the profession, money, or industry can all hold us back from our full potential.  More importantly, our beliefs about ourselves can have the same impact - the idea that we don’t have enough experience, work, or ability to get the job done. These limiting beliefs often aren’t true and are inspired by what others tell us, not necessarily what we believe. Your brain doesn’t know what’s true and what isn’t - it’ll believe whatever is easier. If you tell yourself you’re a confident speaker, you’ll be more confident with it. (And yes, the reverse is also true.)  It comes down to where you choose to direct your energy. Both bad and good things happen every day - choose where you focus. Shaping positive beliefs: When we become aware of our negative beliefs (and choose to let go of them), we generate the space for more positivity to ward off those prior beliefs.  Shift to the opposite (and then dive deeper) to uncover a more nuanced perception. Surround yourself with successful people further in their careers. We inadvertently hold ourselves back when those around us want the people around us to stay the same. Removing negative ideals: Negative generational beliefs are often passed down, whether through family, friends, and coworkers. Generational beliefs are often negative and are based on prior misconceptions that lead to biases. We get beliefs from everyo

Mon, August 29, 2022

Chris Prangley | I'm Making Over $200K But I'm Burnt Out...Help!

Fri, August 26, 2022

Kristen Taraszewski | Three Important Things to Remember When Training Technical Sellers

Sales isn’t rocket science. However, we want to cover our bases just in case. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by former NASA flight control engineer and CEO of ElevenPoint2, Kristin Taraszewski, to learn how sales organizations can adequately train their employees with technical knowledge to close more sales.  Many sellers require technical training to sell their products, and that training has become more scarce. In 2021 alone, 39% of all salespeople switched jobs. Unfortunately, that shift led to a huge need for training that hasn’t been fulfilled. It’s difficult to keep up with the rapid changes of the world as quickly as the solution is needed. Many companies don’t have a definitive onboarding and training program beyond a few online courses. It’s expensive to pull salespeople out of the field to train, and lecture-based training historically has a 10% retention rate, making it challenging to implement successfully. Give sellers a clear map. When training sellers, a clear pathway with clear direction is necessary to help people succeed and thrive. You can’t shortcut the learning map. Ask your technical team, sales team, and other necessary departments to determine what information is critical for the seller to know. Then, devise and implement a plan that teaches those elements. Think in the context of the customer. Teaching and training should be integrated. Learning one segment of the process at a time, like tech or applications, is not as helpful as full exposure. To get your foot in the door, a seller needs to prove they have something the buyer requires that solves a problem they experience. Utilize gamification to build successful programs: Training should be individualized as much as possible to help the people retain the information in the best way for them. To implement gamification, replicate the scenario a salesperson might experience while training.

Mon, August 22, 2022

Donald Kelly | How Does Your Personal Image and Selfcare Impact Sales

Your personal brand and image impact everything about your sales process. Creating and maintaining a professional self-care routine is necessary to put your best foot forward to make the most money and foster the most connections. In today’s episode of the Sales Evangelist, Donald shares some quick tips for any seller to improve their confidence and build a personal brand that reflects the hard work you do each day. Sometimes, we neglect the emotional for the physical: Sure, scoring that meeting or closing the deal can be nice. However, it’s not as nice when it comes at a cost for our own physical and emotional needs as human beings. The Sales Evangelist is launching a course to build your professional self-care routine; check out the information here: thesalesevangelist.com/free-sales-training Build a positive attitude and confidence: One of the biggest things to help you be more effective is confidence.  Even if you don’t know a lot about the industry or individual, learn the company basics. Research the company to have more poignant discussions about the material to drive confidence.  If you are genuinely interested in the conversation with the potential buyer, you’ll inherently come across as more confident and competent in the conversation. Dress to the customer’s needs: If you’re meeting with an executive or higher-level individual, dress to their level. Leave the hoodie at home and wear what instills confidence in yourself and the buyer.  Especially if you work from home, dressing professionally will make an impact where lower dress scales are more common. Your personal brand is critical: Pay attention to how you project yourself online and on social media.  Amid a potential recession and the Great Resignation, ensure your content, language, and tone are transferable wherever you want to

Fri, August 19, 2022

Jeb Blount | Selling the Price Increase

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by frequent guest and CEO of Sales Gravy, Jeb Blount, to discuss an important (and often avoided) topic: selling a price increase to clients.  The price increase conversation is awkward, especially if you’ve never done it before. A seller’s main priority is to get the increase without losing the customer or order. Increases are good for the health of an organization. They’re essential to ensure you get the resources to sell more deals, help prevent layoffs, and service quality initiatives.  Understand what kind of price increase is occurring: Defensive increases are smaller and leveraged across the entire company. In addition, having a relationship with the customer makes discussing a price increase easier. The status quo means it takes a lot of work for a buyer to leave - many customers are likely to stay with you despite the price increase.  Popular narratives sellers can use to discuss: In an inflationary period with supply chain issues, price increases constitute an economic fairness narrative. Costs have risen, impacting your ability to serve customers. Future value narratives occur when you add features, services, and additional expertise that justify the price increase. Project-based narrative - To successfully meet a particular benchmark, timeline, or quota, you need additional funding.  Weave narratives together to weave a custom reason for your client - it should be whatever best helps them explain the increase.  Connect with Jeb on LinkedIn for more content and information. You can find his new book, Selling the Price Increase, on Amazon , and a free downloadable companion guide at <a href="ht

Mon, August 15, 2022

Casey Jacox | Six Things Sellers Can do to Make Themselves Memorable to any Prospect

Many buyers see sellers as a commodity. While the goal of every seller is to close more deals, how are you supposed to do that without being memorable to the buyer? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by a sales coach and expert, Casey Jacox, to learn how sellers can stand out and be memorable to their prospects. Sellers are under a lot of pressure: Whether that pressure is to hit KPIs, increase quarterly figures, or just contribute to company growth, sellers have a lot to worry about. However, sales leaders are unlikely o slow down and contribute to sellers’ foundational skills (AKA building relationships.) The ultimate goal? To make internal and external connections that help sellers improve their close rate while enjoying their position more than before. Six things sellers can do to be more memorable: Bring a positive attitude to your team Manage expectations of your team and prospects Understand the difference between listening and hearing Document and record interactions, goals, and data to inform your questions Let your authentic self shine Relationships take time Have a boomerang mindset. Think about ways to be nice and positive to those around you - set the precedent for communication.  Give what someone asks for, and communicate with stakeholders if something might prevent you from reaching a certain benchmark or KPI. For more content and information from Casey, tune in to his podcast, The Quarterback DadCast, available on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and anywhere else podcasts can be found. This epi

Fri, August 12, 2022

Amy Franko | How Modern Sellers Can Stand Out

Mon, August 08, 2022

Chris Morrison | How To Make Yourself Irreplaceable

Creating and maintaining a full and robust pipeline of high-quality leads and sales is dramatically easier when utilizing a trust-based sales strategy. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by professional sales coach Chris Morrison to understand how making yourself irreplaceable is the key to securing more high-quality clients. Why be irreplaceable? The name gives it away, but memorizing a sales script isn’t a scalable long-term solution to making more money.  To make yourself irreplaceable, you have to make yourself known. Command trust as a trusted advisor to those around you, whether coworkers, managers, or customers. Have a following or community of people who take your word as trusted advice.  Many sales reps get comfortable and fall into repetition. Understand that salespeople have two battles to fight - one with prospects and one with their company.  Building trust with clients: The two most common outreach methods are still phone and email. However, understanding the best way to get the client persona from Point A to Point B will make outbound messaging drastically more successful.  If a lead is unsure about an immediate purchase, ask to share insights with them over the next 12 months. Whether it’s emails, discord, or a Facebook group, nurturing the leads through a series of problem-solving content based on their root issues will foster that trust. Some sellers think they don’t have time to nurture potential buyers: People talk and interact. Even if someone isn’t willing to buy now, they might buy later or can help refer your company to other clients down the line. Build the skill of trust because it’s a skill you’ll need for the rest of your life. Chris’s final takeaway? Lean into the trust-based pipeline, because not enough people put effort into creating great leads. It all depends on the effort and energy you’re willing to channel into your work to create the best results. For more great content and resources from Chris, connect with him on LinkedIn or join his Facebook Group . This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folders, files, and half-filled spreadsheets? (Not that we’re speaking from personal experience.) Luckily, we’ve found the solution. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t h

Fri, August 05, 2022

Joe Apfelbaum | Breaking Into Large Accounts Without Wasting Your Whole Day on Your Feed

Believe it or not, changing your sales communication strategy can be all you need to close more sales! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO and Founder of Ajax Union, Joe Apfelbaum, to learn how he changed his sales approach to land more deals with larger accounts. Break into larger accounts without wasting too much time: Everyone says to go on LinkedIn, but many people don’t understand how to use LinkedIn effectively. Anyone will see through a counterfeit pitch, even if it's just a mutual connection request.  Don’t waste time talking to unqualified leads by creating a strategy to guide your connection requests. Know the buyer, their issues, and their goals to sell effectively. Features tell, stories sell. Become a storyteller to motivate and inspire people to create positive interactions on LinkedIn.  Coaching without permission is criticism, so build rapport (through storytelling) to build the relationship beforehand. When you get a referral, the buyer or prospect doesn’t go to the company's LinkedIn page; they go to yours. Keeping your own page updated is critical to a good interaction. Get familiar with the contact by reading their posts and looking through their content on other platforms to see what you can mention.  To the sellers who say they don’t have the time: It’s much easier to ask a friend for an appointment than a stranger. Build relationships, and you’ll have a perspective of abundance. Set a goal for how many conversations you want per week or month. Start with the end in mind. Joe’s secret? Exposure, credibility, and direct messaging.  LinkedIn has a high organic reach, so post engaging content that grows your personal brand. <span style= "font-weig

Mon, August 01, 2022

Donald Kelly | 5 Underutilized LinkedIn Features That Can Give You More Leads This Week

Some salespeople say LinkedIn doesn’t work for their industry. But LinkedIn is effective! (Chances are, you’re simply not using the platform correctly!) In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald explains the different LinkedIn features available to help make anyone a LinkedIn success. Connect with Donald on LinkedIn to share what features are effective for you that everyone should know! Name Pronunciation By enabling pronunciation on your LinkedIn profile, people can listen to you explaining how to say your name. While simple, this powerful tool will foster better communication and greetings, especially when utilizing cold outreach in the sales process. If your name is easily pronounceable, it’s still a quick intro to your personality and how you approach greetings. Utilizing video in messaging: The video introduction feature on LinkedIn is an opportunity for a more in-depth look at who you are, what you do, and what motivates your professional pursuits.  Engage your audience, direct them to a website, or add a CTA urging people to sign up for your latest class.  When messaging potential leads, supplying video explainers or commentary will build rapport and make you appear more trustworthy than a text message. Utilizing voice in messaging: Recording audio messages is a mobile-only feature that allows you to quickly add an audio component to a message. This is an opportunity to explain your actions, engage your audience, or connect and build rapport. Actually posting content. LinkedIn has close to 800 million active users, but only 2% of users post content regularly. Posting content is one of the most underutilized yet obvious strategies to drive lead growth and offer value to others. <span style= "font-

Fri, July 29, 2022

Chris Shutts | Why Your Sales Team's Tech Tools Should Act as a GPS and Not a Map

Mon, July 25, 2022

Cheryl Parks | Getting The Right People Involved In Landing Larger Deals

Fri, July 22, 2022

Steve Travaglini | How Pay Parity, Pay Transparency and Top of Market Comp are Helping This CRO Build a World Class Team

Unsurprisingly, most people work to get paid (a wild concept, I know.) Despite that, navigating and creating a proper pay scale for sales teams is a seemingly complex and difficult process. How can we create a pay scale that works for the organization and the workers themselves? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CRO of LinkSquares, Steve Travaglini, to discuss what he does to strike a balance between these two sides.  Salary open for negotiation in sales roles doesn’t make sense. If you have two people doing the exact same job, they should be paid the same. Pay isn’t the way to motivate people. If you pay people differently, that will eventually get out and will result in a lack of trust in the organization. Base salaries should be standard across a job title, but allow the variable income (i.e. commission) to determine how much a seller’s skills allow them to make.  There should be no questions or ambiguous items when an employee signs a compensation agreement. Set the rules before you play the game. What items do sellers find annoying in the compensation package? Having different salaries but the same amount of experience should be a nonstarter. Structure annual bonuses around the hiring period, not the calendar year to give everyone an equal chance of reaching that quota.  Implement rewards and compensations beyond strictly monetary like parental leave, benefits, and even stocks or an owner’s portion of the company to keep employees satisfied. Consider advertising jobs based on income; it shouldn’t be the taboo topic that it is currently.  Steve’s average retention v. other tech companies: Typically tech companies aim to be in the 50-75% range of employee This year, Steve’s company is around 80% retention and historically around 70%.  They take risks on sellers with no experience or without the 5-6 years of c

Mon, July 18, 2022

Dan Zavorotny | 3 Key Elements to Create High Performing Teams

Sellers often look for the newest tool, software, or strategy to find success and increase performance. However, improving the core elements of sales is often overlooked. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Dan Zavorotny, the co-founder and COO of Nurtisense, to learn what elements every great sales team should integrate into their culture. Flexibility Culturally, you have to portray the values that work for your company. However, they might not fit other people. People operate differently. If you are a self-motivated individual and you know what will make you perform your best, you should have the flexibility to do that. People who like flexibility can find a balance in life that drives people’s ability to perform at their best time rather than the company’s best time. Transparency Many employers sell potential employees on the dream of working with the company rather than the reality. Being straightforward with the reality of working with the company saves time interviewing, onboarding, and training because turnover will drastically decrease. Maintaining transparency after the hiring process and providing precise methods for improvement will make employees more comfortable asking how they are performing. Metrics Metrics shouldn’t be arbitrary or difficult to measure - they should be specific and actionable metric that allows people to know how they can best move forward and accomplish new goals. It’s easy to get busy with busy work, but this often has little impact on the organization. Before starting an activity, determine the baseline you’re starting with and what you’ll consider a success. Without that baseline, how can you determine if the work was worthwhile? Bonus: Sleep and Nutrition When sellers get a good night’s sleep, they perform better. Their expressions, body language

Fri, July 15, 2022

Jordan Crawford | Stop Personalizing Your Cold Outreach, Do This Instead

This is a conversation we need to have. Cold outreach is one of the core tenants of successful sellers, right? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the founder of Blueprint , Jordan Crawford, to discuss why there might be a better strategy. Every job Jordan has, he’s either been fired from, or the company went under. He ultimately found his place helping startups scale and grow for long-term success, and it was through this endeavor he found a better methodology than personalized cold outreach. The ‘spray-and-pray’ method was the initial online sales foray. However, that soon led the way to personalized outreach. So, is a new method taking the lead? Personalization has its uses, and there are times it is still functional. However, there are some where it isn’t. Personalization helps grab a prospect’s attention. But as a B2B seller, you should only want their attention if their company has a problem your solution can help solve. If you aren’t making a commercial transaction, personalization can have great power.  Sellers can’t test personalization systematically; you must have a way to process the data that is useful to prospects and act on it. Invest in data that leads to understanding product-market fit that solves your customers' core problems. Personalize based on problems, not on the person: Once the potential problems are identified, sellers can sift through potential prospects and interact with them based on those problems the prospect (or their company) might be facing. We’re in the world of tactics. But if you lead with insight based on a prospect’s problem, you’ll be successful.  How can a sales team can implement this strategy: Determine what channels and messaging work for your company. Do a bottom-up analysis to understand everything about the consumer and who you’re selling to. Only after this point should you go to market. Score existing customers by a ‘rubric’ of your ideal customer. If they are a rough match, you’ll know you’ve achieved a more scalable business. You must determine the data sources to find the consumers struggling with the products you solve. Jordan’s final takeaway? If you’re in the sales system, spend time with customer success to determine what consumers already know. Because if you know what they know, you can build models that find more organizations like them. For more content from Jordan, connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at jordan@blueprintgtm.com .  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, th

Mon, July 11, 2022

Donald Kelly | 5 Things The Best Sales Focused Companies Have In Common

Not all companies are created equal. Five key differentiators separate the cream of the crop for sales and sale-focused companies. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses the five key components that successful sales-focused companies have in common. Everyone in the organization is selling. This doesn’t mean every position in the company is a salesperson; we still need our accountants and other critical roles.  Instead, this means that the employees believe in the organization's mission, and they sell the organization because of its powerful mission. Adjust your focus and mission to ensure it is clear and something everyone can get behind. Salespeople are treated as the best in the company. Salespeople are the front line of the people giving money to your company. Salespeople are crucial to bringing money into the organization. If you treat your sellers poorly, you’ll have high turnover (and thus lower sales.) The key? Treat sellers like they’re needed and appreciated. (And you should probably apply that mentality to every role in your company.) Sales education is provided to sales professionals You want your sellers to spread the word about your company's mission. Infuse your salespeople with the greatest of the organization. Provide books, seminars, and boot camps to help provide the techniques sellers need to thrive in their roles. These salespeople will stay with you because you’re providing value to them. The Sales Evangelist has training programs you can use to help your sellers master their profession. Sellers are challenged to become better. Top organizations challenge sellers to be accountable for their work. The best sellers are the ones who consistently set new goals and hit new quotas.</spa

Fri, July 08, 2022

Cole Gordon | My 8-Step Process to Closing Your Next Deal

Mon, July 04, 2022

Scott Savage | Why Most Sales Teams are Only Closing at 17%

When you have the intention to change your sales approach, the behavior follows suit. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Scott Savage, Managing Director at Franklin Covey, to learn how sellers can increase their close rate by winning more deals.  Salespeople tend to think we close more than we do. In actuality, the close right is only around 17%. But imagine what it could be if that close rate were higher. Why are win rates so low? Many would say the pandemic, but it’s not one sole factor.  42% of the time, decision-makers could not tell the difference between vendors. Sellers almost always think they're different. But it doesn’t matter how different you are if the buyer cannot differentiate between sellers. Talk less, question more: Executives and other buyers judge sellers based on their questions, not necessarily their answers. Clients don’t want sellers to just talk at them; they want a discussion to know their problems are being addressed. It’s not that a seller is disliked, but rather that the meeting didn’t progress with the buyer’s needs in mind. RDM is Scott’s strategy to close more sales: Relevant, distinct, and memorable: For relevant, ask yourself what the client truly cares about. What do they wish to buy or add to their current company? Distinct is explaining how they will be dramatically better because of what you can bring to the table. People make decisions based on differences, not similarities. People want compelling contrast. Juxtapose those distinct differences by making those differences easy to share and difficult to forget. Start with the end in mind.   Establish objectives for each meeting to help guide interactions toward those pre

Fri, July 01, 2022

Jennifer Allen | My Journey from Relationship Builder to a Challenger

Most modern sales methodologies focus on building rapport and trust with the prospect; challenging the prospect’s beliefs to make better deals is a hallmark of that perspective. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the Chief Evangelist of Challenger, Jennifer Allen, to discuss her company’s methodology that drives relationships with their prospects and customers. Jennifer started as an entry-level seller in account management: A relationship-builder through and through, she worked hard to gain client trust. (Which worked well for a long time.) During the 2008 recession, her peers and customers laid off teams and cut back budgets; that’s when her corporate exec board launched a report detailing what maintains relationships with customers. Jennifer was shocked to see none of her current sales components in that report. What worked once now no longer works. Why focus on the relationship side? Jennifer never wanted to be one of those salespeople, but it was also how she was coached - she mirrored the behavior of her managers and peers. She was taught to ease tension with the buyer. However, constructive tension is crucial to teaching a prospect a risk (and why they need to act on that risk.)  When you have a problem and go to the bar, the bartender makes you feel good in the moment, but then you wake up with a hangover and the same problem. Conversely, working towards a productive goal helps make strides toward solving the problem. It’s all about your relationships with the people around you. Implementing the challenger sale for success: Jennifer transitioned from a relationship-building to a challenger by reading The Challenger Sale <span style="fon

Mon, June 27, 2022

Mark Donnigan | The Modern Way to Build Credibilty & Rapport

Marketing and sales alignment is pivotal in the modern era of sales, and building credibility and rapport in your communication for all departments is essential. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CMO of Growth Stage Marketing, Mark Donnigan, to discuss his take on building rapport while unifying departmental collaboration. Good CMOs think about marketing campaigns. Great CMOs bring value to the enterprise. Between the evolution of technology and the pandemic, sales has completely transformed. Buyers no longer attend trade shows to talk with peers; they organize entirely through online forums. Buyers are 50% or more through the buying process before reaching out to their first vendor. A seller’s job is no longer to get the first meeting; it’s to state the problem that the solution solves while differentiating from competitors. CMO turnover is almost exclusively because they repeatedly try the old playbook rather than embrace these new changes. Credibility plays into rapport building: There’s one thing sellers can do at all times - add value to their network through social channels. Nobody wants to be sold to, so content shouldn’t be explicitly sales-focused. Instead, create helpful content the audience will read.  People are drawn to others who make intelligent observations about a problem or solution.  Add value to customers as someone who can bring thoughtful insights to the industry - that’s the open door in the modern sales landscape. Only 2% of LinkedIn users post content, so seeing thoughtful and relevant content from a person on the platform makes an impression on anyone.  Create your own opportunities by providing internal and external value. Too many executives see themselves as professional managers, but that position is a commodity. However, when you can add insight to a large enterprise organization, you become a lot harder to replace. The new Rolodex isn’t names and addresses; it’s the community that forms around the network. People who like, respect, and are engaged with your content are more valuable than a simple name and number registry. Create a network that respects your insights and content. There are plenty of other competitors who are just as competent and insightful. However, nobody knows it because they don’t post. Mark’s final takeaway? Focus on the seller - find every possible way to add value to those in the ecosystem around you. Visit his company website at growthstage.marketing and connect with Mark on LinkedIn for more interesting and insightful content.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation

Mon, June 27, 2022

Mark Donnigan | The Modern Way to Build Credibilty & Rapport

Fri, June 24, 2022

Gregg Ames | Competitive Collaboration: Necessary Friction Between Sales & Marketing

An alignment between sales and marketing inspires the competitive collaboration needed to develop consistent business growth that is scalable across the departments of the organization. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist Donald is joined by Gregg Ames, CCO of Act-On Marketing Automation, to discuss his take on building a proper sales and marketing alignment. Great solutions occur when sales and marketing stop acting as separate processes.  Companies start fragmented. Sales and marketing do their things, but unifying the entire sales funnel leads to a guide for better messaging.  People process information with technology, and that behavior has not shifted. That processing starts with an integrated flow between departments.  Every company has good salespeople. But, when equipped with marketing to canvas a broader market, brings more high-quality leads to allow a focus on later-stage selling. Sellers are (historically) not great at generating demand. Getting marketing to take this role will bring more revenue to the organization How sellers can help with the alignment: Many have seen some semblance of a unified sales and marketing process, and whether it’s through your ideal profile or not, you need to create feedback loops.  People need to drive communication upstream; you can’t have the left and right hands be completely uncoordinated. Receiving constructive feedback is necessary to properly learn from past mistakes. However, it’s also critical for the company to invest in the seller’s knowledge. Everything starts with a proper ICP. If marketing’s leads aren’t the right fit and converting sales, the team needs to reiterate their messaging or scoring methodology to avoid false positives from proliferating. Three implementation times for inter-departmental unification:  When driving sales and marketing alignment, be prepared to plan and evolve your program. You have to access where you are in the organization and understand how it might change in the future. Leveraging data is paramount to a successful program. Marketing is no longer just art; it’s art and science. Leverage data to build a repeatable process that decisions are based on. Determine where deals stall, and where wins are created - when you integrate the marketing stacks in the conversation, there’s data about site intent, nurture potential, and A/B testing to quality people more quickly.  If you look at these elements, you’ll be successful. Create feedback loops, which can be small email or slack technologies, or well-structured interval meetings between relevant parties. AE working for an organization - how to implement? We’re chasing numbers, so it’s important to measure good metrics to hit the proper revenue targets. However, we’re not as comfo

Mon, June 20, 2022

Jesse Rothstein | Modernizing Your Enterprise Sales Strategies

Selling is constantly evolving. There are techniques and strategies you should implement today to set a precedent for long-term success for those looking to thrive in enterprise selling. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Vice President and lead trainer at Empire Selling Jesse Rothstein to discuss his tips to modernize enterprise selling. Modern challenges in the enterprise selling environment: A considerable challenge is the continued expansion and growth of organizations making decisions with a committee or group model. More people involved in the decision make it harder to track, maintain, and influence necessary stakeholders.  Because committees complete research before reaching out to salespeople, it’s more difficult for the seller to show a differentiation point. 75% of people are groups and committees are prepared to make a decision before they contact a seller. Three core pillars to modernize sales selling strategy: Build your digital brand. Sellers understand that their digital brand is what buyers will evaluate as they undergo their research. Your network is imperative. It’s not what you know but who you know.  Leveraging your network to get into new organizations and make additional connections helps create a stronger sales strategy. Content: Do you have a thought-out, pragmatic, and consistent strategy for sharing content? Buyers want to know your opinion, your industry, and even who you are as a person.  Creating a digital brand: Acknowledge that selling is digitally-focused. A few decades ago, your brand was done by the initial physical impression. And while those days aren’t over, they are less frequent. If you’re a seller who doesn't buy into digital branding, that’s akin to showing up to a meeting in your pajamas. Or with bad breath. Allocate time to determine every point your digital brand touches, consider owning the domain rights to your first and last name, and build out the social profiles that might be involved in a conversation. Utilize your network: It’s always easier to get business from people you currently do or have done business with. Modern sellers can (and should) spend more time with this audience - those via referral. It’s an outbound sales skill that doesn’t get measured or chartered as outbound work. It’s no longer as direct as asking for referrals - it’s sharing content and using LinkedIn to get an intro or mention rather than an all-out referral. Build a content strategy: Most sellers do not have a consistent content strategy - just by doing that; you’re differentiating yourself. Get conversations started that are around you, your company, and your industry. Before the in

Fri, June 17, 2022

Donald Kelly | 3 Ways To Moderinze Your Sales

Mon, June 13, 2022

Ian Koniak | Top Seller's Habits That The Average Seller Typically Misses

Many top sellers using account-based selling are within large tech and SaaS companies. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales coach and consultant Ian Koniak to discuss how those large enterprise companies create and coordinate successful sales strategies. Transitioning from transactional to strategic selling: He tried to approach his sales techniques in a more activity-scientific manner instead of qualitative. When Ian transitioned to Salesforce, quantity and hustling didn’t work. It wasn’t practical to get in the door or drive change. Three qualities for top-performing sellers in tech: They’re authentic. People have a bad image of salespeople, but top performers are genuine and there to help their prospects and clients solve a problem. They care for the clients before, during, and after the commission check. They have Integrity for the work. The best sellers help potential clients solve their problems to ensure the client’s long-term success. Differentiating a top seller: Their work habits are different, they’re focused and organized, and they value their time. They determine the different needs and solutions a specific company might have and build relationships across multiple stakeholders to understand those issues. Identify where employees spend their time and how your solutions can apply to them. They understand where the company wants to go, what’s stopping them from getting there, and what they can do about it. It all comes down to focus. The seller knows when to say no, and focuses on strategic accounts and strategic executives within those accounts. They invest their time in the change agents who can make the largest impact within the company. Connect and contact Ian for more content and coaching on <a href= "ht

Fri, June 10, 2022

Ang McManamon | No More "Spray and Pray:" How Crunchbase Enables Account-Based Selling

The days of “spray and pray” selling are over. So how can sellers maintain a consistently full pipeline of prospects and leads? Through targeted and account-based selling. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the VP of Sales Management at Crunchbase , Ang McManamon, to discuss how she uses account-based selling in her own work. Why go into account-based selling? A year ago, Ang’s team talked to their best clients and saw an appetite for account-based selling. Prospects would use Crunchbase for funding and capital management news, and people liked the database options for prospecting. There are so many sales tools today, yet finding high-quality accounts and decision-makers is still tricky. Before, there were no strategic ways of looking at accounts and contacts. Now, you can be intentional with your actions. Setting up Crunchbases’s account-based selling: First, figure out the target audience. Companies say they do it, but they frequently don’t get precise enough to best impact the audience. Narrow down organizations by size, but look for people based on many factors. Ang targeted 50 accounts per person on her 35-person team. Then, they researched the messaging, cadence, and outreach that would best apply to those targets. Look at the potential buyer intent. What web pages have they visited on your website? Luckily, Crunchbase has great name recognition. However, prospects often don’t know the specific things they can do with the platform. It takes diligence as a leader to hold sellers accountable. While the account list is a priority, it’s not necessarily a restriction. If the seller isn’t getting anywhere with a target account, they should be able to move on and find new targets. For outbound sell

Mon, June 06, 2022

Andee Harris | How to Know if Your Deal is Going South Sooner than Later

Sometimes the best way to close more deals isn’t by adding new people to your pipeline (though that’s always a good thing.) Instead, the best thing is to address the issues that make a deal fail before they fail. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO of Challenger, Andee Harris, to get her take on failed deals and how to address those issues directly with our prospects.  Challenger is a sales training company: The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson explains many of the principles Challenger uses in their training. Early sellers might be timid, which usually leads to a failure to recognize when a deal isn’t moving in the right direction. In Andee’s experience, continuous feedback is a great way to course-correct throughout the sales process to tailor the experience and selling strategy to the specific prospect.  Passive selling isn’t the best form of selling for either party - taking control of the purchase and helping the buyer buy the product is your job. Three ways to notify deals before they go south: Integrate an avenue for continuous feedback. If a buyer likes you as a sales rep, they’ll want to share methods to improve their experience.  Realize that one size doesn't fit all. What works for one client might not work for another.  Constantly be learning. Be curious, and look to understand and be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses.  Andee’s final takeaway? Understand that we’re in a complex selling environment. Multiple factors influence the selling process, but it isn’t impossible to create wins and do phenomenally well. To get in touch with Andee, visit <a href= "https://www.challengerinc.com/our-story/?utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Challenger+-+Brand&utm_term=challenger%20sales%20training&utm_source=adwords&hsa_grp=72593144788&hsa_mt=e&hsa_acc=5688936674&hsa_cam=166255

Fri, June 03, 2022

Mike Moll | Generating More High Quality Leads Without Ads

Whether you’re the person in charge of leads, a small business owner, or anyone looking to do more business through prospecting (which should be everyone), this episode is for you. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Mike Moll to learn how to attract high-quality leads without ads by using modern techniques and platforms. Sales professionals can’t rely on marketing to supply enough leads. Video outreach is an effective strategy to supply your ideal client. Once you’re connected with someone, you’re guaranteed a 100% delivery rate platform through LinkedIn messaging. Make videos right on the LinkedIn platform. Other options include BombBomb and Loom , but asking a prospect to click a video link might dissuade some from watching. Sending a video far outclasses automated messages. With the pandemic ending in-person conferences, many B2B sellers turned to LinkedIn to conduct business, resulting in a surplus of auto-generated LinkedIn outreach messages.  Sending 50 impactful videos will make far greater headway than frustrating people with spammy-sounding auto-generated messages. Sending messages to build connections: There are two big mistakes: forcing yourself as a needed solution to the prospect and removing a prospect’s autonomy in decision-making. Don’t be overly friendly. People buy from people, so if they don’t like you, they will not buy. Start video messages with a “hello” and a quick introduction. Make the intro as quickly as possible to focus instead on addressing their pain points. Consider listing the features of your product, which can continue to discuss the negative results that arise when that solution isn’t present. Mastering the follow-up strategy: Plan one more video or text follow-up. Typically, if someone doens’t respond to either of those, move to email for a 3-5 message campaign. Sending 100 personalized video per week typically results in booking ten meetings, and when they come on the call, the cadence and familiarity is already present. Mike’s final takeaway? Video doesn’t have to be perfect. Leave in minor mistakes - we’re all human, and those mistakes convey that human element. Don’t make it perfect, just make it! Connect with Mike on Instagram @themikemoll for more content and to stay up-to-date on his pursuits. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales

Mon, May 30, 2022

Andres Lares | Negotiate on Emotion Not Logic

Creating a mindset for sales involves building credibility and rapport with the prospect, that’s always been clear. But should we apply logic or emotion to our negotiations and social selling strategy? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Andres Lares to discuss. The principles of negotiation are the same, regardless of the negotiation subject. As negotiators, we tend to focus on logic. However, we should instead focus on emotion. Statements and facts mitigate feelings of risk, but they aren’t a driver for decision-making. At the end of a call, there needs to be trust and rapport beyond what facts can deliver. Why do we tend to go to logic for negotiating? Because it’s easier. You can have the same approach for every client and situation instead of emotionally tailoring conversations to the prospect’s problem.  You have to ask questions and determine which features give them the benefits they want. So what should we do? Why focus on emotions? Especially with hybrid work, there are fewer opportunities to spend time with a prospect. We’re battling against less time and less attention through the screen. Telling stories that share the problems and solutions signal many elements that help keep a prospect’s attention. It’s so much more believable than standing by good statistics. This showcases a “behind-the-scenes” perspective that has highs and lows. Building credibility is essential. Statements against self-interest, when not used to manipulate the prospect, show that you care about them. People are motivated by achievement. Why do they do that? Because we’re motivated by achievement. If you set expectations for someone, they’re more likely to live up to them. Facilitate action by limiting options. If you want an answer from someone, provide 3-5 options to make the prospect feel like they’re making their own decision. Andres’s final takeaway? People make decisions emotionally and justify them rationally. For more great content from Andres, visit his company’s website, Shapiro Negotiations Institute , or connect with him on LinkedIn .  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine lea

Fri, May 27, 2022

Donald Kelly | Best Modern Selling Strategies For 2022

Staying ahead of the curve and the competition is the key to getting ahead as a seller. In today’s episode of the Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses some of his top social selling strategies and current selling trends as we enter the second half of 2022. By definition, “modern” selling is always changing. Modern selling is the ability to use new tools, modern techniques, and social selling strategies to find and engage with prospects.  In 2022, post-pandemic sales strategies largely revolve around social selling strategies geared toward a remote audience. Modern sellers use tools like Zoom and have mastered how to work with people, even if you can’t see them on the screen. Modern tools for a modern seller: Tools like Gong and Fathom help you conduct meetings that prompt sellers to better engage with the prospect. Modern sellers are used to remote work, which means a microphone like the ATR2100 or Yeti helps you take advantage of your environment.  Gone are the days you could send a blank phone call or email. Instead, use platforms like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to engage with prospects, giving thoughtful comments on their content to be a part of their community. Your organization can have the opportunity to use AI to know what buyers want before they buy, and you can use that information to do personal follow-ups.  Modern sellers take advantage of digital tools. 44% of millennials prefer purchasing without a sales rep in B2B purchase scenarios.  While the sales rep position is still necessary, it might look drastically differe

Mon, May 23, 2022

Roderick Jefferson | What is Sales Enablement and How It Should Work

Sales enablement isn’t just for major corporations; it’s for businesses of all sizes. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by bestselling author and VP of Enablement of PRO Unlimited, Roderick Jefferson, to discuss how we can apply sales enablement to any organization.  Three distinct factions of sales enablement: The original enablement began when sellers sold knives and vacuums door-to-door. The second faction arrived during the .com boom of the early 2000s. Finally, the current age of sales enablement is the present day, featuring an innovative approach focused on increasing sales productivity with a systematic, personalized, and collaborative process. Whether a small organization or a large corporation, sales enablement joins the various departments and roles to unify the end goal. Get people to have conversations instead of presentations: The proper discussion isn’t just the right topic - it’s talking to the right people at the right time in their language. There’s a difference between training and enablement - training is a sprint, and enablement is a marathon.  Enablement is a change in lifestyle, including talent acquisition, role-specific onboarding, and coaching for sales leaders.  Enablement should be driven from the top-down. It cannot be something pushed out by the owner of sales enablement. There has to be collaboration and communication across all business lines. To start this lifestyle change, remember: the further you get from the sun, the colder you get. (And sales is the sun.) Understand what the objectives are and what the KPIs are - translate it to understand the goal of sales as a department. Make sure we, first and foremost, tie everything back to the prospect. How do we ensure everything we do helps the prospect or customer increase productivity or decrease pain? Roderick’s parting advice? Start a conversation with a simple three-part question: Do you want me to listen, do you want me to coach, or do you want me to fix? As leaders, we go to fix mode. But sometimes, that’s just not what’s needed. For more great content from Roderick, connect on LinkedIn or follow him on Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook . You can find his book, Sales Enablement 3.0, on Amazon . This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales profes

Fri, May 20, 2022

Pouyan Salehi | How to Eliminate the Sales Stack Drag on Your Sales Team

Many salespeople are bombarded with countless tech tools to make their lives easier. But what if one tool helped unify your department’s sales process? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO and co-founder of Scratchpad, Pouyan Salehi, to discuss how sellers can utilize Scratchpad to eliminate their sales stack drag . Salespeople have many tools at their disposal but often rely on their own systems. People are digitally duct-taping a workspace together to do the job they need rather than using a unified system. This means sellers can spend hours each week updating the next steps for management to view, creating a massive waste of time.  Scratchpad unifies sellers’ efforts by creating a space for sellers to work. Athletes have gyms, artists have studios, and salespeople have Scratchpad - a workspace for them. The end goal? Eliminate sales stack drag. For salespeople, drag is an important concept; it’s the burden on salespeople that prevents them from doing their best. This could be due to many reasons, from the available tech stack and new sales methodologies to product information and new competitors. Salespeople have to hit quotas and solve these challenges that create drag in their work. Sellers, on average, only spend 40% of their time selling.  Scratchpad gives you back time in your day, helping you reinvest that time into efforts that contribute to your bottom line.  It helps sales teams share client information to make selling seamless, eliminating additional conversations to verify information already gathered. Scratchpad was built with the seller in mind because If they love it, they’re more likely to encourage adoption to leadership.  After adoption, sales leaders often realize Scratchpad doesn’t just increase sales performance but also employee morale. From individual usage to departmental adoption: Everyone processes information differently, and that level of flexibility should exist within a team’s space.  Scrathpad’s deliberate customization meets salespeople where they are and is built to go anywhere with you. It removes bouncing between tabs, uniting everything you need in just one place. The concept of a new tool is thought of as another thing sellers have to learn. But anyone can start seeing value with Scratchpad after just a few minutes of use. Visit scratchpad.com to sign up and get started using this helpful platform, and connect with Pouyan on LinkedIn for more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Gre

Wed, May 18, 2022

Donald Kelly | Three Reasons Why I Created A Business Development Event

You can’t keep begging for a piece of the pie; you need to bake the whole pie yourself! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses three reasons why he baked his pie (and by that, we mean creating his own business development event.) Tune in to learn about Donald’s upcoming event to master the art of social selling! Why create the event? While Donald loves West Palm Beach, Florida, he found that existing sales meet-ups did not really pertain to B2B sellers.  Wanting a place for B2B sellers to learn and grow alongside one another, Donald created his own! It’s all-around business development. Whether you’re a full-cycle sales rep or a frontline seller; if you’re looking to find new strategies and tips, BusDev22 is the event for you. Are you not local to Florida? Then, purchase a virtual pass to gain all the knowledge from the comfort of your home. Donald’s three reasons to make BusDev22: You can’t wait for people to do stuff for you; you have to take action. When it comes to the event, Donald wanted to make it happen. Take risks and try new things to succeed! Donald saw and attended other events, but they never lived up to his expectations. He knew he wanted it to be workshops - a space to take notes, interact, and learn with others. This isn’t a college class - it’s a space to learn and apply new findings. It’s something fun that helps others. If your company hasn’t quite found a way to crack the code to top-tier selling, there’s no better opportunity to learn how to get there. To find out more, go to thesalesevangelist.com/busdev to learn more and purchase a ticket. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date i

Tue, May 17, 2022

Donald Kelly | Sell It Like A Mango - A New Seller's Guide to Closing More Deals

Mon, May 16, 2022

Jamie Shanks | How to Land More Enterprise Deals Using Relationship Mapping

Social selling is a topic many salespeople are familiar with. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO of Pipeline Signals and Sales for Life and pioneer of social selling, Jamie Shanks, to learn how he utilizes relationship mapping to land more enterprise deals. Three triggers matter to your audience:  Buying intent - Who is googling a keyword or downloading something off your website? Product usage - Who uses which software, and how does that integrate with you? Following the human - Humans make business decisions. Whether for a customer company or a pending relationship.  How can you maintain this high-level maintenance for all your prospects if people are shuffling and moving positions in this great resignation? It’s not impossible to do it all yourself, but it’s very challenging. Missing sales intelligence is happening with all of your prospects because it’s just too much information for one person or team to stay on top of while maintaining their actual sales work.  For B2B sellers, nearly every account will experience a turnover, promotion, or job change in your target department each month. If you try to maintain his information yourself, identify your core customers critical to your business and focus on them. At the very least, set up alerts on LinkedIn. Jamie’s four-step guide to messaging the same person with a new job:  Social connection - Bring them back to how they know you. Value creation  - Explain how you can help the prospect make money, save money, or mitigate risk for their business. Knowledge or value exchange - when booking a meeting, you aren’t selling a solution - you’re providing a knowledge exchange. Give something worth spending time on. The ca

Fri, May 13, 2022

Andrew Velker | Here is What We Have in Our Sales Stack and Why

Every seller wants the same things: more prospects and more sales. So why not use the best tools to help you get there? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by VP of Sales and Marketing at GPSLockbox Andrew Velker to discuss his favorite sales tools . Andrew’s favorite tools start with the swiss army knife of CRMs: CRMs are the first and most important part of a sales tech stack, and Andrew prefers one that satisfies two questions: First, can it connect with other tools? Second, is it easy to use? Hubspot fulfills both. Hubspot offers easy integration and is incredibly inclusive of other technical applications you might need. Use LinkedIn Navigator to connect with the exact people you want. Further turbo-charge LinkedIn Navigator by using Seamless.ai to connect with people you know fit your exact target demographic. Finding the right people and having the right conversations will make your prospecting life immeasurably easier. With these tools, you’ll automatically update contacts with new opportunities and touchpoints, which will dramatically diminish administrative work. Other essential tools sellers should consider: ZoomInfo and 6sense have robust tools to measure audience intent. For government-focused sellers, GovSpend shows what different states and government sectors purchase. SalesLoft <span style= "font-weight: 400;

Mon, May 09, 2022

Donald Kelly | Common Issues Sales Teams Face Regarding Their Sales Stack

Sales teams are constantly looking for ways to maximize productivity and increase sales, and tech stacks are a big part of that goal. Only sometimes, these tools don’t always give us the results we want. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald shares three common issues salespeople face in finding the right tech stack . Ask yourself: Can you use it? Leadership often implements new tools and tech without consulting the sales staff who’d use them.  Analyze the current selling practices of your organization before purchasing a new tool. If it doesn’t fit the existing methods, it might not receive high adoption rates. The sales tools are implemented to cover lousy selling. It doesn’t matter if you have the premium tier package of a piece of technology - if you don’t know how to sell properly, it’ll likely go to waste. If you have bad selling practices, a new tech stack will help you sell poorly… at scale. (Not the most ideal result.) Before you push for a new tech tool, find out if you can perform the basic task without it to practice and improve. There are just too many tools. During your next sales meetings, see which parts of your current tech stack salespeople use more frequently and think are more beneficial. Watch training videos, read books, and visit Reddit groups and other platforms to learn how to maximize capabilities with your current tech before adding on more. What other issues do you see in your tech stack? Let Donald know on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly/ . This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at www.LinkedIn.com/TSE .  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations th

Fri, May 06, 2022

Susie Tomenchok | How to Negotiate Without Manipulating Your Prospects

Mon, May 02, 2022

Collin Mitchell | An Unconventional Strategy to Building Rapport

One of the best ways to build rapport with prospects is through their topics of interest. (And what better way to do that than by podcasting?) In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Co-founder and CEO at Salescast Collin Mitchell to learn how he uses podcasting to build rapport with his clients. Use podcasting to build a professional relationship. People go on podcasts to contribute thought leadership and share knowledge with the world. Therefore, finding podcasts your clients or prospects have spoken on is a great way to learn more about them. Listen Notes is a helpful resource to view podcasting information like topics, guest names, and show popularity. You can also search for specific people to see if your client or prospect has been on a podcast!  People are often more personal and vulnerable on podcasts. So listening to a prospect’s guest episode is a great way to learn about them to use in conversation later. For example, people on this show frequently talk about how they got involved with their organization, started their career, and sales methodology. That’s all great information to bring back to the prospect.  Even more important is that you took the time to research and show up differently than everyone else. Other podcasting strategies to build rapport: Obviously, you can host your own podcast. There are many opportunities to get into podcasting, and the barriers to entry are low.  Remember, the goal isn’t to get sponsors and downloads. It’s to get access to another person. If you’re an enterprise seller, you can reach out to those in your target account list and ask if they want to join you for an episode. You’ll receive incredible engagement.  Everyone is thankful to join a podcast. They appreciate being elevated alongside their peers, highlighting their expertise to their community. You still need to build the relationship, don’t just try to sell something immediately after the recording stops. Creating content for social and video opportunities: Social media is huge, especially for sales. LinkedIn is a major platform to connect to your audience. When we’re busy, creating original and consistent content is the first thing that falls by the wayside. But it’s a powerful tool to create growth. Social media, if managed correctly, will be a powerful rapport-builder to connect and build relationships with more people in your industry. Collin’s best video tip- use it as often as possible. A video conveys the authenticity and the human behind the screen, which shows who you are as a person and builds trust. For more insightful sales content from Collin, check out his podcast <a hr

Fri, April 29, 2022

Darren Reinke | Build Rapport The Way Your Prospects Want To Connect

As a salesperson, you (hopefully) enjoy interacting with your prospects. However, a typical sales mistake is forcing the prospect to fit our communication style rather than the other way around. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the author of The Savage Leader and founder of Group Sixty , Darren Reinke, to discuss building rapport the way the prospect wants .  Sellers assume prospects like to communicate in the same style as the seller. Selling should start with the understanding that we’re all different. Establishing that early on will impact your ability to build rapport. Some people might like starting with a conversation; others prefer to focus on the tasks at hand. We’re all different. Get a sense of the customer’s style by learning what motivates and drives them. Listen to the prospect and pay attention to their tone and how they conduct themselves to understand how to communicate. Three steps to learn a prospect’s communication style: Intention: Have a willingness to change and do something different. Question if there are better ways to build rapport as a seller and think about the potential achievements. Reflection: Know what kind of seller you are and use that understanding to change your communication (when necessary.) Action: Analyze someone’s body language, tone of speaking, and how they interact and put that change into play. A focus on the commission can ruin the relationship.   If you see someone as a dollar sign, you probably won’t build rapport anytime soon. Ask prompts to directly understand the audience - How do you like to receive information? How do you want to communicate? <li styl

Mon, April 25, 2022

Donald Kelly | Three Things Sellers Get Wrong When Building Rapport

Building rapport with prospects is the bridge that fosters trust needed to move through the sales process. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald introduces our newest season of content centered around building rapport with prospects. So what are three things that sellers get wrong with rapport-building? Find out in today’s episode. Sellers put on their fake corporate persona. Just because you represent a company doesn’t mean you need to sound like their answering machine. Avoid fake, salesy language that isn’t your authentic self. Whether speaking to your next prospect or your close friend, you should sound the same. Sellers aren’t interested enough in their prospects. Be interested , not interesting . You should want to listen to your prospect, not try to inform them about yourself (beyond what’s necessary.) People love talking about themselves. So allow your prospects to do that by talking about their interests, career, and company goals. Sellers don’t create a dialogue with their prospects. Don’t just give the prospect your full attention; demonstrate it. In virtual meetings, it can be difficult to  Focus your time on what they do or don’t say rather than what your following dialogue will be. A bonus: Use the person’s name in the conversation! Mentioning a prospect’s name throughout the conversation is a great way to build rapport. It shows you're trying to create a genuine and authentic connection. Make sure you don’t overdo it, however. It should fit the context of the conversation. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at www.LinkedIn.com/TSE .  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversatio

Fri, April 22, 2022

Glenn Poulos | Five Ways to Know Your Customer's Ecosystem

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by author, speak, and co-founder of Gap Wireless, Glenn Poulos, to discuss five ways to know your customer’s ecosystem . This conversation is based partially on Glenn’s recently published book, Never Sit in the Lobby , available now on Amazon. Understand your key stakeholders. Some salespeople sell simple things, and some people sell multi-million dollar systems. Whatever the product is, know what you’re talking about. And, more importantly, learn how to explain it to others. Too often, salespeople are very technically proficient at explaining their solutions. However, this is potentially too descriptive for the prospect to understand your solution's clear benefits.  Recognize who you need to speak to, identify their level of understanding, and adjust your speech to accommodate the stakeholder. Isolate the prospects Who are the people that will use and derive benefit from your solution? Those are the people you need to demonstrate to. Showing the benefits to the implementer drives them to further the deal beyond what might happen when speaking exclusively to management. Punch, perfect pitch, and close: You might be presenting for a specific purpose, whether technical, financial or otherwise. Whatever it is, make it a good presentation. The ‘punch’ is an attention-grabbing opening that captures the audiences’ attention and encourages them to pay attention to the rest of the presentation. People get lost in details. When presenting a pitch, know which elements are essential to the prospect and which are not impactful to their bottom line. The close should come naturally if you’ve completed the punch and the perfect pitch. If it isn’t, you’re likely selling too early in the conversation. Visit Glenn’s website, glennpoulos.com , to download his free worksheet, find his book, and see more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at <a href= "http://www.linkedin.com/TSE

Mon, April 18, 2022

Spencer Jan | How I Overcame My Biggest Sales Objection

No matter what level of sales you’re in, you are bound to encounter objections. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, host Donald Kelly is joined by the co-founder and former owner of Solo Stove, Spencer Jan, for an in-depth look at Spencer’s experience handling his biggest sales objection . But first, what does Spencer consider an objection?  In general, Spencer sees sales objections as a lack of communication; the disconnect of not understanding the other person. When objections arise, it’s not that they’re rejecting you , there’s simply a gap between you and the prospect. In 2016 Spencer and his brother decided to sell their business. When they went to sell, investment bankers and brokers told them their company wasn’t sellable.  They were surprised because the business was very profitable. However, Spencer and his brother didn’t understand their buyer. They realized a buyer wants to invest in a company, not necessarily run it. They aren’t looking to deal with day-to-day problems. And that was the objection they had to overcome.  From 2016-to 2019, they transitioned to a structure someone would buy. They listened to feedback and knowledge and assembled a self-sustaining team to run the company beyond their departure. They rehearsed their pitch, had dry runs, integrated stories, and planned how to pitch their deck to investors and private equity groups. Spencer and his brother were prepared and knew which objections to prepare for based on their research and conversations. In 2019, they landed a nine-figure exit. When you understand what people want, you can shift your mindset to account for those wants and create value. Be willing to set your ego aside. People will reach a level of sales competency, but every customer is different. Take time to unde

Fri, April 15, 2022

Ryann Dowdy | A Powerfully Simple Formula For Objection Handling

Objections can strike fear into the hearts of salespeople everywhere. But what if there’s a simple formula to handle objections with confidence? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our guest Ryann Dowdy explains how we can integrate this sales strategy into our sales methodology.  Ryann’s feelings on objections: It’s about asking questions - focusing on the human to human connection and seeing the value in that connection We think of a “closing problem,” but the “opening problem” can be just as essential to overcome. Help people get what they want by using information they’ve already shared. Overcome objections from the beginning: It’s a simple philosophy: Jeb Blunt’s book Sales EQ explains that we have a physiological response (like increased heart rate) when someone raises an objection.  When you get an objection, have a script to follow immediately after the objection to have time to collect yourself. For Ryann, she likes to empathize and understand more about the objection to determine where it’s coming from and how to handle it. Asking questions indicates where to speak further: Strictly following a script reduces the human-to-human connection and might prevent you from understanding key information. A short post-objection script can be helpful, but think critically and have a loose framework ready to dial in on the prospect's specific needs. When asking questions, don’t let your emotions take control. Take a breath before speaking

Mon, April 11, 2022

Art Harding | A Different Way to Look at and Tackle B2B Objections

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by COO of People.ai Art Harding. With twenty years of experience in the industry, he’s had plenty of practice overcoming B2B objections through digital transformations . What is a digital transformation? Sure, it’s Uber and Netflix. But it is not solely a technology play; it’s reimagining the customer experience and using technology to facilitate those changes. Uber didn’t invent cars, apps, or driving strangers. They just combined those elements in a unique way to make something new. The classic go-to-market functions had relatively siloed expectations. Marketing was responsible for branding; sellers were responsible for closing deals, etc. Those transformations affected these elements at different rates to unlock new digital journeys. Digital transformations start from the inside out.  Younger generations use the tools and data they expect from a professional (or implement themselves as they grow in their careers.) Enterprise sales have dramatically changed in the last few years, and that’s as a result of digital transformations. Different departments need to become more connected to limit objections fostered within a lack of communication. As technology moves into the customer journey, the person's role becomes even more valuable. Buyers are more educated now than ever. Sellers need a recurring delivery of value, which means overcoming continual objections far past the initial discovery.  Sellers need to know how a buyer can take the product you’re selling and apply it to reach their next goal or outcome. Be informed on how to drive the buyer’s next steps with the product you sell. Technology allows a focus on customer understanding. Frontline managers no longer need to remind sellers of internal practices but rather anticipate objections and understand solutions for buyers to progress sales. Technology allows you to understand (as a sales manager) if your sellers are addressing the proper objections, utilizing the correct persona, and scheduling and identifying the suitable methods that will lead to a sale. There’s a difference between understanding the objection and addressing the objection. Sales leaders should be able to validate if sellers are hitting the right personas if sellers are prioritizing the correct accounts and if there is a process to qualify unaddressed accounts.  If you don’t have a frontline manager program with defined competencies, your future of digital transformations will not progress easily. Connect with Art on LinkedIn or email him at art@people.ai for more great co

Fri, April 08, 2022

Jim Doyle | Overcoming Objections With A Servant's Heart

The pushy salesperson is still the preemptive perception many people think of when they think of salespeople, but in today’s world, that image is no longer accurate. Instead, closing a sale is best accomplished by overcoming objections by selling with a servant’s heart . In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Jim Doyle to discuss why this is so important. What exactly is the term “selling with a servant’s heart?” It is being obsessed with the customer outcome. It’s more than a win-win because if it’s right for the customer, it’s right. A short term might not be in the seller’s best interest if it means the customer wins in the long term. You’re here to serve, not to sell.  This should be the default mentality of salespeople. As you embrace it, you’ll see more success with this mentality. A servant’s heart can help overcome objections. One of his book chapters is, “ask a million questions.” Salespeople are taught to answer questions without focusing on uncovering the seller’s needs. Instead, an in-depth conversation is needed to understand their situation thoroughly. A transactional seller is likely to hear more objections than a diagnosis-based seller. Objections are likely tied back to a lack of information, and that lack of data results from the three-question qualification process. Selling is the process of taking away the buyer’s risk. As a seller, make the leap of faith as small as possible. And how you approach the sale is what reduces risk. Mitigating risk overcomes objections and is leads to more sales. Especially in the corporate setting, the decision needs to help both the company and the specific buyer. Help the buyer feel comfortable and aware of the process to reduce their likelihood of objections. Teach, not sell. As a seller, explain how and why your solution will work for the buyer rather than simply explaining why they should buy it. Focus on being a solution provider, which means entering a meeting being clear on your intentions, questions, and process. Jim’s final takeaway? Everything you give is given to you in return. So, focus on making a difference in the world for positivity to come back to you. Connect with Jim on LinkedIn and find Jim’s book “Selling with a Servant Heart” on Amazon .  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Mon, April 04, 2022

Donald Kelly | Three Things You Must Understand About Objections

When most people think of objections, they think of what stops a deal from progressing. Today’s episode launches the next series on The Sales Evangelist covering the ins and outs of objections . How can you be well-equipped to handle objections with confidence and knowledge? Listen in to find out!  What is an objection? Many salespeople associate an objection with a worst-case scenario, but that’s not always the case. Instead, an objection can be anything that prevents a deal from moving forward, either permanently or just a few days. Objections tie back to the buyer not having enough information to move forward. When prospecting, come up with something so valuable they want to move forward. Remember, there are limitless reasons people might not want to move forward.  Identify the objections before they become issues. As an industry expert, you can likely know the top issues a prospect might have before purchasing. If you know the objections, address them before the prospect has an issue! It streamlines the process and exemplifies your ability to tackle problems quickly. Ask questions When prospects give you concerns, ask practical questions that address the underlying issue. One of Donald’s trainers told him to be authentic. Discovering the underlying issue puts you in a better position to address the problem and move forward. Build trust with your prospect. It’s not always about who you know; it's about who trusts you. Being a genuine and authentic person will make people more willing to trust you. Don’t give up right away. Your job as a seller is to provide as much value as possible. How can you do that if you give up right away? Go deep and discover what is holding the prospect back to see what else you can do to help

Fri, April 01, 2022

Bill Golder | The Most Effective Way to Build Pipeline & Close More Deals in 2022

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Chief Revenue Officer for Service Express, Bill Golder, to learn his strategy to build pipelines and close deals .  Many sellers struggle with building a pipeline. A fully built-out pipeline is never a done deal, meaning you constantly have to adapt to determine what works the best. There are always new problems to address, and the best companies continuously innovate to meet those needs. What are effective pipeline strategies? They focus on understanding the dynamic between early-stage and late-stage pipelines. Many sellers think about a pipeline too holistically, but segmenting the idea of the “pipeline” into different timelines can result in more opportunities. To create an accurate forecast, you have to understand how many early-stage prospects will result in a late-stage pipeline. The dynamics between an early and a late-stage conversion might look entirely different. Bill’s guide to implementing new pipeline strategies: If salespeople are reluctant to implement or don’t see the value in a new pipeline process, a data-driven approach to identify issues (and how a new strategy can solve them) will be a great tactic. Understand the indicators that actually lead to a conversion versus the feeling of a conversion. Common pipeline building mistakes: There’s too much assumption - we assume something is important to them when it might not be. Sellers inherently think their product is essential, but the prospect might have other priorities or issues that make our solution much less important at the moment. Issues aren’t becau

Mon, March 28, 2022

Sarah Lash | The Art and Science of Forecasting

We've learned multiple perspectives in our series over forecasting that help create a more accurate and beneficial forecast. But how can you take your efforts to the next level? In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the Director of Enterprise Sales at Envoy, Sarah Lash, to discuss proper forecasting techniques from both a selling and management perspective.  There are significant forecasting issues: Some people rely too much on the map and aren’t listening to what’s happening in the business. On the flip, some people listen too much to intuition without diving deep enough. From a management perspective, sales reps might provide you with a shadow pipeline (data entered into an incorrect pipeline), forcing you to identify those issues. There is also the problem of the intraquarter revenue - opportunities that open and close in the same quarter. How should we factor those into forecasting? Whether you’re a rep or a manager, lack of communication will distinguish the most accurate forecasting. Don’t just focus on the data; focus on the right data: The “I need X amount of pipeline to get to this number” mentality has positive and negative effects. Similarly, a purely cause and effect mentality does not do justice to the nuances of selling. Instead of waiting for a prospect to say a specific phrase to indicate the likelihood of purchase, integrate information beyond your personal experiences with the selling process. Have a mutual action plan: Creating an example that establishes a “good’ reference point is essential for sellers to understand what actions result in the most buy-ins. When creating a mutual action plan, start backward. For example, what is the timeline the prospect would like something to be implemented?  Then, ask w

Fri, March 25, 2022

Tom Pisello | Top Sales Outlook For 2022 And Its Impact on Forecasting

Forecasting (and really all parts of selling) grows more successful when you communicate value. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Tom “The ROI Guy” Pisello. As an entrepreneur, speaker, and author of the book Evolved Selling™: Optimizing Sales Enablement in the Age of Frugalnomics, Tom specializes in value to get the most out of your efforts.  Three big trends characterize the post-pandemic era of sales: First, there’s a tremendous amount of sales turnover. While the Great Resignation is not news, sales will struggle to retain top sellers in favor of faster-growing companies.  Second, the buyer is changing. They’re in control of the buying process, cautious of the seller, and more economically focused than ever - it’s the decision by risk aversion. Third, we’re in an environment where sales is understaffed, you need engagement, the buyer is more challenging to sell to, and predictable revenue is decreasing. How do we find (and retain) great talent? Growing a team will be challenging. Of course, throwing money and benefits at it is part of the equation, but you also must provide intangible benefits like career development to make your position seem worthwhile. What is the purpose of your organization or group? And more importantly, how can you include new personnel to feel that they actively work towards that purpose? Create an atmosphere of authenticity that suits your personnel to retain talent. It’s not just a long game for selling; it’s a long game for hiring. Overcoming the ice-cold buyers: Buyers have incredible access to resources and information than ever, even compared to a few years ago. Sellers used to be in control, but now it's the opposite. In that, they have information overload. And great salespeople guide prospects through this challenge.  The curated content a salesperson supply is an excellent direction for the next generation of salespeople. <li style="font-weight: 400;" ar

Mon, March 21, 2022

Nabeil Alazzam | Why Your Sales Forecast is Not Accurate and How to Fix It

Creating a valuable and accurate sales forecast is dependent on your ability to anticipate the success of sales. So how does the founder and CEO of forma.ai Nabeil Alazzam motivate and drive his team to maintain momentum? Through sales incentives! Using sales incentives and data-driven forecasting , Nabeil encourages his salespeople to reach specific and measurable objectives. How Nabeil defines sales forecasting: It depends on whether the forecast is for a team leader or a representative. As a leader, it’s taking data across the team and using it to aggregate results. On the rep level, accuracy is critical. If you’re confident which accounts close, you can better visualize what else is needed to do to hit a target number. Common forecasting mistakes: Being overconfident with deals without a data-driven element to justify the belief. Instead, utilize checkpoints throughout the sales process to know if a prospect will move forward. Another common mistake is that a lack of nuanced checkpoints leads to overprioritizing a fast-cycle sales prospect. As a sales rep, use data to allocate time free of bias towards the accounts most likely to close (without taking the speed of the sales cycle into account.) Segmentation and forecasting go hand-in-hand. Use data when thinking about an audience cluster. A checklist sales reps have for different groups of people can and should look different depending on the best likely outcome for each group.  For managers, don’t think of data points as averages across the board. Understand your different customer segments and establish guidelines within each audience as data points. Start data-driven forecasting: Forecasting is a crawl, walk, run approach. When running, you can automate the segmenting approach. In the crawl, it’s simply acknowledging that people buy differently and may need different buying propositions. Think about the types of clients you serve and what success looks like with each of those groups, segmenting by sector, growth stage, and the number of employees. Think about the forecasting method and sales practice you should apply to each (and create data points based on these audiences.) How can incentives help our forecasting? Incentives drive behavior. And, ideally, better salespeople get paid more. If you can’t set forecasting successfully, you can’t allocate the proper incentives to the right salespeople. If you start to novice a prospecting segment is beginning to lag, you can be specific in your incentive to correct your trajectory. The goal should be to design incentive structures so the rep understands how much time they should allocate to

Fri, March 18, 2022

Donald Kelly | The Things Every Seller Must Know About Forecasting

Today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist launches a new series on forecasting! When it comes to forecasting, there are a ton of strategies and tactics you can use to develop a solid background on it. In this episode, Donald discusses the three things you must know about forecasting before starting. But first, what is forecasting?   In essence, it’s your ability to predict what will happen in the future. As a sales professional (and especially as a sales manager), you must be able to estimate how your team will perform throughout the week, month, and quarter.  Without forecasting, you’ll have no idea if you’ll achieve your sales goals! Know your data. How many calls lead to a conversation, a demo, and, ultimately, a sale?  Understanding your sales figures and statistics leads to an accurate forecast. Your pipeline is tied directly to your forecast, and if you put inadequate or insufficient data into a forecast, you’ll get bad predictions in the outcome. Respect the process. Some prospects might want to skip conversations and move directly into a demo, a proposal, or a review. But are they even worthy of a demo, or will the sale benefit them? If they don’t fit the criteria of a client for your company, you’ll be wasting valuable time. Don’t do the demos just because someone is interested; use data-driven forecasting to identify the indicators you need to make that decision.  You need more than you think you need. Even if you’ve done everything perfectly throughout the sales process, a deal still might not close. If the data tells you to close forty deals to meet a target, put sixty in your pipeline. Because while they might all close, you can’t guarantee it.  The takeaway? You need more prospects and a more robust pipeline than you might initially think. Put extra in now to avoid scrambling at the end of the quarter. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at www.LinkedIn.com/TSE .  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are yo

Mon, March 14, 2022

Phillip Stutts | The Entry Point to Closing More Deals

While mastering closing is critical, understanding how to open with a data-driven approach is a powerful component to help find and complete more deals. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by author and founder of Win BIG Media Phillip Stutts to discuss the proper ways to begin prospecting.  The average American sees up to 10,000 ads every day.  Ipso facto, how is your messaging breaking out of the clutter? The correct entry point for salespeople is to create a deeper connection with the prospect and understand what moves them. Whether it’s a B2B or B2C company, Phillip makes each of his clients dive into their customer base to understand more about them and their values. The point isn’t to manipulate; it’s to use that understanding to create a deeper connection that closes more deals. What can a sales rep start to gain that understanding? Phillip partners with a major data analytics company to create custom data reports. If you have $7500-10000 to spare, this is high-quality data for a few audience segments that matter. If that’s a little out of your price range, just figure out more data on what’s going on. That could be surveys sent to your clients or running small ad campaigns on Google or Facebook. Phillip’s five steps to using that data: What moves them? You’ve done this by collecting data about your audience. Build out a sales plan. Before jumping into tactics, build a plan that integrates your collected data. Create the brand. The key point - this happens after determining what moves your audience and creating a sales plan. Testing your messaging and branding to refine for your audience. Finally, sell, pitch, or market (because you’ve now eliminated all the risks.)</span

Fri, March 11, 2022

Isaac Ho | How to Mentally Prepare for a Successful Discovery Call

The best way to have a great discovery call is by mentally preparing for the call beforehand. But what’s the best way to do this? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales and mindset coach Isaac Ho to discuss his strategies and tricks to prepare for a successful discovery call .  Mental preparation can be the difference between an okay and a great call.  People often make decisions that fuel a latent belief they’re not even aware they have. Sales is just a transfer of energy. If you’re unprepared for a call or meeting, you transfer the wrong energy to the prospect or client. If you’ve done no research or prep about a company before a meeting, you must spend time and energy learning about the org rather than come to the meeting with thoughts to the table. When you enter a meeting, be curious. While a prospect will give you an understanding of their problem, they could be missing something that completely changes the situation. How does Isaac mentally prepare for a discovery call? Be clear about what’s going on inside of yourself. What is your intention with the call? It’s not just to sell something, it’s to be curious and learn what the client needs. Don’t talk to people to just match them to a particular solution; that ignores the prospect's thoughts about the situation. People buy from a salesperson when they understand their problems better than anyone else.  How to come mentally prepared to your next discovery call: Especially if you sell your own product or service, leave your baggage at the door. Don’t take responses personally. You’ll start responding to rejections as they argue directly with you. Accept that you can do everything right, and some people still won’t move. So stop making someone’s decision about you.  Understand the difference between a shadow (when you suppress something about yourself and then project that into the call) and a

Mon, March 07, 2022

Jeremy Miner | How To Properly Conduct a Discovery Call & Not Scare Away Your Prospect

Discovery calls are thought to be a challenging element for almost any salesperson. But what if we were to tell you there’s a way to see more success with them? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the founder of 7th Level Jeremy Miner to discuss discovery call techniques that don’t scare away your prospect (because we don’t want that, trust me.) What makes a bad discovery? Sellers are taught the selling “ABC’s - Always Be Closing. But with today’s cautious buyers, this strategy doesn’t always come across well. To be great at sales, skip the C and learn the ABD’s of selling - Always Be Disarming. What triggers a prospect to buy or not to buy? Salespeople trigger behaviors by what they’re asking (and, more importantly, what they aren’t asking.) Salespeople frequently come across as too enthusiastic, talking about their solution too early in the conversation.  While you should be excited about what you sell, it shouldn’t be the point that it comes across as fake. Keep the joy internal.  According to behavioral science, prospects subconsciously pick up on nonverbal cues in the first 7-12 seconds of conversation. If you come across as aggressive, needy, or attached and don’t know the right questions, it triggers the brain to get rid of you. It’s not them; it’s you. Come across as neutral, unbiased, and calm. Ask the right questions at the right time to encourage a prospect to open up to you. Don’t focus on making the sale. Instead, focus on determining if your solution can help. Jeremy’s advice? Never start a conversation by asking someone how they’re doing - it’s a disingenuous greeting.  Instead, start the meeting and get to business. Spend the first meeting determining if their organization is even a company that fits what you’re able to do. <li style=

Fri, March 04, 2022

Chris Brisson | How to Use Text Messages to Increase Discovery Call Show Rate

While setting up discovery calls is the first half of the battle, the other half is getting the prospect to show up. And a great solution to drive attendance is by using a text message. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by founder and CEO of Salesmsg Chris Brisson to talk about how you can use text messaging to increase meeting show rates .  SMS can be used for anything, from lead generation to conversion and engagement. Sales is a three-step process: sign up, show up, and pay up.  Creating a multichannel approach is the best way to drive attendance. A simple text message offers a simple last-minute reminder shortly before meetings. We are a conversational society, so short messages with an understandable motive won't’ be considered spammy or annoying. Implementing SMS software into your business: If you want to test SMS messaging without a monetary investment, manually send a standard text message an hour before the meeting. But to scale this process, a system is necessary. With Salesmsg, you’ll have a way to respond to those messages if someone responds. Remember, it’s not a general broadcast message - it’s conversational.  SMS can also be the channel for micro-questions that need answering and lead to more meaningful discussions.  To start a conversation with a prospect, ask simple questions that ease them into a conversation. What are some ways to get the phone number of people? Start today. And, depending on your business, the way you gather phone numbers might be different.  You need an opt-in! Don’t just import a list and send mass text messages. (It isn’t legal.) Include the proper language and start the conversation. Providing your number first can help break the apprehension someone might have about supplying their number. For access to case studies showing the advantage of SMS messaging for business, visit  customers.salesmessage.com . The SaaS Academy case study is particularly helpful to see how people can use SMS to make more money. Use this link for free access to Salesmsg’s Text Size Your Business PDF, and head over to salesmsg.com to start a free 14-day trial to get introduced to the platform. (They’re the #1 integration on HubSpot.) For more content from Chris, connect with him on LinkedIn . This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshu

Mon, February 28, 2022

Donald Kelly | 7 Discovery Call Mistakes You Need to Fix

Discovery calls aren’t just the first part of the process - they’re where the close begins. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald will dive into seven common mistakes salespeople make when making discovery calls (and, more importantly, how you can fix them.)  Stop the lackluster pre-call prep. We know back-to-back zoom meetings can be tiring. But from the prospect’s perspective, you have just one meeting. So come prepared! It’s not just a discovery for you; it’s a discovery for the prospect to see if they’re interested in working with you. Consider creating an agenda for the prospect to review before the meeting to ensure everyone gets what they want out of it. Don’t ask what you should already know. Call the company ahead, speak to end-users, and get helpful information. Entering the discovery call with the intel you need will set you apart as a salesperson and demonstrate the qualities you want to convey. Talk less Salespeople should not be taking more than 40% of the time. Instead, ask questions that provoke the prospect to spend more time responding. Build a rapport. Top performers engage in 17% less small talk than other salespeople. When it comes to conversations with the prospect, don’t waste time on small talk that doesn’t contribute to a substantial discussion.  Even if it isn’t necessarily related to your product, discuss things that further develop a relationship between you and the prospect. (AKA, not the weather.) Fully understand pain points. Only 13% of customers believe a salesperson can understand their needs. 44% of customers feel that only 25% of current providers help them maximize their value As a salesperson, don’t be afraid to have the prospect explain their situation in detail, so you have a comprehensive understanding (and thus provide a comprehensive solution.) Don’t ask a set standard of questions - ask clarifying and follow-up questions to get the most out of your interactions!  While a scripted template of questions can be a starting point, it is far from the only thing you should ask.  Next steps Don’t end a meeting without setting up a plan for the next one. Instead, consider setting aside the final five minutes of the meeting to ensure time to arrange the next steps.  Focus on the wrong competitors. The biggest competitor you have isn’t a company; it’s the status quo. People like keeping things the way they are. What about your product should make the

Fri, February 25, 2022

A.J. Vassar | Mentally Program Yourself to Become a Prospecting Expert

Prospecting is a critical element of the sales process. After all, how can you expect new business if you aren’t finding new prospects who can benefit from your product? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by entrepreneur and speaker AJ Vassar to discuss how to prepare yourself for better prospecting .  Salespeople need new clients in their pipeline.  Despite this, it’s an area where people are frequently challenged. In sales, we learn ABC - always be closing. But, just as important is the idea of the prospecting ABC - always be connecting. Connecting and establishing a network is integral to being a successful salesperson. But don’t just connect with random people; find people you can provide value to (and vice versa.) When you also focus on connecting people with others, you’ll be top of mind in all instances. And that is a critical element to have. What if a salesperson doesn't have time to connect with new people? You have to make time. Connecting people with other people makes you an asset they’ll want to interact with (and hopefully do business with.) If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want. Relationships are like a bank account: Don’t make a withdrawal before making a deposit. Using this skill on LinkedIn:  If you’re connected on LinkedIn, what can you do in 10 minutes per day to find success? One of AJ’s mentors is Ronald Jackson, retired three-star army general, ex-referee for the NBA, and professor at Georgia Tech. The very first thing AJ asked him was, “tell me your goals, and what can I help you achieve?” People don’t mind talking about themselves - they love it. And everyone, no matter how wealthy, has goals you might be able to help accomplish. One major takeaway: The saying “your net worth is your network” is incredibly apt. But, more importantly, it’s not who you know, but who knows you . Follow AJ on LinkedIn , Instagram , and Facebook for more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by

Mon, February 21, 2022

Gabrielle Blackwell | How to Find Mentors and Coaches to Help You Reach Your Goals

It’s no secret that mentors and coaches can be the extra push that gets us to the top. But how can we go about finding great mentors? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Gabrielle Blackwell (GB), co-founder of Women in Sales Club (which focuses on empowering and enabling women to succeed in sales), to discuss her tactics and strategy when finding and interacting with a potential mentor . The problem: There’s a need for mentors. When GB got into sales, she wanted to be the best. However, she needed to learn more first. After suffering a concussion from a car accident, she needed to revitalize her efforts and get back on her sales feet. So, GB talked to people to evaluate if she was moving in the right direction. Sales reps and leaders need to acknowledge that you don’t have to know everything. Admitting you don’t know something requires an environment where you feel comfortable. And, upon noticing the discrepancy between what you know and what you need to know, you can ask for help. People either want to change or have to change. “I don’t know” needs to be normalized.  And before management can care about meeting expectations, they need to show you how to meet those expectations. It’s their job to teach you. Part of advocating for yourself involves recognizing when you need to advocate for yourself. A mentor is not going to fall in your lap. Sandler’s You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar discusses the Dummy Curve. (When you first start something, you ask questions. But as you learn more, you regurgitate what you know rather than listen to what’s happening around you.) You don’t need to let people know how much you know. <span styl

Fri, February 18, 2022

Andy Paul | Sell Without Selling Out

Many salespeople rely on assumptions about salespeople - think the cringe-inducing car salesman from movies. But while there’s truth in its origins, that description is no longer true to the modern salesperson. And while the modern salesperson embraces technology to achieve more, they often fall short. The takeaway? We aren’t getting better at selling. So how can we improve? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald brings on sales teacher, author, and consultant Andy Paul to discuss his strategy for revitalized selling . While there are commonalities, there is more than one way to sell well. The push to sales conformity is really for management, not the seller. Because management wants something predictable. However, the real world is more complicated.  You learn, take those learnings and apply them to life. And you become the sum of your experience and knowledge. We all end up doing things differently, even if they lead to the same result. Despite all the tools and technological advancements that benefit us, we aren’t getting better at selling.  We have ready access to a world of information, so it should make for a better and more efficient buying experience. However, our win rates are dropping. His book was a way of acknowledging the common sales behaviors, stopping, and doing only what works. The problem starts with educating sellers on what their job is. When asked “what’s your job?” The answer comes back “to persuade someone to buy my product.” In reality, your job is to listen to the prospective buyer’s challenges and help them find resources to overcome those problems. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. The Catalyst by Jonah Berger - Human beings have a resistance to being persuaded. Instead of persuasion, think about it from an influence perspective. Persuasion is coercive, while influence is affecting the actions of others without force. It’s a change in mindset. Four Pillars of Changing Sales Connection - Some people conflate a relationship with a friendship. While you don’t need to be friends with your buyers, you make connections in every interaction you have with them. Credibility and trust promote the relationship that makes a buyer choose to invest their time and energy into you. The seller is the first line of differentiation to the buyer. It costs you nothing to build a level of trust, but it does make a difference. Curiosity - We understand the world through curiosity and asking questions. The currently accepted sales process has a tiny time fr discovery. But in reality, this process should happen in every conversation with the prospect or buyer. To be interesting to someone else, you first need to be interested in them. Understanding - Our job is to listen to the

Mon, February 14, 2022

Bill McCormick | How to Convert Connections to Conversations with LinkedIn

More people use LinkedIn now than ever before. Is it the promised land? Not quite. But it’s still an excellent resource to find leads, start conversations, and ultimately convert connections. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by authentic seller and co-host of the making Sales Social Podcast Bill McCormick to discuss generating conversations that convert on everyone’s favorite professional social media platform.  Three groups of people to understand on LinkedIn: The Lion: The people with a ton of connections they might not know very well. (Recruiters are a great example of this group.) The Purist: People who only connect with people in their industry or area. While they have high-quality connections, they don’t have very many. The Networker: People who see LinkedIn as a networking room open to connecting with new people. This group is the median between the Lion and the Purist. A critical part of every LinkedIn connection strategy is the introduction. How many times do you connect without interacting with your contacts? Probably more than you think. In fact, you’re likely already connected to your ideal contacts, but you forgot about them. Bombbomb is a great resource to send video introduction messages that stand out and encourage communication with one another. It fosters conversation. Conversations aren’t rocket science. Even with the free LinkedIn platform, you can filter potential contacts based on area, industry, and more criteria. (The takeaway: you don’t always need Sales Navigator .) We listen with our eyes. (Yes, you heard and read that right.)  Being a helpful resource to prospects, even if that means working with someone other than you, is the best way to approach social selling and build credibility. Determine what kind of content is helpful to your prospect’s problems. But instead of just sending a link, ask to send the link. And only send it if they ask for it. Sharing content correctly conveys the trust and credibility that establishes yourself as a thought leader. Only 2% of LinkedIn users share content. You differentiate yourself by sharing content at least once per week. (Posting twice a week is even crazier.) You want your content to resonate with your followers before you pitch. Then, create curiosity. Make your audience think about something they’ve never thought about before. Teach them something new about their product or platform. Ask yourself if you’re creating curiosity or just pitching. Only then can you worry about disseminating content. Content should be a mixture of one-to-many, one-to-few, and o

Fri, February 11, 2022

Tyler Lessard | How Do I Get Enterprise Buyers to Watch My Videos?

Video is one of the most successful and valuable tactics salespeople can implement to land more meetings and reach higher sales goals. But it can be challenging to start without understanding the basics. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Vidyard’s VP of Marketing and Chief Video Strategist Tyler Lessard to discuss how you can start integrating video content into your outreach campaigns. Common Video Mistakes: The largest mistake is the perception of video in today’s business world. Video is no longer a one-to-many, high-quality product like movies and advertisements. Now it’s about connection, not perfection. Video is just a new mode to communicate with prospects like phone calls, social media, and traditional email. However, short videos are a visual medium that drastically help create a connection. You don’t need a scripted, rehearsed monologue. The goal is authenticity. A viewer can see the passion and excitement for the product or service that email just can’t quite convey, making it a more emotionally effective strategy than traditional messaging. Subject LIne Best Practices: People typically send video messages as an email. Therefore, getting people to open the email is your greatest challenge. Teasing a video in the subject line piques curiosity and stands out from what’s happening out there, resulting in higher open rates. When people end video the same way they send emails, it doesn't feel right. These videos are an opportunity to convey authenticity and show passion, likely with a more interest-based CTA.  If you can incorporate something immediately relatable to your audience, it can stimulate higher engagement.  How creative do you need to be to send video content? You don’t need to be a creative video-maker. However, be creative in your messaging. For example, visiting a prospect’s LinkedIn profile with a screen-share to show something you notice. Consider filming pre-meeting and post-meeting videos. Even if it’s a short, 20-second reminder, it creates a rhythm of communication and increases the meeting show rate. Post-meeting, send a video recap to attendees and people who missed the meeting, which increases your exposure and familiarity with the team. Tyler’s final takeaway? Whatever industry you’re in, video is here to stay and now is the time to figure out how you can use it to communicate your ideas. Vidyard has a tremendous amount of free resources for salespeople on their website, vidyard.com . Get in touch with Tyler on LinkedIn for more resources and content. His book, <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Sale-Marcus-Sheridan/dp/1646870182/ref=asc_df_1646870182/

Mon, February 07, 2022

Nicolas Vandenberghe | Speed to Lead: Converting New Web Visitor Interest to Revenue

Converting web leads is the dream for virtually every B2B company. What if we told you there’s a way to increase the conversion rate for web visitors by as much as double your current rates? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by co-founder and CEO of Chili Piper, Nicolas Vandenberghe, to discuss how his SaaS platform does just that. Only a fraction of website visitors turns into sales leads. The key to improving your conversion rate is to automate your inbound process.  The old inbound strategy depended on a human salesperson reaching out to a prospect (typically based on a form submission.) This humanist delay can result in up to days of lag time between the form and the response. And the business world is just too fast-paced for that. Speed to Lead helps overcome this issue by automating the qualification process and scheduling meetings in real-time. Prequalification is critical to faster client acquisition. You don’t want to waste time interacting with a potential client who won’t be suitable for your product. (And conversely, you shouldn’t want to waste their time.) Because so much data is available, clients can be pre-qualified automatically. For example, prequalification based on company size or revenue is easily accessible information that can be automatically checked with the initial form submission. Qualifying based on intent is trickier, but it can be accomplished through observing website visit frequency to gauge intent. Consider reallocating manpower to positions only humans can do. Human beings are better at influencing and building trust, which is why Nicholas recommends inbound SDRs be reallocated to outbound SDR positions.  Many elements of the inbound process are menial and repetitive, like scheduling meetings and answering form submissions. People don’t need to spend so much time on the administrative elements of the profession. The added value of a real salesperson is in our ability to influence - something machines just can't do as effectively. Nicolas’s final takeaway? The beauty of machines is that you can continually optimize them to better serve you and your prospects. You can experiment with which criteria are most important and adjust accordingly. Decisions are made fast, and they go to the fastest-moving person. So don’t let a lag time in inbound messaging cause slow sales cycles that result in opportunity loss. If you're interested in demoing this automated conversion platform, visit chilipiper.com . (They use their tool, so we’re sure you’ll be contacted promptly.) This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the o

Fri, February 04, 2022

Donald Kelly | Two Things Your Prospect Want To Know On Your Cold Call

There aren’t many people in the world who look forward to cold calling. (And if you're one of those people, you deserve an award.) But if you want to see an immediate improvement in your cold outreach, there are two things your prospects should know as soon as you start your first interaction. Find out what those are on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist.  1: Who are you? Your initial outreach should include your name (we hope that’s obvious). Still, it should also include the relevant information about you that will ease prospect anxiety and make them more receptive to what you have to say. This information could be how you found them, like LinkedIn or at a networking event. Even better, you could reference other people in the company the prospect works with, and that they suggested the connection.  2: What do you want? Once a prospect understands who you are, the seller must explain why they’re calling. Typically, there’s a reason you selected these specific people to cold call. As a result, you (hopefully) know a few pain points that you can use to prompt them into a conversation. They might not be receptive to an interaction at this particular time, but in explaining what you want, even if it’s just to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss if your product is right for them, they’ll be more likely to agree to the next step. Remember, you call dozens of similar people each day; you have experience and knowledge beneficial to these prospects.  This two-part strategy is necessary for any cold outreach campaign, whether on the phone, email, or LinkedIn networking. Bring value to the table, and you’ll have a better chance of landing that next appointment.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.)  With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.c

Mon, January 31, 2022

Brandon Fluharty | 7 Steps to Making 7 Figures in Enterprise SaaS Sales

Many salespeople dream of reaching the illustrious seven-figure earners club. But how can you achieve this goal? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Brandon Fluharty to discuss his seven-step framework for making seven figures in enterprise SaaS sales .  There are core truths to seven-figure selling:  You’re likely selling to large enterprise companies. While you can do it with small and medium-sized companies, it is challenging. You have experience (and confidence) selling to large clients.  You need the patience to endure incredibly long sales cycles. Get in the right environment. Find your “Goldilocks” situation concerning your ideal workplace, whatever that may be. What kind of internal infrastructure do you need to feel comfortable and successful? Build a transformation mindset Seven-figure earners sell a transformation that doesn’t just solve an issue; it prevents the problem from happening again.  In SaaS, you want to be the player touching multiple parts of the business. And that takes a transformational mindset. Be strategic about your target account list. Sell to clients that give you purpose. Identify the reasons you like you prefer your ideal client, and search for more that fit those criteria.  Doing so keeps you motivated during dishearteningly long sales cycles that enterprise companies have. Create a standard no one else delivers. The Diamond Standard - Picture a coal field in your competitive scenario, and be the diamond for your clients.  It is easier to perform to this standard when working with the clients you are interested in and passionate about. Break through personal limitations The higher you climb, the more imposter syndrome you’ll feel. For example, Brandon initially thought his introversion limited his success.  But, as he climbed the ranks, Brandon realized he could listen more than talk. And that weakness turned into a strength. Write down traits you feel hold you back. Then, how can you repurpose those and turn them into strengths? Rally others inside your organization Nothing great is achieved alone. And when you’re talking about seven and eight-figure deals, you’ll need help.  Be a generalist with your skillset, but be a specialist with your outcome. Be confident that you’re engaged and can make an impact. Don’t dictate; collaborate. Develop a personal operating system Move out of hu

Fri, January 28, 2022

Brad Sugars | 90 Days to Revolutionize Your Thinking

As we enter the new year, there’s no time like the present to set new goals and embrace the productive mindset you’ve always wanted. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by lifelong businessman, best-selling author, and coach Brad Sugars to discuss how you can revolutionize your thinking .  Revolutionize your mindset to get to the next level: It starts with the acknowledgment that your attitude needs to change. Brad’s formula for success: Dreams x Goals x Learning x Planning x Action. Getting to that next level involves all five of these components. Many of us are taught not to “bite off more than we can chew.” But change often means diving into the deep end and moving past our comfort zones. But why should you jump into the deep end?  Immersing yourself in a new way of doing things creates a new identity, and that identity shift is the change people need. Put yourself in situations where you aren’t the smartest or most productive person in the room. Doing so gives you the push to grow and learn.  Instead of looking to beat your average quarter, beat your best quarter. You never see sports professionals aim to perform above their average; they aim to perform above their best. Your goal is not your glass ceiling.  Don’t let a low goal influence your ability to thrive. Pick your favorite mentor growing up. How would you be different if you got to sit with them for thirty minutes for the next 90 days? Brad’s quick lead generation advice: What are most salespeople using for lead generation? Email, social media, and other standard practices. What are they missing? Simply asking who is interested; they’re trying to make a sale rather than see who’s interested. If someone expresses interest, that’s the ideal person to start a conversation with, Brad’s final takeaway? Set goals, don’t be the smartest person in the room, and grow into your goals. (Because if you knew how to achieve that goal today, you’d already be doing it.) Visit Brad’s website at https://bradsugars.com/ for more content and information. Contact him on LinkedIn , Instagram , or Twitter and mention you came from Donald’s podcast to receive 90% off his 90-day course.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to

Mon, January 24, 2022

Lee B. Salz | How B2B Sellers Can Sell Differently and Earn More Money

Differentiation is critical when operating as a B2B seller. But what’s the best way to differentiate and ensure you earn more money? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by management strategist Lee B. Salz to understand how to effectively set yourself apart in B2B sales .  Why does Lee have a passion for B2B sales strategy? The short answer? Golden Girls. The long answer? Lee needed a job his junior year of high school, so he was hired to drive the vehicle for a dry cleaning delivery service.  Lee was fascinated that people were willing to spend more for the convenience of delivered dry cleaning. However, it was only certain people - those with long work commutes. Those who worked local found it unneceessary.  The takeaway? Understand who gets meaningful value from what you’re selling, because not everyone will. Find the people who see meaningful value in what you’re selling. Visit targetclientprofile.com to download a free worksheet to identify your target profile client. It’s not an ideal client profile; it’s a target profile client. Ideal is who you want to sell to in a perfect world. Target clients are who you can and should sell to today (and any day of the week.) Your product won’t be meaningful to everyone. If something is marketed to everyone, it’s marketed to no one. Some people just won’t see value in your product. Innovation happens everywhere.   As long as someone sees value in your innovation, there’s place for it in the market. There are always people who are going to compete against you. It’s one of the oldest comparisons you see - salespeople are the athletes of the business world.  But one difference completely invalidates the comparison. Professional athletes work behind the scenes to deliver flawless performance. Salespeople, on the other hand, play the game without improving their performance.  What can you do today to improve your game?  It takes the work, research, and tools to be a professional. Competition has never been more fierce. And if we’re being honest, the differences between your product and your competition’s product is probably insignificant. Despite these more minor differences, how many companies are lowering quotas? None. Salespeople are expected to win at higher rates. You have to take a step back and look at every touchpoint in the buyer’s journey to analyze where you can outsmart and outsell a competitor. (Which is exactly what Lee discusses in his book.) Lee’s major takeaway? Don’t just sell; sell differently. Look at your touchpoints, discovery meetings, customer service, and every aspect of your sales prac

Fri, January 21, 2022

Natasha Hemmingway | The 5-Step Formula That Will Rewire the Brain to Think Like a Sales Pro

For many salespeople, a change in mindset encourages growth as you cultivate your sales practice. And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales consultant and speaker Natasha Hemmingway to learn her 5-step formula to rewire the brain and think like a sales pro. With 16 years of corporate sales experience (and multiple years as a professional sales consultant), Natasha believes that sales changes everything. It gives us access, opportunities to impact and influence others and help solve their problems. Step One: Mindset Many sales teams focus exclusively on the numbers, hustling for new clients purely for financial gain. But this mentality just doesn’t help anyone. Selling with heart means putting the client at the front of your selling technique. Serving them should be your priority.  Selling is a partnership just as much as it is a transaction, and it is the willingness to walk away from a deal if it isn’t right for the prospect. Step Two: Communication  Communication cannot come without the proper mindset, and it requires an understanding of what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to. In your communication, come from a place of confidence, ease, and grace. Most small and mid-size companies need to focus on their main thing. Selling dozens of slightly different products doesn’t encourage a purchase; it prevents it. Developing your authentic sales voice will help the client determine their best purchase (which should be your goal.) Step Three: Energy   How are you showing up to work? People know if you’re nervous, anxious, or just want money. You just can’t hide it.  Without the proper energy, you will encounter challenges converting sales and finding growth, regardless of how good your product or service might be. Step Four: A sales process   Solo entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even medium-sized businesses frequently don’t have a sales process.  If you wing your sales process, you’re likely repeating the same mistakes. A sales process quickly helps increase conversions and prevent these mistakes.  At a minimum, a sales process should detail the components of a sales call, pricing, follow-up, and closing. Step Five: A sales strategy  Even if your business is similar to fifty other people, your sales strategy and process are likely quite different.  People (especially in the sales world) mimic what they believe is successful. But can you deliver your authentic self while trying to be someone else? (Hint: No.) Natasha’s main takeaway? If you aren’t communicating and touching the human behind the payment, there’s a critical gap in your sales process. Connect with Natasha on <a href= "https://www.linkedin.co

Mon, January 17, 2022

Donald Kelly | Five Misconceptions Most Salespeople Struggle With About Mindset

Many salespeople have a misconstrued mindset about mindset itself, hindering success and costing more money. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses five common sales misconceptions and how to overcome them. So start the new year by overcoming these common misconceptions . Myth #1: Mindset is a soft skill and can’t be proven to result. Yes, motivational things are important and cool. But pep talk motivation has a purpose - it helps you perform. If your mind is game-ready, the performance will follow. Mindset isn’t just your motivation; it’s the way you think. Motivation is only a tiny (but necessary) part of that. Myth #2: I don’t need mindset, I can just hustle and complete tactics. When you get to a certain point, “hustling” only gets you so far. People who shatter records, earn promotions, and go beyond their current limit need more than hustle; they need the proper mindset. Research shows 80% of our daily thoughts are negative, and we do this to keep ourselves in our comfort zones.  Mindset training teaches you to combat and subvert those subconscious thoughts. Myth #3: I don’t need mindset training to strengthen my mind. Even the most mentally tough person on Earth has another level they can reach. People sell themselves short to avoid disappointment down the line. But you can definitely do more. And mindset coaches help with that. Myth #4: Mindsets are an either-or proposition Mindset by Carol Dweck establishes the dichotomy of a fixed or growth mindset. But the truth is, it’s not an either-or situation. You can be both! We have thoughts on both sides of the scale, between overcoming negativity in the workplace to our goals and career aspirations.  Myth #5: Anyone can do anything Okay, this sounds pessimistic. But it’s simply reality. You can’t grow wings. You can’t breathe in space. And, most likely, you won’t make the NBA. There are things you can’t or shouldn’t do. Understanding this doesn't mean you have a bad mindset. Instead, it encourages you to shift your focus to things you have control, which allows you to see greater results. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a respon

Fri, January 14, 2022

Richard White | Sales Challenges in a Fully Remote or Hybrid Environment

Remote and hybrid work environments can be challenging. Back-to-back Zoom calls quickly blur together, and many salespeople find that, even with note-taking, there are gaps in recollection when the follow-up meeting arrives. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Richard White to discuss his sales app, Fathom , which helps address and overcome these sales issues .  Salespeople juggle note-taking, conducting conversations, and remembering essential elements of meetings for later discussions. Because of this huge workflow, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. So, Richard built the free app Fathom for Zoom that records, transcribes, and (most importantly) highlights key moments of calls so you can focus on having an actual conversation. In a typical call, only 15% of the conversation is note-worthy. That means 85% of the conversation probably isn’t very important. And that 85% drowns out the 15% pretty quickly. As a salesperson, you’re routinely giving pitches, answering questions, and overcoming similar objections across clients and prospects. Remembering the different results of these similar conversations gets increasingly difficult as you have more meetings. Notes are incredibly helpful to help prep before a follow-up call. Rather than stress about what was discussed and where you left off, Fathom provides a short highlight reel with that 15% of important information. How can this app and system help a remote sales rep or leader? Fathom’s video highlights are compiled with a sales methodology. Timeline, pain points, and other noteworthy topics are automatically flagged to revisit later. Zoom has cloud recording, but you often don’t get the recording until thirty minutes after the call. Because Fathom is real-time, so you get it immediately. Several platforms provide helpful coaching metrics, but that’s only after the call. Fathom’s real-time recording alerts you during the call if you’ve been monologuing, helping provide the best experience possible for the prospect.   The goal is to perform smarter, not harder. The main takeaway from this episode? Zoom calls don’t have to be as stressful as they are. Visit fathom.video/pod to skip the waitlist and get this free tool for yourself, and connect with Richard on LinkedIn for more great updates and content. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer

Mon, January 10, 2022

Gina Trimarco | You Can't Do Everything

Back-to-back meetings can drain your mental energy and, subsequently, your commission check. Working a hybrid of virtual and in-person work can be challenging while caring for your physical and mental health. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by master sales trainer and Sales Gravy coach Gina Trimarco to discuss her strategy to find balance in a world where salespeople are expected to do everything . Twelve years of owning a sales company (and an improv theatre) taught Gina important life lessons.  Namely, the soft skills of improv help people be more organic in their sales efforts. Donald didn’t make his college’s improv team. Not that we’re holding a grudge or anything. More importantly, in those roles, Gina realized the importance and the need to set healthy boundaries between her work and personal life.    People think they can do more than they should. This issue was drastically increased during the pandemic - we went from an in-person world to virtual seemingly overnight.  Now that things are opening again (although we’re eyeing that omicron variant), there’s an expectation to continue virtual meetings while resuming in-person, depending on the prospect’s preference.  Gina realized this situation was getting out of hand when she scheduled calls in transit at 6 a.m. Constant availability is simply not sustainable.   But what’s the detriment to getting more done? The 24/7 hustle fatigues you in every way possible, professionally, physically, and mentally. You’ll notice declines in productivity and a lack of focus when you don’t have space to relax and decompress. From the virtual selling perspective, limit how much time you spend on zoom per day. The zoom fatigue is real. Google Calendar can automatically install buffer time in-between meetings. Make that a standard scheduling practice to ensure you give yourself the time you need. Respect your boundaries. <li style="font-weig

Fri, January 07, 2022

Jerry Brooner | Scaling Teams Across Countries, Cultures, and Continents

Without sales, companies wouldn’t generate revenue! And with hundreds of thousands of niches and topics for sales professionals, creating an effective hiring strategy is critical for companies to fill their team with qualified and creative talent. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Jerry Brooner, President of Global Field Operations at Enable , to discuss his best sales hiring practices . Finding and keeping good talent is a warzone. To be clear, there is no shortage of talent. But many hiring managers just aren’t searching in the right places for the right people. For example, hiring managers who look only in major U.S. cities completely ignore the rest of the country (let alone the rest of the world.)  In reality, there are intelligent and capable people no matter where you go, and they all bring different perspectives to a team. Jerry’s strategies to recruit a diverse team:  First, think about what’s important for the company and the sales team. In most instances, that means a wider array of diversity and experiences. Jerry’s team searches not only in different states and countries but also beyond the major areas of those places. So, for example, when recruiting in the UK, they check locations besides London. How to plan a recruitment strategy:  Work backward. Look at your customers, your team’s territories, and the industries those territories fall in, and look for knowledgeable people in those areas. Make entry-level jobs entry-level . Determine if the number of years of experience you’ve selected is essential. Most of the time, it isn’t. Look for accomplishments rather than years of experience to ensure everyone has an opportunity for consideration. Addressing and fostering diversity in his own company: <li style="font-weight: 400;

Mon, January 03, 2022

Donald Kelly | Three Mistakes Salespeople Make When Setting New Year Goals

It’s easy to make simple mistakes when setting goals for the new year, especially if you quickly fall back into the same habits as you did the previous year. So on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses the three mistakes salespeople make when setting goals and how you can prevent those same pitfalls. And happy birthday to Donald’s sister, Jessica!  1. Don’t set huge goals without a plan. A Harvard study revealed that people aren’t likely to succeed in huge goals. The key is to set micro-goals that are far easier to obtain and make you happier. The 12-Week Year concept is powerful because it does precisely that - breaks down an overarching goal into smaller, easier-to-obtain segments. Whether it’s to make a million dollars in sales or lose a certain amount of weight, micro-goals are far easier to obtain than a massive goal. 2. Be more descriptive when setting goals 65% of the population are visual people, and it’s natural for humans to think in pictures. If you have a goal in mind, making it descriptive allows you to visualize and thus better understand why the goal is important in the first place.  If your goal is to hit a quota, what are the benefits of hitting that quota? Associate the benefits and results of the goal with the goal itself to overcome objections you might create for yourself. To learn more about the benefits and how to engage in a descriptive mindset, check out the Sales Evangelist Sales Mindset Training Program .  3. Set a goal, not a dream. It takes discipline to accomplish a goal. And you might have habits that are in direct conflict with achieving a goal. You can’t just wish on a plan - set it up and designate steps

Fri, December 31, 2021

Donald Kelly | Best of 2021 Episode

Mon, December 27, 2021

Donald Kelly | Here is How I am Prepping for 2022

As we move into 2022, there’s no time like the present to set new goals and be prepared for the year ahead. So what is Donald doing to prepare for 2022 ?  He’s adding three books to his reading list (and you should too.) The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks :  Getting past your comfort zone can be a challenge. When it comes to quotas, commissions, and sales targets, many salespeople trap themselves into thinking that they can only do a certain amount.  But I’ll ask you this - why can’t you make more? Don’t be your own worst enemy! If your company limits your commissions, maybe it's time to find a new job to break through and get to the next level.  The Billion Dollar Secret by Rafael Badziag: This guy interviewed billionaire people and asked them what it takes to make a billion dollars. You may not get a billion dollars in sales revenue yourself, but why can’t you get six or seven figures? Get past limits you set yourself to unlock more money for you. Salespeople reap what they sow - focusing on the ideal customer who makes more significant purchases can be what brings onto the 7-figure level. The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran: Salespeople are super productive between October and December because of the shorter quarter. But why can’t you have this same urgency throughout the year? The 12 Week Year breaks down overarching goals into smaller, 12-week-long goals that help you achieve whatever goals you’ve set for yourself. And now, the bonus book: Donald’s Sales Planner! (Yes, this is a shameless plug.) When searching for a sales planner, Donald realized those in the market weren’t what he wanted.  Instead of a reactive planner, he wanted one that kept him focused on his goals and moving forward. His planner encourages you to focus on tasks that directly correlate to success by utilizing the 12-week concept framework. It features a performance tracker at the end of each day or week. It is a 3-month planner, promoting focus on each quarter, and features a performance tracker for each day and week to ensure you’re on track to reach quotas. Even if you don’t use this planner, plan! Spend 30 minutes each day planning the

Fri, December 24, 2021

Donald Kelly | Best Sellers In History – “Jesus Christ”

Disclaimer: This episode isn’t to convince listeners to become Christians; it’s to highlight how Jesus Christ persuaded people (a crucial sales trait.) As we near Christmas Day, we thought it would be fun to revisit an episode from the TSE Archives. In this episode, Donald kicked off his “ Best Sellers in History ” series with Jesus Christ. How did he start a movement, persuade people, and convince people to change their lives? Well, he sold them on the idea! And here are the seven reasons he was so successful: He Showed Sympathy and Built Rapport: Even when nobody else would, he sat with ordinary people and those marginalized by society. People didn’t understand these actions, but Jesus shared that a physician comes to heal the sick, not the healthy. In the same way, Jesus spent time with people who needed his help the most.  He made an impact: Jesus modeled how he wanted people to treat one another. As a sales rep, set yourself apart from others by understanding your prospect's pain points and then offering a solution.  Consider writing a blog or creating content related to your prospect's challenges.  He Was a Skilled Storyteller: In one instance, a man tried to trap Jesus while preaching by asking him how to receive eternal life. In response, Jesus replied with a question about what was written in the law.  The lawyer replied that one should love the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength and love his neighbor as he loves himself.   He then asked Jesus who he should consider his neighbor, and Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan . The story of the Good Samaritan was relatable, and the people listening understood the point he was making.  He Shared a Vision People believed in Jesus because he fulfilled prophecies laid out in scripture. When Jesus preached, people listened to his message of hope. As a sales rep, understand a prospect’s pain points and challenges. As you get to know them, you’ll have the opportunity to offer hope through your product or service. He Challenged the Status Quo: Challenging the status quo helped people trust Jesus to make the right decisions. In sales, we can experience the status quo and get stuck in familiar patterns. The most daunting competitor isn’t another sales rep but your client’s comfort zone. The conversation may be bold, but sometimes it takes boldness to get people to change.  He Listened Effectively Throughout his ministry, Jesus listened to people’s stories and showed mercy and compassion.  As a salesperson, imitate Jesus by listening to your

Mon, December 20, 2021

Rachel Pitts | 5 Phone Cold Outreach Strategies To Use In 2022

Cold outreach can be the worst part of your day for most salespeople. But if you had an easy-to-follow strategy, would that make it better? (Our answer: absolutely!) In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Rachel Pitts, co-host of Women Your Mother Warned You About , to discuss five cold outreach strategies to use in 2022. Rachel’s selling journey started in real estate: Rachel started her real estate journey during the 2008 market crash (AKA a lousy time to start), where she worked for ten years.  After later working in the mortgage industry, she realized her dream was to own a dance studio. And now, she is a full-time dance studio owner. (Congratulations, Rachel!) Why are people afraid of the phone? Well, there are many reasons. But namely, people believe nobody answers. But coming out of COVID, people are isolated and more willing to answer the phone. Plus, communicating over the phone is better at fostering personal connections. Many salespeople are afraid they’re bothering others. But, as a salesperson, you are a professional interrupter. You should interrupt people. However, learn how to interrupt efficiently that doesn’t piss people off. Five Strategies You Should Use: Call your existing contacts, and ask if they know anyone who needs your product or service. Consider it a warm-up; you likely already know these people to some capacity, and you’re more likely to have a positive conversation with them.  Leave a voicemail. One of the great courses offered at Sales Gravy University is the fanatical prospecting boot camp (based on Jeb Blount’s book Fanatical Prospecting <span style="font-weight:

Fri, December 17, 2021

Julie Hansen | How to Make Your Initial Zoom Meetings More Engaging Whether You Can See Your Customer or Not

While we might be in a post-pandemic world, the myriad of zoom calls is here to stay. But, for any professional, creating and maintaining professional virtual relationships is more complex than in-person. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by actor, author, and founder of Selling On-Video Master Class Julie Hansen to learn how to better engage our virtual audiences .  When transitioning from theatre to camera, she had to practice communication. When everyone went virtual, Julie noticed other people struggling (as she was) to communicate through a camera. So, she created her masterclass to teach skills salespeople could apply to their virtual sales techniques. She also wrote an Amazon bestselling book, Look Me In the Eye , to further educate people in virtual communication. Communicating with a client whose video is off can be challenging. The value of having your video on is huge. Even if the prospect is unseen, looking at the camera as if they’re speaking will create a stronger relationship. Salespeople tend to assume the worst - that the client is bored, disengaged, or not paying attention. And that attitude tends to bring out the worst in the salespeople, resulting in skipping ahead and rushing through content. Visualize the prospect having a great reaction, even if you can’t see it, because it encourages you to maintain positive momentum. Resist the urge to watch yourself: Never have your own image on; you’ll focus on your faults and be entirely out of the moment. (Remember, It’s not a mirror!) While Julie recommends setting your camera as close to the screen or image as possible, remember that humans are precise with eye contact. So even if it’s off by only a couple of inches, most people will recognize that. <span sty

Mon, December 13, 2021

Seth Godin | How "The Practice" and Being Different Can Help Sellers Connect With More Prospects

We could spend hours discussing the importance of honing your craft. But, whether it’s perfecting your golf swing, mixing the perfect cocktail, and of course, making sales, practice is what leads to a better result. Today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist features NYT bestselling author Seth Godin. He and Donald discuss elements of his most recent book “The Practice” and how salespeople can use these principles to connect with prospects .  There is a disconnect between what selling used to be and what selling is now. A salesperson is no longer responsible for informing prospects or conducting a sale- the internet does that. A salesperson is responsible, however, for the transference of emotion. And that is the skill most salespeople need to cultivate.  How can the idea of trusting yourself from “The Practice” help an individual sales rep? Most people are their own worst boss. They’re never satisfied with their work and undermine their future potential. The challenge that comes with trusting yourself is acknowledging two voices in your head - the scared one that needs reassurance and the generous, connected voice. Silence the first voice a little bit and listen to the other one.   In a B2B setting, we don’t need a replaceable salesperson lined up to argue about some RPF; we need people with creativity and confidence. Remember, the client isn’t just buying the product; they’re buying the story. Instead of saying “I need to be the expert,” say “ I know all the questions.”  Young BDRs don’t position themselves to be seen as the expert. View yourself as a consultant to be more confident in conducting meaningful conversations. If you know the ten questions that change everything for a client, that’s useful.  You aren’t pushing people to buy your answer, but it’s about being present for someone to find their own. Look at Fred Wilson’s blog (one of the most successful venture capitalists of all time.) Be like Jackson Pollock.  Both Jackson and his brother Charles took painting classes from Thomas Hart Benton . Charles’s work looked like Benton’s, and he went unknown. On the other hand, Jackson’s work was creative. However, everyone hated it. But when the right collectors saw his work, Jackson found success. The moral of the story: Don’t look for gimmicks or stunts. Just be unique. The desire to be liked and fit in drives many salespeople to the role. But great salespeople are willing to bring friction to the table to get people out of their rut. Be a Purple Cow and look for ways to stand out.  Being a purple cow isn’t talking a

Fri, December 10, 2021

David Smith | Boost Engagement Through Prospect-Centered Selling

Selling can be a complicated process, especially when prospects have multiple objections to your solution. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by David Smith to discuss how he uses prospect-centered selling to overcome these objections and help prospects make authentic and genuine decisions. David encountered this issue when developing senior housing communities in St. Louis. His job was easy: to fill the communities. But David’s problem wasn’t generating leads; it was converting them to make a final decision.  It’s a difficult decision to leave your home and move into a retirement community. It’s a decision many people don’t want to make, even though it is logically the right choice.  Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says there are four prerequisites to a sale: Having a product or service Being able to afford it Being able to use it Having a desire for it - this was the critical missing from David’s prospects. The solution? David had to draw motivation out of them. It’s a complex, heuristic sale based on emotional resistance. And until someone recognizes and overcomes that emotional resistance, there’s no solution. David recognized that moving out of your home comes with a loss of identity. He needed to look at this transaction not from an investor perspective but the perspective of each individual prospect. When David sells, he looks for themes and values of the individual to build a foundation. And this approach applies to any product or service. Upon finishing this project, David could go back to law or help others fill their communities. He chose the latter. He built a methodology (with the help of his partner, Alexandra Fisher) based on the psychology of change. He also build the CRM Sherpa, which launched in June of 2014 and is now used by 1500 communities around the globe. With his CRM, David extrapolated helpful information that further guided his methodology: If you spend more time in direct selling activity, you’ll have better results. How you use that time in the selling zone matters.  The more time per lead worked, the better results will be. Effectively use the time spent planning subsequent engagements Creatively and purposely connect and follow up with prospects. It’s not in the hearing; it’s in the telling.   Hearing keeps interest and motivation along the way.  But the most crucial part is for the prospect to articulate their thoughts and feelings. And you do that by asking clarify

Mon, December 06, 2021

Daphne Thomson | How to Use Follow Up to Increase Sales Up to 60%

Studies show it takes 8-12 touchpoints to convert a prospect to a client, yet many salespeople give up after the first one or two. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews Fractional CMO and digital marketing expert Daphne Thomson to learn her strategy for effective sales follow-ups and why you should revitalize your process. First things first, the follow-up is more than just a phone call. A follow-up is a value you provide in that touchpoint, and it should be roughly 80% value and 20% sales. Because 60% of conversions occur only after the 12th touchpoint, you must have a system in place to ensure prospects regularly receive valuable messaging. See the prospect as a person, not just a lead. The connection becomes much more powerful once you relate to them on a human level. Salespeople bring in the business, so you’re indirectly responsible for a large part of your team. Hopefully, that drives and motivates you to continue to follow up. To continue to add value to prospects throughout their touchpoints, make sure you place them in the funnel specific to the value they want. The majority of follow-up platforms are similar. She uses Zoho , ActiveCampaign , and MailChimp as follow-up systems, but there are many. So it really depends on your needs. What should an organization do to establish a better follow-up system? Educate yourself. If you can learn these systems, you are educated and have power.  For salespeople, perform a survey to ask people for reviews on platforms or your value messaging. When a salesperson comes to sell their product or service, ask them what platforms they use. Particul

Fri, December 03, 2021

Donald Kelly | What Exactly is Sales Engagement?

Mon, November 29, 2021

Thomas Niewiara | Everything You Need to Know About Selling to Enterprise Organizations

Account-based selling isn’t like your typical sales procedure. While both take skill and finesse, Account-based selling requires mastery over both your company and your clients. For the past year and a half, Thomas has worked for Amazon Web Services, making nine-figure deals. And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, he and Donald discuss what you need to know about selling to enterprise organizations . (Fun fact: On today’s undisclosed episode of recording, it’s our guest Thomas Niewiara’s birthday!) Amazon is (to say the least) not a small organization, and they do both account-based and traditional sales approaches. Working with Amazon Web Services ’ global accounts team, Thomas manages large AWS customers. Before, he did many sales and sales engineering roles from Google Cloud to a cybersecurity startup. The difference between traditional and account-based selling: the conventional model is a top-down funnel centered around creating and nurturing brand awareness. In account-based sales, you start by identifying critical strategic accounts to focus on and then building lead generation around them. How to start account-based selling: Develop executive-level relationships because prospecting with a bottom-up approach might not work when 1000s of people work within one company segment.  Because most of these larger accounts are public, analyze available financial statements (such as 10k’s) to frame your specific solutions.  Thomas spends much more time than average on research. He spends 40% of his time researching for his accounts, with the remaining 60% going towards pitching, presenting, and other facets of his work. Why does he spend so much time researching? You need to understand the problem before you prescribe the solution. As an account rep with these clients, you are the expert. You’re expected to know all the key players within that account and how they work with each other. He has google alerts for both of his accounts, and he uses <a href= "https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/cx/18/08/linkedin-sales-navigator?src=go-pa&trk=sem_lss_gaw&veh=LSS_NAMER_T1_US_Searc

Fri, November 26, 2021

Lisset Sanchez-Schwartz | 3 Things Your Company Must Do To Successfully Implement Account-Based Marketing

ABM (or account-based marketing) is the latest buzzword in the sales world, but how can we integrate this strategy within an existing marketing strategy? More importantly, should you? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the Director of Global Account-Based Marketing at ON24, Lisset Sanchez-Schwartz, to learn her approach to implementing account-based marketing campaigns successfully . Determine what ABM really means and which type you should utilize.  ABM is a cross of a full range of communications, from events to content delivery. It’s segmenting customer bases into unique groups where you can apply different and specific messages. In some cases, that could even mean a 1:1 strategy. It’s not a tactic or campaign type, but it's an orchestration amongst many team members to holistically approach an account. There are three ABM approaches: one-to-one, one-to-few, and one-to-many. Of course, the personalized you get, the more expensive it is to implement.  Determine if an ABM strategy will be effective. Admittedly, this should probably be a discussion before you determine the type of ABM. But remember, not every account needs an ABM strategy attached. ABM needs to be a partnership with sales. (Many places even call it ABX, because it applies to so much more than just marketing.) Lisset’s pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean. It takes money, time, and effort over a long period to see results.  Develop the infrastructure to support your ABM approach If you don’t have the infrastructure to do retargeting at scale, select a handful of accounts and research. Apply an ABM strategy where it makes sense.  To determine if an account might benefit from an ABM strategy, evaluate and research. If you have a limited budget, use information from your sales team to build the most robust plan possible. If you have a larger budget, utilize third-party data to gain more information about a potential company. This is a great way to learn if a company is interested in you (or a competitor.) The more time you spend on the model, the better the backend will be How do you aggregate this information if you don’t have the software to find all these data points? Hopefully, you have a CRM. The first-party data you’ve built up will pay dividends. Start with what you have today. Even if your data isn’t the cleanest, start a 1:1 with a company you’re more confident about. Lisset’s final takeaway? Have the conversation and have patience. A long-term strategy might not seem successful initially, but it will pay dividends down the line with consistency. Visit ON24.com<

S21 E1508 · Mon, November 22, 2021

Dr. Stephen Timme & Melody Astley | Insight-Led Selling: Adopting an Executive Mindset to Learn How Buyers Think

How can you interact with potential buyers (especially enterprise clients) that encourage a dialogue? After all, landing the sale isn’t the only part of the equation; you first have to get their attention! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Dr. Stephen Timme and Melody Astley to discuss their recent book Insight-Led Selling , which details how to learn how buyers think . But first, why did they write a book? Ultimately, Stephen and Melody wanted to create a resource their clients and community could utilize. It’s harder than ever to sell to enterprise sellers (yes, people say that every year. But it’s true!) And COVID-aside, the subscription-based economy is growing. There are more stakeholders than ever before in traditional buying processes. At the same time, implementation costs for platforms are lower, making it easier to switch between service providers. They interviewed many executives to see how they felt about sales.  From AT&T, Coca-Cola, Proctor and Gamble, and even Honey-Baked Hams, Stephen and Melody interviewed executives to learn firsthand how they felt about salespeople. (If you were curious, Honey-Baked Hams didn’t even give them coupons. We’re just as disappointed as you are.) They asked one simple question: what could sellers do better? Below were the three overwhelming responses: First, tell me something I don’t know. Second, how does what you’re selling align with my goals and strategies. Third, make my life easy (and don’t give me a 30-page proposal.) Personalization is more than inserting the name of each person in an email blast.   It’s developing a point of view that is interesting to the person you’re talking to. Hold on, let’s say that again for those who missed it: spend a moment to develop a point of view interesting to the person you’re talking to. As a sales leader, we expect output from our BDRs. But we can’t do this and expect results from a spray-and-pray method. The game has changed. How can you implement these sales techniques? For publicly-traded companies, you have access to specific financial figures; use that to align your selling proposition with their capabilities.  Explain the “how” you can help them before you can get into the “how much.”  For sales leaders, equip your salespeople with the specialized knowledge they might need.  You can self-learn if you feel unsupported by your o

S21 E1507 · Fri, November 19, 2021

Natasha Bowles | Professional Gatekeepers Advice for Connecting with Decision Makers

Gatekeepers: the infamous villains of the sales world. Regardless of industry, most high-level executives employ some type of executive assistant or secretary to serve as a gatekeeper. A necessary part of the professional world, these assistants act as a filter that forces salespeople to maintain high standards and thoughtful targeting to pass. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews Natasha Bowles, founder of Natasha Bowles Professional Staffing Agency, to learn more about how salespeople should interact with gatekeepers for more successful results.  The main priority of an executive assistant: securing the executive’s time.  If Natasha didn’t protect her executive’s time, salespeople (among others) would occupy all their time. That doesn’t mean salespeople are bad. But it does mean she ensures the salespeople she lets pass are prepared and offer a product or service genuinely beneficial to her executive’s company. Executives receive 250-1000 emails every day. She is a necessary filter that helps executives find time to do their jobs.  Therefore, as salespeople, you must convince both the executive and the gatekeeper that you’re worthy of their time. Get past the virtual inbox - Natasha’s tips for email outreach: Natasha automatically discards anything that looks like an email blast- emails containing no information about the company and just discuss the sender’s product. To get to the executive, show initiative, research the target company and show how you can help solve a problem. It’s not just personalizing the email; it’s demonstrating understanding of the target and what you can offer them. It’s basic human decency, but still applicable: be respectful. Gatekeepers will notes a dismissive or demanding salesperson. And, if they need that product or service, the gatekeeper will look elsewhere. In 2018, Natasha was tasked with finding an alarm system, water cooler, and other aspects for a new building. The man she was looking to buy from refused to talk to her, insisting on interacting with her executive at every stage of the buying journey. Natasha ultimately ended the partnership with his company because he refused to work with her, and she found a different supplier. Salespeople have a long-standing perception that they need to speak with the decision-maker. But the decision-maker doesn’t necessarily mean the top-level executive. It’s whoever is in charge of the decision (I know, it’s shocking.) Develop (and maintain) a relationship with the gatekeeper to be effective. Find a balance between demonstrating product knowledge without going over people’s heads. Don’t explain hyper-specific nuances, but emphasize what sets your product apart from the

Mon, November 15, 2021

Robert Workman | Why Transforming Your Mindset Before Coordinating a Sale Makes All the Difference for Your Numbers

Like with any job, your sales performance will be far better with the proper mindset. A focused attitude, combined with a strong feeling of self-worth and knowing who you are as a human being, affects all areas of your life. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Robert Workman to learn how to empower ourselves to have a mindset conducive to sales success. You need to have confidence in both your work and yourself.   Have confidence that you’ll show up as yourself, regardless of what meeting, event, or circumstance you find yourself in.  Many salespeople lack a strong sense of confidence but finding that confidence empowers you to do whatever you need to do to succeed. How you can be more focused as a sales professional:  Once you’re confident in yourself, you can accomplish what you know is suitable for your career rather than what other people might tell you is correct. Robert’s book Selling - The Most Dangerous Game encourages you to look at the leadership and style of work in your workplace to determine if it is the right environment for you. Have the confidence to acknowledge if this workplace will be conducive to your success rather than forcing something that doesn’t work. To ensure success, take ownership of your time. Eliminating distractions is paramount to the success of a salesperson.  When dealing with adversity, you have to have a total belief in yourself. You have to believe you can walk into a business meeting and accomplish what you need to do. To get in touch with Robert, visit his website, hiredgun.us , for his email, contact information, and links to his books. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free ! You can visit <a href= "http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemorede

Fri, November 12, 2021

Scott Leese | How To Develop Your Account-Based Strategy Outreach Messaging

Whether or not you and your business utilize account-based selling, you won’t obtain the sales figures you want without the right messaging and communication. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales consultant and strategic advisor Scott Leese to learn how salespeople can ensure they’re using messaging that delivers results . How can a salesperson ensure solid messaging? Have the client explain and describe what problems and challenges they have. During the first interaction with a potential client, some businesses will try to talk about themselves. Don’t do that. Selling is more than convincing the prospect to buy your product. The first step is simply to pique their interest. The traditional mass-email strategy is no longer effective. People are inundated with vague email pitches.  While this was once a good strategy, the pendulum has now swung in the opposite direction, and the number of importance is no longer volume; it’s conversions. We have to be thoughtful, customer-focused, and targeted. How to create thoughtful messaging: Find out more about your target. Research the individual and the company, find one or two key points and then reach out. Most importantly: Understand you won’t hit a home run every time. Don’t spend hours researching one prospect. Instead, find something to have a simple but thoughtful conversation. If you put yourself out there in a casual, thoughtful, authentic way, that puts people at ease. And that ease allows them to pass that onto somebody else. Scott’s main takeaway is: Be sincere, be human, and be thoughtful. Don’t overthink or try to get an A+; college is over. To get in touch with Scott, connect with him on LinkedIn , and check him out on <span style= "font-weight

Mon, November 08, 2021

Donald Kelly | What Exactly is Account-Based Selling?

Every salesperson has been in this situation at some point: marketing delivers a handful of leads, only for nobody to respond after you initiate contact. While frustrating, that’s an unfortunate downfall of the lead-based selling model, and a great reason why pivoting to an account-based sales model could be beneficial for you. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald explains what account-based selling is and how you can implement it into your approach.  Account-based selling is an excellent approach for many businesses. Rather than utilize a traditional lead-based model, an account-based approach focuses on the ideal client account of your company and how you can attract similar clients to them. An account-based strategy will keep your marketing and sales departments unified and focused on the same target, generating more touchpoints and communications with the ideal client most likely to purchase. How to start using an account-based approach: First, make a list of the people most likely to buy from you. This list should be a series of criteria that only a select group will fit. Second, discover companies that fit these descriptions. Finally, multithread. Don’t reach out to just one person at the company; find three to five people you might want to interact with. What is the benefit of account-based selling? Marketing and sales will continue their typical outreach: the white papers, the events, and the webinars.  Only now, it’ll come with a focus and a mission that is aligned with the ideal account most beneficial to the salespeople. Account-based targeting allows you to create content specifically for your ideal client. While the reach might be smaller, the likelihood of moving those ideal clients through the funnel is much more significant. It takes time and work to develop the playbook to make this process run seamlessly. But once the plan is in place, you’ll find opportunities for more growth and more sales. Join our Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to share your sales story and join a community of people dedicated to growing their profession. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the <a href= "https://the-sal

Fri, November 05, 2021

Peter Kazanjy | Why You Need To Become A Data-Driven Sales Seller ASAP!

Embracing the technological capabilities of the modern-day isn’t just a good idea; it’s a necessity. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Peter Kazanjy, the founder of Atrium and Modern Sales Pros (the nation’s largest sales, operations and leadership peer-education community.) As an author on early-stage sales excellent ( Founding Sales ), Peter is a sales expert who knows why you need to become a data-driven sales seller . What does it mean to be a data-driven seller? It’s very similar to the innovation we’ve seen in athletics and high-end professions: someone utilizes every available advantage.  Especially with people working from home, there’s an opportunity to use new information to improve rep and team performance. If you don’t utilize these new technological innovations to make data-informed decisions, you’re going to be in a bad spot. How do you sell embracing technology to managers? There are two historical reasons sales managers are typically blocked from a data-driven perspective: their ability and enablement, or the available tooling. Simple deal inspection is a standard management style, but it’s no longer the most effective. Enabling managers to manage metrics and goals is necessary to close the number of deals needed to stay viable.  Transitioning to a data-driven framework, especially as a manager, only benefits the team and brings in more money, making it a practical adjustment when given the proper resources. How can I go about starting if I don’t have management support? Start paying attention to the important precursors. There's a conversion rate for the total number of accounts you interact with and the number of opportunities you create. Similarly, there will be a correlation between outreach efforts and movement through a conversion funnel. It’s like doing your daily pushups - consistency is key. Even if you don’t have the support of those around you, tracking simple metrics yourself will significantly help your own sales goals. What metrics should we tackle first? The further upstream you can get, the better. Ensure you are meeting not just the quantity threshold you need, but one of quantity. Don’t email a few people; spread your portfolio. Who are you engaging with? Are you doing a good job, indicated by the response rate and opportunities created? Peter’s major takeaway: Understand the importance of data-driven sales management. Whether that’s investing in highly specialized software or just keeping track on a whiteboard in your living room, using

Mon, November 01, 2021

Mike Farrell | Why the Decision To Own or Outsource Your SDR Team Is So Important

To own or not to own, that is the question. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Mike Farrell, who specializes in outsourcing SDR work so their clients can focus on other tasks. Should you and your company use an external SDR team, or should you invest in and develop a team yourself? Find out in today’s episode. With 18 years in the SDR world, Mike knows when to outsource versus invest in a team yourself. The answer? It all depends on where your company is in its maturation process. Startups and recently created companies likely don’t have the tools, people, or finances in place to develop their own team successfully (and should therefore outsource.) On the other hand, after receiving two or three rounds of investment, it might be wise to create your own team with a more in-depth understanding of what your company offers. What even is “outsourcing”? Mike’s company has two different outsourcing methods: they use their own software, systems and people to perform the tasks themselves. This means the SDR team can be rapidly deployed, but a third-party organization still owns it. This is a common model for startups. The other model is a pay-per-appointment method, reserved more for companies that have enterprise companies as clients. How to determine if you should outsource your team’s SDR work: Work backward: First, decide on your final sales goals and objectives.  Look at how many deals you made in a time frame and the win rate of the prospects you contacted. Total the number of prospects you interacted with across all mediums, and determine if you have the number of staff required to reach your goals based on your win rate. If the answer is no, you need to hire an external vendor to augment that (or staff up your internal SDR organization.) To get in contact with Mike, visit his company website at Greenleads.com or email him at mike.farrell@greenleads.com . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundame

Fri, October 29, 2021

Marc Gutman | Why Businesses That Invest in Branding Will Win Out Over Those That Don’t

Branding is way more than the marketing or the marketing team - it’s establishing and helping people realize you’re an authority. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by branding expert Marc Gutman to learn why businesses that invest in branding win out over those that don’t. Marc’s branding journey started because of the power of storytelling: Marc worked in the movie business, working with award-winning director Oliver Stone. It was in this field where he learned what the power of storytelling could do for an organization. He moved to branding after moving to Colorado, where he discovered a fantastic community of startup entrepreneurs. Marc started his own business (which he ended up selling) and then started his branding agency, Wild Story. A brand has one job: Get people to buy more stuff for more years at a higher price.  There are two ways for an organization to increase its margins: lower costs or increase the price of goods or services.  To raise the price without reducing transactions, you must increase the product’s perceived value so people are more willing to pay more. Everyone has a brand, even as an individual: Whether you like it or not, people want to know about you if they’re going to work with you. And because people no longer work in the same career or organization their entire life,  you always need to be building a brand reputation for your future. There’s only room for one person to be the cheapest in the market. For everyone else, there is branding to emphasize what you bring to the table. What can an organization do to develop a brand? Become a thought leader and make content. Whether that’s video, podcasts, or blogs, pick a medium that you like and start creating! A brand is not your logo, tagline, or website. It’s the words and underlying DNA behind your organization. People have a gut feeling about your products and service, and you influence that through your words. A brand should become repetitive to you internally, but it should never feel repetitive externally.  Check him out on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit his website at wildstory.com . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conv

Mon, October 25, 2021

Donald Kelly | Celebrating 1500 Episodes!

It’s time to celebrate The Sales Evangelist’s 1500th episode! To celebrate this milestone, today’s episode is a little different. Rather than bringing in a guest, Donald looks back at past episodes to discuss five sales principles that have been important to him as a salesman, businessman, and just throughout his life. Just getting started Listening to the first TSE episode is...rough. But there’s an important takeaway: don’t judge your “episode one” to someone else’s episode 1500.  As a new seller, don’t compare yourself to a veteran seller with years of experience. Nobody is great at something initially. So, just start, and don’t compare yourself to the quality of others. The principles of selling are the same. This podcast has interviewed all types of people, from authors and sellers to industry experts.  According to Jeb in a previous episode, the selling process has not evolved because salespeople still go through similar processes, connect with people, and solve problems. What has changed are the tools and information available and the buyers’ expectations. Winning the morning Episode seven of the podcast was about something critical: time management.  According to the guest from that episode, Justin Su’a, winning the morning means starting strong. The problem isn’t that there aren’t enough hours in the day; the problem is that we don’t take advantage of the time available. Winning the day doesn’t mean you have to wake up at three or four in the morning (necessarily); just put the most pressing tasks and high-priority items first. Learning to be agile According to the one and only Jill Conrad, salespeople need to find a way to stay agile. Agile selling is getting up to speed on sales practices as soon as possible.  Learning these new practices makes salespeople more relevant and helpful to their prospects. To become a more agile seller, set aside a portion of your day to read, study, and understand new sales techniques and practices. Your net worth will directly tie into your network. People connect LinkedIn connections like Pokemon. (Which we can guarantee you isn’t the best practice.) Don’t just add people and never respond. Instead, make genuine connections with people! Create a stronger relationship that will provide help and support later down the line. A great intro to reach out to someone on LinkedIn? Share your favorite episode of The Sales Evangelist or Donald’s article in Success Magazine! (It might be a shameless plug on our end, but can you blame us?) This epis

S19 E1499 · Fri, October 22, 2021

Amy Hrehovcik | How to Multi-Thread Throughout the Organization

A common problem for salespeople is interacting solely with just one stakeholder. But in reality, involving multiple people is the perfect strategy to help deals go through (and make more people excited about them.) In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Amy Hrehovcik to discuss her strategy to apply multi-threading throughout your sales process. Amy’s sales experience is extensive. After selling for nearly a decade, Amy finished at Thomson Reuters before transitioning to marketing consulting (eventually working in a startup as the Chief of Customer Value.) She later pivoted to sales enablement, realizing she had a passion for teaching sellers and empowering sales leaders. Amy now hosts the podcast Revenue Real Hotline , where she discusses uncomfortable conversations in sales. Why did she start the podcast? She wrote an article ( Mental Health, The Greatest Competitive Advantage That You’ll Ever Know ), and it was viewed by the great Andy Paul. He invited her onto his show, and participating in that made her realize the importance of podcasting in sales. (Check out Donald’s guest appearance on her show.) Today’s topic: Multi-threading Multi-threading describes liaising with multiple stakeholders and executive sponsors throughout an organization.  The average number of buyers involved in the buying motion was 6.7. Since that time, it has increased. Because her main selling vertical was big law, Amy realized the importance of proactively engaging with multiple stakeholders early on to minimize the objections buyers would have when moving the deal forward. Why should you consider this selling approach? Not to sound cliche (but we will anyway), it’s the same reason you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Amy began to hold off on doing deep-dive demos until at least three executive sponsors were in the room because it diversified the risk for the individuals involved.  They were no longer the sole advocate for a product (assuming they like it), thus limiting the amount of blame and buyer’s remorse people might feel after implementation. Because the buying process is getting longer, executives will invariably drop out of the acquisition process. But when you have two or three other executives who want to see the deal move forward, it is much more likely to move through. How can you begin to develop this approach? Communicate with the original executive sponsor that you want to help them make the right decision, and you can do that

Mon, October 18, 2021

David Henzel | Be Customer-Centric or Die

It’s the golden rule of life: treat others the way you want to be treated. As sales professionals, you do this by playing the long game, building relationships rather than focusing on the sale. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews David Henzel to learn David’s approach and strategy to being customer-centric in modern selling.  What does it mean to be customer-centric? In essence, a customer-centric salesperson sets customers up for success.  It’s helping your customers succeed (or positioning them to be successful) instead of worrying purely about making a sale. Selling out of fear only provides mediocre results. If you sell to make a commission, the customer’s problem might not be solved, and they might not want to be your advocate as readily. A happy customer tells their friend, but an unhappy customer tells the world. To close customer success gaps, you can either write copy on your website to inform potential buyers (as a facet of content marketing) or partner with a sales coach to teach proper outbound messaging. To understand your client’s needs, you must play the long game.  Don’t give the customer what you think they want; find out what they need and give them that. You’ll naturally get referrals if you sell what the customer needs instead of what you want them to need. People won’t typically brag about a platform or service they use, but they will brag about material things.  Try giving gifts to your clients to generate more referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. The key, however, is to give stuff people will use. Otherwise, it’ll end up in someone’s closet (or trash can.) If your rapport with the customer is strong enough, simply ask! David’s major piece of advice: act out of love, not fear. It’ll change not just your professional relationships but your personal ones as well. For more great content from David, check out his podcast  How We Solve . You can also learn more about his portfolio companies on his personal website https://www.davidhenzel.com/ , and connect with him on LinkedIn to stay updated on everything he’s doing! (And be sure to mention you came from The Sales Evangelist.) This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversion

Fri, October 15, 2021

Derrick Williams | The Future of Sales Management Will Be About Managing Technology

The future of sales is evolving, with the main components of modern selling being drastically different from the pillars of sales twenty years ago. Namely, sales is no longer just managing people; it’s managing software and technology . Today Donald is joined by Derrick Williams to learn how to manage technology while still providing the same level of interpersonal communication. Technology has become infinitely more important in the sales arena. Yet despite its importance, there is still a massive concentration on the people management side instead of the technical side. The modern sales leader needs technical aptitude to lead an effective team. Maximizing the effectiveness of sales engagement platforms, sequence building, and even data insights help sales professionals be more effective in their outreach efforts. It’s not just using the platforms provided to you, but how can you structure and optimize all aspects of it (like importing contacts and information) Sales leadership sold in a completely different manner than salespeople today. Because of their experience, there might be a laggard mentality towards technology adoption, even in tech companies (yes, we see the irony.) Understanding the technology and how it works together can seem daunting, but you’ll find much more success by leveraging it than you otherwise would. Technology has more applications than anyone initially thinks.   For example, do you want to know which SDRs are talking too much when interacting with customers? There’s a technological way to determine that.  Sure, you could do most things without technology. But technology will create an unbiased report that is far faster and more accurate than doing it on your own. (As well as saving time and resources.) If you don’t have the time or money to acquire technology platforms, leverage third-party implementation consultants (which exist in virtually every industry.) How do you determine where to implement technology in your business? Put your process to paper. Use whatever tools you have to create a simple play-by-play of what SDRs go through each day. What software are they using? What’s involved in their process? Have salespeople give honest feedback and determine where in the process there are the most issues. Derrick’s final fast fact? Casual Friday does not mean casual effort. To contact Derrick, follow him on Instagram or LinkedIn , and visit his company website . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, t

Mon, October 11, 2021

Brad Cleveland | 5 Steps Leaders Can Take Immediately to Chart a Course to Customer Loyalty and Results

From small entrepreneurial startups to major corporations, customer loyalty and customer service are vital for business. After all, without customers, would you be able to stay in business? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Brad Cleveland, author, speaker, and something, to learn Brad’s five steps leaders should take to build customer loyalty . Establish a vision. Think REI: we inspire, educate, and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. It’s clear, concise, and anyone hearing it will know exactly what the company is about. Visions aren’t exclusive to companies; they should be for individuals too. So why do you do what you do?  Tap into innovation. As you interact with your contacts, prospects, and customers, think about what you can learn from the exchange. The more you pay attention to the root causes driving interactions with your customers, the better you’ll be able to serve them. Cast a wide net of listening. Brainstorm every possible way a customer might try to interact with you. Between email, social media, physical, website forms, there’s a myriad of potential sources you have to be prepared to listen to. The quietest voices can be the most powerful, but you’ve got to be willing to hear them. Build your approach around ten customer expectations. Customer expectations aren’t changing; be responsive, be available, simple things that just make common sense. Find ways to provide the service your customer wants. Build processes around recurring problem areas. Even after implementing the four previous steps, you might still encounter recurring frustrations, and that’s normal.  If this happens, identify those problem areas and work to solve those issues. Then, develop processes that avoid or fix the areas moving forward. Brad’s major takeaway? Be uniquely you. There might be things you can learn from other people or organizations, but trying to emulate them will prevent you from developing the authentic relationships you want. Visit him at bradcleveland.com to view his courses, get in contact with him, and find out more about his journey. Read his book Leading the Customer Experience and visit the International Customer Management Institute to find a community of professionals dedicated to providing the perfect customer experience. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a resp

S19 E1495 · Fri, October 08, 2021

Paul Fifield | Why Has the Global Education System Overlooked Sales?

With every other major field in the business world, professionals undergo years of training and education to learn the standard practices, techniques, and skills to make them successful. But with sales, it’s the exact opposite. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Paul Fifield, CEO, and co-founder of Sales Impact Academy , to learn why the education system has overlooked sales (and what we can do to fix it.) It’s okay to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Imposter syndrome is common in sales professionals because nobody is told what they should be doing. There is no structured learning or education in sales, which Paul deems “the greatest educational tragedy.” What if we applied a similar educational journey to finance? To reinforce the point, think about another important B2B profession: finance. What if the way you got into finance was to go get a degree in math and then just walk up and start working? It’s absurd, yet that’s exactly what happens in sales.  The core role of higher education is to equip people with the skills to contribute meaningfully to the economy. The pace of change for sales is too quick for it to be integrated easily into traditional education because traditional universities just can’t keep up with these shifts. The result? Everybody feels like an imposter, and nobody follows the best practices. And the wheel is being reinvented each and every day. Some quick facts: A search on LinkedIn reveals 60 million people are in sales.  There’s not even one book on revenue operations, yet over three million people hold revenue operations titles on LinkedIn. The GDP of B2B companies is roughly 43 trillion dollars, and that staggering amount of money is resting on the sales staffed by people who’ve never been educated on their positions

S19 E1494 · Mon, October 04, 2021

Janice B. Gordon | Developing the Mental Stamina For Sales

Because of the hustle and bustle salespeople experience each day, it can be challenging to be our most focused and productive selves. So what steps can we take to be more productive throughout the day? Today, Donald is joined by Janice B. Gordon to learn her tips for staying focused and energized throughout the day . Always listen to your body: Janice does yoga and meditation, which she’s been doing for nearly forty years. .If you enjoy what you do, that makes all the difference. She chooses to focus on energy management because many people, especially after the pandemic, feel low energy and motivation. People think pulling a 10, 12 or 15 hour day is productive. But you are far less effective pulling these days than focusing your time and energy for shorter lengths of time. Symptoms arise if you don’t address your personal energy needs. You just feel negative. And instead of having a bad moment, you turn that moment into a bad day.  When you feel you’re having a bad day, you are less productive and less likely to make the most of the time you have available. The four dimensions of energy: Physical energy - All the nutrients going into your body. Exercise and recovery time can bring up your physical energy. Emotional energy is the interconnectedness between people and is the energy that suffered because of the pandemic. There is less interaction with others, be it in the office, at a restaurant, or even around the neighborhood. Mental energy is associated with thinking and problem-solving. As sales professionals, we use this form of energy all the time. For this energy type, practicing drastically helps cultivate this energy. However, ensure you take mental breaks. Spiritual energy - This is your purpose and mission. Spiritual energy influences your character, your personality, and your choices. This is the overarching concept that connects your different energies. If your spiritual energy is low, your motivation will suffer. To solve this, take a mindful walk. Notice and observe what’s around you and empty your brain. Then, when you go back to the office, you’ll be incredibly focused and productive. Listen to your body and give it what it needs.  Always have water at your desk, and drink it constantly. To get more content from Janice, check out her podcast, the Scale Your Sales Podcast (and check out episode 95 to listen to Donald’s guest appearance!) You can also connect with Janice on LinkedIn. Join Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to find a communit

Fri, October 01, 2021

Donald Kelly | 3 Things Every Seller Needs To Know About The Future of Selling

Where is the future of selling? The future of selling is here. For anyone thinking of joining the professional sales world, or who knows someone who wants to join sales, or knows someone who knows someone (I’m sure you get the idea), this is the series for you. In today’s episode, Donald gives three things every seller needs to know about the future of selling . Your plays are outdated. When you think of sports like football, you think of the playbook that dictates the different actions the team might take. Unfortunately, sales has become way too similar to that. Many organizations try to streamline the sales process and provide plays for salespeople to follow. While great in theory, it doesn’t work when every salesperson runs the same plays. To make it worse? Not only are salespeople doing it, but the prospects are as well! Bring something unique to the table by using a revenue-centric approach. How does the company you want to work with making money? Go rogue. Business development representatives need to think differently because prospects want you to come to the table with business problems. Don’t just try to offer sales or marketing help when interacting with a prospect. Instead, ask the right questions, find their specific problem, and address those issues. Sales and marketing need to come together.  An article from Forbes states that sales and marketing can “no longer work in tandem.” Being aligned is no longer sufficient; the departments need to be integrated. Place the customer journey first, and develop a curated buying experience for the consumer instead of building different components for the same building. What or where do you think the future of sales is going to be? Join Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to find a community of people to share, reflect, and grow with on your sales journey and share your thoughts and response. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , designed to help new and struggling sellers master s

Mon, September 27, 2021

Ved Rasic | Ship Great Products and Thrive in Crowded Markets

Sometimes all it takes to differentiate from the competition successfully is to think past the first solution. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the co-founder of Leaddelta, Ved Rasic, to learn how he launched a successful company after thinking past the first solution .  Understand the main assumptions of a crowded market: If you’re in a crowded market, that means there’s a demand. The leading mistake salespeople make: they scan what others do and try to repeat it. Your goal should be to move past that first option (option A) and create option B. Understand how people arrive at the stage where they need your product. To do this successfully, know the pain points and goals of your customers. Once you understand the why, how do you differentiate based on those pain points? For the small businesses that utilize full-cycle sale reps, you have several interactions with your customers. It’s cliche, but listen to those interactions. Don’t just listen for phrases you want to hear, but understand their problems and goals to determine how to help them best. Be curious. Let prospects talk more because that often leads to higher closing rates. Leaddelta can be incredibly helpful in differentiation. The platform is essentially a table or CRM-style view of your first-degree LinkedIn connections.  This setup makes LinkedIn a better platform because it provides a spam-free, ad-free environment to add notes, tags and save time. Leaddelta has over 1400 users, and 50% are paid. And that’s what you can get from thinking about the option B perspective. The typical salesperson collects LinkedIn connections like Pokemon cards. Instead, use those connections to create powerful relationships. Think about what customers talk about that makes them want a product or service.  Use storytelling to help you become a better sales rep. Follow Ved on LinkedIn and Twitter , and visit his company website at leaddelta.com for more information. Join Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to find a community of people to share, reflect, and grow with on your sales journey. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a co

Fri, September 24, 2021

Thomas Capraro | Why Me if All Other Metrics are the Same?

You can differentiate in more ways than one. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Thomas Capraro to learn what he did to differentiate himself after decades in the industry, especially selling when competition is incredibly similar .  Be prepared and be confident enough to ask tough questions. You want the prospect to be able to tell you that you’ve done your homework. Software like ZoomInfo , LinkedIn , and Salesforce help you understand a prospect’s background and learn more about them. Treat your small clients just like your large clients. You never know who your clients are connected to. For example, one of Thomas’s clients once referred him to a huge IT company headquartered in Boca, leading to a substantial business transaction. Thomas wants his clients to be treated equally, so his company requires every customer to receive a visit every 90 days to ensure their needs are met. A human connection makes all the difference in the sales process. In an increasingly automated field, a personal connection can make all the difference. People buy from people. Thomas has a certain cadence that he follows, which outlines what type of interaction he should do. At night he does what he likes to call administrivia Thomas completes reports and administrative tasks at the end of the day or on weekends, so he has the time to focus on his craft. As new ways of operating and selling come into play, do your homework.  Know when to listen (which is most of the time.) Ask open-ended questions and make an effort to genuinely feel like you want to know the value as a person and friend before as a prospect. And that relationship will take time. The days of the one-call closes are gone. As soon as you leave a meeting, take notes and record them on your phone or write them down so the next time you talk to that prospect, you can recap the previous conversation. You can send them news articles or other pertinent information that they might like to show you were paying attention.  Major takeaway: Do your research and come knowing more than the other person/ Be prepared, both physically and mentally, and be ready to ask the right questions (and listen to the responses.) You can find Thomas on Facebook to learn more about his thoughts and experiences. Join Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to find a community of people to share, reflect, and grow with on your sales journey. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you si

Mon, September 20, 2021

Shaheem Alam | Speaking Your Customer's Language

A fundamental aspect of sales is communication (that much is obvious.) But no matter how good at communicating you are, if you’re speaking a different language than the prospect, your chance of landing the sale is slim. As we continue our series stressing the importance of differentiation, Donald is joined by the co-founder of FiveRings Marketing, Shaheem Alam, to learn how to  speak like the prospect  to make a lasting (and positive) impression.  What does that mean to speak your customer language? It’s basic psychology: people buy from people they like, and people like people similar to themselves. There are tons of resources on mirroring body language, tonality, and matching behavior. But one of those key points is just speaking their language. Think of it like a teacher; everyone has different learning styles. By speaking your customer’s language, you’re helping them understand and educate themselves in the best way possible. Shaheem learned this strategy by going straight to the source: his customers. When a customer is buying a product, they're buying it to do a job for them. For example, you might buy pizza at Domino’s or a fancy pizza place. But both restaurants serve different jobs.  Domino’s is for fast pizza to feed your kids for dinner. The fancier place might be for a date or the experience rather than just the food. So when Shaheem interacted with his past customers, he asked what jobs were they ultimately trying to accomplish. The answer, obviously, is to get more sales. But why? To attract investors and raise funds? To demonstrate product-market fit?  The job is seldom just to generate more sales.   Figure out why your client wants to do that to understand your value and contributions. When speaking to a customer, Shaheem doesn’t tell them he’ll get leads or meetings or sales - he tells them he helps with customer discovery and product-market fit. Don’t sell yourself the way everyone else is; sell yourself in a way that demonstrates unique value and an ability to discover a prospect’s underlying needs. If a company tries to put you in a typical mold, say no and emphasize the unique value you bring to the table. Shaheem’s major takeaway? Do everything you can to understand your customers. Learn how they behave, think, and speak, because that’s who buys and pays for your product. Visit his company  website  to get in contact with Shaheem or connect with him on  LinkedIn . You can also visit his company’s  LinkedIn page  for more information. Join Donald’s Facebook group, <a href= "https://www.facebook.

S18 E1489 · Fri, September 17, 2021

Kyle Racki | The Power of the Proposal

S18 E1488 · Mon, September 13, 2021

Mark Harari | Standing Out in a Crowded Market

When it comes to sales, standing out from the competition often comes down to how successfully you differentiate yourself from competitors. But how can we do that? Today on The Sales Evangelist,  Donald is joined by Mark Harari, author, podcaster, and VP of Remodelers Advantage, to discuss how you can position yourself to stand out in a crowded market.   The one thing you should do to differentiate yourself: The one thing Mark recommends (and he discusses further in his book) is to identify what makes you unique. You’re facing other people, products, and platforms just as good as you who do the same thing. So what sets you apart? What sets you apart and differentiates you can be what leads to a prospect selecting you over someone else.   Differentiation is critical. If you don’t have that differentiating factor, the selection comes down to price, which isn’t good for anybody. Instead, make yourself the obvious choice. A common barrier to differentiation is targeting an entire area of people rather than focusing on a specific section of people you can connect and interact with. To find your ideal target group (if you’re an existing company), go back to your past client list and identify the best types of people you worked with.  For new businesses, there might be trial and error. But try to identify who you think would be the ideal fit for your company and adjust as you continue to grow and develop.   The six parts of a successful positioning statement: Identify your target Identify their unmet need (which your service or product solves) Frame your competitors Find your point of difference: What makes you unique  Reasons to believe: Statements that empower and prove the point of difference. <li style="font-we

Fri, September 10, 2021

Tim Pollard | Sales Differentiation Through Message Building

As we kick off our latest series on the importance of differentiation from competition in the sales process, Donald is joined by Tim Pollard to learn more about message building . As the CEO of Oratium, he’s learned the importance of messaging that delivers results and makes an impact on its audience.   The most common messaging problems: There is no differentiation. Differentiation has to be embedded somewhere. Otherwise, you will not be memorable. Three toxic mistakes characterize the way we structure messaging: We pack too much into messaging. Forty-slide decks are overwhelming, and nobody pays attention to them. Most modern sales messaging is too confusing or has an unclear value proposition. Almost all messaging is self-oriented. It’s about the salesperson or their company instead of relating it to the client. This leads to two problems: The initial sales meeting isn’t compelling.  Most messaging fails the retellability test.   The goal shouldn’t be first meeting success; it should be second meeting success. You should tell your story in that first sales meeting. But It’s even more about that person’s ability to retell your story and solution in their private meeting with a decision-maker later on (AKA the second meeting.)  Sales messaging has an important goal: retellability. You can’t speak just to the interest of the person in the meeting, you have to talk to the interests of that next meeting. This is even more difficult when virtual. It’s more complicated than remembering to wear pants; it’s moving a social practice to an asocial environment.   Think about the clarity and specificity of your message. <li style="font-weight

Mon, September 06, 2021

Donald Kelly | Three Simple Ways to Differentiate Yourself From Competitors

Today’s episode kicks off the latest Sales Evangelist series: differentiating from your competitors! As we move into this series, it’s time you learn three easy ways you can stand out from the competition. (Best of all, the majority of sales reps aren’t doing these things.)  But why is differentiating critical? You have so many other salespeople to compete against.  When one person stands out from the other, they’re more likely to land the sale (even if your products do the exact same thing.) Be curious. Most salespeople go into a conversation and ask boilerplate questions. The problem? Everyone asks those questions, so you aren’t getting any more information than your competition.  Sales reps should come to the table with information that leads to better questions, which means finding the right intel. Not only what the prospect and their company are doing, but why they’re doing it.  Stay one step ahead. Determine how you can be one step ahead of the competition.  Have an agenda when you go into the meeting. Send a recap email once you’re finished. If a prospect sees those things, they’ll see the effort and understand that you want to make positive changes for their organization. Especially when you have a meeting with a business executive, they might have 15 meetings a day. Sending an agenda shows these business professionals that you mean business. Be creative. Think outside the box! Find ways you can do something other people simply don’t do. Find some way to personalize a message. Handwrite a note. Send a small gift. Just try to make yourself stand out, and the prospect will notice. And of course, a bonus tip: make them look good: Make the prospect look good, either internally or externally.  Maybe you write a nice post on LinkedIn talking about them, adding a quote they said to show you were paying attention.  Mention an article they published or were posted in, and share that with your audience. They’ll certainly appreciate the sentiment! Join Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers , to find a community of people to share, reflect, and grow with! This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the convers

Fri, September 03, 2021

Donald Kelly | My Number One Productivity Strategy For Sales

Today’s plan is simple: Donald is sharing his number one productivity strategy for sales . What is it? Find out on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist.    Focus on one thing at a time. (Earth-shattering, I know.) This idea might not be crazy, but the results that come of it sure can be. Only 2.5% of people are able to multitask successfully. (That’s a very slim number of people.) That means you probably can’t respond to clients, check your email, and prospect on LinkedIn while maintaining the standards you would for just one thing. But even if you can, no matter how productive you are, it isn’t as efficient as focusing on one singular task at hand.   How does this affect our productivity? You get an email. You leave your current task to check your email. That email leads you to check your availability for a get-together. You check Facebook for information about the get-together. You start to watch videos while on Facebook. Before you know it, an hour has gone by, and you still haven’t finished the task at hand. Sound familiar?  Donald’s advice? Close the tabs and remove the distractions that aren’t conducive to the task at hand. Even you’re one of the 2.5% who can actually multitask, do what you can to ensure you’re giving your best to the task at hand, and only do one thing if you find yourself slacking or not performing your best. Create the proposal or update the CRM. But close ESPN, Facebook, and those 15 different google docs.  Remember, the more productive you are throughout your day, the more tasks you’re able to check off.   Do you have a productivity hack? Share it in Donald’s Facebook group, The Sales Evangelizers ! (But don’t do it while working on something. We’ll be here when you’re do

Mon, August 30, 2021

Roy Redd | How to Make More Money, Have a Bigger Impact, and Take More Time Off

If there was a way for you, as a salesperson, to make more money, would you? (We hope you’d answer yes to that question.) Don’t worry, we got you! Today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist features Roy Redd, who shares his three strategies for you to make more money, have a bigger impact, and take more time off (which sure sounds like a deal to us.) USP: Determine your unique selling proposition. Make your business unique. Dominoes Pizza changed the pizza game with their “hot and ready in thirty minutes or it’s free.” Know what your company offers, what your message is, and what you can deliver. What can you do that’s unique? Can you guarantee something? Is it speed? Is it language? There are many ways to be different. Roy’s podcast, The Entrepreneur Underdog, is different. Why? Because it tailors to specific emotional perception of some entrepreneurs.  The best method to identify your USP is to ask your audience. Ask them why they worked with you? Go through those responses to see what stands out to your customers. Positioning: Be the guru at the top of a mountain in your industry. Tony Robbins is the best-positioned person in his space. There are multiple ways to put yourself at the top. Get to the point where you’re realized as the best in your game.  How do you get to that point? It’s all about branding.  A brand is artifacts in the market that say who you are and what you do.  Depending on what your business, maybe you write a book, speak at a presentation or conference, or even create a course.  The most well-positioned people show they can help educate and provide information people want.  Systems: Money doesn’t create freedom, systems do.  You got into business for the freedom. Business owners have a hundred things they’re doing and a hundred things they aren’t. Figure out what’s working, and do that. Use lead results and measures to set up a plan to get you where you want to go. For example, Roy knows for every 150 managers he emails, he gets one repsonse. Plan your goals and daily schedule around that. Why do people have challenges creating systems? It’s not about time management; it’s about energy management.  You’ve got to hire, delegate, and prioritize the tasks that make you successful and develop systems around those strategies. Whether that’s email outreach, LinkedIn messaging, utilize it. (And take advantage of AI!)) Anything you do consistently can be automated. Figure out how to automate your workload to develop systems. Major takeaway: There are only two ways to grow sales: pricing (charging more) and improving business processes (which is utilizing the three strategies in the episode.) To get in touch with Roy, DM him on <a

Fri, August 27, 2021

Alex Dripchak | Three Must Do Strategies For Effective Sales Meetings

When you have sales meetings with your prospects, the last you need is a boring presentation turning people away from your awesome content. You want them to get excited! And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Alex Dripchak, relationship manager at Mercer, to give us his inside tips to learn how to lead, run, and organize effective meetings .   Why is Alex so passionate about demystifying sales? Alex founded and runs Commence, a college to career development skill program. He’s also recently published a book on destigmatizing sales for younger people, which breaks down the positive traits and skills salespeople have. With 57 U.S. colleges having an official sales major, the word “sales” is slowly become less of a dirty word. However, there is an entrenched viewpoint people need to overcome.   How can you lead effective meetings in your sales life? There are components of meetings, whether virtual or in-person, that just suck. Namely, when people push their own agendas down your throat. So, how instead can you turn that into an effective meeting? Structure your meetings around reaching individual goals that lead to the end result. Keep yourself dynamic and versatile in responding to the needs of individual clients. Ask better questions that lead to higher engagement to encourage the prospect’s voice. To save time, create a framework to use for every first call, contract negotiation, or meeting with a specific purpose. Then, tailor that framework for individual clients, so you don’t recreate the wheel each time.   The Three Strategies: Shut up and listen Develop effective questions Rehearse and practice   Of course, what would TSE be without a bonus strategy? <li style="font-weigh

Mon, August 23, 2021

Jason Lapp | Cutting Pitch Development Time in Half

Developing a sales pitch can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when creating an entirely new presentation or document each time. But there’s undoubtedly an easier process, right? That’s exactly what today’s guest did. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Jason Lapp, the president and COO of Beautiful.ai, to explain how you can cut your pitch development time in half . But first, what is a pitch? Pitches can look wildly different for each person and company. Some might be an in-person meeting, some just a document, and others somewhere in between. In today’s world of remote selling, you have to be highly engaging, have great content, and be precise.   The biggest change? You can no longer expect a decision at that moment . You have to focus on the follow-up, sending the right information, in addition to the pitch itself. A big challenge with creating a deck is finding a balance between premade content and content for your specific pitch.  Branding should always be consistent, but the method you convey aspects of your pitch could vary. There are 30 million presentations created per day, and over 1 billion people with presentation software installed on their desktops. The challenge? Those common presentation platforms were created 30 years ago. Platforms like Canva and Beautiful.ai don’t force people to start from scratch; they provide a starting point to get things done faster. Beautiful.ai focuses on design automation. You create content based on what you want to say while the platform designs for you.  Marketing departments can (and should) build out templates to provide starting points for the salesperson. This way, salespeople have pre-approved content they can then tweak for their specific client. Creating a pitch: Once you know what you want to present, storyboard concepts before production. Storyboarding cuts down time by filling in the dots instead of plotting out where the dots need to go. Use some sort of collaborative platform, especially in today’s virtual marketplace. Salespeople need to focus on sales. They shouldn’t waste time on marketing elements when they could have pre-approved templates with design elements pre-approved. Somebody out there is asking, “why not use google slides?” Google slides is excellent. Any platform that allows for collaboration is certainly a step in the right direction. The challenge with slides, keynote, or PowerPoint is that they are primarily design softwares. You can use old decks, but you then make each design edit yourself, whereas Beautiful.ai makes design decisions for you.  We do things as sales professionals that were established over the decades. But that doesn’t neces

Fri, August 20, 2021

Antonio Thornton | Time Management: And Why It Doesn't Exist

Time management is often considered one of the essential skills to master in the professional world. As one of the resources we never seem to have enough of, time certainly is a resource to use to the best of our abilities. But today’s guest, Antonio Thornton, argues that time management doesn’t exist . How does it not? Check out today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist to find out! Why does time management not exist?  How many hours in the day do you have? 24. Just like everyone else. You can’t manage time, but you can manage yourself according to time. Managing yourself within time comes down to three main criteria: monitoring, monetizing, and maximizing your time. Monitoring your time: Most people have no idea what they’re doing. Most people confuse busy with productive - they do not equate. Productive does not equate to profitable.  The productivity paradox: People tend to focus on tasks that make them feel productive, even if they aren’t profitable. Cleaning out your inbox or desk and shuffling papers might keep you busy, but those tasks aren’t productive. Monetizing your time: There is no difference between each other’s times. Most of us spend time on activities that don’t generate revenue - responding to email, completing training, and updating websites. While these things might be necessary, they aren’t RGAs: revenue-generating activities. It doesn’t matter how much work you put into these activities; you won’t make any money no matter how much time you contribute. Learning and training are productive tasks, and research is a productive activity that can inform you before a sales call, but those tasks in of themselves aren’t profitable. If you only do those tasks, you will not make a single dollar. Whether you’re a salesperson or entrepreneur, there’s only one thing that makes money in sales: getting an offer in front of people. Maximizing your time: The difference between a salesperson who generates $60,000 versus $6 million is all in what they do each day. Ask yourself how you can leverage what you’re doing to create an exponential result. Find the tasks and projects you can accomplish that lead to a higher amount of RGA. Antonio’s final takeaway? Time is our most valuable commodity. To have a great life, moderate, monetize, and maximize your time. To get in touch with him, visit his company website or send an email to time@timebank.gps.com . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messa

Tue, August 17, 2021

Donald Kelly | 3 Reasons Why Salespeople Have A Hard Time With Planning

We often overlook one area when working in sales, and it’s not prospecting, closing, or even relationship-building. It’s productivity. 79% of sales executives say improving productivity is the leading driver to reach or exceed a sales target. So, in today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald gives three reasons why salespeople have a hard time planning , and hopefully, you’ll be able to find the productivity that leads to sales success.     There’s no formal education to teach productivity for salespeople.   This is from a company standpoint. There are programs (like ours), but internally, organizations don’t spend time teaching productivity.  49% of organizations have zero or limited means of measuring productivity. Donald’s team uses an internal planner he designed to help prioritize productive and measurable tasks. Sales reps frequently believe they don’t have the time to do everything they need. But after analyzing their day or week, they always find areas where they can focus on more meaningful activities.     Multiple things change gears at different speeds.   Sales reps have multiple activities unrelated to success, like researching leads and updating a CRM. None of those directly lead to a sale, but it’s part of an overall process.  Only one-third of a sales rep’s day is talking to prospects, yet 21% of their day is writing emails. Is this a valuable way to spend time? Kevin Kruse’s 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management recommends blocking out your day in 15-minute intervals.  Designate one, two, or however many chunks of time you need for daily tasks, and be dedicated and focused for those specific segments.  Donald’s tip? Utilize a platform like <span style=

Sat, August 14, 2021

EksAyn “Eks” Anderson | The Key To The Gate!

In many organizations, to get to the decision-maker, you have to get past a gatekeeper . So how do you get to them? Getting past that gatekeeper is a common challenge among salespeople. But we wanted to change that. So we brought in EksAyn “Eks” Anderson, the man who’s got the key to the metaphorical gate. And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, he shares his strategies to get to your decision-makers. Eks is more than just a salesperson.  In addition to speaking, training, and coaching for different organizations, Eks is also the author of The Key to the Gate . His book is an excellent resource for anyone who encounters difficulty reaching their desired decision-maker. Why people have a hard time getting to the decision-makers: Decision-makers don’t have time to talk to every single salesperson or person who wants a meeting. They employ gatekeepers (like a secretary, receptionist, or employee) to weed out people who might be wasting their time.  Strategies to get past the gatekeeper: Know that no organization is the same. What might work at one place might fail elsewhere. Apply the principle of positive reinforcement. When somebody does something helpful for you, reward them immediately.  Start higher than you think you need because influence flows downhill. If you’re in doubt about where to start in the organization, call the higher person than you think you need. Often, they’ll know who to speak to be in a position for success.  Is cold calling dead? It’s so easy to send mass emails or LinkedIn messages. And from a decision-maker’s perspective, they might want a service but have no time to wade through the immense amount of communication they receive each day.  To find more success, differentiate yourself from your competitors. Something as small as complimenting the secretary or researching some quick facts on your phone could make all the difference.  When the person you talk with provides names of others within the organization, note those names and their positions within the company.  If you understand the team and their positions within the organization, you’ll give a sense of deep familiarity with the company.  Eks’ final takeaway? Find out the principles of human relations to sales and then base your techniques around principles that work. If you understand certain principles, you’ll develop a thousand techniques to apply that principle. Techniques work because they’re backed by real principles. Connect with Eks through his website on www.xfactoredge.com or call him directly at 801-669-2425. This episode is brought to you in part by

Mon, August 09, 2021

Daniel Viduya | Getting The Gate Keeper To Become An Advocate Through Lead Research

Working in sales would be infinitely more manageable if you could get the gatekeeper to work for you instead of against you. But how do you start that process? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Taskdrive’s general manager Daniel Viduya to discuss making the gatekeeper an advocate through lead research .     Sales isn’t Lord of the Rings. While there can be a Gandalf “You shall not pass” situation when talking to a gatekeeper, there are ways to make them your advocate. Daniel’s advice: Don’t bro me until you know me; meaning you have no business talking about people in the company until you understand the company itself When convincing a gatekeeper to let you pass, personal information or questions about the decision-maker will not help you. Instead of talking about personal information, talk about the account itself and the problems they experience as a whole. See what difference you can make.   Demonstrate that you want to help and can provide solutions for that company’s specific problem. It's about knowing the business and how you can help the business. The gatekeeper wants to see how you can help the business because the gatekeeper is working for the company, not necessarily for the decision-maker. The goal is to measure how quickly you could even get through the first stage of your cold call. And if you can't do that, then there's something that has to be fixed. And more often than not, people will tend to hang up on you if they don't understand your cold call’s true intent and purpose.   How can you find information to start the right dialogue with the gatekeeper?  If you have a resource that can find this information for you consistently and constantly, day by day, then your SDR can simply rely on one thing that this resource can give.  It

Fri, August 06, 2021

Donald and Kevin Cummings | It's Awkward Talking To The Same Gatekeeper Asking For Different People

Scoring a meeting with the decision-maker can be challenging, but creating allies within the target company can be your strategy for making progress. Sometimes all it takes to get past the gatekeeper is to build a solid relationship with them. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re going to do just that with the help of today’s guest Kevin Cummings.   Kevin has worked in many different sales spaces, from industrial to medical to tech. .Throughout all his sales interactions, Kevin feels most confident when revisiting offices.  But even if it’s the second, third, or fourth visit, he’ll sometimes end up talking to people who act like it’s his first (even if he’s spoken to them several times.) To avoid that, Kevin makes an active effort to loop those people into the conversation. Make them feel as important as possible because while they aren’t the “decision-maker,” they can make your job tremendously more difficult.   Make connections with the gatekeeper: Ask them what the best method is is to talk with them. Then, stop talking and let them identify how they want to interact with you. Many salespeople know the gatekeeper is essential, yet we treat them as if they aren’t. You can’t always determine who has the influence, so be nice to everyone. Beyonce says “hello” and “thank you” to everyone she meets. Be like Beyonce. When you’re genuine with someone, they can feel it. But, conversely, being fake won’t generate the results you want.   Don’t be afraid to interact with the gatekeeper. Especially in the tech and medical fields, the actual decision-maker might not have the time or bandwidth to go out to lunch or have drinks with the salesperson. So why not do it with the gatekeeper? When Kevin does this, it’s usually only about 15 minutes of business talk. The rest is just building a relationship and connection with the gatekeeper.  <span style= "font-

Mon, August 02, 2021

Oscar Chavez | Over the Guardwall Method

For many salespeople, the journey to the decision maker is difficult enough that they don’t even know what to say once they get there! Do you have the strategy to move towards your desired outcome and close a deal? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by speaker, author, and coach Oscar Chavez to learn what to do once you’re over the guardwall . Why is this method important? Salespeople spend time with less influential people because they are easier to interact with, yet that salesperson ends up spinning wheels with they don’t make decisions. Another common problem: when they get to the executive, they hyper-focus on the pitch. The solution to these problems? Think over the guardwall. You spend time preparing what to say, but in actuality, you need to be in a position to listen . Listen as an executive explains their pain points, objectives, and KPIs. Once you understand those critical points, you then can go to non-decision makers and explain results that will directly benefit them and their organization.  This familiarity will send you to the front of the queue over other projects. Three Strategies to Get Past the Gatekeeper: Fear: People are so scared of judgement and rejection they don’t focus on targeting executives. It’s much easier to have a conversation with people downstream. Mindset: Meetings have never been easier to schedule due to the rise of virtual meetings, yet many salespeople will claim the opposite. A change in mentality could be all you need to add value. Leave the “what if” mindset behind. Focus: Oftentimes salespeople will mass contact non-decision makers rather than take the time to target the executives and people able to make decisions. People are more guarded and less willing to spend. But the salesperson’s level of fear, mindset, and focus can dramatically improve your chances. Oscar’s final takeaway? Our beliefs determines our reality. If you aren’t getting the right sales performance, it’s because of the belief you have. To change your reality, change your beliefs. Get in touch with him on his website oscar-chavez.com , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen

Fri, July 30, 2021

Donald Kelly | 5 Simple Ways To Getting Past The Gatekeeper

Every salesperson is familiar with the frustration that comes with being blocked by a gatekeeper, which could be a physical person or even just a system or automation that prevents you from interacting with the decision-maker of your target organization. Imagine if you had five strategies (and maybe even a bonus strategy) to get past those gatekeepers and land sales . In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is going to do just that.  Connect on LinkedIn  LinkedIn gives you a direct line to a purchaser and an opportunity to build a relationship with that person before you ever meet them face-to-face.  Don’t just spam someone with offers and messages and instead build a relationship. Congratulate the prospect on a promotion, a recent accolade, or whatever has recently happened.  Bring Intelligence Let’s say two people reach out to a prospect. One person gives a standard auto-message that could be sent to anyone, and the other person comes prepared with critical data relevant to the industry or organization. Who would you rather have a conversation with?   Use direct mail Think about ways you can stand out to a prospect. Even if it’s just a $5 gift card to Starbucks, that person will be more willing to talk with you. Consider even providing a small gift for the gatekeeper to thank them for letting you through to the decision-maker; that might be all the difference between a sale and an unanswered email. Utilize referrals If you and the gatekeeper or prospect have a mutual connection, especially if that person is the one introducing you, you’ll quickly get in touch with the people you want. Connect with other people within the company More and more enterprise deals are requiring more people to be in the purchasing conversation. If that’s the case, connecting with other influencers within that team will give you a better chance for success. Tools like LucidChart help diagram and build out your organizational process to make the process easier. Bonus Strategy:  Start a podcast No podcast? Write a blog. Ask gatekeepers for the prospect to share ideas and thoughts on a topic or subject for a content piece.  In this case, you’re bringing something to the table and offering the prospect a chance to collaborate on a piece of content that will help them, making it easier to get through the gatekeeper. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone

Mon, July 26, 2021

Sean Callahan | 7 Things From LinkedIn State of Sales Report to Increase Revenue

The tactics, strategies, and practices of sales are constantly changing, and understanding how and where to adopt those changes into your sales strategy is critical to see success. So, on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by LinkedIn Senior Content Manager Sean Callahan to go over the seven sales trends identified in the 2021 LinkedIn Sales Report . Trend One: Virtual Selling is good for sellers and even better for buyers Buyers find it easier to buy remotely because they don’t have to worry about finding meeting times or organizing physical logistics; it can all happen from the comfort of home. Trend Two: Remote Working is now a part of everyday life. While some companies are going back to the physical office, sales organizations and managers must adjust to remote working - it is now a fact of life. Trend Three: Sales organizations prevent sellers from putting buyers first. While 65% of sellers say they put their buyers first, only 23% of buyers say sellers put them first. There are a certain number of things that you can do to be buyer-first, like offering free content, training, and being transparent about pricing and other product details.  Only around 40% of organizations support these practices. And some of the suggested reasons organizations aren’t allowing these practices are limited budgets, not having the proper skills, and a focus on short-term results rather than long-term sustainability. Trend Four: Six sales behaviors kill deals Delivering misleading information about a product (pricing or otherwise) Not understanding the company and its needs Not understand their own product or service Not understanding their competitor’s products and services Affiliated with an untrustworthy brand  Repeated cold calling or emailing Trend Five: Sales technology is a key pathway to building trust Only 40% of buyers describe sales as trustworthy, yet 89% consider their specific salespeople as a trusted advisors The takeaway? The sales industry is seen as untrustworthy, but the individuals who work with buyers are seen differently. Trend Six: Data is more crucial than ever While partly because of Covid, salespeople might find it more challenging to get in front of people and ask questions. Instead, you have to use aggregated data to learn what you need. Trend Seven: Both buyers and sellers are ramping up their use of LinkedIn 74% of sellers are committed to expanding their LinkedIn network 51% of sellers plan to write more articles 40% share much more third-party content 36% share more of their own company’s content<

Fri, July 23, 2021

Ruben Alvarez | Do As I Do, Not As I Say

At the end of the day, sales leaders should be able to do what they have their team to do. Because sometimes you’re telling them to do one thing when you do something entirely different. Today on The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Ruben Alvarez to discuss why team leaders should lead by example , not just through talking. Ruben learned to lead by example while leading a team. If you want somebody to do what you want them to, you're going to see resistance unless they see you do it as well.  Sales leaders might be setting unrealistic expectations for their team and not know it because they’re no longer selling. Some people have been selling for 30 years, but with only one year of experience. Because they’re drawing their management from only one year of actual selling, they might not be leading as effectively as they could be if they were up-to-date on the best sales practices. If you’re not willing to get on the phone with your team and teach them how to close, you’ll never see sales come in. The process isn’t always how you want it to be, but how it needs to be. What should team leaders do to practice leading by example?  Hone your skills. Just like in any other industry, you encourage and motivate through showing. If you do something effectively and can either demonstrate or communicate how you did it effectively, people will want to follow you. Many sales leaders are afraid to demonstrate because it makes them seem vulnerable,  which leads to the team not viewing you as a leader. But leaders inspire hope. You can be vulnerable and have people chew you out, but closing the deal is all that matters and all that the sales team wants to see. Finally, don’t compromise the values you know your team has. You know what each person is capable of, and you know what’s best for them. Company owners have an idea of what sales should look like. But their experiences might not align with what the sales team needs to do to be successful. If that is the case, stick up for what you know will work, or you might lose the respect of your team. Ruben’s final takeaway: If you’re afraid to pick up the phone, just admit it and pick up the phone. See what happens. Regardless of what ends up happening, you’ll feel better about it. Connect with Ruben Alvarez on LinkedIn or check out his website rubenalvarez.com . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they

Mon, July 19, 2021

Scott Roy | Setting Up and Managing an Ethical and Effective Sales System for Social Enterprises

Can sales make the world a better place? The principles we learn in sales can be used almost anywhere. And yes, that includes making the world around us a better place. Today’s guest, Scott Roy, joins us in the studio to share how he uses his sales skills to do good and help those around him. Scott has worked in the sales industry for over twenty years. He and his business partner Roy Whitten created Whitten and Roy Partnership , a sales consultancy called when teams aren’t reaching their sales goals. Their main selling point (pun intended)? The DQ selling methodology. With the DQ methodology, Roy and Whitten can sell life-changing and life-saving goods and services to developing countries.  How do they apply selling principles to do good? About 20 years ago, there was a sudden interest in applying business principles to address areas that typically used aid and philanthropy. When done well and ethically, the sales conversation convinces people unfamiliar with concepts to buy into these materials and supplies that will give them a better way of life. Scott’s primary example is selling water filtration systems. In areas where people use the same water source for drinking, bathing, and using the restroom, the people there are afflicted with diarrhea and other diseases. Scott’s team works to convince these people why they should use a water filtration system by explaining both the cost benefit and health benefit the people will receive. Using DQ to make a change: DQ is short for business intelligence, the fundamental component for Scott’s selling process. If you’re going to change behavior, you have to penetrate deeper than simply finding a problem and then selling directly to that problem. DQ selling starts with the problem and stays on the issue so the prospect can realize it is a problem worth solving. Scott’s major takeaway:  Determine your purpose as a salesperson. If it’s just to pitch, persuade, and convince, that’s not necessarily wrong. But it would be so much better if you figure out how to use your skills to serve others and find passion in the people you’re serving. To get in contact with Scott and learn more about his work, visit his company website . Check out Scott and Roy’s books Decision Intelligence Selling and Sell Well, Do Good . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out wi

Fri, July 16, 2021

Victoria Song | The Golden Ratio for Talking vs. Listening

Salespeople have heard the mantra thousands of times: talk less, listen more. But why? And more importantly, how? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by leadership advisor Victoria Song to learn how salespeople (and anyone else) can balance listening and talking . Why do people talk so much? While there are many reasons, Victoria suggests that people who felt unheard as a child might overshare in an attempt to bridge understanding. In general, when we want things to go our way, we think that if we can get the other person to see it our way, they’ll agree. That leads to talking too much. In actuality, people mirror one another. So, listening rather than talking will lead someone to reciprocate and hear you. Victoria’s top components for a golden ratio: The talking-to-listening ratio is not a one-size-fits-all. But in general, a 50/50 split is a great place to start. However, the more escalated a conversation is, the more Victoria recommends you back off and give the other person more time to speak. It also comes down to personality - if you tend to speak first and jump into conversations, listen 70-80% of the time and vice versa. What to do in a disagreement: Rather than sit on opposite sides of a board room table, sit on the same side. Look at the problem from the same perspective, and by working on the same side, you’ll feel more like a team. Think about the story attached to identity. When in disagreement, we sometimes realize we aren't talking about the topic anymore. We're making up a story around our identity, making it personal. The more we can be transparent with ourselves and the other party, the more likely we are to get to a place where we can hear each other better. Contraction vs. Expansion Victoria’s new book Bending Reality defines two clear states a person can be in: contraction or expansion. Contraction is the state where your nervous system is activated (think fight-or-flight response.) On the other hand, expansion is a relaxed state conducive to creativity and problem-solving.  When in a work environment, putting yourself in an environment that encourages expansion will lead to success. How to be in a state of expansion: One way to improve our access to expansion is to notice when our nervous system is activated.  Notice your fuel for motivation, and use that to keep yourself in the proper headspace (both mentally and physically.) Part of accessing expansion is to start to get clear on what are your clean, sustainable fuels. Discover your purpose, uncover your values, and figure out what brings you joy. The more we can cultivate doing things we enjoy, the more we train o

Mon, July 12, 2021

Bryan Kelly | How to Ask More Beautiful Questions

Fri, July 09, 2021

Ryan Staley | Hiring Top Sellers with Little to no Sales Experience

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by founder and CEO of Whale Boss, Ryan Staley. As a sales consultant who helps sales executives double their income, he’s learned from and watched many different organizations, thus knowing how you can hire top sellers with little experience at your company.  Why did Ryan start a consultancy firm? Ryan noticed there are many things he took for granted working for a large organization that small business owners, startups, and SaaS companies weren’t doing. That was part of the reason he founded his consultancy firm, because he wanted to coach CEOs on those things. Small businesses, startups, and SaaS companies do an amazing job building products or services, but they don’t talk to thier customers after they sell them the deal. Maintaining a structured value process will exponentially increase referrals and revenue. Ryan’s corporate job showed him the power of a good team: Working over sixty hours a week got Ryan to a point where all his relationships started to melt down. The constant travel and excessive hours meant he didn’t have time for family, friends, or himself. What did he do about it? He rebuilt himself and his mentality about work, and his job performance soared to new heights. He was given the opportunity to build a team to support his work. However, that meant he had to figure out what looked for in a new person. He determined 5 components he looked for in a new hire: Did they have a hunger to be a top performer? What was the biggest takeaway from that job and why did they leave? He would ask for people to articulate their contributions and results - if they couldn’t, their claims are BS What do they do to develop outside of work? What’s the most important thing they spend time on outside of work? People might default to family, but finding people with a passion and interest and what lights them up shows how coachable they are. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and s

Mon, July 05, 2021

C. Lee Smith | Sales Micro coaching: How to Improve Your Salespeople in 2 Minutes a Day

The life of a sales manager is tough, and juggling your own obligations often means you don’t have time to coach your team as often as you’d like. Microcoaching might just be the solution for you. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by President and CEO of Salesfuel C. Lee Smith to explain his process and platform for microcoaching to improve his salespeople . Three problems with coaching today:  Coaches aren’t being held accountable. Sales managers get busy meeting a short-term quota and don’t have time for long-term staff development. Some sales managers are uncomfortable coaching. They think they don’t know how to do it or get pushback from team members. Finally, there are managers who want to put time into coaching, but there are only so many hours in the day and find it challenging to maintain momentum. Microcoaching is the solution. Short, frequent bursts of 2-6 minute coaching give sales managers the flexibility to maintain coaching momentum between one-on-one meetings through tweeting, text, or slack.  The same principles of coaching apply. Ask questions, don’t just give advice, and supply encouragement and motivation.  But instead of focusing on one big issue, focus on small tactics to provide clear questions for the team member. These “reflect and respond” questions are a significant part of microcoaching.  How do you know if your microcoaching is effective? There will still be the same issues in regular coaching: both parties must have a positive attitude about the coaching process for it to be successful. However, microcoaching through a platform like Coachfeed removes some awkward conversations that arise throughout the process. Lead by example and show them how coaching is supposed to be done. AI drives effective microcoaching With Coachfeed’s microcoaching platform, they offer different assessments to help shape the team member’s best results through microcoaching. These assessments reveal infromation about the salesperson, help dictate the coaching structure, and drive the AI engine to identify who needs coaching, what they need coaching on, and how they respond to different communication tactics. Using these creates a personalized coaching playbook for managers to use for follow-up conversations.  Everybody's journey is different because every salesperson is different. And that's a defining part of the Coachfeed mentality.  Lee’s final piece of advice? Coaching is a long-term play. You might not see the benefits initially, but you’ll be improving your salespeople and your sales process. To get in contact with C.Lee, visit his company website salesfuel.com , coaching pl

Fri, July 02, 2021

Donald Kelly | We Are Going Retro

Donald is remote on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, as he’s speaking at the sales conference Outbound . Be on the lookout for next year’s conference! Today’s episode of TSE is simple: we’re going retro . A brief TSE history. Donald quit his job in July of 2015, and The Sales Evangelist became his full-time gig. Originally the show was only two episodes per week, but it soon expanded to three per week. (because we just love delivering sales content to all of our amazing listeners.) After participating in Podcast Movement for a couple of years, TSE started to create episodes five days a week. But we realized our listeners are busy, and five episodes a week might be too much content, so we doubled back to three episodes per week. TSE is going retro. Donald thought our downloads would go down when the episode frequency dropped. But surprisingly, it didn’t. In fact, it did better in some instances.  We want to deliver better content. More research. More awesome guests. And that takes time. To create the best content possible, The Sales Evangelist is dropping back to two episodes per week. You’ll see the same length of content but with more storytelling. We’re going back to our roots, so we’re delivering two high-quality episodes per week. Our YouTube videos are also going to be more condensed than ever. If you’re anything like us, the thought of a YouTube video longer than five minutes is a bit daunting. So we’re going to trim our videos to give you the highlights of the episode. Do you want more TSE content? Join our Sales Evangelizers groups on LinkedIn and Facebook . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free ! You can visit <a href= "http://www.thesalesev

Wed, June 30, 2021

Tim Kintz | 4 Focus Areas to Promote Strengths and Identify Weaknesses

It doesn’t matter if you’re leading a team of one or one hundred, becoming a better sales leader can always lead to positive change within your organization. And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Tim Kintz to discuss four areas to promote strengths and identify weaknesses as a sales leader: lead, manage, train, and coach. Lead Managers are often the least trained employees. And especially for those internally promoted, they might not know how to navigate that change with respect to their fellow employees. As a sales leader, you need to help your employees develop long-term goals. Once those goals are in place, you can work together to set specific and actionable milestones to reach them. Manage You lead people; you manage things. Are you organized as a sales leader? Do you schedule out your day to accomplish what you need? Not only do you need to manage your time and activities, but you need to manage the statistics and tendencies of your people. Consider managing the detail-focused aspect of leading; it’s a numbers-driven component that can ensure you and your people reach your goals. Train Success is all about having a straightforward, repeatable process. Do your employees know what they need to do to be successful 100% of the time? This process doesn’t mean they’ll achieve perfection every time, but they’ll at least know what steps can get them to that goal. Training isn’t just telling, it’s selling. Show them how the training you want them to do positively affects their performance. Tim encourages his employees to take ownership of their training. If they have a hand in developing the decision or route of action, they’ll be more likely to stick with it. Mental ownership comes before physical or financial ownership. Coach Just because you know something doesn’t mean you can do it; practice and repetition are the mothers of learning. Amateurs practice until they get it right, but pros practice until they can’t get it wrong. Coaching isn’t just about providing knowledge to your people; it’s about taking time to practice with your people to help them get better. Tim’s final takeaway? You have to earn the right to be a leader. Think of your people as emotional banks. Make consistent deposits through recognition and approval so you can make withdrawals without overdrawing that account. Check out Tim’s book Fearless on Amazon or kintzgroup.com . If you want to get ahold of Tim, connect with him on LinkedIn . This episode is brought to you

Mon, June 28, 2021

Brian Trautschold | How to Navigate a Hybrid Sales Workforce

Just like for many other industries, hiring sales positions has inherited problems because of the pandemic. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Brian Trautschold, COO and co-founder of sales management platform Ambition, to discuss three things companies can do to navigate a hybrid sales workforce . Whether you’re a huge company or just a dozen people, COVID is evening the hiring playing field, and integrating these three components can help you acquire the kind of employees you want. Build a company culture, whether it be virtual or in-person. Some company cultures are just fake - think Michael Scott trying to build a culture at Dunder Mifflin. When creating your own company culture, the key is to be authentic. Recognize people as they reach their milestones, and show genuine care for your employees and their aspirations. Especially when employees don’t have the support of an in-person team, it’s easy to lose motivation without recognition. Engage your workforce to overcome distractions. There are no shortage of distractions in the virtual workplace. Whether it’s an extended lunch or a quick Netflix binge, the typical 9-5 is more elusive than ever. To give your employees the greatest chance for success, provide easy-to-use tools to hold themselves accountable. People are better at holding themselves accountable than management, especially in a virtual setting. So equipping people with the tools for personal accountability to yield better results than a never-ending stream of Slack messages. People crave development, coaching, and investment from their employers. Pre-COVID, a great relationship with management is what kept many people working at their current job. (And vice versa.) The introduction to virtual work has broken this.  While Slack can be helpful in communication, you need to have a more proactive approach. As a manager, how do you optimize coaching interactions? The key is to keep track of what you discuss with your employees. Make action steps to help your employees reach their goals. Coaching can’t be a one-off; it’s a part of a narrative. Consider creating KPIs based on the coaching to set actionable steps towards their goals. One major takeaway? Consistent, data-driven coaching is the way of the future to develop happy and productive employees. Want to get in contact with Brian? Find him on his company website , LinkedIn , or Twitter . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails

Fri, June 25, 2021

Tacie Avedikian | Unseen is Unsold

The digital shift of the workplace has manifested the need for digital company culture. Digital culture is necessary to improve internal relationships at your company, but it’s integral in expanding your social reach as a company and developing a following that gives you business. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Tacie Avedikian, VP of Digital Development at Little Bird Marketing, to learn how companies can embrace digital culture to develop a social influence. But first, what does Tacie mean by social influence? The original meaning has shifted a bit in terms of how people use social media.  Leveraging influencers from B2C platforms like Instagram or Facebook and transferring those things into more B2B platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter is critical.  The challenges of hiring new team members:  In the current age, being seen online is critical in bringing in suitable candidates. Because of this digital world, company-wide social influence is vital to attract candidates and clients. You attract candidates through sharing valuable content and having employees who advocate for your company. Despite the importance of online culture, you rarely see someone from HR actively promoting on LinkedIn and advocating for their company. When you want to look for somebody, the first thing we do is look online, read reviews, and understand company values. Companies need to ensure their company and themselves are seen and available for this process. What's the first thing if we wanted to the action plan, and who should lead this? Most importantly, ensure it’s not just one person or department pushing. It’s a team effort to create a digital culture. Learn to be authentic when sharing about the company and yourself. When you create a relationship with someone and see that you're enjoying the company you work for, people get engaged and want to know more. How can I help my team to be creative and post authentic things? Many people are at home, working with their kids right next to them. This is a shared experience that creates empathy and a connection people can bond over. Develop training, make expectations to your team of what authenticity looks like, and provide opportunities for additional training each quarter or throughout the year. Companies should regularly touch base with their team on their digital culture, whether through Slack or a team chat, to engage and develop relationships. Tacie’s final advice: Realize that things are not going back to the way they were. A digitally transformed culture is going to change the influence of your audience completely. Tacie’s major takeaway? Unseen is unsold. (We had to repeat

Wed, June 23, 2021

David Dulany | Make Your Sales Development Team Your Sales Bench

Many tech companies view the idea of SDRs as advantageous because they deal with the tough or mundane elements of the sales process like cold calling, making lists, and following up with inbound leads. But SDRs, with the proper training and support, can be much more. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by David Dulany, founder and CEO of the research and advisory firm Tenbound , to learn how you can develop your sales bench . The elements of a good sales bench: Your SDR team is a group of people who, when needed, have learned the skills necessary to jump into a full sales position when one becomes available.  To understand which skills are most valuable, analyze your recruitment process and list out traits that make someone successful at your company. Are they tenacious, proactive, or require specific technical skills? Create a plan to incorporate training elements for each of those skills for your SDR team and develop ways for new hires to understand what they need to be successful right from the get-go. The biggest mistake we see with SDR teams is not establishing a solid company culture. The old hiring method was simply to churn and burn. But in today’s market, where employees need tools and equipment to be successful, it’s an incredibly inefficient and expensive process. In the modern world, culture is everything. A successful SDR team leader establishes that. To develop the ideal team culture, write down what you want to culture to look like. Once you have a semblance for your vision, integrate elements relating to it into your SDR training process. Sales is becoming an increasingly team-driven activity; the days of the lone wolf are long over. Provide a path to promotion. Certifications are a great way to break down the goals you want employees to achieve before a promotion. A ladder setup provides concrete goals for SDRs to work towards and promotion opportunities. David’s major tips: For SDRs, take the position seriously; it’s a critical piece of the puzzle. For people leading SDR teams, integrate structure, value, and opportunities within the SDR experience. Doing so will help people take the position more seriously and want to grow within the organization. To learn more about David’s approach to SDR development, check out his book The Sales Development Framework . Otherwise, visit his company website to find resources to help develop your sales bench. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and n

Mon, June 21, 2021

Tom Ancona | How to Outsource Sales and New Business Development

A challenging aspect of a salesperson’s job is business development. One way you can simplify the business development process, however, is through outsourcing. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Tom Ancona, founder and chief strategist at ROCKyourcompany.com , to discuss how outsourcing can lead to new business development . The first step to outsourcing: visualize. Think about your goals. If you had a team of people to execute everything you want to do, what is that vision?  Work backward from that vision to determine who will get you to that point. When outsourcing, the words “you get what you give” could not be more accurate. The results and work you get are directly related to the instruction and information you provide. Develop your vision: Pretend you’re talking to a recently hired assistant - be descriptive in what you want. The more details you provide, the better the project will be.  If the project requires platforms like Sales Navigator, have at least a baseline understand of the software or platform. Hiring the right candidate can be a challenge. Selecting the right candidate might not be easy, especially at the beginning. It takes experience to find the right kind of people.  The solution? Do your homework. Read their feedback from folks they've worked with. Read both the most recent and most relevant reviews to see into their current headspace and how they’ve finished similar projects. Meet with them and ask tough questions about your expectations. If they give intuitive answers and understand what you're asking, you’ve found a good candidate.  Understand how freelance platforms operate: When you purchase projects on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr , some have an escrow account. You allocate the money before each project, but you have to approve the project before the money is transferred. This gives you a level of safety in that a freelancer has to complete the project. Don’t

Fri, June 18, 2021

Frank Cespedes | Don't Make a Tough Job Tougher

Working as a sales manager can be tough. Why make it more challenging than it has to be? And without the proper guidance and support, it can be especially difficult to find the right people for your organization. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Frank Cespedes, senior lecturer at Harvard business school, to learn his strategy for finding and retaining top-level salespeople . There are inherent challenges to hiring within sales.  Not enough people in and outside the sales function that there are challenges in hiring sales that don’t exist elsewhere. People major in engineering, accounting, and finance. There are less than 200 sales courses in the United States universities, let alone majors and programs. As a result, most learning in sales is whatever the company does. Companies on average spent 20% more per capita than they do training other positions. Most learning in sales is on-the-job learning that isn’t a challenge in other business areas. Because so much time is spent training, accelerating the productivity ramp up for new hires is crucial for hiring managers. How can you make the hiring process more manageable? Minimize the biggest hiring mistake: relying solely on one or two unstructured interviews. Research consistently shows the correlation between the ratings people get in interviews and their subsequent on-the-job performance tend to vary by .1 to .4. The perfect candidate’s chances to perform to their expected standard is about as guaranteed as a coin flip. To solve the problem, supplement interviews by including people who aren’t sales, like customer support and product design. Experience is often an important hiring criterion. But in business, there is only experience selling your product. Experience in other organizations might not indicate or guarantee success at others. The most important thing when hiring is knowing what you’re looking for. Don’t think platitudes; think the most important tasks this new person will accomplish. So what do you do? Start with the fundamentals. Performing fundamentals better than anyone else will lead to success - the who, why, and how of your customer informs you who you’re hiring for. What will the salesperson need to be good to be successful? Conversely, what might they need to be just good enough at?  To determine these behaviors, consider implementing assessments or even internship positions to judge that behavior.  The pandemic showed companies overpay for many tasks in the current sales model;  you want to focus talent on the steps that most impact the sale rather than things like lead generation and demos. Frank’s major piece of advice to someone managing the hiring process? Know what you’re

Wed, June 16, 2021

Donald Kelly | Three Critical Characteristics Every Seller Must Have

Does the thought of hiring a new salesperson fill you with fear? Do you dread the interview process and reading through resumes? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald helps expedite the process of finding the perfect addition to your team by outlining three characteristics every seller must have.  You want someone curious: When it comes to identifying prospects and their motivations, salespeople need to find the root cause. They need to dig deep, ask the right questions, and find the proper intel to manage their prospects and find sales. Curiosity is asking the right questions that lead to natural conversations. But the suitably curious don’t ask questions that might be offensive or too personal. You want someone resilient. Persistency and a continual drive to work through challenges are critical for sales.  Working in sales means perseverance. The average sale takes between six to twelve touchpoints to move forward, so tenacity and stamina are necessary to succeed in any sales position.  You want someone empathetic. Pushy salespeople are no longer in style (if they ever were.) Salespeople who listen and want to help the client will find far more success than a salesperson focused on the sale instead of the person. The bonus trait: You want someone creative. Thinking outside the box is necessary for sales. When problems inevitably arise (as they do in any business), you want your office filled with creative minds who aren’t afraid to think critically and solve the problem. Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow demonstrates the importance of creativity in business. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to

Mon, June 14, 2021

Donald Kelly | Three Things I Would Do Before Accepting A Sales Job Offer

Congrats, you just landed a sales job! But should you accept it? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald provides his three tips to consider before you accept that job offer . Connect with their current sales team. Directly asking a sales team what their opinions are at their company is a great way to discover the company culture. They aren’t trying to sell you anything - they have nothing to gain from convincing you it’s a great place when, in reality, it isn’t. Finding the sales team is tremendously easy as well because their entire job is centered around being available.  Determine what customers say about them right now. How do you go about doing this? (It’s easy.) Look through case studies and online reviews to generate names, and reach out to those people on LinkedIn. But why should you do this? It can help you get a good scope of the company and show if they consistently update their work or bank off of case studies from 2008. Look at Glassdoor and Google Reviews for the company. Nobody is more brutally honest than strangers on the internet, right? Glassdoor is a platform where current and past employees share information about working at the company.  While people might exaggerate on the internet, this can help bring up any concerns you might need to consider before accepting the job. The main takeaway here is that you really want to know as much about the company as possible before accepting. Limit the surprises you might face, and you’ll be on your way to a great next step in your career. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program , a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free ! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey he

Fri, June 11, 2021

Jasmine Black | Mistakes to Avoid

Do you wish you had a list of things to avoid when looking for your next sales gig? We brought an expert to do just that - Jasmine Black. As the owner of BrainChild PSM and with over 15 years of corporate sales experience, Jasmine understands both sides of the metaphorical sales coin. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, she gives you the inside scoop on mistakes B2B sellers should avoid to land their next job. What should B2B sellers avoid when searching for their next gig? Don’t wait for your next opportunity to fall in your lap.  Learn to be assertive without being overly aggressive in interactions throughout the hiring process. Remember, you want to show how you can provide value to the organization, not just show up to the office with your resume. Position yourself as a thought leader in the organization. Tell them challenges you see and explain how you’ve resolved similar issues in the past. Or even provide a plan to utilize in the future once you have the position.  Don’t engage without intentionality. When you create your own personal brand, that professional reputation precedes you. Determine how do you want to be known.  Create your resume to work for you. Jasmine read an article about a man who finds a job he wants and then builds a perfect resume for that job. He then spends the next year developing the skills in that resume to know he’s qualified and experienced in the role. There are several outlets to gain knowledge and experience in a skillset like sales, such as LinkedIn and Hubspot .  What can sellers do to start making themselves attractive to land that next job? Create your brand, and create it with intention. Take time to write a list of things you want to be known for - they can be things you want to improve on, something you already know, or things you might even be lacking. Record yourself saying those things, and look back at the recording - do you believe yourself? Is that what you want? If it is, great, keep going that way. If not, reroute.  Networking is critical to the sales industry. If you aren’t networking, start. Jasmine’s secret to networking: What’s the awesome new social media platform Jasmine utilizes to interact with new and knowledgeable people? Clubhouse . When she seeks to network, Jasmine’s ultimate goal is developing a relatio

Wed, June 09, 2021

Simon Tecle | Your Resume Isn't Your Story

The resume is an integral part of the professional world. But while it does show off your prior work experience, it doesn’t show who you are as a person. What motivates you, or why are you applying for that specific job? Simon Tecle, VP of Sales at SyncroMSP , joins us on today’s episode to explain how you can tell your story at your next interview , sans resume, to begin the next step of your career with confidence and success. The resume is not your story. A typical interview response is to admit, “I don’t have experience in x,y, or z.” Don’t let your resume be the anchor in your conversation, especially if you know you lack the experience to capitalize on it. The hiring manager already knows you have a lack of experience, and they wouldn’t be talking to you if that was a deal-breaker. Why do we feel so tied to our resume experience? Because resumes are critical in the corporate world. However, stories convey key skills to a job we don’t put on our resume. Are you ex-military? Talk about your time management. Are you a parent? I bet you’ve mastered multitasking. Do you play sports? Talk about your will to win and competitive spirit. Overcoming traditional interviews. If an interviewer is insistent on a resume-based interview, link line items from the job description to your personal stories. A quick tip - don’t agree with the interviewer if they mention a lack of experience. It isn’t about just answering the question; it’s about responding in a way that is best for you. Simon’s other tips for sellers to remember for their next interview: Always have thoughtful questions at the end, and follow up immediately after the interview. Highlight skills and accomplishments that demonstrate both soft and hard skills related to the job description. Simon’s major takeaway? Apply to careers and jobs where you relate to the requirements of the role. Plain and simple. Want to get in contact with Simon? Email him at simon@synchromsp.com , or connect with him on LinkedIn. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by

Mon, June 07, 2021

Kathleen Steffey | How To Answer Difficult Sales Interview Questions

Going into an interview can be tough. Whether it’s your very first interview or your twentieth, the nerves never go away completely. You don’t want to sound like an idiot, right? But what if you had a cheat sheet and knew the most common questions salespeople tend to mess up? That’s exactly what we did for today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist. Today we’re joined by Kathleen Steffy, founder and CEO of Naviga Recruiting , to learn how to answer difficult interview questions and secure your next sales gig.   Question One: Anything related to your sales process.  A VP of Sales might ask an interviewee about their selling process from beginning to end. Even if that salesperson knows their approach, they often just don’t know how to articulate it. If someone can’t walk through their process, a leader might think they lack depth or aren’t methodical. Think about your process in advance, write it down, and go from there.   Question Two: Tell me where you came in against quota? You have to know when you came in against quota, whether it’s over or under. If a sales rep doesn’t know their numbers, it’s considered a big negative. What if your business doesn’t measure by quota? (Yes, those companies exist.) Create your own measurable goals that define success, and know if you’ve achieved those goals.    Question Three: What is your prospecting strategy? Ten years ago, people could get away with merely pounding the pavement or cold calling. But in today’s marketplace, if you’re not handling prospecting in an integrated manner, you’re viewed as antiquated. Know your strategy, and if your strategy is purely through one pipeline, you likely want to reevaluate your strategy.     Question Four: How do you differentiate yourself in the selling process? If you’re meeting your numbers, you might not have ever had to think about this. But the sales process has changed where you have to

Fri, June 04, 2021

Dan Fantasia | What are Sales Professionals Looking for in 2021?

Moving to a virtual workplace means companies can hire better and faster while reducing employee cost and turnover. But are there benefits to returning to the brick-and-mortar model of 2019? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews Dan Fantasia, founder of the sales career advancement company Treeline Inc. to discuss what sales professionals look for in their 2021 work environment . What are sales professionals looking for in 2021? Most employees prefer virtual roles over in-person. So if you’re thinking of reintroducing your company to the office, you might want to reconsider. If someone is sold on the remote option, they might start looking for a new opportunity. The pros and cons of having a brick-and-mortar company versus operating remotely: In a virtual job, it’s more challenging to build camaraderie outside the office. However, there are ways to facilitate this relationship.  Dan’s company participated in a virtual wine tasting, and they start each morning with a zoom call to stay aligned and promote communication. The pro of remote working is the removal of commuting.  Companies no longer have to compete for employees with companies in a particular area - they can hire across the United States.  However, this is a double-edged sword, as competing companies are equally able to contact employees with new opportunities. What should employers be aware of that salespeople want in their 2021 work environment? Just because your company is virtual doesn’t mean you can lowball a candidate. They have an entire world of opportunity now and can just look elsewhere.  Don’t be stuck on the decision to go back to an in-person model. You might have to pay for a building people don’t use, but if your employees work better remotely, the payoff will make the decision worth it. There are risks of virtual work depending on the position, the most pressing being if your employees are mature enough to work virtually. However, between a virtual company and an in-person company, the virtual company can source candidates from the entire country to ensure that the person thrives in that type of environment.  Virtual companies offer a diversity of regional cultures, which can develop new perspectives in your employees. Dan’s advice for sellers and companies: Corporations should be open-minded and take advantage of the virtual opportunities. You’ll find immense payoff with a virtual model. For candidates: Look for your next opportunity when you’re still employed. You want the longest runway possible to have the time necessary to consider your options. When you’re employed, you won’t have to accept the first offer out of desperation but can instead move towards an opportunity you want.

Wed, June 02, 2021

Donald Kelly | Three Secret Strategies You Can Use To Land Your First Sales Job

Are you trying to find your first sales job or looking to stand out from the competition to land that first gig? Look no further, because on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly shares three strategies to find your first sales job . Strategy One: Befriend recruiters for the type of jobs you’re trying to land. Recruiters have a vested interest in finding great people - it means they get more money. So don’t be afraid of interacting with them! To find the right recruiters, go to any recruiting website to see which industries specific people recruit for. Search for them on LinkedIn, connect with them, and see which companies they hire for.  Once you find the recruiters and build a relationship, you’ll have an opportunity ready for you when looking for your next career step. Strategy Two: Network, network, network Your network is your net worth. If you go on social media and ask your network for job recommendations, you’ll get a ton. Not all of them will be good, but there will be opportunities with potential for you to explore. If you already have a job and don’t want your employer to see it, direct message your connections in the space you’re looking to move into.  Find the movers and shakers in your community, introduce yourself, and see if they’re able to direct you to someone who can help you. Strategy Three: Connect with people within your target company. This strategy, taken from Jacob at Sales for the Culture , will help you land a sale or job with a specific company or industry. Find a company on LinkedIn, reach out to any recruiters specifically for that company, and introduce yourself. Reach out to employees in the department or position you’re looking to get in and connect with them. You’ll be amazed how willing people are willing to advise and help get you where you want to go. With these strategies, you’ll have a relationship with the recruiter, information from your connections, and relationships with the people at your target company. Sounds pretty good, right? This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It c

Mon, May 31, 2021

Zachary Ballenger | The Importance of Learning by Osmosis

Before the pandemic, salespeople could hear and learn from their peers through unscheduled interactions. But with water-cooler conversations at an all-time low, how can we continue to learn from our team members ? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Zach Ballenger, co-founder of Casted , to discuss how companies can continue to foster spontaneous conversations in the virtual office .  What is learning in osmosis? Learning by osmosis uses that desktop chatter you don’t expect to hear. It’s walking by your coworker right when he gives an excellent pitch or when you casually see how your colleague organizes her work on her computer—organic learning through unscheduled interactions. A lot of salespeople don’t want to go back to an office post-pandemic. While there are many benefits to virtual work, losing the ability to develop unscheduled conversations is one element that is unfortunately lost. What are the benefits of osmosis learning? It facilitates unexpected growth opportunities. With an in-person office, nuances such as handovers and explanations provide context for growth, especially for those newer in the industry. Overhearing information can inform potential training and opportunities to perform better. What can we do to foster osmosis learning in some way in a remote environment? Have colleagues shadow each other throughout their workday. They might learn something new by watching the tasks they perform each day completed in an entirely new way. Create pop-up zoom meetings for employees to work together, even if they aren’t directly working together on anything in particular.  Start a Discord server for anyone who plays games or shares a hobby to build relationships outside of the office. What tip do you have for a sales rep who feels they miss that type of learning? Let someone know you want that element integrated into your workday. You can rely on management to help start this process, but don’t be afraid to ask your other coworkers and colleagues. Are you interested in learning more from Zach? Reach out to him on his company website or connect on LinkedIn . This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversatio

Fri, May 28, 2021

Amanda Staffon and Jason Behnke | How BDRS And SDR Should Use LinkedIn During COVID-19

The pandemic changed the way we sell. Or even how do we sell? Using LinkedIn as a resource for BDRs and SDRs to make sales, even during COVID-19, can help lead you to success. Today on The Sales Evangelist Donald is joined by Amanda Staffon and Jason Behnke, former business development representatives at BlueGrace Logistics, to learn how they used LinkedIn throughout the pandemic as a tool to supplement and advance their sales process . Selling in a difficult time While the pandemic threw a wrench in everyone’s professional lives, an opportunity was created: to help those in need.  Amanda and Jason found themselves focusing even more on building relationships and being available for their prospects. With COVID-19, the necessary questions have shifted from understanding company strategies to understanding if their basic needs are being met as an organization. Prospecting today  Now that the end of COVID is in sight, salespeople are running at high speeds to make up for the lull of 2020.  Rotating between phone calls, email, and LinkedIn outreach help ensure your prospects receive your message. Plus, it’s helpful to use multiple platforms in our newly-found virtual economy.  People are no longer as receptive to a direct approach. However, authenticity and patience are high in demand - prospects want a conversation, but at a slower pace.  The upside? Salespeople can learn more about their prospects’ goals and needs. AKA, you can guide them to the product that best suits their needs.  Now more than ever, it’s essential for empathy to drive the communication between the seller and the prospect. Develop casual conversations  Because people are spending more time at home, prospects might be open to phone calls during odd hours. And with the sudden shift to virtual work, sales reps have opportunities to hold more casual conversations, thus developing their relationship.  The omnichannel approach (providing great customer service across multiple platforms and channels) is more important than ever.  Face the objection  No matter what you do, some people just don’t want to be sold to. When a prospect has this objection, Amanda encourages honesty: tell your client you want to know how the pandemic affected their company to help ease their challenges.  Empathy and authenticity are two important traits a salesperson can develop, especially on LinkedIn.  Take advantage of LinkedIn features like voicemail messaging to demonstrate authenticity to your prospect. Commenting on other peoples’ content is a good strategy for LinkedIn; interacting with their posts and other commenters can begin a great conversation.  “How BDRS and SDR Should Use Lin

Wed, May 26, 2021

Darin Dawson | How to Use Video to Increase Sales After Covid

President and Co-founder of BombBomb Darin Dawson joins us on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist to discuss the importance of utilizing video in sales after COVID-19 . Running sales marketing and customer success for his video platform company gives Darin key insights to make your post-pandemic sales successful. The importance of video for sales in the post COVID era: The pandemic taught us how to create a new and different customer experience: video. Even once the pandemic ends, people might not be keen to leave the video approach because people can be unique, creative, and (most importantly) themselves.  Any business can replicate and develop new features, but there is no way to replicate people. And video allows people to capitalize on the people and the relationship you’ve built with your prospects. Video is personal , not personalized . Relationships aren’t built over text on a screen: Use video for the back and forth dialogue typically done through text. Video capitalizes on a salesperson’s relationship-building skills and helps them stand out from the competition. Sending a video is asynchronous, meaning the prospect can watch the video on their time, send it to coworkers or decision-makers, and even view it multiple times. While video is now used mainly for initial outreach, you can and should experiment with sending video throughout the sales process to capitalize on the face-to-face interaction video provides. Where has Darin seen video used to increase sales post-pandemic? Video builds better relationships, which can later accelerate sale expansion down the line. Communication is more than verbal; nonverbal is just as important. And you can find nonverbal communication through video. Your videos don’t have to be a formal sit-down. Videos can be short, informal, and meant to build relationships with those you’ve already talked with. For founders, directors, and managers, consider sending videos internally to encourage and congratulate your employees. Darin’s biggest takeaway? People are your best asset. And you need to capitalize on that by providing a fresh and exciting customer experience. Connect with Darin on LinkedIn , but make sure to connect with a personal message! If you’re interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him on LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  Thi

Mon, May 24, 2021

Annie P. Ruggles | Reopening After COVID: How Can My Small Business Survive?

Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by the Founder and Dean of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy, Annie P. Ruggles. Annie has spent the last decade harnessing her Hulk-like disdain for hard sales and tacky self-promotion to help others sell their services without feeling slimy, queasy, or untrue to their ethics. And on today’s episode, she’ll explain how we can maneuver these tactics for sales in a post-COVID world . How do I ensure that my business will succeed in a post-pandemic world? Change areas of your selling that aren’t right for your message and delivery. You no longer have the excuse of COVID to keep those bad habits. Consider the post-pandemic a clean slate to look at your selling procedures and identify where more education or skill is needed. We tend as small business owners to sell and manage our sales folks to sell to people exactly like us. Cast a wider net.  Balance your emotional storytelling with the details and KPIs. What are some other things salespeople do that may be subtly eroding trust with a prospect?  If you can throw your sales script out the window, please do. The typical 30-minute discovery call no longer works: How do you know if you're the right fit for them if you blab the whole time? Instead, ask, without any fluff, what is the most important problem we could solve together? And how will you know if we're successful? What can I do for my business to thrive? Do more to rise against the horrible reputation of selling. We can have literally anything brought to us in minutes, yet we still have this idea that selling requires a ghoulish, predatory behavior.  Whoever you are or whatever your personality is, you’re a salesperson if you deliver value and receive profit. That includes parents, coaches, teachers, and many other professions you might not consider. If you're telling your story, how do you know how much emotion to bring? What she doesn't want to do is come off like it's all about her. So she's not going to share personal or painful details, but she will share her story, the emotions she felt, and why that experience helps her understand the prospect’s needs. Dial down the detail, dial up the emotion; it helps cast a wider demographics net. Annie’s major takeaway? Post-COVID, we crave connection more than ever. Be a genuine individual. Be present, be honest, and listen. Learn when to close your mouth and listen. Especially after sharing the price point, we tend to babble and fill the space. Do not fill the space - that’s their thinking space, and you should respect it. Did Annie impact you? For those in an education space, visit her website .

Fri, May 21, 2021

Donald Kelly | What Every Seller Needs To Know About Selling Post COVID-19

Here’s a fun fact: Only 33% of decision-makers feel their organization is ready to get back to in-person work. What does this mean for the sales professional? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald shares three insights salespeople should remember as we adjust to the inevitable post-COVID return to office work . Over the next four to six episodes of the podcast, you'll hear Donald talk with different sales leaders, authors, and sales coaches about what you need to know as we get back into the office full time. Only a third of decision-makers feel their company is ready to return to the office. This Market Watch article details this statistic and that many decision-makers feel going back to the office will be unpredictable and potentially chaotic. What should the salesperson expect when they come back to the office? Sales may slow down, and your sales process might take longer. Those decision-makers will have many fires to put out with the return to the office. They’ll have to ensure employee safety, implement new protocols, and return to their typical job as well. Meaning they might not have as much time to devote to your sale. What can you do as a seller? Overplan. Don’t assume the sale, but ensure the sale. Map out the whole sales process to visually see what needs to happen to the deal or project to get implemented quickly.  Communicate. And, whenever possible, over-communicate. Keep your prospect engaged and involved in the process to prevent them from becoming distant.  Communicate through multiple channels to ensure top-of-mind thought. Don’t go overboard, but make sure you’re available and easy to find. Consider utilizing text messaging. It's quick, it's easy, and virtually everybody has their phones on them at all times. The purpose of over-communicating is not to get something or finish a sale; you communicate to bring value.  Become a digital seller, not a lone ranger. This article from the Harvard Business Review stresses the importance of being a digital-savvy sales professional. As the use of digital tools and analytics grows, Field Sales Reps will need more than just impersonal skills to be successful. The old profile of a “lone wolf” sales professional is giving way to a team player who can collaborate with others. Donald’s final takeaway: If you think the buyer will clamor over you for your product and service, you need to change that mindset. From the wise words o

Wed, May 19, 2021

Austin McCulloh | What's Between Your Ears is Your Biggest Obstacle, NOT Who's in Front of You

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Austin McCulloh, consultant and founder of Austin McCulloh Advising. Austin shows people how to prospect virtually, whether using LinkedIn, Facebook, or other methods to take advantage of online opportunities. During his professional career, he’s learned that what's between your ears is your biggest obstacle, not who’s in front of you. Overcome your mental challenges. None of us are perfect, so stop trying to live up to an impossible standard. Some salespeople spend an hour researching before a main call only to get a prospect voicemail. How much excitement and energy do you have now to make that next call? Have a counsel or advisor around you - people you can bounce ideas off. Especially those better than you. Read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz to understand and overcome your own self-limiting beliefs. Develop a process. Some salespeople feel out a sale as it goes because they believe that’s what a successful salesperson can do. In actuality, a developed sales process is what brings confidence and success.  A big pro of virtual prospecting: You can look at and update a google doc while maintaining eye contact with a prospect. What are some of the things salespeople tell themselves that prevent success? The belief that age prevents success. Those new to an industry or career often think they can’t work with someone older than themselves. From Austin’s firsthand experience, people genuinely don’t care about your age. They care about how competent you are and doing what you say you’re going to do. Read anything by Ed Mylett - Competence comes from doing what you say you're going to do.  Austin tips to keep himself motivated: He writes down what he needs to do each day and keeps track of it quantitatively, meaning he can clearly measure his completion percentage. Some days the percentage will be higher than others. But if you consistently control what you can on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, you're going to be a more competent person.  Austin’s advice for the new or incoming salesperson: If you already have the job, figure out if it’s the job you want to have. If you don't believe what you're selling, it's going to be tough.  People stereotype right off the bat. So whether it's not having the proper clothing or the right look, don't put yourself at a disadvantage right away. Want to connect with Austin? Find him on LinkedIn and his <a href="https://www.mccull

Mon, May 17, 2021

Junior Germain | What Do I Need To Do To Succeed In Sales?

Today on The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Junior Germain - intern extraordinaire at The Sales Evangelist. When he’s not hitting the books at BYU-Idaho, you can find Junior assisting the TSE team in all things social media, PR, and marketing. Today’s episode is a quick Q&A, where Junior asks Donald his questions about one topic: what do I need to do to succeed in sales? Question 1: How do I overcome mental fatigue as a salesperson? When people tell you no, view it as a part of the sales game. (Meaning they aren’t rejecting the person; they’re rejecting the role.) That person might be in the middle of cooking dinner, watching a great Netflix show, or preparing for work. If you try to make a sale (especially when inconvenient for the prospect), you’ll inevitably get rejected. Question 2: How do you overcome the fact that you’re interrupting their daily schedule?  You’re providing a helpful service or product - something of worth to your prospects. Your job is to help them realize that. You don’t want to convince people that you have a product they need; you want people to convince themselves. At the end of the day, a sales job isn’t about getting people to like you; it’s to deliver a message to solve a problem. And it’s a tough gig. Question 3: What can I do to turn a no into a yes? Ask questions. Learn about their hesitations to help guide the conversation to a sale. Sometimes people won’t understand the offer, so the salesperson has to help them understand. Give them a menu option. List out a few common reasons someone might not be interested in your product, and use that to address their specific concerns. The key takeaway: understand your product or service. If you’re selling pest control products, you want to know what bugs are likely to be a problem, where they’ll be, and how they’ll present themselves in a house or yard. And since you probably didn’t learn pest control in school, it’s your job to fill the gaps in your knowledge. You can connect with Junior on LinkedIn and keep an eye on The Sales Evanglist’s social media as well to see Junior’s work. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM.</st

Fri, May 14, 2021

Tony Morris | 5 Ways Rookies Can Sell Like the Pros

New sellers struggle to make sales because they lack the skill and experience to ask well-crafted questions and build rapport with their prospects. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, guest Tony Morris tells us the five ways for new sellers to sell like pros. As an author, podcaster, entrepreneur, and speaker for sales conferences worldwide, Tony knows how any beginner in the sales world can stand out.    Follow the 80/20 rule (but in the proper order) Sales reps should apply the 80/20 rule when talking to prospects: listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. (We have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that order.) Many salespeople use the 80/20 rule, but reversed. Tony’s first tip for new sellers: talk less and listen more.  When you encourage your prospect to talk more, you learn more about their needs and how you can help them.   Ask the right questions.  What makes a bad question? Any question that prompts a one-word answer. These questions are impersonal and don’t provide insight into the prospect’s journey. Instead, ask what Tony calls the “killer questions:” questions that allow you to understand what the prospect is looking for, what they’ve seen in your competition, and how you can help.  Sales managers should encourage their teams to ask open-ended questions . The goal is to hold a conversation, not an interrogation.   Treat people how they want to be treated. Remember the childhood The Golden Rule? Treat people how you want to be treated. In sales, throw that out the window. Follow the Platinum Rule: treat people how they want to be treated. You don’t respond to clients the same way every time because they all have different perspectives

Wed, May 12, 2021

James Ontra | Better Sales Through Better Storytelling

Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Shufflrr CEO and co-founder James Ontra to discuss the importance of storytelling in sales . What’s Shufflrr? They help companies transform humble PowerPoints into invaluable business assets. Even better, your entire company can present and share from those same decks. It’s a paradigm change in presentation management that’s long overdue.   Why are presentations so important? Presentations are an integral part of the business world. From product information to case studies to introductions, companies communicate to each other through presentations.  We typically think of presentations as a single document, but it’s more nuanced than that. Every presentation is a story, and every slide is a scene. Within Shuffler, you can drag and drop slides to create custom stories, and your entire company can present and share from those same decks. Meaning, those coworkers presenting in London or Hong Kong will be unified with the same platform.   How do we tell better stories? Most modern presentations are slapped together to supplement basic information. (Remember that college lecture that made you fall asleep every Monday and Wednesday morning?)  You want your slides to follow, not force, the conversation. Emotional storytelling conveys the experience when the time is right; that’s the difference between a $1 billion and $2 billion sponsor or whether or not you make your sale. If you move your audience, you’ve made an impact. There’s nothing worse than indifference.   Applying storytelling to sales. People buy emotionally and justify logically.  The key to effective presentations is to determine which components emotionally drive you and your product or service. <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-l

Mon, May 10, 2021

Francois Lupien | Why Are Sales So Important and How To Do It Right…Every Time

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by coach, speaker, and presenter Francois Lupien. From Tae Kwon Do Canadian champion to a top real estate agent to serial entrepreneur, Francois has worn multiple hats and now dedicates himself to helping entrepreneurs increase their net worth and accomplish their goals. Today, he lets us know why sales are important and his approach to doing it right every time . But first, why are sales so important? Nothing happens until a sale is made, regardless of the field. A sale is needed for a business, just like fuel is needed for any car. For the client, you are an essential cog in the wheel. There are many problems and many solutions, but the salesperson’s job is to ensure the solution is brought to the problem. As a salesperson, you need to be Sherlock Holmes: inquisitive, curious, and 100% focused on the person in front of you. Genuine interest in the client is your first role. Francois’s tips to be excellent in sales: Questions are the answer. If you aren’t getting the answers you want, change your questions to get the right answers. Do not make assumptions as a salesperson - you will fail. Ask questions to find out what the prospect wants. The salesperson’s job is to serve the people, even if they aren’t the perfect fit for the sale. If you remain professional and helpful, they’ll be impressed and give referrals to more prospects. Use active listening to figure out what information you need from the prospect. A phrase that brings sales “I can help you with that. It’s very common with the people that I deal with. If I can show you how to solve your problem, will you work with me?” His parting advice : His go-to method - describe a scenario and ask the client if the scenario describes them. Never ask to close or make the person join when they’re in that stressful environment (AKA when you tell them the price.)  After stating the price, link your service back to their end result - exceeding their expectations and future pacing. Once they’re back in a yes mentality, move forward and make the sale. One major takeaway? Listen to the people who’ve been in your situation. Success leaves clues. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel and embrace the experience of others.  Connect with Francois on LinkedIn and at his website howtobecomemore.com to schedule a free call with him! This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equ

Fri, May 07, 2021

Donald Kelly | 3 Things You Should Know Before Your First BDR Role

Wed, May 05, 2021

Donald Kelly | It Sounds Like I'm Prying In Their Business

Mon, May 03, 2021

David Garcia | How to Draft Sales Questions According to Your Customer's Personality

Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by David Garcia. The current CEO of the pre-employment background check company ScoutLogic Screening , David’s 25 years of experience in B2B sales and marketing has made him well-accustomed to asking the right questions. With a specialty in big enterprise deals, David developed a strategic sales method to optimize his success chances. He’ll share some of that methodology by telling us four things to consider when drafting sales questions based on a customer’s personality. Rethink your role in the sales process.   Sales is shifting away from a sales-driven approach. Consider yourself more akin to an intelligence agent. (Think Carrie Mathison from Homeland.) Why is this important?  Because sales today is 80% research and 20% asking questions. Salespeople are versed in researching a company: check reports, Twitter feeds, social media; you can learn a lot that way. But when David says research, he means to learn about the buyer - the person on the other end of the call or table. You know this, one of the best ways to build rapport with someone is to find a common interest.  Discover your prospect’s learning style. You need to uncover what that person’s learning style is or how they absorb and give information. We all have four primary learning styles: listening, visual, reading, and tactile and touch. David recommends finding out either from others through research or even asking the prospect directly.  Find your prospect’s personal win. This tip is the most critical, and it’s important to remember that your prospect’s personal win might not align with their business objective. When crafting the value proposition, you want more than to get the organization’s goal. You want to provide a way the prospect can keep building bricks towards their personal win, whatever it may be. Strategize the questions you ask. In the age of zoom, people have less time than ever to answer questions. Buyers don't want to give you a lot of information anymore; they want solutions. They want to know that you're coming with expertise and advice. Think about what’s most important: where are they at in the sales process? What's going to move them to the next step? What is David’s major takeaway? Do your homework upfront. Grab pieces of information when you can; even a half-hour of research on a buyer will make you a better salesperson. Want to get in touch with David? Email him at david.garcia@scoutlogicscreening.com This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not r

Fri, April 30, 2021

David Goings | Ask Powerful Questions During Inbound Meetings Without Interrogating Your Prospects

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by David Goings, self-professed sales nerd and current SMB team lead at LogicGate.  David believes in making an impact in the prospect’s sales journey. Sales, at its core, should bring a positive impact to your customer’s lives. You might do that through your products and services. But also, sometimes it's just in the experience that you have with the customer. From an inbound perspective, you need to consider where the customer may be in the buying process. With an inbound conversation, the prospect may have already identified that problem internally.  In an outbound conversation, you may have just pique someone's interest. But the prospect is still identifying the problem.  David’s Three Tips to Avoid Conversations Feeling Like an Interrogation Change your mindset. You need to come in and understand that your job is to help the other person, not to make a sale. You morally can't pitch products and solutions until you know the prospect’s current situation and goals. Set expectations for both you and your prospect. It all starts from humans wanting to know what's next. For any kind of business setting, especially a first conversation, ease the customer’s mind and let them know what will happen in the conversation. Bring a perspective. Young professionals have a hard time feeling they belong in the room. They're not an expert. But while they may not be an expert in their industry, they’re experts in buying technology, in their customers, and their customer’s stories on how we've impacted them. Here’s a bonus tip: ask layered questions to understand your customer’s needs. David uses the TED acronym: tell me, explain to me, describe to me. David’s advice for the sales professional: The way we do things as sales professionals in the sales process can be the differentiator for us. Unpack and understand your “why” as a sales professional. If you can get behind your “why,” it positively impacts the customer. Read “ Selling with Noble Purpose ” by Lisa McLeod. Want to get ahold of David? Reach out on LinkedIn (and be sure to congratulate him on his recent job change.)

Wed, April 28, 2021

Donald Kelly | Start Asking Stupid Questions

Mon, April 26, 2021

Donald Kelly | One Major Closing Question You’re Neglecting To Ask

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly gives us the scoop on one major closing question you’re neglecting to ask. But first, let’s picture this scenario. Dave is a salesperson who has been working with his lead, Bob, for three months.  His sale is in the bag; he gave a fantastic presentation, his sales engineer answered every question the prospect had, and Dave sent them a proposal. Despite going through every step in the process, Dave didn’t get the result he wanted; he got hit with the “we’re going to need some more time to think about it” conversation. Where did he go wrong? It’s simple - there’s one question he forgot to ask. The ultimate question: Would I make this purchase based on the same information I know if I were the buyer? Sales is shortsighted - we’re focused on our pipeline. Dave was focused on meeting his quota, impressing his manager, and making sales rather than his prospect’s needs.  How can you ask this question to improve your sales strategy? Habit #5 of “ The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ” - Seek first to understand, then seek to be understood.  Consider the context of the buyer. What business problem are you solving for them? Look at the industry they’re in and their relationship with the software to make informed decisions. Did you give the buyer a parachute in case things go south? Did you give them an out? Not every deal will close - that’s just a given. But asking this question will provide you with more predictability with closings.  If we are more diligent in asking questions and analyze the deal from the buyer’s standpoint, your sales will increase.  Donald’s ultimate takeaway? Start the conversion process earlier. Ask your prospects, “based on what you know, do you feel confident moving forward?” If you fix any problems early, the prospect will have a higher degree of confidence at the end of the sales process. Connect with Donald on LinkedIn and let him know if this helped close more deals.

Fri, April 23, 2021

Michael Reddington | Are You Really Listening to Your Customers? 3 Ways to Enhance Your Listening Skills

On today’s episode, we welcomed Michael Reddington, a certified forensic interviewer and President of InQuasive, Inc. His company integrates components of effective interview techniques with current business research to show others how to use the truth to their advantage. The topic for today? Why listening is critical to sales . Why is listening important? Humans aren’t meant to be good listeners. It’s difficult for us to sideline our egos and focus on the goal instead of the people while in conversation. Because it can be a rarity, actively listening while in the sales environment (or any environment) can be the differentiator between you and your competitors. Key steps to listening: Limit variables during an interaction. There can be distractions in your mind and environment that prevent you from listening. Have a good plan going into the conversation. This can limit distractions and result in more efficient and positive discussions. Michael’s three points to enhance listening: Have a plan - Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t. Limit your own internal monologue to focus on the conversation at hand. Be patient and let the conversation come to you - When people are stressed, they tend to fall back on what they know. For sales situations, this is likely your product or service. Dominating the conversation in this manner can result in turning a prospect off the sale. Listen for intelligence, not information - The traditional sales methodology was to listen for specific pain points and use those points to place a prospect in a particular box. However, this method ignores the nuances of the sales situation. The reasoning behind a motivation is just as, if not more, important than the motivation itself. How can you use listening to differentiate yourself in the market? Research shows that only about 14% of the factors we believe to be differentiated are actually different in the market. So, how can you stand out? Prospects often expect a salesperson to sell their product, not provide value. When interacting with a prospect, think about how you can provide a clear value to them. Not only will this surprise them, but the unsolicited nature of the value opens the door for more robust communication. Teaching is the most essential part of selling.  Michael’s main takeaway? Let the conversation come to you. Learn more about the programs and services Micahel offers at InQuasive , or find him on LinkedIn .

Wed, April 21, 2021

Donald Kelly | 10 Powerful Sales Questions BDRs Can Use in a Discovery Meeting

In this episode, Donald Kelly shares ten questions to ask the prospects when you are meeting them for the first time.  What problems are you trying to solve today? Your goal is to get deeper and to figure out the problem the prospect is trying to solve.  Why is that a particular problem right now? This allows the prospects to vocalize what they think the problem is.  What’s the source of that problem? This will help the prospects think of the source of their problem if there is any.  What would happen if you don’t do anything today? Ask them this question to put the decision back. Don’t use this question right off the bat. Only use it when you’ve already established some rapport. Why is it a priority today? It allows you to figure out why there’s an urge to solve the problem.  Why hasn’t it been addressed before? This question allows you to probe deeper into the problem of the prospects.  What would a successful outcome look like in, say, for example, six months from now if we work together? It paints the bigger picture that you are both on the same page and that you’re already visualizing the partnership.  If you don’t choose our services today, do you have another plan in place?  What have you done in the past, and what were your primary roadblocks from that? Have you purchased a product/service similar to what we’re offering before? This gives you an insight into the solutions that they’ve entertained and used before. What are the potential challenges you can foresee when it comes to getting a solution like this? Allow them to visualize the potential roadblocks along the way. Some prospects are scared of roadblocks, but when they can visualize it, they can see where the error lies and what actions they can take to address the error.  These are all simple and great discovery questions. They might be basic questions, but these will allow you to dig deeper into the root cause to address the real problem.  “10 Powerful Sales Questions BDRs Can Use in a Discovery Meeting” episode resources Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook , about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part

Mon, April 19, 2021

Jose Quiroz | Easy Ways to Make New LinkedIn Connections Without Sounding Spammy

In this episode, Jose Quiroz joins Donald Kelly to talk about the easy ways to make new LinkedIn connections without sounding spammy.  Jose Quiroz is an immigrant, an entrepreneur, and a business guy. His mentality is always veered into finding opportunities and creating opportunities. For Jose, it’s more about creation than consumption.  He has a lot of experience with the family business and regional operations as his dad started a janitorial company.  After college, he got into the corporate world and fell under the Director of Digital Marketing sphere.  Jose’s unique selling proposition is adapting the digital strategy and the digital language to the overall brand strategy. He helps business owners understand how they can leverage digital strategies to scale up their operations.  Building connections Businesses can find a third party who can do their massive lead generation for them. At that point, connecting isn’t about building relationships. Connecting then becomes a numbers game.  This means that you’re not creating rapport, and you probably won’t see the long same long-term benefits as well, and you’d probably tend to see the quality drop and diminish a little.  This approach is effective if there’s a need for an immediate lead in the business.  The first mistake that salespeople make on LinkedIn is that they try to figuratively get to the wedding chapel right away without doing the first dates and the video calls.  Salespeople cannot pull the trigger way too soon without building the needed rapport first.  Avoid the spammy approach For Jose, it may not be a matter of time but rather a matter of communication.  Based on a stat that Jose read in the past, there’s an average of 10 exchanged messages for most Tinder matches. The messages may have been sent within a day period, a week period, or within an ‘X’ amount of period. The same philosophy can be applied on LinkedIn.  It’s not about waiting for a time frame before you feel the need to nurture the prospects. It’s more of the need to engage the prospects and connect with them as individuals.  You need to build that qualitative feeling and see the communication build-up.  If you sense that the prospect is starting to get a little cold, then back off a little bit. Use the time to research materials and sources that are beneficial for the prospects.  Your goal is to build rapport so that the prospects would trust you, buy into your confidence, your expertise, and eventually do business with you.  LinkedIn today isn’t just about hearing new job openings and other career moves. LinkedIn is now a platform for personal development, identifying concepts, taking in the best practices, and others.  People are now on LinkedIn to consume information that is valuable to them. Sales

Fri, April 16, 2021

Doug C Brown | Best Practices for Finding Hot B2B Prospects on LinkedIn

Join us in today’s episode as Doug C. Brown and Donald Kelly talk about the best practices for finding hot B2B prospects on LinkedIn. What are salespeople doing wrong on LinkedIn? Doug Brown often sees a lot of people on LinkedIn who are making prospecting a complex process.  The other mistake is that they’re not clear on their target audience.  Sometimes, it’s not the sales reps fault because they’re trained to prospect in a certain way. On LinkedIn, however, one has to think differently. Instead of targeting many people at once, it’s better to start narrowing at the top of the funnel and getting more focused going down.  Narrowing down prospects means that you’re able to pick 25-30 ideal target customers from your list of 100 people to prospect.  Think of the ultra-high quality prospects that you would love to do business with because the challenge on LinkedIn and other prospecting methods is the follow-up.  The power of follow-up is huge and impactful and this process has to start from the first conversation or from the first connection.  Prospecting today The prospecting game has changed because of the birth of the Internet but the basics of prospecting is no different then as it is now.  The basic concept of prospecting is still building relationships.  The difference in today’s sellers and buyers is the information. Sellers then had all the information. Today, buyers can access the information with a few clicks of their mouse or scrolls of their phones. Sometimes, they even have more knowledge than the sellers.  In terms of selling and prospecting, the buyers don’t care about what the sellers know. Rather, the buyers care about what they need, what they want, and what they have to have.  Sellers need to build the relationship and we need to make the prospects feel valued in the relationship. If you don’t build the relationship then you won’t get as high a conversion rate or a closing rate.  The goal is to sell based on value, and by value, it means what your prospects value.  Building the right way Sales is very much like wooing a person you like. You give them flowers, you do your best to impress them, and more.  The same is true for your prospects. You want to build a business relationship with them so you also need to let them know that you care about them and you want to help them solve their problems.  Asking permission will get you a long way. Before you start asking questions and digging information on LinkedIn, try to ask permission first. You will have higher chances of getting answered and replied to if you get their permission first.  Join the groups where the people you’ve reached out to are frequenting. Start answering questions in the group and position yourself as an expert.  You also have to use offline methods as well when f

Wed, April 14, 2021

Jon James | How To Use the ‘Ask Me Anything’ Strategy to Land More LinkedIn Appointments

Join Donald Kelly and Jon James in this episode as they talk about how to use the ‘Ask me Anything’ strategy to land more LinkedIn appointments.  Jon James is the CEO of Ignited Results , a digital agency specializing in leveraging LinkedIn to get more sales opportunities. They work with their clients and help them with their LinkedIn marketing to get more meetings with prospects.  The challenges on LinkedIn Part of the challenge is the failure of not identifying who they’re connecting to, which is the driver in terms of who you end up on a call with or having the opportunity to ask someone for a call.  Salespeople need to start with good targeting.  Jon James recommends having a Sales Navigator to target the types of people who can be your ideal prospects. With Sales Navigator, you can target teams or companies with a certain employee count of revenue mark.  The LinkedIn outreach process Before you begin the outreach, you first need to look at your profile and make sure that it’s good to go. Check out the significant areas you need to focus on - the headline message, your headshot, and your background image.  A great headline is critical since it’s one of the top reasons that help people decide whether they’d accept your connecting request, and if they’re already connected, it will help them decide if they turn into a meeting.  Include in your headline your professional credentials/job title, put a client-facing solution statement. A one-liner that would explain how you help clients. Then, follow it up with something personal. Your statement in your headline is your way of building rapport with the prospects before you even met them for a meeting. Structure your LinkedIn messages There are four things to remember when it comes to LinkedIn messaging - hook, relate, bridge, and call to action.  Hook - mention their name and their industry. Relate - mention the issues they’re possibly dealing with. Don’t throw your pitch. Just relate to their problem.  Bridge - mention your solution to them.  The number one metric you want to judge on LinkedIn is conversation, and the conversation comes from engagement. The Ask Me Anything videos are a great way to start a conversation.  “How to use the ‘Ask Me Anything’ Strategy to Laned More LinkedIn Appointments” episode resources Check out Jon James and follow him on LinkedIn .  Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , In

Mon, April 12, 2021

Daniel Disney | How to Use Social Selling To Turn Your LinkedIn Into a Lead, Sales, and Revenue Generating Machine!

LinkedIn is a platform that opens many opportunities. In this episode, Daniel Disney joins Donald Kelly as they talk about how you can use social selling to turn LinkedIn into a lead, sales, and revenue-generating machine.  Daniel Disney released his second book called, The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide: How to Use Digital and Social Selling to Turn LinkedIn into a Lead, Sales, and Revenue Generating Machine.  The book is a comprehensive guide on LinkedIn for salespeople, sales teams, and businesses that want to get the most out of LinkedIn.  Generating leads on LinkedIn Everyone can play the social selling game on LinkedIn. You can create viral content, grow your audience, grow your brand, and you can end up with a ton of leads.  The downside is that not all of these leads are good leads, they’re not your target customers, and they’re not likely going to convert.  Common mistakes salespeople make on LinkedIn #1: Keeping a weak profile. At least 80% of teams that Daniel has trained with have profiles that aren’t optimized. Their profiles are not customer-focused and are just poorly written CVs.  #2: Not sharing good content. Instead of sharing valuable content, they reshare company blogs that don’t add a contribution. They are sharing weak content with their audiences.  #3: Sending bad messages. Salespeople make the mistake of sending out terribly written sales pitches and spam messages en masse, in high quantities, in hopes that something comes back.  Common mistakes:    Bad profile Bad content Bad messaging   Today, the way buyers now buy has changed and the information they now have before making a purchase has changed significantly.  Rewind 15 years ago and decision-makers didn’t have access to the internet and didn’t have access to all the information that we now have. There were no media reviews, no Google, and all these other things.  Buyers were then at the mercy of their salesperson to provide them with the necessary information.  Buyers today have standards and what they need from salespeople has changed significantly as well.  Salespeople have to step up their game if they want to stay above the prospect or their customers.  Generating leads on LinkedIn Make your profile more customer-focused. The customers and prospects don’t want to hear about your accolades and other achievements. What they want to hear is how you’re going to help them and how you can be an agent to help them get to their goals. Make your profile fully-focused on your target audience.  There are two kinds of leads: the outbound and the inbound leads. There are things that y

Fri, April 09, 2021

Ollie Whitfield | How to Use LinkedIn Voice Message and Videos to Schedule More Appointments

LinkedIn is a powerful platform and you can use its features to your advantage. In this episode, Ollie Whitfield talks about how to use LinkedIn voice messages and videos to schedule more appointments.  Using LinkedIn voice message for effective appointments The LinkedIn voice message is something new and not many people have seen it before. That’s why many are prompted to open it and listen to it.  LinkedIn voice messages show that you’re giving effort; it’s a slightly elevated way of showing your desire to build a connection with others.  Showing your face or letting other people hear your voice improves your outreach. A mere text cannot convey your body language or your tone.  A video message allows the prospects to see your mannerisms and that helps in building trust between people and implores them to do business with you.  Improving your video messages or voice messages on LinkedIn Think of it as a very targeted approach. You can’t send video messages or voice messages to everyone. Pick the right people to send the messages to.  Instead of going through all the other channels, take it directly to the decision-makers and have a great chat with them.  Make it a seamless conversation. Make sure not to send a voice message right off the bat. Set the expectation first. You can send a written message first, a heads up that you’re sending a voice note on a certain subject.  Lay the foundation first before sending the voice or video message so that they know what’s coming their way.  Ollie also curates content and posts it on LinkedIn. He takes note of the people who engage with his posts, lists the name of the people who engaged that fall under this ideal client profile, and then connects with them. Following up these people with a video makes the outreach personalized.  Research the people you’re going to send videos to. Don’t jump into doing videos right away. Do your research and think of what you’re going to say before you make the video.  “LinkedIn: How to Use LinkedIn Voice Message and Videos to Schedule More Appointments” episode resources Follow Ollie Whitfield on LinkedIn. Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook , about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real.  85% of people prefer text over email a

Wed, April 07, 2021

Ahmad Munawar | Once You've Connected With a Prospect, Here's What You Should Do Next

LinkedIn is a huge platform that’s great for prospecting. The question is, once you’ve connected with a prospect, what should you do next? Join Donald Kelly and Ahmad Munawar as they talk about what you should do next once you’ve connected with the prospects.  What to do next after connecting? Keep pitching until they say yes.  Even if the prospects don’t say yes, send them a contract or a payment link.  The challenge in LinkedIn or in any other platform is to game the system. This means wanting to get everything from the platform by doing the least amount of work possible. This method, however, rarely results in any positive outcome.  This is true for email outreach, for LinkedIn, and for advertising.  Many salespeople and entrepreneurs see LinkedIn as an automated lead generation tool but this isn’t how LinkedIn works.  What works in any business and in sales is relationship building. It’s not even about getting the prospects to like you, rather, it’s about getting the prospects to trust you.  Building Relationships  Relationship building is about conveying to the marketplace your expertise and why you’re worthy of the conversation.  In Ahmad’s coaching program, they call it the Medicaid Pipeline. It means that clients don’t talk to strangers unless there’s a good reason to do so. That LinkedIn connection request does not qualify as a good enough reason to guarantee a conversation.  Our job as sellers and salespeople is to make the prospects believe that there’s something here for them to look at.  Follow the 80-20 rule. Talk about the script, the closing pattern, and the strategies 20% of the time and spend the rest talking about the prospects’ beliefs and how they feel about the offer.  In Ahmad’s team, they talk about the client during their sales meeting. They don’t talk about the tactics, they talk about client success. It helps their sales reps to have bulletproof confidence when they talk to prospects the next time around.  Believe in what you’re selling Sales reps need to believe in what they’re selling. You need to be the vehicle in which that belief can be communicated to the marketplace.  Gone were the days where you can just be good at sales and building relationships. Today, you also need to be very strong in product knowledge.  If you want to make money in today’s economy, you need to become the expert that your clients want to engage with.  If the customer has a leg up on you in terms of their knowledge and understanding of the problem then they don’t need you for anything. Be the expert in the conversation.  As a sales rep, your goal is to publish. You have a treasure trove of knowledge from all that outreach and prospecting. Use that knowledge as lead indicators. Publish your expertise and evangelize your offering into t

Mon, April 05, 2021

Ellis Stone | LinkedIn: Being a Human on LinkedIn

How does being human on LinkedIn help you improve your sales game and increase revenue? In today’s episode, Ellis Stone joins Donald Kelly for a great conversation about being human on LinkedIn and what it means.  LinkedIn is such a powerful platform for professionals, but everyone in the space is using it effectively.  One of the issues that many are facing is that they’re not human enough on LinkedIn.  Making human connections on LinkedIn People on LinkedIn aren’t being authentic and instead of being themselves, they try to emulate others.  Sales reps are too used to utilizing scripts and sending them out to hundreds of prospects. We don’t have much success with scripts because buyers know that it’s not coming from you. The truth is, people buy from people.  It’s difficult for companies to scale and track custom messages for every prospect. That is why companies opt for scripts or automated messages.  There is nothing wrong with using scripts, especially if you’re new to the sales game, but if you’re already a few years into sales and you’re still using scripts then you’re lazy selling. You’re not researching the prospects, you’re not trying to get to know the person, and you’re looking at them like they’re just numbers.  Ellis tells his team to use their personality when they sell, talk, and write, because sales reps have a better chance of building connections when they’re authentic.  Be successful on LinkedIn LinkedIn now has a video messaging feature that everyone can use. It makes connecting much easier because they can see your face, your gestures, and they can hear the sincerity in your voice. A video can go a long way.  It’s not all about the prospect on LinkedIn. You must build your brand on the platform.  Make your profile page genuine. Make sure that when people are checking you out, they’re able to gauge you and relate to you. Don’t be afraid to put yourself on LinkedIn. Don’t be too professional in a way that everything needs to be perfect. Post some videos that show a relatable human side.   Be interactive on LinkedIn. Join group talks, comment on people’s posts, like others’ posts, ask questions, and more. People in the same industry will eventually see your comments and questions and will check out your page. Be vulnerable. Connect with people and be honest in your approach. If you want to learn, then put that in your message. People want to help others learn things about their space so ask questions.  No matter how or how big the opportunity is, aim to always say yes.  Enjoy your job. People don’t buy products; they buy energy. So have that energy whenever you make the call and give your pitch.  “LinkedIn: Being Human on LinkedIn” episode resources Connect and follow <a href= "https://www.l

Fri, April 02, 2021

Donald Kelly | "Three LinkedIn Strategies Providing Results"

LinkedIn is a platform that allows professionals to network and connect with others in their industry. In this episode, Donal Kelly talks about the three LinkedIn strategies that provide results.  The issue here is that there are too many people on LinkedIn, and when we find people, we start pitching right away without adding value to them.  Ensure that you are engaging and not just going to the platform pitching and pitching.  Three LinkedIn strategies you need   Make sure that you are sharing content. , Create videos that you can share., Utilize the LinkedIn polls.,   Share your ideas/contents You know a lot of information about your industry that you need to share with other people.  The goal is to become a thought leader and an expert in your own space.  Tribal Impact saw that 55% of decision-makers use LinkedIn content to evaluate potential partners.  Important people are looking at your content and the value that you add to every post you share. So make sure that you’re sharing content relevant to your ideal customers. Think of what your prospects are thinking but would never say to anyone and write a post about it. This content is relatable to many customers in your sphere.  Create videos to share on social platforms, especially LinkedIn Videos are five times more likely to increase your engagement on LinkedIn than any other type of content.  Recreate your content and make it into videos. Use hashtags when sharing your video content for more visibility.  You can also use videos and send them via private messages. It makes your messages more personalized and increases your chances of engagement.  Utilize LinkedIn polls Polls are like sharing a little message and then asking people for their opinion on the matter.  Tribal Impact said that they saw 115% higher engagements in their polls for the last six months compared to other content they posted.  Don’t just ask any questions. Make sure that your questions add value.  Try to engage everyone who answers the poll and use hashtags in your post.  “LinkedIn: Three LinkedIn Strategies Providing Results” episode resources Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook , about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching

Wed, March 31, 2021

Chris Mele | How the Pandemic May Impact Your Customer's Sales Objections

Sales objections happen all the time but with the health crisis today, it’s a standing question of how the pandemic may impact your customer’s sales objections or how it has already impacted them. Join Donald Kelly and Chris Mele as they talk about the pandemic, customers, and sales objections.  Being in a software company means that the people you’re working with are former executives from other software companies as well.  It’s a very complex environment and so people are critical of the academic principles and the things they adopt because there are real things that work for a software company and there are those that don’t.  For Chris Mele’s experience, how they price, package, and license their technology has a direct connection to the sales force.  The impact of the pandemic on sales objections One of the biggest changes is the aversion to risks and this comes in many different forms. Buyers today are more risk-averse, especially when it comes to new relationships.  Salespeople and companies start seeing the transaction size compress. People are no longer very keen on allocating cash. With the pandemic, people are more stressed and thus more uncertain. It’s a tough selling environment. Unless you’re in the industry where you’re selling tools such as Zoom and other related tools.  Why are there objections? Price isn’t the only reason people aren’t buying.  There are many companies today that offer premium prices that are doing well. There are a few companies that raised their prices and while they have fewer customers coming in, they’ve been able to isolate who they’re serving and they’re able to substantiate that premium value.  Salespeople can destabilize the deal when you use word nuggets around the pricing, implying flexibility, at the early stages of the sales dialogue.  Handling objections In the B2B perspective, there are many things that you can do outside of the price that you are charging.  If people aren’t buying because of the price then you need to start evaluating your offer. Ask yourself what it is you’re offering and if you need to offer all of that. If you can offer just half of it then do so.  Never look at your cost, instead, look at the value that you’re offering. Figure out what it is that you’re offering and the people to whom you’re offering. Make sure that you can name them.  You may have a mix of customers you’re selling to pre-COVID and this group may include big and small enterprises. With the pandemic, you are losing some of these customers so it’s critical that you become very specific to the people you’re offering your products to.  Even if the company falls down, you as the salesperson can still adopt. You may see the need to change the pricing a little bit or create your own little rules. The

Mon, March 29, 2021

Matthew Pollard | How Can You Prepare for Your Prospect's Most Likely Objections?

As part of the sales process, you can expect objections from everyone you’re speaking with, including your prospects. Join us in this episode as Donald Kelly and Matthew Pollard answer the question, how can you prepare for your prospect’s most likely objections? Matthew Pollard’s first book was entitled, The Introvert’s Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone. It focused on selling as an introvert.  His most recent book is entitled, The Introvert’s Edge to Networking: Work the Room. Leverage Social Media. Develop Powerful Connections is a sequel to the previous book, and it’s focused on how introverts can out-network their extrovert counterparts. Many believe that extroverts have an advantage over introverts, but Matthew believes that this thought is just in peoples’ heads. The truth is, there’s no disadvantage. It’s just that the path to success for introverts and extroverts is different.  What is networking?  Networking is about fostering long-term relationships with champions and momentum partners. They are the people who sing your praises and have high-level credibility. They are the people who share your work beyond the networks you currently have.  Preparing for objections A system is an external process and if something goes wrong, it’s not a personal attack on you. It’s just that there’s a part of the system that broke and you need to fix it.  Introverts need to realize that externalizing and having a structured system in networking sales allows them to treat each objection, not as a personal attack.  Introverts also need to have a plan and a structure of what they want to say instead of getting stuck in their heads for thinking of what to say and ending up not articulating the best version of themselves.  Focus on receiving objections. Introverts often get stuck in their heads when they get an objection and then they end up not knowing what to say.   Objection handling cushion is a way for extroverts to emotionally regulate and for introverts to work out what they say.  Select a story to tell. It’s critical that you know the three major problems of your prospects and to have one story for each of these major objections. So, think of the three major objections and the three major stories.  You can embellish your story to make it more interesting. Try to improve it everytime you retell it.  People remember 22x mor

Fri, March 26, 2021

Objections: How to Overcome the Most Common Objections in B2B Sales | Nadia Rashid

Women are doing great things in the sales industry. In this episode, Donald Kelly is joined by an amazing woman, Nadia Rashid. Listen as Nadia shares how to overcome the most common objections in B2B sales.  Nadia Rashid is the SVP of Sales for Seismic on the East Coast. She manages all the teams from the commercial mid-market all the way through enterprise and global.  Defining Objections For Nadia, objections are obstacles. These are the concerns that prospective buyers convey. Objections are buyers’ concerns that salespeople need to overcome.  The objection is almost needed in sales because it allows the buyers to do a clear assessment of what’s in the market.  It’s also a good indicator between a good salesperson and a great salesperson. How you react to objection when it’s thrown at you shows how much experience you have.  Overcoming objections Nadia teaches sales reps to ask difficult questions in every call - are there any concerns? Is there any reason we shouldn’t move forward to the next step? These questions help sales reps ensure that there is a sales relationship built and that there are no surprises.  Nadia categorizes objections in several areas, an example of which is the top of the funnel objections. These are objections during the actual sales cycle such as the lack of budget, the lack of resources, cost justification, and competing priorities.  When there’s an objection, it’s important to take a pause. While others feel that it’s uncomfortable, this pause allows the buyers to gather their thoughts.  Do the five-second rule for assessment.  Nadia also asks sales reps to listen to other top sales representatives and learn from them. Oftentimes, they learn two things from these great sales reps: to actively listen and to ask a lot of open-ended questions to understand and validate the good stuff.  Think of objections as a four-step process.  Ensure that you’re listening. Always validate and ensure that your buyer/the person you’re talking to understands what you’re saying. Respond accurately. There’s no need to lie; if you don’t know the answer tell them honestly.  Confirm that you’ve resolved the objection.  An open dialogue is much more collaborative and better received.  Come from a place of concern. You need to care about what it is that you’re solving for the prospect and how your solution is going to impact them.  As sales reps, it’s critical to listen well and ask open-ended questions to trigger the buyers to think.  Open-ended questions allow you to see if there is an opportunity there and see how engaged the prospects are.  “Objections: How to Overcome the Most Common Objections in B2B Sales” episod

Wed, March 24, 2021

Objections: What to Do If You Can't Address Your Prospect's Objections During a Call | Natasha Davis

How do you get past objections? To make it more specific, what can you do if you can’t address your prospect’s objections during a call? Natasha Davis joins Donald Kelly in this next episode on objections.  Natasha Davis is a brand strategist, and she recently released her second book entitled, Unleash Your Millionaire Mindset and Build Your Brand . The book talks about the business from top to bottom and all the in-betweens. It’s about the things we’re afraid of and the things we don’t usually talk about.  As a brand strategist, it’s her brand to look at a company from the top to the bottom and all the in-betweens.  Natasha wasn’t always the entrepreneur. She started her working career as a nurse doing emergency and trauma, and she loved her job. She got bit by the entrepreneurship bug, and when she realized she couldn’t shake it off, she dipped her toes in it.  After a while, she realized that she likes being an entrepreneur, so she made the shift and went from being a nurse into what she is now.  Sometimes, salespeople are so passionate about what they could give that they forget that objections are part of the business.  In this era, businesses need to scale and keep scaling. Companies need to think big, build momentum, and scale fast.  Addressing Objections with Prospects Not being prepared for the objection is painful for a business.  Document the objections. Whenever you get an objection, don’t just leave it in your head. Document what the objection or rejection was, create a document, and build responses to the objection/rejection.  Most times, the reason for the rejection is because we failed to give them enough information for them to make the decision. Without ample information, people just eventually end up saying no.   Many sales reps get too excited about what they offer. We forget that it’s not about us - it’s about them. It’s always about what the prospects need, about the solutions that work for them, and it’s about their pain points.  Your goal is to tone down the pressure of selling to have that natural conversation where you’re giving out information to help your prospects.  A lot of times, businesses struggle around process and performance.  People are core to a business, but the process or the system is also as critical. Without a process/system in place, your people would be working in chaos.  Use the right approach Keep learning and keep putting things together. That allows you to take a step back and start identifying the needs of the prospects from the point of hello, from the point of the first contact, whether it’s an email, on social media, or other platforms.  Know the pain points before entering into a conversa

Mon, March 22, 2021

Objections: How Can I Handle Price Objections In This New COVID World? | Kristi Strickland

The idea of objections is always common in sales. You can’t get away from it but how do you handle objections? How can you handle price objections in this new COVID world ?  What’s your view on objections? Objections have always been in sales; these objections are not going anywhere.  The real point, however, is the why. Why are you getting these objections? What are you trying to achieve?  Sales reps need to figure out the why of the objections to be able to move around them.  The sales process isn't only about getting your goal which is closing the deal. It’s about slowing down and understanding the journey. It’s about determining the reason why the prospect is talking to you and why they took the initial call.  We should remember to ask the why for every part of the sales cycle.  Overcoming objections It comes down to having confidence in yourself as a seller and this comes from experience in getting knocked down several times and the experience of getting those wins.  Sales reps need to ask the difficult questions but you also need to have the knowledge behind it so that you can answer any questions that may be thrown at you.  Aside from the confidence in yourself as a seller, you also need to have confidence in whatever you’re selling. You need to do due diligence on your part to understand the products available.  Prospects today respect you more if you ask questions and don’t stop at the surface level. They respect you when you do all the steps in the process.  Buyers only buy from people who are checking all the boxes and asking the right questions.  Building confidence The first step to building confidence is by giving yourself grace and it comes with time.  Believe in yourself that this is a journey and you’re not supposed to be good at day one.   It’s critical to take the time to invest in various self-promotions. Kristi was able to be a part of an organization that has its own sales methodologies.  Take different pieces along the way with your own experience to build your own way of selling.  It also helps to be part of an organization where you really believe in your products or services.  Overcoming objections in this age Aside from knowing the why, it's also good to have that gut instinct.  Use your gut instinct to judge people’s character to understand what it is they’re really saying.  Do your research. There are a lot of companies that are doing their studies and publishing articles on how COVID has affected them. Find the things you need that will start the conversation.  Sales is a matter of being there for your prospects and clients.  We live in a world where there is so much content out there, we have all the advantages compared t

Fri, March 19, 2021

Sales Objections 101 | Donald Kelly

Sales isn’t sales without objections. As a sales rep, how will you overcome objections? In this episode, Donald Kelly talks about the basics of sales objections.  The basics in sales objections An objection is defined as an expression or feeling of disapproval, an opposition or reason of disagreeing.  From the buyer's perspective, objections are when the buyer has disapproval or maybe they don’t agree with something.  Common disapproval in sales training is when the potential clients say that they don’t believe that the training can help their team.  There’s truth in that objection but sometimes, the reason may just be because you have interjected yourself into the buyer’s situation or they may be uncomfortable with the situation moving forward.  One of the things that most people don’t like about salespeople is that they can come off as being pushy sometimes.  When we’re being pushy, the buyers or prospects won’t be in a state where they’d be ready to listen and be interested in the products or services offered.  Even if that product can solve their problem, at that moment, it’s not something they value.  Salespeople need to understand that objection and why they’re getting it in the first place.  You can’t take the objection at face value because the buyers don’t necessarily understand the value of what’s being shared with them.  Salespeople should back down in the first objection. Instead, learn to take a step back.  Give them a menu or options. Reach out to them and try to determine the reason for their objection.  An objection doesn’t mean that they won’t do business with you. Don’t make it a lost deal right away. Find more ways to build value and show them that value. Approach all the other decision-makers in that organization too.  The goal is to go past the objection and let them see the value of your product or service.  Stand out from the competition by being creative and by being persistent.  A No now doesn’t mean that it’s a No forever.  You can check out Ciara . It’s a company that helps you figure out effective ways that your team has been using to move past objections.  “Sales Objections 101” episode resources Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving

Wed, March 17, 2021

If 2020 Left You Feeling Defeated, Do the Work to Overcome It | Chris Williams

For many, 2020 has not been a good year. If 2020 left you feeling defeated then do the work to overcome it . In this episode, Chris Williams talks about how you can do that.  Moving forward in 2021 2020 was hard for everybody regardless of social status. It was a hard heart and mind-bending process.  For Chris, there are three things that matter: You need to be yourself. In this time when money and the market are getting pushed, it’s difficult for people to figure out who you are. Eventually, you start to become someone else. You start to see other people on social media and you aim to become more like that person. You need to stop that and anchor down to who you are and what your core values are.  Whatever your metrics are, whatever your numbers are, it’s not about the money. It’s about what you know that you’re good at and being able to anchor to that. A good handle on that will give you assurance and confidence.  Have an actionable plan. You need to put up an actionable plan that leans on your strength.  This may mean that you need to read a book, listen to a podcast, or other amazing resources you can get your hands on. Pick up resources that will give you actionable stuff that you can do.  This is about clearly defining the list of things that you can do every single day.  You need to have a community that supports you. You need to be with people with hearts, souls, and minds.  People are inherently social beings. We have cultures, religious affiliations, political parties, and more. We need to anchor to a group of people who share the same beliefs and interests that we have.  Don’t consume just any information available out there. Instead, lean in on the experts that provide the information that you like to consume.  “If 2020 Left You Feeling Defeated, Do the Work to Overcome It'' episode resources  Follow Chris Williams on Facebook and Instagram.  Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real.  85% of people prefer text

Mon, March 15, 2021

The Best Sellers In History Series | “Oprah Winfrey”

What does being one of the best sellers in history entail? In today’s episode, Donald Kelly focuses on Oprah Winfrey as one of the world’s best sellers in history.  Getting to Know Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29th, 1954 and her parents are Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey.  She had her first speaking gig in front of the congregation at church, where she spoke about Jesus and how he rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. It was the beginning of her knowledge that this was something she could do.  Oprah began writing and selling her speeches when she was 12. At one point, she earned $500 from selling her speeches.  Structure and Expectation Oprah’s father gave her structure and expectation that allowed her to excel. She got a scholarship to Tennessee State University and was invited to the White House as well.  Oprah’s success stems from five elements: She is relatable and she knows how to build relationships Her creativity and willingness helped her act even in difficult circumstances She’s a hard worker She thinks big and she continues to push herself Oprah is selfless On being relatable and building relationships Oprah allows herself to be vulnerable and she values her authenticity regardless of whether there’s a camera or not.  She shows empathy to everyone she interviews. Instead of just asking the questions point-blank, she sees the humanity of every person and asks them like a fellow human being instead of a reporter.  Oprah isn’t afraid of making mistakes and owning them.  The same is true for sales: it is impossible for salespeople to be perfect in everything we do. Making mistakes is part of the process and being honest about your mistakes makes you a relatable salesperson. That’s the kind of salesperson people often gravitate to.  On being creative and having the willingness to act Oprah doesn’t just sit and wait for things to happen. She takes action and turns things around.  In sales, you may find yourself in a difficult situation sometimes. Instead of groveling about it, you need to act and make the best out of the situation.  On thinking big and pushing yourself forward Oprah wanted to become an actress but wound up in the journalism industry. She did not, however, stop aiming for her dream until she became the lead in the film, The Color Purple.  Sales reps can learn from Oprah Winfrey and her elements to success. Sales representatives may sometimes feel the need to offer things with strings attached in order to get ahead but that’s not always the best option.  The door will still open if you are generous and give more to other people. The goal in sales is to help others and to give them solutions.  “The Best Se

Fri, March 12, 2021

Lorraine Ferguson | Leveling the Playing Field for Women in Sales

Some people perceive that there is a power struggle between the men and women in the sales industry. In this episode, Lorraine Ferguson talks about leveling the playing field for women in sales.  Getting to know Lorraine Ferguson Lorraine Ferguson started her career in sales back in the 80s with a startup technology company. She never thought that she’d see herself in sales.  Back then, there were still no women in sales. She was young and inexperienced then. So, she followed what the other salesmen did.  As a woman in a male-dominated career, she often felt intimidated by the men she met. She felt like she wasn’t taken seriously and there were times when she was only asked to take notes or to go and bring the boss.  As a young girl, she was taught that being good meant accommodating others and knowing her place. She didn’t realize that the principle stayed with her. She found herself buying into the buyer system.  Women not Glamorizing Sales  There is a negative stigma in sales. Many women don’t see sales as an effective career.  Another challenge is that we weren’t told about sales as a potential career. It’s not something that your guidance counselor talks about.  Most times, men are hired because the people in the leadership roles are also men. Sometimes, they don’t even think about women as a good fit for sales.  It’s a combination of mindset, what we think, and what those who are hiring think when they are looking for a good candidate.  Many are also looking at sales as a stepping stone or a last recourse. This isn’t a good thing for women since women have so many natural strengths that are needed in the sales profession today.  Womens’ natural talents in sales To be successful in sales today is much more than just knowing your own products and services. It’s about your ability to connect and understand other people. Buyers today are expecting salespeople to know about their own business as much as they know their own products and services.  Women have the ability to connect the dots and figure what the problem is. Women are good listeners and are able to come up with empathic solutions.  When it comes to selling, it’s critical to be quiet, to listen, and to ask the right questions.  Women tend to be more concerned about others. They have the natural ability to put themselves in the background. Women in sales Women need to work a little bit harder to prove themselves. Sometimes, they need to prove themselves to the person they’re working for.  The organization is a huge help for women. It’s critical for the organization to have a selling process that fits women like a glove.  Women like roadmaps, they like to have direction. When they follow a process, they are able to have personal presence and they’re more likely

Wed, March 10, 2021

Cherilynn Castleman | How Women Can Thrive in the Male-Dominated Sales Industry

Women are strong willed individuals who can thrive in the male-dominated sales industry . Today’s guest will help us understand how women can thrive in the male-dominated sales industry.  Thriving in the male-dominated industry Cherilynn Castleman released a book entitled, What’s in the C.A.R.D.S: Five Post-Pandemic Sales Strategies.  She’s been in sales for over 25 years and was able to experience the global financial crisis in 2008 first-hand.  When she first started selling, salespeople used to spend 20% of their time building relationships and 80% on sales. This book talks about doing the opposite. 80% of the time should be spent building relationships while the other 20% should be focused on sales.  The book is about how to connect and build relationships with other people. It’s about collaborating with clients and becoming more emphatic.  The Perfect Time to be a Woman Harvard Business Review released a study in May 2020 that women outsell men after a crisis. Women, by nature, are emphatic, collaborative, and open-minded creatures.  The best time for women to go into sales is right now. For Cherilynn, there are three levels of listening: Restaurant listening - it’s when your brain thinks a 100 miles a minute. You think of what food to eat or what food you had last week.  A lot of salespeople sell this way. They’re very knowledgeable, so when their client starts talking, the sales reps are already answering every question in their heads.  Reflective listening - We’re taught this in school.  It’s when sales reps reflect what it said back to the clients. They’d reflect the conversation and then they present their pitch.  Empathic listening - this is listening between the lines and listening to the words that weren’t spoken.  You do this by muting your brain and taking deep breaths. This will allow you to focus on what’s being said and what’s not being said. It allows you to connect to the people talking on a deeper level.  The 4 Fs Ask people about the four Fs: Ask them what it was like for their first day of the pandemic. Were they worried about their job? About their production? Ask them what it was like the first time they were doing what they’re doing now. Then, listen carefully. Ask them about their failure.  Ask them about their future.  Ask them about their finest moments.  Any sentence that starts with an ‘I’ is not being empathetic.  When you talk to clients, always be present and be where they are.  Be with their frustration and then allow them to formulate

Mon, March 08, 2021

Jaunai Walker | Why Are Women Sellers Paid Less Than Their Male Counterparts?

It’s a common problem among workers in many industries. The question remains, why are women sellers paid less than their male counterparts? Let’s talk about this subject in today’s episode.  Being in a woman in sales Jaunai Walker has been in the sales field for almost 20 years. It was her first job after she finished grad school.  By 2007, an opportunity opened up and she landed a role in medical sales.  Women being paid less isn’t only because of other factors but also because of ourselves.  Jaunai suggests that it’s critical to learn to look at ourselves as women and see what we put out there.  For most women, the stigma about what salespeople are remains in the back of their heads.  Another factor is that at the interview part, women sell and promote themselves less than men do. Women don’t want to be seen as boastful, so they present themselves as heart-centered as they often do themselves a disservice.  Women are seen as less confident compared to their male counterparts and because of that, they are often seen as less competent.  Women also don’t ask or negotiate as much because women don’t want to be seen as pushy. Jaunai feels like that’s because of the fear of not being enough.  Bridging the gap Women have these different personalities. They take on different faces when they’re at home or when they’re selling.  There is a need to bridge the gap between the two. Bridge the gap between who women are out there and who they are in every aspect of their lives.  It’s a proven fact that women are better closers than men so women have to channel that confidence.  Don’t be afraid of a sales career. Everything you have right now from every industry wouldn’t happen without being sold. Even those things that aren’t seen, like ideas.  Women have to be bold so it’s time to claim it. It’s critical to stand out and step up.  “Why are Women Sellers Paid Less Than Their Male Counterparts?'' episode resources Follow Jaunai Walker on Linkedin . Check out her sales program, Perfect Your Pitch: Irresistible Sales Conversations that Convert for Heart-Centered People Who Have Heart Centered Businesses. Just give her a beep on LinkedIn!  Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.  Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and no

Fri, March 05, 2021

Melissa Oakes | How Imposter Syndrome Affects Women in Sales

Imposter syndrome is common among salespeople, and it chooses no gender. In this episode, however, let’s learn how imposter syndrome affects women in sales.  Melissa Oakes truly believes that she changes people’s lives. Although many don’t share the same thought, being able to bring people back to a time in their lives where they were happiest is a huge accomplishment. In the Hair Club, her team gets to help people feel good about themselves every day. It’s not just about the hair; it’s about what people can do for themselves to make their lives better. From having a better hair day to having a better life. Starting Hair Club It started out as a Hair Club for Men where almost all the salespeople were men. Melissa was one of the first female consultants. She also shared the negative stigma of salespeople then.  Personally, she didn’t want to become a salesperson due to that stigma.  When she did get into sales, into a male-oriented industry, she felt like she always had to overcompensate. She felt like she needed to do things right because she had something to prove.  The Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome leaves you feeling doubtful and dealing with other negative emotions. Doubting whether what  you do is enough; whether you are good enough.  It was a challenging time for Melissa because it prompted her to take things personally.  When she faces objections, she takes it as an attack. For men, they can just move on. The same isn’t true for women.  Melissa always got into her own self-talks and eventually she realized that her doubts were making the sales process more about her and less about the person sitting in front of her.  She realized that she couldn’t help other people if she remained in that state. The rejection she experienced didn’t motivate her. Instead, it piled up a lot of doubts in her head.  Going over that state not only helps you as a salesperson, but also the people you’re trying to make an impact for.  Melissa learned to turn that No into a Not Yet. It helped her follow up with someone and make sure that she is in contact with them, building relationships and connections with them. She learned to focus her attention on the people she’s helping and on what she could do for them.   It’s important for new salespeople to be genuine and be authentic to themselves. Sales is about making connections so be genuine in your own way, and build connections in a way that works for you.  Giving quality service is about finding out what the person needs from you or how your business/service/products help them.  We need to care more and show that personal connection. We also need to celebrate the little wins because that will get you out from whatever feeling you’re in.  “How Imposter Syndrome Affects Women in Sales” episode resources <p

Wed, March 03, 2021

Tiffanni Bova | Why We Need More Women in Sales

Sales is a huge industry and it’s big enough for both men and women. However, the number shows that there are few women in this career. In this episode, we will talk about the reasons why we need more women in sales.  Women in Sales Women are the best in sales.  There are very few women in sales then and the number hasn’t improved much over the years.  As a woman or a salesperson in general, you need to think of what you’re selling and how your buyers are.  There are many categories where women are the primary decision-maker and buyers.  Companies should see the need to have a salesforce to represent who the buyers are and 50% of the buyers are women.  This is especially true for categories where products are more female-oriented.  Having more women in sales also promotes diversity of thoughts, thinking styles, and perspectives.  For the last 25 years, there have been more women in sales. There are also industries where women are the dominant sellers.  In most times, it’s up to the manager if they give women the opportunities to be out there and represent the product.  The truth is, it’s not just about having more women in sales. It’s more about the broad scope of diversity. That includes gender and race.  What you need to be in sales Sales is not just about having graduated college. Sales is about understanding relationships. You don’t need to graduate with triple masters to be equipped with soft skills.  You can be a great salesperson even when you didn’t have an MBA.  Tiffanni stumbled into selling by accident. Her mother didn’t have the most positive response the first time she told her that she wanted to get into sales. It was later on that her mother realized that everything worked out for her in the end.  There is a gap between men’s and women’s pay. There’s also a gap of pay between language and race. If you are a manager, you need to line up your team and see if there is a gap and how much the gap is. It’s time to shore it up and decrease if not totally eradicate the gap.  Tiffanni was courageous and she followed what she believed in even when she had to give up a current position to be able to move further in her career.  She kept stretching herself and kept learning more. Most importantly, she took the responsibility for her decisions.  She’s now in a different part of her career. Instead of keeping moving forward, she’s now in the contribution mode. She helps others by sharing her journey.  For beginners, it’s imperative that you understand the process, know yourself and the things you’re good at and use these things to your advantage.  “Why We Need More Women in Sales” episode resources Connect with Tiffanni Bova via LinkedIn , <a href="https:

Mon, March 01, 2021

Donald Kelly | How Women Leaders Have Impacted My Sales Career

Working in the sales space, Donald Kelly has met a lot of people who impacted his journey one way or another. In this episode, he talks about how women leaders have impacted his sales career.  Women in Donald’s life who made an impact Throughout Donald’s career, he has met several women sales leaders who guided him and helped him persevere.  While he was doing the Accidental Seller Series in 2019, one of his first guests was his mom. While she didn’t have experience in a traditional sales role, she ran her own shop in Jamaica and that taught her valuable sales skills. Donald’s mom was a dedicated person and today, she still has that passion and drive. This mental attitude taught Donald to work hard and take advantage of the tough times. It also taught him not to give up too easily.  Donald’s Aunt Ivy also helped him. She raised him for a while when his Mom came to the United States. He saw how hardworking and creative she was. She bought things in America and sold them back in Jamaica with a margin. She was one of the successful entrepreneurs in the community.  The next person who helped and pushed Donald is his wife, his better half. Donald’s wife taught him to be better. She taught him to do his best and to walk the extra mile.  Women Leaders in Sales who influenced Donald  Laurie was one of the women sales leaders who impacted Donald’s career as well. She was in a software company where most of the employees were men. Laurie, however, was able to stand on her own. She was one of those individuals who could find the problem, identify the problem, and solve it.  Donald also worked with Lisette. She’s now with the upper management of a large tech company in South Florida. She’s able to use her problem-solving skills and ask effective questions. She’s also a great student who easily understands the clients’ needs and their pain points, and she has a great way of helping them solve their problems. She understands their business and she sounds like an insider.  Women in sales The Harvard Business Review reported in 2019 that the B2B sales landscape has been shifting in ways that favor women in sales. It said that 86% of women achieved quota compared to 78% of men.  Both women and men choose the same seven capabilities but they differ in the ones they emphasize. Women emphasize connecting, shaping solutions, and collaborating with others. Men, on the other hand, relied more on improving and driving outcomes.  “How Women Leaders Have Impacted My Sales Career” episode resources Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , <a hr

Fri, February 26, 2021

Brandon Bornancin | Discovery: How to Effectively Handle Objections During Discovery Meetings

Salespeople know that objections are a big part of sales. In this episode, Brandon Bornancin talks about how to effectively handle objections during discovery.  Objections in the discovery phase There are two things you need to become a millionaire: one, a massive list of everyone you need to sell to, and two: the ability to master and anticipate sales objections.  Brandon became obsessed with sales objections and sales objection scripts. People don’t talk much about it because they’re somehow showing their weakness.  Some salespeople believe that they shouldn’t overcome objections. Salespeople shouldn’t battle it out with prospects.  The truth is if you have a product that would help the clients’ lives for the better, you need to learn to overcome their objections.  Overcoming objections is very much like playing a Super Bowl championship game: you need to be prepared. You need to have all the plays, the strategies to address their objections, and you need to learn most of the possible situations.  Overcome the objections Brandon makes his team write objections in a Google doc because it automatically creates outlines. There are only fifteen typical objections and we usually just face five of these every single time.  Write down every sales objection and write out the script to overcome every single one of them.  The scripts can play differently every single time. All the different scripts are different plays that you can customize.  Write the scripts for every single objection. Have them handy, memorize them, study them, rewrite them, and practice them every single day.  Use them as much or as little as you need. Customize them in a way that would best fit a certain situation. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. You don’t have to use it exactly as it is; use parts of it. Slice and dice your scripts depending on the kind of objection you get.  Your script is your roadmap. You can use it to overcome the objections and build up your value to the end of the sales journey which is the closing.  The number one objection is: I’m not interested. This is the most common objection that you hear. If you don’t learn how to do that, then you’re failing the number one objection in all of sales calls and every sales pitch.  When prospects say that they’re not interested, it simply means that they’re not seeing interest enough to commit their time and energy. When a prospect says that he/she is not interested, you need to dig in and figure out why he/she isn’t interested. It’s always important to dig in a little deeper.  Brandon and his team created Seamless.ai for account-based selling.  The best way to email a list is to pick a niche to reach. You can pick a persona in an industry with one pain point t

Wed, February 24, 2021

David Keesee | Discovery: How Important Are Leave-Behinds After Remote Discovery Meetings?

We are still in the discovery stage and in this episode, let’s talk about the importance of leave-behinds after remote discovery meetings . Join Donald and David Keesee as they discuss more about leave-behinds.  The beliefs in Sales Salespeople don’t come from a place of selling. Rather, we come from a place of serving.  The leave-behind frames the clients so that they would feel like they are being served, they have a good understanding, and that there is clarity and simplicity to your offer.  The frame is a context. It’s a way of looking at something. In whatever conversation you’re having, it’s always important to set a frame. In sales, you need to set a frame in a way that clients see a positive context on things so that it becomes easier for them to say yes.  The use of questions is critical in sales. The way you ask questions builds up authority and credibility.  Before the leave-behinds You can visit Beautiful.ai. It’s a site where you can create amazing pamphlets and slides to give to people before you start your presentation.  It’s like pre-framing people by giving them something beforehand. It may be case studies, social proof, or other credibility building support.  The importance of leave-behinds The higher the value of what you’re selling is, the more customized your leave-behind should be.  It can be an actual presentation, or anything that would provide added value.  You need to ask yourself what your client would need to believe to move forward and how you can demonstrate that kind of belief they have to adapt.  It matters what you leave behind.  How you handle the objections on the spot is a measure of how good of a salesperson you are.  Think about the top four objections why people don’t say yes and prepare for them.  To be a great salesperson, you need to understand human beings.  It is important to be more conscious in considering what it is like to be the client, understand where they are coming from, and what beliefs they need to have.  Being a great salesperson means selling a great product to people who need your product. It is your duty to convert their mindset so that they take action on something that is good for them.  “Discovery: How Important are Leave-Behinds After Remote Discovery Meetings” episode resources Connect and follow David Keesee on LinkedIn . You can also visit his website, David Keesee.  Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , <a href="http

Mon, February 22, 2021

Mike Weinberg | Discovery: Best Ways to Structure Your Discovery Calls and Improve the Outcomes

We already know that the discovery meeting is an important part of the sales process. In this episode, we’ll talk about the best ways to structure your discovery calls and improve outcomes.  Structuring your Discovery Calls Salespeople accomplish more selling by how they structure and conduct the discovery meetings. You accomplish more by how you ask and how you pitch.  Discovery precedes presentation. We first need to understand why we’re doing this.  You need to get the customers comfortable with you. You have to build credibility so that the customers and potential clients are willing to talk to us.  Salespeople are not “Yes-man” people. We need to level the playing field. We can’t go thinking that we’re winning the deals by scoring obedience points.  It’s critical to understand the purpose of discovery.  Salespeople have two missions:    To produce the most value and the best outcome for the customers To give ourselves the best chance of winning the deal   There’s this obedient salesperson in us that tends to break the rules if an interested client comes in. We skip the discovery meeting phase and go directly into the sales journey. But this sends out a message that you don’t care much about the discovery phase.  It is important to own the process. Let the customers jump through some hoops. Let them know that they also need to do their part if they want to partner with you.  Without the discovery process, you won’t know what they need and you won’t be able to tailor your presentations when you’re talking to people. You also won’t be able to understand how they make the decision.  As salespeople, we need to understand their pain, their frustrations, and their challenges.  “Discovery: Best Ways to Structure Your Discovery Calls and Improve Outcomes” episode resources Connect and follow Mike Weinberg on LinkedIn . Grab a copy of his book New Sales Simplified . Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and G Suite integration, you can access all the CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up autom

Fri, February 19, 2021

Jeff Bounds | Discovery: Powerful Questions to Ask During Your Discovery Meeting

This episode is sponsored by: Skipio - Get one month free on an Individual plan with code TSE, or, 2 free seats/licenses on Teams. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com . NetHunt - NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount f or the first 3 months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan.  We’ve talked about the importance of the discovery meeting in the previous episode. This time, Jeff Bounds talks about the powerful questions to ask during your discovery meeting.  The discovery meeting conversation  The drama Glengarry Glen Ross and all the other movies impressed on many the importance of closing. People are buying closing books and closing materials because that’s how we have been preconditioned.  People see the close because it's part of the exchange. It’s the part that you see below the tip of the iceberg.  Without discovery meetings, salespeople are just seeing the clip and not the story.  Jeff talked to hundreds, if not thousands, of salespeople and he saw that the biggest ingredient that many don’t appreciate is the use of appropriate questions. Many salespeople also don’t think much of what’s in it for the buyers. These things prevent many from going to the next level.  At the end of the day, it’s not about you. It’s about them. It’s not about what matters to you but on what matters to the buyers.  Most salespeople often assume: we assume that we understand the product, we assume that we know what the buyers want, and more.  The assumption is one of the worst things that you can do because 9 out of 10 times, you can be wrong.  Without probing and without asking the right questions, you won’t be able to find out what your prospects are trying to accomplish.  Salespeople continue to use the canned sales pitch even when it doesn’t often work. At the end of the day, it comes across as inauthentic and people can see through that.  People process visual images at 10 million bits per second. In that sense, salespeople are artists and we all need to paint a good picture for our clients.  Ask the right questions Salespeople need to ask the right questions and often, these are difficult probing questions to ask.  The hard questions allow you to anchor on the objections before they even happen.  Try to get into the emotions of the prospects because people buy on emotion and then they justify it with logic.  Roleplay is one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself and other salespeople in your team as well.  Jeff shares this quote, ‘Prepare more and practice, then you’ll bleed less in war.’ It means preparing yourself well and leveraging

Wed, February 17, 2021

Donald Kelly | Discovery Meeting - Why Your Discovery Meeting is the Most Critical of All

In today’s episode, Donald Kelly talks about the reasons why your discovery meeting is the most critical of all when it comes to sales.  The challenging part of the sales process Many people make the mistake of taking discovery meetings for granted during the sales process.  There are typically two sides of the sales process: the prospecting side and the closing side.  The prospecting side is the hustle part that many salespeople don’t care for as much.  The closing side is when the transaction is completed.  Another critical part of the sales journey is the discovery meeting.  Sometimes, salespeople assume things about their clients and prospects without checking in with them. They go to the presentation right away and do it beautifully, too. They are taken aback when the prospect doesn't close the deal with them.  For Donald, the discovery part of your sales process is more important than the close.  Without discovery, you won’t be able to close.  You have prospects that do not fit your product and services. There could be any number of reasons why these prospects are not a fit. Probing, digging, and getting information will help you disqualify prospects.  Salespeople should focus more on disqualifying the prospects instead of trying hard to quality them. You want to get rid of the ones that don’t fit the bill to focus on the ones that do fit the bill.  Discovery meeting allows you to do the following:  Understand the needs of the client and understand our capabilities.  We understand how they’re going to make decisions for our solution. We understand what they know and help them implement the solution.  Lastly, it allows us to understand who will make the decision and the money they’re going to spend  As salespeople, you need to understand and establish that there is a need rather than hear them saying that they’re doing research and they’re trying to figure out what works for them.  The first phase is to disqualify the prospect. Ask them questions and figure out if they have a need for your services or solutions.  Your second phase is the demonstration and the proposal.  You shouldn’t be overcoming major objections at this point because you’ve already done that in the discovery.  Some salespeople make the mistake of becoming too focused on the discovery process and then don’t keep that attention throughout the process.  Your goal is to have natural conversations with the buyers and give them a valuable purchasing experience.  Doing effective discovery is difficult work. It requires you to ask adult questions and have adult discussion but these conversations will help you take out the objections.  “Discovery Meeting: Why Your Discovery Meeting is the Most Critical of All” episode resources Spe

Mon, February 15, 2021

Marchello Arcelay | How Can I Offer a Hand Up to Underrepresented Sellers?

Diversity is a result of numerous kinds of efforts, and we’re focusing today on underrepresented sellers. As a sales leader, how can you offer a hand up to underrepresented sellers? Marchello Arcelay is a waste stream analyst in Metro Atlanta and he works with small to medium sized companies to provide them with sustainable waste solutions. He helps small to medium sized restaurants or Fortune 500 companies who want to reduce their carbon footprint. He also has a show called Cocktails with Chello and he streams it live on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.  Helping new and underrepresented people  You have to exercise caution when helping people of color in the sales industry. Help others with willingness and an open mind.  It’s important to create different milestones to ensure that the people you are helping are on track.  When you help others, you just don’t help them with a certain aspect. Your goal is to help them through the entire process.  You don’t just give them the tools without teaching them how to use them or without giving them a follow-up.  It’s equally important that you hold them accountable for the milestones that you give them.  You don’t need to go straight away to help. First, you need to build trust and rapport. Go for a casual conversation at first.  You can also use social media platforms. Create groups and promote them to your network. Tell them about your goals of helping other people, especially those who are new to sales or those who are from underrepresented groups.  Don’t limit your help and offer to people of color because then, you’re not promoting diversity and you won't get the momentum that you want and need.  “Diversity: How Can I Offer a Hand Up to Underrepresented Sellers?” episode resources Connect with Marchello Arcelay on LinkedIn today. You can also check out his YouTube channel here to see his show, Cocktails with Chello . You can also call him at +678-683-9136 Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns.  Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTENDED trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  → https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse.  This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetH

Fri, February 12, 2021

Anita Nielsen, Larry Long Jr, Dre Smith | Why You Should Consider Building a Diverse Sales Team

The conversation about building a diverse sales team is an important one, and in this episode, Donald Kelly hosts a roundtable discussion about why a diverse team should be built.  The importance of a diverse team Without a diverse team, you are missing out on the insight that you need to work with the diverse buyers out there.  There’s not just one type of buyer; there are diverse types of buyers especially in the technology space. A company with just one type of person misses out on the connection with so many different people.  Driving for maximum outcomes means capturing the perspective of diverse buyers and relating to them.  Without diversity in your organization, you are limiting the creativity, flexibility, and performance of the team.  The same is true for sports managers who aren’t open to diverse talents, backgrounds, ethnicities, and more.  Diversity allows everyone to learn from each other. Women, for example, are socialized differently.  It’s necessary to have an open mindset and to believe that there’s more than one way to have success.  It all comes down to leadership. They must be proactive and intentional in the plans of building diversity. When you are in a leadership position, you have the power to bring someone up or bring someone in that can produce at a high level.  Recruiting people is important, and the same is true for retaining them. You need to make sure that you support the new people in your team and that you provide them with a nurturing environment.  Changing the policies If you see that there’s a lack of diversity within the organization, don’t hesitate to talk about it and point it out. It’s okay to mention that there’s a person in the team who could contribute to the diversity of the organization.  You need to be transparent and ask the members of your team about the things you can do to improve diversity. Even if you’re not a leader, you can still make changes.  Ask insightful questions to help the customers think about their strategy and their

Wed, February 10, 2021

Cynthia Barnes | Diversity: Challenges Affecting Black Women in Sales

There are many black women in sales and despite the challenges, they keep on moving forward to have success. Tune in as today’s guest, Cynthia Barnes, speaks of the challenges affecting black women in sales.  Cynthia Barnes is the founder and CEO of the National Association of Women Sales Professionals. It’s a member-based organization of women who sell B2B services in a male-dominated industry such as SAAS (Software as a Service), tech, cloud, and others. The organization provides two things to its members: access to laser-focused companies on achieving parity for women in sales and training created by women for women to reach the top 1%.  Women’s’ participation in sales Anytime there’s an underrepresented population, there will always be challenges that are specific to them and vice-versa.  When women are working from home, they aren’t only employees. They are also mothers and wives. They juggle three or more different roles all at the same time.  These women are doing a good job of making sure that they’re staying balanced, but that comes at a price. Sometimes at the expense of their mental health.  When women give so much to their company, to their husbands, and their kids, they have nothing left for themselves.  Cynthia emphasizes the thought that you can’t pour from an empty cup. You always need to fill the cup to be a rockstar at work, home, and with the kids.  Organizations can make a difference in ensuring that their employees are appropriately compensated and given the work-life balance they need.  When sales members are well taken care of and they’re engaged, their output greatly improves. The money organizations put into their employee care is an investment.  The expression, ‘ Happy wife, happy life,’ is also applicable at work. If women in sales are happy, engaged, supported, and heard, they’ll be able to perform better. As it is, women already outsell men by 5%. With that support system at work, women can do so much more.  Challenges women face in sales <li style="font-we

Tue, February 09, 2021

Ariel Telli | How To Successfully Close an Impossible Deal at the End of the World, During a Pandemic

Salespeople today face the same dilemma: ‘ how to successfully close an impossible deal during a pandemic .’ This isn’t new to us but we still need all the help we can get. Tune in to this episode as Ariel Telli talks about how to close impossible deals.  Switching to the sales side Ariel is a co-monitor at Siemens Healthineers and he’s assigned to the different states in Argentina.  Ariel is passionate about people and teaching customers. He’s switched from being a bioengineer fixing devices to being a bio-engineer who also does sales.  He has been in the sales position for two and a half years now.  He has built a strong relationship with prospects and prospects trust his product recommendations.  He felt that he could grow in the sales area and it would give him the chance to really learn more about connecting with people.  Facing the challenge It was in the city of Ushuaia where the client, an important clinic in the area, almost closed a deal with the competitor.  Their potential client, however, had a problem with their finances and the bank didn’t approve of their planned business.  Ariel’s team went beyond and looked for a bank that would help their client. They built a model business for the customer and offered it to them before the pandemic.  When they first met them, they didn’t have the financial tool that their prospective client needed. That did not stop them from keeping the communication lines open. They still kept reaching out to them.  Once they were equipped with the right tools, Ariel presented the prospects with opportunities they could get their hands into.  Ariel’s team is mindful of their client and they do what they can to make the transaction as cost-effective and as efficient for them. They sped up the documentation and the paper process. They also make sure to have it signed so that the conversion rate is favorable for the client.  When the deal was about to close, another competitor appeared and they offered a  lower price. Their machine wasn’t the same as what Ariel’s team was offering. Fortunately, the client was convinced that Siemens had the best solution.  Building trust and relationships are important. It’s also essential to have perseverance when looking for solutions for the clients. You can’t offer a half-baked solution.  “Motivation: How To Successfully Close an Impossible Deal at the End of the World, During a Pandemic” episode resources  Check out Ariel Telli’s LinkedIn here . Click <a href= "https://quaxel1.net/v1/t/c/00fea368-9486-47b9-9f2e-9c8045265001/gm%3A12a2faa8-f945-4589-b594-b3879cf9c998/Multiple%20Recipients/?https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F1kYnAY-_d3cr01vZPQ0eR6E7LqpMGtfAD%2Fview%3Fusp%3D

Mon, February 08, 2021

Stephen Hart, Sharon Manker - Diversity: What Do Diversity and Inclusion Mean In Sales?

Diversity and inclusion are important in sales but what do these things mean exactly?  In today’s episode, Stephen Hart and Sharon Manker are joining Donald in talking about what diversity and inclusion mean in sales .  Diversity and inclusion in sales Diversity is being invited to the table and inclusion means having a seat at the table to participate in whatever opportunity there is.  It’s not just about getting the seat at the table but it’s also about having the equity component. We need to break down the unconscious biases that we have. We need to employ true diversity, equity, and inclusion not only in the sales team but also in an organization as a whole.  For the black men and women, what the media portrays of us doesn’t really represent who we are.  Growing up, you may have developed a certain mindset towards people of color and that translates into the workplace. Naturally, you gravitate towards the things that you know and what you’ve been taught.  There are biases that we were brought up with that we need to check at  the door.  Getting over the things that you’ve been taught is an uncomfortable conversation. There’s a need for willingness and openness to have these difficult conversations.  There are things that you can do to change the cycle and have more diversity and inclusion in your organization even if you’re only a small group.  Shaping the culture Culture is very important. Sharon’s organization is very committed to the culture of inclusion and diversity. They recently hired a Chief Diversity Officer, an initiative that highlights the differences. There's self-reporting that employees can do. You can go and report that you’re an LGBTQ without any repercussions.  You need to be comfortable in the skin that you’re in when you go to work.  Organizations should encourage people to have difficult conversations to ensure that the culture is sustainable. It needs a top-down approach where people at the top invite everyone to be heard.  The goal is to create an environment in the workplace where everyone can talk about the biases and d

Fri, February 05, 2021

Kwame Christian | Do Americans Have Racial Bias With Who They Buy From?

In matters of diversity, salespeople can’t help but sometimes ask , ’Do Americans have racial bias with who they buy from?’  Kwame Christian has both a law and business background. He understands the issue of whether American have bias from who they buy from, and he is doing bias training to help companies understand the importance of knowing humans on a deep fundamental level.  The existence of bias In truth, everybody has biases. It is a by-product of a naturally functioning brain.  Bias doesn’t make you bad.  It only becomes a problem if you are aware of your biases and you don’t do something about it.  It’s important to raise awareness to help people make better decisions.  Americans have biases with the way they buy. Salespeople need to determine what those biases are and create strategies to try to work around them.  Biases cut both ways - there are positive biases and negative biases.  You are more likely to know, like, and trust people who are like you and people who are represented frequently in the media. The reality is that regardless of race and color, we all share the same media representations repeatedly. It’s not only the Caucasians who would favor white people, even some people of color favor white people too.  Changing your perception The change has to start with self-awareness because you can’t do anything about any obstacle unless you know that it exists.  As a salesperson of color, you need to be aware of the bias working against you. You need to learn how to tip the scale in your favor in terms of the positive bias.  Salespeople of color need to be more mindful in creating unique opportunities to make positive touch points with the people they want to work with. Spend a little more time building rapport and making people feel comfortable. If a white salesperson alloc

Wed, February 03, 2021

DeJuan Brown | How Do We Remove the Barriers to Sales for People of Color?

The sales space is a huge industry but it needs more diversity. In this episode, DeJuan Brown talks about how we remove the barriers to sales for people of color.  Studies show that 78.9% of salespeople in all industries are white, 11.2% are tan, and the remaining percentage is divided into various ethnicities. There is so much success in sales but there are barriers - both visible and not so visible to many.  The barriers in sales Job descriptions can become a barrier especially for black people. These are individuals who do not have much experience in a specific space. Some jobs need 7-10 years of experience before one can even get a nod for an interview.  There’s also the perception that sellers don’t make money and that a career in sales is just a plan B, C, or D.  In some communities, there’s still a stigma on salespeople. They’re the ones you shut your door to, they are the car dealers, the door-to-door insurance man, and other undesirable roles.  Changing the mindset Sales leaders and professionals who have experienced in sales and who have seen saw how it  can could support families for generations have to be vocal. T, they need to speak up, and start talking to break the stigma.  Salespeople who are achieving success in the sales world need to put their success on display to attract other people into the sales space. It’s essential to help these people to make it in sales and get themselves past the door.  Some people already have the skills to get into sales and succeed in it but they lack the right mindset. As sales leaders, your goal is to put that spark in them, to bring them along for the ride, and teach them what they can do.  There is a need to attract a new generation of salespeople and when you do that, you need to have a place for them to grow. They need guidance on how to navigate the sales space to avoid the pitfalls.  Job description is a barrier and many companies today are eliminating cutting people off right off out the bat because of it. Organizations are looking for years and years of experience that many do not have. What they do have is the right attitud

Mon, February 01, 2021

Donald Kelly | Diversity: 3 Benefits of Building a Diverse Sales Team

For an organization to succeed, it is important for sales leaders to see the benefits of building a diverse sales team . In this episode, Donald talks about three reasons why diversity and inclusion are important.  The sales statistics The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2019 that 86% of sales managers were white and 80% of people in the sales occupation are white as well.  Sales is a great field and a huge one. There is still so much space and room for more people.  Three reasons why diversity and inclusion are important   It helps you understand your clients better.    A study of the Harvard Business Review in 2013 showed that organizations with sellers who share the same ethnicity as their clientele were  152% more likely to  understand their clients’ needs better.  Putting people of the same culture and ethnicity creates a  connection that would help the sales progress . Clients and prospects are more at ease and relaxed when they speak with sales reps who share their culture.    It improves employee engagement   A  Gallup poll in 2018 shared that companies with engaged employees achieve 4x the growth of their competitors. This means that if the employees are engaged and they’re enjoying the atmosphere, they are bound to grow.  Building connection is hard but if you have a diverse team, there is better engagement among team members and it encourages participation. Every member of the team will feel understood and will  feel like they belong,  Based on the study, organizations lose about $480 billion a year in productivity because of disengaged employees.     Increase in market share   The diverse sales team reports a 40% increase in their market share.  <li style="font-weight: 4

Fri, January 29, 2021

Maddy Martin | Prospecting: Scheduling Appointments When So Many People are Working From Home

In this day and age, how can salespeople schedule appointments when so many people are working from home? Tune in as Maddy Martin talks about prospecting in the modern sales world.  Scheduling appointments in the remote working scene The work-from-home setting has a huge impact on sales especially in website chat messages, missing calls, and others. The impact is also apparent with what your next steps will be for the leads that are coming through.  Every single call and chat is precious. This truth makes you realize that how you do in that first conversation is the most critical step.  It’s important to take that first incoming call or you do something about the first message. Salespeople have to be ready to respond and answer the calls at all times because your follow-up and other efforts will be in vain when you don’t take the first opportunity that prospects present to you.  There is a debate between profit and productivity. There’s a question of whether you can interrupt your day for every inbound new lead.  Screening and then scheduling are the most important workflows that you need to do to determine if you’ve asked the right person and identify if the prospect is right for the business.  Sales is all about preparedness. It’s important to lock in the prospect by scheduling it in your calendar. You can’t be available every second of the day but you can be open to having the appointments scheduled to be able to prepare properly. Create a system that allows you to do other sales activities and let other people help fill in your calendar with qualified leads. You need to focus your energy on walking people through your business to the point that they’re ready to sign an agreement with you because nobody else can do that better than you.  There are several tools for scheduling available today - Calendly , Acuity , and ScheduleOnce <span style= "

Wed, January 27, 2021

Guillaume Moubeche | Prospecting: How Can I Tell When It's Time to Consider a Prospect "Close-Lost"?

Sales reps can’t spend all their time nurturing a prospect. It is difficult, however, to just decide to stop. In that case, you may ask, “ How can I tell when it’s time to consider a prospect close-lost?”  Learn more in this episode.  A close-lost deal For Guil, a deal is never lost in the sense that once you start building a relationship with someone, you should keep that relationship alive for as long as it takes.  Some prospects need more work and time than others.  It’s not a closed deal when the prospect has been qualified after you’ve done your discovery call and you’ve seen that there’s a huge opportunity there. It may only mean that the prospect needs more time and push to get converted.  In this case, it means that as a sales leader, it’s your responsibility to take the lead.  Salespeople must be clear of their next steps. It’s not enough to hop on a call with a prospect and just bid them goodbye with a promised email sent to their inbox later on. You need to be clear of what you’re going to do next whether it’s scheduling an appointment with the prospect or others. Most salespeople make the mistake of not planning ahead and not putting a timeline to their plans.  Instead of deciding that a deal is dead, it’s better to put the prospect in a nurturing funnel where they get a monthly email from the company. It may be valuable content relevant to them or just actionable tips they can do.  It’s not advisable to put the prospect in an inbound machine when the deal is taking too long.  Don’t make the mistake of deciding that a prospect is dead when you haven’t done your research. In the end, you may be ending a deal without knowing that the person you were talking to wasn’t even a decision-maker in the company.  Focus on building relationships and focus on discovery.  Build your personal brand on LinkedIn and let people kn

Mon, January 25, 2021

David Perry | Prospecting: When a Deal Doesn't Close, How Long Should I Wait Before Re-Engaging the Prospect?

Not all deals come to a close, so when a deal doesn’t close, how long should you wait before re-engaging the prospect? David Perry speaks in length about closing in today’s episode.  Re-engaging the prospects David is a big fan of value selling.  Value selling is part of the training that enterprise sellers can go through. It is a value-based approach which is a seemingly simple framework on the surface but with a lot of power behind it.  Looking at frameworks is helpful when conversing with other salespeople or whoever is involved in the deal.  The more you look at the framework, the more you are able to see the things that are taking priority in the organization at a given moment.  There are top three reasons why deals don’t close:  The lack of access to power Timing The lack of articulation of value or tying it to the key master sector business issue Sales reps, however, have a whole array of reasons why deals don’t close.  Value selling is very difficult since every customer has their own view and perspective of what value is. You need to be able to translate that value for it to be considered value for the overall organization.  Before re-engaging the prospect, you will want to make sure that the team has a clear idea of what the gap is. Brainstorm with the team about the issues and forecast the additional risks that you will have when you re-engage with a prospect.  All the issues with the deal must be discussed with the rest of the team no matter how minute those issues may be.  When you are having a problem re-engaging the prospect even when the deal is almost at the end of the line, it’s good to take a step back and identify the bad signal and whether it’s the

Fri, January 22, 2021

Fred Freundlich | Prospecting: What's the Best Sales Strategy for Engaging Unresponsive Prospects?

It’s not uncommon to have unresponsive prospects. In situations such as that, what are the best sales strategy for engaging unresponsive prospects ? Engaging unresponsive prospects Fred is a one-call closer and while he could write a book on different strategies, he thinks that unconventional closing is not for him.  Fred suggests for salespeople to relax and stop stressing themselves out looking for the right strategy and method.  He uses the acronym WIIFM or What’s Iin Iit Ffor Mme. This is his magic in selling anything to anybody.  Nobody wants to be sold but everybody wants to buy. You need to first and foremost figure out what your prospect wants.  As salespeople, we need to stop looking at prospects as prospects;, we need to start looking at them as potential friends.  Most salespeople are educators because they we need to show the prospects why the service or product is to their benefit.  People who want what you have won’t run from you.  Every salesperson needs to have an elevator pitch. You have to say something that’s going to make you look up.   Salespeople often make the mistake of not investing in prospecting. They We invest in other things such as clothes and sales but  they we forget to invest in prospecting.  If you do prospecting correctly, you will close unbelievably well.  Remember that a decision-maker is a person. No matter how big the company you are selling to, you will still talk to the decision-maker.  Look at the gatekeeper as the decision-maker to get past the door.  Closing the sale doesn’t always mean that the deal is done. It may also mean other things such as being able to cut the cycle in half. 

Wed, January 20, 2021

Daniel Moskowitz & Elliott Bayev | Prospecting: Is There Magic Involved in Grabbing the Attention of Your Prospects?

As a salesperson in sales, have you asked other successful salespeople this question, “Is there magic involved in grabbing the attention of your prospects?” If yes, how did they respond? In this episode, Daniel and Eliott talk about how you can grab your prospects’ attention.  Prospecting the right way It’s the basics that help you win the fight and remember that you never train hard enough on the basics.  People use their mailbox the least. Their email inbox, Facebook ad LinkedIn messenger, and their text threads ate all blown up with messages. It’s too crowded.  Sending something to people via their mailbox is an attention-grabbing technique.  Presenting things in a different way disrupts the regular pattern and prompts people to pay attention.  Donald and Elliott sent Donald their book but instead of just a book, it was their book in a box. There was a jiu-jitsu white belt in it, a note, and other information related to the book.  The mailbox is another perfect way to create curiosity. Sending out something unique will help you stand out and grab the attention of your prospects.  It doesn't have to cost much but it should show how much care it took to prepare the package. It’s part of the reason why people are then obligated to see and talk to you because they know how much time it took for you to send the mail.  Grab your prospect's attention  If you’re trying to get attention in a crowded economy, you need to be different and you need to be doing something new. As a sales rep, you need to be bold.   You need to take a bold approach, think outside the box, and to take a stance on what you want to try out.  When you get a meeting with a prospect, make it your goal to geek out with them. Follow the five-point of contact rule: spend five minutes on Google, YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn profiles of your prospect and look for something that will allow you to genuinely geek out with them.  <span style= "font-weig

Mon, January 18, 2021

Donald Kelly | Introducing the Selling In Color Podcast

We are welcoming the new year with a new podcast entitled, ‘ Selling in Color. ’ It’s a new podcast designed to help salespeople weather the challenges in the sales world.  Looking back The Sales Evangelist podcast started eight years ago and we’re now at about 1,400 episodes. TSE has also produced about 3.45 million downloads to the podcast.  All these episodes have helped many people, organizations, and families to progress. The podcast is a powerful avenue to share ideas.  Martin Luther King said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.’ Sales is difficult because sometimes, people don’t accept the solutions that you offer them or they don’t realize the problem in the first place.  There are so many different opportunities available to us when we come together.  2020 was a tough year: the pandemic happened, George Floyd happened, and others. After Floyd, many people have asked where the black people in sales are.  There are black sales leaders and sales reps out there and there are different challenges tied to them. In truth, minorities are facing a lot of challenges when it comes to the corporate scene for selling.  Major companies out there do not have diverse teams. There’s too much inclusion in most teams, including sales.  Sales is a very rewarding career and you can use it to help your family.  According to the Bureau of Labor Management, 79.8% of people in sales are white and 11.2% are black. The other 10% consists of other nationalities. There are many reasons for this. It might be because they don’t realize how rewarding sales is or they weren’t given the opportunity to try a career in sales.   There are so many topics unique to minorities that need to be addressed.  ‘Selling i

Fri, January 15, 2021

Brynne Tillman | Prospecting: How to Convert Your LinkedIn Connections Into Meaningful Conversations

LinkedIn is a good place to prospect. In this episode, listen and learn as Brynne Tillman and Donald talk about how to convert your LinkedIn connections into meaningful conversations .  When is LinkedIn ineffective? Back in the early months of 2020, people connected with others and then threw their pitch in. This was ineffective.  Today, salespeople are so  desperate that they put their pitches in their connection request message.  Salespeople are becoming more and more desperate that they no longer know how to get other people’s attention.  Brynne calls it  pitch slapping, and it’s not a good approach because  it turns people off.  LinkedIn has become a platform where people are getting all kinds of notifications left and right.  This approach is not only ineffective, it’s also damaging.  We all want to have as many conversations as possible on LinkedIn but what we don’t want to do is sell on LinkedIn.  When connecting with people on LinkedIn, treat them and talk to them as if they’re on the other side of the table. This is what real-life networking is all about.  You would never walk up to a person in real life and right then and there introduce yourself and reach out. The same is true on LinkedIn.  Building LinkedIn connections the right way As salespeople, always remember that you need to earn the right to get a conversation. You can’t assume that they want to talk to you when they’re getting several other connections in a day.  Connecting with them is not an agreement that they will be having a conversation with you. You need to earn the right to keep moving forward. How? Position your profile as a resource. People will look at your profile when you connect with them. They need to see that you can provide value.  Your pr

Wed, January 13, 2021

Donald Kelly | Prospecting: How to Keep Imposter Syndrome from Destroying Your Cold-Calling Efforts

Are you one of the many sales reps who suffer from imposter syndrome? If so, how can you keep imposter syndrome from destroying your cold-calling efforts ? Join Donald as he talks about the subject.   Defining imposter syndrome  Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where an individual doubts his/her own abilities to do something. This then prevents them from acting or doing what they’re supposed to do.  One would usually feel the imposter syndrome when they’re doing a task that’s new to them. For example, if you are new to a selling marketing services role but you have very little experience in sales, you may feel overwhelmed when selling your services to large companies.  You may feel like a fraud when speaking with Chief Marketing Officers and others.  As mentioned, it’s a psychological pattern. It’s a way of thinking that you’re not capable of doing something and that you’ll always be seen as a fraud.  The truth about imposter syndrome Imposter syndrome is a belief.  With imposter syndrome, your mind creates different situations. In truth, some of these made-up scenarios will happen to you in your sales journey. Not everyone whom you’re going to speak to will buy from you.  Instead of looking at the people who will not buy from you, focus on the potential customers who will buy from you.  It’s a belief  As much as you believe that you’re an imposter, it is better to believe in the opposite. Believe in yourself and believe that you have something good to offer.  Look for ways to build your confidence One way to do that is to look at your past customers or the customers at your current company. Build your confidence and be excited about what you’re going to offer.  You need to understand the problem or the pain of your customers to be able to articulate how you can potentially help them.  <span style="font-weigh

Mon, January 11, 2021

S4 Donald Kelly | Prospecting: 5 Trends You Should Know About Prospecting Going Into 2021

2020 has gone and now we’re making our way into yet another year. In this episode, Donald talks about the 5 trends that you should know about prospecting that we can use to improve our sales game this year.  Know the sales stats 40% of businesses did not meet their revenue targets last year.  81% of non C-suite employees have some influence in the final purchase decision.  Important sales trends about prospecting   #1 - 40% of businesses did not meet their target revenue in 2020.    The implication: 64% of sales leaders who doubled down on remote selling said that they met or exceeded their revenue targets in 2020. The pandemic has helped us move 30 years into the future in the way we perform and operate the business.  The idea of remote working wasn’t a huge thing in the beginning of 2020. The pandemic, however, forced the global workforce to work remotely.  More and more prospects are now working from their homes, and it’s your job as a sales rep to grab their attention.  Showing empathy is even more important today as prospects are juggling both their home life and work life at the same time.    #2 - 81% of non C-suite employees have some influence in the purchasing decision and 73% of millennials are involved in the decision-making process.    The implication - Sales reps today need to understand how millennials operate.  Millennials use social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Your job is to find ways to connect with these young people instead of just waiting around to be introduced.  Try to be more social in your efforts in reaching and connecting to these young individuals.  Think of ways to connect on a human level. You need to understand what millennials care about and the causes they are drawn to.    <li aria-leve

Fri, January 08, 2021

Jonathan Diaz | Motivation: Take Risks, Challenge Expectations, and Do Big Things!

Salespeople don’t play it safe at all times. You need to take risks, challenge expectations, and do big things to succeed. How do you do that? Listen as Jonathan Diaz shares his thoughts.  Increase your motivation Jonathan and his siblings love Kobe shoes and back in 2010, Kobe wore bright lime green shoes called The Grinch for a big Christmas game they played. Jonathan really wanted to get a pair for himself.  Nike launched their sneaker app and they “dropped” the shoes, which meant you’d need to log in at the time they drop to enter a raffle and have a chance to buy the shoes.   The usual response for this app is a big sorry since somebody else has been selected. It’s really rare to win it.  Even when Jonathan knew that his chances were slim, still he tried to do what he could to win it. He reached out to his friends and family to help him. He did his best to get what he wanted.  His wife told him that his name wasn’t picked and that he wasn’t chosen. But he didn’t stop there. He kept on until he got the shoes he wanted!  It seemed impossible for Jonathan to get the shoes but he was motivated and he persevered. He had a vision and he put his mind to it.  The same is true for sales: when the odds are stacked against you, you find a way to make it happen.  If you want something, you need to do everything in your power to get it.  Success is a combination of hard work and luck. You need to put in the effort to be rewarded.  “ Motivation: Take Risks, Challenge Expectations, and Do Big Things! ” episode resources Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/g

Wed, January 06, 2021

Aaron Conjelado | Motivation: How Do I Increase My Sales Motivation?

Salespeople often find themselves asking, “how do I increase my sales motivation?” It’s a common challenge and in today’s episode, Aaron talks about how you can further your sales journey by increasing your motivation. Aaron Conjelado was an account executive for an advertising company in the Philippines. He spent two years in that position and had great success in it. Moving into the US, Aaron didn’t meet with a lot of salespeople, and with the pandemic, he lost touch with his sales skills and got rusty.  Cultivating motivation  Aaron doubted his skills in sales. He was anxious and worried whether people would understand him, especially with his thick accent.  He started doubting himself and his abilities in sales.  It’s important to face reality to be able to find a way to perform better.  Find a mentor to help you overcome your doubts. Discuss your planned course of action.  Listen and learn as much as you can from your coach.  Another key is practicing your pitch.  It’s also effective to practice your script whenever you can. Imagine different situations and practice your responses to objections.  Seeing great results from your efforts to improve is also a good motivation.  The important thing is to not quit because all the sacrifice you put into will eventually come back to you in multiple folds.  It all circles back to having a purpose and a reason.  If you put in the work, you'll start seeing magic and you'll start seeing results. When you’re in doubt, always go back to what your purpose is.  “ Motivation: How Do I Increase My Sales Motivation? ” episode resources Connect with Aaron Conjelado via LinkedIn . You can also email him at</span

Mon, January 04, 2021

Ariel Telli | Motivation: How To Successfully Close an Impossible Deal at the End of the World, During a Pandemic

Salespeople today face the same dilemma: ‘ how to successfully close an impossible deal during a pandemic .’ This isn’t new to us but we still need all the help we can get. Tune in to this episode as Ariel Telli talks about how to close impossible deals.  Switching to the sales side Ariel is a co-monitor at Siemens Healthineers and he’s assigned to the different states in Argentina.  Ariel is passionate about people and teaching customers. He’s switched from being a bioengineer fixing devices to being a bio-engineer who also does sales.  He has been in the sales position for two and a half years now.  He has built a strong relationship with prospects and prospects trust his product recommendations.  He felt that he could grow in the sales area and it would give him the chance to really learn more about connecting with people.  Facing the challenge It was in the city of Ushuaia where the client, an important clinic in the area, almost closed a deal with the competitor.  Their potential client, however, had a problem with their finances and the bank didn’t approve of their planned business.  Ariel’s team went beyond and looked for a bank that would help their client. They built a model business for the customer and offered it to them before the pandemic.  When they first met them, they didn’t have the financial tool that their prospective client needed. That did not stop them from keeping the communication lines open. They still kept reaching out to them.  Once they were equipped with the right tools, Ariel presented the prospects with opportunities they could get their hands into.  Ariel’s team is mindful of their client and they do what they can to make the transaction as cost-effective and as efficient for them. They sped up the documentation and the paper process. They also make sure to have it signed so that the conversion rate is favorable for the client.  When the deal was about to close, another competitor appeared and

Fri, January 01, 2021

Nelson Leitao | Motivation: Important Lessons I Learned About Perseverance During My 10-Year Climb Up the Customer Ladder

Today’s guest is Nelson Leitao and he’s going to share important lessons learned about perseverance during a 10-year climb up the customer ladder. In this episode we’ll discuss what that means.  The art of selling Nelson loves his job for two particular reasons: Interacting with people and getting the chance to improve patient experience.  For Nelson, being in the medical sales field, he isn’t only dealing with devices, he is helping people through his products.  Their company’s vision is A day without passion in healthcare is a lost day.  Nelson worked for his company for 25 years already but he’s only been working in sales for 10 of those years.  One hard lesson came from offering the same solution to three different companies. He focused on the sale more than unique customer needs and it cost him two of the three prospects. What Nelson didn’t acknowledge was that there were three different customers, three different processes, and three different needs. Instead of customizing the offer to each company, he mistakenly thought giving them the same solution would solve everything.  Nelson is now quicker to subscribe to his company’s vision to listen more than he talks. Nelson had to reframe his mindset and though it was a huge challenge, he was able to pull through. Climbing the customer ladder  It’s similar to marriage in that it has its ups and downs and there may be challenges you have to overcome everyday. Climbing the customer ladder is about how you improve your relationship with your customer. It’s dynamic because your customers all have different needs. Climbing the customer ladder means climbing their trust.   First, you need to be present and customers need to feel that focus everyday. They want to know they can ask for your help and you’re there even when you don’t have all the answers.  Be committed to helping people and opening doors for the customers. 

Wed, December 30, 2020

Gary Manske | Motivation: Approach Sales as an Art and a Science Instead of a Grind

Gary Manske, the Executive Director for Sales and Marketing of Dakota Micro, Inc suggests that salespeople should approach sales as an art and a science instead of a grind , but what exactly does that mean?  It’s a mindset thing  Have the mindset of always being curious and ready to learn something new.  People who are defeated say “it’s not working anymore.” They make excuses and often, the current excuse is COVID.  While that is a legitimate view, you still have to look at things from a different perspective in order to keep going. Instead of your circumstances limiting what you can do, look at it as a new environment and an opportunity to see new ways you can reach out to your prospects.  Regardless of the situation, sales is all about relationships, so find a way to connect with people.  The old school sales approach of getting on the phone, playing the numbers game, and needing to have consistent activity makes the sales process a grind.  Go into sales with a different mindset. Instead of getting caught up in the grind activity, reflect on what you learned yesterday.  Sales is not just about coming into the office, booting up the computer, picking up the handset, and calling. You can find ways to enjoy the process.  Sales as an art Enjoying sales starts with the right approach to leadership roles. It involves supporting your team and having the desire to help other people get better.  Don’t start a team meeting by talking about numbers. Get personal and let them know you’re all in this together.  Sit down with all the members of the team and have a practice game, a dialogue, a conversation. Focus on how you can help each other.  From an individual perspective, if the leader isn’t taking the team in that direction, then create the opportunities yourself. There’s nothing better than the opportunity to be yourself.  Be the catalyst for change. Be the person that helps and motivates others. As you gain more knowledge, sh

Mon, December 28, 2020

Joel Malkoff | Goal Setting: Translate Your Sales Goal into Meaningful Daily Activities

Many sellers have sales goals but we must focus on making sales goals a part of your daily activities . Let’s join Joel Malkoff and Donald as they talk more about the importance of organizing these tasks.  Making Sales Goals a part of your daily activities Joel thinks empathy is a priority. It’s a conscious way of selling and it puts the seller in the buyer’s shoes.  Salespeople need to sell with integrity.  Many salespeople set short-term goals and become so engrossed with this list they become very self-centered.  You want to set long-term goals and build long-term relationships because it keeps integrity at the center of these interactions and facilitates trust. Look beyond the one-shot sale. This means being able to walk away from the situation if your product or service doesn’t fit. Don’t just focus on closing the deal.  Maintain focus on your long-term goals.  Transparency and full disclosure are very important in sales.  Maintaining integrity As a salesperson, you want to present your product the best that you can without misleading people.  Don’t slam the competition. Focus on putting your product in the best light possible.  Always look for a way to connect with prospects within your territory. Send them an email, allow them to get to know you, and don’t immediately go into sales mode.  Sales is more than art and science. You need to learn sales from other people, like mentors, who have a lot of experience to share.  Sometimes, salespeople set goals that aren’t realistic so they don’t reach them. This is why it’s so tempting to create short-term goals instead.  Maintain integrity and work smart by looking at low hanging fruit. Understand that referrals and references are the biggest part of your business.  Be willing to share the customer relationships you’re building with upper manag

Fri, December 25, 2020

S2 Christmas Day | The TSE Team Pitches Its Wishlists to Santa

In this episode, we get to know The Sales Evangelists team and what they do for TSE as they share with Santa Claus what they want for this Christmas.  From the Philippines to Thailand please!  Mae Mar assists with email support and sends messages to the guests who appear on the show. She also manages some of Donald’s mails and works on lead generation for the sales team.  Mae has been with the TSE team for about four years now. For Christmas, Mae wants to spend some time with her husband who is in Thailand. She wishes to fly from the Philippines to Thailand and surprise her kids on Christmas eve.  You can reach out to Mae via email at mae@thesaleevangelist.com Let’s Create a Startup Rael Ramirez is in charge of the show notes for all the podcast episodes and also does some content writing for a few of our TSE clients.  Rael is interested in creating a startup company herself and although she knows that can be difficult, she’s got episodes from The Sales Evangelist to help her jump into it. You can reach out to Rael via LinkedIn and email .  I’d Like a 2020 Redo Jermaine Wishart is the BDR lead business development team leader in TSE. He didn’t start with sales but eventually went back to B2B and improved his skills.  2020 has been wild and Jermaine would love a redo. The pandemic has impacted so many people and he believes we all deserve to have a fresh start.  Jermaine is on LinkedIn and on Facebook .  Broken is Beautiful

Wed, December 23, 2020

S2 Jermaine Wishart | Goal Setting: Things to Know Before You Set Sales Goals

Before you jump into creating a goal, make sure the goal is a SMART goal. It's S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable, R for realistic, and make sure it's T, time bound.

Mon, December 21, 2020

S2 Donald Kelly | Goal Setting: What are SMART Sales Goals and How Important Are They For You?

We set goals and we try to achieve them. The truth is, however, goals must meet a few requirements for them to be achievable. You need SMART sales goals . What are smart sales goals? Let’s talk about that in this episode.  Aiming for SMART sales goals  SMART stands for:  S - specific M - measurable A - attainable R - realistic T- time bound A goal that says, ‘I want to be successful by the end of 2021…’ is not realistic.  When you set a goal, you need to evaluate specific elements first. Ask yourself if it is specific enough, measurable, attainable, realistic, and if it is time-bound.  Setting SMART goals is important because you can easily run out of steam if you don’t seem to be making progress.  People move forward with vision and motivation. Your life has more meaning when you have something to look forward to.  Generic goals are often not accomplished.  Make micro SMART goals to help you accomplish your big SMART goals.  Use SMART goals for your team to encourage them to accomplish more. It will collectively help toward the overall vision.  Use a chart or an excel sheet where you can record and track your goal. This will help you check your progress and give you visual support as you get closer to your goal. The little check marks will inspire you.  The TSE team uses a leaderboard where performance can be tracked and that visual inspires us towards accomplishing our goals.  Examples of SMART sales goals:  I want to set 10 appointments per week.  I want to have at least 95% of my appointments be accepted by the account executive over the next 10 days.  <

Fri, December 18, 2020

Jason Scott Earl | Top Goal-Setting Mistakes Salespeople Make (and How You Can Avoid Making Them)

Sales people have so many goals they are working toward it’s inevitable that there will be goal-setting mistakes made along the way. In this episode, Dr. Jason Scott Earl is going to help us avoid these mistakes.  Errors made when setting goals A common goal-setting mistake that’s made is trying to do too many things at once.  What’s helpful in goal setting is the ability to focus on just one or two. This will help you prioritize your actions as you move toward accomplishing these goals. What leads to failure is trying to be everything to everyone. Identify your specific role.  Focus on the one thing that you can accomplish that will improve your life financially, mentally, or spiritually.   Make a short list of goals and a new list of priorities. If you’re avoiding these actions, it’s important to make changes that will get you moving in the right direction again. When Dr. Earl was working through his own goal-setting mistakes, his biggest problem was not setting clear expectations.  He found that you couldn’t meet the objectives you weren’t clear about.  What imaginative scenario can you create that has your back against the wall? It isn’t a comfortable feeling but it prompts you to make the serious changes that your organization needs.  When you make a decision to change something, it puts you in a different position mentally. Things start to shift and line up. Don’t be afraid to face brutal facts. For example, ask yourself how you feel about 2020 and what you could have done differently.  A whole new world is unfolding. All you need is a little bit of insight and discipline to learn many amazing things.  “ Goal Setting: Top Goal-setting Mistakes Salespeople Make (and How You Can Avoid Making Them) ” episode resources   Connect with Dr. Jason Scott Earl on Link edIn <s

Wed, December 16, 2020

Donald Kelly | Goal Setting: The Number 1 Reason You Don't Hit Your Goals

There can be several reasons why you’re not hitting your sales goals. Today we discuss the number 1 reason you don’t hit your goals. Accomplishing goals With all that happened this year, many are looking forward to 2021.  It’s always important to set your goals and make sure that you accomplish the goals.These are actual goals that you can be accountable for and that will help you become successful.  Say goodbye to the status quo and look forward to the challenges and opportunities.  Failing your goals People fail and don’t win their goals because they aren’t really goals, rather, they’re wishes.  Example of which is: I want to be successful in 2021. It’s a very wishy-washy goal.  Make SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, and time-based.  Goals should be something that you can focus on.  Another reason why people fail is because of their lack of visuals of the goals they want to achieve. You need to paint your goals vividly. It’s important to be able to imagine your goals with closed eyes.  The lack of emotion toward your goals can impact your ability to achieve them. We are emotional creatures and these emotions impact the decisions we make.  Planning your goals List as many little goals as possible and tie them toward bigger goals.  The micro goals will help you accomplish the big goals.  Follow the specific plans you have for your little goals and set a schedule when to do them.   Go for constructive motivation instead of restricted motivation. Constructive motivation stems from yourself; it’s the push that’s not coming from the managers setting this quota or that.  If you do have a quota, make sure to own it. In this way, the restrictive motivation turns into constructive motivation.  “ Goal Setting:

Mon, December 14, 2020

Anthony Iannarino | Productivity: How to Ensure That Admin Tasks Don't Overwhelm Your Day

Sales reps can get overwhelmed with administrative tasks without even realizing it. In this episode, Anthony Iannarino talks about ways to ensure that admin tasks don’t overwhelm your day . The black hole of admin tasks Growing in sales means more non-sales related work can find its way to your desk. With more success comes more clients and execution can become a challenge as sales reps have to learn to manage all the new information. As a result, a lot of people end up feeling busy but not productive. Busy means you’re running from one thing to the next while being productive means making progress towards your goal.  What can happen is that people get tied up in the transactional work of selling.  Sales reps and sales leaders are the ones who look for prospective clients. We sit down with people and have a conversation about the impact our services or products can make on their business. We create the opportunity. When you’re stuck with admin tasks, however, you’re unable to pick up the phone and make cold calls. Too much of this can cause opportunities to be non-existent.  You can get caught up helping other people with their tasks and assisting clients but only do so after you’ve completed the tasks that are going to help you move toward your own goals. Not deciding how to spend your time well can put you at risk to be in the bottom 50%. Prioritize the activities that create and capture opportunities.  The blocking system  Anthony encourages sales reps and leaders to have a 90-minute block where all they do is focus on creating opportunity When the time is up, they can check their inbox for anything interesting. Afterwards, they give themselves a second 90-minute block for additional tasks that are important in the work day.  You become more proactive when you learn to focus on a task and not get distracted by emails and calls. Make sure those are separate from your task time.  When you're doing the work you need to do, you owe the work your best effort and energy.  <span style= "fon

Fri, December 11, 2020

S1 - Brad Jeavons | Productivity: Maximize Sales Productivity When Working With a Remote Team

Due to the pandemic, most businesses have transitioned to working remotely. In this episode you’ll learn how to maximize sales productivity when working with a remote team .  Ensuring sales productivity  At a very young age, author, speaker and organization improvement consultant Brad Jeavons watched his mother selling over the phone. He saw how she used trust and value to make an impact on her customers. The consultative approach his mother used was effective.  Brad made note that using the phone can cover a lot of turf.  Brad also studied the strategies of big companies such as McDonalds and Apple, and how their practices are applicable to productivity and sales performance.  Some of the best practices and operational/enterprise excellence in the world today come from the largest organizations.  With working remotely, we can take all these practices to another level. The 4 Ps in Productivity    The 4 Ps in Sales Productivity:  Plan - you need to be able to focus and create a plan of attack. Know who is still currently buying and learn how to adjust the plan. This plan has to be done with people, not to people.  People - We need to show empathy toward our sales team because everyone is feeling the effects of the pandemic. Build trust within your team.  Process - Collaboration is important in team processes. It enables everyone to be in on the plan and adjust the plan as a whole.  Partner with your customers - Go into these relationships as an abundant consultant, not just as a merchant selling to customers. Sell with a purpose. The only way to do so is by helping the sales team form a process they will practice with consistency.  Brad uses the customer journey mapping technique to help sales teams develop an abundant sales approach in which

Wed, December 09, 2020

S1 - Donald Kelly Coaching with Andres Esocbar | Productivity: "I Feel Unproductive Every Day"

There are times that we feel unproductive . How do you combat that feeling? Join Donald and Andres as they talk about the lack of productivity and how to overcome it.  What unproductivity looks like Andres has subscribed to many methods and ways to become productive. Entrepreneur on Fire ’s John Lee Dumas is one of the podcasts he listens to. There’s also the Freedom Mastery Journal where you write down four things that you want to accomplish in a day.  Often, though, it’s difficult for many to finish their list of tasks to do for the day.  The most productive times are in the early mornings or late at night. But always pushing out your workday to late night isn’t healthy. It eventually leads to burn out.  Feeling unproductive doesn’t necessarily mean that you didn't get any work done in a day. It may also mean that you weren’t able to do what you intended to do because you were side-tracked with other tasks.  For Andres, sometimes the inspiration for doing his listed tasks happens at the last minute.  Andres is now trying a new exercise where he prepares for his tasks beforehand. He also considers the productivity tools he is using.  The TSE Mastermind has been helpful for Andres as it provided accountability which then equates to goals reached.  Sometimes, Andres wants to get things done and loses sight of other things.  It is important to learn how to allocate and delegate tasks.  It is not easy to do the hard things but they’re the ones that are going to be the critical pieces moving forward.  Oftentimes, when you have many things to do, you tell yourself that you are most productive at the last minute and that you work better under pressure.  Write down the things you need to do and scale the tasks in levels of importance.  “ Productivity: ‘ I Feel Unproductive Every Day’<

Mon, December 07, 2020

S1 Jas Takhar | Productivity: How to Maintain Your Sales Productivity Even While Working From Home

Ensuring sales productivity while working from home may still be a challenge for many people. How do you maintain sales productivity even with the work-from-home order?  Getting to know Jas Takhar Jas Takhar has been in the sales and service industry for over 25 years. Soon after deciding to try his hand in real estate, he co-founded the REC, and over the course of 15 years, has successfully propelled his team to the 1st place position in Canada under Royal LePage. Ensuring sales productivity High-level sales refers to how many people you’re speaking to and how many conversations are specifically about sales.  Most people who were in sales for a long time had an advantage before COVID. Because they were able to speak with people face to face, they had a higher chance of closing a sale.  Every sales person is now playing on a level field because we can’t meet people in person. Conversations are now happening virtually. Sales reps now need to structure their day and prepare for the virtual meetings. Jas calls his warmest prospects first thing in the morning. These are prospects who have already shown interest and are already in the last phases of getting the deal.  The warmest prospect is where you are going to get the highest return. Create momentum for your day by having this conversation to launch.  The best time to reach out to new prospects is right after you make a new sale. This is when you feel lighter, happier, and that elation radiates into the conversation.  Jas thinks of his prospects like apples. Green apples are people who like to keep in touch with him and red apples are prospects who are ready to go. Rotten apples are cold prospects. Jas calls his ready-to-go prospects first, willing-to-have-a-conversation second, and his cold prospects last.  It’s all about momentum. Always do your highest producing activities first thing in the morning.  Even when you're working from home, you stil

Fri, December 04, 2020

Productivity: How Can You Ensure That Your Team Spends Its Time Actually Selling? | Skip Miller

Sales leaders, are members of your team really using their time to prospect and sell ? How do you know if your team actually spends their time working towards closing a sale? Let’s talk about.  Getting to know Skip Miller  Ski Miller is the author of Outbounding: Win New Customers with Outbound Sales and End the Dependence on Inbound Leads. This time last year, Skip observed that people were running short and the inbound leads were running dry. It was a problem he knew he needed to address. Salespeople thought they’d be able to hit their sales and unfortunately, they didn’t. He started to write the book to find out the best practices in good salesmanship.  Ensure that they keep prospecting and selling through best practices Revenue is a trailing indicator rather than a leading indicator.  You can start measuring proactive and leading activities, as well as competencies.  Ask your sales team to share their sales pitch, how they talk to a senior buyer, and ask them to share emails they send to prospects or buyers. These frequencies all create opportunities to coach. Good managers are focused on frequencies and competencies. A great way to get everyone involved is to make them a challenge or game.   Great managers are now huddling with their team to get their numbers up before the year ends.  On Miller’s team, they make it a game. They have contests to whose email gets the best response rate and give out awards.  It’s a dual purpose activity. Not only do they enjoy their work but they’re improving their skill sets.  Miller discovered that when you put people into fit teams of three to four members, the group will call out any member who isn’t doing what they should be doing.  Good sales managers are good at disqualifying leads. They don’t allow deals to just sit in the funnel. This qualification skill set is built with guidelines. They de

Wed, December 02, 2020

Productivity: Why We Changed Up The Show | Donald Kelly

Change is the only constant in this world and The Sales Evangelist Podcast is no exception. TSE has changed over the years and another is on the horizon. Listen to this episode as Donald talks about what you can look forward to doing with The Sales Evangelist podcast.  Welcoming the change The first change is the length of the episodes. Based on a poll, 37% of our listeners said that a good podcast length is somewhere between 20-30 minutes.  Less time with introductions. Instead, we will focus more on the expertise they offer and the wealth of knowledge that will benefit our listeners.  With all the episodes we’ve already published, it gets harder for new listeners to locate the episodes they want to listen to. To remedy that, we’re going to organize the episodes into seasons. The seasons will also be categorized into parent topics such as productivity, goal setting, and more. Finding episodes will be much easier!  The content will be focused on answering your questions and the concerns that come directly from our listeners. New live coaching sessions will be available in the episodes where we’ll get to feature customers, prospects, and other community members. “ Season 1 "Why We Changed Up The Show " ” episode resources   Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  → https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. <

Mon, November 30, 2020

Sean Doyle | Looking Back/Looking Forward - The Secert To Closing More Deals

The goal for salespeople is to close more deals . In this episode, Sean Doyle talks about the secret to closing.  Sean M. Doyle is with FitzMartin , a sales first consultancy firm that helps companies with their sales, marketing, and alignment. Their approach towards marketing and sales is based on science that drives revenue for their clients, while integrating sales and marketing.  The idea of science-based framework  Most of us love superheroes. As the last touch, salespeople can be seen as the hero for their clients. Most salespeople don’t want the marketing team involved because they have a different process. While the marketing team complains about bad leads, science has a different view. 80% of these leads should be considered to be in a cycle of consideration, preparing to change, and then retreating.  Behavioral science is the transtheoretical theorem of behavioural change according to Prochaska & DiClemente.  There’s more to human behavior than just awareness.  When interviewing an ad agency, ask them to articulate what they feels is the most effective marketing approach just before closing a deal.  If they fail to answer the question,  move on.  A good marketer knows how to impact a deal all the way through the process.  Looking back, Looking forward  The book Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Sic-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving  your Life Positively Forward by James O. Prochaska is recommended reading. It talks about the change of behavior that is applicable to everyone who seeks to change.  From a  marketing and sales point of view, there are specific ways to help when the customers want to move forward.  When people are contemplating a purchase, they go to your webs

Fri, November 27, 2020

Chelsea Martin | Why Direct Mail is the New Email

There are many things we can look forward to with direct mail. In this episode, Chelsea Martin, the co-owner of Nom’s Bake Shop, talks about how direct mail is the new email. Chelsea and her partner didn’t begin their journey with direct mail immediately but as they grew the company, they ventured into the direct mail space. This strategy became even more important as they shifted from a cookie company to a gifting company.  From a cookie company to a gifting company A lot of people forget about direct mail and how it’s an effective way of communicating with clients and prospects.  The bake shop started out as a family project for their father who recently retired. It was a hobby that he could enjoy while getting a chance to interact with other people.  The company was built with her husband, father-in-law, and sister-in-law. They started with a cookie company and expanded into a gifting company.  Entering into the gifting industry as they created cookies that are individually packaged with the customer’s or recipient’s logo, the cookies are then mailed out in customizable gift boxes. This shift moved them into direct mailing at the same time. The power of direct mail Direct mail allows them to send gifts conveniently and still make the gift meaningful. For companies and clients, it’s important to know the specific person you are gifting to versus blindly sending to a company and hoping that it lands in the right hands.  To ensure that their cookies don’t go stale, they employ different campaigns to reach out to prospects/clients/recipients in order to ask about their shipping addresses and inform them a package is coming.  They aren’t sending out emails through an automation platform. People are more receptive when there’s another human on the other end.  Chelsea has been seeing their range and she thinks that it’s due to how warm their leads are. They also make case studies to present to their clients/prospects.  Regardless of the marketing strategy you employ, it all comes down to who your ideal client is and where your leads are. In business, p

Wed, November 25, 2020

Darrell Amy | Best Metrics to Help B2B Companies Gauge Success

There are many metrics in measuring B2B success. In this episode, Darrell Amy brings us some of the best metrics for B2B companies.  Getting to know Darrell Amy  Darrel Amy helps companies grow their revenue. He started his career in 1993 and was in the office technology world. He got involved in sales training and launched a sales training company in 2004. Darrell has already helped thousands of people through his sales training programs for global technology companies. He’s also been involved in the digital marketing journey.  Growing revenue for B2B companies There are two metrics for growth:  Net new clients  Cross-sell.  Net new growth is the number of clients you have this month versus last month.  The measurement for cross sell is revenue per client.  Different companies, sales teams, and different industries have sales reps who are good at either netting new clients or cross selling.  Your goal is to drive reasonable growth in each area simultaneously to get magical things happening.  For one of their clients, Darrell’s company grew both simultaneously and were able to increase their revenue within 3 years. There’s only one metric to know: How many clients do I have?  These are the two drivers of revenue: The number of clients you have and the revenue per client. These are the things you need to track.  If you look at business from its most basic levels, you’re left with people and process. Every business is a combination of the two. Sales teams need to learn the processes after the sale.  The importance of knowing the process It’s important to do periodic business reviews and put a process in place to do it.  The lack of a cross sell metrics is a big red flag for a company.  There are so many opportunities insid

Mon, November 23, 2020

Matt Baglia | Convert Prospects Using Text Messaging Tactics

There are many ways you can convert prospects to clients but one way is by using text messaging tactics. What are these tactics? In this episode, Matt Baglia talks about this conversion opportunity.  Getting to know Matt Baglia Matt Baglia considers himself as an accidental CEO. He is the co-founder and CEO of SlickText. Over the past nine years, his roles have varied between marketing, sales, development, design, support, and more.  Use text messaging tactics to convert prospects  With SMS, you must get permission before you can text prospects. It’s different with emails because a prior business relationship is enough reason for you to start messaging them.  Every prospect needs to opt-in and every single person and message needs to be treated like gold.  B2B gets a little tougher as opposed to B2C when it comes to SMS marketing. There’s a lot more catching up in B2B.  In B2C, you always need to bring value to the end consumers. On the B2B side, it’s more about knowing and understanding the risks of every outreach, the wants of the customers, and the reasons they’d be willing to let you into their personal network.  SMS marketing works best when you have a subscriber base that wants to continue to receive messages over and over again.   The reason we send text messages is because we care about the person and want to reach out to them.  Segmentation is important to be able to start hyper targeting the prospects based on their interests. Responses are also necessary and as messages come in, it’s important to be able to have a one-on-one communication with them.  Think of SMS marketing as an inbound marketing strategy.  Matt’s team is developing a feature that’s about ready to launch. It’s called automated workflow. The goal is to get to a place where you can hyper target your customers in an automated fashion.  Ask yourself the question, “Are my customers repeat buyers?” The answer to this question helps decide the path your customer will follow.   <span style="

Fri, November 20, 2020

Joseph Villegas | How to Schedule More Sales Appointments Using Crmble.com

Crumble is a great tool to help sales reps schedule more sales appointments. In this episode, Joseph Villegas talks about how to use the tool more efficiently in scheduling appointments.    Joseph Villegas has been in pharmaceutical sales for two years now and still, his passion in the challenge of the industry is unwavering. The game has changed so much over the years that Joseph and other sales reps have to rely on their selling skills.    Schedule More Sales Appointments  Sales pharmaceutical is not the typical B2B sales where they reach out to doctors or customers via email with an attached clinical prescribing information.  The opportunities for sales reps to reach out with doctors is restricted as a lot of doctors don’t allow sales reps to barrage in their clinics, offices, or even do lunches with them.  It’s even worse now with the pandemic as seeing other people in person has become even more difficult.  Sales reps now rely on tools such as Zoom to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic while keeping their sales up.  There are always limitations when it comes to setting appointments but sales reps have to work around these limitations and go from there.  Joseph used to make do with excel sheets to remind him of his schedules and appointments but it was disorganized and affected his sales. The lack of a platform to help organizing the papers and documents wasn’t as effective as he thought.  It took a while for his team to build a virtual platform, they now use the tool called Viva Engage which is similar to Zoom but with product details and has slides. It allowed them to make detailed presentations.    Tools impact sales  Joseph’s decreased number in sales prompted him to evaluate his mindset. He changed his mindset and he also aimed to become more organized. He also started listening to several podcasts including The Sales Evangelist and heard about Trello and Crmble.  Trello and Crmble allowed him to be more organized and allowed him to see his appointments, schedules, and other tasks. He was able to have all necessary inf

Wed, November 18, 2020

Christina Mautz | Meet Revenue By Understanding the Buyer's Journey

Getting to know Christina Mautz Christina is the chief marketing officer and head of sales at Moz, an SEO platform search engine optimization.   Know your ideal customers The biggest current problem is the abrupt changes that have happened throughout this year. As a result, we are now in a place where we are having to do things differently.  With so many changes, it’s important to really understand your customer and meet with the people who need what you’re offering.  It’s important to slow down instead of speeding up. Take a step back and assess if you really know who your ideal customers are.  As sales reps, we should be building awareness and driving consideration and interest so the customer is ready to purchase.  Understand the buyer’s journey Since the introduction of the internet, the buyer’s journey is no longer linear. The ability to connect and talk with other people online, has made information easy to share across channels. People are now trying to find their own solutions.  Sales reps need to understand what the clients and prospects are asking and at which part of the sales journey they’re in. They may still be in the stage where they need help understanding that there is a problem.  Researching gives you insight into the things that your customers are trying to figure out.  In every stage of the journey, the opportunity is in knowing what they need.  Christina recommends mapping their journey as it helps sales reps check where their customers are at any given time.  Think about their journey and develop content for each stage. It doesn’t have to be huge but it has to be effective and it needs to be a  solution that the customer is looking for.  Headline the content with the words that the customers are using and searching for. This is where SEO comes in.  In this time of COVID19, businesses need to put effort into their local SEO especially for businesses with physical store locations, regardless if it’s open or not. You need to get the m

Mon, November 16, 2020

Kim Fredrich | Using Your Unique Selling Proposition to Generate Good Sales Questions

Getting to know Kim Fredrich Kim Fredrich helps small business sales reps feel more comfortable and confident about having sales conversations. With this pandemic, salespeople are having an especially hard time talking to potential clients. For Kim, there’s no right time like the present. Even as the future is uncertain for other business owners, Kim is building her second business which includes outbound sales for small service-based businesses and she’s authored the book, “ If You Can Have a Conversation, You Can Sell”.    Use Questions as Unique Selling Propositions Listening is an important part of selling. It’s how you are able to ask the right questions and make value propositions.  Always ask open-ended and conversational questions. Don’t give them the chance to stop the conversation with questions that can be answered with “no.” Raise questions in a way that the answer is useful and valuable to both of you. A lot of salespeople aren’t clear on what their value proposition is. They’re not aware of what will make their company better.  Be clear on your value proposition and put some time and effort into crafting good questions.  Have three to four questions that address the different parts of the value proposition. You can bring any of the four that is appropriate to the conversation.  Before you go in-depth into the sales process, you need to make sure that your products or services are actually a good fit for the person/business you're speaking with.  Be clear and be able to articulate your value proposition. For small businesses, you can talk to the owner and if you’re speaking to a big company, reach out to their marketing department.  The sales conversation must be tied to emotions. Don’t focus on the features.  Ask the right kind of open-ended questions and get them talking and listening. Let them share with you as well and in so doing, you’ll be building rapport.   </li

Fri, November 13, 2020

Cole Baker-Bagwell | Emotional Intelligence for Sellers: Be Kind

Emotional intelligence is an important factor in making sales reps effective in their jobs.This includes being kind throughout your business practice. How is emotional intelligence going to further your sales revenue? Let’s find out in this episode.  Cole Baker-Bagwell has been a Yogi for 26 years and one of the first rules of Yoga is the ethical rule to do no harm. This entails practicing compassion and kindness which are powerful enough to change the perception of their experiences and other outcomes.  Emotional intelligence - Be Kind Many sales reps today, especially the beginners, can get caught up in product knowledge and competition. As a result, there may not default to compassion and kindness as a practice. This can hinder them from getting to a solution that is beneficial to the customer.  Awareness and mindfulness are important but these concepts have been diluted and misinterpreted in today’s society.  Jon Kabat-Zin ’s says that mindfulness is awareness. It means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose ,without judgement. We need to cultivate that awareness, the first level of emotional intelligence, before you can engage.  Developing that mindfulness makes it easier for you to show up and uphold a commitment to do no harm in every single part of your business.  Many sales executives and sales professionals are held to a quota. When the quarter almost ends, the pressure brews and some and them may feel this pressure inside their own bodies. This pressure can be difficult to manage if there isn’t a state of mindfulness. Choose kindness and awareness The pressure then prompts the sales professionals to work from a place of desperation. These feelings can increase the likelihood of missing out on awareness, of connecting thought with word and action.  The whole idea of the race is created by human beings, a pace we have chosen. Everyone is running in a race and multitasking and somehow, people forgot about collaboration, generosity, and  compassion. It all boils down to the choices people make.  Remember who you’re serving, what you’re doing, and

Wed, November 11, 2020

Donald Kelly | The Real Reason Why You Are Having "Bad Luck" When Prospecting

Prospecting is not an easy part of the sales process and sometimes, sales reps don’t have much luck with it. How do you change your luck for prospecting? Let’s talk about that in this episode.  Bad Luck in Prospecting Some sales reps just find prospecting is difficult. Donald finds that acknowledging and correcting cognitive dissonance can be helpful in amending that problem.  When it comes to cognitive dissonance, it’s basically a thought, a theory, or an idea that can be opposed to the reality we want to achieve. You can’t have two opposing thoughts going on at the same time.  When prospecting, a sales rep will believe that someone will, or will not, pick up the phone or answer the door. There are these two opposing forces within each salesperson.  When a sales rep leans into a more optimistic point of view, it changes the way they perform, their demeanor, confidence, and the words they say.  The optimists are probably the most willing to solve the clients’ problems and more willing to help other sales reps who are struggling in prospecting as well. That optimistic nature is felt by the prospect and the prospect is more likely to respond positively. Sales reps shouldn’t listen to their negative thoughts or to their bad wolves. Lessen “bad luck” by lessening cognitive dissonance and not feeding the more negative aspects of your mind.  Get rid of bad luck in prospecting  Focus on the most important things. The brain doesn't have any idea what’s real and what’s not when it comes to perceiving the truth so you need to define the reality you want your brain to follow.  Your chances of performing better in your prospecting increases significantly when you're feeding the right thoughts.  Surround yourself with people who help you develop a positive outlook in prospecting.  Become a part of the sales community who help you and look for programs to learn more about how to prospect effectively.  Luck is the intersection of opportunity and hard work. Focus on the positive side aspects of the work and your success.  <s

Mon, November 09, 2020

Brendan Kane | How Grab Your Prospect's Attentons In 3-5 Seconds Using Hook Points

How do you grab your prospects’ attention? Sales reps all have their unique strategies and in this episode, Brandan Kane talks about his methods on capturing peoples’ attention.  Getting to know Brendan Kane  Brendan Kane is a growth strategist who helps brands, corporations, celebrities, B2B, and B2Cs stand out in saturated markets. He started out in the entertainment industry managing the digital divisions for two movie studios and realized he was an entrepreneur. That’s when he started building technology platforms and licensing them back to big media companies.  Grab your prospects’ attention It’s important to understand that there are over 60 billion messages sent out on digital platforms each day. It’s a noisy and saturated world. This means you’re no longer just competing against your direct competition, you’re now competing against every piece of content.  Crafting a message is a skill. You must use hook points to grab your prospect's attention. The first 3-5 seconds are your only windows to create that pattern interruption.  Hook point is designed to win the first part of the conversation. There are three pillars to design hooks: Getting somebody to stop, formulating a story to maintain their attention, and doing it authentically.  One of the biggest mistakes that people are making is saying the same things repeatedly. Create a pattern interruption and be creative.  Brendan Kane uses subversive expectations. It’s a great way of flipping things on its head. It’s different from a clickbait.  When the interruption has been made, the next step is to maintain interest by telling a story that correlates to the interruption. This story is actually a message about how you can provide value while offering solutions for their pain points.  Most people make the mistake of creating a story based on how they perceive the world when it should be from the prospect’s point of view. These days, it’s less about the content and more about the context. Most people have solid content but they don’t contextually package it in a way people listen and latch onto it.  “ How Grab Your Prospect's Attention In 3-5 Seconds Using Hook Points ” episode resources   <p

Fri, November 06, 2020

Cody Butler | Crafting an Effective Outreach Message That Gets Responses

Getting to know Cody Butler Cody Butler is a marketing coach and consultant for lead generation sales. He helps companies with the toughest aspects of their businesses. In this episode, Cody Butler shares his expertise on how to get responses by crafting effective outreach messages .  Crafting effective outreach message One of the biggest mistakes people make is the lack of brevity. Everyone is so busy they’re sending messages that are dense and hard to navigate.   The messages Cody sends taps into clients’ biggest existing desires. You need to figure out what they want before sending an outreach message.  The goal is to get the person to engage so don’t ask too much in the first email. In this initial email you only need the prospect to raise their hand and say yes!  The second email provides the overwhelming your solution is what they need and you offer a very low key call to action.  In all your communication, what you are looking for is to mitigate potential objections to get the outcome that you want.  Go to Reddit, Quora, and other forums if you’re not entirely familiar to get more acquainted with people who fall in your niche. In forums, you don't have to present the answer, you just need to ask the question. Ask questions pertaining to your brand and niche to really narrow down the interests of your target audience. You also need to understand the questions people are asking.  The people reading your outreach message shouldn’t be able to answer with, “So what?” It should be a message that requires a Yes or a No.  Keep it simple and benefit-driven. At maximum, an outreach message should be two sentences long. Don’t let it sound like  you’re deciding for them. Let the market decide if the message is going to work.  Personalize your messages and instead of the subscribe/unsubscribe link, go for the stop receiving these emails or don’t email me again.  “ Crafting an Effective Outreach Message That

Wed, November 04, 2020

Donald Kelly | Sales Mindset Training is a Joke!

Donald didn’t believe in sales mindset training and it affected the sales process. Eventually, that belief changed. In this episode, Donald talks about how and why it changed.  Sales Mindset Training  Teaching somebody how to prospect means you’re also teaching them how to land more deals.   Donald went through a program called Thought Pattern for High Performance on CTV. It helped him understand that there’s more to a sales mindset than just the idea of a pep rally or giving somebody a quote.  Sales mindset is more about behavioral changes. It’s about making positive changes and looking at things you can control.                                                                                                                                                                                    The pandemic has affected the mindset of many people and some of the changes haven’t been for the better. There is a need to regulate our thinking and look at our behaviors.  Underperforming salespeople would say that they don’t have time for prospecting because they’ve been busy doing other things. Top performing salespeople, on the other hand, are prospecting consistently.  Underperforming sales reps have excuses while top performing sales reps have successes.  Thoughts and desire lead to our beliefs and our belief leads to action.  Top performing sales reps have the belief or the desire to succeed. This belief system leads them to action and as a result, they find people to help.  Don’t stop learning and keep validating your beliefs. Teach yourself to make it a habit to have good beliefs that lead to great actions.  An individual must change his/her belief to change the pattern of what he/she is doing.  Sales leaders need to be aware of what their sales reps believe before they can help them improve their skills in prospecting. Use tools like Pipedrive and Wingman. These tools, however, won’t help you if you don’t change your mindset first.  “Sales Mindset Training is a Joke

Mon, November 02, 2020

Jeroen Corthout | Use LinkedIn to Connect With Customers and Win Deals

Getting to know Joroen Corthout Jeroen Corthout is co-founder and CEO of SalesFlare, an intelligent CRM for SMBs selling B2B. It’s most popular among agencies and SaaS companies. In this episode, Jeroen talks about his CRM platform and all the other ways to use LinkedIn to win deals.  Use LinkedIn to win deals LinkedIn doesn’t share as much information on this platform as truly required. Sales reps have to do serious excavating to get the necessary information they need.  SalesFlare’s system is built around emailing, meetings, calls, and pulling out basic information from social media.  With their services, all these sources come together. When a sales rep adds people to the system, it automatically pulls in the email exchanges they have including the person, meetings, and calls. Other members who are on the team have access to all these exchanges as well.  Automating data means having the ability to follow-up leads easier.  When making a LinkedIn connection, make it as authentic as possible. Try to imagine the clients’/prospects’ perspective and translate that to empathy in the contact. Connect only when it makes sense. A lot of people appreciate when sales reps reach out after they sign up for the software.  It’s often more effective to first send several messages manually, tailor the message and do it several times. See the pattern before you automate the system. Think about your target audience in the narrowest way possible.  Be very targeted with your messaging and try not to generalize the process of reaching out. There are many things that sales reps can do with LinkedIn, but it’s not enough to send people resources and links. Think of LinkedIn as an Instagram for business. Use images, build relationships, and get the conversation going.  Focus on building relationships on LinkedIn. It’s the best place for business. Don’t look at it as a networking party. Instead, think of it as a place to meet new people, share information, and engage.  “ Use LinkedIn to Connect With Customers and Win Deals ” episode resources   Reach out to Jeroen Corthout via his

Fri, October 30, 2020

Scott Roy and Roy Whitten | The Best Way to Manage Attitude and Drastically Increase Sales

Getting to know Scott Roy and Roy Whitten Scott Roy is the co-founder and CEO of the Whitten & Roy Partnership. It’s a sales consultancy that works with organizations to transform their sales performance. They work with 45 countries in the B2C and B2B markets.  Roy Whitten has been friends with Scott Roy for many years and they’ve journeyed through their sales careers together. Roy started in door-to-door selling but later on, transitioned into applying transformational work to B2B and B2C companies. He used his education and works in transformative learning to coach and train more than 100,000 people.  Managing attitude to increase sales The issue is that when sales are going well, the attitude is great. When the sales aren’t going well, the attitude takes a downturn.  As a sales leader, Scott is looking for ways to help his team manage their attitude and drastically increase sales.  Managing attitude is more than just a causative attitude. It’s maintaining a purposeful attitude. It means having the ability to stay on track and see how things are going to work out positively.  The first part in managing attitude is by getting a clear picture of what the purpose is for your selling activity and conversations. The second part is no longer being a victim of circumstances and taking control of the process instead of being affected by the situation.  Scott volunteered in Cambodia and he discovered that the fundamental belief in selling is shared by many people whether they’re from a developing country or in the U.S: That selling is about pitching, convincing, and sometimes, pressuring people to make a decision.   Decision intelliegence can help salespeople to become so much more effective than the pitch, convince, and persuade strategy. This means being committed to help clients make the best possible decision.  Drastically increase sales with these 4 steps Step one: Find a problem, stay on the problem, and not get off the problem until it’s solved. It’s about taking the customer through the journey of discovering their pain point and helping them identify the causes in order to eventually come up with a solution. Step two: Know the impact of these problems on the company, employees, the brand, and addi

Wed, October 28, 2020

Donald Kelly & Wingman CEO | Three Things We Learned Analyzing Over 1 Million B2B Sales Calls

Getting to know Shruti Kapoor  Today’s guest is Shruti Kapoor the co-founder of Wingman, a company that looks at the call data to provide overall analytics to sales leaders and sales teams. She started her career in finance a decade ago as an investment banker and from there, went on to build the business she has today. Analyzing B2B sales calls Since the pandemic, Shruti has learned three things: First, there is a big dip in call volume since March but the number is slowly going up. Second, some businesses froze for a time but it's slowly going back. People have other reasons for not buying and it’s not just due to budget.  Third, people love to talk about their kids so salespeople need to incorporate that into their discussions.  During March, phone calls dropped to almost half. There is also a significant dip in the types of phone calls.  Sales cycles are much longer with many more touch points due to the pandemic and people being remote.  With the changes in call volumes, sales reps must look for other avenues. Shruti’s team uses voice calls and voice messages for their outreach.  Salespeople today are curious whether it’s okay to talk about the pandemic, working from home, internet issues, and other topics, with their clients/prospects during a call.  People are struggling with their budgets. Sales reps must listen to how their prospects are speaking of budget during the conversation.  A sales rep can ask their prospect/client about the decision makers involved in the process early on. It is better to have someone from the finance team involved in the conversation.  Sales reps need to develop more empathy as they talk to clients.  People seem to be more open about sharing their struggles and salespeople need to be able to navigate sensitive topics.  “ 3 Things We Learned Analyzing More Than 1 Million B2B Sales Calls ” episode resources   Connect with Shruti Kapoor via her LinkedIn account.   Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Re

Mon, October 26, 2020

Martin Heibel | From Call to Close: How to Win Deals on the Phone

Getting to know Martin Heibel Martin Heibel’s career has centered around software sales and he is now the co-founder of Ciara, the company where you can find the CRM software tool he calls The Conversation Assistant. Win deals on the Phone Right now reps are having to go back to the beginning of sales relationships and take a look at what the needs of their customers actually are as their needs may have changed. This involves revisiting their USP, their pitch, and how they will approach their customers. As the situation changes, it’s important not to make any assumptions. Make sure that the pitch is inline with the customer’s most current needs.  Martin’s messaging detects the customer’s needs and  pain points.  It used to be that customers would go take part in outbound cold-calling in order to be qualified and these leads would be passed on to sales people. This has changed. It’s time to rethink the process from the first contact and marketing to a qualified lead to actually closing of the deal.  Good rapport isn’t just about the flow of a conversation but also the care you give to the meeting environment. Having the zoom call in a kitchen is vastly different than having it in a studio.  When everything starts shaking and moving, a good salesperson must be able to put all the pieces together and act on them quickly.  At Ciara, they provide a conversation assistant. It’s software that records the conversation as you’re talking to a customer so you have feedback to consider the best next steps.  “ From Call to Close: How to Win Deals on the Phone ” episode resources   Connect with Martin Heibel via Crunchbase and LinkedIn . Check out their official website <span

Fri, October 23, 2020

Adam Springer | How to Properly Uncover Customer Pain Points

Getting to know Adam Springer  Adam Springer helps B2B startups with their technical sales process by offering his expertise in building systems to help businesses get to a million dollars in a year or less.  Uncovering customer pain points Uncovering pain points is especially important during the qualification stage. Pain points include the prospects’ frustrations, what causes fear, and the goals they want to achieve.  A business must have its ideal customer profile because each person that a sales rep speaks to has their own pains and these pains affect them in different ways. It’s important to understand who you’re selling to in order to come up with the best approach to address their pain.  Sales reps must understand what their prospects are dealing with if they want to know their customer pain points.  When making calls, the goal of helping must be mutually beneficial. If you see that your products or offers aren’t the answer to their problems, you need to tell them and respectfully let them go.  Bringing up your customer’s pain points during a call Bring up the pain points wisely during sales calls. Ask open-ended questions based on what you’ve already mapped out. Know your clients on a deeper level by asking difficult questions without making any assumptions.  It’s more impactful for somebody else to tell you about their pain points than you telling them of the pain they may have.  You don’t have to ask the same questions but you can have a format. Start with small talk and qualifying questions, tell them about yourself, and continue with whatever process falls in the sales cycle. Adam also asks the client which tool they’re currently using and the cost of the tools. By doing this he gets clues about their budget and where they may be financially.   Don’t be afraid to ask questions and listen carefully.  “ How to Properly Uncover Customer Pain Points ” episode resources   Connect with Adam Springer via his LinkedIn account <span

Wed, October 21, 2020

Donald Kelly, Will Batista and Heidi | Politics and Sales: How to Effectively Sell a Candidate

Getting to know Will Batista and Heidi Peters  Heidi is a digital marketing strategist and consultant. She works with Republicans, the candidate campaigns, state parties, and anyone in the political organization looking for digital efforts. Heidi specializes in various causes and online fundraising programs.       Will calls himself a reformed campaigner. He’s been doing political campaigns since he was 14 years old. Will also worked on digital strategy for a few political campaigns, did communications work, and acted as spokesperson for various efforts. Right now, Will is focused on sustainability efforts for a major utility in the Southwest.  Effectively selling a candidate Oftentimes, people don’t see the need for political markers. They just vote for whomever they want. At the end of the day, Will and Heidi’s job is to go after the gap made up of those who may not have all the information they need.  The first step in effectively selling a candidate is to know exactly what they stand for and what the message is. You must identify the strengths  you want to push forward.  Campaigns lose because they lack branding and messaging. It’s not about having the position for every single issue right away, but it’s about knowing who you are right away. Social branding is one of the first steps you need to do if you want to effectively sell a candidate.  People today need to understand the political market because most of the time, they don’t know the facts.  There are different marketing strategies for every group of people being targeted.  Regardless of what you’re marketing, you need to have an overall brand image and brand message. You also need to know how to pivot as well.  A winning candidate must be confident and authentic. Being confident means when somebody comes at you, it’s not going to knock you off your game. It’s the ability to maintain your brand identity even with the opinion of other people coming down on you.  Always reflect the value of the people you are representing.  There are two schools of thought in marketing in the political world: The people who say endorsements don’t matter and those who say endorsements can make a huge difference. </spa

Mon, October 19, 2020

Jeff Fromm | How B2B Sellers Can Build Brand Loyalty With Customers

Getting to know Jeff Fromm  Jeff Fromm has written four books over the last 10 years on Gen Z. He uses thought leadership to stimulate his sales funnel and content marketing as his inbound tool.    Diving into brand loyalty  Jeff thinks of loyalty in terms of frequency of use and price elasticity. Loyalty to a brand equates to using its products more frequently. It doesn’t doesn’t mean using the brand exclusively; it means I’m willing to pay a small premium for it.  Loyalty should matter to salespeople because when you’re helpful to your customers, they’ll want to work with you over and over. It’s the difference between average outcomes and making a lot of money. Professional salespeople are empathetic, they have great listening skills, and they collaborate to solve problems.  Buyers don’t want to buy your product; they want to solve their problem. Questions are your friend, because they help the seller become smarter about the buyer, and they lead to a sale that is a better fit to the buyer’s needs. You have to have BANT: budget, authority, need, and timing. If you have those things in a buyer, then your job is to find the right solution. When you provide possible solutions, consider giving three different options and the cost range of each. That way you’re guiding your customer to a solution that best fits his needs.  Show your customers the risk associated with their approach and point them toward the approach that is most likely to succeed. Give facts, and give customers places to cut corners if you can.  “You have to be willing to lose what you do not have to win what you want.” Jeff Fromm Culture is wildly important with brand loyalty. Create your culture by being inclusive and innovative. Hire people who are motivated and then empower them and give them good tools.   Be willing to collaborate. Leverage the power of your team by hearing their ideas. Find the people who are better than you at certain things.  <span style="font-weigh

Fri, October 16, 2020

Nathan Hirsch | Using Past Stories in Your Close

Using Past Stories in Your Close  Stories are powerful as they can help promote your product or service in many ways. How can you use stories to close deals? Nathan Hirch is a long time entrepreneur who started with an Amazon business when he was still in college, selling over $25 million in product. He built his company using virtual assistants and other freelancers and within four years, he was able to scale it to an eight-figure business.  Stories are effective Stories make you relatable and as a result, it’s easier to build relationships with other people. The more specific your story is, the better the reception will be and the more you tell your stories, the more comfortable you become in sharing them. As you tell your story, you want to watch for their reactions and listen to the feedback. Adjust your stories accordingly so it’s sharper the next time you tell it.  There’s a certain amount of trial and error when crafting your story as you tweak it and see what works. It’s not necessary to always share success stories because people also appreciate how you coped with failure. Success stories aren’t always relatable.  Create stories around objections  Start by creating stories around objections. The most common objections are fear of losing money and the fear of wasting time. Take these objections and turn them into stories. Phil Knight’s book, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike is a good reference book on how you can create and tell your own stories.  The Outsource School Nate’s goal is to help businesses hire A-players quickly. Nate’s company also has a system, a process built-in for operations and marketing to help grow others’ businesses. You can take advantage of it for $997/a year. Today, it’s dropped to $800.  Nate believes that hiring is the number one skill you have to learn in the business. People who learn how to hire early are typically more successful down the road.  “ Using past stories in your close ” episode resources   Connect with Hirch via his LinkedIn account. You can also check out his Outsource schoo l and

Wed, October 14, 2020

Donald Kelly | I Don't Need Any More Training!

I Don’t Need Anymore Training! It's a mistake for salespeople to believe they don't need any more training. This mindset isn’t productive and it certainly won’t help you improve your skills as a salesperson.  There are many people who don’t think they need to improve upon what they already know. It’s a pervasive issue and it's due to several reasons:  There is a hypocrisy that’s often present in the sales arena Training is expected in many industries so it can be taken for granted. People don't look at areas they can improve on Hypocrisy in sales Salespeople know how to handle an objection like “ We have this product already. We don’t need yours. " We understand this is a challenge and can share how our product may help them due to the changes in trends. The same is true in sales where trends change there too. We can’t be hypocrites and expect our sales to improve when we don’t improve as well. The change should start from us.  Training is expected Sales is a continuous learning process and there are many opportunities through podcasts, books, conferences, and more. People who excel may already have the experience, but they still want to learn more. The individuals, however, who don’t desire to improve start to become stagnant and decline in performance. When your role is critical and you’re not getting any training, people who don’t stay on top of their sales training wash out because they’re not equipped with enough tools.  Areas you can improve upon There are numerous training sessions  available  for the areas that you need to improve. Be the sales rep the executives are looking for. Be a sales rep that executives are willing to take a risk for.  “ I Don’t Need any more Training! ” episode resources   Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter <span style= "font-weight:

Mon, October 12, 2020

Nick Runyon | Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel

Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel Salespeople use direct mail to move their prospects through their sales funnel but how does that impact the business? Let’s talk about that in this episode. Nick Runyon loves everything about marketing. He started out promoting his parents’ and friends’ business and ever since he’s been fascinated by connecting people with problems to people who have solutions. Direct mail defined  Traditionally, direct mail has included letters, solicitations, and mailboxes. These can be personalized for marketing messages and are called tactile marketing. Nick started personalized direct mail when he needed to reach out to a gentleman with a portfolio of assets who had an interest in their mission. It was difficult to connect with billionaires but Nick was able to.  Without much information, Nick was able to get his location and send him a package that included his book. Nick wrote a personal message in that book and called the gentleman fifteen minutes after he got the notification that his parcel was delivered. That got him a meeting. He was invited for lunch and they were able to build a business relationship. That is the power of direct mail. People want to know that they matter and this is an opportunity to go beyond marketing automation.  Tactile marketing automation  Tactile marketing is the coordinated and personalized orchestration of your digital and tactile efforts coming together. While email has an open rate of 1-2%, direct mail show a higher rate of 2-4%. When efforts are coordinated and worked in a timely way, sales reps can capture a person’s attention and move the conversation forward.  Effective implementation starts with the identification of your ideal customer profile and you only mail people who fall under your customer category. Direct mail isn’t just about sending, it’s about giving personalized, valuable, timely, and intentional solutions to your target customers. You can also use traditional principles of marketing and incorporate them into your present strategies.  “ Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel ” episode resources   Connect with Nick Runyon via his LinkedIn account and visit his website .  Speak with Donald directly for m

Fri, October 09, 2020

Brian Greenberg | How 5-Star Reviews Can Increase Conversion Rates

How 5-Star Reviews Can Increase Conversion Rates Reviews are a great marketing strategy to increase conversion rates. Have you been using your reviews well? In this episode, let’s talk about reviews as a way to increase conversion rates.   Brian J. Greenberg , aka The Salesman Who Doesn't Sell, has founded businesses in e-commerce, marketing, and financial services. He has generated over 50 million in revenue from his businesses and collected over 10,000 reviews and testimonials from customers. Brian is the founder and president of True Blue Life Insurance , and Insurist , whose mission is to be transparent, honest, and helpful to their customers without ever bugging or pushing them. Brian also runs e-commerce websites at Touchfree Concepts and Wholesale Janitorial Supply and is the chief marketing officer for Love Fitness and You .    Reviews are critical in sales Customers look up companies on the internet and read reviews and complaints before they make they ever make a buying decision. Building a good online reputation is imperative and reviews are the best way to do that. Another method is to list as much information as possible - names of people, their cities, the items they bought, and snippets of their testimonials. If you’re giving this information to people for free, a reciprocity effect takes place.    The key to getting positive reviews is to ask customers for a review when they are happy. Satisfied customers are more inclined to say good things about the company and the product. They are also more willing to go to the process of sending you their reviews.    Leverage your reviews Leverage your reviews and share them with other channels. Include local business listings, use Yelp, Google listings, and others to increase the likelihood of your reviews getting seen by many people. Collect reviews that are genuine and authentic. Ha

Wed, October 07, 2020

Jimmy Burgess | 4 Steps to Systematic Sales Growth

4 Steps to Systematic Sales Growth  Salespeople and business owners employ different strategies to achieve sales growth. In this episode, Jimmy Burgess talks about steps to systematic sales growth.  Jimmy has been in real estate for 27 years and the years have let him experience all the different marketing cycles. He was able to build a time and had over a million dollars income in a year and he’s also experienced bankruptcy with just $500 to his name. He is now with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Beach Properties and starting his own podcast show.  Systematic Sales Growth Systematic sales growth can be achieved by either doing more of what you’re doing at the moment or trying new things. The whole business pattern is about birth, growth, maturity, and decline. Businesses need to look for more ways to add value to the market and ensure that people will come back to you.  Competence Jimmy talks about ABL or always be learning. Build competence by learning new things to improve the business. Look at your weak spots in the business and learn more about it, become the expert in it. Get to the point where you are able to understand the business, the products and services more than anybody else. There are somany learning materials available in it’s a matter of discipline to get to where you want to be.  Repetition builds reputation  Consistency of providing value to the marketplace is where you build the confidence that the buyer has in you as the person selling the product. It’s now the perfect time to use videos and send video updates to a client base. The consistency helps in building your reputation. Once you build your reputation, your next goal is to keep communicating with people and have a referral basis. Find your systematic approach to consistency and providing value to the clients. Even when the whirlwind comes, you still need to stay consistent.  Conversations lead to conversions You can send videos and post all posts in social media but at the end of the day, people do business with people. Salespeople need to connect, to have conversations, and ask questions. You need to get out there and find out how you can help others. Figure out their needs, their pain points, and you won't be able to do that without having the conversation.  Confidence  The first phone call will always be difficult but if you are confident, you will be able to answer the questions asked. It is critically important now to invest in yourself. Keep learning and connect with people. </spa

Mon, October 05, 2020

Alison Proffit | Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections

Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections Being in sales, there needs to be a level of optimism but objections are also part of the process. How do you handle objections? Alison started her career in the human resources field before she jumped into entrepreneurship. She tried building her own business four times but failed each time. It was her fifth try in 2019 that she became a success.   Skills to overcome objections   Alison has 3 C’s to guide her in being successful in sales: Clarity, confidence, and connection.    Clarity starts with customer discovery.  It’s in this stage that prospects are able to share their needs and sales reps are able to define how they can be part of the solution. Objections often fall under three categories - budget, time, and necessity. Prospects either don’t have resources to proceed, don’t have the time to engage, or they have no need for the product or service. When you’re clear where their objections fall, you’ll have a better understanding about how to overcome these obstacles. Clarity is also about building rapport.    Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto’s book Hidden Messages in Water talked about how spoken words can impact water molecules. In a video, he shows how the shape of these water molecules can reflect negative and positive speech that’s been spoken over these samples. In the same way, well-spoken words can also make a positive impact.   Confidence is also tied to clarity. Words can make or break a person’s esteem and interest. Use positive words and fuel optimism.    The connection is important in overcoming the objection. Connection is about letting a prospect know that you are listening and want to help them with their problem. Connecting comes from asking deeper questions.    Clarity, confidence, and connection are skills that can start with the sales call.    “ Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections ” episode resources   Connect with Alison Proffit via LinkedIn </

Fri, October 02, 2020

Ernest Owusu | How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections

How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections   Objections are common in sales but many struggle with knowing how to overcome them well. Today’s guest will talk about recognizing intent signals as a tool to overcome objections. Ernest Owusu leads a sales team at 6sense, an account-based orchestration platform that helps companies identify when an organization needs their help in prioritizing and engaging with them in a meaningful way. Ernest leads their SDR and BDR team.    Intent signals defined Intent signals are interactions, like digital interactions, with a prospective company, or even one person, that is an indicator that they want to have a conversation with you. The intent is an interest in either you, your competitors, or your industry. It tells you they are interested and you can engage.   COVID-19 has become one of the most common objections that salespeople face today. The budget objection won’t come from a company that shows intent in the offered solution. Salespeople can overcome objections by focusing on the accounts that show intent. Ernest’s company uses keywords and value cards to see and gauge intent.    Understanding the intent to overcome objections Buyers have changed and everyone now does research before deciding to purchase. It’s more efficient to see this intent and have the tools to gauge the prospects’ reasons for visiting your site before an approach. The sooner you identify these prospects, the sooner you can target the accounts. You can use sales engagement tools with the ability to track clicks.   It  also helps to engage in constant repetitive practice, role playing and right or wrong, being familiar with your strategy.  “ How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections ” episode resources   Reach out to Ernest Owusu via his LinkedIn account .    Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter</s

Wed, September 30, 2020

Donald Kelly | The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020

Vulnerability - The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020   The key to surviving this year’s pandemic is being vulnerable. Donald explains the reason why in this episode.   Donald was talking to another gentleman about his experiences during the pandemic and asked how he was coping and making sure the family was doing well. This man could have skirted the issue but he didn’t. He told the truth and said that the situation isn’t going great. While it isn’t going great for everybody, few people will share the areas they are suffering from.    This conversation affected Donald and it allowed him to connect with the person on a human level, not just a professional one. Having a deeper conversation opened up a more meaningful dialogue and an opportunity for more conversations in the future. The vulnerability of this gentleman allowed him and Donald to talk more honestly with each other. They were able to share their experiences and challenges through this pandemic in a more authentic way. Vulnerability in sales Vulnerability is opening up to someone with the possibility of being attacked or harmed and for many people, it can be a scary place to be. Keep in mind, being vulnerable shouldn’t be confused with being desperate.  Human beings are social creatures. We genuinely need to be heard and being vulnerable allows us to say what we need others to hear. It fast tracks a deeper conversation.   When you’re dealing with prospects, try to be vulnerable without being desperate. It involves being real and honest from the onset of the conversation. Look for opportunities to have a deeper exchange and let them know you want to connect.    “ Vulnerability - The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020 ” episode resources     Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is o

Mon, September 28, 2020

George Bronten | The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals

The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals   Are your sales suffering because your deals are getting cut off? In this episode we will address some of the issues that can kill deals. George Bronten is the founder and CEO of Membrain.com , a sales enablement CRM.    Things killing your sales deals Even before the pandemic, a ssumptions are one of the reasons why deals get killed. Salespeople make decisions based on assumptions and with sales being a very broad profession, it involves a lot of processes and complex solutions. Because it can be complex, you can’t make decisions based just on a “type” of person or solution. This can lead to wrong conclusions.   Many salespeople think they’re disciplined people but they may not be consistent. True discipline isn’t a one-time thing. It has to be repeated daily.   Selling is about helping someone improve their situation. This means you don’t have to sell to everyone, but you do want to offer help.    People are rational and emotional beings. Sales reps may be complicating their sales process without meaning to. It’s best to slow down and look at the problem. It’s important to know what you want to accomplish in order for that goal to guide your steps.    Keep learning For sales reps to keep evolving, you must continue learning the new information that comes out. Ask questions if you don’t understand the information you need to be successful. A little vulnerability is effective. Keep it simple and look for just one or two things that you can improve and start from there. Identify the one thing that’s holding your sales back and fix it.    “ The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals ” episode resources   Connect with George Bronten via his LinkedIn account. Check out George’s book, Stop Killing Deals: How to avoid deadly assumptions and achieve sales excellence.    <span style="font-weight: 4

Fri, September 25, 2020

Kevin Harrington & Mark Timm | Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life

Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life   A successful business learns from what it experiences, either through its own history or the history of others. Let’s talk about some of the important business lessons you can apply in all areas of life.    Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur and a mentor. He’s worked with celebrities who have become entrepreneurs and with his help, they have been able to achieve success. Mark Timm is also an entrepreneur and they met through their mutual mentor, Zig Ziglar.    The pandemic has impacted businesses of all sizes. These have been challenging months but this has also been a learning curve for Kevin. Kevin’s aggressive curiosity allowed him to start his career and it has sustained him to this day. He succeeds by watching where people begin and how they get to their destinations. The importance of mentors, the right pitch, and a great mindset Having the right kind of operational and finance team is imperative to help growth but Kevin also realized the importance of having a mentor, the experts, and leaders you want to emulate and follow.    As a salesperson, the right pitch is also going to serve you well. Kevin uses the tease, please, and seize strategy: Sales reps tease the prospects with just enough information to get their attention, please them by solving their problems, and seize the close by offering a deal they can’t refuse.    The right mindset is the foundation of success.  You will face different obstacles and circumstances and attain different levels of success, but how far you go begins with what you think.  You can fortify your mindset by what you choose to learn. It’s why reading consistently is so critical. Sales require on-going education. The more you learn, the better your grasp what the business of prospecting, selling and closing is all about.  “ Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life ” episode resources   Connect with Kevin Harrington and Mark Timm via their LinkedIn accounts. Check out the book, Mentor to Millions <span style= "font-weig

Wed, September 23, 2020

Donald Kelly | Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections?

Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections?   The presidential election of 2020 is coming. The question is, will this impact B2B sales? Let’s talk about that in this episode.    An article published in NewNorth stated that the political season impacts B2B sales but it depends on the industry and the type of customers you’re looking for. Studies have shown that multi-million dollar organizations tend to be less shy during the election. The large organizations expand because they have more consumers, stockholders, and others that have a stake in the success of the company. They have the ability to make more solid predictions and see the bigger picture. They determine how the elected leaders will affect the organization.    The election is different for the mid-sized companies as they aren’t immediately impacted by the results. This is also true for smaller companies. For sales reps, you may have more challenges in the time of the election. Brandon Julio, a professor at the London Business School said that during elections, firms reduce their investment expenditures by an average of 4.8%. Companies try to reduce expenditures but they continue to make investments.    Preparing for it The B2B market doesn't have to feel the strain of an election year. First, sellers must have the proper mindset. This isn’t the end of the world and the impact may not be felt for a long time. Second, ensure that your company is prepared. Evaluate your sales pipeline and look into your CRM. Third, look at the fourth quarter every year. The book, The 12-week year, focuses on how companies tend to do well during the fourth fiscal quarter. The last thing is to plant seeds by building relationships whenever possible.    “ Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections? ” episode resources   Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , <a href=

Mon, September 21, 2020

Erik Kostelnik | How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises

How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises   When selling, we want to talk to the decision makers but how do you reach them in order to qualify them as a prospect?  Let’s talk about that in this episode.    Erik Kostelnik is the CEO of Postal.io,  a sales marketing engagement platform that generates leads, increases sales, and improves customer retention by optimizing offline engagement and interactions.    Challenges in reaching out to decision makers There have always been obstacles in selling; however, in the last 20 years, it has gotten a lot noisier due to sales and marketing automation. As a result, it has become more difficult to grab the attention of potential clients. People are just overrun by messages and have become desensitized. You need to be different if you want to interrupt this massive flow of data to the decision-makers.     How to reach decision makers Historically we have operated on “five touches” to get to a yes or a no response. Operating within these parameters, sales reps standardized the workflow with these five touches in mind. The number of touches has increased, however, due to the volume of people trying to do the same things. It’s become even harder to get a hold of decision-makers.    The solution is to go back to personalization. Formatted emails need to be removed from your own sequences and be replaced with persona-based selling. Sequence your outreaches using social media platforms, emails, and phone call pitches. You can use this steps:    Send an email with a gift, like an ebook. Reach out through LinkedIn. Make a personal phone call. Email them. Repeat this process three times. With this process, you can reach decision makers, even offline.   During this process, sharpen your sales sword and differentiate yourself from the competitors.    “ How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises ” episode resources  

Fri, September 18, 2020

Diane Helbig | Mistakes Salespeople Make When Prospecting

Mistakes Salespeople Make When Prospecting   Prospecting is one of the hardest stages in the sales process. It’s where salespeople commonly make mistakes that impact the entire pitch. Learn some of the common prospecting mistakes in this episode.    Diane Helbig works with small business owners and salespeople in overcoming their struggles. She works out realistic ways for salespeople and entrepreneurs to get things done in an authentic manner.    Common prospecting mistakes Here are the top 3 common mistakes that salespeople make when prospecting.    Salespeople believe that everyone is a prospect Believing that what they seek is a sale rather than a meeting Talking more than listening   Sales is about solving the problem and connecting your product to your client’s need. This isn’t about convincing people to buy from you. Unless you have what they need, convincing someone who wasn’t ready to buy can lead to buyer’s remorse. If you approach the prospect with the closing in mind, the sales process becomes about you and not about them.    Not everyone is a prospect It’s hard for salespeople to realize not everyone needs your products and services. As sales reps, you need to evaluate your prospects and approach the process in a more curious way. You want to be able to recognize the people you’re supposed to work with and understand not everyone is going to be a good fit for you.  When you work with people you connect with, and they with you, you’re setting yourself up better for a long-term relationship.     Seek sale rather than a meeting When looking for sales, sales reps are focused on closing a deal. As a result, you may not recognize that prospects are signaling you that you’re being pushy. Your main goal isn’t the sale but the meeting, a chance for discovery. This is where you build a relationship with prospects. This is where you figure out if it makes sense for you to continue the conversation.    Talking more than listening Sales reps can talk at length about their products and services long before they get permission. It’s presumptuous and off-putting and can push prospects away. The more a salesperson is talking, the less they’re learning. If we’re not learning about the prospects, we won’t be able to build that relationship and

Wed, September 16, 2020

Donald Kelly and Linda | Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership

Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership    Understanding women leadership is becoming an important facet of sales success today. Women now play the same roles that men have but it’s not a typical subject to talk about the challenges that women face in their careers. Linda Yates helps people and organizations tap into their most positive, profitable, and professional image.    Obstacles to women leadership  Even though it’s 2020 women are still facing this challenge - the lack of pay base across the table. Males typically make more than their female counterparts, even in the same role. Leadership roles have been primarily populated by men over the course of time, women have flooded that role.    Even then, there’s still a disparity. Women often feel like an imposter when the reality is that  they are capable of doing the job well.  Women will, however, have the tendency to hold back because they still don’t have the bravado.    The critical point to being successful, however, is striving to be the best and making sure you have a solid support system among your partners, family, and friends. Women are often put down in the workplace so it’s important to set up  boundaries. They shouldn’t allow others to dictate how they should or should not feel.    Look for mentors Men can help by being a good foundation and support system but women should look for unbiased mentors who will pull them up, get the respect they deserve, and help them find a seat at the table.    “ Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership ” episode resources   Connect with Linda Yates via his LinkedIn account and watch out for her upcoming podcast as well! The podcast will be about the many challenges the women are facing right now in various industries and how they are able to overcome these obstacles and challenges. Listen to IntHerRupt podcast produced by tsestudios.io /intherupt. You can also mail Linda at linda@lhyatescnsulting.com .    Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: <span style= "font-weight: 400;

Mon, September 14, 2020

Tim Kintz | Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale

Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale   Sales is about the timing - when to pitch, when to close, and when to ask for the sale . Sales reps need to learn how to nail down this timing to get the desired outcome. Tim Kintz is the president of the Kintz Group, a training and consulting company for the automotive industry. He’s been in the car businesses for 30 years and recently published his book, Frictionless , which talks about closing and negotiating with purpose.    Best ways to ask for the sale Customers today have choices. Every dealership is just a click away from buying the car and the failure to deliver exceptional experiences will cause sales reps their deals.  Today’s lifestyle is different than it has been. People worked and could afford to change cars every two-three years. Now, many are battling unemployment. With everything so unsure, everyone is having to navigate a variety of financial struggles.    Sales reps must focus on building the relationship because with so much competition it isn't just about selling a car, customers expect excellent service and a great experience. People are willing to pay as long as they have a stellar experience.    Negotiating the right way Salespeople need to learn how to make the customers feel good. People want to feel they got a good deal at the end of a negotiation. Don’t negotiate out of fear, but from inspiration. You won’t make every shot but you need to believe that you could.   How to close a sale If you want to be great, you must be willing to pay the price. Practice your closing pitch by saying it out loud over and over again. Listen to your voice and pay attention. Sales reps shouldn’t practice their techniques on their customers, but during the time in between. Challenge yourself to get better and have fun. A sale is made when you transfer your enthusiasm to your customers.  “ Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale ” episode resources   Connect with Tim Kintz via his LinkedIn account

Fri, September 11, 2020

Jeremy Miller | How to Reach Executive Decision Makers, and Why They Are Listening Right Now

How to Reach Executive Decision Makers, and Why They are Listening Right Now In previous episodes, we’ve covered that sales reps have to touch base with several people within their industry, especially the executive decision-makers. This may seem a  daunting task in today’s climate but it’s necessary.    In this episode, we talk to Jeremy Miller, the founder of Sticky Branding . His experience in moving through recessions with the family business, and with his own brand, prepared him for the economic downturn that resulted from covid. With the knowledge he’s accumulated, he’s helping other businesses turn it around and in many cases, launch even better.    Reach out executives The pandemic leveled the playing field for all - every sales rep and even the executives are going through the same experiences together. Almost all businesses are in a state of change as they push the threshold of what they’ve known as common business practices.  They’re having to relearn where to listen. Sales reps who are equipped with the right knowledge and who are positioning themselves to talk with the right executives are going to see success despite current industry standards.    Bring value to the executives  There are three ways to sell:    feature benefits selling  solution perspective selling  provoking the customer   Jeremy suggests that the last one is the best approach today as businesses right now are changing. As a sales rep, ask yourself, “Who needs the expertise of our company most right now? ” Approach your customers with the question, “Who in your organization knows about the need first?”  Ask them what their problems are and offer them a solution.    The business executive team should be looking at the market and asking the important questions: Where do we play? How do we win? What are the issues that our clients are facing?  It’s a team effort Have a team meeting that talks about value proposition and the sales efforts on a weekly basis. Make it a dedicated meeting and discuss how you sell right no

Wed, September 09, 2020

Donald Kelly | Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills?

Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills? Sales is a career where people develop their social skills and deepen relationship building. What happens, however, if you’re starting from a place of anxiety and it’s hard for you to talk to people?  Is it still possible to have a successful career in sales? Unfortunately, sales isn’t the solution to these issues and in this episode, we’ll talk about the reasons why.    The wrong idea of getting into sales Sales is a career that deals with interacting with people and the point of it is not to boost your confidence. Being a salesperson who is looking for ways the customer can benefit you means that you’re thinking more about fulfilling your needs rather than helping the buyers solve their problems.    Nobody should get into sales exclusively thinking about what they’re going to get out of it. This mentality makes sales reps people pleasers. They’re afraid of offending their prospects so it keeps the sales rep from asking the important questions. Wanting to please people means losing the ability to speak of the problem upfront in fear of ruining business relationships. In the long run, this doesn’t serve your customers well.   Sales is more than just talking Just because you love talking doesn’t mean you should get into sales. There are other career opportunities that would give you the platform to talk. Get into sales with a desire to succeed and with existing mental fortitude. Sales is a demanding job - it has deadlines, pipelines, and goals that need to be met. If you go into sales without the right mindset, it will be difficult to improve and succeed.    What sales is  There’s a lot of processes involved in sales. For example, administrative work involves emailing clients and prospects, cleaning up the CRM, and more. Sales is a great career but it isn’t for everyone. Don’t get into sales if you just want to help boost your confidence and build social skills. If you are shy, don’t like talking, and you have anxiety, these are things you’ll need to resolve before you think about a sales career.  Otherwise, it could exacerbate the problem for you and any future clients. Anyone going into sales should want to help other people find solutions to their problems.  “ Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills? ” episode resources   If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels:

Mon, September 07, 2020

David Priemer | A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values

A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values Solving customer needs are core to any business. For your organization to achieve success, you need to understand what’s valuable to your customer. Let’s talk about that in this episode.    David Priemer had the opportunity to work with Salesforce and saw how sales machines were built operationally and culturally. His time in sales made him realize that people naturally love to buy things but they don’t like speaking with salespeople. David aims to combine his experience as a salesperson and research scientist with the curiosity-based approach to help make sales better for all.     Sell the way you buy Modern selling and buying have changed dramatically over the past 5-10 years. With the advent of social media, people no longer have the mental bandwidth to care about everything equally. Unfortunately, many salespeople are stuck using the same tactics that worked 10-20 years ago and that can be disastrous. Salespeople must step up and use modern approaches to connect with buyers as they become more driven, skeptical, and information-rich.    Let go of closing tactics Many sales reps tend to default to out-dated closing scenarios that corner people into buying their products. They push people in making purchasing decisions without considering and understanding customer value. Instead of forcing people to purchase using generic and scripted methods, use personalization. Reciprocity is more likely to occur when you put in the effort of doing homework before reaching out to prospects.    Unconscious selling This refers to people who are executing certain sales tactics because someone told them to and they don’t always work. The idea is to be curious about how the sales approach is perceived and knowing why a particular pitch worked or didn’t.    One solution is to identify the enemy - what are the challenges your customers face? Understand what your customer values. Tap into their emotions because this is how people connect. Sellers are the solutions to pain points and when we solve problems,  we put ourselves in a position of credibility. Don’t lead with the solution, lead with the problem, and be indispensable.    “ A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values ” episode resources Connect with Dav

Fri, September 04, 2020

Nick Casale | How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers

How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers How can you become indispensable to your customers ? Let’s learn the important facets of our clients’ businesses in this episode.    Nick Casale is the director of Sales at Sendoso, a company that makes it easy to send anything everywhere so you can ship gifts to your clients and prospects. Their services can help you engage, acquire, and retain customers.             Becoming indispensable to your clients The challenge is understanding the difference between what your buyer can get exclusively from you versus what they can get from Google or other sources. There are two ways to become indispensable to your clients . The first is by being helpful and approachable and the other is recognizing that both you and your clients are human beings. You should  be able to maintain a business relationship while delivering business value.    Salespeople can make the mistake of forgetting that clients and prospects are more than that. They are also people with families and at the end of the day, just  normal people who are all going through the same things we all are. If you treat your clients just by dollar value, you risk losing the connection and trust.    Bridging gaps using events This may not be possible now due to the pandemic but when we’re  able to host events again, we should. Going to events allows us to meet prospects face to face, shake their hands, and have a conversation. When you get to meet people and share a meal, it’s easier to see the person, even beyond their title or position in the company.   Becoming indispensable to your customers starts with creating a genuine relationship with them. You earn this by becoming a trusted advisor and being consultative. Don’t fake authenticity.  Lead with empathy and understand that people are trying their hardest in a very difficult time. You need to understand that the product you’re selling is not the most important thing in the whole world. What’s important is the connection and remembering your client is a human being first.    “ How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers ” episode resources   Connect with Nick Casale via his LinkedIn account.    If you ar

Wed, September 02, 2020

Donald Kelly | What To Do When Co-Workers Try To Steal Your Deals

What To Do When Co-Workers Try To Steal Your Deals Most salespeople respect boundaries and defined territories but human nature can get the best of people and lines are crossed.  Sometimes areas have not been well-assigned. When that happens, what should you do? How should you handle it in a civilized manner? In this episode, we provide the answers to these questions.    Be indispensable  When you are working with a client or a potential client, make your presence known. Don’t reach out to just one individual in the organization, reach out to multiple individuals who are at multiple levels. Talk to their director of sales, their HR rep, the VP of sales, and if you’re able, talk to their executive. As much as possible, have three conversations or interactions with these people so the company identifies you as the rep for the products you represent. Make sure that you are indispensable to the client and provide value.    To maximize your interactions use the technology that’s available to you and omnichannel to connect with the people in your target organization. For example, there’s LinkedIn, email, and more. Just make sure you’re reaching out  and show your interest in working with them.    Stay calm  When you see somebody in your deal or pipeline, it’s important you don’t make a scene. Stay calm and take deep breaths. Bad things happen when you let your emotions get the best of you. Don’t give your client, that team member, or your boss any opportunity to see you as unprofessional. The person who’s level-headed wins the battle.    Understand the rules Make sure you know your company’s policy when it comes to pursuing opportunities and working in the boundaries of your territory . It keeps you in line and it keeps you in accountable to respecting someone else’s territory. You want to know the rules before you play the game.    Approach the teammate calmly When it comes to approaching a teammate about encroaching a territory, be level-headed and investigate what their reasons might be. Perhaps they don’t know how the company policy works, so educate them. But if that teammate does know the rules, your approach will tell them you are serious and professional. Clarify the status and solve the problem head-on. If the management allows such a situation to happen multiple times consider another organization with better morale. If you’re finding this happens to you repeatedly, it’s time to put your foot down and have a serious conversation so it doesn’t occur again.     “What To Do When Co-Workers Try To Steal Yo

Mon, August 31, 2020

Flynn Blackie | The Secret Weapon For Selling Anything

The Secret Weapon for Selling Anything Learn the secret weapons for selling in this episode and apply these selling tips to your sales journey as a salesperson. Flynn Blackie dropped his education and pursued his thirst for success.  He started creating websites for friends and as word of mouth grew his reputation, he was able to build his website development business.    Secrets of successful selling Learn their names A person’s name is the first and easiest information to obtain. Knowing someone’s name is important and it immediately sparks their interest. Using a name means you are giving an individual importance and you value them. That sparks the clients’ interests.    Understand what’s important to them The next thing you need to know someone’s interests. Genuinely learn what they need and how your services can help them. Personalize your approach and choose businesses and clients’ causes that you are passionate about. Salespeople need to go the extra mile if we want to grab the attention of our prospects. We want to set ourselves apart from our competition.    Take advantage of social media channels One of the most common resources salespeople will use is social media. It’s a great way to find common ground between you and your clients and support them through their interests. Prospects feel appreciated when you personalize your approach.    In the midst of this pandemic, you can help your clients for free with Flynn’s COVID-support website. He’s offered free strategy calls and solutions to people who need help. Flynn discovered that in this time of crisis, people who were coming to him are those who have wanted to kickstart their career in business but didn’t have the time before.    Have the desire to learn from other people Another secret tip to selling is learning from other people. Build a connection with like-minded salespeople and mentors who have already walked the path you want to follow.    “ The Secret Weapon for Selling Anything ” episode resources   Connect with Flynn Blackie via his LinkedIn acco

Fri, August 28, 2020

Matt Hunckler | Why Sales Executives Should Look to the Midwest When Hiring After COVID-19

Why Sales Executives Should Look to the Midwest When Hiring After COVID-19   Sales executives need to plan with optimism. We may not know when the pandemic will be over but when the health crisis ends, will companies be ready to launch well?   Matt Hunckler is the CEO of Powderkeg. His company works with people in the tech industry to reach their full potential by helping them to get established in a career in tech, regardless of their location. Due to the pandemic, there’s been a shift in the unemployment rate from 2% to almost 20%. All industries have been affected, including technology. However, many companies that are well-capitalized and those with a good business model are now getting back to hiring talent.    Hiring in the Midwest   Start-up companies are not for everyone, but if you can get on the front end of a rising star, there are incredible opportunities and potential for growth. For example, businesses in the midwest are raising considerable money. They are investing in talent and they are growing and selling. The opportunity is enormous.  Tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley, like those that are found in the Midwest, are unique in each of their own ways and are showing encouraging growth.   It should be noted that unlike the companies in Silicon Valley, these smaller startups don’t have the same level of capital. They need a sound revenue model from day one and have to be profitable to survive. This should help salespeople to focus on companies with a strong revenue model in order to have the best-earning potential.     Life in the Unvalley Tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley are also known as the Unvalley. The cost of living and the quality of life is different in the Unvalley in that the competition for jobs is lower.    Many sales reps believe that working for a startup company in the Unvalley is more rewarding in terms of achieving success. Each tech hub is very different and there is an advantage in knowing these communities well. The startup companies aren’t as well-mapped so their data is sparse. When making work-related decisions, look at the culture of the company, and make sure their values align with yours.    Even with layoffs, there are enormous opportunities particularly in the tech communities in the Unvalley.  “Why Sales Executives Should Look to the Midwest When Hiring After COVID-19” episode resources Connect with Matt Hunckler via his <span style

Wed, August 26, 2020

Donald Kelly | Secret Ninja Hack To CRM Update and Meeting Recap

Secret Ninja Hack For CRM Updates and Meeting Recaps The task that many salespeople find cumbersome is updating and maintaining the CRM. If you have CRM hacks, however, the task can be faster and less tedious.    CRM hacks you need to know Updating CRM isn’t an easy job. When you meet a prospect, and you have a great conversation, ideally the relationship will continue to progress. Although the relationship building is gratifying, most salespeople don’t enjoy spending time recording the details, updating the information on the CRM, and organizing the details as the relationship moves toward a closing. Working on CRM is not the most exciting aspect of the sales process, but it is necessary.   The importance of CRM An organized CRM helps salespeople understand their customers more, and this knowledge offers a better idea about how to help the customer. A salesperson can only be as effective, however, inasmuch as the data in the CRM is useful. One of the CRM hacks you can use is utilizing Google Doc for its accessibility and straightforward layout. Check out the features and tools within the app and take advantage of their many uses. One feature that can help with speed and efficiency is the typing feature. Use it the next time you have a meeting in order to take quick notes. You can then copy all the little notes you have and put it in the CRM.    The other CRM hack available is Otter, a transcription website that can transcribe all your recorded audios. You can record your Zoom meetings and import it to Otter to get a breakdown of your conversation per second. This allows you to go back to your meetings to review parts of the conversation you want to revisit. Use these CRM hacks to make the most of your CRM.    “ Secret Ninja Hack For CRM Updates and Meeting Recaps ” episode resources   Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda

Mon, August 24, 2020

Sean Gordon | Using Video To Improve Lead Generation

Using Video To Improve Lead Generation   There have been huge improvements in lead generation tools that salespeople can use with much more efficiency. In this episode, Sean Gordon will discuss the video technology he and his team created called vidREACH and how it can be used to improve contact with prospects.   Ideas to improve lead generation With  technology available today, people are seeing video as an effective tool to improve lead generation. Forbes projects that 80% - 85% of all content by 2022 will be sent through videos as people are turning to mobile-based apps. A 30 second video easily replaces 500-word content.    Salespeople want a platform that allows them to stand out in their industry so they need a personalized approach to make a human connection, especially when the pandemic has made it difficult for people to gather. This human connection leads to more conversation, then appointments, and eventually, closing more deals. Regardless of the channel you use to connect with other people, whether it be through LinkedIn, email, traditional email, messenger - you need a workflow.    Sean’s system allows you to figure out that workflow as you send personalized messages. With Sean’s plug and play approach, you can  load your contacts with their first name, last name, and email and once that’s done, you can then create a video or an email template that can be used again.   Video to increase lead generation Anyone can just send a video at any stage but it’s the format that matters. Remember that  videos are more like wallpapers that are clickable, and they’re hyperlinks that allow you to pick-up thumbnails you want to go into.    Effective Video formats Everyone is different. There are some progressive companies. Some would use a breakup email and others go for personalized formats to give that raw and authentic feel to it. The standard best practices are some of the basics in video creation. This includes the proper lighting, the camera angle, the background, good audio, a good video quality, the use of a teleprompter script, and other equipment.    For Sean, a 30-45 seconds video is enough. The key to impro

Fri, August 21, 2020

Eddie Villa | Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales

Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales   We all have strengths that will help us become great salespeople. The problem is, we don’t always know what these strengths are or how to use them to sell authentically. Eddie Villa is both a life and a sales coach and in this episode, he’ll speak about using our strengths to help us sell authentically.   Strengths of a Salesperson  There are 34 different strengths that fall under 4 themes: Relationship building, strategic thinking, influencing, and executing. Everyone has different motivations and strengths when it comes to selling. Are you someone who wants to deepen relationships?  Are you driven by checking off a list?  Do you like to learn new skills?  Are you motivated by the process? Once you realize what your strengths are, and you lean into your motivators, selling becomes easy! Balancing your strengths Company culture may not align with your strengths. In that case, focus on the required activities to get the job done. Once you know the fundamentals, find a way to add your own flair and authenticity into the execution. If your company wants you to send emails, then send them in a way that is a reflection of your strength.  For example, you may enjoy making a video more than you do writing.  If you’re a relationship builder, find a way to connect with your prospect.  Maybe you want to gather information to strategically plan out what is best for a client’s needs.  If you like to do research, learn about your prospect’s company or personal interests in order to put a unique package together just for them.    You are the solution We are all unique and it’s these differences that drive the various outcomes. Businesses and clients are facing a variety of problems and you are the only one who can bring a solution based on your strengths.  You are that special. Realize that some of your most celebrated successes came from moments you were just being you and build your sales career on who you are, in your strengths. It’s what your client needs.   “ Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales ” episode resources Reach out to Eddie Villa via his LinkedIn account , his website , <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/growwitheddie/?eid=ARBJijwI9MAgketd8znxypk_N3SL1hzd7zkE_6WCKxn2_4OaO-MCv

Wed, August 19, 2020

Donald Kelly | How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals

How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals   Abraham Lincoln is one of the most iconic individuals in American history for many reasons, but specifically his strategy in winning the Civil War. The Civil War was one of the darkest times for the American people, a pivotal time, and it caused the bloodiest wars fought on American soil. Abraham Lincoln brought the nation together and unified the two opposing beliefs of the North and the South people. Why bring this up on a sales podcast? Believe it or not, salespeople can use Lincoln’s strategy in closing more deals.   Going out there It was Lincoln’s idea to visit the troops and see their issues and difficulties first-hand. That experience helped him understand what they were fighting for and he was able to communicate his observation to key leaders and generals. Lincoln listened and gathered information to know what was going on in the field.  As a result, The Situation Room was created in order to discuss the intel that was gathered.  Lincoln used the advancement of industrialization, such as the railroad. He deployed troops by railroad so their travel time happened in a matter of days instead of weeks. That was efficiency at its best. The soldiers were able to get where they were needed.    As a sales rep The use of technology will also distinguish a good sales rep from a great sales rep. Great sales reps are taking advantage of new trends like personalized videos. They take the time to personalize emails by attaching video with content specific to the prospect. Use tools like LinkedIn Navigator and Postal to speed up your close rates and shorten the sales cycle.     “ How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals ” episode resources   Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda Yates interviews some of the most intriguing women in the business world and finds out what the

Mon, August 17, 2020

Jim Benton | Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible

Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible   Jim Benton is the CEO of Chorus AI , a leader in conversation intelligence, who helps people understand the conversation that their sales teams are having with their customers.    Technology is more important than ever as it can be used to tell stories that help your clients understand what it is you offer. However, with the pandemic, it is all the more challenging to know these stories within your sales team and what their activities might include.   Becoming the best storyteller Three ways to become great storytellers:    Authenticity  A sales rep can be authentic and relaxed when he’s prepared. He has to understand what’s required of him to be present in the conversation and not be distracted.   Experience Experience is tied to authenticity. The  most authentic stories come from those that you have personally experienced. New sales reps who don’t have stories of their own can share what they observe. This means paying attention to the details of what is going on around them and the colleagues they work with.     Data You need to have a way to validate and anchor the story so it connects to you and your client. The story is an effective way of building trust because people are more laid back when they’re sharing their stories. They’re more likely to exchange better information. As sales reps, this is where you need to be attentive. Once the story and rapport is established you can also add metrics and other relevant statistics to anchor a data point  and enhance credibility.    Storytelling and technology  It’s critical to connect with people  and technology helps us do that. It bridges the gap between sales reps and prospects. Once meetings have taken place, the sales team can use AI to share conversations everyone can listen to and learn from. It becomes an automated tool for coaching that comes straight from the customer.    “Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible” episode resources Follow Jim Benton via his LinkedIn account.  Connect with Donald via these channels: <span style= "fo

Fri, August 14, 2020

Russell Wurth | How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings

How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings   Virtual and remote settings are now part of the sales process due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, it can be hard for a salesperson to build trust with your buyers you can’t meet face to face. In this episode, we’ll look at ways trust can be built regardless of proximity. Russell Wurth is the global VP of Sales Enablement at Showpad and has had an expanding range of experience over the last 20 years.     One of Russell’s favorite books, The Trusted Advisor , has a great formula for trust: Trust is credibility plus reliability plus intimacy divided by self-orientation. Trust is about developing credibility and reliability with a bit of intimacy. The thing about intimacy is that it’s hard to develop virtually. This is something that you build by personal interaction through dinners, lunch meetings, and other events. With the lack of personal meetings, however, sales reps now need to rely heavily on their credibility and reliability.  Developing personal relationships is the natural way to build intimacy but what elements help the process? One way is to invest time in doing research about the other person’s personal interests and focus on topics that have nothing to do with business. That research will offer insight to common ground that could lead to a great conversation. You don’t want to come across as a salesperson looking to cut a deal right away. Step out with your authentic self.    Building credibility  Once a relationship starts to build, you’re then able to build credibility by focusing on what the buyer is going through. Bring value to the table. Share beneficial information that will help their pain point and present it in a way they’ll be able to understand.  Don’t limit yourself to presentations that come from PowerPoints, PDFs, and videos. Think about the nurture path and feed the clients bit by bit. Provide insight instead of just unloading a pile of digital content, assuming that the client is going to read it.    There are a lot of digital tools available that would vastly improve your presentations but as a salesperson, your goal is to make it more personal. Be authentic and show you truly care. You need to learn how to use your emotional quotient by showing empathy toward their challenges.    Developing emotional quotient Salespeople used to just focus on what was good for their commissions and their  company. They focused on

Wed, August 12, 2020

Donald Kelly | The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success

The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success   Regardless of the industry we are in, success is the goal, but it isn’t easy to achieve. It takes time and effort and oftentimes, we have to overcome mental blocks that keep us from attaining that success. In this episode, we’re talking about breaking through that upper limit to achieve sales success.    Limiting your sales success Gay Hendricks wrote the book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level . It is a powerful book that talks about how we set limitations and don’t take big leaps because of fear. As a salesperson, we set limits on ourselves about what we do on a day-to-day basis. This may include calling clients or setting appointments. We  have these upper limits, the proverbial glass ceiling,  we impose on ourselves. These are the limits we don’t go beyond.    For example, one salesperson may limit himself to three appointments a day and when they try to go beyond that, they somehow find ways to sabotage themselves. This is because he isn’t comfortable with success that is outside of his norm. He feels the need to move himself back into his comfort zone, a place where he feels like he belongs.    The same is true in relationships. Sometimes when things are going well, fighting starts. This isn’t just a mystical force suddenly showing its face. The fight is something we conjure up in our minds. We allow it and find ways to let it intrude on our lives. It turns a small incident into a big deal. It keeps us at a lower level.    Go beyond your comfort zone The sales reps that go beyond their comfort zone are the ones who typically thrive but this requires you to put yourself in an uncomfortable position. It requires you to take the big leap.    How can you achieve your sales success? How can you go to the next level of your sales performance?    In this pandemic, some of you may have already set your proverbial glass ceilings. You may have decided that your opportunities are limited and convinced yourself that you’re not going to be successful in this current season. The truth is, sometimes the worse things happen because we stop taking action. Are you showing up on time for virtual meetings? In what areas are you showing a lack of effort?   The Sales Evangelists are

Mon, August 10, 2020

Jeb Blount | Use Virtual Tools to Do More in Less Time With Better Outcomes

Use virtual tools to do more, in less time, with better outcomes   Out of necessity, we are moving into a digital world in which almost every step of the sales process involves the use of virtual tools . The challenge is, not all salespeople know how to use these virtual tools and it’s inhibiting sales growth.    Jeb Blount has been doing virtual sales since 2015. As he recognized the increasing need for sellers to be tech-savvy, he wrote  Virtual Selling and realized that there is so much more than integrating videos in the sales process. Virtual sales include integrating all the virtual communication tools, both the synchronous and asynchronous. The question was how to utilize all these virtual tools for sales and blend these into a viable way to sell and prospect. We say “blend” because face-to-face selling isn’t always available, especially in this season of people’s social distancing. Being able to use virtual tools makes the sales process more efficient and productive.    Virtual calls, for example, is a good prospecting technique. Instead of getting on a traditional call, try getting your potential client on a video conference.  Face-to-face offers a better opportunity to build a relationship with your prospect. You can also save time with a virtual call because you don’t have to travel for a meeting. This frees up time to manage other activities in the sales process. The more people you get to talk to, the bigger your pipeline will be. Virtual tools are starting to reshape the way we think about selling as these tools help in shortening the sales cycle and improving closing ratios.  Changes in the sales methods The great recession brought about the existence of BDR and SDR. Now, with the pandemic, the landscape of sales is changing again. We have to make changes in the process and technology is the answer. Necessity is the mother of virtual selling but not all salespeople are keen on using technology. Even Gen Zs and millennials are struggling to use technology in effectively running omnichannel. Salespeople have to learn to adapt and adjust to stay competitive.    People who are looking to go virtual have to learn new skills like email etiquette and working with a camera. Fear of being in front of the camera, and speaking to an online audience, has to be overcome. <

Fri, August 07, 2020

Brittany Joiner | Using Trello to Manage Business and Sales Efforts

Using Trello to Manage Business and Sales Efforts   Trello is an emerging platform that helps their customers manage and organize tasks. On one screen, Trello is an amazing “white board” that shows your to do list, doing list, and done list, especially when you have multiple projects and ideas being generated at once.  How do you use Trello so you can focus more efforts driving sales? Check out this episode.    Brittany Joiner is a self-proclaimed Trello nerd as she’s been using the program for about a decade. She works full-time in marketing and is learning programming on the side. Productivity has always been something she’s passionate about learning more of. Since she saw the movie, Cheaper by the Dozen as a kid, she’s loved the satisfaction brought about by efficiency.    Brittany has been using Trello as a tool to organize all aspects of her life and it’s been a great help in keeping track of all her tasks and schedules in one place while keeping other team members in the loop about what’s going on. Trello helps her accomplish all the things that need to be done.   Defining productivity There’s no magic bullet when it comes to tips and tricks about how to increase productivity. What makes people productive is different for everyone. For example, one of the most common pieces of advice that is offered by experts is to wake up early, but some people are night owls and are actually more productive in the evenings.    With the pandemic going on, people have been working from their homes and have the biggest opportunity to be able to set their work around how and when they want to do their tasks. It’s a great way to experiment with scheduling to see when the most work is getting done.    Trello and productivity Trello helps with general productivity. David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done , said that the mind is for generating ideas, not for holding on to them. The mind makes an effort when it keeps track of what needs to get done and this is where Trello can be of tremendous help. It’s a tool that allows you to organize all your thoughts so your brain can process better and creatively connect the dots. The brain can then solve the problems instead of just holding onto information.    Think of Trello as a digital whiteboard with lists and sticky notes on steroids. Each card acts like a sticky note. You can add checklists, due dates, members, labels, automation pieces, and so much more. Trello is where you organize your ideas and

Wed, August 05, 2020

Donald Kelly | The Number 1 Reason You Hear "I'm Not Interested"

The Number 1 Reason You Hear "I'm Not Interested"   Of course salespeople like to hear positive responses from their prospects but it’s not always the case. Sometimes prospects say, “I’m not interested. ” Why do you hear that? Is there something wrong with your pitch? Listen to this episode and understand what prospects are thinking when they say they’re not interested.    Donald has worked with hundreds of sales reps,has coached a variety of individuals, trained organizations, and he’s been on countless sales phone calls. All those experiences have taught him many things.  Donald’s latest lesson came from seeing Disney’s, The Princess and the Frog .    The story of Tiana and the Frog In the story, Tiana lives in Louisiana and has a dream of creating an amazing restaurant with her dad. She wants to do something with her life and have a purpose. Eventually, however, she gets turned into a frog. The prince in the story also gets turned into a frog. Together, they begin their quest to find the witch that turned them into frogs so they can be turned back to humans. Along the way, they come across an alligator who’s good at playing the trumpet, and the frog prince asks the alligator for help. The alligator tells them about a witch doctor that can help but the frogs don’t know how to get there. When Tiana asks the alligator to take them, he refuses and goes back to playing the trumpet.  The frog prince realizes they messed up their pitch and so he tries again. He goes back to the alligator and asks him about his challenges. To this, the alligator replies that it’s hard to play trumpet in front of people because they just run away. Upon hearing this, the frog prince then redirects his pitch. He asks the alligator to come with them in the hopes of being turned into a human as well. This time, he decides to join them! The frog prince was able to reframe the offer so the alligator could see the benefit to himself.   In relation to sales  That story speaks to the platinum rule in sales - to treat others the way they would like to be treated and to tell them things that they want to hear. The focus should always be about the prospect or client with the goal of giving them what they want and need.    Tiana asked for good will but didn’t offer any benefit. The prince got results because he focused on what the alligator  desired. The same is true when prospecting for a sale. When he saw the movie, Donald realized there were times as an account executive that he’d reached

Mon, August 03, 2020

Sean Leonard | How a Power Dialer Streamlines Your Sales Process and Improves Productivity

How a Power Dialer Streamlines Your Sales Process and Improves Productivity   Power dialers improve your sales process and productivity. As a salesperson, have you given this any thought? Listen to this episode to help you decide if a power dialer will help you in your business.   Sean Leonard is the founder of FunnelFLARE and the CEO of Jump Demand. One of their products is FunnelFLARE and the other is a  marketing automation platform. Sean has a background in long sales cycle sales, specifically in the process automation where they are selling automation software. Interestingly, it didn’t start in sales and marketing but in manufacturing. In his early days, he was selling industrial software for manufacturing mainly in process control. Automation really played a huge part to help scale the marketing cycle. They started Jump Demand with the goal of helping people automate customer acquisition. They use FunnelFLARE for sales enablement.    The issue in sales Sales is about the highest paid hard work and the lowest paid easy work. All salespeople want to sell more and they are highly motivated to do that. The reality is 80% of the salesperson’s revenue comes from 20% of their activities. This means that 80% of the time sales reps are not doing revenue-generating tasks. Sales is a contact sport so we have to become proficient in making calls. Every sales organization wants its staff to talk to people and be helpful. The idea behind Sean’s products is to help salespeople reduce the effort in making calls.    The second issue Sean was looking at is the CRM. He thinks that it’s purposely built to help salespeople succeed. There are so many CRMs out there and the evolution of the tool has been advantageous for everyone on the sales team as it helps them manage their projects and opportunities. Sean and his team found that many salespeople were spending so much time trying to add to the CRM that they were also spending more time outside of the CRM. They were having to bounce from one app to the other. These tasks included logging the calls, putting together a strategy throughout the day, updating the CRM,  and integrating the information into the calls that the salespeople make.   Sean’s efforts enable sales reps to do their work in the CRM and reduce the effort that’s spent in using the CRM. The goal is to keep members of the organization have lots of documented opportunities while still being able to maintain a relationship with people.  Defining power dialer Power Dialer for Sean is basically what he is doing with the CRM. It’s a list of people that he has bulk edi

Sat, August 01, 2020

Frank Weschler | How I Creatively Booked Meetings Using Video

How I Creatively Booked Meetings Using Video With people being more isolated, the trend of how to set appointments is changing. Salespeople need to be more creative about how to get a prospect’s attention, such as using videos. This episode will be about using this approach to make you stand out from the crowd and get that meeting.    Frank Weshcler works for a company called Dynamic Signal. They started in San Bruno but for the last two years, the company has branched out to Chicago. It is a communications and engagement platform to help enterprises and commercial size companies.    The journey toward creating videos  When Frank was still interviewing with Dynamic Signal, he was asked how comfortable he was in front of the camera. With video creation being part of their outreach, he needed to be able to do quick 30-second dynamic video clips where he could introduce himself and create a pitch. With his theater background, he was immediately comfortable and got started making videos.    Use your creativity Frank’s company uses Vidyard, a video platform that integrates with their sales platform. It helps them find videos easily,  attaches them into emails, and sends them. Frank has been very creative in all his videos. In one of his videos he ate the restaurant's hottest wings, with triple sauce, and recorded himself pitching to the client while his mouth was on fire! Despite the fact he was coughing and choking, he pressed on.  The client loved it, sent it out to their entire team, and Frank got a meeting.  For him, it was worth it!   Keep in mind, the meeting took time and follow-up. After not hearing from the prospect after the initial video, he reached out again with another video, but without the wings this time, to ask if the client had seen the video.  It was then that Frank was able to solidify the meeting. Don’t be discouraged after just one touch.  Clients get busy.    The formula in creating a video  There is no one formula in creating a video but you can do the research to find the connective niche angle that will be the focus of your pitch. For a sports car company, Frank made a video of himself building one of their cars out of Legos in his workshop using his GoPro. He titled it “I Made Your Car in My Workshop” and it became click-worthy for the client. The video was tied into their brand and interest. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. What would make something click-worthy for you? When you create a video, tie it into the prospect’s brand or the contact’s personal interests. #SalesVideos </

Wed, July 29, 2020

Donald Kelly | 10 things New Sellers Should Avoid Doing

10 things new sellers should avoid doing   We all make mistakes from time to time but you can’t avoid them if you don’t know they’re mistakes. In this episode, Donald will share 10 mistakes he’s made so you he’s made so you don’t have to.    Mistake #1: Being pushy People hate pushy sales reps. These are the ones that are often associated with being a stereotypical “used car salesperson.” This makes buyers feel like they are being tricked into making a purchase. Buyers nowadays are educated, prepared, and they are familiar with the tactics that sellers use. These days, buyers have different options and can go somewhere else if they don’t feel you have their best interest at heart. Buyers want to move toward sellers who can educate them to make the best decision, as opposed to someone who is trying to push them into an option they don’t really need. .  Pushy sellers are those who are trying to hit their own deadlines and quotas without taking into account what’s best for their customer. They have abandoned the whole idea of empathy.   Mistake #2: Not listening We’ve all heard that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak … but not everyone takes this to heart. Donald was taught early on that he should only speak about 30-40% of the time. The rest of the time should be spent listening. New sellers have the notion that the more you talk, the more convincing you get. Actually, the opposite is true. Great sellers spend their time asking effective questions. When you research and come prepared with questions buyers can  respond to, it helps them see you’re more engaged. For example, ask questions pertaining to their business or personal interests . It’s during these conversations that the prospect will tell you how to sell to them.    Having two ears and one mouth should tell you to listen twice as much as you speak. #SalesListening   Mistake #3: Saying “Tell me more about your business”  Don’t ask a buyer about their business when there’s so much information available over the internet. Do your research before the meeting. The buyer shouldn’t have to waste their time educating you about their business. You don’t want to be caught less informed than your competition. Instead, ask them questions that pertain to their services and about the challenges their company may be trying to overcome.      Mistake #4: Lying  Nobody likes a liar. As a seller, you have an id

Mon, July 27, 2020

Steve Herz | How to Virtually Forge Deep Connections With Prospects

How to Virtually Forge Deep Connections With Prospects   The pandemic has changed the methods of prospecting. Sales is still about connecting with people on a personal level but with so many people doing business virtually now, sales reps have to be able to do this without getting to see people in “the real world.”    Steve Herz is the president of the Montag Group, a talent agency specializing in representing sportscasters, TV newscasters, weathermen radio personalities, podcast hosts, and more. Over the last four years, however, Steve has also become a coach to executive CEOs and anyone who wants to improve their communication skills to close more deals.    Don’t Take Yes for an Answer  Steve’s book is   Don’t Take Yes for an Answer . The title might seem odd to a salesperson whose livelihood depends on a yes. In this case,   Steve means that he doesn’t want people to be surrounded by the yeses that keep them stuck in mediocrity.  It impedes your improvement.   For example, Steve was in his second year of law school, and he was one of the 30 kids working at a big law firm in New York City. By the end of summer, he was facing a verdict of either getting an offer or not. The first 29 people ahead of him received an offer. Steve did not. The managing partner told him that he didn’t have the right skill set for the job and it was suggested he go into sales, start his own company, and come back to the firm as a client. Steve reflected on this advice and it changed the trajectory of his life. This is the story behind the title of his book. He was given a life-changing no and it was the best thing for him! Steve quotes Barry Summers, who has had great success on Wall Street, who said, “The second best thing to a Yes in the business is a fast No.”    Striving for the best version of you It isn’t your job to say yes. Your job is to bring out the honesty from people around you. Be okay with the no that will push you to become better. Show up with a healthy vulnerability that reflects your interest in growing and learning. If you  strive to get better everyday you open the door to a better version of yourself. This positions you to connect with people who may become your mentors.    Successful salesman vs a great salesman T

Fri, July 24, 2020

Jeff Shore | What To Do When a Customer Says “Not Yet” To Closing

What To Do When a Customer Says “Not Yet” To Closing   We’ve all gotten a “not yet” from a prospect and it can be frustrating having that delay in closing. In this episode we’ll look at how to move from “not yet” to yes.   Jeff Shore is a salesperson at heart and has been in the industry for a number of years. He started his sales career in real estate but for the last 20 years, he’s been at Shore Consulting. Jeff works with companies large and small all around the world. He is also a published author and is getting ready to launch his 10th book. He used to look at sales from the perspective of the salesperson but now, he’s looking at how a buyer buys. Instead of reading sales books, he reads psychology books to know what’s going on in the mind during the sales process that leads to the decisions people make.    Salespeople are sales counselors because they get to the root of the problem before they try to provide any kind of solution. This is the heartbeat of sales. We understand the customers’ problems and we try to offer them the best solution.   On writing his books    As an author, Jeff understands he has to live a book before he writes it. Jeff knows it’s not just about the sale. The follow up is just as important and Jeff is passionate about learning everything he can. He wants us all to know the greatest lessons are in how to serve customers and learning how we can add value after the initial presentation. This is what Jeff’s book is about.    The inability to follow-up  Not following up comes down to two things:  I can’t do it or I won’t do it. This is both an ability and a motivation issue. If you don’t know how, find someone to help you or a resource that can teach you.  Motivation entails having the right mindset.   The challenges today  The two biggest problems in doing follow-up are that salespeople are often too slow and/or too impersonal. Speed and personalization are the superpowers that salespeople have at their disposal. The faster they serve, the more that they are able to share the message that they care. These days, people equate speed with care. If you can combine speed and personalization, you’re already 98% ahead from other salespeople who just rely on their CRM to kick out a generic email 24-hours after the initial conversation.  Getting back in touch adds value and this is the first step in building a

Wed, July 22, 2020

Donald Kelly | 5 Things All Sellers Should Do Before Prospecting

5 Things All Sellers Should Do Before Prospecting Many salespeople find prospecting daunting. Prospecting is one of the most critical actions a sales rep can do to develop leads.Donald has worked with many salespeople and he still sees sales reps who don’t prepare as much as they should when prospecting. Even people who are high in the organizational chart need to prospect.  In this episode, Donald is sharing 5 actions that all sellers should take before prospecting. Set goals Plan ahead of time Focus on your list Do your research and find the right information about your prospects Have the proper mindset   Setting your goals  You must have a goal whenever you prospect. Having a goal allows you to have focused action in the time you’ve set aside for prospecting. Set a goal for how many prospects you want to contact in your scheduled time frame. Evaluate what you want to achieve. For example:   Do you plan on getting three new prospects? Are you setting two new appointments? Will you be making X number of calls?   To stay accountable, you can share your goals with somebody on your team. By doing this, you have someone to check on whether or not you’ve achieved your goals. For additional accountability, you can also check out The Sales Evangelizers, on Facebook and LinkedIn, to talk with the other sales reps who share similar goals.    Plan it  For many sales reps, prospecting can be treated as an afterthought. The best approach to prospecting is to have an action. Block out the time on your calendar and treat it as sacred so you can focus on your prospecting efforts.    Use your dedicated time for prospecting and focus your efforts on that. Don’t use this time to check company emails,  Facebook notifications,or LinkedIn.    Sales reps need to prepare more than you think you should. #SalesPreparedness Focus on your list Before you prospect, build a list first. Regardless of the tool you use,putting together this clearly defin

Mon, July 20, 2020

Rian Lanigan | What To Do When a Prospect "Ghosts" You

What To Do When a Prospect "Ghosts" You   During these uncertain times salespeople can feel they are being “ghosted” by prospects.  Someone who once seemed like a potential client has vanished with what seems like no hope of reconnecting. When this happens, what can you do?  You’ll find answers in this episode.    Rian Laniga graduated college and moved to Australia for a year. When he went back to Ireland, he started his career in sales. After working for other companies, he decided to start his agency to help B2B sales leaders get themselves in front of people more regularly. Rian is working with clients all over the globe including Singapore, Ireland, England, and the United States.    Defining ghosting Ghosting is not simply sending an email and not hearing or getting a response. Ghosting is more of already having a meeting with them, arranging for a follow-up, and then they didn’t show up. It’s when you’ve reached out to them multiple times but you didn’t hear a response. It’s not a one and done deal.    Why you may have been ghosted When you feel you’ve been ghosted the first question people ask themselves is why . One of the ways people make it easy for others to treat them this way is that sales reps aren’t deliberate about sharing next steps with prospects. Prospects need to know what to expect after having that initial contact and you need to know if you have someone who sincerely wants to continue a relationship with you. Salespeople can mistakenly believe they have a new client when all they hear is positive feedback. Rian suggests, however, that if you hear positive words, you may need to worry. Positive words don’t mean the prospect has decided to move forward with you. As the sales rep, come up with next steps that can be mutually agreed upon so you both know where you stand.  .  The calendar invite Rian’s next suggestion is to get your prospects to accept the calendar invite. You can’t expect them to turn into a call if you don’t send them an invitation first. Many salespeople tend to forget this step. People nowadays hate to go to meetings so it’s  important you get on their schedule so there’s a lesser chance of cancelation. It’s more important that you ask for time than a meeting. Always ask for more time than you need so when you finish early, you’re able to give their time back to them. You’re Hero of the Day! To get on the calendar initially, Rian asks prospects to open up their calendar while he’s with them so t

Fri, July 17, 2020

Amber Vilhauer | How a Steady Referral Rate Generated More Than 900 Authentic Testimonials

How a Steady Referral Rate Generated More Than 900 Authentic Testimonials   A great way to increase the longevity of any business or sales career is to have great referrals. In this episode, we’ll explore the evolution of referrals and the stages of you can move through to receive authentic and quality testimonials and referrals.   Amber Vilhauer is the owner of the company called NGNG Enterprises, which stands for No Guts, No Glory , a phrase that her mother used as she was growing up. It reminds Amber to face her fears as she navigates the online world.    A large part of NGNG Enterprises’ work includes developing high-performance websites. Amber understands websites are the hub and heart of a business and her goal is for people to land on your website and to experience you . In order to do that, the video has become a big part of their marketing strategy so the connection is more personal. They also have a marketing division where they help influencers start creating videos and live streaming. Amber’s team teaches them how to optimize and repurpose their content for all major channels. Consistency is part of Amber’s approach because this greatly impacts sales. For authors, Amber’s team helps them launch their books.    Defining referrals  Referral in the traditional sense is the sharing of information from one person to another about a particular business or service. By word of mouth, people share information with colleagues, friends, and family about businesses they believe in and trust. Getting referrals is a great way to build a customer base through people who have already used your services or products so you want to make sure you ask for the referral while the memory is still fresh and they’re excited.    Amber has a systematic approach she uses in asking for a testimonial. At the end of every website project, they celebrate their success with their clients. While they are celebrating and happy, Amber asks the clients if they would be willing to provide a written testimonial of their experience. The client invariably asks what she wants them to say but Amber lets them know she’d rather have them articulate their own experience with her company so the testimonials are 100% true and genuine. Over the years, she has found there are consistent keywords throughout the testimonials.  Repurposing contents For years, these written testimonials were the norm but now, videos have become popu

Wed, July 15, 2020

Donald Kelly | 5 Things To Know Before Using LinkedIn Voice Message

5 Things To Know Before Using LinkedIn Voice Message   Salespeople want to know how to use new features that enable us to reach out to prospects and an example is the LinkedIn voice message. There are, however,  things you need to know before sending your first one.   LinkedIn Voice Messaging LinkedIn is now expanding its reach and updating its platform with new features. One great feature you want to be aware of is the ability to send a video message. Donald Kelly has 5 tips for using LinkedIn’s voice message:   Tip 1: Keep your message simple  Tip 2: You need to have a specific message Tip 3: Offer value Tip 4: Follow a structure Tip 5: Have an invitation to action   Keep it Simple  LinkedIn voice messages offer a 60-second to record a message. (If you don’t know how to find this tool, you can check out this episode on our YouTube channel, episode 1316.) When you only have 60 seconds you need to keep your message simple and brief. Your prospects are bombarded with activities from daily schedules and you don’t want to make their lives more difficult by giving them a voice message that takes too much time.    Use a message and a value When you reach out to your prospect, be sure of your message. What do your prospects really need from you? The prospect wants the message to be worth their time. Your job is to focus on their problems and the solutions you provide. The people  you’re contacting are likely first-degree connections so you don’t need to tell them everything your company does. These people have already connected with you. The first thing you’re going to say is your name and then you can go ahead with your message and tie it in with value.    Starting a personalized message with “Out of curiosity …” allows space for a conversation to begin. #SalesPersonalization   Follow a structure  Leave a message like you’re talking to a friend and make sure you include an invitation to an upcoming event or make them aware of information that brings value. Offer something that will be beneficial to them.This may be as simple as sending images or videos that may be helpful to them but it increases engagement.    Keep in mind, this feature is only applicable to those who have the LinkedIn application. For those without the application, you need to do

Mon, July 13, 2020

Stephen M. Lowisz | Finding the Right Blend of Personalization and Automation In Outbound Sales

Finding the Right Blend of Personalization and Automation In Outbound Sales   There has to be a balance between personalization and automation in outbound sales. The question is, how do you keep the right blend of the two? In this episode, we’ll discuss how to personalize the method of automation.   Stephen Lowisz always says that he sucks at everything except sales. He was 16 when he started selling consulting solutions. He didn’t make any money at first but even with no formal training he was able to study the process and he made his first 1.1 at 19. When Stephen started sales, it was old-school smile-and-dial. It was a time of manual effort - finding people, getting their data, putting it on SalesForce, and calling. Things are different now.   The lack of interest in effective outreach Outbound sales isn’t necessarily viewed as appealing. The appeal comes later when you’re collecting the check. Outbound sales is considered spam because we often get automated messages from a variety of sources. Many sales teams don’t realize there is a right and wrong way of sending out emails.    The balance between personalization and automation  Executing Stephen’s philosophy of making outbound more personal is executed by taking a group of people that are almost identical in persona. Once they are selected he then communicates with the group as a specific persona and it helps make the message more personal even if it’s being automated to a specific group. In his company, they sell behavioral analytics to predict sales team performance within organizations and most of their products are focused on HR. They are good clients but they are not a group where persona can be defined.   When he talks to a small group of people who exhibit the same persona he can get very personal with them. Most salespeople approach an individual saying, “ Hey I’m Stephen from Quality Agents. I run a performance solution and I have behavioral analytics …”  and on and on, making it all about them and their products.   Stephen has a different approach. He’ll say, “Look, running HR, essentially being the CEO of people in a fast-moving tech company with ever-changing needs, is really, really difficult. I get to align with HR leaders like yourself, to help them grow and scale and align their teams and I want to swap some insight and ideas.”  He’s able to make it about them and shows up to serve and partner.    <s

Fri, July 10, 2020

Shoan Snoday | How To Turn Cold Leads Into Hot Prospects

Shoan's mission is to help every person on the planet that has a powerful and compelling message, to overcome their challenges with getting their material out “there” and broadcast their voice with confidence, courage, and fearless determination in order to connect with the Social Media World and impact their audience with next-level engagement.

Wed, July 08, 2020

Donald Kelly | How to Overcome Your Fear of Prospecting

Most sellers have an intense fear of prospecting, and they'll have to overcome it in order to survive in sales.

Mon, July 06, 2020

Tom Abbott | LinkedIn Posts That Generate Sales Leads

Tom Abbott is the founder and Managing Director of SOCO Sales Training. He has delivered hundreds of motivational sales keynotes, kickoffs, presentations and workshops in over 20 countries and is a pioneer of optimising the sales processes of organizations worldwide. He is the author of the sales books The SOHO Solution and Social Selling, the host of the Selling in Asia podcast and is the architect of SOCO Academy an award winning e-learning platform helping thousands of small business owners and sales professionals optimise their sales performance. And here are links to resources Tom shared in the episode: SOCO Sales Training Website  https://www.socoselling.com Free copy of ’Social Selling’ book by Tom Abbott:  https://bit.ly/SOCOevangelizers Connect with Tom on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/socoselling/ Facebook Soco Selling Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/socoselling

Fri, July 03, 2020

Tom Whalen | Three Tips To Win Back Lost Customers

Tom Whalen is a career Inside Sales professional and has been leading sales teams since 2000. As a leader, coach, and mentor, Tom has trained countless sales professionals for industry leading organizations such as: Hewlett-Packard, American Express, Key Corp and McKesson Corporation. Tom has built successful sales teams from scratch, scaled new organizations, turned struggling departments around, and integrated several acquisitions. Tom’s passion for developing talent, winning new business and moving the inside sales profession forward has been instrumental in the growth of the companies he’s worked for as well as the clients they serve. When Tom isn’t growing sales organizations, he loves taking wife Suzanne and two daughters Casey and Sydney to Disneyworld and is a zealous fan of all things wrestling.

Wed, July 01, 2020

Donald Kelly | There is Strength in Numbers

In many cases, engaging a team in your sales activity can imply professionalism and strategy that isn't present when only a single person gets involved.

Mon, June 29, 2020

John Voris | The One Need Every Human Mind Has And How It Will Help Increase Your Sales

John Voris educates about the very things that make us tick, the roots that make for success or failure in our work, relationships and personal well-being. John is a philosopher, writer and a psychological researcher. John earned his degree from the University of California with a degree in Philosophy. “Discover the Power That Drives Your Personality” is the result of over 20 years of application and another 16 years of research. By applying European discoveries into field application involving hundreds of sales prospects, John invented a groundbreaking approach to personal inquiry that revealed a person’s life motivation and authentic design far beyond sales. He discovered that our drive for personal Happiness, Meaning, Purpose and Harmony manifest the hidden power beneath our observed personality

Fri, June 26, 2020

David Walter | How to Double Your Cold-Calling Contacts

How to Double Your Cold-Calling Contacts   Cold-calling has always been part of the sales process. Many salespeople can struggle with this aspect of the job but it’s a critical part of gaining new prospects. The more you call, the greater the odds that they will turn into great leads.    David Walter ran a call center for thirteen years and is currently a coach. He is also the author of the book, The Million Dollar Rebuttal and Stratospheric Lead Generation Secrets . David also worked with the American Bank i, and then helped his father sell million-dollar HVAC equipment. The recession then hit, however, and David had to look for another job.    David reads a lot as part of his training and personal development. He credits his exposure to quality books as being a catalyst to the life he has today.  With the culmination of his experience and knowledge, David has been able to revolutionize the concept of cold-calling from the ground up.    Mistakes salespeople make David did training with SDRs in Plano and made a video series to help them learn more about cold-calling. When they were doing their calls, however, they were just calling the wrong numbers and weren’t getting anywhere. They weren’t able to make any useful contacts. Based on a study, 70% of contact information is incorrect and 55% of the people you call may not be available to talk to. These “dead” numbers can eat up a sales rep’s valuable hours. However, David assures us all is not lost.    During David’s years in the call center he was always on the hunt for the perfect list. The lists were supposed to be verified but he found that it wasn’t the case. He learned his lesson and decided to release the idea of a perfect list. Instead, he opted for a basic format with the names of the companies and put it in a simple CRM like Crmble. He also developed a script that he still uses to get “gatekeepers” to provide needed information. He did this by listening to natural calls and getting back to the basics.     For example, David used to work with a distributorship and it involved him answering calls. He noticed that if a person just used a first name when asking for a contact, the caller sounded more confident and there was an air of authority and familiarity that he’d immediately respond to. David realized he could use this “first name” technique to qualify contacts.  Ask the basic

Wed, June 24, 2020

Donald Kelly | How To Get Cold Prospects To Genuinely Listen

How To Get Cold Prospects To Genuinely Listen   Every call to a prospect provides an opportunity to get a sale. Your job is to move the odds in your favor and you do this about strategizing the right approach in that initial call. With the right preparation, your prospects will genuinely want to listen to what you have to say.     About 25% of the phone calls you make are answered by the person you are reaching out to. Now that you have them on the phone, however, what do you say to maintain their interest? In cold-calling,  every second matters, every word matters. In this episode, Donald will offer tips on how to excel in cold-calling by grabbing your prospects’ attention, and eventually make an appointment and hopefully, a sale.    Grab your prospects’ interest Cold-calling can be difficult and when you let your nerves get the best of you you can end up rambling. Before you know it, they’ve hung up on you. You need to do what you can to ensure the call is successful and a lot of that success is going to be based on how you prepare long before the call happens.    If you are getting to talk to people only 25% of the time,  the other 75% of your time is spent going straight to voicemail so don’t waste that opportunity! You can still leave an interesting message for them to listen to. Donald learned that there are two things people want to know - your identity and purpose. Human beings have a primal need to know if someone is friend or foe. Prospects can get very defensive the moment they perceive they are part of a cold call.  As a salesperson himself, Donald is one who listens and engages in conversation and sometimes, he provides tips as well. Donal would always give them the benefit of the doubt but he is more the exception than the rule.     Putting yourself in their shoes When making cold calls, put yourself in their shoes. Think about what might be on their minds at that moment. If they don’t know you, the person answering the phone will wonder who you are and why you’re calling. In this scenario, Donald employs the POR strategy or Point of Reference. Everyone you’re calling will automatically distinguish and categorize you as either a friend or a foe depending on your initial statement. Your job is to give them a point of reference to extend the conversation.  Using a referral One way to provide a point of reference is a referral. For example, Donald wants

Mon, June 22, 2020

Asa Hochhauser | How To Lead A Team of SDRs and BDRs During Challenging Times

How To Lead A Team of SDRs and BDRs During Challenging Times These recent times have been tough for sales leaders. There’s a lot to be done, but if you have a team of SDRs and BDRs in these challenging times, you can still guide them toward success. Let’s talk about that in this episode.    Asa Hochhauser has been in sales for 15 years primarily leading startups, both as an individual contributor and as a sales manager. He is currently busy helping sales enterprises, from small to mid-market businesses, and he is leading a sales academy where they are experiencing a lot of growth as people look for more training.    Challenges in leading a team Keeping the team motivated is often the biggest challenge a sales manager can face. It’s difficult to keep up team spirit and focus on helping other companies. It’s also equally challenging to ensure that the SDRs and BDRs are doing the right thing when it comes to disseminating information and providing value. Sometimes, salespeople are so focused on learning about the product their attention is diverted away from solving buyer problems.   Planning ahead  As Abraham Lincoln said, “ Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Sending emails and calling on a daily basis is still a priority but these activities have to be modified to accommodate the change brought about by the improvement of technology and computers. Asa always encourages his team to spend time understanding their ideal customers or buyers and segmenting them. Asa is also seeing to it that they are keeping their outbound in motion and encourages his team to plan for the next day. These are all done based on marketing-generated outbound.  Asa’s team understands that when they plan ahead they’re not wasting valuable time that can be used on making actual contacts. They come to the office prepared with the set of activities that ensures productive time in the office.    Leads coming in For Asa’s team, their marketing-generated leads are coming in based on events or content that people are engaging with. They also have a list from Discover.org based on the content they’re creating. Platforms like LinkedIn, CRM, and SalesForce have also been effective tools.   There are a lot of ways that businesses can get their list of prospects but Asa cautions that these platforms can also become a distraction. This is why planning is imperative. Your team will know which platform they should focus on but don’t

Fri, June 19, 2020

Mark Evans | Building Good Habits In Sales

Building Good Habits In Sales Salespeople need to build good habits to excel in their careers and close more deals. There is an abundance of training materials, books, and seminars to become the salespeople we want to be. In this episode, we will talk about moving from being a salesperson to becoming a sales professional.    Mark Evans has been a salesperson all his life, starting with his parents’ small business, practicing being a salesperson. After finishing college, he got back into sales. Now, Mark has a sales consultancy where he helps companies build their sales playbook. He teaches disciplined actions that can be used daily. These actions focus on the craft of selling long before the first meeting. This is the respect prospects deserve.    Respecting the prospects The key differential between salespeople and being a sales professional is the level they hone their craft and prepare for each meeting. A true sales professional won’t practice in front of their prospects.  Sales professionals are intrigued by perfecting their craft. They are disciplined in their approach and practice their questions so that when it’s game time, they are at their best. They’ve put in the practice.    There’s a difference between a salesperson and a sales professional. The difference is practice and craft. #SalesProfessional   Level of preparation The chef at a restaurant shows up hours before the kitchen opens to ensure everything is prepped, fresh, and prepared properly. They do this to offer their best to the customers. The same should be true in sales. Even before you see your customer, do your research, identify your ideal customer, and understand the most current problems they’re facing. Have empathy for their circumstances and be ready with solutions. That level of preparation will uplevel you from salesperson to sales professional.    Facing the challenge  Yes, preparation takes time and effort. Mark employs a strategy with his clients called The Triangle :  Three people come together for a meeting and take turns role playing as the salesperson, the prospect, and the observer. As they take turns they practice various sales scenarios and objections while offering feedback.    Sales managers can help foster a culture of excellence by allowing time for practice and taking action toward sales goals.  Building good habit

Wed, June 17, 2020

Donald Kelly | How To Generate Interest In Lost Opportunities

How To Generate Interest In Lost Opportunities    Every so often, a prior interest doesn’t end with a good close. Sometimes, there are lost opportunities. As a salesperson, how do you generate interest in lost opportunities? Today’s episode will talk about how you can turn “trash” to treasure!    Have you experienced winning a deal that came from a lost opportunity? How did you do it? Leave a comment below!    Defining lost opportunity Imagine this sales scenario: You are moving through the sales process with a new prospect and he/she is very excited to work with you. For some reason, however, before you get a chance to close the prospect loses interest. You’re not alone. A study from HubSpot shows that almost half the deals are lost due to budget and the other half is because of timing. Other reasons for a loss of interest are as follows are because of the lack of the prospect’s authority, no time to review or wanting more time to review the deal, and lack of urgency. Your deal became a back-burner item and it just fizzled out. Being diligent, you reach out multiple times but eventually decide that you can’t waste anymore time and move on. At that point, you label the deal as a lost opportunity and end it. Think about all those deals and lost opportunities. Could there be treasure in that trash?   YES! There is.    A lost opportunity One company thought The Sales Evangelist was a lost opportunity. Donald’s sales team had used a particular software and actually liked it. With changes happening in the TSE organization and the pandemic,however, they didn’t get to use the software as much and canceled the service. In this case, Donald was already a customer but canceled the service to focus resources on more immediate needs.   Due to Covid-19, the software company wasn’t doing too well. Luckily, one member of their team figured out a way to move through it by looking at the list of people who had canceled their subscription. The company figured these cancelations were customers who, at one point, saw the value of their product. They asked themselves how they could re-generate interest and get these customers back.   Donald was one of the customers they reached out to. In one of Donald’s previous podcasts, he talked about making an offer so good, the prospects can’t refuse. Through that email, Donald got an offer he couldn’t refuse. The software hadn’t been overly expensive when he was their customer, costing $50/month, but the email invited Donald to come back at 50% off, $25/month, for

Mon, June 15, 2020

Curt Tueffert | How to Network Your Way into Value

How to Network Your Way into Value    Building your network is an important step in being a success in sales. With a good network, you’re able to network your value. Curt Tueffert is the Vice President of sales development for a large industrial distributor in Houston, Texas.  The company was founded in 1908  is now a multinational publicly traded company with over 200 outside sales. Curt’s job is to manage a small group responsible for developing sales training, sales leadership, and vision casting for the rest of the team.    Curt is also a sales instructor at the University of Houston, an author of two books, and travels across the United States trying to coach people in getting better at sales. He teaches that sales is a work in progress and no two sales are the same. Each sale needs to be approached with curiosity to discover what is needed to build relationships.    Defining networking and value Curt points out that networking isn’t about the people you know, it’s about the people who know you. You can know 10 people but it’s more important to have 100 people who know you and see you as a source and resource of value. Customers and prospects are the ones who define your value in sales. You expand your network by constant communication and the cadence in which you release information they feel is valuable. This is especially true at this time where we have new rules of engagement in 2020. Now that you have time, this is a great opportunity to enhance and increase your network.    Network your way into value  Curt shares three ways you can network your way into value:   Create an organizational chart by knowing who is connected to who in the organization. Who knows you? Increase your influence quotient.    These elements affect your ability to influence other people  using the research you’ve uncovered, and how you barter your information in exchange for information they can provide in turn.  This is what networking is all about.  The organization chart Let’s look at a company that has multiple branches of influence. When you build your organizational chart, you may start with one person but you need to know who is above them and below them, who their peers are, and the chain of command.  Ideally, you want to know who is two levels up, two levels across, and two levels deep. Why so much ef

Fri, June 12, 2020

Todd Rychecky | How To Partner With Resellers To Achieve Repeatable Sales Growth

How To Partner With Resellers To Experienced Repeatable Sales Growth   Sales is not just about growing your customer base but also about partnerships with a variety of people. If you want repeatable sales growth, these partnerships include businesses, other salespeople, and resellers.     Todd Rychecky is the VP of Sales  Americas in Latin America and has been with the company for the past 12 and a half years. Todd got into sales in 1991, when he was studying was pre-med in college but didn’t get in. As a result, he joined the sales force when he was 23 years old and made a huge move from Nebraska to Dallas where he worked for Whitmire Distribution, a drug wholesale company. Later on, the company was acquired by Cardinal Health and Todd continued to work for them, traveling by car, calling on hospital pharmacies, home infusion, retails stores, and retail chains.    Todd never imagined he’d be in sales but his college roommate was very passionate about becoming a salesman and Todd was intrigued by someone who knew they wanted to be in sales. When Todd started his career, he had the chance to work for a sales manager who he still says is one of the best salesmen he’s ever seen. They traveled from hospital to hospital and Todd clearly remembers his sales manager’s sense of urgency. In addition to that, he was also knowledgeable and credible and always conducted business with a big smile on his face.  With this complete package, Todd saw it was hard for anyone to say no.    Starting the sales journey  Once Todd was on his own, he made his first road trip in a new company car, a car phone that cost 75 cents a minute, and an AT&T calling card. Back then, you could cold call the pharmaceutical companies without setting up an appointment, especially true in rural areas. Fast forward to today and Todd is running the Sales for the Americas. What has contributed to his success is that working for OpenGear, a startup in Australia. They originally had five employees so initially,  Todd had to do everything himself, handling inbound calls and the online chat. He knew that the company needed to win new customers so he was able to practice a variety of styles and approaches in every task and through each customer.  People would often be impressed when they found out they were speaking to the VP of Sales. What they didn’t know was it was just Todd.    Todd’s focus is now on the sales team, the partner channels, executing the sales playbook, their selling strategies, and scaling new talents and resources.    Create your playbook The first thing you need in order to win is a playbook that you

Wed, June 10, 2020

Tony Morris | 5 Ways New Sellers Can Sell Like Pros

5 Ways New Sellers Can Sell Like Pros New sellers struggle because they lack the skills and experience to ask well-crafted questions and build rapport with prospects.  In this episode, Tony Morris talks about the five ways that new sellers can sell like pros. Tony Morris is a speaker for sales conferences around the globe, and an author of several books, a podcaster, and an entrepreneur who runs a sales training business called Tony Morris International.    The 80/20 Law  Tony believes that sales reps should apply the 80/20 Rule. This means salespeople should listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time.  As Tony points out, we have two ears and one mouth so we should use them in that order.  Unfortunately, most salespeople are in fact doing 80/20 but they’re doing it the wrong way round. The first tip for new sellers is to get the customer or prospect to talk more than you.    People generally love to talk about themselves. When you encourage your prospect to talk more, it allows them to become comfortable. As they talk,  you’re able to learn more and build rapport quicker. You do this by asking the right questions and listening with the objective to learn and understand.    Asking the right questions  Many people ask the wrong questions.  These questions can be answered with yes or no, they don’t provide a lot of insight into the prospect’s journey before meeting with you, and they aren’t personal.  Alternatively, Tony calls the right questions “killer questions.” One example of a killer question is, “What’s the best that you’ve seen so far?” The answer to this question allows you to understand more about what the prospect is looking for, what they’ve seen in your competition, and how you can offer better.    Ask questions that are open, will provoke conversation, and will allow you to share the info your prospect needs. #EffectiveQuestions   Sales managers can encourage asking skills in a team meeting.  Start by allowing each person to come up with a topic and then the team has to practice asking open-ended questions about that topic. Going through this process trains the brain to become comfortable asking these questions. The more you do it, the more natural and habitual it becomes. Through this exercise, you’re learning how to hold a conversation, not an interrogation. When you’re comfortable as a sales rep, it allows room for your prospects to get comfortable as well.    Different types of questions  Tag on questions that allow you to

Mon, June 08, 2020

Donald Kelly | 5 Things I Learn About Sales Doing 1,300 Episodes

5 Things I Learn About Sales Doing 1,300 Episodes It’s been a long and amazing journey for The Sales Evangelist. Content creation and podcasting have been the core of TSE and after 1,300 episodes, there are several lessons that Donald has learned. This episode will be about all the top lessons that have come from producing The Sales Evangelist since starting seven years ago. TSE has now been able to reach halfway around the world and has been mentioned and recognized in some of the most recognized business publications such as Entrepreneur and Forbes.     We all have moments in our lives where we give up an idea. Donald is grateful that he didn’t give up on podcasting even though he came close. Having TSE has allowed him to serve people in sales and by doing so they are better able to navigate the struggles they face in their industry. He summarizes these top lessons in Five Sales Principles:   You can’t sell higher than your level of belief. Nothing happens until you prospect. Value is in the eye of the beholder. Zig when everyone is zagging. Swing for the fences.   You can’t sell any higher than your level of belief  Henry Ford has a very famous quote: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” Wayne Gretzky said it this way: “You miss 100% of the shots that you do not take.”  These words all point to the first principle. Donald started this podcast with a desire that later turned into a belief. He began the podcast in April 2013 but realized early on that it was difficult. Luckily, Jared, one of Donald’s friends, invited Donald to his podcast. That experience made Donald believe that he could do podcasts as well and served to remind him how much he loved talking to people himself.    In sales, you cannot succeed until you believe it. The same is true in life. You need to visualize your success. In sales, visualize your success before it even happens. Believe that you can get into pitch with people, close a deal, and be a great seller.  Your belief will cause you to act, lead you down a path of opportunities, and open up a social circle of the people you need to be exposed to. Donald suggests that when you go out to a p

Fri, June 05, 2020

Tasha Smith | Keys to Making the Sales Process ENJOYABLE for You and the Customer

Keys to Making the Sales Process ENJOYABLE for You and the Customer   The sales process is a journey that can vary in the amount of time invested. Regardless of how long it takes, it’s within your control to make it enjoyable for you and the customer!     Tasha Smith is with Emerge Sales Training and they help entrepreneurs become great at selling. Their goal is to make the journey enjoyable for both the sellers and their customers. Tasha’s company wants to ensure that the selling experience is in line with the sellers’ values and personalities. They offer one-on-one coaching with entrepreneurs to figure out what their best offers are, how to unlock their superpowers, and how they can communicate in an honorable way. They call it good human sales.    Unfortunately, not all salespeople are selling with the buyers’ best intentions. Some are tricking them into a one-sided experience where they win and the buyers don’t. However, when you’re selling for the benefit of the consumer, then you elevate the transaction for you and them.    Leveling the playing field  As a salesperson, ask yourself this question, “What is it about the sales process that makes it un enjoyable?”  When Tasha coaches a new client, they start with the opposite of what they want to create and then reverse engineer the process backwards. There are several reasons why a sales transaction can be unenjoyable:   The customer feels like there’s going to be a bait and switch. The customer feels the pressure to buy. The decision to move forward feels confusing and overwhelming. The process is boring. The customer has to work really hard at connecting the dots.   Your job as the salesperson is to keep these things from happening and making it a great experience for the customer.  If it’s great for the customer, it’s great for you.    When you

Wed, June 03, 2020

Donald Kelly | Three Things I Learn From Jordan's Last Dance To Dominate Sales

Three Things I Learn From Jordan's Last Dance To Dominate Sales   Donald Kelly’s knowledge has come from a variety of sources -- books, podcasts, training, sales seminars, documentaries, and more recently, the docuseries, Michael Jordan’s Last Dance. The natural seller in Donald caught key principles from the series that will help salespeople to dominate sales.    The Last Dance is a docuseries featuring the last year Michael Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls. It’s a revealing 10-part series that shows why Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time.  As Donald watched, he could see the lessons that are revealed are applicable to Donald in every role: as a father, a husband, a business owner, and as a sales professional. Here are the top takeaways for Donald from the Last Dance series:    Have a win-at-all-cost mentality You need a mindset and belief system of success  Be a perfectionist in the details   Win-at-all-cost mentality To Michael Jordan, a win-at-all-cost mentality , meant he didn’t let it enter his mind that he could miss a shot. His only focus was getting the ball into the basket every time. While he did miss shots in the span of his career, he was able to make critical shots because it didn’t occur to him that he wouldn’t.    If you want to achieve greatness, this is the mentality you need to master. Within ethical and legal boundaries, what are you willing to do?  Will you dare to believe you can’t miss a shot?    Michael Jordan was willing to put in the work. His mindset allowed him to give his best and practice hard. He was willing to work longer than anyone else, learn from the best, and he could adapt to new strategies in order to take him to greater heights of success.    How does this apply to sales? More often than not, sales reps desire success but  don’t truly believe that they can achieve their goals. Not everyone does what it takes to achieve the success they want. If you want to be the best in the team and excel in sales, however, then you may have to reevaluate the level of effort you’re willing to show up for. Thoroughly understand th

Mon, June 01, 2020

Mitchell Earl | How to Land Your First Sales Job Even With No Experience

How to Land Your First Sales Job With No Previous Experience   A loaded resume is important to many employers but when you’re brand new, how do you land your first sales job without any experience ? In this episode, we’re going to learn how to jump the line even before your first close.   Mitchell Earl had his life planned out; however, a year into college, everything changed for him. He got involved in a startup that took off in his sophomore year of college. It started with a small team over the course of three years, the company grew to thousands of people. Working for the startup early on allowed him to work many different positions within the company.   Mitchell eventually met the founder of Praxis and quickly became a valuable member of the team. Mitchell is now the COO. Praxis helps people take the first steps into the real world whether their clients are fresh out of high school, college, or they’ve left school before graduation. The goal is to help them begin their first careers, many of which are in sales.    Starting your career fresh from school  Sales is one of the entry points where people care less about credentials and more about someone’s ability to learn quickly, be coachable, and handle rejection.   Before you set out, know what you want. For new graduates, you’ve already chosen a path and that’s great. Oftentimes, however, people get stuck because they can’t figure out what it is they want to do next.    Show your value One of the best ways to impress a potential employer is to show how you can be valuable to the company.  As a salesperson, an important skill is to be able to capture someone's attention.. To do that, you need to stop doing what everyone else is doing. Stand out by differentiating yourself.  Once you’ve gotten their attention, secure your place by continuing to prove your value.    To do this, Mitchell uses a personal pitch deck and a project. For example, you can do preliminary research by going to a company’s website. Figuring out who their buyers are and how you can participate in problem solving. Build your prospects list and with all this information, document your methodology so it’s duplicatable.    A pitch deck explains who you are, why you love their company, and how you can help with the problems. This is where you get the opportunity to present thoug

Fri, May 29, 2020

Mary Grothe | How To Build Your Career In Sales

How To Build Your Career In Sales    The road to building a career in sales may be difficult but certainly not impossible, especially if you have a great road map, the right character, and key people in your life who help you move forward. In this episode, we’ll outline what these may look like.    At 22 years old, Mary Grothe started with a Fortune 1000 payroll and HR company. She became an administrative assistant supporting eight salespeople and the number one sales manager in the country. Within a couple of months, she realized she wanted a spot on the mid-market sales team. She asked her sales manager what she needed to accomplish in order to be considered for the position when it became available. For two years, she worked hard and became number one in her role. Looking back to heer first phone call, she was like any other sales rep, very nervous, and was sweating hard, but she also had a strong desire to surpass all expectations.  She certainly accomplished what she set out to do.    Mary eventually took on an equity position as a VP in Sales and Marketing. They rebuilt the company’s revenue engine and quadrupled its revenue in seven months. She liked the thrill of growing a business and as she thought of setting out on her own, her entrepreneurial spirit was ignited. As a result, Mary started her first consulting firm called Butterly Creative in 2011. As a young entrepreneur, she was trying to figure out how to maneuver through pricing her services while maintaining the energy she needed. There were a lot of rookie mistakes in the beginning, so she eventually stepped away from the company. After she gave birth, her passion for the business came back again and she now helps build revenue for larger companies.   For the new salespeople  Mary Grother has these suggestions for new graduates who are just starting out their careers in sales:    There are multiple types of sales roles   A new salesperson doesn’t have to automatically choose to go to a BDR/SDR position. There are so many types of sales positions in business development roles. It is important to understand these roles because each salesperson has the opportunity to match who they are as a person to the type of selling they want to do.  Doing something that is more in line with who they are will likely influence their performance and sales roles in a positive way.   </p

Wed, May 27, 2020

Donald Kelly | Mindset vs. Skillset - Which Is More Important In Sales?

Mindset vs. Skill Set - Which Is More Important In Sales?   As a salesperson, which do you think is more important, a mindset or a skill set? What are the differences between the two? In this episode, Donald will explore the value of both.     Defining mindset and skill set Mindset is your established attitude or beliefs. Mindset has two parts -  a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset settles into what is working and doesn’t change.  A growth mindset can see the opportunities to improve.   A skill set, on the other hand, is your range of ability. What training and skills have you mastered to be able to execute the work you need to do well in your business?   Donald Experiences the Difference Between Mindset and Skill Set  A salesperson should have both a great mindset and the relevant skill set.  When Donald was a young man his friend’s father, who was like a  second dad, gave him the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. He read it and internalized the information so he believed he would succeed in his goals.  As a result, when Donald started in sales, he was a ball of energy. He watched all the movies and rolled out his B2C experience fresh from college. He was working, setting up appointments and he felt good that he could take all the ideas he’d learned and bring them into professional selling. His mindset was propelling him forward.    Things got a little bit difficult when Donald entered the B2B world. He had the growth mindset but he didn’t have the skill set to go with it. One of the companies he worked for had him knocking on doors and handing out business cards. This was something that Donald did not see as professional selling. Without the proper skill set, Donald felt he was just going around in circles. He eventually moved on to another company and there he got the skill set training he needed. There, he learned how to    Use the phone to prospect Make a proper cold call Use LinkedIn Go to networking events Ask effective questions Challenge a prospect about their beliefs to

Mon, May 25, 2020

Tony Panea | How To Easily Track Your Leads From Prospect To Close Deal

How To Easily Track Your Leads From Prospect Status To Closing the Deal Salespeople track leads from prospect status to closing the deal because that’s how the sales process flows. But how can we keep the information organized so we take action in a way that’s best for a potential client?   For the last six years, Toni Panea has focused on his role as a sales engineer. Before that, he was running a real estate business and wanted to track all his leads and how they flowed through his business.  He wanted to organize information in a way that let him know how many clients he had when the next appointments should be, and how to prepare for meetings. However, when Toni looked for apps and software that could help, he found there were no available tools that existed. When Toni realized this was a critical need that was missing, he filled the void himself by creating his current business, Crmble . This business would provide what he’d been looking for and it’s helping others as well.  Tips on tracking your leads  Salespeople should ask themselves if they have a system that tracks the status of leads, including names, contact data, notes about meetings, etc. Toni recommends using available tools like the Trello app where you can see the status of your leads and add alarms.  Many salespeople use Excel as Donald did, but Trello offers more organizational opportunities. Trello allows you to track more information relevant to your business and sales team.  The power-up  Crmble is a power-up of Trello.  Using the existing Trello platform, Crmble is a plug-in that can be layered to provide notification capabilities specifically for sales.  With Crmble, you are also able to connect to third-party services such as Facebook and Google Forms. Others will be added in the near future.  A feature in Crmble is connecting salespeople to Google Contact to better access a data link from your Trello cards when someone is calling. As soon as you finish the conversation, you can go to your Trello card and update an alarm for the next steps.  You can close confidently knowing you won’t forget future steps. This plugin is a bridge that lets Crmble capabilities stream into that of Trello functionalities.  For example, Crmble also has reporting capabilities where sales reps can see the number of leads they have in every touchpoint for their sales funnel. There’s also a report on the number of leads converted to sales before

Fri, May 22, 2020

Steve Kloyda | Learn To Prospect Like An Expert With Steve Kloyda

Learn To Prospect Like An Expert With Steve Kloyda   Prospecting isn’t to be taken lightly and there are skills needed before you can prospect well. In this episode, Steve Kloyda helps us figure out how to prospect like an expert.    Steve Kloyda has been creating unique selling experiences for over 30 years and has been able to transform the lives of countless salespeople. In addition to facilitating thousands of workshops across the country, he personally made more than 25,000 sales and prospecting calls, listened to and analyzed more than 25,000 sales calls, and facilitated over 6,000 one-on-one coaching sessions. He has clearly earned the title expert! Steve’s insights have provided clients with a powerful learning experience for anyone who wants to transform their sales and dramatically grow their business. His aim is to help salespeople attract more prospects, retain more clients, and drive more sales.    Steve also remembers unforgettable customer service. One of his coolest sales experiences was at Hilton Head several years ago when it was suggested to him and his wife to go to the Pink House for dinner. It was indeed an old pink house converted into a restaurant and by dessert, his wife just wanted fresh fruit but it wasn’t on the menu. Steve made his request and though it wasn’t a dessert they offered the waiter came back 10 minutes later with a plate of fresh fruits so beautifully arranged it reminded Steve of a work of art. To top it all off, they didn’t even charge them when they were billed! The Pink House went above and beyond all their expectations.  When was the last time you went out of your way for a customer?   Steve as the prospecting expert  Steve started his company, Telemasters, in 1990. He built the company over 18 years and they specialized in creating a unique process for salespeople to prospect. From that point until 2005, the primary tools for prospecting were basically telephone and email. When 2006 came around, social media including LinkedIn started to look like a great platform to prospect. Steve went on an online class with Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive, and what she asked him hit him:    What are you really passionate about? What are you really good at?    Steve has always been good at opening doors and prospecting. To see how many people were looking up topics related to prospecting, he did a Google search and learned that tips, strategies, and ideas were a hot topic. People are searching for these topics about 200 to 300,000 times a month. He decided to sell his Telemaste

Wed, May 20, 2020

Donald Kelly | How Do I Stand Out From All The Competition?

How Do I Stand Out From The Competition?   Are there still ways salespeople can stand out from the competition? This is an age-old question that was posed by a recent college graduate. If so, how?  In this episode, Donald will share four ways he’s learned, through his personal and professional experience, to stand out from your competition:    Be persistent Personalize Use your CRM and bring value Have energy and drive   Be persistent Studies have shown that many sales reps give up making contact after one or two attempts. In reality, it takes 8 - 12 points of contact before a potential prospect may respond. If you want to stand out from your competition, be consistent and persistent. Of course, this doesn’t mean sitting and calling eight times in a row within a day. You have to ensure you have an organizational flow process. This is the process that moves through the buyer’s journey to get to the interest and awareness phase within the organization.    Use an omni channel approach when strategically making multiple contacts with prospects. The buyers are not camping out in one location. Many salespeople think  the only way you can get in touch with a prospect is through phone calls and emails. With this digital world there are multiple platforms to utilize, like LinkedIn. Don’t just hop from profile to profile but truly invest your time engaging with people you’re already connecting with. Some suggested steps include the following:   Call Send an email  Reach out on LinkedIn and connect Follow them on LinkedIn  Follow their company  Give them a second phone call Send a gift through physical mail Send them a gift through digital mail,like a gift card You can modify these steps based on how you choose to reach out to your prospects. The important thing is gettin

Mon, May 18, 2020

Bobbie Foedisch | How To Leveraging LinkedIn For Better Networking

How To Leverage LinkedIn For Better Networking   LinkedIn is an important social platform for people looking to broaden their network. In this episode, Bobbie Foedisch will be talking about how to leverage LinkedIn for better networking.    Bobbie Foedisch is the founding partner and Chief Social Selling Officer at All About Leverage . The company develops social selling, lead generation, and networking processes. Bobbie has been in the business development space for most of her career. She’s seen the power of leveraging social media and now, along with her team, they have cultivated a lead-generation process that they offer to their clients as a voluntary benefit business.   LinkedIn now has over 413 million users and they are growing daily. This makes LinkedIn a perfect platform for you and your business. You can use it to leverage your online and offline marketing presence.    Use LinkedIn Strategies available One of the best ways to start your LinkedIn experience is by using a picture of yourself as your profile photo. It’s tempting to use a company logo but people don’t develop a relationship with a logo the way they want to connect with people. When selecting a picture make sure the photo looks like you and you look professional. This is your first impression so make the most of this opportunity by having a great headshot.    Customize your message and be yourself The message is an important part of your LinkedIn profile as it shows effort on your part.  Don’t make it a generic.  Show your personality and let people know you care. Be yourself so people get a true sense of who you’d be face to face.     Build your network right away   The purpose of LinkedIn is to grow networking opportunities so be confident in building right away. Have a purpose to connect and know the worth of your business. Look for the people you can partner with or who will benefit from your service or product.  They are waiting to be found.     The social selling process It’s important to have your own social selling process. Here’s a process that Bobbie suggests:    Put your content out there You need content that will resonate with your network but be sure to tie it back to your subject, job, or area of ex

Fri, May 15, 2020

Nina Cooke | How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling During Challengeing Times

How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling During Challenging Times   Fear can be common for salespeople regardless of where you are in your career. The fear of rejection can paralyze us and impact our performance. In the current climate of a pandemic, one fear that salespeople are dealing with is that customers won’t be interested in what we have to offer.  In this episode, we’ll talk about how to overcome fear of selling during challenging times.    Nina Cooke works with entrepreneurs, their coaches, consultants, and sales specialists. Her task is to help them overcome their fear in order to get them to move toward sales conversations. Nina helps salespeople overcome their negative thoughts and the lies people tell themselves. Nina’s goal is for her clients to see how powerful and magnificent they can be as they run their business.    The origin of fear The origin of a lot of our fears occur in childhood. We were all born with a blank slate and then picked up the programming of other people over time. From a very young age, we start to take in information and make assessments about our world and the people in our life as we observe activities and conversations around us. These observations can heavily influence how we view our place in this world. If we see others are fearful, for example, we tend to take on that fear and it can take a grip into adulthood.    Another example of a child making assumptions about their environment may come from their parent not playing with them, even though they promised. As this child starts to see this as a trend, they begin to wonder why the play isn’t happening. Is it because they aren’t important enough? “I’m not important enough” is now a limiting belief they take into adulthood. As their belief takes hold, they begin to collect evidence to prove it’s true:   Someone wasn’t listening to you while you were talking because you weren’t important. You spoke up in a group and no one listened because you weren’t important.  Parents didn’t take notice of you but  focused on your siblings because you weren’t important.    We build meaning around events and then live our lives as if these beliefs were fact. These limiting beliefs become a crippling way of thinking, especially if it keeps you from seeing your full potential. Change of mindset  <span style

Wed, May 13, 2020

Donald Kelly | What I Wish I Knew Before Going Into Sales

What I Wish I Knew Before Going Into Sales   To benefit the many new graduates and new sellers entering the sales arena, I’ve spent time thinking about the things I wish I knew before going into sales . This episode goes out to my buddy Isaac, who is just entering sales, as well as the other new graduates and new sellers. Many sellers have initial experiences that leave them wondering if they made the right career choice. This month on The Sales Evangelist, we’re focusing on the class of 2020, but our messages will resonate with those who are entering the sales world for the first time as well as veterans who have been selling for a while.  Believe in yourself and starve your doubts Mindset is incredibly important, but I didn’t understand that initially. I remember watching movies like Boiler Room that portrayed a charismatic sales rep who would sweet-talk buyers and say anything necessary to land a sale. I figured sales was entirely about skillset. When I came into sales, though, I realized that mindset is probably 70 percent of the effort. Unlike football, which requires learning physical tasks, sales is largely mental.  Are you self-conscious about your ability to find prospects? Are you worried about people saying no to you? Do you believe in your product or service? All of these things tie back to your mindset and your belief, and you have to begin with a belief that you’re going to succeed. Believe that what you’re doing matters, and believe that you’re going to succeed. I give credit to my buddy Jared Easley whose podcast Starve the Doubts first introduced me to the idea of dealing with doubt and worry. Feeling overwhelmed by doubts can cause you to wonder whether you’re cut out for sales, so you must avoid the temptation to fuel your doubts.  There’s a Native American proverb that says that we each have two wolves within us: a good one and an evil one. Whichever wolf we feed most often will survive. You can feed the doubt or feed the belief in success. Create a proper mindset, develop some goals, and determine how you will overcome your existing belief system .  Sales is not about winning or losing Movies like <span style="font-weight: 400

Mon, May 11, 2020

Jeff Koser | Why Giving Your Prospects An Out Upfront Will Help You Win In The End

Why Giving Your Prospects An Out Upfront Will Help You Win In The End Sometimes we need to lose a customer before they become a client. In the current climate of a pandemic it’s important that we give a client an out in order to be sensitive to their struggles but we still want them to know we’re open for business, right?  How are these two needs served in the way we communicate?   Jeff Kosser is the CEO and the founder of Zebrafi. The company is often known for its top-selling book, Selling Zebra , seeing the Zebra as the perfect prospect. The company’s philosophy is pretty straightforward. When people see Zebras, regardless of where that might be, they always know what it is. The simplicity and the purity of this fact  is the philosophy behind what keeps their business running.    Jeff Koser has also built a software business based on software-guided selling. It’s a tool that guides B2B salespeople through the best practices of how to communicate and collaborate with the prospects and customers to ensure both parties arrive at a mutually beneficial place.   Selling in the present situation  It’s imperative that salespeople be sensitive to the current world situation. Jeff’s goal sales goal is lofty, as he wants to change the way people sell throughout the world. However, to be able to do that, we first have to  recognize who we are as salespeople, what we are as a business, and what we’re selling. Our business may not represent something that is a priority for people right now, and that’s okay, but as we seek to keep our businesses going, we need to diversify our approach.    Jeff Koser believes that we must approach every sales situation, whether it’s prospects or customers, with language that gives them an out. When you want to keep in touch with your customers or prospects by email, for example, genuinely ask about the safety of their family and their employees. Not just in a way that allows you to check off the “sincerity box” but in a way that your customer knows you are there for THEM. Be respectful about how you reach out to them and acknowledge they may have very different priorities by the time you contact them. Let them know that if the timing is right, you want to help, but regardless the relationship is the priority and you will come alongside their needs on their terms.    What our business represents may not be a priority for everyone right now.  We are approaching every sales situation with a simple out. #SalesApproach   Respectful selling <span style="font-we

Fri, May 08, 2020

Kevin F. Davis | The Sales Manager's Guide To Greatness!

The Sales Manager's Guide To Greatness!    You may have been a top salesperson, and still continue to be, but that doesn’t always qualify you to be a top sales manager. Both have very different skill sets and require mastery in very different skills.    Kevin F. Davis is the author of the book The Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness: Ten Essential Strategies for Leading your Team to the Top. Kevin started his career in sales at an entry level position and worked hard to become a general manager. His new role gave him the opportunity to train and coach 250 sales people and directly manage the sales team and sales managers.    He also founded TopLine Leadership, Inc. where they have offered sales coaching and leadership workshops to corporate clients and groups of sales managers for the last 27 years. Other books Kevin has written include Getting into your Customer’s Head a nd Slow Down, Sell Faster.   On writing the book  There aren’t a lot of books written about how to effectively manage sales people so Kevin wrote his books to help fill this void in the marketplace and to offer support that was sorely lacking. Research has shown that up to 80% of all sales managers in North America don’t get the training they need in order to be successful. Their company may not have a budget for it or they offer management training that is too general to solve the specific problems of their sales managers.    Not enough time  Managers have to spend the majority of their work day answering emails, dealing with interruptions, going to meetings, and answering questions from their sales team. With this constant activity, they are too overwhelmed the distractions to coach their salespeople.       The self-serving bias   Most salespeople think they’re better than they actually are. We tend to overestimate our capabilities and underestimate our weaknesses. The result is a sales team who think they’re better than they are and don’t fully appreciate the mistakes they may be making. Because they aren’t being coached, they don’t know they’re making mistakes a

Wed, May 06, 2020

Donald Kelly | Why Every Seller Needs To Create An Ideal Sales Profile

Why Every Seller Needs To Create An Ideal Sales Profile    It is imperative for all businesses, no matter the size, to be able to describe their target customer. It is equally important for businesses to create an ideal sales profile. This will help you identify the right hire for your sales team. In this episode, Donald will talk about the  importance of defining the ideal sales profile in detail.    Oftentimes, as salespeople, we start our days with a list of things we want to accomplish in our day. By the end of the day, however, we realize we didn’t get to do what we set out to do. As a result, you come up with excuses for why you didn't get your tasks completed. You can avoid that by creating the ideal sales profile. This is about the picture you’ve set in your mind about how you will conduct yourself in each activity throughout the day, long before they happen.   Visualize your success The greatest swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps’ was taught by his coach about playing tapes to watch his performance.. His coach told him to visualize the perfect race and all the details surrounding those moments. His job was to play in his mind every scenario that could occur: What does the audience look like, what is the feel of the water temperature, how does he feel mentally and emotionally? He would visualize his win over and over again until eventually he knew exactly what to do to win the race. He visualized it before it happened.    The greatest people in their careers and fields have all visualised their success long before they ever got there. That’s exactly what you need to do - visualize your success before it happens.  In a sales situation, salespeople can get distracted because more often than not, we focus on external factors. We spend hours, days, and even weeks coming up with the ideal customer profile. Your task now is to create the mental tape of your ideal sales profile succeeding in every scenario.   The ideal seller Who is the ideal seller? The ideal seller is you, at your best,  able to sell in every possible scenario. It’s about more than what it looks like to execute a sale, it’s about what the seller can do under various situations.    In 2008, Michael Phelps was competing in Beijing and while in the water, his goggles broke but this didn’t stop him. He still won. How was he able to pull through? He had already visualized himself winning the competition with broken goggles. Michael Phelps had already created his ideal swimmer profile, planned out what he’d do in a variety of adverse circumstances and saw himself w

Mon, May 04, 2020

Herdyne Mercier | How To Unlock Your Sales Potential By Dealing With Unresolved Grief

We all experience pain and grief and in these seasons, we can feel depths of emotion that are hard to resolve.  How does unresolved grief affect your sales potential? Let’s learn about dealing with unresolved grief today with Herdyne Mercier.    Herdyne Mercier is the Chief Grief Crusader and host of  Redefining Grief Podcast with Herdyne Mercier. Her job is to create safe spaces so that broken hearts can be seen, heard, and validated. The process helps you get unstuck from your unresolved grief and get you to a place of purposeful living.    Redefining grief  Herdyne defines grief as experiencing any kind of loss. This isn’t limited to losing a loved one to death. Grief can also be felt when you move to a new place, experience job loss, go through divorce, or when filing for bankruptcy. Herdyne had the exact feeling when along with her husband, they filed for bankruptcy back in 2007/2008. The real estate market crashed and they couldn’t sell their home. Her husband, James Mercier, could not find a job with a Master’s Degree.  Herdyne had to become the main provider for the family while James delivered newspapers and sushi. As a new mother, she grieved having only thirteen days to spend with her newborn son before she realized she had to go back to work. As James adjusted to being a stay-at-home father, he too grieved as a man because of the job he’d lost.     The grief almost cost them their marriage when Herdyne told her husband that she needed a divorce but James, in his wisdom, suggested they go to counseling together instead. The process of overcoming her own grief helped her create a brand that represents a woman who had forgotten to put on her MASK (an acronym we’ll explain) but is now healed. In her healing, she is now able to serve others.    Days of grieving Many are grieving loss due to the pandemic. People have lost their jobs and some have lost the people they love from this illness. We have all lost something in this pandemic and are trying to figure out how to navigate this new normal. There’s a lot of frustration and pain in the process.    The first step is to not compare your grief story to someone else’s. We may feel that our loss is greater than others but in truth, we can’t actually quantify loss. Our culture does not teach us how to deal with loss. Instead, we focus on aiming for the top and shooting for number one. We want the biggest house and the nicest car, but we aren’t told what to do with our emotions. We’re not guided toward healing when loss occurs.    <span style="fon

Fri, May 01, 2020

Tim Houlihan and Kurt Nelson, PhD | Why Your Brain Lies To You: Cash Is NOT The Best Motivator

Why Your Brain Lies To You: Cash Is NOT The Best Motivator   Although money is one of the indicators of growth and success, it’s not necessarily the best motivator when it comes to incentivizing a sales team.   Tim Houlihan and Dr. Kurt Nelson are consultants who have spent more than 20 years working with companies to design incentives that will increase productivity within sales teams.  Just a few years ago, they started a podcast that provides practical applications in the real world. One of their topics, motivation through incentivizing, is especially helpful for sales managers.    People tend to make decisions based on an emotional gut response, even though we mistakenly think these choices are made based on rational thought. Emotion and motivation come from the same root making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. Money has less of an emotional connection than we realize and because motivation is tied to our emotions, money can be a poor incentive for a sales team.    Human beings as emotional creatures Daniel Kahneman won a Nobel Prize in 2002 for his idea about the one thinking vs two thinking, an automatic response versus one's cognitive reflective thinking. Human beings respond quickly to a number of situations because that’s how we survive.    The brain takes only 3% of our body weight but it consumes 20% of the energy used. The brain then tries to conserve energy with the speed of decision making. When we make emotion-based decisions, non-rational judgements are made.    The illusion of motivation  Because we think we know our own motivation, we think we can analyze what motivates others.  While we can be sympathetic, knowing what others think has too many variables for us to make a consistent, accurate assessment.  If we focus on someone’s emotions, instead of assuming what they’re thinking, it is far more effective to ask directly.   Cash is a required component Cash isn’t bad as an inventive. It’s a required component in any business and it’s needed to pay the bills, mortgage, buy food, go on vacation etc. However, once those needs are met, incentives that are more material or experiential in nature move people into greater effort.   Tim did research with Dan Ariely from Duke University, the author of the book called Predictably Irrational. For their study, Tim and Dan took several call center reps and broke them into four groups, each g

Wed, April 29, 2020

Kyle Coleman | Building A Successful SDR Team From The Ground Up

Building A Successful SDR Team From The Ground Up     The sales team is the backbone of a business. It’s composed of both SDRs and BDRs, both working to make sure the business is thriving through a steady flow of consumers. For this episode, we’ll discuss SDRs and how you can build a successful SDR team.    Kyle Coleman started his career in B2B tech in 2012 at an advertising agency in San Francisco. He supported clients such as Dell, VMWare and other large companies; however, Kyle eventually realized that advertising wasn’t where he wanted to continue his career.  In a timely move, he was able to pursue an exciting new position in sales and marketing with a start-up called Looker, a data analytics company based in Santa Cruz. Kyle was recruited and became a member of the Looker team in 2013. He stayed with Looker for six years and was able to experience firsthand the growth of the company from six people to roughly eight-hundred sales reps and 100,000 ARR to over 100 million in ARR.    In 2019, Kyle made the move to Clari.    Growing the team As a startup company, oftentimes it’s hard to know what really needs to be done. In the beginning, there can be a lot of trial and error. Sometimes you have to try different options to know what works and what doesn’t.    Kyle has observed  many startup companies are reluctant to bring on an SDR function because they think it’s too soon; however, as the SDR for Looker in its earliest days, Kyle knows firsthand that it’s never too soon. He wasn’t just getting coffee and making sure that everyone was fired up. His main role was to partner with marketing. The SDR team became a three-person team in the first 12 months and it allowed their marketing leaders  to test messaging in a variety of ways. They had the ability to use the tools to get in front of the right people from great companies and be the feedback loop for their marketing team.    The SDR team wasn’t just adding value in setting up appointments, they were also adding value on the marketing side. It helped them understand what they needed to do to differentiate themselves as sales reps in the market. They proved their value early and it was one of the reasons why success resulted in more successes. The impact was felt from the top-of-the-funnel column to the thought leadership marketing. The SDR team gave their company a solid start by offering insights about how to get to the  right people faster.  The sales process was different back in Kyle’s time with Looker. The email market then wasn’t as s

Mon, April 27, 2020

Donald | What You Believe Is What You Will Achieve

What You Believe Is What You Will Achieve    It’s imperative for salespeople to maintain a positive outlook to make it through this season of unforeseen circumstances. Perception and belief is going to play a big part in how we navigate the unknown so believe that success is still achievable. Donald believes it’s possible and shares his thoughts about how to make it happen and what could potentially hold us back.   In this episode Donald will be discussing limiting beliefs. These beliefs, ideas, and philosophies can come from many influences including a boss, team members, family, and many others. Sometimes, because we’re listening to all these outside influences, we fail to see that everything we hear here doesn’t always reflect the truth. Your actions may reflect what you’ve been told but they don’t always lead to success.  We have to be careful of following so blindly that we are no longer true to ourselves.    Let’s go back to the beginning Donald started out his sales career in business development, selling software with zero knowledge about how to sell to corporations. He didn’t know what you weren’t supposed to do. Despite the lack of experience, however, Donald still saw success but there was still so much he needed to learn.     Donald’s performance started to decline when he got wrapped up in all the training and advice people were trying to offer him. He was told when to call and when not to call, how he should conduct his business, and on and on.  He did what he was told but eventually stopped doing the activity as it rang true for him.    Stand for your beliefs Donald shares the story of a gentleman named Cliff Young, a 61 year old Australian farmer. Mr Young accomplished an amazing feat which was winning a 544 mile race. He wasn’t an experienced runner but heard about the marathon and decided he wanted to participate. Leading up to the race, Mr. Young didn't eat the proper diet, he didn't have the proper training, and he didn’t have the right clothing or shoes. Cliff Young just showed up at the marathon looking like the farmer he was and was ready to race.    When people asked Mr. Young why he was racing, he told them he’d always wanted to run a race but there had never been a perfect time. That year, at 61 years old, he was finally ready to go.    Cliff Young didn’t know that in ultramarathons runners would typically run for 18 hours and then sleep for six hours. When Cliff Young <span style= "fo

Fri, April 24, 2020

Kevin Knieriem | Salespeople Love / Hate Relationship With CRM and How To Get Value From It

Salespeople Have a Love/Hate Relationship With CRMs   Almost everyone is using CRM in their businesses  for its efficiency in data collection. But truth be told, many salespeople have a love and hate relationship with CRM. CRMs are a great way to hold data but it doesn’t offer solutions on how to utilize this data in a way that reflects real time engagement with customers.    Kevin Knieriem is the Chief Revenue Officer at Clari, a revenue platform for companies in Toronto. He’s been with the company for 15 months and he’s had a background in enterprise software for over 25 years. He started his software sales career with Siebel System, the first enterprise CRM and from there, Kevin spent 11 years at SAP and due to an acquisition, also spent time with Oracle.    What is a CRM? CRMs are a place for account, contact, and opportunity information to be stored. These are major components  to track sales so it has been the primary  revenue solution for companies for the last 25 years. Keeping your CRM up to date is important so the organization understands the health of its revenue.   Starting with Siebel Systems, Kevin hasn’t seen much change in CRMs. It still has the same basic model for accounting opportunities. It’s a place where sales reps can post information but it doesn’t provide any feedback about how to utilize the data. It takes a lot of maintenance to update a CRM but we use it anyway. Unlike SaaS or subscription, CRM doesn’t allow you to track the continuous journey of the customers.    The limitations of CRM Adobe is a company that runs on subscription.Let’s say for example that an Adobe seller is selling a marketing automation solution, Marketo Acquisition. A client who buys the service and wishes to expand will have to get another subscription over time.  Even though the data is present, the activity that is involved over the time of a subscription doesn’t get tracked by the CRM. The challenge for reps and the sales leader using the CRM tool is that it doesn’t give you the real-time feedback that is needed to run the business as efficiently or effectively as they could.  It turns into a circular problem because the data give no feedback to the sales rep about how to move forward, but when the manager is approached for coaching, they are still looking at the same data with no additional insight.  Layers of managers get involved in analyzing the data and by the time a solution is created, the data is from the past and no longer applies.  It doesn’t take into account the custome

Wed, April 22, 2020

Amanda Staffon and Jason Behnke | How BDRS and SDR Should Use LinkedIn During COVID19!

How BDRS and SDR Should Use LinkedIn During COVID19!    The coronavirus pandemic has taken the world by storm. Many industries have been affected, even sales. How do you keep selling at this time? One of the ways is via LinkedIn. This episode will talk about how BDRs and SDRs can use the LinkedIn platform amid Covid-19.    Amanda Statton was raised in Virginia Beach and moved to Tampa about a year ago to work for BlueGrace Logistics. She started sales four years ago and she loves it. Jason Behnke is originally from Chicago and came down to Tampa to study at the University of Tampa. Right after college, he worked in sports and event sponsorship and eventually found his way to BlueGrace Logistics.    Selling in time of Covid-19 The pandemic has touched every industry.  Several manufacturing companies have shut down. People have been working from home for several weeks now but for sales and logistics, an opportunity has been created to transport products and to get help to those in need.    While Amanda and Jason are still working the same jobs, how they approach a potential customer has changed. They are  focused on building relationships, even more than ever before. These are hard times so they do what they can to reach out, see how they can help and make themselves available.    BlueGrace Logistics partners with companies and learns about their supply chain. They look for ways to help them save money and drive out costs within their network. Before Covid-19, Amanda opened a conversation by saying, ‘ Hey, I would love to learn more about your supply chain. I want to see if we can help you save money to drive out costs within your network and really get a better understanding of what you’re doing today.’   With Covid-19, the question has changed from wanting to know about a company’s strategies to asking how the company is doing amid the pandemic and how it has impacted their organization. With that information she can then evaluate how her company can help lessen any negative impact. The focus is now helping their current clients ride the road to recovery and offering advice to prospects within the same industry who may be dealing with the same situations. Responding to inquiries People respond to these inquiries in different ways. Some people are very open to having a conversation and understand everyone is in this together. There are others who are frustrated and wonder out loud why they’re still being asked sales questions even under these current circumstances

Mon, April 20, 2020

Amos Schwartzfarb | How To Identify, Recruit, And Train A Diverse Sales Team That Sells

How To  Identify, Recruit, And Train A Diverse Sales Team That Sells   Your company’s hiring process must have key steps and criteria for hiring a sales team that will consistently maximize profit.  They should be able to identify, recruit and train a diverse sales team that will push the business forward.    For the last five years Amos Schwartzfarb has been the managing director at Techstars in Austin, Texas and is now running his fifth program for Techstars. In the mid 90s, prior to his job in Austin, Amos led an early-stage sales organization and just late last year, he published a book called Sell More Faster.      Hiring the right people When hiring, Amos believes that many founders and CEOs often look for the characteristics they think a salesperson should have, even before they’re able to answer three important questions. He refers to them as W3:     Who is your customer?    This identifies the people who are actually buying your products, considering every detail. What is their title?  What type of organization do they work for? What is that particular individual’s role?     What are they buying from you?   What are the exact products they are buying from you? Is it the product itself?  The results of the service? Are they trying to create a margin of time?      Why does the customer buy that from you?   Why are they going to you instead of your competitor?  What is it about your brand that causes your customer to choose you?  The answers to these three main questions will help you define the profile of the sales people you want to hire.  Your future team will have to have an understanding of these elements in order to connect with these customers.  The natural salespeople There are some people who are born with the natural skills of connecting with prospects and closing with clients.  Because it’s innate to them, they can’t articulate it to others. These natural salespeople tend to thrive in a company that looks at the W3. Once they have a clear understanding of their customer they are able to adjust as needed.    

Fri, April 17, 2020

Lisa Magnuson | How To Build A Sales Engine That Will Land Massive Deals – Repeatedly

How To Build A Sales Engine That Will Land Massive Deals – Repeatedly   Every sales person wants to build a sales engine that will land them improve their business, earn massive deals, and generate future sales. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to move toward these goals.    Lisa Magnuson’s whole career has been in sales, specifically in sales management and sales leadership. Sales has always been Lisa’s passion and getting into Clorox, which is used in homes and businesses around the world, is where she experienced closing big deals.    The struggles in generating sales  There are several struggles companies face when trying to generate sales. During a crisis, the most difficult phase of the sales cycle is prospecting which is hard enough without added pressures.  During a time when everyone is already cautious you have to be careful about coming off as self-serving. Just conducting regular business can isolate potential clients. This is a concern that is applicable for both BDRs and SDRs. No one is exempted.    Lisa is an expert when it comes to knowing the right strategies you can use to prepare your team to get through a crisis. There are mindsets you can incorporate in your process to make sure you hit the ground running when we get back to the new normal.    Building your sales engine Regardless of who you are, we were all left feeling that elements of our lives were cut short. This pandemic has affected all of us and we are trying to figure out how to pivot and thrive amid the challenge. The best way to do that is to serve and offer a hand to someone else.    The focus should be to keep the dialogue  going. All the stages in the prospecting process are important. The mantra for this time is “ lead with your heart, then offer a hand”. That’s how you build your sales engine. That “hand” may look like a valuable idea you got from one of your customers or clients and you’re able to pass it on to others.. You need to keep it simple and interesting for your clients. You can drop a message inviting your prospects to a virtual coffee and talk about the idea that may resonate to them and you go from there. There are also other things that you can do to land opportunities that are worth five times more than your normal contract size.    Do more soft prospecting  Sending an email template to people you have never met before is hard prospecting. Soft prospecting is sending out emails to the people you know and alr

Wed, April 15, 2020

Donald Kelly | I'm Afraid of Losing My Sales Job

I'm Afraid of Losing My Sales Job    Everywhere you look, people are affected by circumstances that could not have been foreseen just a couple of months ago. Due to this upheaval, some people are losing their jobs. Is the fear of losing your sales position an added concern for you as well? In this episode, Donald offers some encouragement.    Everyone agrees it’s a hard time. This quarantine is unprecedented in most of our lifetimes and The Sales Evangelist is here for you and Donald has been getting a number of questions about what to do in the event of job loss.  Sales reps from all over the world are concerned and are afraid of losing their jobs. The harsh reality is that in this season, many will lose their positions while companies rally to stay afloat.    Donald has been there.  He had just graduated from college and was working for a small company when everyone was called to the conference room by the CEO and the executive team. Once gathered, they were told that the company was closing its doors that day . The reality didn’t sink in for Donald right away. He had a difficult time processing what he was hearing and as he listened, it started to sink in that he had just gotten an apartment and had his own bills to pay. Needless to say, he was freaking out.    Life goes on Under these circumstances it’s natural to feel stress and anxiety. It was an unfortunate situation that Donald was in and felt the full weight of it. However, he eventually learned that life goes on. Things got better. They will for you too. There’s going to be a brighter day and things will work out for you and your family.  It may be hard to see past this time of isolation and you may worry about how you can earn for your family and loved ones. Don’t overthink things. There will be a path that will make itself clear to you.    The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 is new to all of us, but most of us have experienced an unexpected job loss. Stressing about it, worrying about it, and beating yourself up because you lost your job won’t bring the work back. This isn’t your fault.    You are awesome  Having a job in the first place means you have what it takes to bring value to a company. This illustrates you have something in you that will provide opportunities. Even if that job is put on hold for now, your value remains and the next company will benefit. Hopefully current employers are researching and taking full advantage of the governmental relief that is being offered i

Mon, April 13, 2020

Ankesh Kumar | How To Evaluate The Efficacy of SaaS Programs That Your Sales Team Subscribes To

How To Evaluate The Efficacy of SaaS Programs That Your Sales Team Subscribes To   Is your SaaS program effective?  Is it making you money or costing you more than your return?   Ankesh Kumar is with a company called Let’s Chat and the company focuses on personalization outreach to make sure your dollars are being spent well.    Let’s Chat helps a conversation run smoother. It does this by providing a co-extension that identifies LinkedIn topics that are of interest to your clients, it gives suggestions about how to break the ice, and generally makes it easier for sales reps to speak with their prospects in a more personal way.    Let’s Chat also looks into social platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and others to identify the person or client sales reps are going to talk to. It’s important for first meetings to be friendly, without crossing the line. Let’s Chat also uses its AI capabilities to prioritize the data based on the time spent on a particular topic, the frequency looking at topics and the topics a client might want to expand on.     Evaluating your SaaS program There are various tools that a sales team can use to evaluate their SaaS program, the amount depending on the size of the organization. Ankesh’s company ensures their app works with the company’s current workload. There are many competing platforms like CRM, other sales engagement platforms, and sales outreach.  With so many to choose from, there comes an added concern that incorporating all these different platforms may change the workflow of the sales team. You want to make sure that your team isn’t managing so many tools that their time isn’t spent on actual sales.    Salesforce slows down the process Ankesh shares how products such as Salesforce can actually slow down the sales process. Salesforce adds data to the system record. It tracks activity so everyone can see how clients are interacting with the information, from receiving the proposal to what executive levels are looking at what was sent. As a result, there can be an imbalance between how much time a sales rep spends on Salesforce data and how much time is spent actually interacting with a client and making a sale.  Ankesh’s company uses a plugin tool for LinkedIn because that’s where people are and the most actual interaction can take place. .    Maintain your team’s efficiency By Ankesh’s estimation it’s not the cost of the software that can impact a company’s budget but the time a sales rep spends on specific software. The CRM budget can vary but the value of return is the added value the software brings to the workf

Fri, April 10, 2020

Andrew Sletten | How To Build Rapport By Asking Directed, Relevant Questions

How To Build Rapport By Asking Directed, Relevant Questions    For many salespeople, building rapport is a skill that needs to be learned. It’s not always easy for sales reps to build relationships with potential or existing clients.  Asking direct and relevant questions is a great launch fine-tuning the art of building rapport. In this episode we learn more about how to do this well.    Andrew Sletter has been in the same company, the Window and Door Store for 10 years. Their company sells windows and doors with a focus on in-home sales.  They work directly with the consumer and are with their customers for every step of the process, including installation.  The company’s office is located in Bismarck, North Dakota and they handle the North Dakota and Western Minnesota market.    The salesman’s profile Andrew doesn’t see himself as a true salesman. He believes that many salespeople are doing themselves a disservice by trying to fit into a particular profile. Andrew isn’t an influencer or a promoter.  Based on his DISC personality profile, he is more of the perfectionist individual. In his career, he’s seen all different types of personalities become successful in sales. Many sales reps feel the pressure to become somebody they’re not but as a sales manager, Andrew knows salespeople just need to be true to who they are and learn the skills needed to have a great career.     Though Andrew didn’t set out to become a sales leader, he honed his skills to become successful. Daniel Pink, the author of the book To Sell is Human, writes that surprisingly, the best sales people aren’t the extroverts or the introverts. It's the ambiverts that make it to the top of the chain. Why? The ambiverts tend to have the characteristics of boths and it serves them well.  If you aren’t an ambivert, though, take heart. Andrew knows anyone who can hold a conversation with somebody has what it takes to become a great salesperson.    Building the trust  An important skill that salespeople need to have is the ability to know when and if a product or service is a good fit for a potential client. With direct-to-consumer businesses this is especially important. Building trust and rapport in the early stages of inquiry will help with this evaluation. If done correctly, not only will this prospect become a new client, there is an opportunity to develop the relationship into a life-long customer.    <span style="font-weight: 40

Wed, April 08, 2020

Donald Kelly | I'm Succeeding As A SDR But I Don't Think I Will When I Become An AE

I'm Succeeding As An SDR But I Don't Think I Will When I Become An AE A change in work setting is a challenging thing since one has to adjust with the new operations and work process. Did you just move from an SDR position to an AE position and you’re feeling lost? Don’t worry. You’ve come to the right podcast episode.    This heading is a question Donald saw posted on Reddit by a sales rep who is worried about his change in roles. The idea of becoming an AE scared him because he wasn't confident that he had the skills to become successful and build value.    Making the transition  This individual has been in the SDR industry for nine months and is concerned that his success isn't because of his sales skills but because of his ability to think outside the box. He thinks he’s terrible on the phone and feels that he lacks the ability to connect with clients. He finds it hard to drive business solutions and when he makes the transition to becoming an AE, he’s concerned his lack of experience and skill will get him into trouble.    Although he’s been effective at finding people, building value, and closing skills as an SDR, he didn't see these abilities as a win because he was evaluating himself based on how he rated his interpersonal relationships skills and his ability to  generate opportunities.You may have felt like this too. So, how do you make the transition to this new position?   The Impostor Syndrome Impostor Syndrome is also known as head trash. These are the things that we tell ourselves until we start believing them, even when those things are not true. The mind isn’t capable of separating reality from fiction so “what the mind conceives, the mind believes.”    When we were kids, we could convince ourselves that there was a monster in the closet. The same is true with head trash. When you tell yourself you don’t have certain abilities, traits, or skills, your mind will believe it and you will find yourself acting accordingly. As a result, you may start messing up your phone calls, stop reaching out on LinkedIn, and you’re not going to take action, all because your body has already started believing the lie.  Overcoming your head trash Shift  your head trash to confidence and self-affirmation. Say positive things to yourself again and again and rewrite the program. Stop telling yourself you’re going to fail. The mind is very powerful. Start telling it exactly how great you ar

Mon, April 06, 2020

Nate Gilmore | How To Get More Proposals Signed Faster With Pandadoc

How To Get More Proposals Signed Faster With Pandadoc   Have you heard about PandaDoc and how it can help you get more proposals signed faster? If you definitely want to learn more from this podcast. This episode will talk about PandaDoc and how you can use it to improve your sales journey.   Nate Gilmore is the chief revenue officer at PandaDoc and his job is to grow the company. It is    their goal to help small businesses increase their sales and revenues. He has spent almost 20 years in the small business industry and most of those years were in software.    The idea of proposals  Salespeople can send out proposals and not get a reply for days or even weeks. This  experience is a common challenge for many sales reps. Salespeople need to understand that the entire workflow of the business depends on how well they’ve gotten to know the customer. Having insight into how their organization works, their timeline, and what their needs are will improve the content of what you send and get the right data to send out.    PandaDoc makes each stage of getting information to your client much easier.    Creating your proposal PandaDoc has created a template that pulls in customer data from your CRM which makes the workflow much more efficient. If you don’t have a CRM, the template will do it for you. With the customer data within the template, you now have a customized proposal that was done in less time. PandaDoc saves you time in creating the proposals since it already has a template that sales reps can work with right away.    Sending your proposal When you send your proposal depends on the workflow and process of your company. You may have to send it to someone internally first or you may be able to send it to your client immediately. Once sent,  the speed in which your proposal works lies with your customer.    The right time to use the proposal Sales reps can use the proposals in two ways: in the pitch or the marketing. When someone receives a proposal that’s been generated through PandaDoc, sales reps can see when the document is opened.    The best time to send a proposal is after the discovery phase when the customer has consented to receive the information and is looking for it.  At this point, you know someone who is interested and could potentially champion your product in front of decision makers. If possible, embed demos in the proposals to make it more effe

Fri, April 03, 2020

Jason Forrest | How To Become A Warrior Seller During The Coronavirus

How To Become A Warrior Seller During The Coronavirus Outbreak   The world has been taken aback by the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses, regardless of industry, have been affected. As a salesperson, how do you become a warrior during the coronavirus outbreak? Jason Forrest works for a company called FPG which stands for Forrest Performance Group and one of their programs is Warrior Selling.    There are four different levels of a sales professional. The first level is the follower . They give all the permission to the customer.  The customer dictates what to do, how to act, and tells the salesperson when they’re going to buy. The next level is the helper , who has the sole intention of helping people and serving their customers. Leader is the third level. They are the people you follow to a place you wouldn’t go on your own. The last level is the warrior .   The warriors are advocates for the product and service they sell. This salesperson believes, supports, and advocates for their products and services. In addition to that, the warriors protect their customers’ best interest.    In today’s market, we need more warriors to protect the customers and the organization. People are afraid and the warriors help protect their customers from fear. Without leaders, fear can overcome customers and it can eventually kill the organization. Warriors know their customers so well they know what is needed. A warrior and  con artist may have the same skill set but what sets apart the sales warrior is intention. They protect their customers through their service or product.    Knowing the warrior seller  A warrior has to get their messaging right for their customer and should be able to answer these questions: Why should people buy from you today? What will your products and services immediately do for them? How will your products and services benefit them at this moment? How will your products and services eliminate their present pain points? <span style="font-weight: 40

Wed, April 01, 2020

Donald | What is the difference between an SDR and BDR?

What Is The Difference Between An SDR and BDR?   The next 20 episodes will focus on the conversations about BDRs and SDRs. We will be talking about tips, strategies, and ideas about how businesses can prospect better and connect with potential clients. Today’s episode will discuss the differences between a BDR and SDR in terms of what they do, how they do it, and how they earn.    In the previous episode, Donald was joined by his sales coaching client, Scott Romney. They talked about how businesses can realign and adjust their message to create offers that are irresistible for the prospects, even in a time of crisis. Our level of empathy must increase as we look for ways to understand where people are coming from. Strategies are needed that will help organizations overcome the crisis that many industries are facing in this season. Scott talked about being mindful and sensitive while thinking of opportunities where salespeople can be leaders to their prospects, especially now.    Set your goal. How many appointments will you make today? #SalesGoals   SDRs and BDRs A BDR is a business development rep and an SDR is a sales development rep. Prior to predictable revenue, their job was to qualify and set appointments for outside sales reps; however, over the past 20 years, the definitions have evolved. Even before these BDRS and SDRs came to exist, there were only sales reps and everyone was responsible for every stage of the selling process.    Being a salesman for an organization meant that you were responsible for finding your own leads and nurturing those leads. Your job included going to trade shows and cultivating accounts. Eventually, sales managers realized that if you break down these processes you get to have more functionality and you can have experts in the different parts of the sales process.    The inside sales team  As a result, the inside sales team was created  to do the research, generate lists, and find the people. Their job is to update the CRM and become an assistant to the account executives.    Over the years, their job extended to setting the appointment and qualifying the leads. Aaron Ross was working with SalesForce when he realized these functions could be broken down further. There are now inbound people who are responsible for the inbound leads, the leads that are coming in via your websites or those who are calling your business phone number. The outbound team are the people who go after the potential client list and send them emails. They are the ones who are reaching out to clients.  <

Tue, March 31, 2020

Donald and Scott | How Do I Sell During The Caronvavirus Outbreak?

How Do I Sell During The Coronavirus Outbreak?  Many industries are affected by the coronavirus pandemic. With that, there are a lot of questions in the sales community about how to move through this season well.  How can you sell while everyone is quarantined and practicing social distancing?  Scott Romney is a senior account executive at Soci. He loves sales and building relationships. Soci’s goal is to help their clients overcome the challenges that may come from internal alignment or with their local franchise partners. Soci can come in to balance their clients’ social media reviews and  do it using just one platform.    Facing the challenges Businesses that are sole-ownership need to take special care with protecting their brand. The main challenge that salespeople are facing right now is how to keep doing sales without compromising the health of all involved and their businesses. Most salespeople are now hiding by not calling people or having conversations with their prospects and clients. What these same people need to wake up to, however, is the reality that the economy is not dead.  It’s still going and very much alive. We’re not currently in recession and the economy can still pick up once the pandemic is controlled and managed.    The economy is not dead.  People are still working but they are working differently.  #COVID19 Understanding the circumstances is imperative to be able to see the opportunity in times of crisis. We all have defining moments in our careers that can change our mindset. You need to ask yourself what these defining moments mean for you. Looking at the challenge brought about by the coronavirus outbreak, ask yourself how this defining moment can change your outlook as a small business. Look at the efficiency and gaps when implementing new flexible working hours and the critical role that social media plays amid COVID-19. Social media isn’t just all fluff but a real lifeline, especially with staying connected to clients.   In every crisis, there’s an opportunity. As salespeople, it’s part of the job to take advantage of the online resources and get to work digitally. This means of communication can help businesses inform, educate, and connect with their clients.  Keep working Even with the pandemic, 99% of the world’s population are still working. Salespeople can pick up the phone and build relationships with their prospects despite the change in how we do business. You can connect and build value, helping your clients see you as a thought leader by con

Fri, March 27, 2020

Nigel Green | Revenue Harvest: A Sales Leader’s Almanac for Planning the Perfect Year

How to build a sales engine that will land massive deals – repeatedly   A sales engine is a great strategy to increase your number of closed deals. As a sales manager, how do you build a sales engine to land massive deals for your team?    Nigel Green works with  executive investors and sales leaders of companies to help them scale up faster and smarter. As a sales advisor, he works behind the scenes to ensure that leaders are hitting their targets at the end of the year. Nigel understands that if you don’t relentlessly pursue your craft and coach your team well, you won’t be in the game very long.    The revenue harvest Nigel coined the  term, Revenue Harvest , in this sales leaders almanac containing the fruits of 15 years of experience. He’s been helping various companies build their sales team faster so investors have a chance to grow their private equity. Sales leaders in this kind of environment need to act fast.   When Nigel moved to a farm, an hour outside of the city, he was able to observe the farming community. He realized that leading a sales team was very similar to tending crops. Both can face circumstances that are outside of our control. The farmer knows he’s got to produce a crop but looking at the year, he wonders when it’s going to be too hot or too cold, when it's going to rain, or not. These are elements a farmer can’t control but he can’t be paralyzed by the uncontrollables. He’s got to get to work.    In Revenue Harvest , Nigel shows sales leaders how to yield results year-in and year-out that are consistent.  Nigel has broken this down into seven principles a sales leader can follow.    Create a plan The first principle in the Revenue Harvest helps sales leaders understand what a plan really is and how to do it well. Most sales people don’t have a plan. They’ve been given a plan by their leader but they haven’t pushed back in areas where it’s not realistic.  Leaders need buy-in from the influencers on their team and it needs to be implemented in a time period that will be effective, before the first quarter. Sales leaders have a responsibility to not only assign the revenue and targets of the plan to the sales rep, but also to the customers.   The pla

Wed, March 25, 2020

Doug | How To Close More Deals Using Videos Throughout The Sales Process

How To Close More Deals Using Videos Throughout The Sales Process   Closing deals using videos is now becoming a very effective tool in the sales process. As a salesperson and an entrepreneur, we’ll talk about how you can incorporate videos into your sales goals.    Doug Davidoff works with companies in the B2B space around customer acquisition and success programs. They examine a company’s sales structure to figure out how to build it in a way that’s scalable, repeatable, a high probability yield, high-margin, and high-growth.  Because of this, a sales team can get more done in less time.    The beginning  Doug started working for the company when he was just 16 years old, around the same time when he got his driver’s license. Back then, they were focused on traditional sales advisory sales training. For the last seven years, they’ve been looking into the holistic process of customer acquisition. Every three years, they reinvent themselves in an effort to make it easier for companies to work with ease and efficiency.    It was difficult when they first started using videos. They were among the first companies who were utilizing this new tech and there were only a handful of examples  they could use as reference. Doug came up with the idea of making videos the same way as he made webinars, breaking them down into 3 sections. Next to blogging, it was by far his greatest accidental discovery.   If you decide to work with videos, know that it may not yield immediate results.  Doug didn’t start with video thinking it would enhance the process. There is a lot of divergence when it comes to what people know about using video, what they are looking for, and what they want to accomplish.  Because of this, initial conversations were hard because it was hard to tell a client the specific impact to their sales. Nowadays, with more history, it is easier to see that video is very effective.    Creating the videos  Doug began creating a 20-minute long video for a presentation and later went to an hour, sometimes longer, as needed. Doug’s colleagues advised that prospects wouldn’t watch videos that were this long but Doug wasn’t to be deterred. As Doug gained a greater skill set and his videos improved, the more the videos were shared among key people within the companies he was targeting. This sharing process enabled Doug’s team to know who the key figures, influencers, and decision makers were within these companies. They began seeing that people were watching their videos even before they got to their kick-off.  These prospects were watching and using their videos to socialize and share

Mon, March 23, 2020

Jack Siney | How To Find Government Sales Opportunities Without Selling To The Government

How To Find Government Sales Opportunities Without Selling To The Government   Salespeople are known for their tenacity and passion to sell but one opportunity that can be overlooked is selling to the government.     Jack Siney worked for the Navy on the F18 Fighter Jet Program and after this experience, moved to entrepreneurial companies and tech industries where he worked for public safety agencies. One such agency installed software in laptops that are in police vehicles across the country. Jack may have started in the government but has now been an entrepreneur for the last 25 years helping the government process more efficiently.    Challenges in Selling to the Government   There is a long list of stereotypes on why doing business with the government isn’t a good idea. Many think that the government is hard to deal with because of all the red tape involved, making the process take a long time. It’s true that in every stereotype, there’s a kernel of truth. However, the government has grown and has modernized. There are now many opportunities that salespeople aren’t taking advantage of because of these misconceoptions. Selling to the government has actually become much more streamlined.   Biggest Prospect in the World  Government is a great opportunity for salespeople as it’s one of the biggest prospects in the world. Let’s talk about what makes the government a unique prospect.    Large and long-lasting contracts   Government contracts are typically large and run for multiple years. Putting in the effort in trying to earn a government contract can help stabilize the revenue of your business.    The government always pays   The government always pays. There’s always a risk in doing business with private companies.  There are some who won’t pay for your products or services and will hold up your revenue. However, that’s not true when you sign a contract with the government.  Helps recession-proof your business Even when there is a recession, the government will still spend for the things that benefit its citizens. As a result, even if there is a recession, if you have a product that can be used, your company can be better protected.    Getting the government contract The government is just like any other prospect. You still need to do the standard prospecting, build relationships, and close deals. Another

Fri, March 20, 2020

Gessie Schechinger | Sales Automation - Sales Engagement Software

Rethinking The Way You Do Sales Automation   What do you think of sales automation? Is it a go or a no for you? Perhaps it’s time you rethink the way you do sales automation.    Gessie Schechinger works for a company called OnCourse, a brand new sales engagement platform. Most of his life, he’d been a professional peddler, jumping from one sales job to another. He started his career in sales with cold calls, went on to a territory sales job, then became an account manager. From there, he got a taste of CRM. Now with his current team, they’re sharing a tool they’ve created that is helpful for salespeople to automate. Their goal is to use the sales professionals’ skill set and automate those skill sets for a more efficient outreach.    Selling smart using automation  OnCourse is a tool that helps salespeople to automate responsibly. The tool helps to ensure that your emails have accurate presentations, the right address, and all the other information and variables needed for impactful engagement.    In addition to that, this tool also looks at when people are going to engage and when they do engage, how long does it take for them to actually engage with the pitch. TAPO is a company that does outreach reporting. They research 280 - 300 large corporations and look at their sales outreach. Using that outreach study report, they can see what methods are effective.    Included in the study, is information about how long it takes for a person to engage and from there, how long it takes for them to buy. The report is important especially for service-based businesses and software-based businesses where people tend to communicate in different ways. To figure out the communication channel the clients respond to, you need to make contact in various areas. This is how automation works,as it helps you throw out big nets. The automation is used as a warm-up tool to prepare prospects for engagement and purchase.    The automation allows you to create awareness. While your first automated emails are typically deleted, your next emails have a greater chance to get engagement, when they look at your product or services.    You have to expect that your first few emails will be deleted. Persistence will put you in a better position down the road. #SalesAutomation   LinkedIn outreach  The other type of automation is LinkedIn automation. LinkedIn automation and selling

Wed, March 18, 2020

Vicki Antonio | Think Like A Large Company CEO

Think Like A Large Company CEO   Regardless of the size of your company, thinking like the CEO of a larger company will help you better visualize where you are going and how you’re going to get there.    Vicki Antonio is a business consultant and life coach. She started working for startup companies when she was just 13 years old. Her experience with startups taught her the pattern of growing pains which she then used when she fell into the real estate industry. Vicki’s work helped her gain a deeper knowledge of the entrepreneurial spirit and gain a business acumen. At one point, she went into upper management and real estate but when the industry came back, she ended up being a business developer for a global real estate franchise.    That work allowed her to manage 30 shops where her main role was to develop the shop, make it brand compliant, and develop partnerships with brokers. She was a business coach for these shops and helped these businesses become profitable. All the skills she learned from working came into play. The experience eventually led Vicki to launch her own coaching business.    Top problems faced by small businesses   FEAR  Small businesses must overcome fear. It comes into play when the business has been built to a certain point and then gets stagnant. It can feel like the same fear that parents get when they take their kids to daycare for the first time. There's an apprehension because of the emotional attachment parents have for their child. When a business has to relinquish what it knows, it’s like turning over the reins to someone else. Instead of trusting the people who’ve come to help, these businesses fear them. Even when it’s just a system they need to engage with, fear can be a major hindrance to advancing.   CLARITY  Entrepreneurs are self-employed salespeople. There are a lot of things that are in play in order for goals to be met. Oftentimes, entrepreneurs don’t have the clarity about what these things are. Sometimes they don’t have enough components to reach the end. Other times, they have too many components and can become confused about which ones to use.    Even the best athletes, like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, had coaches. Their coaches gave them a bird’s eye view of the areas that they couldn’t see themselves. Their coaches critiqued them and analyzed what they were doing.  They could then help these athletes change little things to help them improve.   The same is true in sales. Sales

Mon, March 16, 2020

Jenean Merkel Perelstein | You Can't Sell Value If You Don't Value Yourself

You Can't Sell Value If You Don't Value Yourself   Salespeople come from a variety of industries but the one thing they have in common: They all sell value. It can be a challenge, however, to sell something you don’t have yourself. Simply speaking, as salespeople, we can only sell value if we value ourselves.    Jenean Merkel Perelstein is a business and sales anthropologist who uses scientific techniques to help salespeople close the cultural gap between them and their prospects, clients, and the organizations they are working with. Her job is to help them understand the cultural approach and take advantage of it.    Defining value   Value often gets mixed up with values which are the standards or qualities we deem as worthwhile. Value is what we put out into the world, what we offer in exchange. It then becomes part of the larger conversation about money, prosperity, and playing in this market economy. Value becomes part of the interwoven concepts that have to be considered together.    When we stand in strength with our values, it means we understand the true qualities and the true standard that we deem worthwhile to offer in the marketplace. If you’re not stepping into that sense of value and you haven’t done the thought process of figuring out what it is in the first place, then you’re basically starting the conversation a little bit behind.    Knowing your worth  You need to know your beliefs and what’s possible and not possible for you. This includes knowing your attitudes, state of mind, and feelings. All of these things build together into a larger concept of knowing your worth and taking ownership of your work. Doing that will enable you to come forth and articulate the worth and value of whatever you are representing.    Regardless of the words you speak, the cultural interactions you have with other people will be part of the underlying conversation. The energy you exchange in your conversation can expose whether or not you are operating from a place of desperation or a lack of confidence. Clients see this right away.  If this is you, there is foundational work that needs to take place.   People that have been unsuccessful for a long time start to wear an air of desperation. It becomes harder for them to meet another client or go to another meeting. If you are managing this type of person, there’s an

Fri, March 13, 2020

Umar Hameed | Where Sellers Get Stuck

Where Sellers Get Stuck   Sometimes sellers get stuck but where exactly do they get stuck?   Umar Hameed was previously working in Silicon Valley where he worked for high-tech launching companies from Asia, Europe, and the Valley into the U.S. market. He noticed that there were employees in the company who were rockstars in the sales department. Others, however, would invest in training, motivation, coaching, and incentives where they’d only improve a little bit. Still others would improve a lot but for only a short amount of time. Umar saw how the problem wasn’t in the sales training, process, or strategy. The problem was with the people and their mindset.   Umar’s work entails looking for ways to give salespeople an owner’s manual for their mindset in order to change their world.   Getting the team together  This can be applied to the sales team and the whole organization. It’s imperative to change the mindset of individuals because that’s how you shift the entire company and improve its trajectory. Consider: How you can win How you can beat the competition How you can support each other   Changing the mindset of the organization can produce a work environment where everyone is enthusiastic and passionate. This, in turn, will boost the morale of your sales team and increase their speed.    The author of the comic strip called Pogo wrote this quote: We have met the enemy and the enemy is us. Oftentimes you may think that the enemy is the economy or the competition. The truth is, how you feel about yourself at a subconscious level determines how well you do. The only way to truly improve is to change the mindset. Umar’s job is to give people the tools to do just that.    Getting unstuck  Umar had a client, Paul, when he first started his career in the mindset space. Paul was a sales rep from the east coast who had been hitting way above the quota but he still approached Umar for coaching an area he was lacking confidence:  asking for referrals. The sales rep was an excellent closer but always hit a block when it came to asking his client for the referral. Umar asked Paul to tell him about a time when he asked for a referral

Wed, March 11, 2020

Lorraine Ferguson | Equally The Playing Field For Women In Sales

Equaling The Playing Field For Women In Sales    Sales used to be a man’s world, used to . The same can’t be said now because women have found their place in the sales industry as well.    Lorraine Ferguson is one of the great saleswomen. She started her career in the industry in the mid-eighties by working for a startup company. Like many women, she didn’t see herself as a salesperson but her job for the startup company called for it and Lorraine ended up joining a team of salesmen.    Lorraine’s challenges  Lorraine was young and inexperienced so she did what she could by imitating what she saw the salesmen were doing. With so much pressure sales, the job didn’t seem appealing. Sales were all about making the deal and sharing the benefits and features of the products and services. Lorraine did what she could but the biggest challenge wasn’t selling. It was her gender. Lorraine felt that she wasn’t taken seriously and several times during a negotiation, she was asked to bring in her boss.    It wasn’t just her lack of experience and knowledge that became a challenge. She was also conducting herself based on the way she was raised. She was taught that being a good girl meant being accommodating, knowing her place, and waiting her turn. Lorraine didn’t immediately realize that she was carrying all these lessons as she became a sales person. When somebody told her to jump, she’d say, “ How high?” She just wasn’t being treated as an equal and she wasn’t acting like one.   Women and sales  People have developed a negative view towards sales, women included. It’s not a career you immediately want to join or take a part in. This is the mindset that many people have toward sales. Women are also not told encouraged to join sales as a potential career, especially by your guidance counselor. People don’t typically see sales as an option.    Another reason why women don’t perceive sales as a possible career is the hiring process. Men are still the favored gender because the majority of the sales leader positions are occupied by men. Women aren’t seen as a fit for sales. A lot of people look at sales as a stepping stone or last resort. It’s the mindset that if you’ve got nothing else to do, then try sales.    This, of course, isn’t true. There is so much more to sales and it can be a very profitable career. As a profession, it’s very flexible, and women have many na

Mon, March 09, 2020

Tukan | How To Pair Inbound Leads With Sales Triggers For Higher ROI

How To Pair Inbound Leads With Sales Triggers For Higher ROI   Are you thinking of ways you can pair inbound leads with sales triggers to get a higher ROI? In this episode, we’ll talk about how to do just that.    Tukan is the CEO and co-founder of LeadSift. It is an intent data platform for B2B technology companies. Tukan's company helps them identify which accounts and which contacts within the accounts they should be going after based on signals of intent.    What is an inbound lead? For Tukan, an inbound lead is anyone who comes into your website and fills out a form on gated content, requests a demo, or in other ways your website offers engagement. Other inbound leads may have come to you, chatted with you and given you their email address.  They could have also downloaded your webinar, your ebook, or another offering. If a person requests some form of information from your company, that is considered an inbound lead.    There’s a variety of sales triggers, including internal triggers or first party data triggers. These include: The number of pages that were visited Average time they spent on the site Number of downloaded content from the site Number of webinars attended Times they’ve opened an email from you   All these are triggers that can offer you insight about how far along your prospects are on the buying journey. Several marketing automation tools such as HubSpot and Marketo provide this information for entrepreneurs.    External sales triggers   The second type of triggers are the external sales triggers. These are outside your digital properties, not on your landing page and not on your websites. The reality in sales is that less than 1% of your market is coming from your website. Many companies’ activities happen outside of their digital properties. Inbound leads coming from external sources can be broken down to two categories: the company level growth event and the behavioral intent triggers.    The company level growth is when other companies get funding to host certain events. These companies may be hiring specific roles or skills whereby

Fri, March 06, 2020

Jason Swenk | How can you qualify your prospects in under 10 minutes to get the budget from them 99% and determine if they are the real decision maker

How To Qualify Your Prospects In Under 10 Minutes   How can a salesperson qualify a lead in under 10 minutes? Jason Swenk can help. He is a self-proclaimed professional Uber driver for his children, who are 13 and 9 years old, but his main job is to work with agency owners grow and create freedom in their company.   The downstream sales process The downstream sales process doesn’t start the conversation by immediately selling to a potential client.  Launching a meeting by talking about a product is a tactic many sales reps use but it doesn’t often lead to closing. The downstream sales process is more about taking away the risks and making sure that the transaction works for both parties and ensures both parties have good experiences.    Mistakes that people often do Oftentimes, people sell their core services right off the bat, and immediately go to the high ticket item regardless if it meets the client’s need. In this scenario a high commission is the goal by trying to capture a major commitment from a client who doesn’t yet see the value in what you’re offering.  You’re trying to sell long term or short-term contracts to people who don’t fit the criteria of your ideal client. For long-term gains, you have to know and find your ideal customer.   Knowing the profile of your ideal customers takes a while especially if you are just starting out. You need time to figure out who the ideal client is so you don’t waste time or resources. Conversing with clients who aren’t actually your ideal customers is akin to flirting with someone who you were never meant to have a relationship with. This is caused by both desperation and misplaced optimism, which can be common in sales.    Another mistake that salespeople can make is the failure to ask questions . Salespeople tend to keep talking with statements and forget that the most valuable aspects of the conversation will come from the client answering their questions.  Asking a prospect questions will reveal their pain points, the impact of the problems on their business, and how these problems make them feel.    Identifying the right people It is important to identify what kind of client you want to work with and getting to know what their biggest challenges are. For example, say you’re an agency that wants to work with lawyers. Which lawyers are you really going after?      Go for a specifi

Wed, March 04, 2020

Donald Kelly | Best Seller In History Recap

Best Sellers In History Recap    The Best Sellers in History has been a hit and we’ve been doing it for the last few months. We have highlighted individuals and classified them as the best sellers throughout history. Over the course of the series, we’ve talked about:  Who they are What made them great at selling What separated them from everyone else How we can take those ideas and apply them to our selling career   The Recap In this series, Donald has talked about several individuals who made their mark. They were influential and persuasive people who were able to make a difference in their lifetimes. We’ve talked about Jesus Christ, Oprah Winfrey, Reginald F Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Abraham Lincoln. They were amazing sales people even though they weren’t in sales for a living. For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t a salesman but he did sell a major idea.      Abraham Lincoln - sold the whole country on the idea of unity and the need to abolish slavery.  Mother Teresa - sold to the Catholic church the idea of leaving the convent and personally helping the needy to create her own ministry.  Mahatma Gandhi - sold to the whole country the idea of a peaceful revolution.  Martin Luther King Jr. - sold the idea of civil disobedience.  Harriet Tubman - sold to people the idea of running away toward freedom, despite the danger     They all had vision  All of the individuals we’ve discussed are tied to a vision we are still talking about today. Websters defines vision as a thought, concept or object formed by the imagination. You can have a vision but that doesn’t necessarily mean your vision is going to compel people to take action. For people to join you, your vision must reveal and alleviate the pain. If people understand how your vision can help them, they will want to know more and be more compelled to come alongside. Peo

Mon, March 02, 2020

Justin Welsh | Selling SaaS To Doctors vs. Selling Traditional SaaS Solutions

Selling SaaS To Doctors vs. Selling Traditional SaaS    SaaS stands for Software as a Service. In this episode, Justin Welsh will teach us how to sell SaaS to doctors and how the language in these transactions can be applied in other areas of selling.    Although Justin Welsh is an accomplished seller, he is also a buyer who makes note of his purchasing experiences.  He recalls one such experience, about eighteen months ago, when he went to the Atlantic Center Terminal to buy a new TV. He and his wife had just moved to a new apartment and Justin wanted a large 60” TV so he could enjoy college football. He went to the store and told the salesman exactly what he needed.  The salesman, however, had other plans. Justin no sooner had asked about the 60” TV before he was hearing about 65”, 67”, and 72” inches TV. Justin was even taken over to the curved and 3D TVs. Justin admits he was a little intimidated by such an aggressive sales tactic. He’d just wanted to get the TV he was ready to purchase so he and his friends could enjoy the game.  He didn’t buy a TV that day.   The good salesman Justin, still needing a TV, eventually went back to the store and had a very different experience. A different salesman approached and asked Justin what he needed. Again, Justin said that he was interested in a 60’’ TV. Instead of being shown the selection right away,  he was asked a series of questions relevant to what he wanted.    How big is your room? What angle do you watch the game from? Where are the windows in your room? How much light do you have in the room?   At the end of that conversation, the salesman told him that he didn’t actually need a 60-inch TV, and that a 55-inch TV would work better for the space he had available. The salesman had considered Justin’s needs based on the information given to him and showed Justin he had his best interest at heart.  As a result, Justin was able to buy a 55-inch TV that was $300 below his budget. You can bet Justin will be looking for that salesman the next time he’s shopping again.   So who is Justin Welsh? Justin Welsh is the Vice-President of Sales at a tech company called Patient Pop where he manages a strategy team of 30  people. In the last couple of years, they have grown about 400% and has become one of the fastest growing software as a service (SaaS) healthcare platforms. They ha

Fri, February 28, 2020

Donald Kelly | Three Sales Principles I Learned While Visiting Jamaica

Three Sales Principles I Learned While Visiting Jamaica   Donald Kelly, our podcast host, recently traveled back to his home country, Jamaica. The trip was beautiful and an eye-opener. In watching the work ethic and ingenuity of the Jamaican people, Donald learned 3 key principles that can be used by sellers in the U.S. and abroad. His experience in Jamaica can strengthen and help sales professionals to persevere in their roles.    Jamaica is a beautiful country. It has beaches and looks to be a people with an easy-going lifestyle. People picture Jamaica as a beautiful country but the way it looks doesn’t tell the whole story. It has its fair share of challenges too, just like any other country. The average salary of an individual is $149,000 (Jamaican dollar). That’s $138.72 in the US. People have to learn how to live off a meager income. While it’s not easy, they are still able to make it work. Parents are still able to send their kids to school to get a great education.    Principle 1: Sell lemons  Despite its current economic state, Jamaica has a high-quality education system. The challenge is to translate that education into opportunities for the graduates. Many receive their education and leave Jamaica so they have a greater chance to apply their degrees to a career. To do that, they must go to western countries to look for opportunities. Once established in their work, they are able to send money to their families back home. This is the way they can continue to help with their communities even if they aren’t there.    There are a few who choose to stay but it’s not guaranteed there will be jobs available for kids who graduate from college. There are many things to do after finishing your education, such as paying a mortgage, bills to pay and more. In Jamaica, though, they know that if life gives you lemons, sell it and buy food. Because of tough conditions, Jamaicans are very creative and crafty.    This is the spirit of the Jamaican people. They know how to make the best out of hardship. They are willing to go through the difficulties and have a good time while going through it. They know how to have fun using music. Jamaicans don’t whine about their situation. Whenever a tough situation comes their way, they figure out how to make it better.    As a sales professional, there may be times when it feels like your situation is dire but you have options. You can be your greatest catalyst for change. You may feel you don’t have enough leads but the only way around it is to take what you have and make it work. The ability to create something out of nothing is powerful.  In the United States, the

Wed, February 26, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 10 - "Oprah Winfrey"

The Best Sellers in History Series 10 - “Oprah Winfrey”   Welcome to yet another episode for the Best Sellers in History series. For this episode, we are featuring one of the most influential individuals in our century. She isn’t only known among the African-American community. Her fame reaches worldwide and this individual is now worth over $3.5 billion. She started from nothing but didn’t let that stop her as she overcame obstacles all the way to success and influence. She is Oprah Winfrey    Sales Spotlight - Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29th, 1954 and her parents are Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. She grew up in a humble community where she was raised by her grandmother on a farm. Oprah entertained herself by playing and acting in front of an imaginary audience. She had her first speaking gig in front of the congregation at church, where she spoke about Jesus and how he rose up from the dead on Easter Sunday. It was the beginning of her knowledge that this was something she could do.    She’d listen when sisters in the congregation would tell her grandmother how talented and gifted Oprah was. Oprah heard it over and over again and she eventually believed it. Her grandmother was strict and forced her to learn how to read by the time she was three. When she was in kindergarten, she wrote a letter to her teacher telling her why she deserved to be in the first grade. She eventually skipped another grade was in third grade when she had to move to  Milwaukee with her mother.    Growing up in a difficult environment    It was difficult as they lived in some poor and dangerous circumstances; however, being Oprah, she didn’t focus on the negative things. She kept moving, living, and enjoying life. When she turned 12, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to live with her father. She began writing speeches for social gatherings and churches. At one point, she earned $500 for a speech! It was then Oprah knew that she wanted to become an orator and get paid for speaking. Unfortunately, she had to go back to her mother’s home and the dire circumstances strained the mind of young Oprah. She became disobedient and problematic.    At 9, Oprah was being sexually assaulted by men she knew, even family. This eventually led to an early pregnancy and losing a baby. She was around 14 years of age when she was sent back home to her father.    Having structure and expectation  Oprah’s father was very different from her mom. With her father, Oprah was given structure and the expectation that she would not perform below what she was capable of. She b

Mon, February 24, 2020

John Martinez | How To Train Salespeople That Aren’t Natural Salespeople

How To Train Salespeople That Aren’t Natural Salespeople   Getting training as a salesperson is part of the process and it is especially important for those individuals where selling doesn’t come naturally. How do you shape them to become great salespeople?   John Martinez is a sales trainer and has been training salespeople exclusively for about six years. Before that, he’d had a sales career for over 20 years. Working in corporate America training and building sales teams, he eventually decided to leave to start his own sales training company.    Becoming a great salesperson With proper training, anyone can learn the skills to get better at their job and sales is no exception. Not all salespeople are born for sales but with the right exposure and training, a skillset can be gained to excel. In these cases, one needs the desire to develop the strategies to help them overcome the inevitable hurdles and challenges that can come with a career in sales.  John wasn’t a natural-born salesperson himself.  He had a speech problem growing up and the only person who could understand him was his mother. In sixth grade, he was in therapy five days a week. He was also getting bullied at school so for his own safety, he just learned to blend in.    How to train salespeople When training new salespeople, great training doesn’t start with sales tactics and strategies.  It starts with the belief system. The sales team needs to know why they sell what they sell and do what they do. People are often held back because they don’t want to be pushy. No one wants to be in an uncomfortable situation, whether they are the sales person or the prospect. Unfortunately, most sales processes are taught in a way that puts salespeople in an awkward position and they get stuck in a battle with their discomfort.    John starts with the basics and teaches salespeople to believe in what they do. When they’ve built up enough trust in themselves, John teaches them the strategies and tactics that make conversations comfortable again.  The training process:  John’s sales training is done once a week with teams from around the country. They spend about 45 minutes talking about the why and work toward getting a complete buy-in on the sales strategy. Another 10 minutes is spent on starting to reverse the paradigm. 95% of the sales training is about getting sales reps to u

Fri, February 21, 2020

Dre Baldwin | How To Develop An Unstoppable Drive To Sales Success

How To Develop An Unstoppable Drive To Sales Success   Salespeople and startup entrepreneurs all strive to have an unstoppable drive toward sales success; however, this isn’t an easy feat. There are hurdles to face before that success can be attained. How do you get the unstoppable drive to sales success?   Dre Baldwin was a professional basketball player. He graduated from Penn State and played overseas for nine years across eight different countries. He is now an author and speaker. Dre creates programs for both athletes and non-athletes and does coaching and consulting, among his many jobs. He is also considered as an influencer with YouTube views of over 40 million.     The beginning of his basketball career  Dre started playing basketball at the later age of fourteen. With other players starting out much earlier, many were better than he was and had a greater skill set. With this in mind, he knew the only way for him to get better and earn their respect was to do more than everybody else was doing.    He practiced way before others were coming to the court. While people started playing when the sun went down, he started playing between 10 AM to 4 PM, when it was too hot for others to join him. He didn’t have a coach or a mentor so there was no one  he could ask for help. He had to drive himself to improve.     Dre went on to college and tried out for the basketball team as a walk-on. Fortunately, he had improved enough to be recruited in his freshman year and by summer, he was invited to go to another Penn State branch that was a NCAA division three school.   Developing the drive  Many success stories have a rags to riches origin story but that wasn’t Dre’s case.  He grew up comfortably with both parents. When you’re comfortable, where does the drive come from that pushes you to do better?  For Dre, it was seeing the success of people who’d truly had rags to riches stories, like 50 Cent and Jay Z. Dre’s favorite entertainer is the rapper 50 Cent who was shot nine times and almost died. 50 Cent ended up making it big in the industry, working hard to get out of the ghetto and into a glamorous life. Jay Z came from the projects, didn’t know his father, was selling drugs on the streets, and became wildly successful as a rapper.    These people grew up in some of the worse situations but they turned their lives around. You might ask yourself how you can have the same success story by finding ways to motivate yourself to do better.   Having the force within <span style="font-weig

Wed, February 19, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 9 - "Harriate Tubman"

Best Sellers In History Series - "Harriet Tubman"   It’s another episode from the Best Sellers in History series. This month, we will be focusing on African American individuals who have been very persuasive. One such individual was Harriet Tubman, also known as the Black Moses. Harriet was born as a slave but managed to escape and rescue more than 300 slaves. In this episode, we’ll focus on why Harriet was so successful in convincing people to leave the life of slavery, even if getting caught meant death.    Sales on Spotlight - Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was born as Emerita Ross in March 1822. The exact date was never known because a slave’s birth date wasn’t recorded. Slaves were considered property and weren’t valued as individuals. She was born in Dorchester County, Maryland and growing up, she was beaten and whipped by her masters.  There was one incident Harriet endured when a slave owner threw a heavy metal object at another slave and hit Harriet instead. This injury caused a scar she would wear the rest of her life and she suffered hypersomnia as a result.    Harriet had a Methodist upbringing and was deeply religious. That faith helped carry her  through the worst times of her life. Harriet escaped to Philadelphia in 1894 and immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. She brought slaves out of Maryland, one group at a time, into a life of freedom in Philadelphia. This is how she got the nickname “Moses” from the other slaves.  They saw her as bringing people out of slavery and leading them to the promised land. She was a modern-day Moses who used the Underground Railroad to save hundreds of people.   Drive to help others    When the Fugitive Act was passed in 1850, Harriet could no longer bring escaped slaves to the northern states. This didn’t deter her, however. Instead, she went further north and brought them all the way to Canada. There, she helped them settle as free people and they were able to  experience building their own lives.    During the Civil War, she became an armed scout and spy. She was actually the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war. Included in her tasks was to raid a Combahee ferry which liberated over 700 slaves. After the war, she retired to her home in Auburn, New York and cared for her aging parents.    Even after her impressive feats during the Civil War, she kept fighting for rights and this time, it was in women's suffrage. She was an impeccable icon for courage and freedom. When Harriet Tubman made a decision she stuck to her guns.    Harriet Tubm

Mon, February 17, 2020

Stephan Hart | Three Things Small Businesses Get Wrong When Marketing

Three Things Small Businesses Get Wrong When Marketing     Businesses often make mistakes in their marketing campaigns and as a result, don’t maximize their exposure. Let’s discuss how strategic decisions about your online presence can make a bigger impact.    Stephen Hart is the host of the Trailblazers.fm podcast and is also a digital brand strategist. Stephen enhances marketing and communications for a global software firm by coaching individuals and businesses to improve their own brand. Through his experience, Stephen is seeing the need for people to address their brand presence and their digital footprint. It’s important for your brand to represent your product well and this is done by your prospects associating your online presence with a reputation of quality..    Digitally sophisticated  People today are more digitally sophisticated. Employers and consumers often end up going to Google or asking Alexa and Siri for answers to their questions. The same is true when consumers are looking for products or services.  They research and ask relevant questions using social platforms before making a final purchasing decision. People look at company websites, verified reviews online, the company’s social platform, and their customer service and support.    People want confirmation online long before they ever speak to their first salesperson. There are many touchpoints that consumers look for and by the time they make the decision to meet a product or service rep, most of them have already made up their minds.    Five key areas of branding Branding is critical because it’s a visual representation that lets the consumer know what you and your company are all about. Stephen has five key elements that entrepreneurs should consider to define their personal brand. These 5 elements that will help your digital presence include: Color Font Mood and vibe Logo Voice or the tone of your written content   Colors in branding Color is  important because it’s one of the elements that offer people the first impressions about your brand presence. Research has shown th

Fri, February 14, 2020

Lisa Nichhols | Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today

Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today   We all want to amplify our lives and achieve prosperity. Entrepreneurs want to prosper in their business, but how is that achieved? Sales professionals all have the desire to be successful. The definition of the word can be pretty broad and it may differ from one salesperson to another. Lisa Nichols is a transformational coach and her clients achieve massive succes through her use of education, motivation, and inspiration.   Getting to Know Lisa Nichols  Lisa Nichols was academically challenged in school. She had a difficult time learning and in her twenties discovered she’s functionally dyslexic. While she gets by, she’s slower than most. C was her highest grade in school and she was told she was the weakest writer her English teacher had ever met. Even her speech teacher said, “Ms. Nichols, I recommend that you never speak in public. Get a desk job.”   Education was challenging and when she had her son, she had to get government assistance. She applied for WIC (Women, Infant, Children), an organization that gives out free cheese, pasta, milk, and other necessities. There were a couple of days she had to wrap her infant son in a blanket because she hadn’t had enough money for diapers. Why? There wasn’t enough in her bank account to make a twenty dollar withdrawal.  That was her all-time low. She was broke and broken and in that state, she learned a valuable lesson. When you’re broke, you’ve just got to figure out how to make money. But when you’re broken, you have to figure out how to be inspired enough to get up and go do something.    The beginning When she hit rock bottom, she made a decision to reinvent every part of her. Lisa was willing to become unfamiliar with every part of her journey so that she could become familiar with everything new. She wanted to explore her potential and know who she could be. That was the beginning of how she became the woman she is today.    What is abundance? People tend to look at abundance in just two ways - monetary and assets. These things are part of abundance but it doesn’t show the total pictures. Money and assets fall under wealth and wealth is just a slice of the abundance pie. Abundance is a 360 experience and most people fail to see how abundance differs from wealth until they’ve achieved some level of wealth.  When wealth is achieved, they realize they want to have abundance. Abundance is not only having wealth and assets. It’s only fully achieved when you also  have good health, great relationships, and a spiritual center. Instead of just going for

Wed, February 12, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 8 - "Reginald F. Lewis"

Best Sellers In History Series 8 - "Reginald F. Lewis"   This episode of the Best Sellers in History series is different from the other episodes we’ve had. We are going to do an interview not with the person himself, but with his friend, Lin Hart. He wrote a book about a period of Reginald Lewis’ life. As we talk to Lin, we discover how Reginald was able to inspire us to achieve our goals and become great sellers as well.    Knowing Lin Hart Lin had a great experience when he was still a customer, back when he first purchased his own computer. His brother had told him to get a computer and with the help of his colleague’s daughter, who was a salesperson with new computer company, was able to decide what computer to buy and make all the purchasing decisions    He was reluctant but the young lady was excellent. She came over to his office and explained to him all the things he needed. She also picked out the right package for Lin. The computer came with a lot of instructions and she explained how it worked, and explained the purchase price in detail. Her attitude was great. She called personally, came, and delivered the product herself.    The beginning  Lin started working for Western Electric,  a company that later became AT&T Network Systems. This company manufactured all the telephone equipment for all the telephone companies back when they were still in a monopoly arrangement. Lin left the company in 1995 and decided to work for himself as a professional speaker.   With success as a professional speaker, the company expanded into executive coaching. The job allowed him to travel around the country. By 2011, he decided to relax and began to limit his traveling. It was then that Lin was asked to write down his thoughts and record his experience. Lin wasn’t keen to do it until Reginald’s wife and mother personally asked him to write about Reginald. There weren’t many people who were close to Reginald Lewis, as he was an extremely private individual. Being so close to Reginald, he was in the perfect position to write about him and Reginald F Lewis, The young man before the billion-dollar empire was born.   Sales on Spotlight - Reginald F Lewis?  Reginald Lewis passed away in 1993 and at the time of his death, he was arguably the richest African-American on the planet. He had several business deals including that last one, the International division of Beatrice Foods. I

Mon, February 10, 2020

Cynthia Barnes | It’s Time To Transform Our Sales Training

It’s Time To Transform Our Sales Training   2020 is here and there is an opportunity to update sales strategies. The most common ways to execute sales systems, processes, and training have historically been written by men and for men but how do we get take those same techniques and update to include the natural strengths of women?   All about Cynthia Cynthia is a keynote speaker and sales trainer who shows sales professionals how to influence decision-makers through her company, the Barnes Sales Institute. Between her company’s focus on women-centric sales training and her global organization, Women who Sell, there is a focus on empowering female sales professionals in  male-dominated industries. Their organization is giving saleswomen a voice to be heard, so they can stand out from the competition, and be counted.   Buyer’s journey  Salespeople need to realize that 70-80% of the buyers’ journey includes conducting their own research, even before they get in front of the first salesperson. In addition to doing the research, they get recommendations from their friends, make a decision about what they’re going to purchase, and then decide who or where they’re going to buy from. Their minds are pretty much made up before they get in front of an expert.   Because consumers do so much research on the product they need, they can have more knowledge than the people selling their products. The truth is, this buyer wants to be sold to by an expert. As consumers, they want to know what the salesperson can tell them that Google couldn’t. If you are the salesperson, you have to figure out how to be their expert.    Sales training and programs of today  Being a saleswoman in a male-dominated industry is difficult. Most sales training today have men in mind. They expect women to act like the opposite sex to be effecting at their job. The majority of sales programs were created 40 years ago by men for men. It was at a time when men made up most of the sales force. In 2017, women made up to 49.8% of the sales force and there are even more today. However, the model still hasn’t evolved despite the change in demographics.   Women have the innate ability to be patient and intuitive in the way they interact with people. Instead of using traditional scripts, they can utilize their natural talents by tapping into their authentic selves and their own communication skills to connect with their prospects.  Women control 51% of the wealth and influence over 71% of the household spending. Knowing this, it’s wise to train female sale

Fri, February 07, 2020

Jude Charles | How To Construct Sales Stories That Get More Prospects To Buy!

How To Tell A Story That Connects & Sells   In this episode, we are going to talk about how to tell a story that connects and sells . We tell stories to inspire others, show empathy, and more. The problem is, we don’t know how to tell stories in a way that consumers will be compelled to buy our products. This is what Jude Charles is going to teach you in this episode.    Jude Charles is a story-driven filmmaker, brand strategist, and a speaker who’s been running a video production company for the past 13 years. He’s been helping entrepreneurs tell stories effectively to be able to connect with prospects and clients.    What is a story?  Stories are universal. There is no difference between a story about your normal day and a story you might tell during a sales meeting. The only difference is the ending and its goal.  Stories are about a specific moment in time. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. What happens at the end will make your story impactful.    When you’re telling a story in sales, you want the listener to buy into the service you’re selling. This story has to matter in a way that by the end, they will want to buy your product or service. Stories can make a connection.    Case Example: Money Heist Storytelling works because it’s relatable. A Netflix show called Money Heist has a story that pulls you in. It includes a group of nine guys that are getting ready to rob a mint in Spain. Although viewers aren’t robbers themselves, as the movie unfolds, the audience begins to relate to these men and become more invested in the characters and the plot. The viewer gets to know these nine guys and sees their reasons for wanting to rob the mint.    The same is true in selling. You want to share a story with your client that he/she can relate to. Instead of just selling your products and services outright, or presenting bullet points of the benefits, share a success story instead. Set the scene by beginning with the problem. You’ll then go into the actual journey that leads to solving the problem.  As the story unfolds, the client or prospect should be able to picture themselves in the scenario. By the end, they will see themselves as the one rescued from the problem by the solutions you have to offer.  The basics of presenting a story  When forming a story, think about how you will sit with the client and talk to them about what you’re doing.  <span style="font-weight

Wed, February 05, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 7 - "Martin Luther King"

Best Sellers In History Series 7 -" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.     This is the seventh episode in the Best Sellers in History series. We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day on January 20, a legendary man who was the face and voice behind the civil rights movement. We have freedom today and now have opportunities that weren’t available for many people before him. Martin Luther King Jr. fought a tough battle but he never gave up and his efforts paid off. Through his actions and his character he was able to move people closer to justice and freedom.    Today’s episode is about Martin Luther King Jr., one of the best sellers in history. We’re going to focus on the characteristics that made him so persuasive and how he was able to inspire a nation to change its ways.    Sales Spotlight - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was originally named Michael King Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He passed away on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin was a Baptist minister and a social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-fifties until he was killed in the sixties. Dr. King’s leadership was fundamental to the success of the civil rights movement. His involvement helped to end segregation in the South and in other parts of the country as well. He rose to prominence as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1964 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his continued effort to realize equality among his fellow Americans. King was among the youngest individuals to receive this award.    His early life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was 15 when he entered Morehouse College in Atlanta under the special wartime program. It was created to help boost enrollment by admitting promising high school students like King. Before he officially began his college education, he spent his summer on a tobacco farm in Connecticut. It was his first time to be far from home and what he experienced there opened his mind. He saw how people with different races interacted with each other, he saw what life was like without segregation. He was shocked and he wrote about it to his family back home. He wrote about how negroes and the whites went to church together. He never thought people of the same color could share a meal together. That summer deepened his hatred towards racial segregation.    His oratorical skills came from his father and the time he spent going to church. It was further honed when he went to Morehouse College, especially when he met the school president, Benjamin Mays, who was also committed to fi

Mon, February 03, 2020

Matthew Pollard | Rapidly Grow Your Sales Through An Effective Message & A Powerful Sales Script

How To Rapidly Grow Your Sales Through An Effective Message & A Powerful Sales Script   A message and a powerful sales script are important to rapidly grow your business. These strategies can take your sales game from zero to hero.  Matthew Pollard was a customer before he became a game-changer and a rapid growth expert. He was 21 when he met the most unbelievable salesperson he’d ever met. The man was part of the Wine Selector’s club. Matthew grew up in a relatively poor neighborhood so beer, straight vodka or bourbon had been his drink of choice. He wasn’t a wine person but the salesman’s script was so good he bought it.  Matt signed up for a club membership and collected wine for 7-8 months before he moved houses. He started drinking wine and has become a huge fan.   When Matthew told this salesman he’d purchased the wine because of the sales pitch, he was told the secret was to tell the same story every time.  What made it so effective was that because he knew the script so well, he could guarantee a great performance consistently, and was developing better versions of his story each time.    That resonated with Matthew. The idea of a sales script was something new for him and he wanted to work on it.    What is script sales? A sales script can initially sound robotic and monotone. It’s similar to an actor who is reading a script for the first time.  In that first run, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to sound great. What will develop the performance is practice. It’s practice that will give life to the scripted words.    Actors can embody their characters so well because they run their lines repeatedly. The same is true in sales. When you’re able to connect with your customer from a script, then you know you’ve practiced enough to make the script a natural part of your pitch.    Practice and more practice    Practice a sales script until it  becomes who you are. Tell the jokes and stories repeatedly, watch what works and doesn’t work, and continue to hone the storytelling until you are getting positive reactions in the places you want your client to react. The story could be as simple as how you met your spouse to how you tried and failed to climb Mount Everest. You will get better about crafting your joke or story so it’s more engaging. It’s going to take time before you get comfortable but once it does, your sales script will be so effective.    Famous Australian comedian, Jim Owen, does stand up comedy and his shtick is to riff on topics people want him to ta

Fri, January 31, 2020

Kingsley Grant | How To Create An Environment Where People Thrive At Work

How To Create An Environment Where People Thrive At Work   A healthy work environment allows people to thrive and grow. But what can we do to create that environment where people thrive ?  Kingsley Grant is focused on helping leaders get better results by using a framework of emotional intelligence and leadership. He helps sales leaders create environments that support positive output.    Reasons why salespeople don’t thrive at work  The research group, Aussie Tanner, interviewed people who left their companies. Based on that research, it showed that people leave because they felt unacknowledged,  under-valued, and unimportant. The best way to address these problems is to create an environment that supports employees and allows them to feel they are part of the team. This engagement can be a challenge for many leaders.    Another reason why salespeople fail to thrive is they don’t feel safe to share their ideas. There is a fear that sales leaders will use those ideas against them. Sales leaders need to create an environment where their team can share ideas they know will at least be considered.  When employees feel they’re in an environment that offers room to experiment and make mistakes, these salespeople grow and thrive.   How does thriving look like? A salesperson who is allowed to  unleash their talents is a person who thrives. For example, L’Oreal is a huge cosmetics company that wanted their people to thrive with their company. They had some of their salespeople  trained in the area of emotional intelligence. The rest of their sales team weren’t given the training. What they found was that their trained personnel and sales staff were able to sell more. Their value increased and their net revenue rose to $2.5 million in just a month.    Helping salespeople acquire emotional intelligence can greatly impact the company. Allowing your sales team to learn self-awareness is a powerful tool to build their confidence and increase revenue.    Defining emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and regulate your emotions. It is the ability to have a level of awareness of how you feel and manage your relationships around you.  Every salesperson is building relationships around them, whether it’s with their team or their customers. Having emotional intelligence provides the ability to manage a variety of relationships.    A sales leader plays a huge part in buil

Wed, January 29, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 6 - "Mary Kay Ash"

Best Sellers In History Series 6 - "Mary Kay Ash"   It’s the sixth episode for out Best Sellers in History series. We’ve talked about Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. This time, we’re going to talk about someone who helped get others promoted but was overlooked for promotions herself.  She noticed how unfairly she was being treated at her job but instead of begging for a piece of the pie, she went ahead and created her own pie! Let’s talk about Mary Kay Ash and how she built her empire from the strong skill sets she developed as a salesperson.   Sales Spotlight - Mary Kay Ash Mary Kay Ash is world-renowned for being the makeup and skincare queen.  Her pink Cadillac has become iconic. How did this come from someone who kept getting passed over for promotion?  Because she is considered to be one of the best sellers in history. Here are five reasons why:  Had a purpose and a why Created a vision or a common cause Had a strong and impressive work ethic Had the desire to create and give rewards Willing to take action   Mary Kay Ash was born on May 12, 1918, in Hotwells, Texas. She took care of her sick dad for most of her childhood while her mother did the earning for the family. At 17 years old, Mary Kay married Ben Rogers and had three children with him before Ben went to war in WWII. Their marriage eventually came to an end and Mary Kay was left with three children to take care of.    She needed to make money to feed her children so she started working for Stanley Home products in 1939. She’d go into someone’s home and host parties with the sole purpose of encouraging people to buy household items. Mary Kay was great at her job and she became a top seller. By 1952, Mary Kay was hired by World Gifts. After 10 years,however, she quit her job. At that time, the sales force was mostly made up of men and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get ahead because she was a woman. She saw the men she was training were getting promoted, going onto better jobs, and they were getting a much higher wage.    Had a purpose and a why   With $5000, Mary Kay used the money to build her empire. Mary Kay had a purpose.  She was a mother who needed to take care of her kids and a woman who wanted to see other wom

Mon, January 27, 2020

Austin Rolling | 5 Ways Exercise Will Help You Become A Better Sales Professional

5 Ways Exercise Will Help You Become A Better Sales Professional   Everybody wants to be better and be the best version of themselves. There are ways to help you become a better sales professional.  Austin Rolling is the founder and CEO of a software company based in Houston, Texas called Outfield. It’s a web and mobile-based software application designed for organizations that compete for outside sales, field marketing, and field merchandising activities.  They created a platform to help companies acquire the necessary data to be effective in rolling out and executing their field marketing strategies.  Austin wrote an article about 5 areas we can become a better sales professional through exercise . To be better, exercise doesn't just refer to physical fitness. Mental health is just as important for someone wanting to be a great salesperson. The 5 areas we’ll be reviewing include:  Mental fitness Having various outlets  to relieve stress  Appearance Energy to make it through the day Self-reflection    Mental fitness   Sales can be mentally taxing, especially with a challenging sales cycle.  They have to be able to show up and be ready to do critical tasks month after month.  Because of this they have to be mentally tough. You need to be in the right mental state to remember even the tiniest tasks in order to remain organized. With the hormones released by the body during a physical exercise is one way a clearer mind can be achieved.   Have an Outlet to Relieve Stress   The second area that can help someone become a better sales professional is to have various outlets to relieve stress. We typically feel better after a great workout. The body releases endorphins that help reduce stress and anxiety. The hormones released by the brain due to exercise helps with mental clarity. For Austin, he relieves his stress with hard-core exercise. He suggests sales people look at a variety of outlets like golf, basketball, art, music, and more.  Presentable appearance  <span st

Fri, January 24, 2020

Anita Nielsen | The Psychology of Sales

The Psychology of Sales   Behind the sales process there’s a whole psychology of sales that is part of the interaction between sales reps and customers. What does that entail?   As a sales performance consultant and coach, Anita Nielsen answers this question for her clients. She works with sales leaders and salespeople to help them up their game and get them to where they want to go. As a sales coach, Anita does one-on-one training and offers sales enablement services. She is known as a fixer when sales aren’t going smoothly.  Anita is also the author of the newly published book, Beat the Bots.    In recent years, sales reps have been ringing their hands about how robots are going to take away jobs. Anita’s book was the result of hearing these same fears over and over again.  She doesn’t agree. She believes people who are great at customer service and building relationships will always have a job. The AIs won’t be able to learn empathy or trust and they can’t build that  human connection. Buyers crave that connection more than ever due to the rise of technology. Customers want to work with people who they feel have their back and want them to succeed. They want sales reps they can trust and interact with.    How AIS help the sales force Computer-based programs can do many things. AI can help with jobs that entail just dialing or deal with a template but they will never promote trust or empathy. The complex purchases won’t be handled by AI and technology. When they need specific business outcomes, customers still want a sales rep to help them figure out how to achieve those outcomes. Trust and empathy are two of the biggest factors that keep human connection in the sales force. Buyers want to work with people who can provide both.    There are many things that a bot and AI can do. Some of the AIs are helping people to screen phone calls  and can determine how long a salesperson spends talking to a customer or the length of time the customers is speaking. The technology won’t take away the jobs of salespeople.  Tech is there to make sales people better by supporting their work. It’s not there to replace the valuable things salespeople do for their customers.    Value is in the eye of the customer When Anita talks with sales leaders, one of the first things they say is that their sales team doesn't know how to articulate value to the customers. She then asks what they mean by value and Anita has yet to hear the same answers. What she does is break down value in three layers: </p

Wed, January 22, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 5 - "Mahatma Gandhi"

Best Sellers In History Series 5 - "Mahatma Gandhi"   Depending on who you ask, hearing the name Mahatma Gandhi may bring up the titles of leader, spiritual guide, person of nonviolence, The Father of India, and many more. You may think about the man who defied the British Empire. How did one man make it possible? How was he able to get millions of people to follow his ideals and eventually shape the rest of Western culture?  For this episode, we will look at Mahatma Gandhi and explore the traits that made him an influential person.    Sales Spotlight - Mahatma Gandhi   Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Pordabander, India. He studied law in London but moved to South Africa in 1893 where he spent 20 years opposing discriminatory legislation against Indians. Gandhi was from a successful family, his father a successful merchant. Gandhi’s experience in working for a law firm in South Africa led him to focus his efforts on helping those who are disenfranchised by society.   One particular day, Gandhi was riding on a train in first-class.  Being a man of means, he’d the money to pay for the ticket. However, another passenger in first-class didn’t like  that an Indian was riding there as well. The conductor tried to encourage Gandhi to move to the lower class but he had paid for the ticket and had broken no laws. He defended himself and was thrown off the train.    Gandhi went back to India and supported the home rule movement, where Indians could rule themselves, independent from the British Empire. The British had come into India and raked the country’s resources for 200 years. The British originally talked about how they were going to help the people and the economy, and would create jobs, but it didn’t happen in India’s favor. Most of the money went back to England and English people started to look down on the poorer Indian people. The English people were able to take the whole of India because India wasn’t united.    Indian Revolution against Britain  The largest rebellion against the British took place in 1857 and it lasted for 18 months. The British called it the Indian Mutiny and it started to spread even though the British downplayed the rebellion and by calling it a mutiny. Both sides had a difficult time but the British eventually won. Many of the Indians were conditioned to think they couldn’t fight against the British despite their huge number. Instead of fighting for their own battle, the Indian army became the backbone of the British empire.    The British Viceroy, Lord

Mon, January 20, 2020

Noah St. John | The 3 Foolproof Secrets to Get Rid of Your Head Trash

The 3 Foolproof Secrets to Get Rid of Your Head Trash    What does it mean to have head trash and how exactly can you get rid of it? Let’s talk about 3 foolproof secrets to get rid of your head trash .  Noah St. John is known as The Power Habits Mentor because he has helped thousands of people master their inner game and outer game to help them make more and work less.  He works with sales professionals, entrepreneurs, celebrities, CEOs, athletes, and more. Noah helps them get rid of their head trash about money, relationships, and everything else holding them back. He is the author of 15 books and his most recently published book is entitled Power Habits: The New Science for Making Success Automatic. Through his work, Noah and his team have helped entrepreneurs and sales professionals increase their sales to six, seven, and even eight figures by using his methods.    Defining head trash Noah discovered the notion of head trash many years ago. Head trash is the negative voice in your head that constantly tells you, “I can’t because … “ It’s the voice that states all the reasons why you can’t do something you want to do. People consistently approach Noah and tell him they want to reach for more and do bigger things but they can’t because they’re too busy or they don’t have money for it. They have so many reasons why they can’t do the things they want to do. When you tell yourself something your mind is going to believe it. When you say you don’t have the time, then your inner self will believe you truly do not have the time. You are going to make that belief true even when it’s a lie. We all have 24 hours a day regardless of who you are. Time is irrelevant so it’s not an excuse that many people think they have. Head trash is damaging because it’s holding people back.    Identify your head trash The first step to getting rid of head trash is identifying what it is. For most people it’s repetitive but people fail to realize that it’s the head trash telling you the same lies over and over again. Ideas such as, I’m stupid or I’m not good enough can go through your mind in a loop and you don’t even realize it.  Because these lies are repetitive and habitual, many people aren’t even considering the damage it can cause.  Identifying your head trash is fairly easy. Write down the negative belie

Fri, January 17, 2020

Mads | What Is The DISC Assesment Profile And How Can It Help My Sales Team?

What Is The DISC Assessment Profile And How Can It Help My Sales Team?   The DISC Assessment profile is an important training opportunity for any sales team. It is one of the tools many sales reps have started to utilize as its reputation for personality assessment has grown among sales leaders and their companies. So what is the DISC Assessment and how can it help your sales team? Mads Singers is a management coach.  He has been in the management field for 15 years and has worked with industry giants such as Xerox, IBM, and more. For more than seven years, Mads has been running his own business.    What is DISC? DISC is a behavioral framework similar to Myers-Briggs. It’s a framework to help people understand themselves and other people. The acronym DISC stands for: D: Dominance I: Influence S: Steadiness C: Conscientious  Everyone is born unique; however, there are traits that certain groups of people share. If you look at a sales team, for example, you can see that many members have similar personalities.  Salespeople, as a whole, tend to be assertive and focused. Typically, they are also comfortable around other people. These are traits that most successful people have so sales managers tend to be drawn to these types of personalities when hiring sales reps.  DISC is immensely effective when looking to hire the right people for the right jobs. Many assume that people are motivated by money but the truth is that people are motivated by goals and having the ability to achieve their goals.    Facing the challenge There is a challenge when you are selling to someone who is not like you. Salespeople need to understand the different ways other people think. Sales don’t just happen from a meeting.  Rapport has to be built and it’s not as easy when the seller and the buyer don’t connect to people in the same way. For instance, people from software and technology companies aren’t your typical salespeople.  They don’t talk as much and they want to cut straight to the point. This can be a very abrupt style of communicating for buyers who need more of a relational approach. For such different personality types, it’s harder to build rapport because the style of communication is so different.  The salesperson has to be mindful that they will not always get to sell to a client the way <span sty

Wed, January 15, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 4 - "Benjamin Franklin"

Best Sellers In History Series 4 - "Benjamin Franklin"   This is the fourth episode for the Best Seller in History series. This time around, the sales spotlight is on Benjamin Franklin.  Despite Benjamin Franklin only having two years of formal education, his inventions are used to this day. He was a phenomenal writer when he was a teenager and was an inventor throughout his life. Franklin was a statesman, designed a musical instrument used by Mozart and Beethoven, and was an abolitionist in his later years. It’s worth noting he was also a writer, painter, political philosopher,  politician, Freemason, diplomat, and so much more, including a phenomenal seller. We will explore five reasons why.   Sales Spotlight - Benjamin Franklin   One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to financial constraints, he wasn’t able to finish his formal education so he worked as an apprentice for his brother who was in the printing industry.  When Benjamin was 15 years old, his brother founded a newspaper called The New England Courant. His experience in his brother’s company helped in shaping his skills as a phenomenal seller.  There are five reasons why Benjamin Franklin was so effective:   1.Problem-solving skills Curiosity  Ability to seek knowledge 4 .Learning from smarter people and masterminding  Ability to build a strong rapport   Ability to solve problems     Benjamin Franklin had extraordinary skills in problem-solving and used this talent throughout his life. James Franklin, his brother, was running a newspaper but he wouldn’t allow Benjamin to write for the publication. He realized the solution was to ghostwrite through anonymous letters, under the guise of being a middle-aged widow. The anonymous letters focused on what was going on in the community so it naturally piqued the interest of the readers.  Benjamin would slip the letters under the door of James’ newspaper each night. Each morning, James and his friends would discuss and debate the content of the letter. The letters got published and Benjamin’s alter ego became a popular contributor to the paper. His brother wasn’t happy when he found out that it was Benjamin who was writing the anonymous letters but had no choice but to continue publishing for the readers who loved the anonymous letters. </

Mon, January 13, 2020

Justin Sua | 10 High Performance Habits That Lead To Success

10 High-Performance Habits That Lead To Success    An article entitled 10 High-Performance Habits that Lead to Success by Justin Su’a is noteworthy. This isn’t a normal article.  It talks about 10 specific principles that, if practiced carefully, will help increase one’s performance and mental toughness.  Justin Su’a is a former competitive baseball player and despite not having the physical prowess and physical ability like some other players, he was still able to gain success. His family trained him to face any adversity with a positive mindset. Their team also had a sports psychologist who spoke to the players about tools and strategies that were taught to Olympians.  The principles taught by the sports psychologist resonated with Justin and ignited a desire for him to follow the same career path. These principles not only work for sports but can be applied by people of all walks to every aspect of life.  Here are the 10 high-performance habits that lead to success:    Win the morning Do hard things Embrace feedback Learn from failure Choose your attitude Do one more Have a purpose Recommit every single day  Be patient Fear no one   Win the morning Winning the morning is all about starting strong. People complain they don’t have enough time in the day but the truth is, there’s not enough time because they’re not using the time they have. Instead, they’re wasting it.  All you need to do is to start the morning strong by getting up with purpose. Successful people and high-performers are able to do hard things. Sometimes one of these is to wake up early when nobody else does.    Move towards your goal by telling your body to get up, even when it wants to sleep. This is you practicing to dominate your body. If you do that over and over again, you are going to be able to train yourself to do difficult things. When you don’t want to pick u

Fri, January 10, 2020

Nicolas Vandenberghe | The Next Wave: Customer-Facing Solutions

The Next Wave: Customer-Facing Solutions   With the new year, we are all looking towards the next wave in customer-facing solutions available for us. This is important as it helps improve our business and sales strategies.  Nicolas Venderberghe is a CEO and entrepreneur. Nicolas is originally from France but has now lived in the U.S. for a good part of his career. He’s been working for tech companies, working at Chilli Piper since 2016. The company’s biggest vision is to improve sales and completely transform the industry by using digital tools.  Big companies like SalesForce specialize in back end algorithms and can miss the opportunities on the front end.  This is where Nicolas’ company helps its clients thrive. Salespeople used to be technophobes and hated the idea of using technology in their sales process. As new technologies have become available, salespeople now adapt to a variety of tools and have become savvier.  Next wave in customer-facing solutions The sales industry tends to move in waves. First, it was about automating internal processes, and that’s why we have CRM. It ensures that everything is recorded so, in any situation, much of the sales cycle happens in the backend.  The next generation helps with the interaction and is referred to as customer-facing tools. This is the next wave in customer-facing solutions.  An opportunity that Nicolas’ team addresses is in the booking, or scheduling a meeting. In sales, even before the first meeting, an opportunity has to be created to book a time and engage with a prospect. The easiest example would include inbound products, called the concierge.  In earlier days, the concierge occurred when prospects visited your site, and let you know they were interested in learning more by filling out a form that provided contact information for the follow-up. Upon clicking the submit button, they’d be brought to a thank you page and told that someone would be in touch.  The prospect was left wondering who would get in touch and when. In some cases, there would be no follow up so retention was lost. Many companies are losing more than half their pipeline due to a broken process. Businesses can lose up to 80% of their leads because they don’t act fast enough.  Qualifying the prospects Nicolas and his team built an intelligence solution to address this problem. In their version, once the prospect fills out the form for submission, Nicolas’ company uses the information from the form to qualify the prospect

Wed, January 08, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 3 - "Mother Teresa"

Disclaimer: This episode is in no way trying to influence listeners on their religious beliefs.    Best Sellers In History Series 3 -"Mother Teresa"   The Best Sellers in History series is focused on people who were influential in helping others recognize what was best for their future and motivated them to take action.The first episode focused on the impact of Jesus Christ and the second episode was about the persuasiveness of Abraham Lincoln. In this episode, the spotlight is on Mother Teresa.  Mother Teresa wasn’t viewed as a sales rep but she shared a vision and a cause with everyone she spoke to.  Her ability to influence and lead others gained such momentum that her impact reaches well beyond her lifetime and the borders of India where she served. The Missionaries of Charity, established by Mother Teresa in 1950 began as a small order of 12 nuns and has now grown to more than 4,500 nuns who are actively working in over 600 missions across 133 countries. Through her efforts, Mother Teresa went on to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.  After her death, she was honored as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa set out to serve others and modeled to others how they could join her.  Let’s take a look at the reasons she was so influential and how we can use the same principles in your B2B sales efforts. In this article, we will discuss 5 main points that made Mother Teresa an historical figure of great impact but first, what were her roots?  Humble beginnings Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Scopia, the capital city of North Macedonia. She eventually left to serve in Ireland and then went on to India where she spent the majority of her life. There, in 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation. The nuns took the traditional vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience but in addition, they professed to wholeheartedly give their service and strength to the poorest of the poor.  Because of her tireless efforts and huge impact around the world, Mother Teresa’s lifetime was filled with awards and recognition, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. How did she go from such humble beginnings to gaining international recognition and worldwide impact? Five reasons: Deep conviction Ability to take action without hesitation Ability to build a strong rapport

Mon, January 06, 2020

Samuel Edwards | "How To Grow Sales With Local Networking Events"

How To Grow Sales With Local Networking Events All salespeople have tried to grow sales with local networking events . Many organizations utilize these events to bring awareness and drive sales. It’s a strategy that truly works.  Sam Edwards is Chief Marketing Officer of SEO.co. It’s a content marketing and link building agency based in Seattle. He’s been in the digital and marketing space for the past 10 years and now he’s focused on hosting marketing events to get more clients on the sales side. Sam has experience working with TEDx talk and has written for Forbes, Inc, Entrepreneur, and other large publications.  Through this work he’s developed his teaching side and helps local communities build their own stories and plans.  Sam has a meet-up group with approximately 400 members.  Another he’s affiliated with has over 300 and a third has close to a thousand members. Sam’s group has an average attendance of about 50 - 100. They have an upcoming event this February 5th that’s slated for over 120 people. Typically, the idea of going to a networking event right after work isn’t that appealing to people who work 9 to 5 jobs. Sam’s group met that challenge by creating events that are more like fun outings so people were excited to attend, even after a long day.  That’s how they were able to obtain and retain the number of people coming month after month.  Monetizing networking events  Their very first event was agency-sponsored. That agency believed in their idea and wanted to look further into what Sam was doing. They spent $300 for the event and it was focused on an industry-specific topic about how to use the paid SCM data to influence the organic SEO strategy for search marketing. That event cost them $300 but they made eighteen thousand dollars. There are three main things you need to ensure when setting up a networking event.  There is no selling at events Focus should be on the quality of the event and the content you’re offering Take the time to build up the group. There is no selling at events People have their guard up when listening to a presenter. It’s after the presentations that everyone lowers their guard, especially when it’s time for the after-party and everyone is going to the bar for drinks. People tend to relax in that environment and it’s then you can start a conversation.  <span style="font-weight: 40

Fri, January 03, 2020

Dave Mattson | "How To Plan And Set Goals You Can Achieve In 2020"

How To Plan And Set Goals You Can Achieve In 2020 With the new year comes new goals and resolutions. This episode’s guest offers new ways and suggestions to help you plan and set goals you can achieve in 2020. Many salespeople don’t realize that sales is easy if you follow a basic formula. Typically, however, sales reps have a habit of following the bouncing ball their prospects are throwing despite the many times it can lead to a dead end.  Dave Mattson started out as a client at (David) Sandler Training and he’s been with the company for 30 years. He worked his way up the organization and became a partner in 1994. He had an opportunity to work with Dave for six years before David passed away in 1995. Dave purchased the company in 2012 and is currently the Brand Manager and CEO. They have 265 training centers globally and just last year, they trained 31,000 people and streamed their training to 19,000 people.  This streamed training is becoming the way of the world, especially with the technology that is currently available. As a result, people in their system are represented by different age groups, different cultures, and different countries. Dave’s company creates content that is accessible in whatever format their clients need. For example, younger clients prefer several 4-minute micro trainings, versus a 45 minute lesson. With that knowledge, Sandler made 2,700 micro-learning lessons and added it to their suite of products and services.  Sales strategies keep evolving so Dave and his company must keep up with new trends.  With Sandler being one of the longest running companies, many people in the industry may view them as “dinosaurs” but year after year, they win awards for best sales training, management, and coaching. They clearly have the expertise to do it right.  Importance of goal setting and planning From a CEO’s perspective, planning is imperative to make sure all the different groups in the organization know where they’re going. The assumption is that you have great salespeople working for you, competent individuals, but you have to make sure  they are all heading in the right direction. It is the leader’s responsibility to see all the working parts. Each group needs to be assigned their tasks so everyone ultimately moves toward the organization’s goals.   As a leader, you need to set up a strategy on how to plan and set goals you can achieve in 2020. Layout the benchmarks you want your salespeople to achieve and how you intend to get there.  Show your team the contingency plans so they can better define dai

Wed, January 01, 2020

Donald | Best Sellers In History Series 2 - "Abraham Lincoln"

Best Sellers In History Series 2 - "Abraham Lincoln" This is the second episode from the Best Sellers in History series. This series talks about some of the most successful people and sellers in history. We’ll talk about who they are and what made them so successful.  Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America and led the nation during some of the most turbulent times in American history, such as the Civil War. It was the bloodiest war and  the greatest constitutional and political crisis faced by the U.S. at that time. President Lincoln persevered and was able to abolish slavery, strengthen the federal government and modernized the U.S. economy. Despite humble beginnings, Abraham Lincoln became one of the greatest statesmen leaders in our nation’s history. Sales Spotlight - Abraham Lincoln  A half-hour long episode isn’t enough time to discuss what made Abraham Lincoln persuasive and successful in his career. However, we can highlight The Gettysburg Address to illustrate how President Abraham Lincoln had the power of persuasion. Here are the four points we’ll be looking at in this episode:   He had the ability to tell stories He sought common ground He was empathetic He had the ability to give compelling reasons  In the era of Abraham Lincoln In the early 1800s, slavery in the United States was a very common thing. At its height, there were 700,000 individuals who were slaves. The first slaves came into the country as early as 1619 and slavery was finally abolished in the year 1865.  For 246 years slavery was entrenched in the U.S. economy and modern society. It was a fact of life and it brought in so much money that by today’s standards, slavery would account for roughly $6 billion. It’s been 154 years since Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery and still, slavery lasted almost a hundred years longer than we’ve known our country without it!   Abraham Lincoln was raised in Kentucky and eventually, it became a slave state. His father who was a farmer but they eventually had to leave their smaller farm.  Larger farms had slaves and they couldn’t compete with the manpower. In addition, his father was a Christian and didn’t believe in slavery. Thomas Lincoln took his family and would move several more times before eventually settling in Illinois where Abraham Lincoln grew into adulthood. Lincoln married and his wife’s father had his own sl

Mon, December 30, 2019

Carman | How To Generate More Inital Appointments By Utilizing A Co-Content Building Stratergy

How To Generate More Initial Appointments By Utilizing A Co-Content Building Strategy Salespeople are always looking for new ways to generate more initial appointments. How do you do that? There are many strategies. In this episode, Donald and Carman Pirie talk about utilizing strategies that include co-creating and content-building .  Carman Pirie is the co-owner of Kula Partners. It’s a manufacturing marketing agency that helps manufacturers transform their marketing and sales apparatus by making it more digital in nature. He is also a co-host of the podcast called The Kula Ring, a podcast that focuses on manufacturing marketers and telling their stories.  The challenge in sales prospecting  Prospecting is a huge part of the sales process. Carman personally does prospecting every single day and he coaches many salespeople on how to do it right. It can be difficult to pick up the phone and start a conversation with people. Many sales leaders and managers have not explored other options outside of traditional practices. They have limited their sales teams by thinking and training the old methodologies. While picking up the phone as a way to prospect isn’t bad, the answer to prospecting isn’t just activity management.  There are many tools available for sales reps to use in order to prospect. We don’t want to just bombard people with calls and emails or rely heavily on LinkedIn invites. This is where the challenge lies.    Breaking the challenge In working with B2B manufacturing organizations, Carman’s company almost always interfaces primarily with the marketing function. These marketers have an overwhelming thirst for people in sales to actually care.  Carman suggests three approaches that Kula Partners recommends for co-creating and content-building . The first is through a podcast. The Kula Ring podcast is their primary vehicle to generate prospects. They put out episodes weekly. They expand their reach by simply talking to more manufacturing marketers and getting them on as guests for the show.  Through the podcast, these guests become more familiar with what Kula is offering and some have eventually become their clients.  Sending out emails with a subject line that sounds like a request, or extending a LinkedIn invitation, doesn’t typically yield a positive outcome. Inviting somebody to be a guest on a podcast, asking about thei

Fri, December 27, 2019

Resa Gooding | How to ensure your sales teams actually have time to sell

How To Ensure Your Sales Teams Actually Have Time To Sell   All organizations, no matter what size, need to know how to ensure your sales teams actually have time to sell .  Resa Gooding is a partner in an Hubspot certified agency and they mostly help companies, especially startups, in Israel. As one of the top three agencies in Israel, they primarily work with startups and other traditional companies such as agriculture and manufacturing. They are helping them understand the value of CRM and how to effectively apply it to their companies.  Challenges salespeople face The most common problem in the sales force is the lack of training given to the sales team. This lack of experience causes inefficiency as the companies throw their sales reps in deep waters  and expect them to swim.  Many companies are so focused on the technology or the product they’re producing,  they don’t spend adequate time sharing the value and benefits of their product with the sales force.  An untrained team ends up spending more time on the administrative tasks instead of selling. They need to be given the information and the tools to effectively sit down with a new prospect.  If management fails to offer the sales team a way to stay accountable to the work day activities, management can mistakenly think their team isn’t working. There has to be a system in place so the sales team can report their activities and successes.  Having this in place also gives management a tangible way of seeing the work their team is doing. For example, how many calls they’ve made in the workday.  Resa set up marketing campaigns for her clients but began to see that if  sales people didn’t know how to work with the prospects that came from the marketing, the efforts were in vain. She saw that to make marketing effective, the sales people needed to be able to  summarize conversations properly and sales reps needed to reduce their time spent on administrative efforts. They needed to be equipped to spend their time selling. Resa aims to give salespeople the time to study their product, set up appointments, and communicate with prospects effectively, instead of spending their time doing administrative tasks.  Ensure that your sales teams are having the time to sell Sales reps need training in order to be successful and reach their goals. Sales processes they can follow have to be set up so their efforts can be checked by management.  This promotes accountability.  There are three tools that can be used to ensure th

Wed, December 25, 2019

Donald Kelly | Best Sellers In History Series 1 - "Jesus Christ"

Best Sellers In History Series 1 - "Jesus Christ"   Disclaimer: This episode isn’t a podcast to convince listeners to become Christians. This episode simply highlights how Jesus Christ persuaded people, an important trait in sales.  There are so many individuals who have been great persuaders throughout history. This new series, The Best Sellers in History , will be a game-changer for salespeople of today.  The best persuaders in history were people who could prompt others to take action and move toward a better way of life. Great salespeople who know they are guides for prospects and clients make great B2B sales reps. With the exception of social media, the way communication works in sales today is historically similar. This eight-episode series will begin with Jesus Christ, whose existence has been proven by history.  In the sales spotlight - Jesus Christ  It’s the perfect time of year to put Jesus Christ in the spotlight. Today is Christmas, a day where people celebrate Jesus’ birth. In his time, he was referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, the common way people were referred to. Men were known by their name and the place they were from. Donald would have been known as Donald of West Palm Beach.  Jesus was a preacher, a rabbi or teacher, and a leader. Today, to Christians around the world, he is the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind.  Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and after his baptism, he began his ministry. Most of his preaching and teaching weren’t done in Synagogues but in the countryside where most people lived.  Jesus was teaching people they could repent, turn their lives around and return to God. His teachings were based on love. Jesus opened the path for many to know eternal life. People were astounded by his teachings and followed him. He was changing the minds of common people and undermining the wayward teachings of the Pharisees. Because of this, Jesus faced opposition from the leaders of the day. This conflict, and the outcry of many Jewish people, eventually led to his death by the hands of  Roman soldiers.  While he died long ago, his teachings did not die with him. His words became so influential, to this day, one-third of the world’s population is associated with Christianity. By far, it is the largest religious group. There are seven reasons why Jesus was so persuasive and Donald is going to expand on each to show how they ca

Mon, December 23, 2019

Jason Kren | Why Your Contracts Are Not Working and How To Fix Them!

Why Your Contracts Are Not Working and How To Fix Them!    Ever ask yourself why your contracts are not working and wondered how to fix them? Jason Kren is the man with the answer to that frequently asked question.  Sales people want nothing more than to see their contracts and deals turn into a close. Unfortunately, there are times when the inefficiency of getting contracts signed can delay income or prevent a closing all together.  How can you make this process more streamlined so this doesn’t occur? Jason Kren’s company PactSafe could be the solution you’re looking for. PactSafe is a company that was built from the ground up. They manage clickwrap contract acceptance at scale. This means they have the ability to manage millions of clickwrap contracts at a super high velocity.  An example of this type of contract is illustrated by Disney+.  The company recently launched its video streaming service and opened with 10 million subscribers in the first 24 hours of launch. At the end of the sign-up process is a contract that states the terms and conditions of the service that users are getting. These contracts are often the highest valued contracts that a company’s legal department manages on an annual basis.  Jason’s company takes this type of contract and utilizes the PactSafe platform. It’s a quick wrap embedded contract and once it’s accepted, the platform will track the version that’s accepted. Using the platform, they can track the time when the contract was accepted and who accepted it. PactSafe can also reproduce what the contract looks like on an individual screen and know whether the contract is downloaded on a mobile device, computer, or  tablet.  In terms of sales contracts, this platform makes things run smoothly. With just one click, users have signed a legally binding agreement. In the sales application, this same type of contract and platform can be used to speed up the process for sales.  Making contracts easier to understand Sales people and legal departments can partner together to make a contract more user friendly and understandable to the customer so closing is easier. The first step is for sales leaders to talk to the legal department about contract design.  This includes the language used in the contract, down to the words and phrases, so the contract is easier to accept and lessens the points of negotiation. Ultimately, this removes friction from every step. Moving toward a standardized contract in the contract design includes multiple components that should have the end result in mind. Efficiency and speed of acceptance

Fri, December 20, 2019

Billy Keels | Things To Look For When Hiring Successful Sellers

Things To Look For When Hiring Successful Sellers   Hiring is part of the sales process but businesses know there are things to look for when hiring successful sellers. Getting the right people to join your sales team is one of the most effective ways to boost your sales revenue.  Brian Keels is a businessman living the life of a busy entrepreneur. In addition to being a happy husband and father, he is also working for a very large enterprise software company. There, he takes on different sales and leadership roles from regional to global levels. He’s done businesses in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Recently, he’s been doing enterprise sales in Barcelona, Spain by day as well as building his own investing business in the U.S.  Things to look for when hiring successful sellers  Sales leaders are always looking to hire successful sellers to help increase their revenue. The model in which a business is working is an important consideration when hiring new people.  Business models vary.  While some are constantly looking for new businesses, others adopt a farming role where they want to sell more within their existing customer base. Another consideration is the size of the business, whether it is a multinational brand or targeting a smaller niche.  Hire the right behavior  Of the three things to look for when hiring successful sellers , the first and the most difficult is the right behavior.  If a business is hiring someone to work inside sales or remote selling, for example, and you’re looking to hire a salesperson who's going to have to make fifty to a hundred calls a day. The ideal candidate will need to be someone who can be proactive. They should be able to work without someone having to tell them to pick up the phone and make calls. This is a challenge because no matter how skilled the salesperson, if he doesn’t have the impetus to pick up the phone, smile while talking with the customers, or keep the calls energetic, then he won’t have the behavior be successful in that position.  Most successful salespeople didn’t have this proactive spirit when they started selling. It had to be developed over the years of working in sales. Being proactive is a core strength for sellers. It opens more doors, creates more connections, and can eventually point their customers toward the right decisions.  At the end of the day, when you consider the sales process, regardless of the products and services you sell, it all comes down to being proactive and having t

Wed, December 18, 2019

Donald Kelly | Three Things

The Accidental Seller Recap  - "Three Things I Learned"   For the past 8 weeks, we have been interviewing several successful “accidental sellers” and sharing their stories.  We have come to know how they started in sales when it wasn’t their intention to ever be in sales, and what they did to become successful.  The last episode aired last week when Donald interviewed a very special person in his life, his own mother, who Donald credits in shaping him to be the man he is today.  As he wraps up the series, Donald wanted to share his three main takeaways.  The Accidental Seller Series Recap This series has been well-received by listeners because they’re hearing their own stories in these interviews.  Each story has been relatable and speaks to the struggles and successes that many experiences in the sales industry.  The guests were very open about their challenges and feeling like a failure as being part of their journey. These are stories everyone relates to.  From these struggles, a success story was born, and it’s these stories that offer a fascinating insight into what it takes to make sales a career. Through this series, Donald has learned three main points:  The view of sales How they have a guide Sales was easier than they thought  The View of Sales When you ask someone to share their perception of a salesperson, it’s common for someone to bring up the stereotypical used car salesperson. Many of the guests on the Accidental Seller series thought the same thing. This is the stigma around sales and it’s been embedded in the minds of many. Society has painted salespeople in such a bad light that naturally, salespeople are seen as people who are only looking out for their own best interest. While this doesn’t apply to everyone, unfortunately, it has been proven to be true for some businesses and industries. For example, when a big bank has been caught in unethical dealings. As a result, integrity has to be proven as everyone in sales comes under scrutiny. When there are opportunities to gain large sums of money, people can end up making the wrong decisions. It may not be true for all salespeople, but people who are caught in shady dealings make it harder for honest salespeople to connect with potential clients.  Several of the more high profile crimes get turned into movies. Consumers aren’t going to line up to hear a

Mon, December 16, 2019

Kristie Jones | Stop Hiring From Your "Gut" - Putting a Formal Hiring Process In Place That Works

Stop Hiring From Your "Gut" - Putting a Formal Hiring Process In Place That Works   The hiring process can be a challenge for many. There’s the temptation of hiring people from the gut when in fact, there needs to be a formal hiring process in place that works for every company regardless of its size.  Kristie Jones works with early-stage startups and helps these companies do three things - process, strategies, and people. She has been in the staff leadership industry for 20 years and as part of her consulting services, she offers companies the strategies for hiring the right people. Kristie now manages her own company, the Sales Acceleration Group, and has helped funded and non-funded startups in the Midwest for the last four years. Her services are focused on the strategies that companies can use to hire the right people.  Hiring from the gut Hiring from the gut is basically hiring based on first impressions. In the sales world, it’s very much like sending a contract to your prospect without doing a discovery call. Salespeople follow the sales process in vetting and finding prospects. In the same manner, there is also a process that sales leaders should follow in vetting and finding the right candidates to join their companies.    The ideal candidate   The process begins by deciding on your ideal candidate profile, which includes their competencies and skills. As a salesperson, you take the time to figure out who your ideal customers are by spending time with them.  The same goes for hiring new salespeople. You want to invest the time in figuring out what competencies are most important to the success of your company, and build interview questions around those competencies. It’s also  imperative to build your ideal candidate profile with business culture, core education, and relevant experience in mind.    Candidate discovery    In this stage, you identify their experience. The resume is only a piece of paper that details a person’s information. In the hiring process, you need to be asking the candidates open-ended behavioral-based questions.    Make them an educated consumer    This stage of the hiring process entails flipping the table on your candidate and allowing them to interview you.  This isn’t done by everyone but it’s a strategy to start a great working relationship, even at the interview stage.. This point in the interview allows the candidate to see whether or not they will be happy working in your organization b

Fri, December 13, 2019

Brian Harrington | How To Craft A Rock Solid Sales Pitch To Potential Investors

How To Craft A Rock Solid Sales Pitch To Potential Investors    A sales pitch is part of the selling process but not all salespeople know how to craft a rock-solid sales pitch to potential investors.   First, everyone is a salesperson. Regardless of what you do, everyone sells to someone. Brian Harrington started in the infomercial business. He worked for his father who was one of the principal pioneers of the infomercial industry. His experience taught him the craft of selling products on TV.  In those early years, Brian saw how easy it was to sell through television advertising but he eventually saw how investments could be lost as fast as money was made.  They made some changes and instead of sticking exclusively with Infomercials, they followed customers to where they were making their purchases. That decision led them to the digital world and social media.  Brian and his team started to sell products through Google and other online opportunities such as Facebook. Since then, they’ve branched out to several other platforms. They sell directly to consumers with a diverse selection of products including health and fitness, beauty, home products, and more but continue to also sell through traditional brick and mortar retail stores.  Brian’s company sells products with a focus on three core worlds:  Product Education, providing ongoing training to entrepreneurs and sales professionals Investing/ Advising/Consulting where they help startup businesses grow and provide value.  Mistakes you’re making when pitching to investors It’s easy to make mistakes when pitching. especially if you have no idea how to craft a rock-solid sales pitch to potential investors. The first mistake people make is not being prepared.  If you show up to a meeting and don’t know enough about their business, competition, industry, to answer a potential investor’s basic questions, you can tank a meeting in the first few minutes. It can make you look incompetent in an area you claim a level of expertise. Investors do not want to get involved with people who seem to lack core knowledge.  Simple changes can make the pitch so much better.  Brian says it can be broken down into 3 easy steps: The Tease, The Please, and The Seize.  The Tease, The Please, and The

Wed, December 11, 2019

Norma Bell | The Accidental Seller Series 8

The Accidental Seller Series 8  - "Norma Bell" This is the last episode for the Accidental Seller Series. Because it’s the last, it needed a very special guest, Norma Davis Bell, Donald, The Sales Evangelist’s mom.  Norma Bell wanted to become a policewoman growing up because of the idea of protecting and helping people. As she grew older, however, her path took her in another direction. After Norma decided she wasn’t going to train to be a policewoman, she discovered she had the skill to make dresses.  Norma’s older sister, Ivy, wanted to support her and connected her with a friend with the idea that Norma could be her apprentice.  As it turned out, however, the friend wanted an assistant more than she wanted to teach so the opportunity was short-lived. Ivy, who owned a small store and bar at the time, new Norma was great with people and invited her to work with her. Ivy had a great head for business, was able to network well, could make things happen and managed the administrative details of their work.  What she was lacking, however, was the customer service skills. Her little sister, Norma, had a natural gift when it came to working with customers, entertaining people with jokes, and bringing joy to their places of business. This was especially evident when Norma worked in the store. As a cashier, even if she had the longest line, people would stand in line longer, just to wait for her. She knew the names of each of her customers and Norma made each of them feel special.  With the sisters working together, the businesses thrived.    Working as a salesperson in the shop Norma felt good while working in the shop because it gave her the opportunity to earn money. She felt happy knowing she brought in more customers to the store and to the bar. She talked and laughed with them and she became their reason for coming back. People gravitated towards the shop and the bar because of Norma’s outgoing personality.  Seeing all the success, Norma’s husband eventually convinced her to quit working with Ivy to start her own business. She hadn’t wanted to leave but did so with her husband’s encouragement.  Running and managing the store on her own was a challenge because all the pressure was on Norma. She no longer had Ivy handling the administrative aspects of the job and the money was leaving as quickly as it was coming in.  Norma decided to close it down when the money ran out. She went to live back with Ivy. After some time, the family moved to the United States and Norma went into customer service. She struggled for almost 4 years before things began to sm

Mon, December 09, 2019

Veronica Romney | How Can My Personal Brand Set Me Apart From My Competition 2020?

How Can My Personal Brand Set Me Apart From My Competition 2020?    The year is almost over. As a salesperson, how can you set your personal brand apart from your competition in 2020?  Veronica Romney is solely focused on educating and facilitating individuals in their marketing and branding efforts. Veronica and her team are helping clients to stand out from their competition. They make it their goal to ensure you position yourself correctly so you can jump into the narrative and story that your prospective customer has as opposed to trying to force the customer into yours.  You Don’t have to Be the Best of the Best  Many businesses and sales reps are under the assumption that in order to distinguish their personal brand, they have to be the best of the best. The prevailing thought is that the only way to be seen as special is to look bigger and be better than everyone else in the same industry. This mindset can be exhausting for both business owners and sales professionals and can lead to burnout as they fight for consumer attention. Customers are bombarded with attention-seeking ads, streaming services, and other campaigns.  Companies and salespeople do a disservice to them by adding additional distractions that just focus on how great they are. Veronica teaches her clients to focus on something more critical:  You don’t have to be your customer’s hero. It’s more important to be their guide in helping them get to where they want to go.  Tony Robbins, for example, is a huge brand. He is a big name and a big individual with a big personality. Everything about Tony Robbins is larger-than-life and at the end of his documentary, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru,   he was asked what he hoped people would better understand about him through the documentary. His answer is critical to his branding and should be a great takeaway for people who work with consumers. He said that it’s not really about people caring about the person, Tony Robbins. The Tony Robbins brand lets customers know that it's the means to an end and it’s a company that will get them to where they want to go. Tony is aware that he isn’t the show and he isn’t the product.  It’s more about how they are transformed through him and what he teaches. People respond to the things that cause change, keeps them hungry, make them feel fulfilled and feel alive.   His organization does that. The Positioning Technique This is a method being used by CarMax in selling cars. Th

Fri, December 06, 2019

Filipe | How To Create A LinkedIn Profile That Consistently Brings New Business Into Your Pipeline

How To Create A LinkedIn Profile That Consistently Brings New Business To Your Pipeline   Many salespeople create a LinkedIn profile to bring in new business but are they creating a profile that is attractive to a potential buyer? Felipe Lodi is a returning guest and he’s back to teach salespeople how they can create a LinkedIn profile to bring in new business. Felipe is based in Ireland and he is helping other expatriates like himself to establish themselves in Europe. By teaching them the social skills needed and building their LinkedIn accounts, he’s helping them market their abilities and attract opportunities. He launched his book, Advanced LinkedIn , last year based on hundreds of workshops he’s done within the public and private sectors throughout Ireland.  Common Mistakes Salespeople Make on LinkedIn  There are many common mistakes made on LinkedIn. Once you know what they are, they can be avoided. The most common mistake is the failure to use headlines creatively.  The headline is 120 characters long and can be found underneath your profile picture. Most people just list their titles with a brief job description. Doing this is a waste of characters. The tagline stays visible and can be used to make a value proposition. As an alternative to your job title, create a sentence that shares your why, how you do what you do, or what you sell.  Another common mistake is that people don’t utilize their Summary or About Me sections effectively.  These areas give you a whopping 5,000 characters to really make a statement. Typical content:  Creating bullet points Providing your contact number and email address A better alternative:  Reasons why you’re doing what you’re doing  Tell people why you are the right person for them  Your profile is where you talk about yourself. When you go outside your profile and start engaging with people and creating content for others, talk about your prospects and how you’re going to solve their problems.    Creating your LinkedIn profile It’s not necessary to spend money

Wed, December 04, 2019

Debby Montgomery Johnson | The Accidental Seller Series 7

The Accidental Seller Series 7  - "Debby Montgomery Johnson"   Here’s another episode from the Accidental Seller Series where we interview successful salespeople who didn’t start their careers with the intention of going into sales.  Debby Montgomery Johnson is the president of Benfotiamine.net. Most of Debby’s family members are in the medical field and growing up, she wanted to be an anesthesiologist. It was during middle school when she worked at a hospital, she thought being an anesthesiologist was cool. When she got into high school, she discovered medicine wasn’t for her. Her interest was in languages so she studied French, Spanish, and a little bit of German. Once in college, she majored in Political Science and got her bachelor’s degree.  Debby had planned to go on to law school but after she got out of college, she enrolled in paralegal school and worked for a firm specializing in corporate and family law after graduation.  Unfortunately, she was let go from that job.  Getting into sales Being released from her paralegal job became the catalyst for her going into the Air Force where she served for eight years, even in Germany. Debby was working with the Pentagon as an imagery analyst and during that time, their work entailed analyzing photos from the Cold War. Till then, Debby had never really looked at the sales industry as a career. When Debby thought of sales,  thoughts of a car salesman or vacuum cleaner salesman came to mind. She didn’t really want to be a salesperson.  Debby left the Air Force when she had her third baby and started working as a bank manager. There were sales involved in her job but what she really wanted to do was assist people and help them with their finances. Debby left the job when her husband died so she could take over their company. Debby had no experience in running a company that was based on internet sales.  As she became more involved, she realized the company made more money in a month than she made in a whole year. This convinced her to jump into the business full-time.  Fears about sales  The biggest fear was the fact that the company wasn’t familiar with the details. It was built to help people suffering from diabetes with neuropathy. Her late husband, Lou, had the same disease.  The company offered products that worked for him and he shared a personal testimony about how each product worked for him. It was hard for Debby to really embrace the company as hers and to believe in herself when she didn’t know how the products helped their clients. She didn’t have the confiden

Mon, December 02, 2019

Devin Reed | 5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing More Revenue

5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing Revenue    There are times salespeople don’t make the best decisions that lead to closing deals. These mistakes can cause a loss in revenue. Let’s take a look at the 5 counter intuitive mistakes preventing you from closing revenue .  Devin Reed is a content strategy manager at Gong. He handles all the content marketing strategy courses and is responsible for presentations. He also goes to roadshows, such as Sales Live Miami.  At this roadshow, Devin talked about  5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing Revenue . It’s about the five things salespeople think are good practices, and are trained to believe are good habits when in fact, they’re the opposite. These five mistakes hurt their deals and sales conversations. What Devin is sharing is backed up by data.  Devin works for a company that has millions of sales conversations. They’ve analyzed these conversations to see patterns that help them get an idea of the things salespeople talk about the most. Here are the 5 counterintuitive mistakes preventing you from closing revenue.  Using the ROI to seal the deal Focusing on quantity when it comes to discovery questions Answering objections quickly and thoroughly Using  large enterprise clients Using cold call opening line Don’t use ROI to seal the deal People make the mistake of using the ROI to close. Finding a way to bring ROI into the conversation is one of the basic strategies taught to beginning sales reps.  This strategy is proving to be counterintuitive.  ROI isn’t bad in itself, but it becomes an ineffective tool when it is used for persuasion. Presenting your ROI to the client doesn’t work because the information doesn’t go to the right part of their brain.  The human brain has two parts - the emotional and rational. More often than not, the right part processes information later than the emotional part. If you want to get the attention of your prospects, you need to tap into the emotional side of their brains first. You do this by giving them a before and after s

Fri, November 29, 2019

TSE 1218: How To Write A Cold Email Your Prospect Will Open And Reply To

How To Write A Cold Email Your Prospect Will Open And Reply To   The cold email has been part of the sales process for a very long time but how do you actually write a cold email that your prospect will open and reply to? Anton van Rhyn is the CEO and founder of the company Wavo,  a cold email platform that helps salespeople automate email outreach and follow-up. He also built Huron, a company for outbound prospecting and service. Anton has used  both his software development experience and sales development experience to fine-tune the email automation platform.  A cold email automation platform  Anton built a cold email automation platform in order to assist sales representatives to relieve them of these more mundane tasks. The platform creates a sequence for the machine to follow. It can reach out to prospects and follow up in a way that looks  like human effort. The tool is very efficient in that it focuses on making initial contacts while it frees up sales reps to focus on their demos and talking to people.  Anton’s company has been utilizing email for three and a half years. They’re previous experience came from being a prospecting service where they used emails to contact different verticals and industries. regardless of company size.  Email makes it easy to prospect because most people today already use email. It is reminiscent of the cold calls used in the past. Cold calling was effective because most people were already sitting at their desks and  ready to pick up a phone call. Today, very few people own office phones. Businesses have resorted to using emails to reach their clients. It’s become one of the most powerful channels to engage with prospects.  Emails that don’t work  Using a template in making cold emails is one of the reasons why this strategy often fails. In the U.S. alone, the phrase cold email template is searched for around 200,000 times a month in Google. Mail servers create a hashing algorithm to identify email content, and using these  algorithms, servers can quickly identify these emails as spam.  The other reason why cold emails are failing is that some people in the email list aren’t interested and just flag your email as spam.  When you’re using the cold email templates, it’s very easy for emails to go straight to spam.  Over time, Anton’s company developed a framework in using cold email, calling it

Wed, November 27, 2019

Joseph Storer | The Accidental Seller Series 6

This entry is the sixth episode of the Accidental Seller series. A lot of people didn’t grow up with dreams of getting into professional selling. In the United States alone, there are about 4.14 million people who are in sales. Joseph Storer is one of them.  Growing up, Joseph Storer wasn’t sure of what his career would look like. He was a lazy student in high school but he had a passion for playing baseball. Joseph thought he’d end up working with cars as an electrician, just like his father.  In his freshman year in college, he discovered his interest in business and working with people. His first experience in business was right after he went on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Going into the mission field was a difficult decision because he had a student permit that was valid for six years. He was sent to Brazil, learned a foreign language, and lived in a big city. Joseph discovered a whole other world filled with great people and exciting experiences. The mission taught him to have structure and order in his life.  Coming home, Joseph went back to college for accounting and finance. During the summer, he was able to get a union card and went to work building two dams in Idaho. The pay was very good so he decided to put a halt to his college and continued to work on the dam.  He was then given another assignment as an aid to an engineer for a new project. While working in Rexburg, Idaho, he met a lady who became his wife. Joseph got married and didn’t go back to school. They moved to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia where Joseph started his waterbed business. Sadly, the business went down six months after launch and that became the catalyst for starting his professional sales career.  His friend saw his potential in the world of B2B selling. This, along with having a neighbor who was in manufacturing sales, made him interested in selling for manufacturers.  Challenges in being a true sales professional  The biggest challenge when he started was the wage. He was working in construction and was earning well. He then transitioned to sales where he was earning $1,200 a month, as well as a commission-based income. He wondered if he could make ends meet but at that time, there was no choice.  Maria, his wife, was very supportive and she believed that sales was something that Joseph could do. His boss trained him and taught him basic selling skills. Joseph was given a list of all the hospitals and clinics in the area and was told to set a goal to make at least three face-to-face calls every day. 

Mon, November 25, 2019

Chad Burmeister | How Can I Use AI To Increase Sales?

How Can I Use AI To Increase Sales? Have you ever thought to use AI to increase sales ? In today’s society, the application of AI is apparent throughout many industries, including sales. 27% of global consumers say that AI can deliver better service than humans, 38% believe AI will soon improve customer service, and 73% of global consumers  are willing to utilize AI if it makes their lives easier.  Chad Burmeister is a cofounder of  Sales Ex Inc. Their company is rooted in the idea that AI can increase revenue, eliminate repetition, and make selling more efficient and effective.  Growing up, Chad had always been at the cutting edge of technology and was always looking for ways to make people’s lives more efficient.  Chad is officially releasing his book, AI for Sales , this Thanksgiving, November 28th along with Stu Heinecke’s Ge t the Meeting. If you buy both books on Amazon and send them a screenshot, you’ll get a dozen VIP conference codes for next year to attend events such as Sales 3.0 and AISP. With the codes, you’ll get a20% - 85% discount.. Chad is encouraging everyone to read the books and meet the authors at the conferences.  Use AI to increase sales  Chad has seven virtual sellers who are commissioned salespeople. The team has set up a daily data poll for these virtual sellers with a company called Lead 411. The data is fed into their CRM and the CRM goes through their email bot, a virtual assistant named Marissa Brown. They create preconfigured emails that filter through these virtual assistants so multiple batches of  emails can be sent every day. The AIs are preprogrammed to have a “conversation” akin to what you see on a chat feature. When a person responds, the AIs can communicate with the prospects. The chatbots can also set up meetings and appointments.The AIs chatbots are configured to know when to schedule an appointment. It knows when you’re out of the office or if you have time for a meeting.  One simple questions has about a thousand variations, such as the cost of a service or a product. The AI knows what to listen for and offers a very simple answer. It then replies with the cost, along with a link to your calendar so the prospect can set up a meeting.  As the business ow

Fri, November 22, 2019

Joe Ingram | Three Ways To Make You More Successful Selling Over The Phone

Three Ways To Make You More Successful Selling Over The Phone   Have you ever tried selling  sale without being in front of someone? Three tactics  to successfully sell over the phone include building relationships, choosing the right words, and knowing the right speed . Joe Ingram is a sales genius who uses an intellectual approach to sales. Looking at the training cycle and  sales industry , Joe realized that phone conversations play an integral part in the process and many people are missing this key point.  The average individual in the U.S. touches their cellphones 2,500 times a day. It’s very observable when you walk into Starbucks. Nobody would even notice you walked in because they’re  looking at their phones. We are continuously on the phone.  While using email is a good way to communicate, the product is only perceived as great  up to a certain price. Sending out a well-written email is a good marketing strategy but there’s a big difference in sending emails and talking to somebody over the phone to get the call to action to take place. If the price goes over a hundred dollars, then you need to  make a phone call. The way you present yourself and your company, during the phone conversation will determine if the potential client is going to purchase the product.  Communicating over the phone Communication is divided into the following elements. As a speaker, you need to be able to perform all of them to accurately get your message across.  55% of communication comes from body language. The person you’re talking to is watching the way you move during the conversation. For example, when we were  at school, we observed how our teachers moved, paid attention to the things they pointed out, and more. All these signals conveyed to us what they felt, what they meant, and what they were trying to teach us.  38% of communication comes from tone and inflection. You can say the same thing but use different tones to convey a whole different meaning. Tone and inflection tells your client what to pay attention to.  7% of communication is based on the actual words we use in a face-to-face conversation. In a phone conversation, you lose 55% of your ability to communicate because your client can’t see your body language. Because there are many disconnects over the phone, salespeople tend to veer away from calls as a channel to making a sale. Without body language in phone conversations, you’re left with 80% tone and inflection and 20% words. Based on that percentage, it would be

Wed, November 20, 2019

Stephen Snyder | The Accidental Seller Series 5

The Accidental Seller - Stephen Snyder Welcome to the fifth episode of The Accidental Series.  Some people are into sales because it’s their passion, while others were led to the industry because of their circumstances. We call them the accidental sellers.  Stephen Snyder is a district sales coordinator for Aflac. Growing up, Stephen loved playing sports and he aspired to become a professional athlete. In his college days, he was fortunate enough to play baseball. He was good at it and his life revolved around playing the game. Despite that, he didn’t become a professional baseball player. Apparently, life had other plans for Stephen.  Stephen realized that sports wasn’t for him after doing an internship during his senior year in college. He saw how tough it was to work in the field of sports marketing. You didn’t become the head of scouting just because you knew the game.  His job as an intern required physical labor from 7 AM until the end of the game. A sports manager had to be at the field long after the game was over to help with any tasks needed, including covering the field with tarp.Stephen thought that he could do more. Becoming an accidental seller  By the time Stephen finished his education, the economy was taking a downturn. Although he graduated with a degree in sports marketing and kept  looking for work in his field, most available jobs were all about sales. It seemed everyone was either selling a yellow book or insurance. Salespeople were often associated with the “usedcar salesman” stereotype so because of this, it took a long time for Stephen to consider sales as a long-term career.  Stephen eventually reached out to his friend who had been working with Aflac. He decided to try sales until he could find himself a “real” job. Years later, Stephen is still with Aflac excelling as a salesperson. He realized the old stereotypes don't have to apply.  For Stephen, it was about meeting people and talking to them about the services provided by Aflac.  The difficult part of selling When he started with the company, Stephen was provided with a script. When a sale didn’t go through, he was made to think that it was because he didn’t stick to the script. Stephen is anl introvert and although he is comfortable with talking to people, he’d always kept a protective shell around him where he could remain comfortable. The challenge he was facing in sales was how to prospect in his own way. Like any other salesperson, Stephen was also afraid of rejection.  There were many days  he thought of quitting sales but when he actuall

Mon, November 18, 2019

Terry Hansen | How to Build A Six Figure Income Even If You're Not Great At Closing!

How to Build A Six Figure Income Even If You're Not Great At Closing!  Ever wonder how you can build a six-figure income even if you’re not great at closing ? Closing is one of the most important parts of sales. It is crucial and every word you utter during closing matters.  Terry Hansen hails from Idaho Falls, Idaho. His plan is simple but he still has impressive sales success stories. He’s worked with many organizations and sales reps around the country and helped them boost their sales. Throughout his sales journey, Terry has observed three bottleneck scenarios in which entrepreneurs and sales professionals can get stuck. The first is that many struggle to increase their sales and income because they are not getting in front of the right kinds of companies and individuals. They are going at it like opening a phone book and just calling from the top of the list, hoping that someone will buy from them. Once on the phone, they don’t spend time introducing themselves, starting a conversation and making appointments. The second scenario a bottleneck can occur  is the lack of framework to qualify customers and salespeople end up closing  with people they shouldn’t. This comes from a scarcity mindset. There will always be goals and  sales quotas, that have to be hit. Because of this, many people in sales end up trying to sell to without taking the time to  determine whether they’re selling to their target customer.. Sometimes, salespeople can close a client and later have regrets because they didn’t share their work values.  The third bottleneck in failing to close well comes from not having the right skills.  It is each of these three scenarios that can become the speed bumps that keep entrepreneurs from growing their sales.  The value of prospecting  Many sales books stress the importance of having closing techniques. You have to be a champion in overcoming objections and resolving concerns to become successful in growing your sales. Another secret to success is becoming an account manager. You need to have stellar customer service, be able to ask for referrals, take good care of your base, and keep your competitors from your clients. Terry read a variety of books and did everything they suggested but he still wasn’t hitting his quotas and achieving the level of success he wanted. He then had lunch with a great mentor and  was venting about his frustrations. Terry let him know that despite doing the right things, he was still living paycheck to paycheck. His mentor shared an illustration about two

Fri, November 15, 2019

Likky Lavji | Networking Effectively and Creating A Sphere Of Influence

Networking Effectively and Creating a Sphere of Influence The idea of networking effectively and creating a sphere of influence is nothing new in sales. It’s a facet of sales that everybody understands and executes. Networking is one sure way of meeting new people, building relationships, and it eventually opens doors for opportunities.  Likky Lavji has been meeting people and building relationships for 30 years. He built and grew his IT company based on his referral network. By the time he sold his company, he had ample knowledge about how to do the business. Now, he’s sharing his knowledge with others. The old methods of doing business  Face-to-face meetings and getting to know people before starting the business are old methods of doing business. Today, people depend on social media to grow their business. We are bombarded with social diversions making us adept in communicating using social media platforms. The downside to that is it’s becoming more difficult for many to have conversations face-to-face.  As salespeople, we need to combine old and  new methods to make it work. It’s great to go back to the basics. Look at your existing base of connections and get to know them. Identify your best clients from your database, the ones who not only bring in revenue but referrals as well. Once you’ve identified your clients, you can start building your sphere of influence.  Creating your sphere of influence is easy to do. You need to know your people and  reach out to the people they know as well. In a networking event, look for the person who has people around them. Find an opportunity to start a conversation and be authentic. Don’t force anything. It has to be organic.  Likky once stuttered and it held him back. With the help of Bob Burg, the author of The Go-Giver Way , he was able to move past his stuttering.  Building relationships  It’s normal to have some level of fear when talking to strangers in a networking event, or anywhere else. However, that fear can be overcome. You need to veer away from the misconceptions of others. Put those aside and just be who you are. People fear networking because of the notion they have to sell. Change that mindset and think of networking as meeting people and making friends.  Build connections allows people to get to know you and like you.  As these re

Wed, November 13, 2019

Wendell Jordan | The Accidental Seller Series 4

The Accidental Seller Series - Wendell Jordan This is the 4th episode for the Accidental Seller series.  Wendell Jordan is the owner of Jordan Consults and a local SEO specialist. His company works with small businesses to increase their digital footprint.  Growing up, Jordan and his friends wanted to become professional basketball players. However, playing for the NBA became an afterthought when he reached high school. His first few years in college were spent in actively pursuing the business side of music. By then, he was in and out of recording studios in New York City. Perceptions of sales Wendell thought of salespeople as sleazy individuals. He first came across sales when he was young.  A vacuum salesman was doing door-to-door sales and he wouldn’t leave until his mother threatened to call the police. The salesman was trying to force his mother to buy a product they didn’t need. That  experience had a negative impact on Wendel and affected how he viewed sales.  Wendell’s mother worked for the city of New York and his father was a postal worker. His parents’ jobs, along with how he viewed salespeople made him think that sales was not for him.  He accidentally came into sales when he was checking out Craigslist ads. The ad was looking for someone to work in customer service and didn’t mention  sales. When he went in for the position, it was commission-only, door-to-door selling. Wendell’s wife played a huge part in his decision to take the position. She had faith that he could do it and  encouraged him to try. He’s been in sales ever since. Overcoming the fear Like any new salesperson, Wendell  had fears. He worried he’d become the sleazy salesperson who had to be removed from someone’s home, just like the man from his childhood. In his first days on the job, he shadowed a sales rep and  was told just to take notes. For two days, he tried to learn what he could from shadowing. On the third day, he was thrown into the fire and had to have his first door-to-door experience on his own.  Making a sale on the first day can be difficult but Wendell was able to do it. His first deal felt magical and it inspired and motivated him to keep going. He thought, if he could do it the first day,  he can also do it the second day so he kept going.  However, the lack of sales training affected his morale and the number of sales made. Shadowing others for a day or two wasn’t enough for him selling door-to-door effectively. He just didn’t have the skillset to close and the  result was a lot of

Mon, November 11, 2019

Ron Tite | How To Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy World

How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy World    As salespeople, we look for ways to seize attention and build trust. While prospecting and building trust among clients is critical, it’s also one of the most difficult tasks in sales.  Ron Tite is the founder and keynote speaker of the Toronto-based agency, Church+State as well as the author of Think Do Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy, Busy World .  Being an executive creative director at a large multinational ad agency, Ron has extensive knowledge about traditional agency marketing, advertising, and design. In addition to that, he’s also an experienced comedian, using that in his own entrepreneurial journey. Ron is also  an investor who appreciates the need for sales to do business.  The desperate need for attention  Salespeople are looking at the ecosystem correctly but are using the wrong tactics to make a breakthrough. They’ve been chasing metrics that don’t deliver to build long term businesses.  There are so many thought leaders, evangelists, and LinkedIn lead generators who are going about it in the wrong way. Seeing this drove Ron to eventually build his own agency. With a growing number of salespeople, the sheer number of sales reps and  clients are overwhelmed by pitches..  Time Square is a great metaphor. Everybody is in Time Square. Big corporations and companies use traditional means, such as using billboards, to get attention. Meanwhile, there are smaller sellers on the streets that are doing things differently. They are more aggressive, targeted, and their pitch can be customized. These are the people who sell practically everything in Times Square, from ripped off t-shirts to street meat. Every one of them trying to get attention.  However,the challenge doesn’t stop there, it continues. Now  you’ve got their attention, how do you earn their trust? Salespeople  thrive in a busy environment by  bringing respectability and credibility.  They have to be aggressive and nimble in their sales approach. #SalesManagement Other salespeople are still using the automated messages they used in the 60

Fri, November 08, 2019

Adam Ayers | How To Negotiating To A Mutual Win!

How to Negotiate a Mutual Win  Salespeople are always looking for a win and when closing with clients, landing a great deal while being able to negotiate a mutual win  is the idea goal.   Adam Ayers studied mechanical engineering and built a software technology startup after graduating. He is now the Chief Technology Officer and founder of company, Number 5, which specializes as an outsource CTO for celebrities, eCommerce companies, and internet brands. Fifty percent  of their operations involve running technology, and acquiring customers, for commerce businesses and executing the data science.  The other fifty percent is on custom technology where they build platforms, APIs, and high-performance software on the internet.  Negotiate a mutual win When Adam was a child he asked his father what inventors do and the response resonated with him.. He was told  the best inventors don’t just invent things, they are capable of selling what they’ve invented. That thought motivated him to make things himself,build a team, and sell the things he created himself. As an engineer, Adam has learned to think in frameworks and processes, finding that telling stories are effective ways to negotiate a mutual win and make a sale.  The biggest problem most salespeople face is the tendency to talk more and listen less. Generally, people  want to be listened to. We want to be asked questions and understood. This is a factor that other sales reps forget. No matter what you are selling, you must put the clients’ interests first. Listen  to them, ask questions, and understand where they’re coming from. You learn to see their problem and present customers with a solution when you sincerely tune-in to what they are saying. This is how they make the buying decision, to trust the solution  you present to them.  The ideal ratio is 80-20, where 80% is spent listening to the clients’ story and asking them questions while 20% is spent sharing  a story about how you’re going to help solve their problems.  The book entitled, You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar emphasizes the Sandler sales submarine, with the initial point being we need to bond and build rapport with our customers.  Showing compassion and kindness and asking people who they are and what they need is the first step to negotiate a mutual w

Wed, November 06, 2019

Ashlee | The Accidental Seller Series 3

The Accidental Seller- "Ashlee Reusch" This is the third episode for the Accidental Seller series brought to you by The Sales Evangelist.  Ashlee Reusch is a business development representative at Cognos HR. Ashlee was always on the lookout for change growing up and thus wasn’t chasing a specific career. She graduated high school a year early and proceeded to go to college. She was aiming to get her radiology technical certification at the local community college. She majored in Science and went into the medical field.  Ashlee had a change of heart and realized that science wasn’t her passion. The classes didn’t excite her and being a creative person at heart, she felt like the course didn’t foster that part of her. She didn’t want to sign up for endless classes to get certifications to advance her career in the medical field in the future. She was at a loss for what to do next and that’s how she fell into sales.  Falling into sales  She was finishing her associate’s degree at a community college and was deciding whether to proceed to her bachelor’s degree at a university. She lost her passion in science and she also didn’t want to invest in her education being unsure of what she really loved. She had lots of friends who studied at universities and paid tens of thousands of dollars but in the end, went back to square one because they were no longer interested in the career path they chose. She didn’t want to be in the same boat.  Ashlee talked to her dad about her predicament. He has been with the local Chevy dealer selling cars. He then suggested that she get a job and try out sales for a full year. She thought of it as an intersection where she wanted to experience the world and figure out what she wanted at the same time. That’s when she became an accidental seller .  The first few days were nerve-wracking, especially being there were only 2 women in the sales department. Everyone else was men with the average age of late thirties. Ashlee was 19 years old then. The experience was both exciting and nerve-wracking, especially since there was no sales training available. She shadowed other salesmen for a week and then she was put on the floor after that to sell some cars.  Since her dad had been in sales his whole life and both her parents were entrepreneurs owning a small art business in the late 90s and early 2000s, sales and business was nothing new for Ashlee. She also saw how her parents worked long hours. There was a lot of instability in sales and that made her think that sales

Mon, November 04, 2019

Gia Le | How to 10X Your Income With Repeat and Referred Business

How to 10X Your Income With Repeat and Referred Business Repeat and referred business is a sure tactic to grow your business 10x. Despite that, not many are looking into it.  A reliable tactic to increase income is to use repeat and referred business. Gia Le, a successful real estate agent in Australia, whose heritage is Chinese-Vietnamese,    uses this strategy with great success. However, before she got into real estate, her career started in finance and insurance sales through the automotive industry.  Gia wasn’t always the top salesperson she is today.  Working for Australia’s largest automotive holding company, she was almost fired in her first three months as an insurance and finance consultant.   Selling using out-dated methods  Early in her career, Gia attended several training programs offered by her company. She learned a variety of  selling techniques and rehearsed the scripts but they proved to be ineffective.. These original methods sounded rote to the more sophisticated customers and the techniques were perceived as out-dated and insincere.    The dealership was a very fast-paced environment, sometimes having to close sales within two or three hours, and she was struggling and fighting.  In Australia, a dealership makes more money on the finance and insurance than on the vehicle itself and accounts for nearly 60- 70% of the dealership’s profits.. Gia knew if she didn’t start performing her time at the company was going to come to a close.  It was then the right mentor appeared.ia recalls, “He pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, Gia stop trying to focus on the sale. Why don't you just start focusing on the people and realize that we're selling more than just finance and insurance.’” It was in that moment that she understood she was there to solve problems and provide a service.   “I truly sold nothing.The only thing I truly sold was a promise, an opportunity and above all, a relationship. The moment I started connecting and focusing on my client's pain, empathizing with them and gaining their trust through the art of storytelling, I was basically closing nearly 70% of all the clients who walked through my door.” Sales is about selling an opportunity, and above all else, relationship. #SalesSuccess  Working at such a fast pace, she also understood the need to act quickly. “Nobody was in a dealership to waste their time because time is the most precious commodity anybody ever has.”  She knew if her client walked away they didn’t want to work with her.  It was in

Fri, November 01, 2019

Vlad | The Main Things Generating The Most Leads Right Now!

The Main Things Generating The Most Leads Right Now!    As salespeople, we often ask ourselves about the main things generating the most leads right now because we always want to be in on everything that works. Consumers’ purchasing decisions are affected by their experiences and we want to know what affects them in order to appeal to those emotions and convince them to buy our products or services. Sales professionals that we are, we love leads and we like getting new prospects.  Vlad Calus is the founder at Planable, a content collaboration plan for freelancers and marketing teams. It is the most visual platform that helps you preview your social media content before publishing it. Planable helps you check and review your content before publishing it. It makes collaboration and asking for feedback from your teammates easier as well as  asking for clients’ feedback before finalizing the content and scheduling the posts through social media.  Generating the most leads right now  There are three things that helped Vlad to get leads. The first one was writing a book. He wrote a book called Marketing Themes of the Future which gained them over 2,000 leads in just a couple of weeks. They also published the Content Academy and it generated them more than 500 people in just a couple of hours.  Publishing is one way to generate leads and that’s what Vlad and his team did. They also did a content calibration report where they reported on the state of content marketing and how content marketing teams are working. For them, their team wasn’t able to generate many people by just a sudden initiative. They did the planning on how to create their content and spent a lot of time in it. They called their content marketing as special initiatives. They worked on it for about 12 months and all of the people involved were on the same page. They then had press releases for client launches and they constantly repurposed their content.  Content calibration  Vlad’s team looked for the problem in their industry and wanted to address it. Based on their research, they found out that there have been no content calibration reports done for the last nine years. They wanted to understand the state of the market but there are only old data available. In marketing, data are key players to a business’s success. They then understood the need to generate a lot of data and started the project with their customers, connections on the net

Mon, October 28, 2019

Aaron Ross | "Impossible to Inevitable"

Impossible to Inevitable How can salespeople turn the impossible to inevitable ?  Aaron Ross is the author of the book Predictable Revenue and a proud father to nine children. The book Predictable Revenue is called the sales bible of Silicon Valley. It changed how the fastest-growing sales teams are designed. The book talked about outbound prospecting which can be a very predictable way to drive appointments and if you have predictable appointments, you can create predictable revenue. It also talks about sales specialization instead of letting the sales reps do the prospecting. Managers must break the sales team into specialized groups to assess where they excel.  Impossible to inevitable  His new book called From the Impossible to Inevitable is the growth bible. It’s more for C-levels:the managers, executives, and the leaders who understand the few key reasons why a company gets stuck and won’t grow. The book answers three questions: Why aren’t you growing as fast as you can? How can you grow faster? How do you keep it up? This book touches on sales models and expands to lead generation. From Impossible to Inevitable will teach you the ways of the fastest-growing companies in the world such as SalesForce and Twilio. The first section of the book is called Nail a Niche as it addresses the hard truth that most companies are not ready to grow and that’s the reason why they don’t grow as much as they want.  You can’t paddle downstream if you’re not even in the stream.  Nailing the niche When beginning a business, there’s the tendency of selling everything to everyone. But that doesn’t work. What it does to you is that you either have no customer or you have a bunch of customers who are a little bit of this and a little bit of that. An entrepreneur may sit back and ask which of the customers are easiest to close, or who is the audience that really needs me? It is important to define who needs you.  Aaron was part of Salesforc

Sun, October 27, 2019

DeJuan Brown | The Accidental Seller Series 2

The Accidental Seller Series 2 - "DeJuan Brown" This is the second episode of the series The Accidental Seller. There are more accidental sellers in the sales industry than we know of. In fact, there are about 4.14 million sales professionals in the United States who fell into this career.  DeJuan Brown wanted to be a chemist when he was a kid. He also wanted to be a system analyst because he wanted to follow his uncle’s footsteps who worked as a system analyst for Guardian Life for a long time. But in college, he studied Psychology and Philosophy. The mathematics included in studying both Chemistry and System Analysis dissuaded him to push through with his childhood careers.  His view of sales and of the salespeople came about when his father started selling Insurance when he was two years old. Selling insurance then was very different compared to how it’s done today. People are able to sign up online or pay for their premium online but before, selling insurance was a door-to-door sport. His dad would spend hours going door to door collecting premiums from people. Seeing his dad selling made him think that sales was super lucrative on the back end but also super hard at the same time. DeJuan initially thought that salespeople were undesirable.  The sale stigma  The perception of salespeople then didn’t change much until today. There’s still a bad stigma and DeJuan didn’t want to be associated with it. Salespeople are seen as sleazy and manipulative and even though his Dad is not like that, he came to adapt that view as well. It’s apparent with a car salesman and the salespeople you see in infomercials and TV.  People kept telling DeJuan that he’d be good in sales but for him, it was a choice between using his skills for the worse which is doing sales or using it for the best which is helping people through law and other things.  The accidental seller DeJuan was doing a variety of things and was moving from one job to another. He ended up waiting tables and bartending. He was good at it and made a tremendous amount of money in it. His friends kept telling him to go into sales because he’s good at selling entrees but still the stigma of salespeople stuck in his mind. The stigma prevented him from considering the possibility until his buddy got a job at Intuit.  His buddy convinced him to get into sales and he applied. He got a schedule for an interview and got a part-time job of 16 hours a week doing transactional sales. That’s when he got into sales.  </

Fri, October 25, 2019

Donald Kelly | One Major Closing Question You're Neglecting To Ask

One Major Closing Question You're Neglecting To Ask    There are times when the sale is almost a done deal but at the end of the day, it’s not pushing through because there’s that one major closing question you neglected to ask. This can happen to everyone, not just for the new sales reps.  That one closing question you neglected to ask Let’s take Dave as an example. Dave is a seller who is wrapping up things with Bob in a phone call. Dave gave an amazing demonstration but Bob is being wishy-washy in his response and told Dave that he is still going to analyze internally first before moving on with Dave’s deal. Now, Dave is upset, furious, and blurted out some things.  Dave could have done things differently by asking follow-up questions. Seeing it from Dave’s perspective, his outburst was understandable. He’s been working the deal for three months and he thought that he already got everything right. He already told his manager about it and he’s pretty excited for it to officially close. He needed this sale to achieve his quota.  The result could have been different had he remembered to ask the closing question that many neglect to ask.  “Would I make  this purchase based on the same information I know if I were the buyer?”  Based on the things you’ve shared with the buyer, would you have made the decision to make the investment? Many take this for granted because oftentimes, salespeople are shortsighted.  Focusing on your pipeline  Having focus is a great characteristic, however, focusing on the wrong thing isn’t. As salespeople, we need to shift the focus from ourselves and our pipeline, rather, we need to focus on our clients and our prospective clients.  Going back on Dave, he was too focused on himself and the need for impressing his manager. He is a rising star in the company and the deal would be 25% of his quota. Everything was about Dave. Sometimes, a similar thing happens to us.  We tend to focus on ourselves and fail to show empathy toward the clients. Stephen Covey ’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People states that the fifth habit of becoming effective is to seek first to understand then to be

Wed, October 23, 2019

The Accidental Seller Series 1 | "Ludovic Vuillier"

The Accidental Seller Series 1 - "Ludovic Vuillier"    Hubspot ’s stats showed that 46% of salespeople did not intend to go into sales. That means a massive 4.14 million individuals are now accidental sellers. Perhaps they were working different jobs and suddenly they decided to go into sales or the circumstances prompted them to go into sales. This series will be about the people who have become accidental sellers by hook or by choice.  Ludovic Vuillier is an entrepreneur who runs the Good Life Manifesto . It is a tool to help you live a good life. It is a guide that’s related to health, business, finance, and relationship.  Ludovic started his career in sales 20 years ago. He sold for myriads of companies and consulting organizations. He also helped these organizations to find success in their sales.  But before he went into sales, he wanted to become a doctor because of his interest in the human body. The downside to that is one has to spend over 12 years in school before becoming a doctor, which is something he cannot do. That made him ditch the college path.  The deciding path  His father died when he was young and he inherited some money but didn’t have a clue what to do with it. The amount wasn’t big but it was enough to offer comfort. He spent a year and a half traveling. He saw places and learned about many cultures. The experience taught him to be comfortable outside his comfort zone. After that, he fell into sales.  He started selling mobile phones door to door. His lack of social skills became an advantage because he was able to absorb and pick up the things that work and that don’t. Ludovic also ventured into telemarketing and sold cosmetics over the phone.  It takes many things to become a salesperson. One has to have a strong will and desire, persistence, and a greater purpose.  Ludovic started to take on different types of sales jobs including doing sales over the phone, face-to-face sales, one-on-one, one-to-many, and others. He learned how he can influence peoples’ thoughts, emotions, and actions to be effective in the sales industry.  The challenge that was the sale  </p

Mon, October 21, 2019

Rylee Meek | What Is Social Dynamic Selling & Why Does This Work So Well?

What Is Social Dynamic Selling & Why Does This Work So Well? Many sellers appreciate how social dynamic selling works well. It’s effective and has connected more than 2 million consumers to their clients.  Rylee Meek grew up in a small town in South Dakota but is now residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He lived in a town with very few opportunities but at the age of 15, he already had that drive to start earning money. He got a job at a pizza joint and made a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. He dove into the entrepreneurial world at that young age. His family made a significant amount of money from network marketing and that impacted his path. He met many like-minded people who directed him to the right books to read. It was his initial step of taking that entrepreneurship role.  He then started working with a network marketing company instead of proceeding to college. At 19 years of age, he was able to get his   BMW but then he realized that his income came solely from the effort and from working up to 17 hours a day. So he started to do things differently. He worked for Prudential but then he wanted to work and sell to more people and not just family members and friends. He proceeded to take another job selling home remodeling. Rylee clearly remembered what the manager told him on that interview, that the job is 85% negative but he needs to focus on the 15% that’s positive to make it through. Until now, Rylee still believes in focusing on the 15% because that’s what matters. Getting 85 Nos to get 15 Yeses was all it took.  Network marketing journey  Rylee invested in several network marketing ventures and met many challenges along the way. At one time he became homeless after putting much of his money into a business in Mexico. Their company was shut down by the government and he needed to come back to the states. He spent some time thinking of the things he could do next. He was invited to a pitch presentation and that helped his wheels spinning. His first presentation was done a few months after and he made $2.1 million in sales. They then started recruiting, hiring, and training. When everything worked out well, Rylee stepped back from presenting and started doing coaching, training, and teaching their sales reps.  Reaching the masses Rylee was earning well and could take his products to the masses but he didn’t have any passion for his products. While there are many businesses who have so much passion for their products but do not have the vehicle to take their products to the masses.  <span style="font-weig

Fri, October 18, 2019

Dug McGuirk | How To Elevate Your Sales Game

How To Elevate Your Sales Game  As a salesperson, you might have asked yourself the ways to elevate your sales game.  Dug McGuirk is a national trainer with Tony Robbins. He is a peak performance strategist to help people get a clearer picture of where they are right now in their sales organization including the results they’re experiencing as an individual salesperson or as a team leader.  He and Tony help individuals see their role in the organization.  Salespeople can’t change the market, the economy, the way the organization works, and the standard of practice. Tony and Dug want salespeople to see the clear picture and help them realize their true potential.  Elevate your sales game  Salespeople are always looking for ways to elevate their sales. The first step to do that is to analyze the things that might be holding back the sales. Sales reps must look at the pattern when they’re stuck. Do not have the tendency of beating yourself up and taking the fall when things go wrong or when you’re stuck.  Assess the activities that have been holding you back as a salesperson and be aware of them. Look at the pattern of thought, the pattern of activity, and the pattern of focus. These may be small things that you’ve stopped doing like making your bed in the morning, praying, meditating, exercising, and whatnot.  Most of us are running away from the pain but in order to succeed, we need to go through the pain.   The best time to get a sale is right after you just made a sale. Listen to the power of momentum. You sell one and own it. Do not doubt your ability to sell, just get on with the selling and be carried by the momentum.  Believe in yourself That belief in yourself is so vital in sales. It doesn’t matter that you’re shut down several times or that your presentation is put to a stop. You just have to keep going.  Sell yourself first and have that confidence before you go off selling to other people. Salespeople have a moral obligation to help others even when they’ve said no for the first few times. You need to get over that objection in order to deliver the message.  A great salesperson needs to get into that state of gratitude before going into the next steps in sales. You need to be truly present and get clear visualizations of your goals. You also need to believe in your product and the services you sell.  In sales, your net

Wed, October 16, 2019

Sales From The Street | "I Almost Quit"

Sales From the Street: “I Almost Quit” We all face challenges and sometimes, the sense of defeat is so strong that the phrase, “I almost quit, ” is so relatable.  Luigi Prestinenzi struggled in his sales journey as well. His mom was great in sales and worked for Mary Kay, a global cosmetics empire. His mother won awards and was an icon within the company.  All the success, however, came to halt when she suffered complete burnout. Luigi was seven then and he didn’t understand what was truly happening except that he saw his mom hustling and reaching her goals.  Fast forward to 23 years later, Luigi also fell on the same path. Everything was working well for him but all of a sudden, deals fell apart and they just kept falling through. It was the first time that he found himself in a challenging situation.  His manager talked to him one Christmas and he couldn’t focus on anything, not the festivities, his family, or the food. He questioned his life and his decisions and he started drafting his resume and looking for jobs. Despite that, he still went back to sales because it was his only option.  Like other salespeople who got disappointed and might have said the words, “I almost quit,” Luigi also quit - almost.  Changing the actions and mindset  Luigi made a decision to triple his sales activity to make up for the last quarter. He realized that the best way to work through it is to change his actions and his mindset.  He listened to Paul J. Meyer , the founder of the Success Motivation Institute . It was a 50-minute combination of different talks and he listened to it every day in his car. All the talks he listened to prompted him to start his pipes running again. Six months later, he closed the biggest deal in his company’s history. He also won the global sales leader award across 60 countries for that organization.  Keep Going  Luigi’s father was a migrant and he’d always tell him, ‘first in, last out.’ People would argue about that saying that it doesn’t foster a smart working mentality. He did not question his work ethic, but he questioned his mindset on thing

Mon, October 14, 2019

Benton Crane | How To Use Videos To Increase Sales

Many of us are hesitant to use video because of our own fears but it’s absolutely possible to use videos to increase sales .  Brenton Crane isn’t from the advertising and marketing background. He is from data analytics and started his career in Washington D.C. as a statistician at the Census Bureau and analyst in the National Intelligence Agency. He then partnered with the brothers Neil, Jeff, and Daniel for a campaign. The combination of their creative skillset and his analytical skills created a system that makes advertising campaigns effective.  The power of videos in the business The most powerful form of communication happens in face to face conversations between two individuals. These face to face interactions are how you make out the nuances of a conversation. This will allow you to listen to the tone, see the gestures and body language all happening at a subconscious level.  Video is the medium that’s closer to that face-to-face action. When you talk to someone on the phone, you miss the body language and all the subconscious communication that’s happening. But with video, you’re able to capture a large portion of what happens in face-to-face interaction.  Aside from that, videos are scalable. The people you can’t meet through phone calls can be met via videos. You can take your most effective salesperson and sales pitch and scale that up to reach millions of people using videos.  Effective pitch through videos  People have thought that the world of sales and marketing are two separate camps. In the advertising space, it’s often about infomercials or traditional branding styles like what you see in Nike and Apple. But it doesn’t work that way. You can blend those two worlds together.  For so long, there’s been a competition between the two camps. The salespeople would trash the marketers and the other way around when in fact, they can incorporate together to create a great pitch.  Incorporate a story in your sales pitch and put in brand humor, voice, and character to make it more memorable. #SalesTips At the end of the day, no matter how effective the sales pitch, it’s not going to build the long-term brand. Squatty Potty, for example, has the humor and the character and that what makes it memorable. If you break down that video for a sales structure, you’ll see that it follows the perfect sales structure. 

Fri, October 11, 2019

Thomas Steenburg | How To Effectively Sell New Products To Current Customers

How To Effectively Sell New Products To Current Customers Salespeople often ask how to effectively sell new products to current customers. Some clients are satisfied with the current service they’re getting and they’re not keen on investing in another one. There is a way through this sales ordeal.  Thomas Steenburgh teaches business marketing and sales at the Darden School of Business. He’s also an administrator and has stayed with the school for seven years. His team did a five-year research project on how to effectively sell new products to customers and what’s so hard about it.  Looking at the problem Thomas’ team looked at various factors: The different ways people sell The types of people who excel in the process The organization’s structure The culture that the companies/organization create The combination of these processes which is finding the right process, finding the right people, finding the right organization, and finding the right culture is the key to making this happen.  The challenge  If given a choice, most sales reps would love to sell new products because it gives them an advantage at the clients’ accounts. The question, however, is if they’d continue to put the same amount of effort from beginning to end.  Selling new products takes a lot of energy and more time. Thomas and his team found out that selling a new product takes about 30-40% more time as opposed to selling an extension of a line. On top of that, sales reps need to meet with a lot more people in the buying process and develop a different network site to be able to sell.  It is very resource-intensive.  On the customers’ side, when you’re selling a new product, everybody wants to talk to you because people naturally want to know what’s going on in the marketplace.  Sales reps become hyped due to the attention but not for long.  When the reality sinks in, they’ll realize that there’s a change in the buying organiz

Wed, October 09, 2019

Andy Racic | Sales From The Street - "Are Your Firing Me?"

Sales From The Street - "Are You Firing Me?"   One of the scariest questions to ask in this field is, “are you firing me?” You might have asked this yourself, out loud or in silence, but regardless of how, it’s nerve-wracking just the same.  Andy Racic has been in professional sales for nine years and most of those years were spent serving HR professionals. These days, Andy is with a software company called Tango Health . They offer B2B software and outsourcing solutions to help professionals across the country.  The beginning While Andy was living in Houston, he was working for an agency recruitment firm called Michael Page. The agency recruitment space is 100% sales: that is 90% sales and 10% consulting. They were in the business of the oil and gas market and despite the difficult times in the business, their agency was able to establish a good relationship with their clients. Out of the blue, one of their clients asked him to help find a recruiter.  That was an alarming thing to hear because to him it sounded very much like looking for their replacement. It was a source of concern because the market was going downhill so their company was looking for ways to keep their clients and continue serving them.  Andy ran that client inquiry to his manager and they dug into it. They discovered that the company was having a big project that would involve a lot of hiring for them. The company was looking at 30-50% growth and they were looking for more people. Andy and his manager went back to the drawing board and built an entire recruitment process outsourcing model for that company.  They then made the call and presented the model for them and convinced them to trust them a little bit more instead of hiring another recruitment agency that they hadn’t worked with before.  Putting the best foot forward There were doubts about whether what they did would work. The market was changing and the client could have gone in a different direction instead of working with them. Still, Andy and his team did what they could.  Andy’s team did a thorough briefing on the situation with their client’s internal stakeholders and presented a team that would help in the recruitment process. He gave them the background of each individual along with their track record and the reasons why they’re a good fit.  They won their trust an

Mon, October 07, 2019

Dan Crockrell | Creating Great Customer Experiences To Close More Deals

Creating Great Customer Experiences To Close More Deals   Creating great customer experiences to close more deals is often a neglected sales strategy by many. That shouldn’t be the case.  Dan Cockerell grew up in the hospitality industry. He went to Boston University and worked at Disney World for a summer. He officially joined the Walt Disney Company as a parking attendant in 1991 after finishing college. After 26 years and 19 jobs at Walt Disney, he decided to leave to start  his own consulting company.  Most of the employees in Disney who are working as executives in the operation started in the frontline roles to understand the customer experiences at the ground level.  The beginning of Disneyland Walt Disney was ahead of his time. He was an animator and he wanted to create a 3D world where people could escape reality and step into movies. He wanted to create happiness together as a family. This was his original thought for building Disneyland in 1955. He kept the business clean, he was nice to people, and he valued them. People kept coming back because of the Midwestern values set by the company.  Dan understood then that people are looking for experiences. Even millennials these days are looking for experiences rather than buying objects that lose their value over time. Experience, on the other hand, gains value over time. Disney had a great business model: to make emotional connections with people and have a great product and service to offer them simultaneously.  The immense popularity of Disney parks stems from its ability to create experiences.  Creating great customer experiences to close more deals Disney did a lot of research and measurements to help the company improve. They have round table discussions, group discussions, and surveys. They pulled out a group one year and made a survey on what makes them different and why people keep coming back to Disney World. The Disney team had their expected answers, including the fireworks, the hotels, the attractions, the food, the characters, and others.  There are four things, however, that Disney and salespeople have in common.  Disney makes people feel special They translated that to the cast members and they had a common purpose which is to create happiness for guests. Their team always looks for ways to make their guests feel special every day. It’s challenging when you have 50 m

Fri, October 04, 2019

Stu Heinecke | Use Contact Marketing to Break Through to Anyone

Use Contact Marketing to Breakthrough to Anyone   Prospecting is always a challenge for sellers, but it’s possible to contact marketing to break through to anyone.  Stu Heinecke is a Wall Street Journal cartoonist, a marketer, and an author. Stu has been nominated for the marketing hall of fame twice and has authored the popular book, How to Get a Meeting with Anyone . There are many ways salespeople can contact their clients and make a breakthrough, Stu’s book helps you navigate the whole process of reaching out to various clients. Stu is now writing his second book about how business cards can help salespeople reach out to prospective clients and what makes these business cards so special.  In the business industry, he helps his clients’ sales teams break through their top prospects. Contact marketing to breakthrough to anyone  Stu is a fan of great business cards. Unfortunately in this digital day, clients aren’t keen on business cards anymore. The tables have shifted and they’re no longer given much emphasis as compared to then. This is saddening when in the sales world, a business card is the first conquest point to form a meeting. People just type out names and numbers directly to their phone and check them out later on. The thing about this is that most of the time, clients won’t even remember the name of the sales rep they talked to. Thus, we go back to the basics, only this time, we upgrade it into something more.  From cards to devices  Say goodbye to business cards and hello to engagement devices. The regular business cards aren’t impressing people anymore, especially those with long titles. So, instead of giving them a card, you give them an engagement device.  An example of this is Kevin Mitnick ’s card. It’s a piece of thin metal that has been cut out. When you try to pull out the little pieces, it gives you a lock picking set. You can see the details etched into the metal. The card isn’t just a card, it’s also a metaphor of what he does for companies. He makes virtual locks and offers it to companies to keep hackers away from breaking into their system.  There are no logos, words, and descriptions in the card. The ca

Wed, October 02, 2019

Lance Tyson | What Are The 6 Critical Steps To Developing a Successful Sales Strategy?

What Are The 6 Critical Steps To Developing a Successful Sales Strategy? Sales strategies aren’t born from thin air; rather, there are six critical steps to developing a successful sales strategy .  Lance Tyson is an author and speaker who runs his own training company. Tyson group has been ranked by Selling Powers as one of the Top 20 sales organizations in the world. It has been operating for 15 years and invested in Dale Carnegie Training in 2010. They work in the sports entertainment industry and one of their biggest customers is the football team, the Raiders . They coordinate with the sales team to sell premium tickets, sponsorships, suites, and others. They also work with Michael Jordan’s company and several tech companies where they coach, train, and consult with their sales teams.  Lance isn’t just teaching; he is also out there grinding and doing all the sales work that his salespeople are doing.  Six steps to developing a successful sales strategy  Attitude, perseverance, and grit aren’t part of the steps. These things must always be present but let’s think of outcome first. In some cultures, the word relations isn’t great and it’s often overused. We prefer the term rapport. This is one of the three outcomes you need to go after. Partner rapport with credibility. While rapport gives you influence, credibility gives you people' trust. The third is one is showing a level of understanding. These three are the beginning of the steps to developing a successful sales strategy which is the following:  Connect Evaluate Diagnose Prescribe Dialogue Close Connect We talk about connecting with others all the time but the conversation of connecting

Mon, September 30, 2019

Donald Kelly | Changes to The Sales Evangelist Podcast

Changes to The Sales Evangelist Podcast The time has come to bring some changes to The Sales Evangelist podcast. The TSE podcast has been around for six years and over time, we’ve been mentioned in a number of magazines including Yahoo Finance, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Forbes, HubSpot, and others.  This all goes back to you for sharing the content with your friends and for helping us grow over the years. The podcast continues to evolve to adapt to the needs of the industry. Starting this October, there will be a couple of changes to The Sales Evangelist Podcast.  Humble beginnings The podcast has been around for a long time and it’s because of your support. We kept on going and pushing forward because we have the passion and drive for it. We started with two episodes a week: one 10-minute tip and one with a sales expert who’d give us advice. We then jumped to doing podcasts three days a week and later on, to five days a week. The team grew and the quality of content improved.  We started without getting paid but in time, opportunities and sponsorships came along.  The six years presented great chances to learn from the best in the podcast industry and I’ve had the privilege of emceeing the Podcast Movement, the world’s largest podcast gathering. I met many podcast leaders who are very successful in the podcast space. The interaction taught me to keep improving the quality of the content to differentiate from the stiff competition in the industry.  Changes to The Sales Evangelist Podcast  The stats and community have spoken. The majority of listeners listen to two or three episodes a week, saying that they don’t have time and there are too many to keep up with all the episodes produced.  We have decided our episodes from five a week to three a week. Of the three episodes, two of them will be 30 minutes long and will include guests. The Wednesday episodes will be 10 minutes long and will be a little different.  Send in your questions, concerns, and challenges, and we will address them on the podcast. #SalesQuestions It is also a miniseries with a combo of interview, journalism, and storytelling. This will start in October and the first series is about the Accidental Seller and why 41%-43% of salespeople fell into sales. The next series will be about some of the most suc

Fri, September 27, 2019

Adam Carswell | Why You Can't Do It All On Your Own

Even if you consider yourself a fiercely independent seller, you’ll sometimes need help from others because you can’t do it all on your own . Adam Carswell works for Concordia Realty Corporation, a private equity firm that invests in shopping centers. His company works with smaller mom-and-pop investors who can’t make million-dollar contributions and pools their capital with other investors.  No siloes  Adam worked as a residential realtor in 2017 when he decided he wanted to break free. He didn’t want to join a team and work within a system. He wanted to pursue his own course.  He achieved significant success in his first year and expected the second year would be the same. Unfortunately, it was the opposite.  Numerous deals fell through and he wasn’t sure what to do next. He was in a serious relationship so he hid his financial struggles, but that decision eventually blew up in his face. He looks back now and realizes that if he had swallowed his pride and accepted support from the people around him, he would have been in a better position. Though he doesn’t always get it exactly right now, he tries to apply the lessons to everything he does now.  Lost earnings The fact that Adam had enjoyed great success prior to that point drove him to avoid accepting help from other people. He learned to routinely evaluate whether he was being prideful on any given day.  Adam estimates that he earned about 50 percent less money the second year than he did the first year. Given that he hadn’t changed his spending habits over that time, it felt like a huge shortfall.  Roadmap to success Every industry has a roadmap to success unless, of course, you’re paving a new path. Adam points to the fact that he came up with some creative, successful prospecting ideas, and he closed a few deals as a result.  He dropped off Oreos once a month to one prospect. He hosted open houses on Sundays. He took advice and applied some of it, but he didn’t enjoy the resources of a larger team. His sister works as a realtor now for a company that has a big database, CRM, drip email campaigns, and other tools that he didn’t know how to set up. As a result, she has enjoyed early success.  Find and develop experience using a sales process that works. Then you can tweak it to fit your individual style. #SalesProcess Blinded by optimism <span

Thu, September 26, 2019

Craig Klein - How To Nurture “No” Into “YES”

A good salesperson knows how to nurture “No” into “Yes” . Hearing No in the sales world is common regardless of what you sell or to whom you’re selling to. When you hear a no, you can’t just back down and give up. You need to get back on track and fix it.  Craig Klein is based in Houston and he works in the energy business. He used to make deals with large oil companies and the deals would take a year or more to close. With that period of time and the level of complexity of every sale, he sought help from others.  He began Sales Nexus to address that inefficiency. Today, his company helps other businesses to grow and aims to help everyone in the community give their fair share of making their community a better place to live.  No is difficult to hear  Craig was trained by Dave Blanchard for awhile. Dave does executive training and he talks a lot about our need to be right. Humans as we are, once the idea is planted in our head and we start dreaming about it, the idea becomes real. If that idea is taken away, we end up getting hurt.  It is the same with sales. We meet our clients with big plans for closing the deal but when we turn up, we are told no and that hurts. There’s a lot of burnout in the sales position because sales reps tend to make many phone calls and end up getting No. The thing about it is that when we hear No, we tend to take a step back and sometimes, we don’t ever make a step forward again.  Nurture “No” into “Yes” Salespeople need to learn to be a bit aware of themselves and to focus on the customers' needs, not on what they need. It’s also important to realize that sometimes, the prospects say “No” not because they don’t want to do business with you. They may be tied to a contract to your competitor or now may not be a good time.  The primary way to nurture “No” into “Yes” is to have a sales strategy that makes you stay engaged with the prospects and build relationships over time. #Relationships It’s not efficient to just focus on who you can close this month, it’s also about focusing on the people you can close deals with in due

Wed, September 25, 2019

Brad Sugar | Sales From The Street: Pulling Profits Out of a Hat

Pulling Profits Out of a Hat Pulling profits out of a hat is something that salespeople are raving about. But how do you go about it?   Brad Sugar has been in the teaching business for 26 years and now has coaching offices in over 80 countries. He’s also a published author with 17 books in his name. He appreciates being able to help others grow their business and keeps expanding his business to be able to help more people improve their sales.  One of his recent books is Pulling Profits Out of a Hat: Adding Zeros to Your Company Isn't Magic 1st Edition . This book teaches companies how  to get multiple growths instead of percentage growth. As salespeople, challenge yourself to multiply your growth. If your company grew by 15% last year, make it an aim to grow it 15 times more this year.  The starting point is to believe that your business can multiply and have the right attitude in getting it there.  Pulling profits out of a hat Every business person is a business owner. Whatever your role is, whether it be a salesperson or a sales leader, you have your own section of the business.   Set your goals and be specific about them. What are the goals you want to achieve two times, five times, and so on? There are five core disciples mentioned in the book - strategy, business development, people, execution, and mission. You need to start with the strategy.  Strategy Strategy can be broken down into four main points:  Leverage Scalability Opportunity Marketability We define leverage as doing the work once and getting paid for a long-term basis. Bill Gates, for example, understood leverage. He made software once and he sold it forever. These days, Microsoft doesn’t sell software anymore. They make you pay for it every single month. Steve Jobs understood leverage after he got fired from Apple. He bought Pixar and found ways to sell a movie repeatedly in various formats. They sell their products and they set their businesses up in a way that customers buy it over and over again all

Tue, September 24, 2019

Johnny-Lee Reinoso | 3 Tips to Improve Closing

For organizations looking to expand their footprint and extend their reach, these 3 tips to improve closing will help them achieve those goals. Johnny Lee operates a sales and marketing firm called C Level Partners that helps organizations expand their footprint, gain new clients, and move in the direction of their goals. He believes that sales is everything. His experience from the management side, from the individual side, and from the sales rep side gives him a unique multi-level vantage point. Listen to understand The biggest challenge Johnny Lee consistently sees is that sellers listen to reply rather than listening to understand. He recently carried out a DILO, or a “ day in the life of ” exercise with a lean, mature team that all suffered from the same problem. They all listened while waiting for the opportunity to explain why their company was so great.  Sellers master the art of articulating their value, but before we win in the marketplace we have to master the art of listening. We’ve all heard it before, perhaps in the saying, “Telling is not selling.” But if we truly applied this truth to our everyday behaviors both in and out of business, we would know exactly how to articulate our value proposition to become the solution that the prospect needs.  Exhibit empathy In many cases, the discovery call that precedes the demo doesn’t actually help the seller understand the challenges the seller is facing. In order to understand the problems they are trying to solve, you must listen and develop empathy for the pain they are feeling.  Empathy helps us understand why people do certain things and how they end up where they are. When you care about helping people, you’ll be able to support them while they tackle the challenges they face.  When we ask questions that lead them down the path of discovery, our prospects will outline exactly what they need and how you can help.  Empathy acknowledges how the existing challenges affect the company’s bottom line and understands how important it is to consider shareholder value in the face of problems.  Empathy cannot be rushed.  When you communicate that you’re with them in the challenge, you’ll become a trusted advisor.  You cannot begin the work of

Mon, September 23, 2019

Donald Kelly | How To Deal With Unresponsive Inbound Leads!

How Do I Deal With Unresponsive Inbound Leads? There are tricks on how to deal with unresponsive inbound leads. Dealing with people who come to your website and who give their phone numbers and emails but don’t want to talk to you doesn’t have to be difficult. It is true that many who visit your site want the freebies and they ghost you for reasons you can’t comprehend.  The sales reps are frustrated because the appointment is not getting through, nor are the emails, or the calls.  This happens because we’ve conditioned the buyers this way. We’ve taught them the concept of opt-in. They give us their emails for emailed permission-based marketing and we call them or mail them to get an appointment. Other companies are doing this as well and buyers know the pattern and are now looking for ways around it. They often give a bogus email address or an old one that they no longer check making it next to impossible to get in touch with them in the first place.  Deal with unresponsive inbound leads  There are two ways to deal with unresponsive inbound sales. The first one is connected to marketing. Examine what you’re offering to the prospects and extend your offer beyond your freebies. They may not be ready to purchase yet and they just want to review your offer so give them something else they can munch. Include another link to something else within your gift. Try to put an invite to your webinar. They can click inside the opt-in to see what the webinar is all about. Engage them further and nurture them into actual leads.  Give them something a little bigger, perhaps a one-on-one free consultation session or your phone number. Turn the opt-in into a strategy session to be able to talk to your prospects.  For qualified leads, engage them further by giving them more information. They will qualify themselves and they will give you their phone number and have a conversation with you. Once they go to your webinar, they become converted leads which allows you to give them a pitch or offer your product for 15% off.  Give the prospects what they want in order to get what you want. #SalesTips Give them the piece of content and education on the webinar to get the conversion going. As a salesperson, deal with unresponsive inbound leads by giving them what they want first. You can also use a thank you page as a dual opt-in or a

Fri, September 20, 2019

Josh Levine | Write Your Company’s Obituary: The Valuable Exercise that Will Help You Identify or Rediscover Your Company’s Purpose

Write Your Company’s Obituary: Identify or Rediscover Your Company’s Purpose Having to write your company’s obituary sounds a bit morbid but there’s a good reason why doing this is important. One result is that doing so will help you identify and rediscover your company’s purpose.  Josh Levine is a culture company strategist and works with technology, social enterprise organizations, and firms to help them improve their work. His goal is to make the employees love what they’re doing by building strong relationships, higher trust, and deeper engagement.  Josh published a book called Great Mondays: How to  Design a Company Culture That Employees Love. It talks about all his learnings for the past 10 years in advancing the idea of company culture as a strategic advantage. It defined what culture is and gives people the tools that they need to improve the culture.  Write your company’s obituary  This was a tool that Josh’s mentor used and many clients would react negatively upon hearing it. There is more to sales than just putting the product out there and selling it. It’s more than just the numbers. Doing business isn’t only about the money; it’s also about understanding what you are trying to do with your company and with your life.  This is also about knowing your own purpose and helping the organization discover its  ‘ why?’  Imagine that your business closes its doors after 30 years. Don’t think of the reason why it shut down. Your goal is to write down two or three short paragraphs about why your company will be remembered and will be most missed. This will give you the opportunity to see what you achieved that made the difference.  Josh’s team works with a board executive team and leadership peers together. They make teams write because what matters isn’t just the end result. They also consider the kind of language, the words, and the phrases used together.  Obituary exercise Don’t stop short of the fantastic. When you start writing your company obituary, you need to go beyond how f

Thu, September 19, 2019

Donald Kelly | Why Do Salespeople Talk So Much?

When I asked The Sales Evangelist community what they wanted to know about sales, one of the questions that emerged was, “ Why do salespeople talk so much ?” It annoys a lot of people, primarily because if you talk too much, you’re probably listening too little.  Persuading people Somewhere in the growth of the sales industry, sellers convinced themselves that talking would persuade buyers to make purchases. We believed that if we talked more, they’d hear us more and they’d more likely believe us. As a result, they’d say “yes” more.  Unfortunately, that just isn’t true.  The greatest salespeople listen more than they talk. #ListenMore You’ve likely heard the adage that you have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk.  If you pay attention, you’ll likely discover that the best salespeople are those who use their speaking opportunities to ask questions. They seek to understand their buyer’s perspective and to stimulate conversation that helps them gather important information.  Stimulate the buyer Let’s go back to the scenario we discussed earlier in the week. If someone owns a car that costs them a lot of money every month for repairs, you could ask that person questions to help him realize that he has a problem. If you walk him through the math and help him understand how much that amounts to every year, he may find that he could be driving a much newer car for the same price. Good sales reps will ask questions that will help him realize the problem on his own.  Why are you spending that much money on your car? If I could show you how to spend one-fourth of that amount and get a reliable vehicle and still have money to save, would you be open to learning more? He’ll likely be willing to at least learn more.  Features and benefits Without even discussing features and benefits, you’ve inspired him to consider his situation. You said nothing about the radio, or the seats, or the transmission, or the exterior of the car. You helped him persuade himself to explore the possibilities. Many sellers dislike the awkward moments in meetings when things get quiet. Each side wonders what the other is thinking and, as

Wed, September 18, 2019

Janet Clark | Sales From The Street: "The Heart Flow Sales Process"

Sales From The Street: "The Heart Flow Sales Process" Sales is a process and every salesperson has to master the heart flow sales process before expecting results.  Janet Clark’s company, The Freedom Shift , is a sales matchmaker. Janet matches high-ticket salespeople with coaches and consultants who want to expand their  sales team. She is also helping the coaches with their lead generation and figuring out their qualified leads because this part of marketing can be difficult.  Before she built her company, Janet started in corporate sales selling B2B. She built sales organizations for big telecommunications and internet-based companies. It was only five years ago that she started selling high-ticket transformation programs for top-level coaches and consultants.  B2B selling and transformational selling In B2B selling, a salesperson is selling somebody in a corporation and spending somebody else’s money. Their decision is still laced with emotion but it’s more of making the right decisions so as not to lose their jobs.  In transformational selling, a coach or consultant is selling to a company owner who makes a decision to invest in himself to reach a new level of personal growth. A coach or consultant talks to a person who spends his own money. There are  a lot of emotions involved in making the decisions of doing high-ticket investments yourself .  The key to connect with people is to reach them from the heart, hence the heart flow sales process. Every letter in the word Heart Flow stands for one of the steps in the sales process.  Factors to consider  Two things need to happen before someone invests in a high-ticket program. Number one, the prospect has to know that the program works. They need to feel a level of trust in the person delivering the program. The second factor is for the prospect to consider whether  the program will work for him.   Marketing and the qualifying piece answer that question. Talking to the prospect about the program and how good it is alone wouldn’t result in a closed deal unless the conversation goes deeper and they figure out where their fear is coming from. The Heart flow process is not hardcore selling and it’s not manipulative.  Most people need a push and not manipulat

Tue, September 17, 2019

Greg Dickinson | Modernizing the Software Demonstration

Modernizing the software demonstration can help prospects better understand your product value and keep your digital buyers connected to your product throughout the buying process. Greg Dickinson is the CEO and founder of Omedym , which is “my demo” spelled backward. He’s trying to help businesses utilize today’s latest and greatest technologies to augment and improve the digital demo process.  Product experience Most sellers can point to a personal experience in which a bad product experience eliminated a vendor from consideration in the buying process.  You won’t necessarily win the deal on the first demo, but you can unequivocally lose it. #SalesDemo People tend to have different processes and sometimes the more junior players are the ones that are giving the top-of-the-funnel demos. If you ask your team members to each give a demo, you might find yourself wondering if each person is selling the same product. The demos can be that different.  Digital buyers Buyers are more digital than they were five years ago, which is the biggest challenge in the software demo industry. The average software buyer spends 5 percent of the buying process with the sales team. So if you think about the “request a demo ” button on your website, it’s your first interaction with a potential buyer. For most companies, that button generates a pop-up form, and the bounce rate in the industry is 85 percent.  People at the top of the funnel want to learn a little more about your product. Maybe they read some content about your product and they want to see a video. When a form pops up, your digital buyer leaves your website.  Sellers, ask yourself as a buyer whether you tend to fill out forms in this situation. If the answer is no, why do you expect your own buyers to do so? Instead, websites tend to hold demos hostage by scheduling them or exchanging them for an email.  Your prospects want to engage and understand your product. Modernizing the software demonstration can help your prospects get the information they need to make a decision.  Inside sales The going research suggests that buyers want to see the product you’re

Mon, September 16, 2019

Donald Kelly | How To NOT Ruin Relationships When Selling To Friends

How to Not Ruin Relationships When Selling to Friends  Have you ever wondered how to not ruin relationships when selling to friends? This can be difficult because you would still want to keep the relationship even when they’ve said no.  This isn’t a unique struggle, it’s common to most salespeople. Perhaps the products could be beneficial to your friend or family so you want them to try it. You have a moral obligation to at least explain some ways to fix their problem without turning it into something bigger.  Solve the true problem  Assess whether what you have is truly a solution to their problem. You can’t sell a car to your friends when they already have one that is running in perfect condition. Even when you’ve told them about the new features of the car you’re selling, they’re not going to get one because they have a good car that runs just fine. What you presented to them isn’t a solution because there wasn’t a problem in the first place.  It is important for you to seek out whether there is a problem and figure out what it is before you present your product.  Be genuine  Do not present a solution that would benefit you; rather, give them a solution that would benefit them.  Perhaps their car needs fixing and they are spending way too much for the repair. This is a great time for you to share the features of the car you’re selling. If they don’t have the income to purchase it, then help them get the income by looking for a credit union.  That genuine heart helps build trust and your friends will potentially lead you to other people with similar problems. The people you’ve helped will come back to you and buy from you again later on.   Do not pitch something to your family or friends because your sales manager told you to do so. Don’t approach them with the mindset that they’ll buy your product because they feel guilty.  Consider your approach  Always set the rules before you play the game. Consider your approach and be straightforward. Because they are the people you are close with, you have the benefit of honesty from them. Before you make your pitch, remind them that if they are not interested, there’s no need to beat around the bush and that the relationship stays the same regardless of their choice. Once they understand that, then you can move on with your pitch. Put emphasis on the fact that you are willing to help with their problems. If their

Fri, September 13, 2019

Marc Levine | 3 Things Leaders Do To Hurt Sales Rep Relationships

3 Things Leaders Do To Hurt Sales Rep Relationships Sometimes, there are 3 things leaders do to hurt sales rep relationships and most times, they do it unintentionally. This is especially hard because sales leaders and sales reps spend a lot of time together. A bad leader can negatively affect how a sales rep makes his sell. While a good leader helps how sales reps can improve their sales.  Marc Levine founded his ImprovMySales business four years ago. The company is dedicated to creating wonderful and profitable places to work. Before this business venture, Marc was part of a sales team as a national account executive and technology and professional services. For the last 16 years, he has been developing leaders and teams, teaching people communication skills, selling services to certain companies including Citibank, Prudential, and Best Buy.   3 Things leaders do to hurt sales relationships There are probably more, but let’s focus on just the three things for now.  A leader does not create a psychologically safe environment The leader forgets about humanity  The leader is emotionally unintelligent August has been a leadership month and people have been talking about the important things to become a good sales leader. This involves setting a vision and becoming a good coach. It’s about creating a culture where sales reps can thrive and succeed.  When a leader fails to create that safe environment, the sales relationship takes a hit.  By definition, psychological safety was a term coined by the social psychologist, Amy Edmonson. Google did a two-year study and analyzed the qualities of its most effective teams . The results of the study have shown that teams promoting psychological safety produced better revenues and their team members stayed in the work longer than others. Psychological safety is a team norm that says it’s safe to take risks, to be vulnerable, to ask for help, and to disagree with the rest of the team.  When you do, you won’t be ostracized for disagreeing but instead, you’ll b

Thu, September 12, 2019

Donald Kelly | Can I Classify My LinkedIn Leads As Inbound Leads?

With all the focus on social selling, it can be difficult to determine whether you can consider referrals and connections that result in LinkedIn leads as inbound leads . If a prospect connects with your content which leads to a conversation and then an appointment, can that be considered an inbound lead? LinkedIn connections You’re likely among those sellers who understand that your LinkedIn profile is your personal profile. You cherish it and treat it with respect. You post thoughtful content and share impactful videos and write articles and long-form blogs. You’re creating content that your audience can engage with.  If those prospects end up in your direct message as a result and that leads to a conversation, that’s an inbound lead. Though it might not qualify as inbound in the traditional sense, you’re engaging in the same activities. No matter who creates the content, it’s an inbound lead. You could even give it a unique KPI name like “social media lead” or SML. Converting leads If I connect with 15 or 20 business owners today and 10 of them reconnect with me, the result is 10 new social media leads. I can nurture them by creating videos, posts, or articles and tying the content to my new prospects.  Ideally, those people will engage in a conversation. I recently connected with a woman on LinkedIn who later posted a good piece of content. She mentioned me and others she had recently connected with using a “shout out.” Turns out all the people she mentioned continued to engage with her on LinkedIn .  I’ll watch her content now since I had a positive interaction, and I might eventually decide to engage with her company. She’s nurturing us as prospects. Engaging content Having a LinkedIn profile isn’t enough anymore. You must share engaging content. #LinkedIn Then, once you do, be intentional about connecting with those who interact with your content. Work to connect with your second- and third-degree connections.  Try this simple paragraph: Thanks so much for commenting on my post today, James. Permission to connect here on LinkedIn? Usually, when you connect immediately, they’ll appreciate your</

Wed, September 11, 2019

Adam Hempenstall | Business Proposal Trends in 2019

Business Proposal Trends in 2019 What are some of the business proposal trends in 2019 that you’ve used and that have worked for your industry? Trends change so often that we have to keep track of all the changes to be in the loop because what’s new today, may be old news tomorrow.  Adam Hempenstall has been in the web design business for almost 20 years. He started doing basic websites and brochure sites before the company transitioned into a custom software company. They started building CRMs for different companies and have now invested full time into improving their proposal tool known as Better Proposals.   Business proposal trends The most important thing is that you're not just seeing a transition from the old school PDF method but the clients’ reluctance to change. There is, however, a massive shift towards people opening proposals using their phones. Proposals need to be web-based these days. It has to do with what everything else is doing. They’re not just documents anymore, they’re experiences. Clients should be able to read the proposals by the time that you’ve sent them.  Aside from that, proposals should be sent quickly. Based on the observed data, there’s a higher rate of conversion for proposals that are sent within 24 hours compared to proposals sent in 3-4 days. The other important thing is trying to understand your client most.  From the data and stats Adam’s company is running, they’ve observed the following business proposal trends in 2019 that work: Convenience over quality Being quick in sending proposals  Caring about your client Convenience over quality  People favor convenience over quality. This is apparent in the number of people watching videos on YouTube instead of going to the shows. Live shows mean better quality but people would opt to watch it on YouTube because it means that they can watch it immediately.  People want things the way they want them. For example, you’ve sent a proposal and the client is reading it in his train ride because that’s the time that he allocated for it. The client is not going to sit there and zoom in through the 15-page PDF proposal you’ve sent. That is not convenient for him. He’s probably going to ski

Tue, September 10, 2019

Bill Bice | B2B Sales Optimization

B2B sales optimization requires a longterm commitment to create quality content that will grow your audience and increase your success. Bill Bice, CEO of  boomtime , said he was born to be an entrepreneur, launching his first business when he was 14. He loves to talk about sales and marketing because it makes the biggest difference in business.    Data and marketing As business owners, we all know that we have to spend money on marketing, but it’s tough to do if you’re not seeing the ROI. For Bill, marketing is about data, which allows you to understand what’s working. The difficulty occurs when you have too much data because it can be difficult to gather valuable insights that help you improve marketing. Smaller companies often have more freedom to bring their sales and marketing together. In larger companies, the two disciplines are separate, and they are often at odds. Marketing isn’t doing the support work the sales team needs and each blames the other for lack of performance.  In smaller companies, the CEO or entrepreneur can decide to tie the two together.  Bill calls himself a big fan of the challenger sales approach , which resulted from research done in Fortune 500 companies. The concept of using key insights to drive a sales approach creates sales optimization in smaller companies. It’s a perfect example of tying together marketing and sales so that marketing generates insights that truly help sellers. It creates better opportunities which result in better success.  Optimize sales To begin with, businesses must be better at  capturing leads  following up on those leads staying top-of-mind with that larger audience that we’re building  In any complex, high-value sale, a content-driven approach to marketing is the perfect way to optimize the sales process.  Then, if you’ve done the hard work of taking care of your customers, they’ll tell others about your business wh

Mon, September 09, 2019

Donald Kelly | Our Inbound Leads Are Causing More Work Than Good Sales

Our Inbound Leads Are Causing More Work Than Good Sales Often, you hear salespeople say, “ Our inbound leads are causing more work than good sales .” It’s always on the question of who should follow up on inbound leads and how to go about it effectively. Many small organizations are having a hard time utilizing their inbound strategies effectively. We don’t have all the variables and all the situations within an organization. Still, we can assume that there are three people on a sales team.  The sales team Assume that a sales team is composed of three people: the marketing person who does almost everything, the junior assistant who helps with content creation, and the outsourced person who does the marketing strategies. Among the three, who should follow-up the lead?  Not all leads are created equal. This means that before deciding who will follow up the lead, the lead should be evaluated first. You don’t want your salesperson pitching to a lead that in the end would go to another competitor.  Do a pre-qualification  Do a pre-qualification in your organization to know if the people you are going to have the conversation with are ready to consider the deal. Set a benchmark and rules for what you consider a marketing quantifiable lead. Consider the following questions:  What is considered a sales qualified lead? What is the KPI of your organization?  How many new inbound leads do you want to get per quarter/per month? How much money do you want to generate from those leads? The answers to those questions will lead you to your ideal customer . It would also help you identify the triggers that qualify them to be a marketing quantifiable lead and a sales qualified lead.  The work is far more efficient because when a lead comes in, your salespeople can vet them and follow the pre-qualification factors you’ve set to see if the lead can generate new business for the organization. This is also helpful in maintaining your current customers. There’s no time wasted in sifting through leads and trying to figure out which one works and which one do

Fri, September 06, 2019

Jamie Shanks | Specific Account-Based Sales Development Best Practices For The Modern, Social Sellers

From account selection to sales plays, Jamie Shanks helps sales professionals understand and adopt best practices for the modern, social sellers. Jamie is the CEO of Sales For Life , which is the de-facto standard in modernizing account-based sales motion. The company specializes in social or digital selling. It evaluates how you sell today and infuses modern digital sales activities into your process.  Account-based selling Account-based selling refers to focusing on a set number of accounts, whether it’s organized by territory or strategic value. Instead of relying on inbound leads or channel leads, you must go outbound. Jamie named his book Spear Selling based on a sales analogy of fishing: inbound efforts are a little like fishing with a net because you can’t choose the fish that land in your net. When you fish with a spear, you swim in the deep water and choose the whales you’re going to hunt.  Typically, companies focus on account-based motion because they need to increase their average annual contract value (ACV) or lifetime value (LTV).  Adopting an account-based approach Companies often get the very first step wrong, which is account selection. Many companies use what Jamie calls wallet-share based thinking . When he was working with a company in the health and wellness space, an account exec pointed to Peloton as a company he was focused on connecting with. When questioned, the AE mentioned that one of the company leaders was a bike enthusiast who thought it might be a good fit.  The truth is that the health company has no more strategic connection to Peloton than its competitors do. In fact, if they went through the data of relationships, they might discover that the competitors have greater social proximity to the account. That means you may devote 8 months trying to win this account to find that there’s a hurdle you didn’t account for.  Getting the account selection process right is half the equation. Companies that ask their sales professionals to build a list of accounts will likely find that they stack ranked companies based on revenue, number of employees, and market share potential. They

Thu, September 05, 2019

Donald Kelly | How To Succeed As A BDR

Whether you’re learning it for your own work as a BDR or you’re preparing to help another seller, there are five important keys to help you succeed as a BDR . If you’re looking to move to the next level as a seller, The Sales Evangelist Certified Sales Training Program group coaching program allows you to train at your own pace, either alone or as part of a group. The next semester begins this month.  Drink your own Kool-Aid Make sure you understand the product or service you’re selling. In fact, I recommend that you actually use it yourself. If it’s an enterprise software SAP or something large like that, you won’t likely buy it for yourself, but you should understand how the system truly operates. Know how it will help the customers you’re pursuing.  If you’re a BDR, you’re probably not chasing every single customer. You’ll probably have a territory or a certain kind of client. Look at industry reports to understand your customers and how your solution will help. Ask previous clients why they like your solution so much. It will also help you speak their language and be more confident in your conversations. Know the problem that you’re able to solve for your buyer. Be intentional BDRs must make sure to follow their company’s process, and then they have to go a step further. They must know their ratios.  How many conversations does it take to get to a demonstration? How many demonstrations do you typically do before you land a sale? Keep track of these numbers. Email me and I’ll share my own prospect tracker with you.  When you have these numbers, sales becomes more of a science. Each day, you can specify how many new opportunities you want so you can get to a demonstration.  You won’t be as successful if you aren’t intentional.  Listen Become an expert at listening. Listen to the things your prospects say as well as the things they don’t say.  Read case studies, find out what some of your current customers are doin

Wed, September 04, 2019

Brad McDonald | Failure is the Greatest Sales Lesson

Sellers get knocked down plenty of times, but sometimes failure is the greatest sales lesson . Brad McDonald works with Sandler Systems which has 250 franchises around the world that help businesses grow by improving their sales processes.  Failure Brad’s 28-year career in the U.S. Navy taught him that failure could mean the difference between life and death. When he transitioned from the Navy to the sales world, he realized that many of his attempts were going to end in failure. He had to change the paradigm.  The things he perceived were failures — having people hang up on him or cancel an appointment — weren’t really failures.  Along the way, he learned to embrace failure.  Gumballs You must make a lot of sales calls in order to get to yes. On the other hand, if we see the sales calls that ended in “no” as a failure, that will feel bad.  Brad uses a gumball analogy to explain it. If you want a green gumball from a gumball machine, and there are multiple colors inside, there’s a good chance you won’t get a green one. When you put the quarter inside, there’s a good chance you’ll get a different color.  Imagine you’re making prospecting phone calls, or cold calls; the most dreaded form of prospecting. If you make 10, 20, or 30 calls, you’ll eventually get someone who wants to talk, just like you’ll eventually get a green gumball.  You’ll also likely get an orange gumball which might represent a buyer who wants to talk more to see if there’s interest. If you view every orange gumball as a failure, you won’t be very likely to keep going while you wait for the green ones. If, on the other hand, you understand that you have to get the orange gumball out of the way in order to get to the green one, you can embrace it.     Process of failure Brad came from a culture where sailors did what he told them to do and they didn’t say no. He was surprised to find in the sales world that prospects aren’t always honest and they don’t always respect his time. And they certainly don’t feel compelled to follow his orders. Initially, all those things felt like failures.  Failure mimics the stages of grief which are disbelief, fear, despair, anger, and accept

Tue, September 03, 2019

Albert Alexander | Three Great Closing Questions

There are three great closing questions that salespeople often ask because everyone in the sales arena wants to make sure that we’re closing effectively. The answers to the three great closing questions will help salespeople close like a pro.  Albert Alexander has been a partner in a construction equipment sales company that makes parts for excavators and bulldozers for 11 years now. Albert does all the marketing, inside sales, and digital marketing for the company.  Closing questions Often, sales reps are good at finding prospects and having a talk with them. Things change, however, when they’re turning them into leads. There are challenges in closing.  Sales reps have this predisposed idea about how they purchase that gets in the way when they try to close a deal. Albert’s company grows 70% every year and that’s because they stick people to a process .  For other sales reps, they stop in the middle of the process and it stops the action of the process moving forward. It could be because of the fear of rejection or any other reason, but the end result is the same. It halts the closing process.  Imposing your buying style  There are many decision types and processes that they take. For this reason, sales reps should know their customers through their pains and needs and be completely open to the different decision styles they have. Sales reps should remove their own fears and worries of rejection from the sales process and focus on their customers instead. If they do that, they can be empathetic to the needs of the clients.  Say, for example, the client’s million-dollar equipment is not working and it needs a $50,000 part that the company sells. For the sales rep, the amount is huge and so he’d say, “I understand you need to think about it,” but that’s not the case for the client. The client is willing to spend $50,000 for his million-dollar equipment to work, but because the sales rep put his purchasing decision in the process, the entire closing will take a hit.  Sales reps need to change their perspective or their purchasing styles and decisions when closing a deal. Sales reps need to learn to think like the clients they’re talking to instead of imposing their <a href= "https://thesalesevangelist.com/episod

Mon, September 02, 2019

Donald Kelly | Should I Start Off With Inside Sales or Outside Sales?

Should I Start Off With Inside Sales or Outside Sales? Are you new to sales and asking yourself the universal sales question, “Should I start off with inside sales or outside sales?” Many share the same thought and I have five things to help you figure out a better way to go.   Inside sales vs outside sales  Every company is different, however, inside roles typically have the SDR (sales development rep) or the BDR (business development rep). Depending on the company, these may be different roles done by different individuals.  The business development reps may be the ones finding new prospects for the business. For some companies, the sales development reps are focused on the inbounds. When the sales come in through marketing or via the website, the sales development reps will get more information making them the first line of contact with the SDRs.They talk to potential clients, qualify them, and set them up for appointments.  An inside sales rep who’s also doing outbound tasks has a lot of work. The upside to outbound sales is getting a bigger commission than the person who’s doing solely inbound tasks.  The business development reps need to qualify people, follow up, and make sure that they know their company’s products and services to have meaningful conversations with potential customers.  For other companies, this doesn’t matter.  If you’re on inbound sales then your job is to generate opportunity whether it’d be through cold calling or setting up appointments for outside sales reps. If you’re on outbound sales then your job includes taking the first appointment, having a deeper discussion with the prospect, and building value with the prospects. You need to dive in and understand their needs to be able to go to the most important parts of the sales process which are the pitch, presentation, and closing the deal.  Inside sales first  If you’re new to sales, the best path you can go is inbound sales. Here are the reasons you need to consider why.  The decision of whether to go to inbound or outbound sales depends on the complexity of the product or service you’re selling. Consider a B2B sales scenario in which you’re selling a product with a certain level of complexity (computer software or something from the medical industry). <spa

Fri, August 30, 2019

Fred Diamond Interview Donald Kelly | Helping Your Sales Team Perform Their Best

Helping Your Sales Team Perform Their Best  I sat down with Fred Diamond at Podcast Movement 2019 to discuss the keys to helping your sales team perform their best . Fred is the host of Sales Game Changers Podcast and today he turned the microphone on me and allowed me to share the things I've learned during my career in sales.  The Sales Evangelist This podcast resulted from my own struggle as a B2B seller. Because of my own struggles, I wanted to help new and struggling sellers improve their sales game. I wanted to educate people who were in the same shoes and help elevate their performance.  As The Sales Evangelist podcast grew, people in our community of sellers reached out to me for sales coaching. I started with one-on-one coaching for reps, and then those reps took their training back to their companies, and I started hearing from entrepreneurs and other business owners who needed to replicate themselves so they could scale their companies.  I launched into the consulting side and helped businesses set up their sales teams. Eventually, that led to speaking opportunities and other things, so in 2015 I left my full-time job to do The Sales Evangelist full time.  The podcast didn’t make money on its own, but it did generate leads and coaching opportunities and speaking and consulting gigs. Now, though, it generates its own income.  Sales career I got into sales before college, partly because my entire family was involved in sales. As a Jamaican boy, I grew up in a setting where everyone sold something. I didn’t see it as sales, necessarily. I simply saw it as the family business.  I’m naturally outgoing, so people told me I’d be perfect in a sales career. That continued through college where I struggled to find a sales program.  Eventually, I got a couple of sales jobs in timeshares and door-to-door that involved B2C selling. I made about $20,000 in three months selling door-to-door over the summer during my first year.  When I transitioned to the professional world of selling, though, I struggled.  Lessons learned One of the things I learned selling door-to-doo

Thu, August 29, 2019

Derek Badala | Sales From The Street: "Teach Them How To Educate"

Sales from the Street: Teach Them How To Educate  Derek Badala frequently travels with sales reps to teach them how to educate the customer in an effort to solve problems. As the director of sales at Synthax, he is always on the road traveling with sales reps and training them to become another version of himself — a skilled sales leader, influencer, and consultant.  Technology and education Being in the audiovisual industry, it could be said that technology and education are their biggest challenges. Making a sale is difficult, especially with new products. You must understand everything about the product and its application. Everybody is trying to get a sale and trying to close deals fast without asking all the necessary questions. With the competition in the market, there’s not enough time to learn about the new product and how it can be applied to the prospects’ problems. Derek focuses on educating the sales reps and covering all the ways that the products can be used, and less on the features and benefits. He’s working to find ways that his products can make clients' lives easier.  Sales reps must not skip this educating stage and must learn the product and its application to the lives of the client. Too much excitement over a deal that hasn’t happened yet may cause the deal to fall apart.  Skipping steps Derek had a client who was excited about getting a product from Digigram that would provide background music to stores. Neither the client nor the sales reps understood all the things about the product and its services. They got ahead of themselves and weren’t able to prepare the details that the client needed. Instead, the company should have better studied the client’s needs to know exactly how the products fit.  When reps skip steps, it can cause deals to fall apart, which can negatively affect your pipeline. Their company also sells widgets that clients can buy in retail stores. It’s difficult to educate salespeople in retail stores about the product because they have their personal favorites and they immediately suggest those products. It’s a challenge to tell them about your product and make them answer the customers’ questions. When customers aren’t given enough information about a product, they often buy something that they’re not happy with. They are boxed into thinking about this particular product that salesp

Wed, August 28, 2019

Vicki Antonio | Sales From The Street: "Think Like A Large Company CEO"

Sales From The Street - "Think Like A Large Company CEO" Vicki Antonio is a business consultant and a life coach who helps small business owners think like a large company CEO . This is a result of her journey of knowing what her purpose in life is. She started working when she was 13 years old and she found herself having a pattern of working with startups. Her experience made her realize that startups have a pattern of growing pains.  She used that when she got into real estate because she wanted to be that mom who goes to PTA meetings and football games for her kids. The knowledge gave her a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen as a whole.  With the fallout of the market, she learned some hard lessons. She then went into upper management in real estate and after that, she became a business developer for a global real estate franchise. She oversaw about 30 of their shops and her role was to get them developed, get them brand-compliant, and partner with brokers and owners to keep the business profitable. She was a coach for the company’s business needs, whatever those needs might be, on a day-to-day basis.  Blind spots Most business owners scale their businesses to a certain place and then they’d have a business blindspot. Very few people see the blindspot and see the capacity that they can get to at the beginning.  It’s similar to taking a vacation where you know where you’re going but you can’t see it from the place that you start. The closer you get to it, however, the clearer it gets. If you’re not familiar with the geographical location of the area, then you might have some detours that cause apprehensions. It may cause you to stop and get lost a little bit.  This is where Vicky comes in. She is the guide and she helps the companies see their direction in a clearer perspective.  Top problems  Fear is the first problem that small businesses face. Sometimes, they become fearful and they build only up to where they know, and then they get stagnant. The fear comes in because they’ve got to relinquish what they know.  It’s very much like taking your child to daycare for the first time. There’s apprehension and doubt about whether they can take care of your kid. The same is true for your business because you have an emotional attachment to it. You develop

Tue, August 27, 2019

Christine Schlonski | Selling In Europe Vs. Selling In The USA

Every sales transaction differs from the others, but when you're selling in Europe vs. selling in the USA , it's important to understand the differences in culture.  Christine Schlonski works with entrepreneurs who have a negative view of sales. She helps them redefine their view of it so they can sell with ease, grace, and confidence and also ask their price. In short, she helps them makes sales, which is simply an interaction between people, fun.  Fear of selling Christine points to the depiction of sales in movies, coupled with bad sales experiences that we’ve all had. Subconsciously, we don’t want to be like these people. Women especially struggle to ask for what they truly want because it feels salesy or pushy. They often assume because they’re good people that buyers will line up to buy.  It’s possible to ask for the sale in a natural way but movies never depict sellers in a positive light. It’s likely that a movie about a seller who sells from the heart and brings value would be boring. But sales truly could be like that.  Set the expectation and then make the offer. Then consider what’s a go and what’s a no-go. How can we work together?  Sales differences Sales in the U.S. move quickly, while people in Europe like time. Realize, too, that Europe isn’t a single country, and sales differ across those countries. In France, for example, sales involves numerous decision-makers, and French people love meetings. Where Americans look to make things happen, you cannot simply show up with an offer and a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.  Germans exist between those two extremes because they want to be a bit more efficient. Still, though, they cannot be pushed or pressured into decisions.  Relationships are still the key to all sales. The decision-maker needs to feel comfortable in the relationship and feel as though he is making a good decision.  Typically, larger companies have more complicated decision making processes. They often have male leaders and sometimes one of them will block the process because of politics or a need to be right.  Selling in Europe will never be a one-call close.  Unique preferences Christine had experiences in the past where her work with a global company selling high-ticket events over the phone was negatively affected by her American colleagues who were perceived as being pushy. The prospects assumed that her</s

Mon, August 26, 2019

Donald Kelly | My Sales Reps Say They Are Too Busy...I Think This Is Crap!

My Sales Reps Say They Are Too Busy...I Think This Is Crap!  Sales reps and sales leaders face a lot of challenges, and some sales reps say they are too busy. Sometimes the problems are nothing major, but on some other times, the problem causes a ripple in the revenue. One situation that causes such negative impact in sales is when salespeople claim that their pipeline is down due to busyness. This is when sales reps spend much of their time helping current customers find opportunities and they no longer have the time to bring new business or clients.  This is a common situation among sales leaders and sales reps. It is a legitimate question because sometimes, sales reps come up with excuses and they don’t recognize that. Sales reps often have too much on their plate and they get so busy which then prevents them from getting out and doing sales activity.  Size of your organization  What is the size of your organization? This is an important question because if you’re working in an organization with sales in a small company, the sales rep is doing the prospecting and finding leads. After that, the sales rep tries to convert the leads into appointments that lead up to initial conversations. They build value, negotiate, and maintain the account. The sales reps are there in the entire process, but doing all that can cause problems.  If you’re in an enterprise organization, the sales reps’ main responsibility is closing deals. If you have different departments and individuals doing BDR work, researching, getting leads, doing client success, and managing accounts then there shouldn’t be any problem.  For small organizations, the sales reps are doing everything and the sales reps legitimately may be too busy.  Empathy  As sales manager, your first course of action is to show empathy . We can’t expect our sales reps to go out and show empathy to the prospects without giving them our empathy first. We need to truly understand where they’re coming from. For example, if a prospect says that the software isn’t working, you don’t argue with him. We can’t exactly tell the prospects to go figure the software out. The same is true for our sales reps. We can’t tell them to figure things out and make it happen. Give them the benefit of the doubt, hear them out f

Fri, August 23, 2019

Judy Robinett | The importance of a strategic network for business and career success

Many sellers overlook fundamental selling principles, but salespeople must learn the importance of a strategic network for business and career success in order to become proficient in our jobs.  Judy Robinett is an advisor to Springboard, an incubator that helps women founders, with great statistics of 19 IPOs and 165 strategic sells. Judy loves educating people and meeting entrepreneurs and helping them with connections.  She wrote the book, How to Be a Power Connector , a bestseller in 2014, and she recently published another book called Crack the Funding Code: How Investors Think and What They Need to Hear to Fund Your Startup. It’s a book that tells us how investors think and what they need to hear to fund your startup.  The beginning Judy worked as a social worker but she didn’t stop there. She explored her options and opportunities after making some bad decisions like starting her own franchise restaurant. In time, her business failed and she had to sell it.  She worked with a then-unknown company called Skullcandy® when they were broke and had a quarter of a million dollars in revenue. She helped the company build its credibility and bring its revenue up again. That fueled her interest in startups and she became an investor herself. Fast forward to now, she’s a managing director at Golden Seeds .  Crack the funding code Many great entrepreneurs in the U.S. don’t understand the facts. For one, there’s no lack of money. In fact, there’s $318 trillion of private global wealth. These entrepreneurs don’t understand the players: there’s private equity that are all investing into startups as well as the sovereign wealth funds that manage 10% of the global GDP.  The book Crack the Funding Code is an easy-to-follow roadmap on how to find and pitch investors. The book’s appendix has term sheets, actual pitch d

Thu, August 22, 2019

Francisco Terreros | Why Getting A No Is Not So Bad

Some people aren’t into the idea of rejection but actually, there are positive reasons why getting a no is not such a bad thing.  Francisco Terreros is a co-founder of Felkrem , a full-service sports marketing agency focused on two core services. First, they represent professional footballers/soccer players in their careers both on and off the field, and secondly, they sell brands and reach the players’ demographics through sports and marketing. They are FIFA agents and marketers who do sales every day. The sell to parents and kids they want to sign to their firm as well as to teams and sponsors.  They are selling their experience as sports marketers to brands who want to capitalize on their understanding of how to navigate and reach their target demographics.  Their company is surviving, thriving, and growing rapidly despite the competition in the industry. Felkrem is dealing with the athletes' professions and their dreams.  Getting no as a sales rep Sales reps have been in this situation once or twice in their careers as salespeople. It’s difficult to hear the rejection, and much more difficult to accept it. But why do we get a no and why is getting a no not such a bad thing ?  A seller’s job depends on his ability to  get a yes, so naturally, a no for an answer is a hard pill to swallow.  Lions are the kings of the jungle. It’s their natural instinct to turn their chase into actual food. They have their hunting strategies matrixed down that when the prey gets away, they don’t just give up. They walk and find another kill. They also don't necessarily go for the biggest and the fastest one. They change their game occasionally  and go for something else.  As sellers, we need to think like lions. It is our instinct to turn the potential sales opportunities into yeses. Our game must also be matrixed so that when we hear no, we don’t walk away dejected. Instead, we walk away with a new plan in our head. We should learn to walk away and get the next one. We need to understand that no is part of the process and it’s going to help us figure out what we must tweak to get the yes. </

Wed, August 21, 2019

Donald Kelly From The Street | Should I Create Content on LinkedIn?

I saw a question on Reddit recently from a seller who wondered whether or not to create content on LinkedIn . The seller worried that writing about topics like quota, rejection, or prospecting might sound too salesy and might hurt his pipeline.  The truth is that many sellers have fear around the concept of creating content because we worry about how the audience will accept our ideas.  Middle school prom Not only should we post our own content on LinkedIn; we should also engage with other people’s content.  Unfortunately, many of us treat LinkedIn like a middle school prom. We stand around the edge of the room watching each other, too afraid to dance. We might speak to a friend or two, but we’re afraid to look stupid, so we don’t dance. Instead, we let everybody else enjoy themselves.  We don’t want to look stupid on the dance floor, so perhaps we look stupid on the sidelines instead. We’re afraid of the critics who might make fun of our efforts Many sellers treat LinkedIn like a middle school dance. We don’t participate because we’re afraid of looking silly. #SalesContent True engagement Engagement doesn’t involve moving around the room and saying hi to people at the dance. On LinkedIn, clicking “like” for a few posts doesn’t qualify as engagement. It won’t sustain relationships. It’s basically an indication of approval.  Engagement requires you to bring other people into the conversation. If, for example, you’re in the water industry, and you see an article about the danger of water purification tablets, you can tag another colleague who wrote about the same topic.  The author of the piece will take note of your efforts to bring someone else to his page, and your colleague will take note as well.  Talk to people and work to create lasting relationships. ‘Salesy’ content The question on Reddit came from a seller who worried that his prospects might tire of always seeing sales-related content. But consider your own news feed. Are you annoyed by the fact that you frequently see the same faces over and over again? Or do you simply choose to read things that are relevant and skip over the ones that are not?  On the other hand, when one of those people shares something that helps you or connects you with someone else, that brand sticks in your mind. When you need help with something, you’ll re

Tue, August 20, 2019

Erin Pheil | How Leaders Sabotage The Sales Process Without Ever Realizing It

How Leaders Sabotage the Sale Process Sales leaders sometimes make mistakes that compromise deals, so understanding how leaders sabotage the sale process can help us avoid the same mistake.  Erin Pheil is the founder of Mind Fix Group , a company that specializes in helping entrepreneurs, high-achievers, and high-performers eliminate their biggest mental roadblocks that hold them back and keep them from achieving what they're capable of.  Head trash Some sales leaders have very specific definitions of what a sales leader is. For Erin, anybody who is in charge of guiding the people in making the right decisions and who is doing sales for a company is considered a sales leader .  Many sellers read books and work with experts to improve their skills in sales. They keep learning, and then they show up on calls. They often show up to these calls prepared, but also with head trash. They’re showing bits and pieces of their old mental programming and outdated beliefs that aren’t helpful in closing deals. They go to the calls and they try to combine new knowledge and strategies that their coaches have taught them with their old beliefs.  When things go wrong, they don’t blame themselves. They blame the technique and the process, or even the people they hired. They don’t look at their head trash and suspect that they might be the ones sabotaging the process.  Blaming the process, techniques, and tactics instead of examining how they’re screwing things up sabotages the sales process.  Accepting blame It takes courage to accept blame because it’s human nature to blame somebody else. It takes courage to stop, pause, and hold a mirror to yourself and ask how you’re contributing to the challenges that you’re experiencing. It’s much easier to project outward and place the blame.   Head trash commonly appears as the need for approval or the need to be liked. Sellers will show up to a sales call and, instead of focusing on guiding the prospect towards the right decision, they operate from an underlying need to be liked. This goes beyond having a bond and rapport. It's more of wanting to be approved. A person with that need often sabotages

Mon, August 19, 2019

Donald Kelly | How to Effectively Coach Struggling Sellers

Sales leaders must help their teams perform at peak levels, so they must start by understanding how to effectively coach struggling sellers .    I’ve seen this kind of coaching done badly in the past, and I’ve walked my own team members through these struggles. I’ve developed tips of my own and I’ve learned from Mike Weinberg’s book Sales Management Simplified .  Questions to ask All sales reps and sales leaders endure dark moments where nothing seems to work out. Despite the fact that we’ve been selling for years, we endure periods where we simply can’t close. Very often, when that happens, there are several key things we must address. These situations don’t develop overnight, and they usually result from slippage in certain areas. Begin by answering the following questions as honestly as you can. You’ll never find improvement if you’re dishonest about your situation.  Does the struggling seller have a desire to succeed and thrive in sales? If he doesn’t have the drive to succeed, no amount of training or coaching will help. Why is this particular seller on my sales team? Did you inherit this seller? Did you hire him? How did the seller get into this situation? What signs did you see along the way?  What has been done to fix the problem? What steps has the seller taken? What steps have you taken? One-on-one meetings If you aren’t already holding them, schedule one-on-one meetings with your sellers. I’m a big believer in this method because these leadership meetings offer opportunities to connect with our team members.  One-on-one meetings with sellers provide time to fine-tune and fix micro-problems before they become huge cracks that jeopardize the stability of our organizations. These can be monthly, or weekly, but quarterly isn’t frequent enough.   As you work with a struggling rep, you can determine the things that stopped happening. Did he stop planning his prospecting? Is he failing to manage his time? Does he fail to establish a plan for his activities? If you aren’t engaging in one-on

Fri, August 16, 2019

Reshan Richards and Steve Valentine | How To Run Better Meetings

Meetings serve an important purpose in business so we must learn how to run better meetings to avoid the feeling that we are wasting our time.  Reshan Richards is a career educator who launched an app — targeted for use in schools — that ultimately became a software business. He has seen a significant intersection between things that are effective in both business practices and the classroom. Together with Steve Valentine , also a career educator, he is collaborating to articulate and pinpoint the specific moves that can be borrowed from the teaching profession and implemented in business. Steve has studied leadership and its application in order to work with young people and help them understand basic leadership.  Meeting mistakes The problems that plague corporate meetings often mirror those of ineffective classrooms. Primarily, the transmission of information isn’t right for the audience who is meant to understand it. People often go back to their defaults or their own experiences to measure what is right. If, for example, you get called into a meeting where one person is doing all the talking or all the work, it isn’t a good use of anyone’s time. It wasn’t likely called for the service of the people who are meant to share the information. In education, a difference exists between the transmission of information and the building of knowledge.  Reshan and Steve believe that the best kinds of meetings are those that leave people feeling like they couldn’t possibly have had the same great experience without the meeting. In other words, there’s no substitute for the meeting, and people are glad they went.  Unfortunately, that’s a rare occurrence in both business and education. If you think about the amount of time and effort it takes to secure a face-to-face meeting with a customer or client, it’s important to be respectful of that person’s time, energy and attention. Never leave him doubting why he was called into that room. #BetterMeetings Bad meetings Reshan’s company, Explain Everything , worked with a Fortune 100 company to help them run better training for new-to-title employees. As he evaluated their structure, he

Thu, August 15, 2019

Coach Dana Cavalea | How To Deal With Stress, Fatigue, Burn Out & A Lack of Creativity

Sales is a year-round activity with no off-season and no breaks, so it’s important for sellers to understand how to deal with stress, fatigue, burnout, and a lack of creativity.  Dana Cavalea is the former Director of Strength & Conditioning and Performance for the New York Yankees. Coach Dana, who helps companies optimize performance and productivity, wrote a book called Habits of a Champion: Nobody Becomes a Champion By Accident .   He became a coach after realizing the tremendous difference that coaches made in his own athletic career, and how they helped him overcome bumps in the road.  Opportunity knocks Dana, who originally hails from New York, chose to attend school in Tampa because he knew it was near where the Yankees conducted their spring training. When he got the opportunity to join the team as the guy who handed out towels and cleaned the weight room, he jumped on it.  Within a few years, he earned a paying job as the director of strength and conditioning and performance, and the team won a championship during that time.  He discovered, through that experience, that many executives, CEOs, and sales teams wanted to know how athletes prepare to compete at the highest levels. How do they deal with injuries and fatigue and the obstacles they face during a season? How do they keep showing up every day in the face of fatigue and burnout? Individual protocol People assume that high-level musicians and athletes feel good every time they perform, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re tired a lot, but they don’t tell themselves that. They understand that fatigue is part of life and that you’re going to have days where you don’t feel great. The goal, Dana said, is to have fewer of those days and more of the days where you do feel great.  To do that, Dana coaches people to focus on a couple of simple things that affect performance . Hydration Sleep These factors can inhibit the way you function overall. To address them, you must have an individual routine specific to your ne

Tue, August 13, 2019

Sarah Wirth | The Actions High-Growth Coaches Use To Motivate Their Teams

While proper mindset is important, the actions high-growth coaches use to motivate their teams allow those teams to succeed in sales. Sarah Wirth works for EcSell Institute and studies sales leadership. Along with her team, they look at the coaches in the organizations they work with knowing that great coaches help teams to achieve better results.  Sarah travels the globe studying different teams and applying the best practices they can teach to sales leaders. Their research-based teachings on best practices are grounded in fact rather than opinion.  Misconceptions about coaching  One of the common misconceptions about coaching relates to the timing of team meetings or sales coaching. Most sales leaders do team meetings weekly thinking that getting everyone together via phone makes the team effective. Based on the study, however, the best sales leaders have their meetings once a month rather than once a week. The monthly meeting is much more interactive and educational than the weekly kind of communication.  Sales reps want an interactive educational team meeting where they can hear what the other departments are doing. They also want to hear and learn the best practices used by others in the company. They don’t want to sit and hear all the updates of what’s going on, because those things can be sent and read via mail.  Instead, sales reps want a certain level of engagement and content to share during meetings. This content is difficult to achieve when you meet every single week. A longer time frame gives birth to more stories and more experiences to share, which results in meaningful and substantive conversations where everyone on the team learns things.  Learning from experience   Sellers like to learn the best practices, so they listen to podcasts. They want to learn from people from different fields who bring radical and neat insights that they’re not aware of.  The interviews and surveys of salespeople reveal that they don’t want to hear the biggest deals. Instead, they want to hear how to get big deals. They want answers to the objections they encounter and tips to make presentations that help them win deals. They want to hear and learn the stories of how others became successful.  It’s more o

Mon, August 12, 2019

Donald Kelly Sales From The Street | The Unicorn Seller

Sales from the Street - The Unicorn Seller    Jen is the unicorn seller and everyone is enchanted by her rainbow-colored sales skills. She has lots of techniques and strategies which help her close deals. You want Jen, but she’s from the competing company and just in time, you heard that Jen wants to jump ship. This is your dream come true!  You think of Jen and you automatically think of all the clients she’s bringing along. It’s a whole list of clients and deals closed left and right. Your company will be making money and you’re going to hire more people due to expansion. Jen is the answer!  As a top-performing sales rep, I was once Jen, too. I’ve had my fair share of being lured by other companies. I know how it feels to be offered something and to be on the receiving end of the decision whether to hire the top-performing sales rep or not.  Before making that decision, here are some things that you need to consider.   Why are they leaving? We make decisions out of desperation sometimes, especially if money is included in the picture. When your sales aren’t doing too well and you need the pipeline , you want people who can bring the money in. Even if you’re snagging them from the competitor.  You present them with a good 401k plan, you say all the nice things to convince them to jump to your company, and you tell them how fantastic your company’s culture is.  You need to assess the situation seriously before making a hiring decision. These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself:  Why are they leaving the company? Are they a problem in disguise? Are you willing to take that risk? Why would they come to your company when they’re already making tons of money in their current company? The answers to these questions will help you understand their reasons and see if they’re a fit for your company’s values.  What did they do for the competitor? In Mark Weinberg’s book, The Sales Manageme

Mon, August 12, 2019

Donald Kelly | The Pipeline Hoax

The Pipeline Hoax The American dream or the pipeline hoax ? The American dream is about owning a home or a piece of property that belongs to you. But homes are expensive and not everyone can afford the American dream. In the year 2000, people who shouldn’t have qualified for home-ownership started owning homes and this occurrence caused a worldwide crisis.  The housing crisis connects to sales in two ways: greed and improper qualification. Bankers wanted to get more mortgages so they could sell these mortgages to the secondary market. The problem with this is that people who were getting houses were not qualified for the mortgages they got. The bankers did whatever it took to get people through the door. When prices went up, these homeowners fell short and eventually lost their homes.  Sales pressure As sales leaders, you face this situation often. You need to bring in the dollars, and you’re judged based on how much money you can help the company make. Sales reps are expected to have as many deals as possible in the pipeline . This is where the hoax comes in.  Salespeople sometimes mask leads in later stages of the pipeline as opportunities. These deals don’t close because the people were never truly qualified. They don’t have the money or the time frame.  Sellers are marking leads who are investigating, doing research, and window shopping as though they are opportunities. The sales reps may have 50 of these deals but only 10 truly qualified people. The sales reps keep adding these people to the pipeline because they’re told to add opportunities. The quality decreases because they’re adding leads instead of real opportunities.  Similar to the housing crisis, the sales reps report these numbers to you. As the sales leader, you present it to the VPs and they make decisions based on the potential revenue sources. When the time comes for the revenue to start coming in, you look bad, the VPs look bad, and the company looks bad. As a result, someone is getting fired.  This situation causes a crisis within the organization. Sales leaders take the fall because they’ve been deceived by the sales reps who try to sell leads as opportunities.  Consistent education  As sales leaders, it’s your responsibility to make sure that the pipeline hoax doesn’t happen again. Yelling at your sales reps wo

Fri, August 09, 2019

Dr. Stanley G. Robertson | Why The Winners Never Quit Fallacy Is Preventing Your Success

Some people believe that quitting is bad, but Dr. Stanley Robertson believes that the winners-never-quit fallacy is preventing your success . Dr. Stan — CFO for a non-profit in Chicago — takes issue with the idea that quitting is always bad and he wants to share ideas about how to become a successful quitter. Quitting   Quitting is simply giving up on something. You can quit going to the gym or quit a bad relationship or quit eating certain foods. You can quit just about anything. It’s easy to see from these examples that quitting isn’t always bad, but he takes it a step further. He believes that the winners-never-quit fallacy prevents people, and sellers, from finding success.  Sometimes we have to quit things, and sometimes it’s even desirable to quit things. In fact, we should be quitting things all the time.  Dr. Stan got the idea from his son, who is a Marine Corps officer. As he approached the end of his tour of duty, he called his dad one day to say he was considering quitting. He wasn’t sure he wanted to continue being a Marine Corps officer.  Dr. Stan’s advice at the time was to keep going. He pointed to the benefits, the prestige, and the opportunities it would provide. His son, who was 23 at the time, would be able to retire at 43. These were the things he thought were good. Eventually, he rethought his response, and he told his son that he should quit if that’s what he really wanted.  Quit shaming Based upon that experience, he came up with the concept of “quit shaming,” or embarrassing people because they quit things. We tend to look down on people who divorce from a bad marriage, or who quit a job that isn’t working out, or who quit an investment. We sometimes even hide the fact that we quit because we fear the pushback.  When Dr. Stan was young, a guy offered to sell him a VHS — which was new technology at the time — for $200, where it typically sold for $600. Stan bought the VHS only to find that the box was full of bricks rather than a VHS. He was devastated to lose all his money.  In order to replace the income, Stan stole things. He eventually went into the Marine Corps himself, where his petit theft ended in a court-martial, with Stan losing his stripes. He knew he had to q

Thu, August 08, 2019

Donald Kelly | TSE CSTP - When Should I Promote Someone?

Your company continues to grow and you need leaders to guide your team, so you’re considering the question, “ When should I promote someone? ”   Because of your company’s growth, you need leaders and you need managers. So who should you promote? What do you look for in the people who will lead your teams? What characteristics or habits should they possess?  Developing leaders Even if your business isn’t growing at breakneck speed, you may need to focus on developing people who can lead when the time comes. The last thing you want to do is keep people in the same position for long periods of time without any opportunity for growth. They’ll get tired and burn out, and then they’ll look elsewhere for growth opportunities. Make sure you’re always looking for ways to create and develop leaders internally.  The qualities necessary for leaders in your industry may differ from those of other segments, but for sellers in general, the following guidelines offer a good start for identifying potential leaders.  Seller doesn’t equal leader Your employee might be a spectacular seller, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to leadership. Furthermore, if you have a particularly gifted seller on your team, you may not want to remove him from that sales role.  It’s tempting to believe that your best closer can become a sales leader and train all your other sellers to close as effectively as he does. And it might be true that he can. But it might also be true that he loves selling and he doesn’t want to spend his time conducting one-on-ones or creating reports.  If your team members aren’t interested in leading, don’t force them. Let your sellers do what they do best for your company. Look for these traits as you ponder when to promote someone. Sellers who want to lead When you begin your search, look for sellers who actually want to lead. If one of your team members talks frequently about leading or climbing the corporate ladder, consider giving him the opportunity to do it. If he is ambitious and goal-oriented, he might be just the leader you’re looking for.  I recently met with a BDR that a client of mine hired, and the guy was passionate about his work. He strives to go above and beyond the call of duty

Wed, August 07, 2019

Jonathan Diaz, Will Batista & Donald Kelly Sales From The Street | "Shoot the Donkey"

Sellers often face obstacles in their sales process, and the need to remove them is sometimes referred to as the need to “ Shoot the donkey .” Will Batista has worked on several presidential campaigns and other political campaigns throughout the country. He recently led a state ballot initiative to change Nevada’s constitution and now he is now working in the energy sector, particularly in the communications and investor relations of the company. Jonathan Diaz works in the university setting where he serves as an adviser and he also teaches classes.  Shoot the donkey  This phrase originates from an article that Will discovered while he was looking at political media companies. Shooting the donkey means removing obstacles in your course.  In the movie Patton , based on true events, the characters were heading up a mountain but there was a donkey in the way. Failure to get the donkey out of the way would put them in a dire situation resulting in casualties, so they sent out some of the guys to move the donkey. Nothing worked so the general said, ‘Shoot the donkey!’   Sometimes we have to remove obstacles in our way by whatever means necessary, especially in the sales industry, where you eat or you don’t eat based on the sales you make. #ShootTheDonkey Remove the obstacles  When we were in college, our obstacles were our beliefs. We didn’t believe in ourselves as much as we should have. There are times that we don’t give ourselves credit when we should. This is true in sales as well. You might not trust your sales ability and you keep telling yourself that you’re no good at it. This idea is difficult to overcome but it’s imperative that you get through it because it’s the only way for you to become successful.  For example, back in college when we were selling water, the first obstacle that we had was that we spent a lot of money to get a booth and to get all the water. In order to do that business at a bigger scale, we needed more people, so we went to Idaho Falls and that’s when we did a better job.  The third time, we ran out of water and we could have given up, but we didn’t. Will went

Tue, August 06, 2019

TSE 1153: Creating An Authentic Personal Brand

Creating an authentic personal brand is important because everything that we develop in business is based on creating a personal brand. As sales reps, polishing your personal brand must be a priority to stand out to everyone no matter where you go or where you are.  Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster are co-founders of intrinsic branding practice Root + River . They have combined their experience and expertise in branding and passion for personal growth to guide individuals in combining authentic original brands that attract new opportunities and levels of possibilities.  The intrinsic practice  Both Emily and Justin believe that every great brand is a spiritual experience. As coaches, they guide individuals regardless of the roles they play in the organization. Their goal is to make them understand that deep foundational soul of their brand and put that into practical use every day.  Branding is a practice, which means you need to do it every single day whether you are aware of it or not. Intrinsic practice will help you be aware of the things that you do and get organized around them so that those things will have far greater impact for a longer time.  What is branding? In simple terms, a brand is how other people experience what you believe. The brand is how people experience you in everyday situations and conversations. If you understand what that experience is giving to people, you can tap into that in a more conscious manner to help build your brand in a way that has greater impact.  Frank Rogers is a good example. He is a great salesperson who developed a thought leadership brand. He doesn’t wait for the market to tell him what to say. Instead, he leads from the front.  Chip Scholz from North Carolina is another example. He is an executive coach with a very memorable brand who uses a direct and Socratic approach in his coaching.  Regardless of the audience you are talking to and the role you have, whether you’re a coach or a sales leader, you must follow the same principles because you are responsible for two brands. First, you’re responsible for your personal brand, and second, you’re responsible for the brand that you are representing.  <span style="font-w

Mon, August 05, 2019

Donald Kelly | Managing Tasks as a Leader

Managing tasks as a leader is difficult because all the tasks are urgent and you have the internal battle of deciding which tasks need your attention.  You might have a meeting with recruiters about the hiring, or you’ve got to do an interview with some sales reps, or you’ve got to create a report for the VP, and other equally important stuff. The list could go on and on and in the end, you aren’t able to get anything done to bring in more revenue.  The challenge  As team leaders, the best thing we can give to the sales rep is our care and utmost concern. Unfortunately, though, things don’t go the way we plan due to minute tasks that bog us down. Team leaders are faced with the challenge of managing their time to do the things that will impact the entire team in a good way.  The grumpy sales manager syndrome  The grumpy sales manager syndrome is nothing new and you might have experienced an episode of it once or twice. You are the leader so it’s natural to be bombarded with so many things to do:  make reports  attend meetings with sales reps  meet with recruiters meet with marketing folks You are swamped with many different tasks and it’s overwhelming you. Mike Weinber g mentioned this in his book Sales Management Simplified where he discussed all the different sales management myths and challenges. He then explained it in a way that’s both understandable and relatable. In the book, he said that this problem stems from the executive level.  Company owners or VPs are usually the reason sales managers have a tough time in juggling all their duties and this has nothing to do with the reports they are asking for. Rather, it has to do with the culture that is set within an organization. Executives, for example, aren’t focused on sales and so they don’t do everything in their power to cater to the sales effort.  First line of defense All the departments in a company or organization are important for the entire op

Fri, August 02, 2019

Luis Weger | Respected Leadership Traits

Every person in every industry can improve a little bit every day by focusing on self-improvement and developing respected leadership traits. Whether you’re a seller, a sales leader, or someone who isn’t even involved in sales, you’ll likely find yourself responsible for guiding people and helping them succeed.  Luis Weger works with a startup focused on changing the medical construction industry and serves as an offer in the Army Reserves. He recently launched a company called "Self: Reinvented" designed to help others discover their purpose and passion and enhance their resiliency. He believes that anyone can develop their leadership skills, even those who seem to be natural-born leaders.  2 ACT He developed a phrase to help people remember the important aspects of leadership. Leaders must remember 2 ACT. Each letter in the acronym represents two concepts.  A = Aware and Accountable C = Competent and Confident T = Trusting and Trustworthy.  From his experience leading people, training people, and working with clients, leaders must have these six attributes in order to lead well. It’s especially true in the sales profession.  Aware and Accountable Every military leader learns situational awareness because it’s vital in foreign countries. You cannot operate in enemy territory without knowing what’s going on around you.  In business, this refers to knowing what’s going on around you. It also refers to emotional awareness.  Are you in tune with the people around you?  Do you know what’s happening within the company you represent? Do you understand what your client needs?  Are you tracking changes in the industry you’re in? Industries change constantly, from rules and regulations to policies and procedures. You must stay aware of the changes that are taking place.  Leaders who live under a rock won’t be leaders very long. You cannot ignore the realities in which you operate because if no one’s following you, you aren’t truly a leader.  Luis was recently invited to change

Thu, August 01, 2019

Donald Kelly | TSE CSTP - How To Show Your Team You Care!

Some sales teams complain about everything from marketing to CRM and comps, but if you develop the ability to show your team you care, you’ll overcome the negativity and establish a great work environment. I’ve worked as a sales rep, as a sales leader, and as a consultant, so I understand that complaints are a normal part of the sales process. In some organizations, though, the sellers don’t complain as much because they believe their managers care about them.   Imperfect selling scenario It’s tempting to believe that sellers who don’t complain work in better environments. Even if they don’t get great leads, and if they don’t have the best CRM , or if their facility looks outdated, some sales reps enjoy what they do and they enjoy the people they do it with. Because the management cares about their welfare, the sellers are able to enjoy their work. Although your CRM and your environment are important, culture plays a vital role in helping sellers thrive. In a subpar culture, typically the focus remains on numbers alone.  Sales leaders During the month of August, we’ll focus on sales leadership and the principles that will help sales leaders succeed so their teams can succeed. Of all the things you could possibly do to encourage your team, investing time in them ranks the highest.  Just like a relationship with your husband or wife, the relationship probably won’t survive unless you spend time together. Nice gifts and other symbols of affection won’t overcome a lack of time together. The same is true for your kids. Don’t base your relationships with your sellers on shiny new CRM or an awesome facility. Instead, demonstrate that you care about their success by dedicating time to help them improve their performance.   One-on-one Prioritize one-on-one meetings with your sales reps. Although sales leaders get bogged down by countless things that demand their time, you must invest time in the things that truly matter. Log it on your calendar so it won’t get pushed aside.  In my own sales journey, when my own leaders prioritized one-on-one time, they were able to help me overcome challenges that were hindering my success. It also made my sales leaders seem human and it helped me see them as something other than a boss. I see her as a trusted friend and someone I can respect. Leaders who jump into the trenches with you have the authority to guide you. </sp

Wed, July 31, 2019

Jaron Rice | Increasing Sales With Cause Marketing

Supporting a cause as part of your business model can help you establish your brand and create a personality for your company, and “ cause marketing” can draw customers who want to do business with you.  Cause-based marketing stems from a business or a business owner that champions a cause that they believe helps with their personal branding as well as the company’s brand. It benefits a specific cause while it generates more business for the company.  Jaron Rice is the founder of Magothy Payments, Maryland’s highest-rated merchant services provider. He helps businesses become more profitable by lowering their costs of credit card acceptance and helps organizations save money on payment processing.  Payment processing In Jaron’s case, businesses have to pay fees in order to accept payments from their clients. The transaction is called an interchange and it’s set by the card brands: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. The fees are paid to the issuing banks and then there are dues and assessments that are paid to the card brand.  At the same time, there are merchant service providers that sell similar services. A typical merchant services agreement is a three-year contract that has a $495 cancellation fee. Also built into that contract are canceling penalties called liquidated damages. In effect, the merchant services provider is arguing that if the business takes their processing volume somewhere else, the bank or merchant services provider will suffer financial harm. The fee generally amounts to about $150 a month for the remaining months in the contract.  Jaron often interacts with small businesses and discovers that he can save them about $200 a month with his services. For a main street business, that’s a substantial savings, unless the cost of breaking the contract will be $4,000. At that point, it isn’t worth switching providers. Unfortunately, these fees aren’t usually disclosed on the contract agreements.  Terms and services Penalties present a major issue for the industry because the typical contract is about three pages long. On the last page of that contract, companies often include a URL that links to a 75-page PDF document full of clauses and information about cancellation fees. These fees aren’t actually presented to the merchant at the time of signing.  Worse yet, some companies require you to have an account with them before they allow

Tue, July 30, 2019

Will Richter | How to Build a Championship Sales Team

Whether you’re a brand new sales rep, a sales leader, or an experienced seller, the key to success relies on your ability to build a championship sales team.  Will Richter drives revenue for medical device companies by increasing their sales volumes, reducing their operational inefficiencies and crushing their competition. He has the unique ability to find the blind spots in any company's sales process and can turn around a growth plan of action and a winning team in less time bringing bottom-line results faster. Deep assessment Will points to leadership and culture as the keys to building a championship sales team. Whether you’re a business owner, a CEO , or middle management, the culture gets dictated by the leadership. They set the tone for the culture and they define the expectations for everyone on the sales force. Those leaders also determine what will not be tolerated.  Once teams accept mediocrity, it becomes the norm.  When you’re a sales leader, you’ll either inherit a team or you may get the opportunity to take some educated risks and build a team. You must do a deep assessment of the team’s skills, its motivations, its past successes, and get to know the team members. Find out what makes them tick.  You cannot manage every member of your sales team the same way because they may have different motivators. If you don’t discover their motivators, you’ll struggle to create a championship kind of environment.  People and culture People are the fabric of any great culture. If you’re at the top, you’ve got to reassess your talent base, and you’re probably going to have to let some of that go. Think about the culture you want to create. Then, seek out people who have the experience and the knowledge you want. If your sellers are strong and they have similar values, they’ll outlast someone who simply looks good on paper.  The average sales rep lasts about 18 months in any company. So if you bring a new seller on board, imagine the cost of onboarding plus the cost of training and the ramp-up time it takes for him to start earning money. Your company won’t likely make anything if he only stays for 18 months.   Wrong person The worst part of the sales leader job results from having to let team members know that they aren’t a good fit for the team. In fact, the higher up you go, the more these people have on the line. They have fa

Mon, July 29, 2019

Donald Kelly | Why I Love Calendly

The Sales Evangelist team understands the challenges in coordinating calendars and that’s why I love Calendly. This tool is perfect for ensuring that your schedules are well planned and plotted.  Calendly for selling  Calendly is a great tool that we’ve been using for years. The calendar dance is a common routine among sales reps who go back and forth with prospects, and partners trying to set a meeting. When their schedules don’t line up, the task is tricky and challenging at best, so how do you go around it? Calendly is the scheduling app that’s going to make that possible. There are three reasons why I love Calendly and why it’s a great fit for sales reps.  Ad hoc meetings  There’s a difference between being helpful and being lazy. When we deal with prospects who don’t have any intentions of calling, we reach out to them cold. The last thing that you want to do is to give them homework or introduce a possibility of them getting busy and not doing the task with you. It feels a little like imposing a task to your prospects.  Instead of doing this, I recommend that you use the ad hoc meeting embed feature. Gmail integrates to Calendly well, as we mentioned in episode 1142 . Scheduling becomes easy when you integrate your Gmail to your Calendly account. You can just click on the little calendar icon next to the send button. A panel opens on the right side and you can click on the time that you are available. You can pick the time you want, put it in your calendar and into your email, copy it, and then paste it into your email.  Your prospect won’t have to leave the mail. They can click that link to see the times that you are available. They can click on one of those times you are free. The time they picked will automatically be put in both of your calendars making everything more efficient. It’s slick and nice. Personalization  The second thing I like about Calendly is the ability to personalize. This feature allows you to create different events or different calendar events for different types of people. For example, I am a sales trainer and a coach who runs an organization. I have several schedules and my coaching times can b

Fri, July 26, 2019

Kyle Carney | 3 Core SEO Principles To Help Increase Your Inbound Sales

There’s no greater gift you can give to a seller than leads so we’ve uncovered 3 core SEO principles to help increase your inbound sales .  We’re working to unite the two warring departments of sales and marketing. Kyle Carney has a passion for helping businesses grow and he does that with principles that help organizations earn inbound leads as fuel for growth.  Lead generation mistakes Many businesses chase after the wrong keywords in their SEO efforts. They know their industry and their target market but they pursue vague SEO terms. If, for example, I search for “new homes,” that could suggest that I’m looking to buy, or to build, or to discover what a new home costs.  Businesses can improve by being more strategic in their efforts. So instead of searching for “new homes,” they can work to rank for “new home builder in Colorado.” That strategy is crucial for online success because that generates traffic that has qualified itself before the conversation even begins. Google knows everything. It knows where you are, so if your website indicates the area that you’re serving, it will figure that out.  One: Get your website right  The messaging on your website has a huge impact on your inbound sales. We must make sure we get the right message in front of the right clients so they qualify themselves prior to beginning the conversation.  At that point, it becomes like fish in a barrel because they come to you and say, “I saw this on your site and it’s exactly what I need.”  Building a website with proper messaging for the right audience allows your prospects to move themselves down the funnel. #SEO Improve your site Sellers wear a lot of hats and sellers have the ability to influence anyone. If we want to increase our bottom line, it’s in our best interest to connect with the marketing people and convince them of the importance of a smooth website.  Work toward a mobile-friendly site. Most sites are, but there are small tweaks that will make your site operate faster. If the site isn’t designed correctly, it will run slowly which will affect your rankings.  Identify the things your customer wants by understanding how they find you. If they find you online, ask what they were searching for. You’ll discover actionable information that will help you refine your website. <li

Thu, July 25, 2019

Oren Klaff | Flip the Script

Many sellers rely on old ideology to engage their customers without realizing that if they flip the script , they can set the rules for the sale instead of conforming to the buyer’s rules. Oren Klaff is the author of Pitch Anything , a required reading throughout Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Fortune 500 companies. Oren is the world’s leading expert on sales, raising capital and negotiation and has written for Harvard Business Review, Advertising Age Entrepreneur, among others. He is also an investing partner in a $2 million private equity investment fund and loves motorcycles. Oren is about to release his follow-up book entitled, Flip the Script . Raising money for companies  There is very little flexibility in most meetings, in that what happens in the first few minutes determines the outcome of the whole thing. The pitch is very important because there are high stakes in every presentation. It’s expensive to travel to presentations, so you have to get everything right the first time.  Making a pitch is like a surgery. There’s no room for error.  A pitch is a pitch regardless of the value: $1,000, $5,000, $100,00, $10 million, or $15 million. An account is an account. This is what Oren does. He invests in companies, buys companies, and he trains the salespeople in these companies to raise money. He knows this works because companies tell him that their sales averages have doubled, that they’re closing deals, and that they’re raising money effectively. He isn’t an academic who dives into the numbers and writes a study about it. He is the one who dives in and takes action.  Pitch is everything  You walk into the boardroom where there is a lot of money at stake and you give the pitch . The next five minutes determine the outcome of the meeting. In sales, if you don’t win the deal, you just go to the next one. In a given fund-raising project, you might be trying to raise $10 million for a company and have only 10 pitch

Wed, July 24, 2019

Joshua Smith | Tools to Generate Quality Leads On Demand

If you ask sellers what they want more of, the second most popular answer will be quality leads, and the good news is that there are plenty of tools available to generate quality leads on demand .  Joshua Smith serves as sales director of a real company called Fizzy Blocks on the front lines of revenue acceleration. He’s the co-founder of a couple of businesses and the author of the book Stacked: How to Guarantee Qualified Sales Meetings With Real Decision Makers .   He recalls that his team wondered where the people at the top of the sales profession go to upscale. Where do they go to be educated? Their challenges are much bigger than the average seller because they are responsible for multiple billions in revenue.  Lead generation process People constantly tell me that they could close more deals if they could just get in front of more people. Research suggests that 65% of sellers’ time is spent on non-revenue-generating activities. For people whose job is selling, that’s a huge number.  So how does any business optimize their lead generation process? The bad news, according to Hubspot , is that for B2B lead generation, it’s virtually impossible to pinpoint which of the channels was most effective at lead generation. If I had to guess which channel was most effective, I’d guess it’s web-bound leads. In truth, though, Hubspot reported that the most effective channel was one labeled “other.” They simply don’t know which activities generate the most leads. Opportunity Truthfully, though, that uncertainty creates a huge opportunity. It suggests that there are tons of amazing tools out there that sellers can utilize to generate quality leads. They aren’t all publicized, so our job as sellers is to identify the different tools we can use and more importantly, how we can automate that process.  Josh’s mission is to create the number one sales platform in the world for senior sales leaders to network, to mi

Tue, July 23, 2019

Justin Dauer | Building a Culture of Empathy and Accountability

Building a Culture of Empathy and Accountability   Every organization needs a culture of empathy and accountability no matter what it’s doing. Sometimes, we only have empathy and neglect accountability but it’s important to have both. Justin Dauer is with us in this episode to explain to us how to get both and give recommendations on the right way to do it.  Justin is the VP of the Human Center Design at BSwift , a healthcare and benefits management firm owned by CVS Health.  He is also a writer and a public speaker when he isn’t in his 9-5 job, and he enjoys talking about humility, empathy, and accountability.  Discovering agency culture  Justin’s entire career revolves around agencies primarily in the creative direction. In his 10 years being in the business, he observed that agency culture tends to burn people out. In some cultures, the driving factor is perceived by who went out the door last, regardless of the reasons why others left earlier. Maybe they went to pick up their kids from school or went to a doctor’s appointment. Meanwhile, whatever their reasons are, someone else in the firm is tapping a wristwatch noting the fact that they left early. This buildup of passive-aggressive situations in the agency space resonates to many because they have experienced it too.  He got a tremendous amount of feedback so he knew it was an important topic, which prompted him to write a book about it.  Burnout Burnout has a domino effect that is detrimental to an organization or an agency, partly because agency space is often about making money. Most times, a name on a spreadsheet doesn’t equate to an individual. The name has to do the work and that’s all there is.  Justin shared the same experience before he was in a senior position. He’d come to the office and face a stack of papers, printouts, and a load of work with red lines on them. His value for the day depended on the quantity of work he could do for the day, without regard for quality in the process.  There is no room to pause in some agencies, so employees can’t do anything not work-related, even in their free time. They fear that if their supervisor walks by and sees them, he’ll ask why they aren’t working. Employees are constantly on the edge, which isn’t healthy and wears them down. But as human beings, we all need to pause and calibrate.  Another

Mon, July 22, 2019

Donald Kelly | 5 Reasons Gmail Is The Best Email Tool For Sellers

Many of us start our day with emails, and knowing that, The Sales Evangelist team has outlined 5 reasons why Gmail is the best email tool for sellers.  Multiple functions  Google’s Gmail Suite is an incredible tool for companies due to its many functions. For The Sales Evangelist, we use domains. I personally have Donald as my domain and this is connected to my Gmail business suite. Every email that I receive goes through my domain and into my Gmail inbox.  Aside from that, it is also easy to set up. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can check for instructions. You can also hit Google and read about how to sign up for the suite.  Integration  A lot of platforms have integration but for me, Gmail beats them all. While Outlook has 365, it seems clunky and the apps are difficult to integrate.The same couldn’t be said with the Google-owned Gmail. Google is the top-dog in the industry and has a massive number of users. With that many people using Gmail accounts, it became necessary for developers to find ways to integrate their apps and tools into Gmail.  I use Calendly, a tool that integrates seamlessly into Gmail. Other apps like Hubspot and LinkedIn Sales Navigator connect to Gmail as well. These tools and plugins make full use of Gmail’s integration capabilities.  Templates Google has what they call canned responses and these are found on the settings of Gmail. Look for the settings, and click on advanced. This option explains what canned responses are and provides instructions on how you can create templates for common messages that you send. You then click enable and save the changes.  For a sales rep who's always out there sending intro emails, follow-up emails, and other responses, this canned response is a good thing. Although you need to personalize it, you will not need to write the whole thing over and over again when you’re using the template. You can just tweak it.  You can make templates for commonly asked questions that you get. You can just type out the common responses to these questions and make it into a canned email. Now, that’s your template. You can learn more about this in <a href= "https://thes

Fri, July 19, 2019

Kimberlee Slavik | The Fundamentals of Visnostic Selling

Visnostic selling translates your information from vendor-speak to client-speak, and sellers who understand the fundamentals of visnostic selling will change the way they think about sales.  Kimberlee Slavik has been a top performer in sales for more than 20 years, and she recently released a book called Visnostic Selling . Her goal is to help sales and marketing professionals harness the power of neuroscience by translating vendor-speak into client-speak.  Storytelling Kimberlee always assumed her sales success resulted largely from dumb luck until she listened to Michael Bosworth’s latest book, What Great Salespeople Do . The book talks about storytelling and neuroscience and explains the chemical reactions that happen in the brain. Stories make the Bible the best-selling book of all time because they allow readers to visualize events.   She was listening to the book while she was driving so she couldn’t highlight or make notes, but the content made sense to her. It was the first time she recognized the science behind her own success.  Because her career selling complex intangibles requires her to qualify clients very well, she must be able to articulate what she can do for them. She hopes to help other people figure out the science that it took her so long to discover.  Visnostics Visnostics is a trademarked word that combines visualization and diagnostics. Instead of showing up to a demonstration with a bunch of slides or a brochure or a website full of words to say, visnostics teaches you to reword everything. Speak in the first-person as though the client was actually saying these things. When you do, it triggers a completely different response in the brain. The order of words also plays a tremendous role.  This isn’t a questionnaire that asks questions on your way to helping you diagnose. Truthfully, no one looks forward to filling out surveys. Instead, provide a statement instead of a question and offer three different ways to respond: “I can say this today.” <

Thu, July 18, 2019

Kristen Estrada | Horror Stories of a Traveling Seller

You likely have your own horror stories of a traveling seller , but you can use technology to streamline your process and free your time for sales.  Kristen Estrada is a regional sales executive with SAP Concur covering the South Florida area. She has spent 20 years selling everything from consumables to skincare, legal services, and now cloud-based software.    Language barrier During Kristen’s work with a beauty company, she traveled to Dubai with a great team of male sellers who spoke Arabic. She struggled to feel welcome in the foreign culture but she tried to make the best of it. While she was there, she got sick and lost her voice, but she still had to work.  The last day of the trade show, she broke down the booth with her colleagues and then headed to the airport but she had gotten her departure dates mixed up. Her flight didn’t leave until the next day, and though she tried to negotiate an earlier departure, the airlines wanted to charge her $1,500 to change her ticket.  Kristen knew her employer wouldn’t pay that, so she headed back to her hotel, which was already full. She didn’t speak Arabic and the hotel wasn’t being helpful. Out of desperation, she asked her colleague if she could stay in his room for the night.  Perhaps because he knew that would be uncomfortable, he made a phone call to the front desk and got her room back. She eventually made it home the next day, but it wasn’t a great experience for her. In fact, she feels bad when people ask about the trip, because she’s certain that others have great experiences there. From a professional standpoint, she was able to make some connections at the trade show and even sell some products right off the floor. Unfortunately, the lack of support during her stay left her feeling lost and overwhelmed.    Cash flow During another trip to Miami, Kristen was working for a small business with a very tight cash flow. Because she was close to the owner, she did her best to protect the bottom line by staying in two-star hotels. She loved the job and the products and the company, so she was willing to do whatever was necessary to help.  She and a female colleague were sharing a room near the convention center in what she calls a “dumpy hotel.” They dropped their stuff off after check-in and rushed over to a trade show. When they returned, there was

Wed, July 17, 2019

Jacob Wardrop Sales From The Street | "Don't Give Up So Easily"

Some companies will be harder to connect with than others, but sellers who don’t give up so easily may find that an intentional approach can overcome those things that appear to be obstacles. Jacob Wardrop is the sales director at an email management provider called 28Hands , which helps people who feel overwhelmed with the volume of email and they need a more automated way of handling it.    Old school Jacob once worked as a sales rep selling software to the construction industry, and he was assigned a geographical territory. The businesses ranged from 10 employees to about 400, and a couple had more than 500. One of those companies already worked with his competitor, and Jacob’s company had never been able to gain any traction with the other.  Despite making probably 200 calls, his company didn’t know what the prospect was currently using and the company wasn’t even sure if it was a good fit. They simply knew that the prospective company was massive and that there weren’t very many construction businesses of that size in the UK.  In short, the company wasn’t very open to the outside world. Employees weren’t able to use LinkedIn, there was a no-name policy from the reception, and nobody used their own email addresses. Each of the 19 offices had its own email address, and as emails came in, the receptionist would sift through them and hand them off.    Finding a way in His background was predominantly outbound so he had what he calls a hunter mentality. He spent a lot of years doing small deals, kissing a lot of frogs and doing a lot of meetings without a lot of reward. Eventually, he started doing bigger deals, and because he had a taste of success, he saw a great opportunity with this new company.  He was reasonably sure he could get a meeting with them despite the fact that he couldn’t use LinkedIn or email, so the challenge was to get a foot in the door. Every seller before had failed to get beyond the receptionist, and Jacob got caught in that trap briefly, as well.  In the end, he counted 67 phone calls to the prospect, and he calls the experience a lesson in thinking about the best way in to an organization rather than just relying on a call list.     Seeking a favor <span sty

Tue, July 16, 2019

David Adley | How I Closed A Deal With A Prospect Who Went With My Competitor?

If I’m working with a prospect who unexpectedly decides to hire a different company, it might sound impossible, but it’s possible to close a deal with a prospect who goes with your competitor.  David Adley is an outbound sales manager at Bonfire , a digital platform for selling custom apparel. Bonfire works with nonprofits, influencers, and anyone who wants an easy solution to selling an awesome shirt online.    Sales journey David started selling knives door-to-door during college and he discovered he had a passion for it. He discovered that when you’re succeeding, you’re having fun.  He worked as a sales rep for a music company, and because he was a music major in college, he assumed it would be the perfect marriage of two things he loved. He was playing in a band at the time, and he had to make a decision about his priorities, so he picked music over sales.  For almost four years he gigged with a band before taking the job at Bonfire as a customer success rep. He was basically making ends meet while doing the rock star thing. David grew into his role. Because the CEO knew he had sold knives in college, he invited David to take a shot at growing the sales team. He took the leap, and that’s where his journey began.   Fund-raising Bonfire operates in cause-based fundraising as well as the influencer space. Early in David’s career, he worked with a big client named Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund . He’s a big deal in the animal influencer game and he has hilarious content.  He’s also the big fish in David’s story, which is about learning empathy, timing, and persistence, three things that sellers need if they are looking to up their game. The company was still small then and he didn’t want to mess up the opportunity.  He asked the CEO for help, and together they conducted discovery together. The CEO, Brian Marks, shared wisdom with him, and they discovered that Crusoe wasn’t actually a great fit for the platform at the time. They weren’t equipped to give him everything he needed to have a successful apparel campaign.  The company was geared to fund-raising at the time and wasn’t really built for influencers.    Surprise advice Bri

Mon, July 15, 2019

Donald Kelly | What Tool Should I Use For Video Conference Calls?

The Sales Evangelist podcast features experts from all over the world, and Zoom helps us bridge the distance for video conference calls without added expense or travel.   We use Zoom to power The Sales Evangelist Certified Sales Training , and it enables us to help sales reps and sales teams improve their skills, find the right customers, generate effective activities, establish successful strategies, build strong value, and close more deals.     World travel Zoom is a powerful video platform that makes it easy to communicate with people all over the world in a matter of minutes. It powers webinars, video conferencing, and video phone calls. In the early days of The Sales Evangelist, we used Go To Meeting for our conferencing and demonstration needs. It was the Kleenex of the industry.  Skype was available but it was mostly used for personal needs, like friends and family members looking to stay connected. Eventually it was bought by Microsoft, and we tried using Skype Business for our podcast interviews. Though the audio quality was ok, the service frequently dropped calls. Additionally, because there was no way to record, I had to incorporate a third-party app to save our interviews.    User-friendly Around this time, a guest came on the show and shared his experience using Zoom. His company did all of its recording with Zoom and they liked that it integrated with a lot of other tools the company was already using. I was skeptical, but when I started my research, I discovered that a lot of other industry folks were using it as well.  The audio quality was great and it didn’t generate a lot of background transformer-type noise. Other tools like Google Hangouts and join.me emerged, but they were clunky and complicated for the customer who was logging in.    Selling points Perhaps most importantly, Zoom was free to use. It didn’t have the same capabilities as the robust premium account, but I could log in and talk to someone for 45 minutes, or invite up to 100 different people to join me on a call. Eventual

Fri, July 12, 2019

ReRun 723 | How HubSpot Grew From 150-1500 Individuals!

Whether you’re a sales rep or a sales leader, a sales manager or a business owner, we can learn valuable lessons from the study of how Hubspot grew from 50-1500 individuals.   Sam Mallikarjunan has sold for a variety of organizations, from the five-person startup to the Fortune 500 company, so he has seen the sales story at a couple of stages. He’s a fellow at Hubspot and he teaches digital marketing at Harvard University.  New revenue Sam loves the idea that whoever chases two rabbits catches neither because it’s a reminder to him to focus. He has spent the last year focused on teaching, speaking, and research. He points to doing one thing at a time and doing it really well before moving on.  A weird pivot exists for startups that are growing from “we’ll take anybody’s money” to losing cash faster than you can acquire new cash. The core pivot occurs when you reach the point where you’re struggling for customer retention, because the economics of your model will break down.   It’s a matter of sales reps making time to ensure that they are bringing in new revenue . One new customer was upset because she couldn’t access her email after signing on with Hubspot. She had cancelled her Internet provider because she thought that’s what Hubspot was.  It cost the company money because they had to service the issue. The problem didn’t arise because the seller was a bad person. He just didn’t verify that the customer was going to be successful. Healthy revenue The company implemented clawbacks which withdraw commissions from sellers if the customer cancels their account within a certain window. Sellers are heavily incentivized to ensure that the person they are bringing on will result in healthy revenue.  Because Hubspot is a SAS, a recurring revenue model, the company loses money acquiring customers. The company doesn’t break even for some months. If the customer cancels too quickly, the business loses money.  Cashflow is more important than your mother.  Keeping customers Many companies miss the core principle, which is that you can’t spend money to get customers unless you’re good at keeping them. If you’re selling iPad covers that are cheap, people will likely only buy from you once. But if you’re really

Thu, July 11, 2019

TSE CSTP | "Presenting In Person"

Your closing process will often require you to speak to a board or a group of people about your product or service, and you must provide value to your audience when presenting in person. The Sales Evangelist Certified Sales Training Program provides specific sections for prospecting, building value, and converting to a paying client, and we’ve designed the training to help sellers prepare for presentations and to train their teams to do the same. It’s designed to help sales reps and sales teams improve their skills, find the right customers, adopt the right activities, ask the right questions, build strong value, and close more deals.  Guessing game Many situations demand that sellers meet with a team of individuals who will ask a variety of questions about the product or service. You’re wasting your time if you don’t understand the problems they need to solve or the challenges they are facing. It doesn’t make sense to play the guessing game during the limited time you have with this group of people.  Once you understand the issue, you must also determine who the decision-makers and buyers are. You must understand the timeframe they are working against and their budget for the purchase.  The company you’re pitching to will also bring in competitors who will pitch as well, but they aren’t your concern.  Storytelling John Livesay recently spoke about storytelling and the need to be memorable. It doesn’t matter who presents first or last, but rather who tells a better story.  Consider having other team members attend the presentation with you and introduce themselves by telling an interesting story. Perhaps your CTO can share how his love of Legos® pushed him to create complex things and find solutions to problems. It inserts personality into the presentation.  Tactical presentation Make sure you know who will present information on the buyer’s behalf. Have someone from your organization research to determine who will attend. If possible, learn what those people hope to discover from your presentation. Engage your champion, or the person you’ve been working with to this point, to find out whether you can introduce yourself prior to the presentation. When you do that, ask them what questions they’

Wed, July 10, 2019

Aaron Abodeely Sales - From The Street | "Why, Even With Social Selling, Cold Calling is NOT Dead"

Time often brings a great deal of change, and some ideas don’t survive the passage of time; though there are people who don’t believe it’s true, even with social selling, cold calling is not dead .   Aaron Abodeely has a passion for helping sales reps and small business owners distribute their messages, and he noticed along the way that the industry was lagging behind in digital trends like social selling. Evolution is hard because we get into a bubble and a routine of doing things a certain way. We build processes around certain tasks but unless we’re out in the space learning from other people, we can’t learn how to evolve.  Cold calling Typically, cold calling involves calling, emailing, or nurturing leads that are cold outreach, meaning that these contacts haven’t had much, if any, contact with our business or our value proposition. You’re going in cold. We often have sales development reps in enterprise IT designated to contact these leads.  Email came on the scene in the early 1990s, and it joined the landscape of cold calling and door-to-door selling and networking events.  When social selling came on the scene, we learned that we needed to connect with specific contacts within specific organizations. We needed to find those people on social media and engage with them. Some of those connections would be senior connections while others would be peer-to-peer. Social selling is the back end of social engagement, which is simply making friends and introducing ourselves to people in the space. It’s exhibiting genuine curiosity. The selling comes much later, which is why companies often struggle with this concept.  Relevant and tailored I reached out to Aaron on Instagram, but he noted that he isn’t particularly active there, as Linked In is his preferred method of contact. I sent him a message that I loved his content and loved what he was doing and I invited him to have a conversation with me. He explained that my invitation caught him off guard because I used specific details to affirm his work and explain the relevance of our messages.  I sent him an audio message that was tailored to him, but it didn’t seek to sell him anything. We can’t pitch people right out of the gate because they don’t even know us yet.  Although it makes sense that you meet someone, pitch to them, and then they buy, the truth is that if everyone in sales uses this same technique, no one will stand out.  Social media Many people believe that because we’re in the age of social selling, it’s foolish to invest in cold calling, but Aaron is on a mission to revive the concept. When he was an inside sales manager at his last company, he wasn’t doing much cold calling, but now, in his role as a consultant f

Tue, July 09, 2019

Subhanjan Sarkar | Changing Rules for Sales Tools

The sales landscape has changed as buyers have gained access to more information, and the result for sellers is changing rules for sales tools .  Subhanjan Sarkar runs a company called Pitch Link , which helps companies solve the problem of being able to scale by finding good salespeople.     Balance of power David Cancel wrote a book called Conversational Marketing in which he suggests that the balance of power has shifted from supply to demand and from company to customer. Thirty years ago, selling centered around the ability to mass-produce products in factories. Walmart’s mantra at the time was “stack them high and sell them low.” The system used to work with the information estimate tree that existed between suppliers and buyers, because the suppliers and makers always had more information available to them than the buyers did. The buyer never knew, prior to the Internet, that certain items were available from other sources for lower prices.  Over the last 20 years, the buying and selling process has been disrupted. Most of us won’t say it out loud because so much of the information from the previous era becomes irrelevant.    Old things Subhanjan said that people often challenge him on this premise because they can point to places where the old way of doing things still works. Though it may still work, it is less effective. Email open rates , for example, have dropped from 40 percent to 2.8 percent.People aren’t taking calls from people they don’t know.   The fundamental shift is this: traditional sales was based on the principle of interruption but buyers don’t want interruptions. This doesn’t mean that reps shouldn’t do their jobs anymore. It simply means that reps must change the way they do things.  He points out that they are called salespeople for a reason. They aren’t called prospecting people or lead-generation people. But they are expected to fill up a CRM, to write emails, to prospect, and to make phone calls.    Local connections In traditional sales, people knew each other because they went to

Mon, July 08, 2019

Donald Kelly | My New Planning Tool

Sellers must work to effectively plan their activities in order to accomplish the important tasks in their days, and since I’ve struggled with the same challenges, I’ve developed a new planning tool to help with that effort.    For most of us, it isn’t unreasonable to find that we have more tasks due in a day than we can possibly accomplish, and we can end up feeling like we’ve failed when we come up short. Unless we change how we do things, our days will feel like Groundhog Day, and we’ll repeat the same ineffective patterns every day.    Falling short If we fail to complete our to-do list every single day, we’ll end the day feeling like we’ve failed. Worse yet, our list will grow every day because it will include tasks from the previous day that we didn’t finish. Eventually, we’ll feel emotionally drained by our ineffectiveness.  Now, while you’re trying to find new leads, get new deals, and close new opportunities, you’ll likely be preoccupied with your looming to-do list.  You’ll never completely escape the stressful moments and days in sales, but if you learn to effectively manage the time you have, you’ll better manage that stress. Whether you’re selling cars or selling services, you’re at risk of being frustrated by the to-do list.    Identifying the process I discovered in my own process of organizing tasks I was spending as much time planning the tasks as I did accomplishing them. The result was that I was going in circles. I had read a book by Kevin Cruz called 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management that prompted me to take control of my schedule. (I recommend you read it, too. It’s available on Audible .) I started by writing down all the tasks I needed to do each day, keeping in mind that I function best when I keep my days broken up. Kevin recommended breaking your day into 15-minute increments, which was a great idea, but honestly 30-minute increments worked best for me. I planned my entire day, including tasks like reading a sales book, listening to a podcast, prospecting, LinkedIn outreach, follow-up with clients,

Fri, July 05, 2019

Kyle Morris | "The Importance of Data in Sales"

Sellers that don’t have good data will struggle to repeat their success so we must recognize the importance of data in sales .    Kyle Morris operates a company called SifData which features an application that sits on Salesforce to help companies track job changes.     Defining data Sales reps are very intuitive. They understand things well and many people assume that anecdotes and data are the same. They assume that, because they closed a deal with a company similar to the one they are interacting with, that constitutes data . Because a tactic worked previously, they may assume that they can use that information as data moving forward.  In other words, they assume that if a tactic worked once, it’s solid and they should continue using it.  Kyle points out that the plural of anecdote isn’t data. We must stay objective and make decisions based upon actual information rather than sticking our finger to the wind to determine which way it’s blowing.  Data is  objective information about people, companies, or whatever your data set is that helps you make informed decisions. One of the easiest ways to identify the companies that could buy your product is by identifying the companies that have already bought your product. Figure out what’s common among them and then use that as a template to decide who to sell to in the future. If you’re selling to companies that are unique, you might find another market that also has that same commonality.   Some data will get you pretty far but you must be able to fill in the gaps that data doesn’t cover. Having anecdotes that prove your point isn’t the same as having data. #SalesData Data problems The two biggest problems common to data are that companies use data sources that are inconsistent and that they have too much data that isn’t actually valuable.  Consider Uber as an example. If you’re trying to sell to Uber, some sellers might consider it enterprise while others view it as mid-market since they only have a couple of thousand employees. LinkedIn might reflect that the company has 35,000 employees, including drivers. If companies aren’t careful about where they are choosing data, it can create confusion. </span

Thu, July 04, 2019

Donald Kelly | TSE Certified Sales Training Program

Today we’re celebrating our country’s independence and the freedom of religion and freedom of speech that we enjoy, but sometimes sellers relinquish their freedoms because of fear.  We discuss challenges like this in the TSE Certified Sales Training Program, how they can hinder our success, and how we can overcome them.    Storytelling  We’re focusing on sales tools this month and one of the tools we’ve discussed is storytelling. We’ve talked about how to tell an effective story and how LinkedIn and other social media platforms can help you share your company’s values.  In my own case, I recently relinquished my own freedom because I worried about what other people might think. Despite the fact that this is our 1,130th episode, I still worry about people’s opinions. You might think I’d be beyond that, but I still worry about my writing and how it will be perceived. I worry that if I write something, it might not sound great.  I worry, too, about the videos I create and whether or not I’ll look and sound good in the video. As a result, I relinquish my freedom to express myself and share my thoughts because I’m worried.    Trolls I appeared on a friend’s podcast recently and I shared my own experiences with content and how it has benefited our audience. Luigi, the host of the Sales IQ podcast , recalled his experience with a troll who was intent on nitpicking his podcast by suggesting that I wasn’t qualified to speak about sales. He claimed I didn’t have enough B2B experience and that I was like many others who were cheating people. Reading that was like a kick in the gut. Despite the fact that I’ve helped hundreds of people, I started to have second thoughts. Our clients have landed promotions and generated pretty decent income, but still I doubted whether or not I should express myself.    Limitations I wanted to pick apart his arguments and defend my experience against his claims that my information was basic to selling. Luigi pointed out that many sales professionals understand the importance of basics now. Together, we realized that this gentleman wasn’t a fit for the things we offered.  Though he told us he had 33 years of sales experience, he’ll likely limit himself because he doesn’t believe he can lea

Wed, July 03, 2019

John Livesay | Sales From Street: "Better Selling Through Storytelling”

Instead of pushing your message out to your prospects in hopes that they’ll latch on, sellers can make their message magnetic and practice better selling through storytelling .    John Livesay is known as the “pitch whisperer” because he helps people become compelling storytellers. Plato said stories rule the world, and it’s still true, except 2,600 years later, we have many distractions that he didn’t have.    Push and pull   Pushing your message out to sell a product or service just doesn’t work anymore. The new technique is to pull people in with great stories. John’s work as a storyteller began at an ad agency where he was tasked with creating 30-second commercials for movies. He discovered the need to tell a concise story that made people want to see the movie.    During a stint in Silicon Valley, he competed against IBM and other massive companies to sell technical products. He realized that if you confuse people, they say no. But you can pull people in by telling the story of what the technology does.   His work culminated in a career selling ads for Conde Nast magazine, where he had to bring to life the vision of a particular brand to a particular advertiser so they could see why their brand would resonate with the stories being told in the magazine.      Self-esteem roller coaster   John points to the fact that sellers tend to feel good about themselves only when their numbers are up. When they’re down, self-esteem suffers.    He recognized his sense that he had to constantly push information out, which was exhausting. Even worse, if you’re pushing and trying without getting anything in return, you end up feeling bad about the whole process.    Good storytellers allow people to see themselves in the story, which makes the message magnetic. When you become a better storyteller, people want to take your calls and open your emails. #MagneticMessage    Campfires   The glow of PowerPoint has replaced the glow of campfires, and we often sit in meetings where someone reads to us from a slide. Don’t do that. Nobody wants to be read to. John suggests using a series of images from which you can tell a story.    Stories work because of our right-brain, left-brain way of processing information. If you’re buying a car, when the seller shares how many miles-per-gallon it gets, you cross your arms and pr

Tue, July 02, 2019

BoB Burg | Developing A Go-Giver Strategy!

The most financially profitable way to do business is to shift your focus from getting to giving, and by developing a Go-Giver strategy , you’ll constantly provide value and good things will begin to happen.    Bob Burg is a salesman who has written a series of books about the Go-Giver , a parable about the principles behind the kind of success most sellers are hoping to achieve. Through encounters with a series of different people, the main character, Joe, discovers that his focus has been in the wrong place.    Giving too much   Giving means providing value to others. Though it’s typically not possible to provide too much value, begin by determining whether your focus on providing value will set you up to be taken advantage of. There are plenty of people who are takers and who focus only on themselves. They feel entitled to take without giving anything back.    If you’re providing value to someone like that, there’s a good chance things won’t work out.  Realize, though, that there’s no natural connection between being a go-giver and being taken advantage of. Understand, too, that if you’re being taken advantage of, it isn’t because you’re too nice; it’s because you’re allowing it to happen.   Being a go-giver doesn’t mean being a martyr or a doormat. It simply means your focus is on bringing value to the marketplace and to others.    No one will buy from you because you need the money or you have a quota to meet. They’ll buy because they will be better off buying from you.    Focus on value   The only reason people should buy from you is because they’ll be better off after they do. That truth allows the salesperson or entrepreneur to focus on bringing immense value to the marketplace and to the prospect’s life. When that happens, the prospect will prosper greatly.    Money is simply an echo of value. Focus on the value rather than the money. Value comes first and the money you receive is a natural result of the value you provided.    Money is the thunder to lightning’s value. The value comes first. #thunderandlightning   Human nature is self-interested. It allows us to create more human beings.    Successful people deal in truth. They don’t deny inconvenient t

Mon, July 01, 2019

TSE 1127 | Sales Tools Can't Replace You!

Sometimes sellers trust too much of our sales process to autopilot, and we lose sight of the fact that even the best sales tools can’t replace you .    We get distracted from the things that matter most and we miss out on opportunities or ruin relationships because we forget the importance of the most important component of the sales process.    Sales tools   Sales tools help us promote or sell a product. They could include CRM, which helps us sell by allowing us to track information. These tools may help us understand more about the prospects who are working in the organizations we’re pursuing.    Tools might include your email account, your LinkedIn Sales Navigator account, your BombBomb account, your cell phone, or your Hubspot tools. There are countless tools you can take advantage of that will help you promote or sell your products more effectively.    Sometimes I rely so heavily on those tools that I effectively take myself out of the cockpit. I’m unable to guide the sales process because I’ve trusted my tools to automate it.    Where to automate    Automation without oversight can leave room for errors.   While it’s good to use tools like prospect.io to automate your outreach, the problem emerges when we fail to personalize the process. If we set up generic emails and then blast them to hundreds of different people, you won’t get the results you’re seeking. People can immediately sniff out bulk outreach.    If you rely on it, you’ll discover that very few people read your emails and even fewer responded. You may even discover that some unsubscribed from your communications.    On the other hand, if you use merge tags to personalize your messages and you focus on a specific industry and you address a specific problem that this industry faces, you can create a message

Fri, June 28, 2019

Donald Kelly | ReRun of 731

The sales landscape is always changing but by gathering insights from other sellers we can determine how to handle major challenges when selling .    Brandon Bruce is co-founder of Cirrus Insight and he’s going to address how to we can get out of our own zone, where we focus exclusively on ourselves and our companies, and seek opportunities to interact with other people.    Evolving sales   The world of sales is constantly evolving. One of the challenges Brandon sees with sales right now is an unspoken push that exists. Because there are a bunch of companies at the growth stage, and a bunch of companies just starting out, there’s a tremendous amount of energy in the sales industry.    There’s a premium on hitting numbers. Everyone is hustling and trying to find a way to build a better mousetrap. On the negative side, sellers might be hyperfocused on closing deals so that they forget to prioritize the personal connection . Because connections take time, and sales reps get antsy, we sometimes try to speed things along.    We don’t want to close a deal next month; we want to close it this month.    Brandon believes there’s a happy medium to be found. We must work to focus on building sustainable relationships even while we focus on making our numbers.    Long-term success   Companies that focus too narrowly on numbers will likely struggle to achieve long-term customer success. The customers won’t stay as long because the deals were one-time kinds of relationships. It’s easier for customers to walk away when the customer doesn’t know us well.    Brandon remembers buying a countertop, a one-time purchase, from a company that worked to develop a relationship with him. They were struggling to find exactly what he wanted, until they discovered an unused countertop in a storage area. It was exactly what he needed, and it was something a previous customer decided against using. And the company sold it to him for 50 percent off.    He calls it a great selling exp

Thu, June 27, 2019

Mike Jones | Harnessing LinkedIn to Develop a Consistent Stream of Quality Leads

If you’re not already harnessing LinkedIn to develop a consistent stream of quality leads, you’re missing out on more referrals, possible testimonies, and a powerful prospecting tool.    Mike Jones owns and operates a local Sandler Training franchise where he works with sales leaders and salespeople in those cultures to develop nontraditional ways of prospecting and selling. He has the privilege of seeing best practices and working intimately with sales culture. He loves the experience of moving between industries and geographies to see what the consistent themes of success are.    Utilizing LinkedIn   Sellers must take advantage of LinkedIn, but many people use it wrong.    They often don’t understand LinkedIn’s power to get to the right person. It’s difficult to connect with the right person, but LinkedIn gives people the ability to determine who they need to be talking to.    There is power in connections. If you aren’t using it to find the right people in the organizations you’re connecting with, you aren’t using it to its full capabilities.    There’s two kinds of prospecting.    Active prospecting , which includes developing daily behavioral metrics about how many conversations you want to have, how many appointments you want to have, and how many existing clients you should be reaching out to. Activity always precedes outcome. If I can dial in my activity and monitor it and compare it to a monthly revenue goal, that allows me to make strategic behavioral changes. Whatever outcome you’re seeking, you have a system perfectly designed to give you that outcome. If you want a better outcome, analyze what you’re doing from a behavioral standpoint in order to achieve that outcome. It’s a form of prospecting that provides real-time decisions, and it gets immediate results.    Passive prospecting doesn’t provide immediate results. If, for example, you work 250 days a year and your prospecting system requires you to send out 10 emails, either directly to a prospect or a contact in LinkedIn, asking for an introduction. Over a year, that’s 2,500 prospecting attempts every year. In today’s business culture, it works and you’re missing an opportunity if you aren’t seizing it.    Thinking about now   Sometimes, as sellers, we get so focused on the now that we forget to focus on the future. In the early days of my sales career, I was g

Wed, June 26, 2019

Wes Schaeffer | Sales From The Street: "The Fundamentals of Sales Outreach"

Many sellers have a tough time with outbound sales, so we’re spending the month of June focused on the topic, and today we’re specifically addressing the fundamentals of sales outreach.   Wes Schaeffer entered sales in 1997, covering stocks, bonds, retail, real estate, and high tech. He decided that, since sales was crazy and uncertain, he’d bet on himself. He laid the foundation for The Sales Whisperer, where he helps people with sales training.    Outbound struggles   Too many sellers mistakenly believe that outbound is dead. That cold calling and email are dead. The truth is you simply have to do a little bit of homework.   You have to choose who to lose. You can’t help everybody. #IdealCustomers   Some people would say that because everybody drinks water, if you sell water, everyone is your prospect. But some people are content drinking water out of a hose. Not everyone will spend money on your stuff.    Client selection is important. You have to figure out who’s going to buy your stuff and who isn’t.    The number of people who are ready, willing, and able to buy what you sell right now is in the single digits. If, for example, you just bought four brand new tires for your car, it doesn’t matter that you’re having a 50-percent-off sale.    Follow a script   Now that you know who you’re going after, what will you say? Will you fall into the trap of not following a script because it feels unnatural?   The Rock has made over $60 million a year by regurgitating scripts. He makes it his own and he makes it believable. The truth for all of us is that we’re living on a script.    I once talked in a presentation about seeing the band Chicago and about the fact that they play the same 20 songs in the same order at every single show. What would happen if they decided to just wing it every now and then?   That’s not what professionals do. Professionals practice things until they can’t get them wrong. You could wake them out of a stupor, hand them a guitar or keyboard, and they could play any song perfectly.    Practicing skills   Look at Tom Brady or Lebron James or Tiger Woods. I guarantee you they are still practicing. Are you willing to practice the little bitty things? How do you open? What do you say? How do you title your emails? Ho

Tue, June 25, 2019

Zvi Band | Tactically Leveraging Relationships to Land Your Biggest Customers

Many sellers assume that experience makes them good at building valuable relationships, but there’s an art to tactically leveraging relationships to land your biggest customers .   Zvi Band is the co-founder and CEO of Contactually, a relationship-oriented CRM designed to help businesses build and maintain relationships with their networks. He was an introvert in college who hardly ever left his room, but that was before he discovered that relationships would be his best asset. He is the author of the book Success is in Your Sphere .   Sharpen your tools   Zvi recognized the need for Contactually because he would connect with people and then lose track of them and miss the opportunity. It wasn’t that he was doing a bad job. He was simply so focused on working hard for his existing clients that he lost touch.   To measure the strength of your network, he recommends opening any social media tool and considering whether your network would come to your side if you asked for something simple like $20. Then, if you truly believe your relationships are your most important asset, what are you actually doing to nurture those relationships those won’t pay dividends next week but might in the coming months or years?   For most people, the answer is, “Not too much.”   Tactically leverage relationships   The goal should be to build and nurture personal, authentic relationships without any necessary plan or intent. Then, they’ll call us when they’re ready to buy. Or if we call them, they’ll pick up the phone.    The problem is that sometimes, we aren’t necessarily sure who is important in our relationships or what our goals are. We must begin by figuring out what we’re trying to accomplish. Are you trying to increase the number of referrals? Increase your close rate or your repeat business? Looking for an entirely different job or different career steps?    Clearly identify your goals and then develop everything else to ladder up to those goals.    Always take a step back and ask what you’re really trying to do.    Nurture opportunities    If you’re going to conferences and meetings, you’re likely trying to nurture the opportunities

Mon, June 24, 2019

Donald Kelly | ReRun of 760 "Don't Forget To Ask!"

Sellers are programmed to take advantage of outreach to generate opportunities, but it’s important that we don’t forget to ask for the referral.    We understand the importance of cold calling and cold outreach, but that’s doing things the hard way. We do it over and over again without ever considering whether it’s the best way.    This is a reboot of an earlier episode of The Sales Evangelist, but it's an evergreen topic. Asking for referrals always makes sense for motivated sales professionals.    Cold calling   I would never suggest you shouldn’t use cold outreach or cold calling to connect with your prospects. I do it myself and I’ve generated great opportunities that way. But it isn’t the only way to generate them.    Sometimes we forget to ask for referrals. So as a sales pro, how can you remember? What else can you do to remind yourself to take the easy route to generating business?    Put it on your calendar. Just as you block off time on your calendar for prospecting and cold outreach, set reminders to ask for referrals.    Create a habit   Create a weekly goal to generate three referrals per week. If your goal is to get three referrals per week, even closing one of those referrals will change your results. Once you institute the habit of generating referrals, you’ll establish a pattern of one deal per week that closes. And that’s if you’re not particularly good at it. If you’ve taken our TSE Certified Sales Training, you could possibly do even better.    You can build on that habit and that improvement. That will amount to more money for you and your organization.    If each of those deals amounts to $10,000, you’ll generate $40,000 a month. If you’re responsible for $80,000 a month, then half of your business will come from referrals. If you’re currently not generating any , that’s a pretty great increase.    Accountability   Salespeople don’t necessarily like accountability. Do it anyway. Tell a coworker or sales leader your goal. Join our Facebook group <

Fri, June 21, 2019

Chris Perry | Your Price Is Right: How to Stand Your Ground Against the Lowest Bidders and Protect Your Margins

  We’ve all encountered price wars against the lowest bidder, but today we’re going to talk about how you can stand your ground, protect your margins , and earn the price that you’re worth and how that will help you grow your business.   Chris Perry works with Market Sense, a Sandler Training franchise, that helps business attrackt, assess, hire, and on-board world class sales people.   Great ideas   There are lots of great ideas in the world. Many businesses have built things that they are excited about and proud of, and eventually others notice that they are making a lot of money doing it. So they jump into the game.   Suddenly options exist where they didn’t before, and consumers, whether they are B2B or B2C, don’t know how to differentiate between them. Many of them fall back to the cheapest option.   If we fall into that trap, the buying process becomes all about price, and we’re forced to trade dollars for deals. We must cut our prices, and that’s a slippery slope. It’s also a great way to go out of business.   Consumers will treat you like a commodity if you allow them to.   Money mindset   Attitude makes a big difference in this scenario, because the salesperson’s mindset plays a huge part in price. Human beings are trained to seek deals and discounts. Chris’ company runs a lot of assessments on salespeople and they’ve discovered a lot of what they call money tolerance issues.   We all grow up with different relationships to money, with some of us believing it’s rude to talk about it. Others are taught to pinch every penny, while still others believe there is always more money available. Whether it’s conscious or not, we have a bunch of recordings playing in our heads. Those recordings impact our money conversations.   If, for example, a seller grows up believing it’s rude to discuss money, he’ll be less comfortable talking about it. He’ll likely wait until the last possible moment to address cost, because he assumes the prospects are uncomfortable talking about it, too. Waiting until the presentation to discuss price can be a recipe for disaster for sellers.   Sellers who believe that $500 is a huge purchasing decision, but who are selling $50,000 solutions, will be nervous about the price discussion. They’ll sweat

Thu, June 20, 2019

Corey Blake | How To Build a Brand Online and Leverage it for Rapid Sales Growth

Every sales professional and entrepreneur needs a profitable brand, and the key is to build a brand online and leverage it for rapid sales growth.   Corey Blake is the CEO at MWI, an international digital marketing agency. His background is in sales and business development and he has managed great sales teams over the years. Validate your brand When it comes to building a brand and then leveraging it for growth, you must begin by validating your brand. You basically want to turn off any sirens that the potential customer has about you as a seller.   We all know that a stigma exists around sellers, and you likely even experience it when someone gets on the phone with you to sell you something, despite the fact that you're in sales yourself.   The biggest challenge often originates from the fact that we build great brands and we know we have value to offer , but we don't know how to convince people to pay for it. How you validate your brand is critical in that process.   It's simply legitimizing your brand, service, or product. You must find a third party or another way to validate it. You could share that your brand has been featured on certain sites or that you've been invited to certain events.   When you're starting out, go to your customer. Offer to give a customer your product or service in exchange for their use of it. Explain that you think it will make his life better and that you'd like to ask for his testimonial.   Now you've got validation and social proof to use in your next sales conversation. Personal confidence Seeing someone use your product provides you, as the seller, a certain amount of confidence as well.   If you prefer, you can create great case studies or build a social media presence that includes amazing content . For MWI, for example, they can validate themselves as great content creators by creating great content.   As a bonus, TSE has used those product giveaways as an opportunity to gain feedback during our initial launches so we can figure out where we need to tweak our training or our products. It also helps us build a case study. <span style

Wed, June 19, 2019

Mark Kosoglow | Sales From The Street: Omnichannel Outreach

We consume information from a variety of platforms, so we have to connect with prospects from different angles using **omnichannel outreach**. We have to find our audience where they happen to be listening. Mark Kasoglow is the VP of Sales at Outreach, a sales engagement channel, and he’s explaining today how sales reps can include omnichannel outreach in their efforts. His passion is developing people and creating a winning, fun, positive atmosphere where people are inspired to do their best. He said if you are going to have a hard worker, they have to enjoy work. That doesn’t mean you have to enjoy what you do. It means you enjoy working and you’re likely always tinkering around the house. His dad taught him that if you make people’s work easy, they’ll work hard for you. To that end, he tries to make people’s work easier so they’ll work harder. ##What is omnichannel? Consider the following questions as you’re considering what omnichannel is. Do you answer the phone when someone calls? Do you reply to every email you receive? Will you sometimes engage with people who contact you on social media? Will you sometimes talk with people who stop by your home or office to sell something? That’s omnichannel. As humans, we engage with people in many different ways depending on our mood or their approach or the channel. The point of omnichannel outreach is to meet people where they are. People have preferred methods of communication, and by limiting yourself to a single channel you’re excluding a large number of people. You’re missing out on a growing audience. Because your audience is all over the place and they communicate in different ways, you have to do the same. #omnichannel ##Overthinking omnichannel Many people don’t understand how to use omnichannel. With social, for example, if I’m targeting you on [social media]( https:// thesalesevangelist.com/ episode846/ ), I’d begin by following you. Then I’d read your posts and engage in activity to let you know that I’m interested in you as a human and in the things you’re doing. After I’ve built an online social relationship, the person I’m targeting should understand a little bit of why I’m interacting with them. At that point, you can reach out with a value pitch or something that helps people understand what you’re offering. As humans and nonsellers, we do this kind of stuff all the time very naturally, but then when we bring it to our careers and the way we make money, we get weird about it. We do stupid stuff that we would never do as a normal human. But the tru

Tue, June 18, 2019

Ryan Levesque | How to "Warm Up" Your Prospects With Trust Before You Pitch

In order to succeed in business long-term, choose a market with room to grow, and consider these 5 things to look for when choosing your market . Ryan Levesque recently landed on Inc.’s list of 500 fastest growing companies, and his company just passed the $10 million mark for annual revenue. He admits that he has made a lot of mistakes along the way and learned a lot as well.  Finding a niche Ryan said many business owners and entrepreneurs make the common mistake of following conventional wisdom in the early days of the venture. They focus on what they will sell or create rather than focusing on who they will serve. Who is your market? Who is your niche? He has engaged in more than 23 niche markets, from making jewelry out of Scrabble tiles to weight loss and satellite television. Through the process, he has learned the importance of focusing on people rather than things. He points to choosing the right market as the most important factor of all.  You can be the most charistmatic salesperson with the best closer, but if you have chosen a bad market, none of that will matter.  Wrong product and people I’ve personally made the mistake of trying to sell the wrong product to the wrong people. I discovered a product that I liked and I thought other people would like it, too. But it didn’t make money because it wasn’t a good fit. There wasn’t a market for it.  Ryan outlines the indicators you should look for in his book, Choose . He said though, that writing a book invites communication from two different camps: those who love what they read and those who claim it didn’t work. He said it leaves you wondering whether you gave bad information.  Niche markets In his first book, Ask , Ryan revealed the methodology he used to successfully enter niche markets. They figured out how to warm up prospects and how to determine what people want.  It includes a specific set of questions designed to help you understand your audience at a deep emotional level so you can better sell and serve.  In an online environment, you ask questions on your website so you can funnel people into different “buckets” based on their situations.  Ryan focused on uncovering commonalities. For example, what did the people who didn’t succeed have in common? What were they doing wrong? He discovered that he didn’t teach people how he chose the 23 markets he engaged with. Of the millions of niche markets a business could engage with, what did these 23 have in common? He engaged in what he called the biggest research project of his life. He sought to figure out why the 23 markets had succeeded where others had not. Then he looked at his most successful clients and tried to figure out what separates the successful ones

Mon, June 17, 2019

Donald Kelly | “Outreaching Through Networking Events”

We’ve all encountered the guy who attends events just to see what he can get for himself, but there are ways to effectively use networking events in your sales outreach efforts. You know the type: his conversations are one-sided because he’s only focused on his next big opportunity, and he has no time to learn about your business. His pitch kicks in when he finds out you’re a business owner. But he could have fixed his approach. And you can make sure you’re not like him in your outreach. New clients No matter what type of sales you’re in, you need to get clients in the hopper. The way you get new leads varies based upon your industry. Some demand door-to-door while others require phone calls. Today, we at The Sales Evangelist use social media and other efforts as well as networking events. Typically, at networking events, I encounter potential clients or people who can connect me with other people who are potential clients. Outreach done well can be very rewarding. But as we mentioned in the teaser, you can’t become the obnoxious guy that others avoid. He may not even realize he’s coming across that way. He has likely had just enough random success to believe that he’s effective. But he could perform a lot better and gain more leads and opportunities if he changed his approach. Plan Before you attend a networking event, do your best to find out who will be there. Will the people there tie in with your demographic? Will they represent your ideal customer? It may be impossible to find out who will be there, but it’s worth the effort to try. If you know the organizers, ask them about the top companies that will be represented there. If they give you names, research them before the actual event. Use tools like LinkedIn to gather data about those companies. Plan who you want to connect with at the event. Develop a short list. The spray-and-pray mentality that involves giving out 10,000 business cards doesn’t look good. Instead, be intentional about the cards you give out. Broaden your reach Identify people you’d like to do business with as well as those who can become potential partners for you. Then, consider those who may not purchase directly from you but who can introduce you to other complementary partners. You could even consider connecting with those you consider competition . I’ve had a good working relationship with companies I compete with, and we were able to help each other out. Whether we’re pursuing the same customers or different ones, it doesn’t make sense to burn bridges unnecessarily. It’s also good to identify people that you could potentially help. Be genuinely interested People don’t necessarily care about you but everyone cares about their own proble

Fri, June 14, 2019

Ethan Beute | How to produced a 56% lift in cold email responses with video (vs plain text)

Ethan Beute from BombBomb equates good marketing to selling by teaching, and he explains how you can generate a lift in cold email responses with video . Cold email response BombBomb recently conducted a study with a large international tech company that revealed the power that video has in improving cold email responses. The company offers a freemium service but they weren’t sure how to convert the freemium users into revenue opportunities. The company has teams in countries around the world and they were reaching out to create conversation and generate appointments. They contacted customers who had been using the free service for a while and asked for the opportunity to share some other ways they might be able to help. BombBomb conducted a pilot program with them that included an AB test of video emails vs. plain text emails. They increased replies from these people by 56 percent. Imagine, then, if you can turn a percentage of those responses into scheduled appointments and then a percentage of those appointments into paid opportunities, that’s a tremendous impact. BombBomb also found that the video emails created better appointments because the prospects felt as though they knew the seller better, which is a powerful dynamic. The effort was voluntary, so there was no requirement to send a specific number of videos each day. The company sent about 1,000 videos in a three-and-a-half week period, and the people who sent the most videos were already the highest performers. Cultural shift Rollouts like this one represent a cultural shift to your sales team. This isn’t simply a new tool to add to the stack. This video effort allows sellers to communicate more clearly with their prospects and to increase conversion because the interaction takes on a more human characteristic. If you’re considering deploying video into your team, consider the following: Find people on your team who are already excited by the idea. Roll the video concept out to them and accumulate some early wins. Share what they learned and what you learned with the rest of the team as you roll the concept into the larger group. Ethan theorizes that the connection between the high performers and the willingness to use video traces back to their constant desire to become better. They likely listen to podcasts or read books. They invest in themselves and are open to new ideas and new practices. People who adopt new practices tend to have a growth mindset. Because they are open to new ways of doing things, they generally find success, and they often have fun doing it. #GrowthMindset Voicemail with personality The pilot project involved initial touch emails, so it amounted to basically a voicemail with a face an

Thu, June 13, 2019

Donald Kelly | Incentivize Them To Sell

Sellers often seek the path of least resistance, and if your programs aren’t designed to  incentivize them to sell , your sellers may game the system and engage in activities that won’t help themselves or the company.  If you design your commission plans and your structures effectively, you’ll create more effective sellers who feel like they’ve actually earned something and who will achieve wins more often.  Happy sellers As a sales leader, you know that your sales reps will make outbound calls and try to close deals. Your goal is to incentivize them to do their jobs. You want them to be happy. You also know that if they are earning something, they will feel good.  In the natural order of things, if they are doing well, they’ll love working for you and the company will prosper as well.  Flawed incentives In her book,  The Sales Development Playbook , Trish Bertuzzi lays out different concepts to help organizations develop the proper incentives. Sometimes companies design their incentives poorly so that reps are only encouraged to make phone calls.  Many reps will game that system because it doesn’t measure anything meaningful to the company. If you’re only counting activities, they’ll figure out that all they have to do is make phone calls.  You know, though, that appointments lead to more deals. So if you’re expecting an appointment every 20 phone calls, but your reps are simply calling and hanging up without having meaningful conversations, you won’t likely achieve those appointments.  Commissions Trish points out that many companies promise great incentives but we neglect to clarify the actual process were seeking. We make promises about being able to “earn more than the CEO” without explaining our expectations.  We fail to tell them, for example, that the sales cycle is seven months long, so it will likely take them about three months to really get established. They probably won’t make any real money until about 10 months into the process. Then it will take about 30 days beyond the close date for them to get their payout.  You can help them survive the long cycle by offering ways for the rep to win. Perhaps you’ll provide a more competitive base because you realize it will take them a while to build a commission.  Set up for success Without a meaningful way to win, your sales reps may stick around for a few months and then move on to something else. Instead, set them up to succeed.  If you’re talking about your BDRs, how can you give them an opportunity to make money? If your AEs earn 10 percent for a closed deal because you know it will be a while before they close a deal, they’ll be eating pretty well. Your BDRs, on the other hand, earn only 1 percent, they’

Wed, June 12, 2019

Alex Berg | Sales From The Street: "Assessing for curiosity to optimize the performance of out-bound sales reps."

Asking questions and learning about the client is an accepted part of sales, but the key is assessing curiosity to optimize the performance of outbound sales reps . Alex Burg, who has a consultancy in curiosity quotient selling, focuses on leveraging mutual curiosity. He said isn’t so much the case that sellers aren’t thinking about curiosity, but rather that they are thinking about it too tactically.   Learning about clients Most sales methodologies are a bit too complicated and don’t really require that much detail. Sellers don’t need to write down 27 questions before they sit down with clients. They simply need to learn enough to ask intelligent, informed questions. By demonstrating your curiosity, you built rapport much more quickly. Stephen M.R. Covey wrote a book called Speed of Trust that reports a significant correlation between the development of trust and the pace of decision making. In other words, if you really want to accelerate your sales cycle, build trust. And the fastest way to build trust is to demonstrate curiosity. Types of curiosity Alex distinguishes between social curiosity, which is about people, and technical curiosity, which is about how things work. If you’re in a transactional sales environment, you must focus on getting a decision made quickly. So too much open-ended curiosity could be detrimental. Begin by assessing what kind of sales organization and what kind of sales process you’re engaged in. You also must know what sort of clients you’re selling to. Then, assess your individuals and your organizations to determine whether you have the right characteristics to thrive in a particular sales environment. From there, you can assign or hire people based on their ability to deliver on those requirements. Assessments As an individual, a certain degree of introspection will help you determine whether sales even makes sense for you as a career. There are many assessments available that can help you determine whether you’re epistemically curious with a general thirst for knowledge or perceptually curious with a desire to solve problems and fix things. If you’re epistemically curious, you’re well suited for long sales cycles, complex selling, and larger deal size. If you’re more focused on getting it done today, you’ll b

Tue, June 11, 2019

Jason Atkins | Leveraging Sales Incentive Data to Increase Performance and ROI

Sales is equal parts art and science and one of the keys to success is leveraging sales incentive data to increase performance and ROI.  Jason Atkins is the founder of 360 Insights, a software platform that enables large brands to execute all of their channel incentive strategies. Jason’s company works with tens of thousands of salespeople who work for major brands and helps them get smarter and make data-driven decisions.  Critical data Many people believe that sellers must be born with the skillset to succeed. We believe that anyone with a desire to sell can succeed and get the proper training. Understanding data will help tremendously.  The art of sales deals with the relationships, the conversation handling, and dealing with objections. The science of sales revolves around data and activities.  Jason recalled hearing that we’ve created more data in the last year than in all of mankind combined. That kind of growth is exponential. Think about how much data that represents.  So how do you mine through the data and leverage the insights contained within it? How do you make the data actionable? Leveraging data Many companies believe that consumers buy products become of promotions or rebates. Jason’s company doesn’t believe that’s always accurate. Their response to these situations is that they’ll track the data and the consumer purchase information, and they’ll figure out why the consumers bought what they did.  What they found was that the promotion was the fourth reason the consumer purchased. The number one reason was “because the sales guy told me to buy it.”  The question becomes why are you so focused on the promotion when you should be focused on the key drivers to the relationship? Consider how you’re educating the buyer about your product? How are they ensured that you’re the trusted advisor? Purchases are a big decision, and people often buy based upon advice from others. How are you leveraging that to ensure that you provide great advice? Status quo Many of us make choices based upon the status quo. Zig Ziglar tells a story that his wife always cut the ends off of the meatloaf without really knowing why. Turns out the meatloaf was always too big for the pan she had, but no one knew that’s why she did it. Zig’s wife just always cut the ends off.  In sales, we often do things because that’s how our company has always done it. Instead, we should look at the data and determine what is actually most effective.  Jason’s company always deals in context for the data. In the case of the meatloaf, no one had context for why the ends were cut off.  Determine the context for decisions that were made in the past, then look at the hypothesis of what we should be doing in the fut

Mon, June 10, 2019

Donald Kelly | Sell Me This Pen!

You’ve likely heard the scenario before where an interviewer asks a seller to “ Sell me this pen ,” but how much value does this approach offer?? It’s bad enough that you’re already nervous about the interview, but if you’re thrown into a situation where the director of sales asks you to sell him a pen when you really have very little information to start from, you may find yourself fumbling for something to say.  Features and benefits Sellers who don’t know much about the product they are selling or the audience they are selling to usually revert to features and benefits. They sell the aspects of the product that they can see.  “It’s comfortable.” “It has a good grip.” “It has a clicky thing and even a laser pointer. That’s great for folks who do presentations.” “It writes smoothly and it isn’t too expensive. In fact, it’s cheaper than many of the pens on the market. And if you buy it today, I can throw in a notepad and a pocket protector.”  Why would people even do this test in the first place? Quick thinking People often conduct this test to see how well you think on your feet and how you perform under pressure. And though I can understand those motivations, this test won’t truly work unless you’re selling something that might be a consumer sale.  Typically, sellers aren’t selling simple products like pens. Rather they are selling something like a software solution that is much more expensive and has a much longer sales cycle. In those cases, it won’t matter as much how good you are with your words. You won’t be able to persuade someone within one minute to buy your expensive product.  If you’re selling inexpensive trinkets on the side of the road, it might just work. But if you’re selling something with a significant price value, it won’t.   Reviews   This idea might have provided a good judge of a seller’s abilities in the 80s and 90s, but today’s buyers rely on reviews. They are researching and asking friends and family for insights and input.  Today’s buyers will prepare before they enter the arena.  So as a sales leader, what if you stopped using this unrealistic test and offered a better one? What if you gave your sellers a scenario and ask them to prepare for it?  Test your sellers to see whether they can find true problems or interesting facts, figures, or statistics that will help you win the deal. Determine whether the sellers will try to “wing it” instead of coming prepared.  Sales scenario You want a sales rep who is prepared, so use your interview opportunity to determine their ability to prepare. Ask your receptionist to send a scenario to the interviewees. Let them know they will be asked to role play a selling scenario like this.  Pre

Fri, June 07, 2019

Shawn Finder | What Are Key Metrics to Track In Your Outbound Strategy?

We're talking about key metrics this month, and today Shawn Finder talks about the key metrics to track in your outbound strategy that will help you be successful.  Shawn was a professional tennis player before he launched into entrepreneurship in the form of Autoklose, a company that automates the top of the sales funnels for sales representatives.     Cold calling Shawn divides outbound into three different categories: cold-calling, emailing, and database because your database is the engine that keeps that car moving. You must have at least two of those inside your outbound strategy.  Within those three categories, you'll have different metrics.  Cold calling will include dial-to-connection percentage, dials-to-appointment ratio, dials-to-opportunity, and dials-to-deal. When you're cold calling, if you're dialing 100 people but you're only reaching 5, that isn't very successful. Maybe you're dialing 100 and reaching 10 knowing that 3 of those will turn into prospects and one of those will close.  If you don't know those analytics, you're going to fail because the analytics keep you moving forward toward the right strategy.  Frustration Beyond simply tracking numbers, metrics can help you avoid frustration as a sales rep. Many sellers get frustrated if they send five emails but the person never responds or if they make 15 calls but never reach anyone.  If you know that every 50 calls you should be getting three opportunities, you'll benchmark your success to those numbers.  As an SDR or a sales rep, unless you know your metrics ahead of time, you're going to get frustrated if you think you're not getting results. Knowing the analytics before you start will help you approach your calls differently. Statistics Shawn has found over time that most people, to include account managers, don't look enough at the stats. As a result, they don't know what is good versus what is bad, or what is terrible versus what is great.  His company lists the weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals for each rep. They track forecast versus actual numbers. The goal is to make sure they know whether they are on par to hit quota, outperform quota, or underperform.  They use a whiteboard in addition to digital tracking because reps don't always visit the spreadsheets. When the reps see their names with their metrics on the board every time they walk into the office, it keeps them accountable. It helps them know what they have to do in order to achieve their numbers.  Important metrics  The dials-to-appointment ratio is important to Shawn because if he's paying a dialer, and he knows how much each appointment can be worth, and he knows how many appointments he has to have in order to close a deal, he can then determine the ROI on his expense.  If he's spending $4,000 on a di

Wed, June 05, 2019

Roderick Jefferson | What Companies Get When It Come To Sales Enablement

Many people get  sales enablement  wrong because they have different concepts and ideas about what it actually is. Roderick Jefferson began his sales career as a BDR, then an AEE, and finally moved into sales management. He discovered that he enjoyed sales more than he enjoyed closing deals. So he stepped into sales training. Now, through his company Roderick Jefferson and Associates, he breaks the complexity of sales into practical ideas through scalable and repeatable practices. SALES ENABLEMENT MISTAKES Sales enablement helps develop the right conversations the right way with the right tools. Ultimately, it seeks to decrease time to ramp or increase productivity and revenue. Many companies make mistakes implementing their sales enablement. They fail to establish consistency and parameters. Many wait too long to hire sales enablement consultants. They assume they need a consultant or a resource without realizing they need both. One can help you lay the groundwork that you can hand off to another. Many companies aren’t really sure what they need. They know what isn’t working and they treat enablement like IT. But those who do sales enablement aren’t the fixers of broken things. They aren’t sales scribes or sales support. They must be sales partners. TRAINING VS. ENABLEMENT A difference exists between training and enablement. Roderick believes that training applies to animals while enablement applies to humans. Enablement is woven into the fabric of the company. It literally has to be one of the top five initiatives of the overall success of the company. It also must have specific time-bound and measurable deliverables, metrics, and  KPIs . MEASUREMENTS Some of the sales enablement measurements have changed. We used to talk about butts in seats, headcount, and NPS scores, but those things don’t carry water. Sales enablement now focuses on different questions. What’s the completion percentage of certification or accreditation? What’s the average deal size? Collateral use infrequency? How much new pipeline is being created? What’s the number of closed deals? What’s the product mix? What’s the quota attainment percentage?</l

Tue, June 04, 2019

Todd Caponi | Leading With Your Flaws

It seems counterintuitive in sales, but leading with your flaws can shorten the sales cycle and disarm your customers, ultimately leading you to better metrics. Todd Caponi was the chief revenue officer for a company called Power Reviews which helps retailers and brands collect and display ratings and reviews on their website. His time there caused him to rethink the way he leads sales organizations because he discovered that consumers were more likely to buy a product that had a 4.2 to 4.5 rating than a 5-star rating. Statistics show that 95 percent of consumers in the B2C world are looking at reviews before they buy. Of those, 82 percent are looking for negative reviews before buying. Todd wondered what might happen if the same notion could be applied to the B2B world. Pros and cons Todd embraced the idea of embracing the pros and cons and leading with them. He discovered that his first deal, which previously had a sales cycle of 6 months, closed within 4 weeks. They discovered that when you lead with your flaws, your sales cycle speeds up dramatically. You’ll qualify deals faster and eliminate those deals that you probably weren’t going to win anyway. Todd was in New York when his VP of sales called him to say the company had an inbound lead from an apparel brand that wanted to initiate an evaluation. The brand happened to be headquartered in NY, so Todd scheduled coffee with the senior vice president of e-commerce. The coffee meeting became a presentation instead, and the SVP got right to the point. Competitor is better He said that his company had been talking to Todd’s competitor, and he wanted to know why Todd’s company was better than the competitor. Todd figured he had nothing to lose, so he asked an unexpected question. “Do you mind if I tell you why the competitor is better?” He explained that the competitor had offerings that his own company didn’t, so if he wasn’t going to be able to meet their needs, he wanted to determine that quickly so both parties could move on. The room deflated. The guy clearly thought Todd was crazy, but he agreed to the idea. Todd talked about an add-on that the other company had but explained that his own company was focused on certain core beliefs. The SVP acknowledged that the add-on the competitor was offering wasn’t a necessity for his company, so they moved on. Transparency Within 20 minutes, the SVP kicked everyone else out of the meeting and grabbed a folder that includes the company’s budget for ratings and review software. He pointed to a number inside and asked Todd if he could hit that figure. The two engaged in a collaborative process that culminated in a deal a few weeks later. The company didn’t initiate an evaluation. It simply chose Todd’s company. He recounted that he had called Todd’s competitor, who quickly went on a rant about the add-

Tue, June 04, 2019

Andrew Tarvin | How to Use Humor In The Sales Process

Humor takes away tension and sellers who use humor in the sales process can increase efficiency and improve effectiveness. Andrew Tarvin realized over the course of his career that you can't be efficient with humans. Instead, you must be effective. His experience in stand-up comedy revealed that improv demands the same skills necessary to be an effective leader. He explored the intersection of humor in the workplace and fell in love with the subject. He observed that it's strange to think that companies pay him to teach employees to have more fun. He notes, though, that it's missing from the workplace, and he addresses the issue in his book, Humor That Works . Strategic humor We know that humor relieves stress and that it's overall a good thing. We do not seem to know how to deploy humor strategically. Rather than simply using it for the sake of fun. we must use it to achieve a specific result. How do I use humor in the sales process to build rapport?Can I get people to pay attention to what I'm saying with humor? Will humor relieve my own stress in the sales process? We tend to think work must be strictly business. In actuality, though, you're still dealing with humans. Humor inspires people to connect and let their guard down. Would you rather? Andrew calls it a stupid question, but he wonders whether people would rather do something fun or not fun? Of course, people will say they'd rather do something fun. And if work is a little more fun, they'd probably be more likely to do the work. If you could make interactions a little more enjoyable, people would be more willing to engage in them. Even if the work you're doing is serious in nature, like the Red Cross, you're still working with humans. Humor happens to be one of the most effective means of engaging people. It's something different that people enjoy. Working with the FBI The FBI has a group called the office of private sector where agents work to build relationships with senior leaders at private companies. If the FBI can develop strong relationships before there are problems within companies, they can more readily identify problems when they emerge. They want to set meetings with people but you can imagine how people respond when they hear from the FBI. Andrew worked to teach them how to use humor to build rapport. The agents learned to build rapport despite the intimidation factor. Boring meetings If you hold an initial meeting that bores your attendees, they won't want to attend the next time you invite them. If people get value out of your meetings and enjoy attending, they'll be more likely to attend future meetings. Humor isn't what you do. It doesn't replace the work. It's simply a matter of presenting information that someone needs in a way they enjoy consuming it. Engagin

Mon, June 03, 2019

Donald Kelly | You Don’t Know Enough To Build Value

Sellers who want to succeed must ask themselves a vitally important question: Are you ready and prepared to have a value-rich conversation? I recently took a camping trip with my buddies to St. Louis, and though many of us were excited about the trip, we realized that being prepared was something completely different. Being ready for it suggests that you believe in your ability to get it done. Being prepared means having the proper equipment and gear to succeed.     Sales pitch    My friend Doug shared recently that many different sellers pitch his company, and though many of them are ready, most are not prepared. Sellers often feel excited about the sales pitch and the possibility that it could lead to great opportunities for their company.  If, however, they arrive unprepared, they'll be unable to identify the problem their prospects are facing. They won't have any idea about how to solve the problem for the client.  If our crew didn't prepare for our camping trip, we wouldn't have enough food and water to sustain our group. If we can't communicate with the folks who are scheduled to pick us up, we could quickly find ourselves in the midst of a disaster.  Understanding problems Imagine I sell office furniture and I'm excited to pitch our new sofas and standing desks to my prospects. I must be ready and prepared to address the person's business, how it operates, how it makes money, and the changes that exist within the industry.  If my client is facing higher prices because of the trade war with China, I have to understand that business problem and then offer ways to solve it. It's the same as going camping without enough drinking water. You're going to land yourself in a tough situation, and ultimately, you'll sound like every other sales rep.  Be prepared The same friend was working with a prospect when he discovered that he didn't understand enough about the prospect's industry. He started by researching the people who were going to attend his upcoming meeting. He researched each person on LinkedIn so he was prepared to have good conversations.  Next, he Googled the company's history so the prospect wouldn't have to educate him on it. And when the prospect asked him what he knew about the company, he was able to share the history. He also observed that many of the company's employees changed position from one department or role to another. That helped him have more meaningful conversations about the changes the company was facing.  His preparation set him apart from his competitors, many of whom show up expecting the prospect to provide this information for them. Buying cycle  "Research repeatedly shows that buyers are 50 to 60 percent through the buying cycle before they ever meet with you. The buyers are more prepared than ever, which means that sellers

Fri, May 31, 2019

Ken Rutsky | Why Assessing Value is not as simple as it sounds, and how companies often get this wrong

Value is in the eye of the buyer, and because assessing value is not as simple as it sounds , companies often get this wrong. Ken Rutsky specializes in helping companies tell their story in a way that connects it to the customer. He says that value is all connected to the stories we tell. Defining value We're trying to sell something. Essentially what we're doing is making a trade of the two things they value the most in order of least to more. Money is the thing everybody values, but often buyers value their time even more. They value the time they spend understanding, evaluating, and implementing a solution or a product. We're asking our buyers for two rare commodities, so we have to deliver something that is equal to or hopefully greater in value. As a result, the simple definition of value is what will the customer open his wallet and pay for? Many sales reps perceive that they are creating value but that may not be the case because assessing value is not as simple as it seems. Perceived value Ken said that the biggest mistake sales reps make is overvaluing value. Seems strange to say in a discussion all about value, but it's true. If we're sitting next to each other on an airplane and I'm showing you pictures of my four kids, by the third kid you've probably seen enough. We tend to get excited about our goods and services just like we do about our kids. Many times, we want to show the client thousands of pictures of it. We overvalue what they'll see in it. Instead, we really need to relate our product to our customers. Sales doesn't work the way it once did. Your customer doesn't need you to tell him about your product. They'll go to your website and find out everything they ever wanted to know.  In the book Launching to Leading , Ken talks about how salespeople should succeed today. Start by creating that shared context with the customer. Realize, too, that it's the customer's context, not yours.  Viewpoint You have to start the conversation about your customer's world. Come in educated about how you can transform your customer's world.  In a recent survey of B2B buyers, business buyers ranked product knowledge as the 8th most important factor in the process. They ranked the seller's ability to understand the buyer's business as the number one priority.  Number 2 was the ability to teach the customer something he didn't already know. Don't enter the relationship with the intent to sell something. Instead, have a conversation about their business, and then teach them something.  Teaching is critical to establishing your value as a salesperson. If the customer isn't learning from you, he could just as easily go to your website instead. In fact, most customers are 60 percent through the process before they ever want to speak to a salesperson. Find a teaching op

Thu, May 30, 2019

Gilda and Felix | Growing and Creating Value

During our time at the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council's expo, we've met a number of people who understand the secrets behind growing your business and creating value . Felix Bratslavsky works at Tampa General Hospital, a very large level-one trauma center that is number one in Florida for transplants. The organization has more than 8,000 employees but they still contract out much of their workload. Gilda Rosenberg started a vending machine company 35 years ago in Miami and she slowly grew it to include major clients like universities, schools, and hospitals. She calls her relationship with  the NMSDC a love affair that resulted in referrals, connections, and mentorship that helped her to grow her business. Partnerships Tampa General has a minority business program that breaks out the four procurement categories from construction and professional services to general goods and services, and medical services and supplies. The hospital has a lot of contracting opportunities and a lot of partners within the state of Florida and even nationwide. The Minority Business Enterprise program administered by the NMSDC recognizes for-profit businesses in the U.S. that are 51 percent owned, operated, capitalized, and controlled by minorities. Felix says that MBEs that want to stand out should strive to be a partner. Add value, be cost-efficient, and know about the customer. Understand the customers' goals, their missions, and where they're headed. Bring the solution to wherever your prospective customer is going. In the case of Tampa General, the hospital recently got a new CEO that is leading the organization down a different path. MBEs that want to engage should recognize that the business has changed paths and they should offer solutions that relate to the path the company is on. Be an expert in your own business. Instead of coming to the prospect with a variety of items, they should know the situation well enough to narrow the solution down the best possible option and lead with that one. Homework MBEs must do their homework and focus on preparation if they that want to get noticed. Organizations receive hundreds of emails every day, so generic outreach will generally get deleted. Learn the process to get on the vendor application and then build a relationship. Finally, come with solutions. Understand your business and their business well enough that you can have meaningful conversations about each. If you want to be the next partner, you should already know who your competitors are, and who your prospect is currently using and why they are using that company. You should know whether a contract exists, and whether it's up for renewal. Companies that do those things win opportunities. Differentiate Differentiate yourself by being prepared. When there are so many companies doing th

Tue, May 28, 2019

Lauren Cohen | What are the Secret ScaleUPSuccess Strategies?

The same secret scale up success strategies that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses to the next level will benefit individual sellers who recognize their territories as their own business. Lauren Cohen works with foreign investors to find the right business opportunities, make the right investments, and get and keep their visas. She discovered along the way that many of these people didn't pay a lot of attention to their business structures and that the same was true of American business people. 7 Steps Scale Up Success Strategy Lauren characterizes her role as creating a GPS for your business, but you have to have a destination. You can't tell your GPS that you don't know where you're going. These 7 areas of a business' foundation can result in disaster if they are overlooked. Funding in capitalization. Without the right capital, or if you're under-funded or under-capitalized, it doesn't matter how great your business idea is, you're going to fall apart.  Business planning. If you don't have a business plan and an exit strategy, you don't begin with the end in mind. Branding and marketing. Building your brand is part of your foundation but it doesn't exist independent of all these other elements, and marketing is part of branding. Legal and compliance. Without a legal structure in place, which so many business owners don't have, you're risking your family and everything you have. Financial and taxes. Everyone knows what that is all about. Operations and systems. Without systems, you can't repeat your success. Insurance and licensing. If you don't have insurance and someone sues you, you've got nothing to protect you. Without the right licenses, you can be shut down. Know your area You cannot be an expert in every area, so Lauren's number one tip is to stay in your lane. You don't know what you don't know. Figure out where your gaps are and then allow someone who is an expert to oversee the process. She suggests a 3-step process to assess your company. Assess Diagnose Deliver Diagnose the issues and then fill the gaps you identified in the process. Exit strategy Lauren related the story of a client who wanted to exit her business within five years so she needed an exit strategy. She needed a strategy to get from where she is to where she needs to be. She wants to sell to one of four parties but she doesn't want to sell at a discount on her dollar. Rather, she wants to sell at the highest possible dollar amount. In order to do that, she needs to increase the profits. That's where the various elements of branding, compliance, taxes, operations, and all these other components become important because they will help the business owner get more value at the time of exit. [Tweet "Begin wi

Tue, May 28, 2019

Kyle Burt | Every Seller Should Create Good Content

Every seller should create good content as a tool to gain leads, grow their business, and increase overall success.  Kyle Burt first heard The Sales Evangelist podcast two years ago when we interviewed Alex Berman about using video in sales. Kyle, who once chose business school over film school, went home and started making videos.  Massive success Kyle quickly turned his video capability into massive success for himself. Before video, he was using cold calls, email, and "screaming from the tops of mountains," knocking on every door and delivering cookies. When you're starting out, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes.  He realized that video provided a good strategy to get leads. But he shifted his focus to making videos because he wanted to make videos. He realized he had a level of value and a perspective that wasn't being shared.  Kyle recognized, too, that only the people in his bubble would understand the content he was posting because it was niche content.  Coca-Cola He established a weekly schedule because he knew he had to post consistently, and he introduced Whiteboard Wednesdays. It was a chance to introduce different technologies. Maybe 20 videos later, he was on vacation in Cancun in 2017 when he got a LinkedIn message from the VP of technology for Coca-Cola. He assumed someone was pranking him, but in fact, the gig turned into a consulting opportunity with the company. When Kyle realized the VP had seen the very first video he ever posted, the most awkward of the bunch, he knew that he was on to something with video.  Objections  In the case of objections, sellers often face their own objections to appearing in or creating videos.  "I don't look good enough for the camera."  "I don't have the right equipment."  "There isn't enough time to create videos." The important parts of the content are good audio and good content.  [Tweet "When you see something that looks like a commercial, smells like a commercial, and feels like a commercial, most people run. Instead, be relatable in your videos and focus on the message. #VideoContent"] Fear of the comments In my own case, I've been slow to take advantage of YouTube because I'm a little bit afraid of the comments I might get. People can be nasty sometimes.  The point is that there will always be the possibility of those comments. Someone once told Kyle he sounded like a little baby. He wasn't even entirely sure what they meant by it, but he had to let it roll right off.  You have to be ready to take it on the chin when you put yourself out there. You're going to get some good and some bad.  Internalize the fact that nobody has it all figured out, and then realize that people are genuinely good. Most people don't want to tear you down, so do

Mon, May 27, 2019

Donald Kelly | Should I Give Client References?

It can be frustrating for prospects to ask to speak to your current customers, and it can leave you wondering, " Should I Give Client References? " It can be tricky to balance this need, because you don't want your current customers, the ones you've developed into raving fans, to be constantly bombarded by prospects. Root cause Throughout the process, your prospects are trying to determine whether you're a good fit and whether you can truly help solve their problem. I recommend that you develop a wide base of people that can give you good support. But let's address the root cause of how your prospects got to this point. In my experience, it's because they don't have confidence in you as an organization, so they are seeking third-party validation. They don't want to make a bad decision. Put yourself in your buyer's shoes. His job or his reputation may be on the line. His company may not have a lot of money, so they can't waste it on buying the wrong product or service. Diffuse risk This issue usually traces back to a fear of risk, so you must diffuse this fear. [Tweet "If you're getting the request for references early on in your sales process, somehow you're failing to address their fears. #Objections"] It's not bad to give customer references, but client testimonials might work better. You can collect them in video form or as case studies. In last week's episode, we discussed the importance of leave-behinds, and testimonials might be a great option for you, especially if you're in a high-risk industry. Leave behind video testimonials of your current customers addressing some of the common questions or the challenging objections you routinely hear. You can leave them information about your past customers' pain and how you've addressed it. You can also indicate that you'll discuss these topics more on your next interaction. Your prospects simply don't want to be guinea pigs. Value You know your product or service is fantastic, but your prospects don't know that yet. Give value in order to help them understand. Use videos, case studies, and client testimonials on your website to communicate value. You can also create YouTube videos to help your client when he does the research you know he's planning to do. They'll establish a level of comfort with your product or service. If I'm your customer, I've got my own business to run. I'm too busy to answer all your customers' questions and to do all your selling for you. Referral phone calls interrupt my day. Compromise Perhaps the best option, then, is to offer to provide testimonials and case studies first to see if they can address the most frequent questions. Then, if the customer still has a level of uncertainty, you can consider providing referrals. You can even explain that you're trying to be considera

Fri, May 24, 2019

Lindsay Pedersen | Forging An Ironclad Brand

Your brand tells your story when you're not in the room, and today Lindsay Pedersen shares tips for forging an ironclad brand with sales reps, entrepreneurs, and other business professionals.  Lindsay is a brand strategist who helps professionals identify the single idea that their business stands for. She's passionate about working with leaders to harness the power of brand every day.  Branding Brand is what you stand for in the mind of your audience. If your audience is a group of customers, it's the thing you mean to your customers. If it's future employers, it's what you mean to them. It's a crystallized meaning of what you uniquely bring to your audience.  [Tweet "When you stand for one idea, it's easier for your audience to grasp it than if you stand for multiple ideas. It's easier for a person to let one idea in. #branding"] When you spray a bunch of ideas out, it's harder for your audience to understand. It's in our interest for our audience to be able to understand because they'll be more like to remember us, like us, and talk about us.  It's up to us to make it easy by distilling it for them. Empathy We want to empathize and understand what it's like to be our customer. You and your company are not the center of the universe for that customer. They have many other things going on besides your value proposition.  When you crystallize it into something specific, it uses their worldview rather than their worldview. It makes it easier for them to buy what you're selling. Sometimes as businesses, we forget that we're not selling to a machine or an inanimate object. We're selling to humans with joys, sorrows, scarcities, worries, and pride. When they feel seen they are more likely to bond with you and want to do business with you.  Deconstructing brand One of Lindsay's motives for writing her book was people's widely varying definitions of brand. For some people, it's the name of the business. For others, it's the logo. Others assume it's related to marketing budget or television advertising.  She concluded that the concept was becoming problematic, and she wanted to demystify it.  There's some merit to all of those ideas, but she needed to bust the myths about what brand isn't. Otherwise, we'll keep having puzzling conversations where people aren't speaking the same language.  9 Criteria of ironclad brand Not all brand is created equally. You have a brand whether you deliberately created it or allowed it to be passively created.  If you aren't actively choosing the meaning, you won't have the brand position you want to have. A brand needs to be big enough to matter to your customer. A brand must be narrow enough that you own it.  Your brand must be asymmetrical so it uses yo

Thu, May 23, 2019

Abdula and Ebony | Hyper Growing Small Businesses

Growing a small business requires you to think like an entrepreneur, and we can avoid reinventing the wheel if we engage with experienced entrepreneurs to learn more about hyper-growing small businesses . The Florida State Minority Supply Development Council connects us with successful entrepreneurs from a variety of industries, and many of them are using the council to grow their businesses. Every business, regardless of size, struggles with some kind of difficulty. Today, we'll hear from Ebony and Abdullah about how they've overcome the big challenges of entrepreneurship. Accidental entrepreneur Ebony started her career in oil and gas until she found herself facing an ultimatum from her management team. She was being moved to an office that she didn't want to occupy. She took it as a sign to take time for herself. And because of a non-compete clause built into her contract, she took a year off from work and went to coaching school to improve herself and become a better leader. She quickly realized that the idea of coaching had some legs when a friend of hers called her in need of a coach. Although she only had a weekend of training under her belt, the friend recognized that Ebony had more coaching experience than she did. She helped her friend return to the workforce after maternity leave and then moved forward from there. The transition was difficult but she made the decision to invest in herself. She had great savings and knew how to be frugal. She also sold her house in a hot market, which gave her a cushion and time to learn her new profession. Next level She found herself at a business development conference trying to figure out how to get to the next level. Ebony knew that she wouldn't make the same money she had made in her trading career until she became a great coach. She focused on becoming a good practitioner rather than scaling the business. She said she needed to know what she didn't know. She wanted to become the coach that she needed when she was in corporate America. She and other women at the conference decided to create a mastermind, and through that relationship, she discovered the value of certifications for coaches. Ebony also discovered that there were corporations out there that wanted to spend more than a billion dollars annually with small business. Since then, she acquired all the necessary certifications for coaching and she said that people recognize her at events now. The key is to tell people what you do. And then tell them again and again. Eventually, they'll hire you for a small contract and then they'll get bigger. Community Ebony points to her mastermind as one of the drivers of her growth and success. She also said that her four years with the NMSDC have helped her learn things she didn't know she didn't know. [Tweet "Business owners a

Wed, May 22, 2019

Dr. Frances Richards | Sales From The Street |My Ideal Customer

Business owners and sales reps who try to sell to everyone will struggle to succeed until they decide to focus their efforts on the ideal customer . Today, Dr. Frances Richards, whose company helps people reclaim their wealth by transforming their health, talks about the journey of finding her ideal customer. Sales From The Street allows us to connect with a sales professional and hear about the biggest professional struggles that person faced. Dr. Frances is the host of a podcast called Black Entrepreneur Experience, where she interviews CEOs, innovative thinkers, thought leaders, and black entrepreneurs across the globe. Finding a tribe Her biggest struggle was finding her ideal customer, and connecting with the people that her message would resonate with. When you're building an internet business, there are so many different ways to connect with people that it can sometimes be overwhelming for businesses that are trying to find their tribe. She points to the fact that there are plenty of people telling you what you should do to connect with your ideal client, so it's tough to know what to do. She said that people told her, "It's all in the email list," or "It's all in social media," or "It's all in Facebook advertising," or "It's all in the messaging." Changing landscape The hardest part, she said, is trying to determine what's really relevant. And with the internet constantly changing things, the way you build a company in 2019 is different than the steps you might have taken in 2014. The steps to find your ideal customer have changed. And when you talk about sales, certain steps are appropriate whether you're online or offline. Building rapport, and building quality relationships, matters in every situation. Authenticity Dr. Frances said that in order to find her ideal customer, she had to block out all the noise and focus on authenticity. She started by deprogramming herself from the idea of working for someone else. She said she had to adjust to the idea of working for herself and to lose all of the things she was accustomed to, like listening to the bosses tell her what she needed to do. Because she had done many different kinds of sales, she was able to change her mindset from employee mode to employer mode. Then she had to be true to who she really wanted to serve. When she was an employee, she had to serve anyone. Once she started to define who to serve, then she started to attract her ideal customer as opposed to just doing cold calling. To-do lists She had an extensive to-do list of doing 10 posts a day, doing a Facebook live, doing a Periscope, posting on LinkedIn, and all of those other things. She was busy working on the business instead of in the business, which actually brings in income. Once she prioritized how she would get sales and how she would bring value, she got out of the

Tue, May 21, 2019

CJ Lattimore and Gustavo Hermida | Storytelling and Leadership

I often learn from entrepreneurs and I discovered a lot about storytelling and leadershi p recently during the Florida State Minority Development Council's expo. On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we'll hear from two of the entrepreneurs I met there. The best leaders learn from past leaders, whether the leadership was good or bad. CJ Latimore and Gustavo Hermida work in two different industries, but the things they share here apply no matter what industry you're selling in. Urban development CJ Latimore is a public art specialist who characterizes his work as "telling stories through architecture and urban development. He says it's about hanging on to cultural icons even after certain buildings have been torn down. He boils it down to adding a soul to buildings. It's one thing to have a building that's structurally sound but CJ believes it's vital to track the communities and demographics that existed in the building before it was torn down. Very often, when a building is torn down to make way for something new, the previous demographic is forgotten. So is their story. Storytelling CJ says it's possible to tell a story without saying a single word, and he points to art as the mechanism. [Tweet "The art of your legacy is bringing people together. #StoryArt"] We must bring people together more efficiently and create a sense of timelessness along the way. Begin by getting people to hear your story. Sales reps often try to add value to the company without even knowing anything about you or developing rapport with you. Business etiquette Consider this situation from a business etiquette perspective. If you don't know me and you don't know what my story is about, how can you act to help me? How can you add value? CJ's mission is to build images to help people get what they want in a prestigious way. When he shares that with people, they often ask to hear more. And when you can get people to say they want to hear more, they're ready for your story. Survival thinking He said his biggest challenge was lack of awareness. Because the human brain is hard-wired to think about food, shelter, and clothing, stories that don't incorporate those ideas can get lost. The answer, he said, is to be creative. Tell a story that will make people focus on something else even briefly. In this case, many people don't readily know what they can do with art. Perhaps it doesn't make sense to them. They don't go to shows or museums. The trick is to incorporate your uniqueness and associate it with food, shelter, and clothing. Survival and storytelling Everyone has pain and the quickest way to get someone to listen to you is to provide a solution to help their pain go away. You'll have their immediate attention because no one wants to be in pain. If

Mon, May 20, 2019

Donald Kelly | Fatal Mistake: You’re Not Leaving Anything Behind

If you find that your deals are falling through the cracks or you're losing your prospects to your competition, perhaps the problem is that you're not leaving anything behind .  You might be thinking of brochures and other leave-behinds, but that's not what we're talking about here. Instead, we're talking about the things you should be leaving behind any why these things are so critical to moving your deal forward.  Research phase Unless you're dealing with a referral, when you're dealing with a prospect, that person is probably considering other people as well. Even if the prospect reached out to you and seems completely interested, that person is ultimately looking for the best deal.  You must stay top of mind. Ensure that you stay relevant and always present without being annoying. You must give the prospect something valuable.  Content Consider leaving content behind that ties directly to what you've already discussed. Or leave content that helps the prospect prepare for the next scheduled meeting.  Once you've done this a time or two, you'll understand why it's so important.  Imagine IT companies in this situation that are evaluating service companies. You won't be the only company they are considering, but you want them to forget those other companies and focus on yours.  One option is to determine which other companies the prospect is considering. Create landmines Create landmines for the competitor.  For instance, when I sold document management services, I had a competitor whose services were only good for one department. The competitor served that department very well, but the other departments hated their services.  I planted the idea in our prospects' minds that a tool that only benefits one department isn't really a valuable tool for the entire company. My leave-behind was the idea that the competitor would only benefit a small portion of the company. If it wasn't a good fit, certain departments wouldn't use it, which would result in wasted money because no one used the software.  I suggested to the prospect that a solution that benefits everyone would be a better fit. Format In the past, that kind of content might have appeared in the form of a white paper. Now, however, your prospects are busy and many things are grabbing at their attention. Instead, consider a LinkedIn post or article, or a podcast, or a video addressing the issue. Identify the top things that make your company a favorable choice. Highlight the challenges that your company can solve better than the competition.  Educate your buyer before you return for the next meeting or demonstration. That way, when the prospect meets with the competition, they'll know what issues to ask questions about.  If you're not leaving anything behind, the prospect may simply r

Fri, May 17, 2019

Oscar Trimboli | How Do You Listen To What The Prospect Isn't Saying?

Sometimes we lose out on promising deals because our prospects are giving us indications that all is not well but we're failing to listen to what the prospect isn't saying . Oscar Trimboli is a deep listening expert who is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the world, and he starts by helping us understand what we should be listening for when we interact with our prospects. Taught to speak We all learned to speak, to do math, and to study literature, but none of us can remember our listening teacher. As sales reps, we spend a minimum of 55 percent of our day listening, but only about 2 percent of us have been taught how to listen. [Tweet "The productivity hack for the sales rep of the 21st century is learning how to listen. #ListenToLearn"] Remember these two bits of statistics as you listen to the information in today's podcast. The 125/400 rule. I can speak 125 words per minute, but you can listen at 400 words per minute. You're programmed to be distracted and filling in 300 words. You're contemplating what to have for dinner or what to do over the weekend when you realize you have to get back into the conversations. The 125/900 rule. Your prospect can speak at 125 words per minute but you can think at 900 words per minute. The likelihood that the first thing your prospect says is actually the thing he means is about 1 in 9 or 11 percent. If you had 11 percent chance of a successful surgery, you probably wouldn't proceed without a second opinion. Most likely, your prospect is well-rehearsed and is speaking like a well-oiled machine. The most powerful thing we can do is explore the other 800 words per minute that are stuck in their heads. Unblocking pipeline When we grab on to those unspoken words, we can unblock pipeline and begin to understand our prospects. We must be mindful to ask our prospects what they are thinking and to listen for the things the prospects aren't saying. Oscar spends his days teaching people to be obsessed about the cost of not listening. We often don't do this because we assume our competition is those people we normally compete against. Many of us are listening for code words that a prospect might say that would link to a product or benefit. The really skillful sales reps focus on the customer's customer's problem. Instead of thinking about the person in front of you, think about the customer that this person must go speak to. The pipeline becomes shorter and more qualified, and you avoid unexpected surprises. Change the question We should consider the power of asking the question, "How does a business case like this get approved in your organization?" We're good at asking who approves deals without asking how they get approved. Once we ask how it gets approved we will understand who else we're being comp

Thu, May 16, 2019

Jordan Ray | She is Too Young

Jordan Ray has endured more challenge in her 21 years than most people experience in a lifetime, so when she goes into a large hospital to share the product she has developed, many people believe that she is too young and they fail to understand that she is making a difference and helping others. It's a common challenge that many people face, and I faced it in the early days of The Sales Evangelist when I was 30 years old and advising people who were twice my age. Generations When Jordan's health failed at 17, she discovered a need for patients with chronic health conditions to accurately track their pain and symptoms. The log helps patients track their own experiences as a way to improve their treatment plans. Jordan isn't offended when people discount her because she's young. As a softball coach for 15- to 18-year-old girls, she recognizes that she's only three years older than her players, and she remembers what it's like to be immature. She said she doesn't get frustrated by the fact that people assume she'll waste their time because she's too young. In fact, she attributes some of it to the fact that people make assumptions about her generation. First impression Though you only get one chance at a first impression, it's possible to change the impression people have. Jordan points to the story and relationships as the keys to overcoming people's assumptions about her. She's very big on building relationships because she understands that people who aren't sold on her product won't buy it no matter how hard she pushes. If they aren't interested in her product after she shares her story and the value she offers, pushing won't change that. [Tweet "Focus on building relationships instead of selling because even if people don't buy, they might refer you to someone who will buy. #BuildingRelationships"] She considers herself good with people and she said that's key to owning a sales company. Building relationships Jordan goes to a breakfast networking event every Tuesday where she's the youngest person by about 25 years. She estimates that she has shared a sit-down with all 50 members of the group despite being too young. Many of them like her story because she only shares a 30-second brief. She tells them enough of her story to leave them intrigued so that they want to have a follow-on meeting with her. She begins the relationship by looking for way

Wed, May 15, 2019

Mark Panciera | Replacement Picture

Sellers have built up tension and fears which prevent us from reaching our true potential, but if we create a replacement picture of what success will look like, we'll move toward positive change. Mark Panciera is a third-generation funeral director, so he says he has a caregiver's heart, but he has grown into being a sales maven. He's a partner of the Pacific Institute, a performance consulting firm with an international footprint, where he helps leaders tap into their potential to drive greater personal and professional performance. Meaningful change All meaningful, lasting change starts within ourselves and then works its way out. That equates to mindset or habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations. It's focusing on the beliefs that are propelling us to our greater good or our higher purpose. It's about the pictures that we hold in our mind. Sometimes as sales reps we get focused only on closing the deal. Even before that, we may routinely tell ourselves garbage that keeps us from reaching our potential. What grows naturally Think about what grows naturally in a garden: weeds. Likewise, we have a natural inclination. We've got this chatterbox in our minds that acts as a little committee telling us what we can and can't accomplish. Don't try new things. Don't leave your comfort zone. You'll be ridiculed if you fail.  Mark was full of trepidation when he moved from the caregiving role to transacting business with leaders around the globe. He realized that his self-talk was holding him back. Mark couldn't imagine that he could teach them anything that they didn't already know. He had to feel the fear and then move anyway. Mark needed to run toward the roar. It's more easily said than done, but he realized that he had a choice to become more transactionally oriented or to stay where he was. He could either do it or not. Adult choices have adult consequences. You will have consequences to your choice to make a solicitation or do an outreach or dial just one more time despite a bunch of "no" answers. Higher purpose Mark knows that ultimately his higher purpose is served because he will be a caregiver to a larger audience when he transacts business. He chooses to say yes to that purpose because beyond the fear or resistance or limiting beliefs or self-talk is the replacement picture that emerges when he serves his higher purpose. [Tweet "We move toward and become like the things we think about. So replace the negative self-talk with positivity and focus on what it's going to look like, smell like, or taste like when you succeed. #Success"] When you're helping people and giving them the tools to think and perform differently, create a "want to" mentality instead of a "have to" mentality. When people are forced to do som

Tue, May 14, 2019

Weldon Long | How to Achieve Personal and Professional Greatness in the Face of Adversity

Even if we have the right process or the best mindset, every seller is going to encounter difficulties, so we must figure out how we'll stick to our mission and achieve greatness in the face of adversity. Weldon Long has plenty of personal experience dealing with adversity in the form of 13 years in the penitentiary, homelessness, and dropping out of high school. He had what he calls a dysfunctional life, but he learned the ability to thrive in the face of difficulty. Difficulties are coming The truth is that difficulties are coming. It's easy in personal life or in sales life to feel overwhelmed and tempted to wave the white flag of surrender. Weldon was in federal prison when his dad died. He got a note to call home from one of the prison guards. He remembers realizing that his dad died with him in prison again . He had a three-year-old son that he fathered while he was out on parole. He realized that he wasn't being a very good father or son. He made the decision to change the course of his life but he had no idea where to start. He still had seven years left in prison, so he started reading. Copy successful people His master plan was to figure out what successful people were doing and copy that. Seven years later, he walked out of prison and lived in a homeless shelter at 39 years old. He learned how to sell reading books and he started knocking on doors looking for a sales job. It took about six months to find a job because he was a convicted felon living in a homeless shelter. He got a job selling air conditioners and had a great first year. The next year, he used his earnings to open his own air conditioning company. Though he knew nothing about air conditioning, he knew how to sell air conditioners. He hired the operations people and grew the company to $20 million in five years. In 2009, his company was selected as one of America's fastest growing privately held companies. His life has been a study in overcoming adversity, and the lessons are useful for anyone because everyone will eventually face challenges. Learning to face them is the key to achieving greatness in the face of adversity. Sales process Weldon points to the sales process as the secret to building a successful business. The prospects are 100 percent in control of the result. They get to decide whether they will write us a check or not. The sellers are 100 percent in control of the process. Far too many sales professionals focus on the outcome rather than focusing on what they actually control, which is the process. Weldon quickly learned all the difficulties of selling and he said he was amazed by the number of honest people who would promise to call him to follow up but who never did. Buyers will say one thing and do something else, perhaps largely because they fear getting ripped off or misle

Mon, May 13, 2019

Donald Kelly | Interest In Something When The Customer Isn’t Looking

Sellers who discover how to be successful without a marketing department, in a crowded marketplace, and when the customer isn't even looking will be successful in almost any circumstances. I got a question from a listener named Jon Billings who wanted to know how he could teach people who "don't know what they don't know." For instance, if the customer isn't looking because he doesn't know he has a problem, how do I communicate that? Especially in the case of sellers who don't have access to a marketing department, how is that even possible? Educate Your goal is to educate your prospects so that they will look to you instead of your competition when they need help solving a problem. Educating is the new sales. Regardless of the industry, you're in, your marketplace is likely crowded. How do you stand out from the competition? How do you help customers recognize you as a differentiator? You have to challenge the status quo, especially when many of your prospects already have solutions or they don't realize the existence of a problem. Build Community [Tweet "You must create content consistently and then share it so that you build a community. That way, when someone is ready, they'll come to you first. #ContentCreation"] Become a content producer. Even if you have a marketing department, you should have your own individual brand. Take that brand with you wherever you go. Even if you change industries, your brand goes with you. Answer questions Write down the top 10 questions that customers ask you or that prospects bring up in conversation. Whether they center around cost or service, answer those questions in the form of sharable content. You can write a blog or produce a podcast. Even better, you can create a LinkedIn article or video. Focus on the problem while you're answering the question. For example, what other issues could your prospect focus on if he outsourced his IT services to your company? What opportunity costs exist? Differentiate My friend Kyle invited me to do a LinkedIn Live with him recently and we recorded an episode with him for our show as well. Kyle told us about how he started sharing videos on YouTube answering questions, and though the videos weren't very fancy in his estimation, someone reached out to him from Coca Cola with an opportunity for him. He's in the tech industry, and though there

Fri, May 10, 2019

Stephen A. Hart | Three Things Small Businesses Get Wrong When Marketing

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesalesevangelist/TSE_1091.mp3" background="blurred_logo" ] When you're looking to grow your business or your brand, it's important that you recognize the three things small businesses get wrong when marketing. We're at the Florida State Minority Development Council expo visiting with my friend Stephen A. Hart . He's a brand alignment strategist who helps entrepreneurs grow an amazing brand that is authentic, relatable, and profitable. Mistake #1: Overlooking messaging Many people hear the word branding and they think of logos or designs. But pretty websites don't sell things. Words do. People get unnecessarily caught up on design but what they need to focus on is clear messaging. You have to clarify your message so that customers will listen. Be deliberate about articulating what you do. In order to do that, you must understand who you're serving. Too many people think they are serving everyone with their product or service but that isn't the case. If I'm speaking to grandma and I'm speaking to my niece, we're not having the same conversation. The language is different. If you understand that you're speaking to a particular group of people, there is a language that connects to that person. When you understand their pain points and their demographics, you can communicate your message about how your product or service solves a problem. Dialing in Stephen recalled a realtor who focused on selling to millennials and young couples. That's who she was serving, but her message didn't reach those people. She was trying to serve everyone. Dial your message in. Understand who you're truly serving. When you do, your message doesn't have to be pitchy about your product or service. Your content can create a connection between you and your community. Then your community will share it with others in the space. Messaging isn't a static process. It's dynamic. You'll constantly be optimizing your message. Your brain We lack trust in those we connect and do business with. Understand that your brain is trying to survive and thrive. Within that, there are three things it's trying to accomplish. You want to

Thu, May 09, 2019

Troy Rackley | I'm Selling More Than Water

Hearing from other sellers can help us improve our own techniques, and today Troy Rackley shares his own killer message and how he communicates that he's selling more than water . Troy grabbed my friend Steven Hart's attention and Steven told me I had to interview him. Big shoutout to the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council for connecting us with entrepreneurs like Troy. Water problems Troy's company, The Next Level of Performance, operates everywhere water flows: residential, commercial, or agricultural. He always begins by asking people what problem they are having with their water. They usually say it tastes bad or smells like chlorine. Troy customizes his solution for the problem the prospect is having. He then asks, "Do you drink out of the tap?" to which most of his customers say no. Troy challenges that answer by pointing out that because our skin is the largest organ of our bodies, taking a 15-minute shower is the equivalent of drinking 8 glasses of water out of the tap. The water is absorbed into your skin. So whatever you're avoiding out of your tap is being absorbed into your body anyway. Educating customers Troy educates his customers through a questioning process . It pulls the customer in and they naturally want to close the story loop. They want to know how they can fix this problem. Troy starts by administering a third-party test to the customer's water. He insists on a third-party test for integrity purposes. He figures if he's the one providing the solution, he can't also be the one telling you what the problem is. When water companies claim to have tested water for their clients, it's akin to the fox guarding the henhouse. They can literally tell you anything. Troy offers an independent, third-party assessment of what's wrong with the customer's water. Custom filtration Troy educates his customers about the undesirable things in their water and then describes the custom filtration system that will address those problems. Troy calls it water math . The municipalities add all kinds of chemicals into the water to kill bacteria. Troy's company works to subtract those things so it doesn't get to the customer. Troy personalizes the message. Unlike big box companies who want to push a single idea or product, Troy offers uni

Wed, May 08, 2019

Jason Bay | Changing The Email Game | 1089

I get a lot of requests to appear on The Sales Evangelist, but Jason Bay set himself apart from the crowd by sending a video email and changing the email game . Jason started his sales career while he was in college, and he and his wife now run a company called Blissful Prospecting , where they remove the stress of prospecting by doing it for their clients. He quickly discovered that the smaller midsize business was overlooked in the existing offerings, and he wanted to provide a less robust service that still produced the same type of results. Mom and pop Jason discovered there weren't a whole lot of companies that were willing to work with smaller organizations. Those companies that don't really have any SDRs and maybe they don't even know the lingo. Jason wanted to help those business owners who are already multitasking with some of their business development. They don't have time to list build and personalize emails. We've discovered the same dynamic at The Sales Evangelist. Many of the companies that need help are smaller companies whose sales reps have no training and no real process. The company expects the rep to thrive but they have no basis for it. It becomes a vicious cycle of reps who wash out or leave to go to another company. The business hires another rep with no real training or process, and the cycle begins again. Video prospecting Jason's company prospects for itself, too, so the company does what it sells. Part of prospecting and selling is explaining to people what you do. People assume when he refers to video that it's YouTube and other content creation. Video prospecting is similar to writing an email. It's common knowledge now that your emails must be personalized beyond a first name. You must actually include something in the email that's personal to the reader. Many people take this approach: Hey Donald,  I listened to one of your recent podcasts about this topic and I discovered... (fill in the blank.) While it's personalized, it's a little redundant. We have to work to empathize with the prospect, and they may prove to be a little more difficult for men. Video allows you to put a face to an email. It allows the recipient to see a human being instead of reading an email, so you're changing the email game. You can still send an email or a LinkedIn message. You can't fake video. Everything in prospecting demands that you do it the right way if you want to succeed. Thi

Tue, May 07, 2019

Brynne Tillman | 4 Pillars to Leveraging LinkedIn for Business Development | 1088

You may believe that social selling won't work for your company or industry, but if you take advantage of the 4 pillars to leveraging LinkedIn for business development , you'll be surprised at how it can help you expand your reach. Brynne Tillman is the CEO and "LinkedIn Whisperer" of Social Sales Link and the author of The LinkedInSales Playbook and she has spent more than a decade coaching people to unlock the power of the platform. LinkedIn profile LinkedIn has its own social selling index so if you visit getmyssiscore.com you get your personal score, out of 100, that will rate your social selling acumen. Your LinkedIn profile is where that lies. Sellers make the mistake of using their LinkedIn profile as a resume when, in fact, it should be a resource. Corporate Visions reports that 74 percent of buyers choose the sales rep that provided value and insight early in the buyer journey. Your profile is their first impression of us, so do it right. Value Prospects don't care about your mission, your passion, or your years in business when they first visit your profile. That may matter down the road, but initially, they care about value. They care about how relevant you are. Write your summary almost like a blog post. What kind of value can you bring from the first time they read about you? Identify the challenges that your buyers are facing. Provide three to five insights that will make an immediate impact. Strive to make a "vendor agnostic" impact, meaning that you share insights they can use even if they never buy from you. Sellers often create this as a pitch and we tell them how to buy from us. What we should do instead is attract them to us. We want them to ask themselves how they can work with us. This level of value will increase your credibility and move you much more quickly through the sales cycle. Challenges If you sell office furniture, determine who your buyer is and what her biggest challenge is right now. Maybe many companies are expanding and the big challenge is the inability to trade in old furniture to get new stuff. Determine what helps you stan

Mon, May 06, 2019

Donald Kelly | Social Selling Your Customers Want! | 1087

Sellers who interact with and provide value to prospects using social media must understand the characteristics that turn this into the kind of social selling your customers want . We're tackling this topic all month, and even if you aren't a big social media person, we're providing an actionable plan to help you get in front of your prospects. It isn't enough to "set it and forget it" or generate large amounts of content in hopes that people will click through to find you. It's thoughtful preparation that gives buyers what they want and need right now. Trying to close I discovered the idea of using social media to sell when I was in college. I was seeking an internship with people who were in Chicago and our college professor told us that we needed a LinkedIn profile. He told us that we had to maintain that profile because that's where business professionals interacted. I thought it was a great idea because I was suddenly connected to millions of other professionals. I also thought it was great that I could pitch to all of those people. My professor knew a woman in Chicago so he introduced us with the intention that I would seek insights from her. In my mind, though, she was going to provide me with an internship or connect me with someone who had one. Instead of approaching it as an information-gathering phase, I was trying to close the deal . I think many of us make that mistake with social media. Instant access Sellers are often like kids in a candy store because social media gives them instant access to millions of potential customers. Why in the heck wouldn't we go ahead and pitch them all? Let's tell every single person what we're doing . And then social media turns into a pitch-fest. Because we can copy and share messages with groups of people quickly, we have access to millions of new prospects at our fingertips. Very quickly, though, prospects recognize that every seller is engaging in the same kind of social selling. Prospects are overwhelmed with the same messages from multiple sellers, so we have quickly realized that we can't continue using the same methods. Liking content In response, we settled on thoughtful interactions with people. We settled on the idea of liking everything they posted on social media and commenting on their content, sometimes arbitrarily. We didn't necessarily have a growth plan or a strategy. We just assumed that if we liked a bunch of their stuff now</

Fri, May 03, 2019

Carson Heady | Why Social Selling is the New Sales | 1086

Social selling is the new sales because it utilizes all the techniques and tools that we've always enjoyed as sellers in order to help us build better relationships. Although nothing will ever replace the face-to-face relationships that sellers have with their clients, social selling is a valuable tool. Today Carson Heady shares what he has learned over a 17-year sales career about prospecting and relationship building and how social selling helps with it. Social selling Social media can help you find the right person to talk to that can help you connect with the right people, get a meeting, and stay top of mind. It's a great compliment to the business relationships we should already be forming. Social selling isn't a replacement for the things we're already doing. It's the application of the tools that enable us to get insights or see what customers and their organizations are thinking, doing, and talking about. When I first started using social selling, I was guilty of blasting a bunch of messages on LinkedIn and pitching people there. I quickly realized that wasn't social selling. Social selling equates to brokering relationships but you're doing it online. It isn't sending mass emails to people sharing everything that you have to offer. Results Salespeople are interested in results, and Carson said that after studying reports about social selling, he has determined that it amounts to standing apart, being unique, and finding a way to differentiate. Social selling is a very targeted and specific effort to cast a wide wide net to reach maybe 30 people in a single organization in hopes that you'll land a single meeting. That effort resulted in one of the larger deals in Microsoft. Relationships Carson suggests following business journals and using Sales Navigator to help in your efforts. Following the trades to stay aware of new C-levels that join the organization. Last year, Carson was the first to the table when a new C-level joined a company he was connected to and now Microsoft is helping to drive change within that organization because of the relationship. The relationships drive the deals forward, and those relationships wouldn't exist without the strategic utilization of social selling. Innovate We're all just trying to do something different. We're trying to get a response or a meeting by setting ourselves apart from the others who came before us and failed. We aren't just sitting on the phone reaching out to people. We

Thu, May 02, 2019

Donald Kelly | LinkedIn Gold Rush | 1085

There’s a huge prospecting opportunity right under your nose, and it’s a  LinkedIn gold rush  that can help you generate more leads and connect with more people. Even if you have been on LinkedIn since 2016 like I have, it’s possible that you aren’t even scratching the surface of what it’s capable of doing. LinkedIn isn’t paying me to say any of this. I’m telling you because I know how much you can do with LinkedIn and I want you to do big things. STATISTICS My friend Stephen Hart, host of the  Trailblazers.FM podcast , shared some statistics with me that made my eyeballs pop.  When he appeared on The Sales Evangelist , he shared with us the importance of creating content that connects with your audience. He also emphasized the need to incorporate social selling into your existing efforts. LinkedIn is designed to be more than a host for your resume. It’s created to be a community where people interact. CONTENT The article  48 Eye-Opening LinkedIn Statistics for B2B Marketers in 2019  reports that there are 9 billion content impressions in the LinkedIn feed every week. Every single week, the content on LinkedIn is seen 9 billion times, which leads to about 36 billion impressions per month and 468 billion per year. If you consistently take advantage of LinkedIn by producing content, you can take advantage of these statistics. You can even repurpose things you’ve previously created into LinkedIn content. The article also reports that only 3 million people share content weekly. There are 500 million total LinkedIn users, and maybe half of those are active. Only 3 million of them share content weekly. That’s about 1 percent of the monthly users sharing content. Three million users are getting 9 billion impressions per week on LinkedIn. Try finding that kind of ratio on Instagram or Facebook. PUBLISHING As you contemplate what to create, think about this. LinkedIn doesn’t want you to publish an article that has a link going back to your website. Like any social platform, LinkedIn wants your eyeballs to stay on the platform so you’ll see more ads and they’ll get more money from advertisers. Post your stuff natively on LinkedIn. Publish a LinkedIn article, and make sure to include a picture. Then share it. Long-form content gets more shares on LinkedIn.  Dennis Brown mentioned this when he was on the podcast  based upon research that showed that 1,900-word articles get the most shares. Aim to publish between 1,900 and 2,100 words in order to get more traction. CONSISTENCY</

Wed, May 01, 2019

Brian Robinson | Sales From The Street - "Sales Malpractice" | 1084

When we convince ourselves that we have nothing more to learn, we fail to ask enough questions and we sometimes even commit sales malpractice . Brian Robinson has been in sales for more than 20 years, but he said that he only thought he knew how to sell while he was in corporate America. He calls his plunge into entrepreneurialism the hardest thing he has ever done, and while it was successful, he said his eyes were opened when he entered the world of "you don't sell, you don't eat." Brian is the author of the book The Selling Formula , which codifies the steps he used to succeed in that venture. Intentional questions Many salespeople do the old "show up and throw up." We're so anxious to get to the presentation that we neglect to ask the very best questions we can ask to uncover the needs. We're seeking sincere engagement from our prospect, so this is the most critical component. Brian noticed that the best physicians diagnose illness with a list of carefully-crafted questions. That information became especially important when he worked for Johnson and Johnson selling internal devices for laparoscopy. Though the device was clinically superior to anything on the market, he wasn't getting any responses for trial evaluations. He knew the device was superior, so he combed through the features and benefits and put together a list of questions related to them. He structured them in a specific order and the wording of each was intentional as well. Asking questions He tested the questions, and within about 30 days his trial evaluations doubled because of that list of questions. When word got out that he had produced those kinds of results, people started asking for his list of questions. He passed it along and found that when people followed the questions exactly, they got the exact same results: they doubled their results. Brian grew fascinated with the whole idea of going deep on questions. He even developed a personal mantra that questions are the key to life. Although it took several iterations for Brian to get the list and order of questions exactly right, he stuck with it and he achieved success. There's still an opportunity to make it even better, but it's working very consistently now. Malpractice Brian defines sales malpractice as providing a diagnosis before you really understand the underlying issues. You won't be able to give your prospect the best possible answer, and until you've uncovered a need, you won't be

Tue, April 30, 2019

Dion Travagliante | 3 Crucial Signs You Need to Add More Value | 1083

Sometimes as sales reps we don’t bring enough value to the table and there are  3 crucial signs you need to add more value  so you won’t be judged only on price. Dion Travagliante runs Madison One Consulting, a consulting practice where he solves problems for SAS businesses. He said he loves the fact that sellers have latitude in their careers and he loves the chase of finding the potential customer and then uncovering the issue and working to solve it. People have a preconceived notion that sales is just talking with no science, rhyme, or reason behind it, but he calls it a challenging world that you can train yourself to succeed in. COMMODITY Sellers often struggle to stand out against other competitors and they struggle against being viewed as simply a commodity. The key is to become the winner of the account. Dion defines value as improvement in a client or prospect’s individual situation. That centers on solving problems. Any company that is selling something originated around the idea of solving someone else’s problem. That means as a sales rep, you’re a steward of your company’s solution in the marketplace. That should free you to talk to anyone about the challenges they are facing. Flip the script. There will always be people who perceive salespeople as slick operators who try to jam products down people’s throats. No one wants to have that persona. Instead, approach every customer as someone with a pain point whose problem you’d like to solve. If you do, you’ll be better than 95 percent of the sellers out there because you’ll be thinking about someone else.   Talk about benefits and not features. If you can solve the customer’s problem, move forward and have a conversation. If you can’t, you’re saving both of you time by moving on. #ValueProposition CLICK TO TWEET   Watch for these 3 crucial signs you need to add more value. 1. NEGOTIATING PRICE When you’re talking with a prospect and they start negotiating price during the sales cycle. Do not go down the rabb

Mon, April 29, 2019

Donald Kelly | Your Emails Give No Value | 1082

When your prospects find 100 new email messages waiting for them on Monday morning, if your emails give no value, your prospects will never open them. If there's nothing in the subject line or the first sentence of the message to grab their attention, your prospects will probably never even open the message. Sellers must give thought to what their first sentence is saying to uncover how their emails are performing. Preview Consider your own email inbox. You're busy. You don't have time to read every single email that arrives in your inbox. If you've got 100 new messages waiting, you're not going to read them all. You'll travel the path of least resistance by eliminating as many as possible. Email content The subject line is crucial, so your goal is to minimize it as much as possible. Get to the point quickly with as few words as possible. Make sure the first sentence of your email relates to the subject line and make sure it has nothing to do with you. Avoid statements like "I have something I want to share with you," or "My company helps clients who..." Avoid including sentences that, when you think about them, simply aren't helpful. "I hope this message finds you doing well." "I hope your quarter is going great." These are both fillers and they won't compel anyone to open the email. If you're using the same content and the same statements as other sellers, your emails give no value, and no one will open them. Truth One of the worst mistakes you can make is using a subject line that has nothing to do with the email content itself. If you bait your reader in with one idea and then switch ideas within the email, you'll probably get black-listed. At best, you'll get sent to the spam folder so you're toast forever. Do something totally different. Personalize your message and don't include a huge pitch in your first email. Think about it from your buyer's standpoint. He has countless sellers reaching out to sell him something, and many of them are sharing similar messages. What if your first sentence offered something to help him? Consider this example from Todd. He got an email from a seller who recognized that he was a CEO who had to create and give presentations. The seller provided a PowerPoint template he could use to present metrics and then another template he could use to create a sales handbook. The sender gave no information about himself or his company. The only reference was information in the signature block that Todd could access if he was interested. Value Buyers aren't stupid. If you send a helpful, beneficial email, I'll like go to your site. Even if I don't need your product right now, I'll know where to go in the future.<

Fri, April 26, 2019

Jason Linett | Leave People Better Off Whether They Buy From You or Not | 1081

When you interact with your prospects, your goal should be to provide such great value that you leave people better off whether they buy from you or not . We've been talking about value all month, and today hypnotist Jason Linett talks about how people can change their thinking to grow their business. Growth isn't just about your platform but it's largely about how you tell the story to your audience. We often miss the power of a story and its impact on our potential customers. Help prospects win In almost every category, there are others out there who do the same work you do. Storytelling is the one thing that truly sets you apart from the competition so that you're no longer just a commodity. Your customers can go find another business coach or web designer, and even another hypnotist. Jason points out that he didn't get married by approaching a pretty girl at school and announcing that they were going to have children together. Instead, they built a relationship through the natural progression that occurs when people get to know each other. Look at the relationship building aspect of it. You know that you want to help people, so look for something that will help the customer. Find things you can set in motion that will help your prospects win. Suddenly, there's a collection of people out there who didn't need your entire service but they are in the raving fan category. Some of those that you helped will move forward in the funnel in order to see how you can help them even more. Ditching fear Most people don't seize this concept because they fear giving away too much. They believe that if they give away too much, people won't buy from them. Jason said that he has given away more than most people in his industry. He has also earned more than most of the people in his industry. He believes the two naturally go together. Think of it as a difference of show versus tell. I can tell you what methods may be helpful and you can research them and dig into them in order to determine whether they might truly work, or I can get together with you and actually help you do it. [Tweet "Be willing to give away your best content to your customers sometimes. Give away an abridged version that helps them along on the journey and prompts them to consider what more you might have to offer. #BuildValue"] Many people want to try an at-home version before they commit to the live "being in the room" version. Convince people to care How do we get people to care before we ever really ask them to listen? We need to think differently. It's about listening to the audience and responding to their requests. Jason calls hit pitch "The Hollywood Effect." It's based on the tendency of movies to launch you directly

Thu, April 25, 2019

Donald Kelly| Discovery Meetings |1080

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/thesalesevangelist/TSE_1080.mp3" background="blurred_logo" ] Building value is a critical part of any sales process, and the discovery meeting is an important step in that process. How much should you prepare for the discovery meeting beforehand? What should you know? What should you do? The insights I'll share come from the TSE Certified Sales Training Program, designed to help sales reps perform to the best of their ability, find more ideal customers, build strong value, and close more deals. What is discovery? The discovery meeting is an opportunity to learn about the challenge your prospect is facing. It's a chance to go a little more in-depth. It's not necessarily a chance to get all the information about the company or about its history. That's boring for the client who doesn't want to have to educate you. The client is likely meeting with other sellers and they aren't interested in working to educate all of them. Do your research beforehand so your discovery meeting can focus solely on understanding the prospect's true problem and understanding how you can bring value and help them learn more about what you have to offer. Research You can easily find information about the company and its history on the Internet or the company's website. If you show up to discovery seeking this kind of information the prospects will likely think less of you. I've said it before, but you also have the option to call into the company and ask the receptionist for more information. The organization may be able to share an information page or other company literature. The PR department may be able to provide the information you're seeking as well. This information is vital to the discovery meeting because it will help you have a meaningful discussion when you meet with the prospect. Understand the industry Make sure you also understand recent developments related to the industry and the company's role within the industry. If the company is in the housing industry and I discover that the housing industry is booming in states like Arizona, California, and Florida, then that will impact my presentation. If I'm selling marketing services to companies in the housing market it will be important to know that the market is growing. I'll also need to know the top challenges that companies within the housing market are facing. Then, determine how those trends will correlate to your product or s

Wed, April 24, 2019

Chad Sanderson | Sales From The Street - "Brief Compelling Stories In Sales Emails" | 1079

Many sellers understand the challenge of using emails to reach out to prospects, but Chad Sanderson tells us that using brief, compelling stories in sales emails can leave a memorable impression on a prospect who is inundated with noise. Chad has worked as a marketer, seller, sales leader, and entrepreneur, so he understands the perspective of everyone listening to this podcast. Email issues Chad points out that most emails suck. We're all connected to our devices and we're constantly inundated with impressions through Facebook messages, videos, emails, LinkedIn requests, and even WhatsApp or Snapchat messages. That doesn't even include impressions you get while watching television. The only way to effectively break through the noise is to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Everything is moving at a ridiculously fast pace, so if you never slow down enough to truly consider the other person, you'll probably fail to truly connect. You must connect with people in a way that's valuable from their perspective. [Tweet "People still buy from people, so if they don't know and trust you, you must build rapport before you earn the right to talk about yourself. #BuildRapport"] Onslaught As if the crowded inboxes aren't enough, it's also true that many of the emails people send are just drudgery. Chad points to one company that has been pursuing him for several months, and as he mapped the cadence of the messages, he noted that the messages never included anything from his perspective until about email 14. The messages were always about the company. He said it happens all the time because sellers don't realize that approach doesn't work. And though he tries to be kind because he works in this world too, he sometimes has to unsubscribe because the messages aren't valuable. To make the idea simpler to understand, think about this in the context of your friends. Everybody has at least one friend that will not stop talking about themselves. Even in a social setting, people will eventually move away from that person. It's true in sales, too. People business We seem to assume that the rules are different in sales. We forget that we're in the people business and that relationships matter in sales just as they do outside of work. Sales has always been a discipline. It has always been tough. It has gotten tougher because now everyone can get to everyone else and everyone believes they have something important to say. Slow down and take a deep breath. Think about your general target audience. Instead of thinking about Donald or Chad, think about reaching out to podcast hosts who focus on B2B revenue generation. Then you'll have a little bit of context. You still won't know  those people,

Mon, April 22, 2019

Donald Kelly | Which Type Of Customers Are The Best? | 1077

A sudden influx of new leads seems like a dream come true, but you often have to determine which type of customers are the best in order to assess whether it's really a good thing. If you haven't yet grabbed a copy of The Transparency Sale: How Unexpected Honest and Understanding the Buying Brain Can Transform Your Results by Todd Caponi, get it before he joins us on the podcast in the near future. In the book, he discusses the three types of buyers. The active buyer The active buyer is looking for a solution. He understands the problem and he wants to solve it. These are your inbound leads. They understand their problem well enough to initiate research to try to find a solution to the problem. They may seek a quote for your product or service, and they are proof that your marketing is working. These buyers are finding your website. These buyers are also more than likely going to commoditize you. They are likely considering three to five different vendors and because they don't have all the details about your company, they are going to try to differentiate you based on price as well as features. Although they know they have issues that they must solve, they don't care about the intricacies of your company. They simply need to solve a problem and get the best deal possible. The passive buyer The passive buyers recognize that a problem likely exists but they aren't prioritizing it. In his book, Todd compares it to the small problems at your house that need to be addressed eventually but that aren't a priority right now . Maybe the handle on your door is broken or the blinds need to be repaired. It isn't the end of the world if you fail to complete them. Passive buyers will eventually get around to solving the problem. The status quo buyers These status quo buyers are happy with things as they are. They aren't thinking about the future; they've learned to operate just fine the way things are. Imagine the guy who has a flip phone and doesn't see the need for a smartphone. He doesn't want to change, perhaps because he doesn't recognize that better options exist. Or maybe he's worried that the smartphone will be too complicated and he won't be able to learn it well. Change feels too complex, so he decides to stay with the status quo. But what if someone could educate him and teach him to use the cell phone? Challenging buyers In my own experience, many of my most challenging leads were the active buyers. You might be thinking that these are the kinds of buyers we'd most like to have, and that would be the case if they were always perfectly ready to buy. If my company was always the front-runner, that would be a great situation for u

Fri, April 19, 2019

Tom Pisello | Holding Prescriptive Conversations With Buyers | 1076

Sellers can guide prospective customers through the purchasing journey by holding prescriptive conversations with buyers.  Tom Pisello launched into the topic of prescriptives because he was a product manager who was launching products in the marketplace, with a sales force that had never engaged these particular customers. In an attempt to help buyers make decisions, he created prescriptive tools that would help customers analyze their existing situation and compare it to the new product. Buyer frustration The B2B purchase decision is more challenging than ever for buyers because there are six to 10 decision makers in every decision. Buyers spend incredible amounts of time on their own gathering, processing, and deconflicting information. And 94 percent of buyers have participated in a buying cycle that just evaporated. Buyers are frustrated. About 84 percent report that the buyers' journey is taking longer than they expected. There's a big opportunity for sellers as well as a challenge for them to overcome: to help buyers through a journey that has become much tougher and longer than ever before. The problem is that most sellers show up to meetings talking about themselves: about the company, the product, the services, themselves, and the customers they are working with. Then when the competition shows up for their meeting, they do the same thing. They all sound exactly the same, so the buying process becomes a shootout. Flip it around Instead of talking about the typical things, talk about the challenges the prospect might be having. Then, use that to do some teaching about the challenges you're seeing at other companies. Then, pivot to a Socratic approach. Ask probing, diagnosing questions to identify whether your prospects see themselves in the other customers you described. Do a little bit of cooperative discovery. If you sell office furniture, start by sharing current research about what makes a good office setup. Is open office the way to go? What about standup desks? Instead of pitching yourself or your product, share information about productive office environments. Talk about the challenges of collaboration and flexible work environments. Mention health and engagement. Talk provocatively about these challenges and how they affect your prospect. The book The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson tackles this approach well. Share examples This leads naturally into you sharing stories and examples about how you've helped other customers with their office furniture needs and about how successful they've been as a result. From there

Thu, April 18, 2019

Donald Kelly | When Should I Talk About Price? | 1075

The trend in sales now is to provide value to your customers, but there must be some kind of exchange in the transaction, so you may find yourself asking, "When should I talk about price?" How do you bring it up? What exactly will you say when it's time to talk about it? Today we're going to share ideas that will help you provide tremendous value and ensure an effective, value-rich conversation for both parties. This is a segment from our TSE Certified Sales Training Program and we're going to share a snippet from one of our training programs and then offer some ideas based upon what you hear. It will let you learn something about selling and offer you an experiment that you can test for yourself. You'll hear the challenges that other sales reps are facing and share with you what has worked for the group members. Taboo We've been taught that it's taboo to talk about money, so many of us shy away from it. New sellers face the biggest challenge, usually because of limiting beliefs. In the past when I was selling software training classes, I didn't understand that it was worth $10,000 for customers to earn their certification over a weekend. I didn't think anyone would be willing to pay it. I didn't understand that for their $10,000 expenditure, they were going to see a $20,000 to $30,000 increase in their earnings over the course of a year. All I knew was that $10,000 was a lot of money. My self-limiting beliefs made me apprehensive, and this is a common problem for new sellers. You must believe in the product or service you're offering and the value it provides to your prospects. When you do that, you'll develop more confidence in your messages, and it won't matter what the course costs. Bring up the money Once you've identified a product you believe in, when do you bring up the money? That depends largely on the product or service that you're selling. If it's software that costs $30 a month and they won't commit, they probably weren't the right fit anyway. Let them go. If you're selling a software solution that you have to customize for the organization, you're going to need more time. You'll have to gather more information in order to give them effective pricing. If the customer can see the prices on your website, they can weed themselves out at the beginning. People who really want to learn more and have more value-rich conversations will engage. In the later conversations, we can discuss what they'll get for their investment.

Wed, April 17, 2019

Joe Sweeney | "Understanding What Makes People Tick" | 1074

Human behavior plays a huge role in sales and understanding what makes people tick  is one of the most important concepts sellers in all industries should seek to learn. Joe Sweeney has worn a variety of different hats over the course of his career, but he loves human behavior and he says it's the key to success in sales. Buyers You must understand why someone would buy your product. Joe's philosophy, as described in his book Networking Is A Contact Sport ,  is that networking, business, and sales are about giving and serving rather than getting something. People ask about the number one mistake that salespeople make, and it's believing that the process is about us. We think it's about our product. It's not. Joe gives talks all the time and he starts by saying, "You don't sell anything. What we do is help people get what they want." Instead, sellers tend to take the opposite approach and we talk about ourselves and our product. But your buyer doesn't care about that. All he cares about is whether your product can solve his needs and relieve some of his pain points. Criticism Joe said he spent a portion of his life criticizing other people because he represented a lot of high-net-worth people who did stupid things. When, for example, he encountered a woman outside a hospital dying from emphysema and smoking a cigarette, he made the connection. The pleasure she got from nicotine was greater than the pain she experienced from emphysema. The takeaway is to get good at understanding what makes people tick without criticizing them. All human behavior makes sense, even when we don't. Don't be critical of their actions. Understand people's needs and wants. Keep everything simple. 3 Common Needs Although we could all likely point to hundreds of needs, we really have three basic, common needs. We need to belong to something bigger than ourselves. We need to love and to be loved. Finally, we all want to know that our life has meaning and that we've made a difference. The greatest sales companies in the world have understood that. Perhaps our greatest need is the first one: the need to belong to something bigger. It's counter-intuitive today because with all the social media we falsely believe we're all connected but the truth is that we're less connected than we've ever been. Stated another way, we're more isolated now than ever. Need to b

Tue, April 16, 2019

Ned Leutz | Throw Away Your Sales Script And Do More Creative, Engaging Selling | 1073

Sales scripts put sellers inside a box and lock them into selling a certain way, but when you throw away your sales script and do more creative, engaging selling , you'll increase your conversion. Ned Leutz runs two teams for ZoomInfo , a business data and technology company that helps salespeople get in touch faster and drive more meetings and more sales. He'll talk today about throwing away the script in your sales efforts to increase your flexibility and your success. Fast answers People are accustomed to getting fast answers without ever having to engage with a person. By the time the prospect makes contact, the salesperson with a script may prove to be less flexible than the Internet. When that's the case, there's really no need for a salesperson. Ned believes that giving a salesperson a script is the "kiss of death" and that scripts don't drive conversion or sales. Salespeople who are limited by scripts will often fail to connect with the prospect's problem . If the goal is to find mutual challenges that you can solve together, the script will be extremely inefficient. Instead of operating from a script, Ned suggests providing a map to sales reps. He believes in setting an agenda with the main goal of finding a point of mutual connection. Solving problems Ned's team starts with the question, "Why did you decide to take my call?" He says that most people don't take a call with a salesperson unless they have a suspicion that the salesperson can solve a need. About 90 percent of the time, the prospect faces a challenge that he needs help with. The other 10 percent might be a case of someone taking your call because you're just a nice person. In those cases, you'll have to work to qualify the prospect before moving forward. The question seeks to discover what caught the prospect's attention and prompted him to accept the phone call. It eliminates half of the guessing. Start with the end Begin from a point of mutual agreement. Either there's a problem that you can solve or there isn't. Once you've set that agenda, you've established an expectation for the conversation. You've earned the right to discover whether or not there's a problem you can solve. You can ask the key questions of your customer to identify the challenge. The alternative is to play a sales version of whack-a-mole in which you're constantly asking, "Is this it?" "Is this it?" You'll bore the client who will mu

Mon, April 15, 2019

Why Your Perfect Pitch Is Not Working! | 1072

Many sellers discover that their perfect pitch is not working because, as they work to build value, they are appealing to logic rather than emotion. We're devoting the whole month to a discussion about building value, and some of today's information comes from the book The Transparency Sale written by Todd Caponey. Todd will visit with us on the podcast in the near future, but today we'll talk about the decision-making process and the role our brains play. Brain power Every day, we engage in activities every day that are so routine that we don't even think about them. When we drive to work, we put a seatbelt on without even thinking about it. When we back the car up, we put our arms over the seat beside us and then look backward. You're able to listen to this podcast while you're driving because you don't even have to think about driving. Todd talks about three levels of the brain, which you may have heard of before. The reptilian part, the limbic part, and the neocortex. The reptilian portion is the core or center, and it's the oldest part of the brain. It prompts us to do things without thinking. It drives our instincts. It's the part that prompts us to react to pain without thinking, and it's part of our survival. The limbic portion is more intricate and it helps deals with feelings and emotions. It helps us make decisions and motivates our behaviors. The neo- or frontal cortex is the newest part of our brain and it's associated with information and logic. It's the largest part of the brain and it ties with math and reasoning and justification. [Tweet "We make decisions emotionally and justify them logically, and it's our brain that makes it possible. #brainpower"] Sales standpoint We typically show up to our prospect meetings with PowerPoint presentations, charts, spreadsheets, and graphs of all the amazing things our product or service can do. We show up prepared to sell to the customer's neocortex -- the logical part. Remember, though, that the logic part of our brain isn't where decisions are made. Decisions form in the middle portion of the brain, where our feelings and emotions reside. You must help people make a decision emotionally, and then justify it logically. You can buil

Fri, April 12, 2019

Andy Storch | Building a Personal Brand, Giving Value, Connecting with Others | 1071

Smart sellers can make social media work for them by building a personal brand, giving value, connecting with others , and growing their business. Andy Storch is a consultant and coach who is always learning new things about sales and who loves the freedom that selling provides. Though he says he still has a lot to learn, he has an advantage over many others because he's always trying new things. Because he has the confidence to experiment and discover what works and what doesn't, he has a leg up on a lot of other people. Personal branding Whether you're selling services or products, there are very few things that absolutely distinguish your offerings from other people's. In fact, customers can always find an alternative. In B2B especially, they are buying you . They want to do business with you . Relationships are so important for sellers which is why it's more important than ever to develop a personal brand. You must let people know who you are and create authority. To that end, Andy uses social media to let people know who he is, to create authority, to share knowledge, and to build authority. Attracting people As sellers, we initially think we want to get on a call with everybody,  but there are a lot of people we just won't gel with. Social media attracts people who want to work with us and deflects others. In an era where everyone is creating content of some kind, we have to put our own content out there in order to build our authority. Given the amount of content that already exists, it's tempting to wonder why yours matters. Even if you're regurgitating information you learned from someone else, put your own spin on it. For some, it's blogging. Others use podcasting or YouTube. It depends on your style and where your clients are. Andy points to podcaster Chris Ducker and his business Youpreneur . In his book Rise of the Youpreneu

Thu, April 11, 2019

"Shorten The Sales Process With Video " | 1070

Even if you’ve been selling for years, it’s possible that you’ve overlooked some ideas that will help you perform better, like working to  shorten the sales process with video.  Today we’ll discuss some ideas that will help you shorten your sales cycle and some ways to use video to accomplish it. I’ll also share a real-life example from one of my clients to demonstrate how effective it can be. POWER OF VIDEO Video is so simple and so powerful that it’s hard to imagine that some people aren’t taking advantage of it.  We’ve talked about it on The Sales Evangelist for months  because it’s a powerful tool that’s available to every seller. I recently read a study that showed that 7 out of 10 B2B buyers watch a video somewhere in their buying process. So 70 percent of buyers are watching videos that are usually generated by the marketing department. But why aren’t we in sales using it as well? It’s simpler for the buyer to consume, and it isn’t difficult for us to make them. PREVALENCE OF VIDEO Videos are everywhere and we engage with them daily on Netflix, YouTube, and other places. Stories are part of our lives. We can use them in our prospecting, in our closings, and to build value throughout the entire sales process. Use video to follow up with a client or share a testimonial. Create a video overview of your product. CREATIVE USES Chaz works in the 3D printing industry, which for some of us is still rather unfamiliar. Because his product is cutting-edge, it can be difficult for him to explain what he’s doing to his customers. The emails can get long and confusing. His customers have lots of technical questions. Chaz realized that it would be very time-consuming to answer all of those questions each time they arise. When he tried to get his customers to hop on a call so he could answer the questions, they often went dark on him. He decided to use video to answer questions for his customers. It shortens the process because it’s quicker than email, and it helps him build trust with his customers. Chaz said that he can shorten the sales process with video by up to a week. If you could shave time off of each of your deals, how much more could you process? How many more clients could you obtain? Could you close more deals or earn more commission? PROBLEM-SOLVING Imagine your current customers running into trouble with the product you sold them. Instead of asking them to ship it back to you so you can troubleshoot the problem, why not use video to help them identify the glitch. You can walk them through the process and provide guidance that will help them improve the outcome the next time. Chaz uses the video to carry the customer through the

Wed, April 10, 2019

Steven Griffith | Sales From The Street - "Your Time Management I deas Are Wrong" | 1069

Many sellers elongate the sales process without even realizing it, and Steven Griffith is here to talk about how to take control of your time and to explain that your time management ideas are wrong . Steven is a performance coach and the author of the book, The Time Cleanse: A Proven System to Eliminate Wasted Time, Realize Your Full Potential, and Reinvest In What Matters Most . He explains how to close the performance gap and get hours back in your day. Performance research Steven discovered about five years ago that all of his performance clients were pointing to the same roadblock to their success: they didn't have enough time. He even discovered that he was feeling the same way. Technology has created more distractions and it prompts us to multi-task all the time. Our lives are moving at an incredible pace and we're all over-stimulated by toxins that steal and hijack our time. Old time management strategies worked when the phone was connected to the wall by a cord. We live by the notion that time is scarce so we're working to cram as much into each hour as we can. "If time allows" Most people have an adverse relationship to time, so Steven teaches his clients to establish a positive relationship with time so that time becomes abundant. It's a matter of viewing time as an ally rather than a foe, and working with it instead of fighting against it. Consider the phrase "if time allows." Steven routinely asks people whose time they are referring to when they use this phrase. We've conditioned ourselves to believe that time has the power to allow us to accomplish things. We buy into the idea that time is an outside thing that we're working against when, in fact, we are time. Compressing the sales cycle Steven talks about compressing a sales cycle to fit one year's worth of sales into one month. He tells the story of a real estate professional who sells luxury real estate in L.A. He had health issues in the third quarter and he was really underwater. They worked together to do a time cleanse that would help him compress his time. Steven said we all have a built-in belief system about how long a sale takes. We're conditioned by our industries to believe in ideas like slow seasons and high seasons. Our mental framework keeps us in that mindset, so we get stuc

Tue, April 09, 2019

Harry Mazier | Nothing Happens Until Somebody Sells Something | 1068

Selling is honorable, and we should be proud of the work we do because nothing happens until somebody sells something . Today Harry Mazier talks to us about the importance of selling and how every organization must practice the fundamentals of selling in order to do it well.  It begins by understanding the importance of being a sales professional. Relationships The short attention span of today's buyers means that there will always be room for relationships in selling. [Tweet "There's an adage that says that when all things are equal, people want to buy from their friends. And when all things aren't equal, people still want to buy from their friends. So make friends. #RelationshipSelling"] It's perhaps the best sales lesson you'll ever hear. Necessity It sounds basic to say that nothing happens until someone sells something, but it's true that if we don't sell, we won't eat. Sales is the lubricant of our economy. It doesn't matter how good your manufacturing is, how precise your accounting is, how deep your R&D is, everything begins when someone convinces a prospect to say, "Yes, I'll take some." When the deal closes, the gears begin moving and everything takes off from that point of agreement. Failure Fear of failure prevents people from selling. You might drive past a prospect's business 12 times and always find a reason not to stop: no parking places, it's too early, or it's too late. To get past that reluctance, you must suck it up and knock on the doors. Then, once you get in front of that customer, you must know what you're talking about. Emerson said that nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm. You must be enthusiastic and excited. If you're not excited about what you're doing, do something else. Be smart. Don't tell them how much you know. Tell them how much they need to know to get where you want them to get. Selling is convincing someone else to agree with your opinion. But don't overstay your welcome by speaking too much. There's a story that Samson slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, but twice that many sales are killed every day with the same implement. Resource Your role is to provide the necessary information and be convincing. The best salespeople don't sell, they help people buy. Selling is instructional and informational. Be a friend and a resource to your customer. Sales is an honorable profession that has taken a

Mon, April 08, 2019

5 Things You Get Wrong When It Comes To Building Value | 1067

If you're giving your customers things that you value instead of focusing on things that your customer needs or wants, you should be aware of the  5 things you get wrong when it comes to building value . We're dedicating the month of April to a discussion of building value, and we're starting with the fundamentals of building value. 1.  We fail to solve the problem. People will only change if they see a distinct need for it, and sometimes our customers don't even recognize that they have a problem. Or, in other instances, they may have found a solution or a band-aid to the problem that seems to be working. People don't fix things that seem to be working. Your job as a seller is to ask the right questions to help them consider or see the importance of addressing their challenge. Once you're able to help them identify the problem, we must provide a clear solution to help them address it. Donald Miller has a wonderful three-step process that lays out exactly how you can move through the process. If the buyer doesn't have confidence in your ability to guide him through the solution, you're likely going to lose the deal like I did when it happened to me. 2.  We focus on what we like.  I've taught this principle over and over again as the platinum rule: treat others the way they would like to be treated. It's a step up from treating people the way that you'd like to be treated. Don't focus on features or benefits that you like. Focus on things that the buyers like. Buyers may choose to work with you for a variety of reasons, but not all of your product's features will be important to the buyer. Not all of your service's benefits will matter to him. Once you've identified the problem that the buyer needs to address, and you've given the buyer a clear plan, avoid the urge to give the buyer things he doesn't need. Give him the things that are important and necessary for him and nothing more. You may have 100 features, but the buyer likely has one problem that is costing him a lot of money. He needs the feature that will solve that problem. Yes, he'll get much more than that with your product or service, but focus on his main problem t

Fri, April 05, 2019

Larry Levine | Selling From The Heart | 1066

Sellers have a bad reputation as people who are artificial and only concerned about themselves, but in order to succeed, you must focus on selling from the heart . Larry Levine has spent 30-something years in the trenches of B2B work, and he recognized some glaring weaknesses in sales teams he worked with. He values authenticity and he points to it as a big disconnect for many sellers. But it isn't just sellers. Think about how many times you've run into a friend you haven't seen in a while, and you toss out the phrase, "we should do lunch." It doesn't usually mean anything other than "I'll see you when I see you." Sellers must pay attention to their words. Use your words The words genuine, authentic, value, and trusted advisor prompt the follow-on question: "What does that mean?" Start by leading an authentic lifestyle. Think about this: When you say you're a salesperson or an SDR, you're already behind the 8-ball already in the minds of your clients and prospects. For every great sales professional, there are 10 that give the sales world a bad name. When you deal with the people in your personal life, are you genuine and true to who you really are? Most likely you are. So why can't we play that same role when we're dealing with our clients and prospects. [Tweet "Address the misalignment that exists between who you are at work and who you are after 5 p.m. Be genuine and authentic with the people in your business just like you are in your personal life. #AuthenticSelling"] Building relationships Many sellers maintain a certain amount of distance in their relationships with their clients. In his book, Slow Down, Sell Faster , Kevin Davis asked how it's possible to sell something to someone if you don't spend time figuring out who they are? What makes that person tick? What do they care about? Sellers try to move their prospects through the sales funnel as quickly as possible instead of investing the time to understand. Listen with intent and help them do their jobs. You'll be surprised to find that things actually speed up. Vulnerability If you don't build a relationship throughout multiple steps and influencers, it will be difficult to sell anything . People will buy from people they know, like, and trust. People are beginning to understand that it's ok to bring your heart to the sales world. It's ok to be genuine and real. But in order to do that, you have to be vulnerable, which goes against what we believe about sellers. If you asked your prospects what they truly desire in a seller, what do you think they'll say? M

Thu, April 04, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Don't Make The Closing an Event" | 1065

Sellers are understandably focused on the closing of any deal but it’s important that we keep things in perspective and  don’t make the closing an event . The truth is that every transaction has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but we often get so focused on the closing that we unnecessarily freak ourselves out. This conversation comes from our  TSE Certified Sales Training Program , our sales coaching program that helps sellers maximize their effectiveness. SALES PROCESS The sales process naturally builds toward a close where the client signs the deal and then everyone celebrates. Our challenge as sellers is to avoid the temptation to make the closing the entire focus of the sale. Focus throughout the sale on building value. Initiate conversations that address your prospects’ challenges and difficulties. Realize that you’ll never  get  to the closing if you don’t effectively address the buyers’ objections. Help the buyer feel confident in this deal by sharing stories that provide value and dispel your customers’ objections. Instead of waiting for your customer to offer his objections, bring them up on your own terms as a way of building trust. Red flags won’t go away simply because you ignore them. They don’t typically diffuse themselves, and your decision to wait until the end of the process to address them could cost you your deal. GROWING PROBLEMS Like many other relationships in life, struggles between buyer and seller don’t naturally disappear over time. In fact, problems often get bigger and worse as we fail to address them. A single demo for your client won’t magically offset all his concerns, so don’t wait until then to address his  objections . If he has concerns about your product or service, it won’t likely matter how good your demo is: you won’t overcome his hesitation until you address the problems.   Start early in the process. Diffuse problems as they arise. Every sales relationship offers a certain amount of risk, and your job is to minimize that for your prospects. #SalesObjections <a class="tm-ctt-btn" href= "https://twitter.com/share?text=Start+early+in+the+process.+Diffuse+problems+as+they+arise.+Every+sales+relationship+offers+a+certain+amount+of+risk%2C+and+your+job+is+to+minimize+that+for+your+prospects.+%23SalesObjections&v

Wed, April 03, 2019

Sales From The Street - "Why Should We Do Business With You?" | 1064

One of the most important questions you’ll answer is  “Why should I do business with you?” and it’s vital that you get it right when you do. When the question comes, you’ll be tempted to point out how long your company has existed, how great your product is, and how great your customer service is, but those answers won’t likely work. Sales From the Street tackles actual problems that sellers are facing and allows a sales rep just like you to provide an answer that worked for him. LOADED QUESTION People frequently get on Reddit seeking advice about how to answer this question. I love checking in there because it gives me a great opportunity to connect with sellers and share my own insights and expertise. They frequently listen to the podcast after our interaction and it presents a great opportunity to grow my business. If you haven’t checked Reddit for a page related to your own industry, you definitely should. “Why should I do business with you” is a loaded question, and I’m going to answer it in two different ways. When I was a young seller, I was quick to point out the features of my product and to preach about why we were the best company, but it never addressed the client’s true issue. INITIAL CONVERSATION Your answer to the question will largely depend on whether this is the first time you’ve spoken to this person. Do you have a relationship already, or this your very first contact? If you’re speaking to the customer for the very first time, he may be testing you to see how you’ll respond. You could play a seller’s version of whack-a-mole and blindly try to guess the right answer, but as a sales professional, that’s not how you want to operate. Instead,  take control of the situation . Your first priority should be to find out why she is asking this question in the first place. You can respond with a listicle or with a question of your own. Or, consider this: “You know, David, when people ask that question it’s usually one of three things. To see if we have the proper expertise Testing whether I’m quick on my feet.  To determine whether we can solve their problem. Which one of those are we dealing with David?” His answer to your question will help you understand how to proceed. TAKE CONTROL   Make it your

Tue, April 02, 2019

Bob Britton | How to Instantly Increase the Perceived Value of Your Offer | 1063

The marketplace is crowded, so if you understand how to instantly increase the perceived value of your offer , you'll be better able to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Bob Britton got his start in business as an auto mechanic and he had an opportunity to buy an existing business. He figured owning a business couldn't be that hard, so he jumped in, assuming he could do a better job than the people he had been working for. He endured a season of failure but eventually started to improve as he learned the sales game. He realized that auto repair involves selling something that no one wants to buy, that no one is prepared to buy, and that no one ever has the money to buy. He grew the business from a one-man show to a multi-million dollar business and then went on to other things. Communicating value If you can't clearly communicate your value and what sets you apart from everyone else, you're competing constantly on price. It's the only way people know how to measure. But if you're a value proposition, people will focus less on price and more on what they're getting. It's up to business owners to figure out what those value propositions are. Begin by understanding what value really is. What you think is valuable is probably 27th on your prospect's list of what's valuable. [Tweet "The thing we get wrong over and over again is that we don't take time to think our way through all the different things that our customers could consider valuable. #SellingValue"] Consider even the smallest thing that might be considered valuable. Look beyond the obvious things like saving time or money because everyone claims to offer those. Starting point Understand that perception is everything. When you're creating your value proposition, if your prospect believes it's important, it is. Perception is everything. That determines how we start. Begin by looking at the business drivers which are often saving money and making money. But drill down deeper. Why would a customer use your offer? What does the customer really care about? Think of things like operating cost, downtime, uptime, labor cost, customer retention, market share, productivity, profitability, time to market, lifetime customer value, and any number of other concerns. Asking good questions Too many salespeople "wing it" when it comes to this process. They don't think about the questions they ask and they rely on general ones instead of working to be specific. People will give us a limited amount of time and effort. Ask specific questions that move people in a distinct direction. Many sellers will ask about concerns, but that's too general. Limit the question instead. What is your number one concern? Being

Mon, April 01, 2019

Sales Leaders, Stop Falling For The Reactive Trap | 1062

Sales leaders who neglect their own workload in an effort to help their sellers solve problems will find themselves falling behind, so it’s vital that sales leaders  stop falling for the reactive trap . You hired your sellers to handle their assigned responsibilities and to solve problems. When your sellers distract you with problems, you’ll have less time to focus on sales plans or strategies. You won’t have time to conduct meetings or create reports because you’re trying to keep deals from falling apart. DISTRACTED LEADERS In his book,  The Sales Manager’s Guide To Greatness , Kevin Davis talks about all the ways that sellers can distract their sales managers from their own workload. The problem with this kind of distraction is that the sales leader’s responsibilities are to grow the department or the business. The business will suffer if sales leaders aren’t freed to do their own work. Additionally, you’re teaching your sellers bad habits and cheating them of the opportunity to learn to  solve their own problems . This is why many leaders feel stretched too thin. LIMITED GROWTH Sellers who never learn to solve their own problems will limit their teams’ productivity. Your team will never have extraordinary growth because you’ll always be limited by your own ability to solve everyone else’s problems. The sellers will never learn to solve problems, and they won’t learn to focus on solving problems for their customers. Instead, they’ll focus on features and benefits. Additionally, they won’t be able to function as well in your absence, which means they will struggle any time you aren’t available. So what will happen if you decide to take vacation? IMPROVING SELLERS Sellers will only improve if they learn to solve their own problems and handle their own accounts. As each rep learns to handle his assigned responsibilities, you’ll be freed to focus on other things that will improve the team as a whole. You may be tempted to think that you’re helping your sellers accomplish more, but the truth is that they’ll never learn to manage their own schedules and their own time if you consistently help them manage it. Kevin points out that your involvement won’t likely encourage them to use their time for other tasks. Realistically, your sellers will simply be freed to do things like check social media or email. Forty percent of  sellers don’t li

Fri, March 29, 2019

Ty Bennett | You Can Love People Without Leading Them, But You Can’t Lead People Without Loving Them | 1061

Regardless of your industry or your product, relationships are the currency of your business, and though you can love people without leading them,  you can’t lead people without loving them . Ty Bennett is an entrepreneur who fell in love with the speaking and training development aspect of building a sales team and it led him to write books on the topic and start a training company called  Leadership Inc . Ty points out that we’re in the people business and we’re interacting with, networking with, leading and influencing people every day. The care, investment, and love you have for people will communicate that you have their best interest in mind. Those relationships engender trust, foster accountability, and build a level of commitment that you want in your team. And love drives it. MISSING LOVE Many business books never discuss love, perhaps because it isn’t considered a business-centric word. Ty addresses this issue in his new book called  Partnership is the New Leadership . He interviewed a guy on his podcast named Tim Sanders who wrote the book  Love is the Killer App   but this hasn’t always been a business word. Traditionally it has referred to personal relationships but when it drives your actions and when you’re coming from a place of service and contribution, that’s where love exists. Leadership is much more effective there. SOFT LEADERS Some people believe that leaders can’t be perceived as soft, so they shy away from the idea of loving the members of the team. If you’re too soft, after all, you’ll be walked on. If you were to line up 10 people and evaluate the production level of those people, you’ll find a relationship to how they feel about their  manager . Statistically, most people will tell you that they hate their bosses, and also that people join companies and they leave bosses. People also show up differently when they are in the right frame of mind; when they feel supported; when they feel heard; and when they have opportunities to win. When people feel like part of a team, the commitment level changes drastically. #TeamCommitment TRAINING TO LEAD If you’re s

Thu, March 28, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Stories Are Everywhere" | 1060

Stories pack a lot of power for sellers when used in the proper sales framework, and the good news is that stories are everywhere . Today we’re sharing an excerpt from TSE Certified Sales Training Program that addresses how you can effectively use stories in your own sales. UTILIZING STORIES Stories have existed since the dawn of time. Early cave drawings told stories of cavemen hunting, and those stories have been passed down. It’s true of cultures and of the Bible. Stories paint a picture for us. Stories exist in movies, songs, social media, and books. It all points to the fact that we love stories. Society loves stories because that’s how we make sense of the world. Imagine you’re meeting with a prospect for the first time. Instead of talking about your widget and your certification, which could be boring, share a compelling reason for your prospect to do business with you. Instead, share a problem and a solution to help me understand. STORY STRUCTURE Stories  have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning explains the problem so that the prospect can understand it and it introduces characters. The second part is the build or the escalation of the problem, where it seems that all is lost. The third part is the breakthrough. It’s the payoff or the climax. It’s where everyone lives happily ever after. USING STORIES EFFECTIVELY It’s important to understand  when to use stories . Use them to reinforce a point or to help them understand the importance of your product or service. In the case of CRM, imagine a client who has been using Excel for years and he doesn’t understand the importance of upgrading to a better CRM. You can begin by explaining that you understand why he is hesitant to invest in something that he might not actually need. Then tell a story of another client who successfully used Excel as her CRM for years. The problem emerged when she hired a sales rep who wasn’t as familiar with the process as she was. The sales rep failed to log some of his contacts, and they didn’t follow up on the lead. The potential client chose another provider because the company didn’t remember to follow up. In this case, it cost them $5,000. If this happens multiple times a month, how much will it cost you? We gave this client an opportunity to test our CRM for 30 days, and the company doubled its earnings as a result. The ability to log calls automatically and schedule appointments easily changed the company’s output. CONTEXT   <a href= "https://t

Wed, March 27, 2019

Liam Martin | Sales From The Street - "Building A Remote Sales Team" | 1059

For business owners looking to scale their efforts, there are important factors involved in  building a remote sales team , and implementing them can mean the difference between success and failure. Liam Martin runs three companies related to managing remote workers:  TimeDoctor.com ,  Staff.com , and his passion project, which is a conference on building and scaling remote teams. His organization helps companies monitor their remote employees’ productivity and efficiency. He points to the fact that, early in his career, he waited too late to build a sales team, which is the meat-and-potatoes of his business. CREATE SOLUTIONS Founders of a company have an understanding of the product or service that most sales reps won’t have. Founders may recognize as many as 10 different problems that you could tailor your product around or have  meaningful conversations  around. Sales reps won’t necessarily recognize that many problems, so they may not have access to as many meaningful conversations. The key, then, is hiring a proper sales manager. Sometimes the founder’s ego causes him to believe that he can effectively run a sales team, and he doesn’t recognize his shortcomings. You must take a hard look at yourself and determine whether you’re truly a good sales leader. When Liam recognized that he wasn’t a good sales manager, he fired himself and hired a proper sales manager. Be honest enough to determine what you can best do for your organization and then do  that .  HIRING PROCESS Liam’s company has three different stages of hiring remotely. He suggests that many remote teams aren’t as effective as the leadership believes they are. Liam points to the bullpen or the area where junior employees are grouped together in a single workspace. The idea is that the employees will train and work together and benefit from one another’s experiences. Remote employees don’t have a bullpen so it’s impossible to pick up nonverbal selling techniques that some employees are successfully using. Everyone is disconnected, so very often these sales teams won’t hit quota despite their training. As a result, they leave the company. To solve the problem, Liam’s company works with remote salespeople for about a month. During that time, he has to either close an inbound deal or generate some kind of outbound activity. Based on that success, the company decides whether to invest more into the employee. He says that although it’s an expensive system, building a remote sales team is ROI positive. SELF-MOTIVATED ACTIVITY Successful remote employees must be self-motivated. O

Tue, March 26, 2019

Jacquelyn Nicholson | How to Genuinely Build Rapport With Any Prospect | 1058

Many sellers struggle to connect with their customers, but on today’s episode, Jacquelyn Nicholson addresses  how to genuinely build rapport with any prospect . Jacquelyn is an enterprise seller and one of the inaugural members at Alpha Sense where she acts as an evangelist for the company and its work. WORLD OF SALES Jacquelyn landed in sales after a strange recession in Chicago prevented her from finding a job as an engineer for a defense contractor. She moved to New York and took a job as a sales engineer. Sometime after, she found herself heading a project for Johnson & Johnson and reporting directly to the vice president of the division. He told her to put together the very best team possible and trusted her to get the job done. During the course of the project, she made two unexpected realizations. She discovered that she didn’t like buying from salespeople because she thought they were horrible. Secondly, she discovered that she really missed sales. She didn’t like salespeople because they talked nonstop about how great their technology was. She found herself wondering, “Do you even know what I do? Do you even care?” “At the same moment, I was drawn back to the world of sales and also slightly repulsed by what I saw in the sellers I knew.” She decided then to return to sales, and she vowed that she would never be that kind of seller. SOLVING PROBLEMS Jacquelyn discovered that people buy things from people who can help them  solve their problems.  If I have a problem and you can solve it, I’m going to buy your stuff. But I also have to be able to trust the person I’m buying from. People buy from people they trust or they like, and they can spot fake people. Sucking up isn’t the same, and customers quickly learn to spot genuine people. She determined that the key was getting to know the people she was selling to. Learning about their problems and the things they care about. That only happens after you build rapport. The problem, she discovered, was figuring out how to do that at scale. The good news was, she discovered, that it doesn’t take additional time to be authentic. Researching to understand your client’s problems takes time, but kindness doesn’t.   <div class="tm-click-to-tweet

Mon, March 25, 2019

Be Willing To Let Them Mess Up! | 1057

  Sometimes business leaders find themselves wanting to make sure that their team members get everything exactly right, but unless you’re willing to  let them mess up , they’ll likely never learn. Perfect situations don’t exist. Imperfection is a factor in life, but it’s also where our growth happens. MAINTAINING CONTROL Control often gives us the sense that we can force everything to work. As a result, we avoid letting our team members try things their own way because we fool ourselves into believing that our way is always the best. In my own story, I landed an appointment with a huge organization, and I invited the CEO of my small company to go along. I wanted his support, but I also wanted to show my boss that I was working hard. I wanted him to see the opportunity I had landed. Most importantly, I wanted him to support me through the unknown parts of the appointment. If I found myself struggling in the conversation, I knew he could help me out. Turns out he took over the whole show. Instead of acting as a ride-along on my appointment, I was the tag-along. I had been talking to the client for months, so he felt a little bit ambushed. I had promised him one thing and then given him something completely different. Instead of a meeting with a sales rep, he found himself sitting in a meeting with an executive that he wasn’t really prepared for. MY PLAN I imagined myself leading off the meeting and asking for his input along the way. I didn’t imagine it becoming his return to the glory days. Because I wasn’t operating from a playbook, there was no real structure. The deal  did  close, but it was challenging. If you find yourself asking why it’s a big deal, the problem was that it eroded my confidence as a seller. Sometimes, because CEOs and entrepreneurs started out selling their own product or service, they have a tough time letting that go. They see a problem and they address it themselves because it’s how they operated before they hired sellers. My CEO misunderstood my request for help and he took over the meeting instead. In a previous episode,  Kevin Davis talked to us about the challenges that sales managers often face , and the book he wrote,  The Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness , that addresses many of those issues. LEARNING PROCESS When I finally had the opportunity to go on meetings myself, I fell into a habit of mimicking what I had seen my CEO do. I shared the same stories, even though they weren’t my own stories, but I hadn’t gained an understanding of the problem I was trying to

Fri, March 22, 2019

Chala Dincoy | 5 Closing Mistakes That Prolong the Selling Cycle | 1056

Many small business owners and sales reps face challenges with closing, and there are five closing mistakes that will prolong your selling cycle. I met Chala Dincoy at the  Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council ROAR Conference , and today she’ll talk to us about the mistakes that can delay or prolong your selling cycle. Chala is an elevator pitch coach who helps people get into the room. Then, once they’ve landed a sales meeting, she helps them close it faster. The greatest challenge, she said, is getting the appointment because people don’t stand out. About 86 percent of buyers think you’re the same as your competition. Now she teaches reps how to get through the noise and stand out. Interestingly, she pointed out that many companies don’t use titles like “sales rep” on their business cards anymore because it puts people off to see that someone is in sales. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP   If you aren’t targeting a specific industry or interest group, you’re always in the wrong room because you’re too generic. Your message is too generic. #SpecificMessaging CLICK TO TWEET   That’s the first closing mistake. The second is you haven’t specifically addressed the customers’ pain points. So now you’re in the wrong room and the wrong people are in the room with you. You end up talking to lower level managers who pass you off over and over. As a result, you’re never able to get to the influencers that you need to reach. The real trick, then, is to change your marketing so that you’re in front of decision makers all the time. Since Chala’s sweet spot is diversity businesses, she works to get in front of conferences where those people are gathered. She has their business cards and they are talking to her at conferences. This is the kind of marketing you should do, via speaking, networking, blogging, and any other kind of thought leadership. BRANDING Your <a title= "TSE 504: Sales From The Street-“Branding Brings Sales”" href= "https://thesalesevangeli

Thu, March 21, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Key Stakeholders" | 1055

As you move closer to the end of a deal, you'll likely encounter more objections, and identifying key stakeholders is the secret to overcoming those challenges. As you move into deeper conversation with the prospect, you may not realize that there are other people involved in the process, even if you aren't directly interacting with them. Your job as seller is to find out who they are. Today we'll help you understand who those key stakeholders are, how you should work with them, and how you can prepare for the process. Initial interest Imagine you have an initial conversation with someone who is interested in your lawn care business. You generated some interest and they expressed a desire to know more. You'll naturally address how you've helped other people in the past and take other steps to build value. At this point, you'll want to find out who else will be involved in this conversation. Typically, though, sellers neglect to ask that question. Ideally, you should find out whether the prospect has made a decision like this before. If so, has it been a long time? You do this kind of work on a day-to-day basis, but the prospect doesn't. He needs guidance, and you can help him move forward. Identifying stakeholders Avoid making him feel as though he isn't competent to make the decision. Instead of asking him who should be involved in the next call, ask it this way: "At this point in the conversation, my clients typically invite other people into the conversation." Instead of asking whether he'd like to invite others in, I would simply ask him who he would like to invite into the conversation. He might identify the CFO or the decision maker. Next, I would point out that, in order to make sure the next meeting is as valuable as possible, I'd like to know whether I can connect with some of those stakeholders to find out what they'd like to hear. If he has an objection, reframe the request so that he's the one making the contact with his stakeholders on your behalf. Keep him involved in the process so he feels comfortable. Cast of characters The first stakeholder is your decision maker . He tends to be the person that sellers most often keep their eyes on because he's the one that will do the final sign-off. But he may not get involved until later in the process. The decision maker may expect the influencer and the champion to do all of the

Wed, March 20, 2019

Sharon Manker | Sales From The Street - "Building Diversity Into Your Network" | 1054

As you're working to expand your reach and grow your network, recognize the importance of building diversity into your network so you'll be better positioned to succeed in your industry. I met Sharon Manker at the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council ROAR Conference , which connects minority-owned and women-owned businesses with Fortune 100 companies. Sharon has worked in supply chain for two decades, in both the for-profit and the nonprofit sectors, in utility and now in healthcare. In her words, she negotiates for a living. She also works to engage diverse suppliers in a woman-owned, veteran-owned, minority-owned system. Small business challenges Many small business owners lack the vehicle to connect with the right decision makers . They don't know how to meet the people who actually influence the contracts. When they discover their limitation, they often observe that they just didn't realize how it impacted their work. As a supply chain person, Sharon works to connect qualified suppliers to the businesses who need them. She also works to connect those same businesses with her business stakeholders. To that end, she attends events and even hosts events that allow people to connect and build relationships. The trick is to recognize that as you're working to connect with the decision makers, there are people along the way who can help you do exactly that. Diversifying suppliers When you aren't able to attend these events, Sharon points to other opportunities to connect with people: chambers of commerce and councils, just to name two. You'll be positioned to find corporate partners there. You'll encounter people who are actively engaged and ready to increase their supplier diversity. Even if you attend these events and find out about developments that are 24 months away, future gains will happen. Put in the work now and build relationships now . Benefits of partnership Many corporations prioritize working with small businesses because they have committed to certain diversity goals, such as spending a certain amount of their operating expenses with diverse suppliers. In some states, in fact, this diversity is mandated. This demands a pool of Minority Business Enterprises, Veteran Business Enterprises, and LGBTQ enterprises that can help meet the needs of those businesses. It can't be a last-minute effort, eith

Tue, March 19, 2019

Peter Chun | To Effectively Map And Create Multithreaded Relationships In Enterprise Deals | 1053

Sales constantly evolve and sellers who want to be successful must effectively map and create multithreaded relationships in order to close more deals. Peter Chun talks today about the importance of multithreaded relationships and the challenge for reps who must establish them. Peter fell in love with the convergence of sales and data and has found a personal passion for it. He loves strategizing about how to close deals and about how to help your company scale and grow. Evolving sales The biggest obstacle for B2B sellers right now is the evolving face of sales. Buyers are more sophisticated, and they have more information at their fingertips. They do a lot of research before they even engage with a salesperson. Additionally, the number of stakeholders within B2B deals is increasing, with research indicating that complex deals often include 6 to 10 stakeholders. The big challenge, then, is finding and creating multithreaded relationships because too often they are single threaded. Many reps, either because of laziness or lack of awareness, fail to establish more than one relationship within a deal. They rely on a single relationship to get the deal done. Multithreaded relationships Being multithreaded doesn't simply refer to your customers. It's important that sellers create multithreaded relationships within their own companies as well. Who else, besides your prospect, needs to be part of the conversation you're having? Who else on your team has relationships that can be leveraged to build a solid foundation? One of Peter's reps teaches his reps to always do discovery because it keeps them aware of the details of the deal and helps them to stay relevant. If you're multithreaded, you have other contacts that can help you move a deal forward. Unnecessary risk Even when you believe that you have the juice to close a deal, you leave yourself open to risk if you fail to be multithreaded. You may, in fact, be connected to the right person, but that doesn't mean there aren't others who can help move the deal forward as well. Many reps simply haven't been coached to do this well. Sales leaders must coach them well and teach them how to have a multithreaded perspective. In the case of a complex account, there may be hundreds of employees. There may be years of history between you and your prospect making it difficult to know where to even start. Peter says that visually mapping the process will help you keep track of your effort

Mon, March 18, 2019

Joel Burstein | How To Prepare Your Sales Pipeline For Economic Downturns | 1052

No matter what business you're in or what product you're selling, downturns happen, so today we're talking about how to prepare your sales pipeline for an economic downturn.  We're here at the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council's ROAR Conference, which is connecting minority-owned and women-owned businesses with Fortune 100 companies. Joel Burstein says that companies should be most aware of an economic downturn when the economy is good. The downturns in '01 and '08 were preceded by markets that were really,  but they grew so quickly that they weren't sustainable. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. Consider the internet At one point, everything was successful. It didn't matter what the product was. The reality of the world at that time was that 22-year-olds owned five properties. If you drive your car as fast as you can for as long as you can, your car will eventually break. The economy is the same. The time to prepare for the economic downturn is when the economy is good. You do that by diversifying your clientele and diversifying your business. Clients who are looking are still engaged. You don't necessarily have to take your foot off the gas; you just have to think outside the box. Talk to clients Ask your clients how their world is going. They will have indicators, so if you ask them what signs they are seeing, they may be able to share signs with you. Realize, too, that not everyone's downturn is equal. Some people's downturn started in '07 while others started in '08. What happened is that we missed it. Your perspective depends on where your market falls. Some people are struggling today. It isn't that they're struggling tremendously, but their business is down. Perhaps it only lasts one quarter, or maybe it stretches into two or three quarters. Once that happens, it begins to have an impact. Have engaging conversations with your existing clients about what's happening in their markets. Because their markets are different than yours, you'll gain insight into the overall economy. Two-fold benefit Imagine an entrepreneur with a digital marketing company who has decent-sized clients. If she stays in touch with them she can accomplish two things: She can do some reconnaissance work. She can deepen her relationships. At some point, you sell without selling. You have to be in the relationship mindset rather than the selling mindset. You'll develop a deep understanding of what your client is facing and struggling with. Your client will remember you as the one who cared about how they were handling the downturn. Prepari

Fri, March 15, 2019

Charles Bernard | How To Solve The Most Common Sales Problems | 1051

Sales leaders who can solve the most common sales problems will increase their productivity and improve their performance. Today, Charles Bernard explains how a disciplined system for selling and managing can remove barriers to performance for sales leaders. Bernard founded ‘Criteria for Success,' an organization that develops online sales playbooks and provides leadership and sales management training. Charles was a top performer in his division with General Electric and has run several businesses as well. Caught in the middle Charles believes that the number one issue facing sales managers today is the feeling of being caught in the middle between the CEO/Management and the sales team. Sales managers must bring in the numbers, on one hand, while acting as a micromanager on the other.  He compares it to having a target on his front side with another on his back. Charles finds that pressure from above is unfiltered and passed directly down onto the sales teams, whether it's justified or not. And, he says, the sales teams hate that. If management feels that something is wrong or that people are not doing their jobs, for example, it is the responsibility of the sales manager to balance the push/pull of the situation. She must absorb the pressure in order to adapt the message - without losing the importance behind it - to empower the team. Passing the pressure from management to the team does nothing to motivate or incentivize sales. Many times, leaders fall into the trap of thinking they must have all the answers for how things should be done. An enlightened manager should be able to pull the boss and the team together.  He should encourage conversations that promote transparency and foster teamwork. Charles prefers for his sales teams to hear directly from the bosses and he often facilitates meetings to allow for such interaction. It allows each side to learn the concerns of the other and to work as a team. Pulled in different directions Charles cites the challenge of staying focused as another common issue facing sales managers. Don't engage in too many meetings or with multiple different initiatives. Lack of focus prevents the managers from spending time in the field and with their sales teams. It was a struggle but Charles eventually learned how to say ‘No’ to those who people who weren't impacting sales. Charles recalls numerous instances where he was asked, for example, to intervene with an upset client. He had to put his foot down and direct those calls to others in the organization better equipped to handle such situations. It is understandable that sales managers want to prove their worth to the company. But it is a mistake to do so by getting involved in matters that do not pertain to their job or to assist with sales if the team is underperforming. It only serves to further scatter th

Thu, March 14, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - “Paint A Picture" | 1050

If you paint a picture for your customers of where they are now versus where they want to go, you can help them make a buying decision.  Show them how the positive change will happen, or what might happen if they don’t change. It will allow them to logically justify an emotional decision. Jeffrey Gitomer was my first ever guest and he taught us something interesting on that very first podcast: People love to buy but they hate to be sold. Think about that.  Nobody wants to feel tricked or manipulated. That is the last thing that you want to do as a sales rep. You want to help them to buy. Your job is to guide clients through a process that educates them. Become an artist The key is to paint amazing pictures that feel so real and so vivid that your clients can see the value being offered. Imagine we have presented our business case and the prospect is loving it. They know it is amazing but they will naturally start to compare it to their current situation. What are we doing? What are our sales reps doing? How much time are they spending? Are we wasting time? It is time to paint the picture for them. Asking ‘why?’ Toyota once used the ‘Five Whys’ concept to get to the root of a problem; to fix the real issue of any problem instead of the surface-level problem. As an example, suppose I take my car into the shop because I have a flat tire from hitting a pothole. As a sales rep, there are many things you could sell me. I need a new tire, for sure. Do I also need glasses so I can see potholes in the future? Maybe I didn’t see the pothole because I was speeding. Perhaps I was late and I need to buy an alarm clock. What if I was running late because I am not disciplined enough to properly prioritize my day? Will a new tire or a pair of glasses help with the root of my problems? No. When it comes to your prospect, once he agrees with your business proposal and realizes that he is in the same scenario you're describing, that is the time to share with him how you can deliver. Paint the picture that directly represents his business and his situation. Ask him what you need to know . Do you feel the scenario that I’ve presented fits your situation? Why do you think that is the case? What have you tried before to address this same problem? What are your goals? Become a consultant Become a consultant that will help solve their problems.

Wed, March 13, 2019

Sales From The Street: "We Say Goodbye To A Legend" | 1049

  Saying goodbye to a legend is difficult, but we can move forward living by the principles they teach us and the lessons we learn. One of the best selling business books of all times is Think and Grow Rich; it changed my life. It transformed the way I think about money and about the opportunities I could create. The person I received the book from is also important to me. It was from someone who was like a father to me. He came into my life when I was 14 years old and helped mold me into the person I am today. Dennis Rosebrough Dennis, Denny, Dad...I learned a lot from him. He was a true hustler, a real entrepreneur - always looking for something.  He grew up the youngest of five kids in a poor family but always had a determination to make something of himself and for his family. As an X-ray technician, Denny went into the business of providing mobile x-ray machines. The company grew from scratch into a multi-million dollar organization, employing and helping hundreds of people.   His son, Andrew, currently runs the organization and has been a best friend of mine since we were kids. Principle One: See people as people It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, your race or your color. Denny had a heart of gold. Treating everyone equally was his strong suit. He came from a poor background and moved into a position where he could afford to take care of himself and his family. Regardless of where he was in his life, he was kind to everyone. He just connected with people. He reached out to those who were different. He was always humble and eager to learn. I remember a time when I was 16. My family was going through some financial difficulties to the point where we were evicted from our home. My mom and brother moved in with one relative but because of the location of my school bus stop, I moved in with another relative. I  slept on a bunk bed in their laundry room. When Andrew found out, he talked to his Dad. Denny, without even thinking about it, invited me to move in.  Both my Mom and I remain super grateful for their guidance and assistance. I was loved and cared for and welcomed into the family. It was a lesson in learning to look at other people as individuals and to help them and to care for them. I think it is a lesson that can apply to how we, as sales reps, entrepreneurs , and business owners conduct ourselves as well. Principle Two: Be willing to give Sometimes we don’t give to others because we don’t see anything for us in return. Denny didn’t think th

Tue, March 12, 2019

Lee Salz | Sales Differentiation | 1048

Sales differentiation helps salespeople win more deals at the price point they want, and today Lee Salz talks about building a framework that will allow you to personalize your sales. Sales reps in every industry must differentiate themselves in today's market. It's crucial for sellers to have room to "color" the sales process. Origins When Lee was a kid, he had a job as a pickup and delivery driver for dry cleaning. The guy he worked for didn't own a dry cleaning business; he simply knew it was a hassle to drop off and pick up your clothes. He developed a contract with a couple of different dry cleaning firms and he charged a premium for the service. The idea took off, and Lee was intrigued by the idea that he was able to add a 40 percentage point premium by differentiating the service. He didn't actually put the idea into play until his 50th birthday after he had learned a lot about the industry. Philosophy of differentiation Lee said the philosophy translates for every possible seller. No matter what industry you're in, what size company you're in, whether you sell products or service, whether you sell B2B or B2C, and it doesn't even matter what methodology you use in your sales. The premise is simple: win more deals at the prices you want. Differentiation around what you sell Differentiation around what you sell relies on the ability to translate your passion to the person sitting on the other side of the desk. If you can't communicate your own passion about your differentiators to the person on the other side of the desk, you might as well not have anyone sitting there. The idea is to build passion and help salespeople communicate it in a meaningful way. You want your customers to believe they must have what you're selling. [Tweet "Companies have an obligation to share their differentiators with their salespeople and to explain how to position them with buyers. #SalesDifferentiation"] It's a responsibility that falls to marketing, business owners, and sales leaders. Marketing and sales differentiation Marketing differentiation is one-directional communication for the masses. Think trade shows and websites. It screams to the marketplace, "Hey! Look at us! We're here." It demonstrates all the available potential. Sales differentiation is two-directional communication with an individ

Fri, March 08, 2019

Garrett Mehrguth | You Need to Worry More About Your Champion Than Your Decision Maker | 1046

Sometimes sales professionals get it backward, and they fail to understand the need to worry more about your champion than your decision maker . Today Garrett Mehrguth talks to us about the importance of your champion in your sales deals, and why we shouldn't lose sight of his importance. Sometimes there's great value in changing the defaults we learn as salespeople. We tend to become so obsessed with the decision makers that we overlook the champions, who are arguably the most important person in the whole scenario. How decisions are made Salespeople sometimes focus so greatly on getting a close that we neglect the fundamental truths involved in selling. In fact, we alienate people and we become our own worst enemy. It isn't price; it's me. Most often, we are the reason that deals don't close. It's a direct result of who we speak to, who we don't speak to, the way we end a conversation, the way we treat people, how well we prepare. We must have transparency and honesty to admit that often we're the reason we don't close a deal. Salespeople are quick to take credit for successes and slow to take responsibility for failures. #SalesTruth Garrett believes that if we would build our resources and our marketing toward decision makers, we would drastically improve our conversion rates. How deals emerge Once a decision-maker recognizes he has a need, he might send a subordinate to a conference to talk to vendors. He might instruct the person to get three quotes and then bring his two favorites to the decision-maker. Once that's done, the two will make a decision together. He might suggest filling out 10 forms on the way to finding three good options. The pair will whittle those to two good options before making a decision. The problem is that if you speak over the champion or speak through the champion or speak around the champion, you alienate your greatest ally. Why you need the champion The champion is your greatest asset while you're not in the room, so if you alienate that person, you're losing an important ally. You alienate the person who could potentially go to bat for you once you hang up the phone. Good decision-makers make decisions by asking the champion whether or not he could work with that agency. So who truly puts their butt on the line? It isn't the decision-maker, because he has a fall guy. The champion is the one who needs the information, the emotional support, and the resources to make a good decision. If you honor the champion with amaz

Thu, March 07, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - “David and Goliath” | 1045

Sometimes the logical approach doesn't make sense, just as in the story of David and Goliath it seemed impossible to believe that the shepherd boy could beat the giant. In sales, we sometimes have to be a bit irrational. We must think outside the box. Today we'll discuss how unorthodox thinking can help us take down some pretty significant giants. It can also help us win some pretty decent accounts. Logical approach When the giant Goliath demanded that the Israelites send out their best warrior, it didn't make sense for them to send David. He wasn't the fastest or the biggest. He was a little farm guy tending sheep, and he wasn't the typical warrior type. Too often in sales we default to the same logical approach that sales reps have been using for years. Instead of thinking outside the box, we choose the most rational solution to the problem. Imagine you're selling TVs and you're meeting with a client that has a good idea of what they need and what they want. It's possible, though, that the client's perception of the problem may not even be the real issue. Worse yet, their solution to the problem may not be the best one. In the case of David and Goliath, if the Israelites had sent the best warrior into battle to try to outperform the giant, the best warrior would likely have been killed. Unorthodox approach David used an approach that had never been used before. He used a sling and a stone to take down the giant, and the approach was unexpected. In the situation with the client and the TV, he may assume that he needs a TV because it has always been the best solution in the past. Perhaps, though, the best solution is a projector, but the client doesn't realize it's even a possibility. What if you forget about the TV for a minute and consider other possibilities: smartphones or tablets, or even podcasts. If the goal is for the client to find a form of entertainment, TV isn't the only option. [Tweet "Instead of giving the client exactly what he says he wants, offer possibilities that he may not even be aware of. #SolveProblems"] Sales reps who ask the right questions can differentiate themselves. They can challenge the status quo and help the buyer to see us in a different light. Risky decisions I was reading a book called Selling to the C-Suite and the author mentioned that executives will often make risky decisions if there's a clear plan for that decision. Most

Wed, March 06, 2019

Andrei Mincov | Sales From The Street: "Being A Great Leader" | 1044

It's impossible to overstate the importance of being a great leader  when you're working to build a team or an organization into something that will change the world and make things better for people. Today's guest Andrei Mincov founded Trademark Factory in 2013 to help entrepreneurs secure the legacy of their brands and preserve their hard work. Teams As you grow your team, as you grow your business, as you grow your dream, as you grow your vision, there comes a time when the leader can't come up with all the ideas. In order for the organization to grow, leaders need team members who help generate ideas and who provide initiative to improve things. You'll likely have some team members who simply have marching orders or tasks. Others will be responsible to help you move the organization forward. Those team members will have to have vision . They'll operate from your inspiration. Hiring Finding those visionary team members is different than hiring task-based team members. Andrei uses small, unique tasks to help make hiring decisions simpler. He might, for example, offer a jpeg with a typo or error in it and ask prospective employees to find the error. The intention would be to measure the candidate's attention to detail. He might also ask the candidate to build a video or a graphics project. This process helps him narrow the field because not every candidate is willing to jump through the required hoops to get the job. It also helps him determine who actually has the necessary skill set to accomplish the work. Without poring over countless resumes and applications he can narrow the field to the best candidates . If candidates aren't excited enough, in the beginning, to show you what they can do for you, how excited will they be after they are hired? [Tweet "It's hard to hire from a bunch of unknowns, but it's much easier to select employees from a smaller number of candidates you've already seen in action. #HiringLeaders"] Growth Leaders must have a compelling vision in order to grow a company. They should also likely have a track record of successfully accomplishing goals. Conveying thoughts and messages won't be enough to lead well. <a title= "TSE 908: Lifte

Tue, March 05, 2019

Rob Käll | 5 Ways to Measure the Quality of your Leads, Pipeline and Sales Talent | 1043

When you're scaling an organization, it's important that you're able to measure the quality of your leads, pipeline, and sales talent . It important for business owners as well as sales reps, because simply adding people to the organization won't necessarily result in more sales. Today Rob Kall talks about the numbers that we might not be measuring and the importance of that data in helping your organization grow and improve. Although they aren't commonly measured, these data are the true drivers of your organization's success. Soft things Many sales leaders believe that the solution to any sales struggle is to throw more bodies at it. Though that option may work sometimes, it comes at a cost. Eventually, you'll find that you aren't getting that much more out of the machine despite the added personnel. In response to that problem, Rob and his company spent a lot of time looking at how you can move to tangible measurements instead of making decisions based upon gut feelings. They have identified 5 metrics to improve your company's performance. 1. Lead quality Leads are not created equal. If I have 1,000 leads and a 2 percent conversion to close, that's a super easy way to measure. But if I get a referral from my rich uncle, that's probably a much easier sale than calling someone who has never heard of my business or product. We fail to pay attention to these factors, but they are important. Unfortunately, they can also be difficult to determine. Begin by creating a baseline. If you find that of 1,000 leads you generated in the last period, you were able to generate 20 sales, you can measure a 2 percent conversion. [Tweet "Figure out where your leads come from. Once you've identified that, you may determine that the conversion rate for a particular lead source is higher than the others. #LeadSource"] You can also evaluate your leads by industry and location. Once you understand those conversions, you can identify the leads that are not likely to close and stop wasting your time on them. 2. Prospecting effectiveness Prospecting results in a lot of "no" responses. The only thing that really matters is engagement. As a rep, you must get a certain amount of engagement every day. Some people do it with sheer numbers. Others send fewer contacts but they personalize the ones they do send. Whichever approach you use, make notes every single time an activity results in something. When you do, you'll begin to recognize patterns. Your numbers might look great, but if the outcomes aren'

Mon, March 04, 2019

3 Mistakes Small Company Sales Leaders Make

Very often, sales reps find themselves frustrated and hemmed in by the  mistakes small company sales leaders make . I had a conversation last week with a sales rep who was frustrated because his company had no real plan or guidance for how it would achieve the owner’s vision. The owner expected Herculean efforts by the rep, but eventually the rep stopped performing and left the company to escape the pressure. In many cases, unless the owner corrects the mistakes, the cycle starts all over again when a new rep joins the team. HONEYMOON Many of us in small organizations understand the excitement of entering a new role only to discover that the reality was different than the idea you bought into. The sales rep I mentioned was never good enough to accomplish what the boss was hoping for, because there was no plan in place to help him succeed. Because the rep wasn’t as successful as the boss expected, he was moved into a different role. The rep continued in a sales support role, but his demeanor changed. His excitement disappeared. He wasn’t giving as much of himself to the company because he was discouraged by all that had happened. Eventually he left the role and moved into a much better position. MISSING PLAN Entrepreneurs certainly have the freedom to set their own vision for their companies. It’s their responsibility to establish where the organization will go, but they must also determine how it will get there. Imagine an owner who sets a goal to make $1 million. He wants the best sales reps to come into his organization and help him carry out that plan. He hires a successful sales rep from another company where there is already a proven  sales process  and proven guidance to help him succeed. The owner expects the sales rep to execute at the new company the same way he did at the previous one, except there’s no structure in place. If the rep didn’t take the sales job expecting to have to reinvent the wheel, he’ll likely be frustrated by the lack of any kind of process. If he’s a new seller, he may not have the resources or the experience to help build a sales process from nothing. As a result, he’ll be frustrated and burned out quickly because he doesn’t have the necessary tools to be successful. Without a change in the owner’s approach, every sales rep who walks into this same situation will likely end up leaving. MISTAKE 1: FAILING TO FIND THE BEST CUSTOMER If you don’t identify the best potential customer for your business, the sales rep will constantly have to switch gears in an effort to pursue different prospects. He’ll struggle to gain traction because he’ll be chasing too many possibilities. He likely won’t have any idea what works and what doesn’t, because he’ll be spread too thin. <p

Fri, March 01, 2019

Andrea Waltz | Just Go For No! | 1041

Salespeople don’t like to hear the word “no” but Andrea Waltz is going to help you change the way you look at that response so that you’ll find yourself trying to  go for no. Andrea and her husband struck out on their own about 19 years ago. They did sales workshops and trainings for big companies, and they found that their rejection piece was the thing everyone loved. This was a problem and a solution that affected everyone no matter what business they were in. In this replay of a 2017 episode of The Sales Evangelist, Andrea offers the following advice to those dealing with rejection. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU. Although it’s true that the rejection isn’t personal, it’s hard to avoid internalizing that  rejection . It’s normal to respond emotionally when someone tells you no. If, however, you allow rejection to take control of your sales process, you end up with mediocre results because you’re little more than an order-taker. GO FOR THE NO. Eventually you’re going to have a conversation with someone, so rejection is always a possibility. Andrea’s husband had an experience once selling menswear, and his manager asked him what the customer said no to. Her husband pointed out that the customer bought everything he recommended and didn’t say no to  anything . The manager then asked, “Well then how did you know he was done?” As sellers, we tend to sell to our own wallets, but if we could get comfortable being told no, it’s possible that we’d be even more successful. We must get used to hearing “no.” HELP STRUGGLING SELLERS. “No” doesn’t mean never; it means not yet. “No” is the beginning of a negotiation. If you call on someone who is happy with the current supplier, that won’t necessarily be true forever. You must stay in touch and follow up even when people tell you “no.” Encourage your sellers to continue the follow up. It’s easy to lose track if you don’t use your CRM. There’s also an interesting phenomenon around getting a “yes.” Everyone celebrates that “yes.” Contrast that with the person who makes 20 phone calls and gets nothing but “no.” Consider that a lot of those “no” answers can turn into “yes.”   Don’t just reward results; reward activity. #GetUsedToNo <a class="tm-ctt-btn" href= "https://twitter.com/share?text=Don%27t+just+reward+results%3B+reward+activity.+%23GetUsedToNo&via=donaldckelly&related=donaldckelly&url=https://thesalesevangelist

Thu, February 28, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Why and How to Follow Up" | 1040

Following up means reconnecting with the prospect, and it's crucial that you understand why and how to follow up . Many of us dread the follow-up portion of our job because we fear being a nuisance. When we do it effectively, though, it can be the key to more deals and more success. Follow up Follow up builds trust with your prospects. When you tell them that you're going to follow up with them, they expect to hear from you. Failure to follow up suggests that you're not dependable or perhaps you found another prospect that is more valuable. You must keep your promises because trust leads to success.  People do business with people they know, like, and trust . [Tweet "At the end of every single interaction with your prospect, you should have some form of follow-up in mind. #FollowUp"] Next steps Create a meaningful process that will help move your prospects forward. Decide what you need to do next and establish a clear next step for every single appointment. When you meet for the first time, schedule a next step that will allow a deeper dive with that prospect. Let your prospects know that there will always be a clear next step as long as you two are a good fit for one another. Ask your prospects what they would like to do next. Based upon their answer, you can schedule your next step. Be prepared to offer some options for meeting days and times. Do NOT leave the meeting with a general statement that the prospect will follow up with you. Better to have a specific sense of whether the relationship is moving forward than to be left wondering. Effective strategies For most sellers, none of this is new material. We KNOW that we need to follow up. Once you've created the next step, use Google Calendar to create a notifications that will remind each of you about the meeting. Even if your prospect indicates that the time isn't right for your product or service, have a follow-up in mind that will allow you to reconnect with him after the fact. Stay in touch. Keep your prospect moving in the right direction. "Why and How to Follow Up" episode resources Check out the book 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse. This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. If you put in a lot of hard work in 2018 but weren't able to close many of

Wed, February 27, 2019

Ted Ryce | Sales From The Street - “Overcome Sales Plateaus” | 1039

If you struggle with sales and the challenges that go along with it, you aren’t alone, and today Ted Ryce shares how he overcame his own struggles and how you can overcome sales plateaus. Ted has been a health and fitness professional for the past 17 years in Miami Beach. He has worked with tons of celebrities, CEOs, multi-million dollar companies and personalities like Richard Branson and Robert Downey, Jr. He now has a health, fitness, and personal development podcast called Legendary Life Podcast. Ted figured out early on that he actually is a salesperson. Sales never came easy for him and so today, he shares with us the challenges he faced and how he overcame them so you can learn from his experience. D on’t undersell yourself Ted poured a lot of effort and resources into the fitness industry, and though it helped, he hit a plateau where he wasn’t getting more clients. For the money he invested, he expected to have a mile-long waiting list. He was in desperate need of new clients when a guy expressed interest in training with him. Ted saw it as a chance to grow his client list and raise his prices. Looking back, he realizes that because he didn’t have confidence in his business or his cost, he didn’t justify the cost to his prospect. Determine your value, and stick to it. Differentiate yourself Once you play the price game, everyone loses, including other people in your industry. You have to differentiate yourself and have a reason for charging as much as you do. You must explain it so that the prospect can understand the cost. Have a reason for charging more , not coming from a place of being awesome but in a way the prospect can understand. In Ted’s case, he realized there would always be people who would work for less money, so he started to highlight how his training was different. He offered a holistic approach that included sleep and other physical and health challenges, and he specialized in injuries. He also had a background of working with CEOs, so he marketed himself accordingly. Sell what the client wants Don’t sell yourself or what you want to sell. Sell exactly what the client wants. Ted worked to determine exactly what his clients needed, and then he sold them exactly that instead of selling what he wanted to sell. He also made peace with the idea that some customers would need something different than what he was selling, so he would be willing to refer them out. Match what you do with what someone else needs. [Tweet "When you value your product or service in the right way, price no longer becomes an issue. #Value"] Reach mo

Fri, February 22, 2019

Johanne Wilson | How To Have A Constant Flow of New Customer | 1036

One of the biggest challenges in business is keeping that constant flow of new customers in the pipeline.  How you brand yourself and your company is imperative in producing growth and recurrent revenue.    Johanne Wilson is co-founder of a Florida-based design agency called COOL Creative. COOL stands for Create Out of Love. Their branding comes from a creative and design standpoint.   Challenges in sales Every company experiences challenges when it comes to sales. Understanding those challenges and learning effective ways to overcome them can increase your sales. It can also clarify your target audience and reveal how to best go about reaching them.   Find effective ways to pitch so you can have a healthy flow of clients and client work. When you do, you’ll create active, recurrent clients that return again and again.      From a fashion standpoint, offer enough product and keep it updated and fresh. The customer will keep coming in to purchase product and will create recurrent revenue.   Change product release times and inform the customer of new releases to keep him engaged..   Strive for constant communication with the customer in order to drive sales. Solutions to challenges Maintain consistent growth within your business. On the agency side, COOL Creative developed a growth plan that would move the sales needle. For example, making an investment in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program provides tools for creating an effective growth plan. Johanne realized that she was spending too much time on client work and not enough on the sales side of her business. As the business leader, she realized she was spending a lot of time on design because she was comfortable with it. She was not investing enough time in the sales side.   She learned that in order to be a good business person, you have to become a good sales person as well.  You must familiarize yourself with the aspects of business that you aren’t comfortable or familiar with.   Prioritizing sales On the fashion side, pushing more on advertising, marketing, social, communication, and partnerships with influential peo

Thu, February 21, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Story Selling" | 1035

Stories provide a powerful opportunity to connect with your prospects, and story selling can push you across the line and even make you more successful than the competition. They can even help you overcome a less superior product because people respond to good stories. Stories as a lifeline Good stories can separate you from your competition. I'm putting together a workshop right designed to help business owners understand the power of stories in the selling process. Many of them are trying to land big contracts without great stories. I call this process edutaining, and it differentiates those who do it well. After all, anyone can talk about their product or service. Not everyone can explain how it solve problems for clients. Not everyone can give specific examples of the difference their product or service made. Your prospect wants to hear why it matters. He doesn't care about your software or widget; he cares about what it can do for him. [Tweet "When you share the story of your widget and the problems it has solved for other people, your buyers will engage. You'll build a connection with your buyer that will make him want to hear more. #StorySelling"] Focus on "why" I'm helping a client build a huge presentation for a corporation her company has done business with in the past. She'll be educating these buyers about her company and its offerings. As she prepares, she's trying to determine what exactly she should say. We're working to provide the "whys" of her company instead of focusing on the "what." Rather than address what they do, what they offer, and what they can create, she'll focus on why they've done those things. Why did you start the company? What makes you passionate about solving this issue? Why do clients seek your products? When she told me the story of why she started the company, she came to life and her excitement pulled me in. She told me about her first client and the series of events that launched the whole company, and she pulled me in. It didn't matter to me that she had been in business for 15 years. The buyers Think about your buyers. Spend time thinking of examples of the ways you help your customers solve problems . Ask yourself what your buyers are most concerned about. Think back to an experience when you helped a client solve an important problem or prevent a crisis for their own customers. Then, weave that into your presentation. In the case of this client, her company had suffered a bad experience because of a product delay, and she was concerned about how to handle the situation. To take the fe

Wed, February 20, 2019

Jonathan Dale | Sales From The Street - "How Low Can You Go?" | 1034

Salespeople often adopt a commodity selling mindset instead of a value-based mindset, which leaves them making less money than they could have made. They find themselves asking, “ how low can you go? ” Jonathan Dale works with RS&I, a nationwide company with nine branches throughout the United States. They have become the largest distributor and sales agent of dish networks. Anyone wanting the ability to resell dish networks must go through RS&I to do so. They also own HughesNet, one of the largest satellite internet providers. Jonathan manages the Vivint portfolio. As a sales leader, he teaches sales reps how to keep the sales process simple by breaking it down. Jonathan has had so many different experiences with both sellers and partners. It brings a whole other level of complexity to his role as a sales leader. Focus on value He remembers knocking on doors to sell home security systems for a company called Pinnacle. It is where he learned the ‘Art of the Sale.’ Although he didn’t particularly love it, he admits that he did learn from it. The following year, after several failures, he fully understood the sales process and realized he was a salesperson. It required taking a step back and looking at sales in a whole new way. Jonathan believes that salespeople commonly place a stigma on sales, or have a mindset about it, that prevents them from being successful. It is a mindset that they have to sell based on price. Jonathan’s biggest struggle when training new reps in the home security industry is teaching them to become more of a value salesperson versus a commodity sales rep. He wants them to pitch the overall value of the service rather than diluting the service. Let the customer decide what the spending habits will be. The opportunity for a sales rep to make the most money is when the customer is comfortable with where he wants to be.  Often times, as sales reps, we want to fit each customer into the same size box. Yet, at the end of the day, if we try to force that fit, we lose money. Forcing our clients into a package that they do not need only leads to chargebacks. Don’t compete on price Jonathan works with over 350 different retailers that take Vivint as a secondary, tertiary, and even fourth line sale. It is a struggle to get them to understand that he doesn’t want them to compete on price. Instead, he wants them to have a conversation about the value of the service and let the customer decide if the product fits their needs. Sales reps, however, are prone to touting the price because it seems easier. Jonathan made an interesting transition two years ago which was actually detrimental for a few months. He moved from h

Tue, February 19, 2019

Tamara Thompson | How To Turn A No, To A Maybe To A YES! | 1033

As sales reps, we all want to know  how to turn a ‘No,’ to a ‘Maybe,’ to a ‘Yes!’ Tamara Thompson is the owner of a creative video production company that brings compelling stories and brands to life; from events to influencers to business owners. It is for those who need marketing assistance or who seek to broadcast their authority across different social media platforms. Video is her forte’. She is very passionate about it and has directed several documentaries. Tamara started using a video camera at the age of 7 and followed her dream into film school before launching her own business,  Serious Take Productions , in 2012. She is now focused on building her sub-brand,  Broadcast your Authority , to help empower more female business owners – from taking the stage, to gaining media exposure, to implementing video that will attract and keep attention. Tamara knows full well that receiving a ‘No’ in sales is inevitable. She used to take it personally until she read  The Four Agreements , a book which she credits with changing her life. MOVING BEYOND ‘NO’ Now, she views ‘no’ with a different mindset. That ‘no’ can turn into a ‘maybe’ and then into a ‘yes’ when you have the mentality and are able to think abundantly in order to handle rejection. Taking rejection personally only allows it to spiral out of control into negative feelings about one’s abilities. The more positivity flows around you, however, the more you are able to deal with objections. To handle the conversation, you have to be able to listen to why they are saying ‘no.’ It is a preemptive process. It is the preemptive way of thinking when entering into any conversation: don’t expect a ‘no,’ but recognize that it may happen and be prepared. When facing ‘no’ as an answer, it is time to discover why the hesitation exists. In this way, you can provide a different solution that caters better to the needs of your clients. As the owner of a professional video company, Tamara knows she has the one-up in many situations simply because, in order to build a relationship with her clients, she needs to know exactly what entices them most and what they need most. As an example, Tamara recalls hosting a ‘sale from the stage event.’ It’s a selling opportunity to a massive amount of people who are then invited to ask questions and to sign up for video retreats. One woman, in particular, had many questions about her unique situation. Tamara was able to zero in on the specific hesitations of the prospect and cater to her needs as a result. Relating to the prospect and fully trying to understand the reasons behi

Mon, February 18, 2019

TSE 1032: Why AT&T Customer Service Caused Me To Switch Providers

On today's episode, I share why sellers must stay focused on their customers, and why AT&T customer service caused me to switch providers. My phone was disconnected. I couldn’t receive calls from my clients or from my family. This episode goes beyond sales and is more than just another episode. People matter Salespeople sometimes forget that people matter, so let my experience with a disconnected phone serve as a direct reminder about the need for quality customer service . Too often, large companies don’t seem to care about small individuals. As such, I feel a moral obligation to use my platform to share this incident so that others may benefit from my experience. Brand loyalty I remember back in 6th grade when my mom got me a pager from BellSouth. I felt like the coolest kid on campus. My friends could reach out to me and I could send messages to them; it was all very exciting. I got my first prepaid cell phone in 7th grade, also from BellSouth. I became an AT&T customer when they acquired BellSouth and I had no complaints. Eventually, I moved to the Nokia phone with text messages and minutes - and, of course, I chose AT&T.  When I moved away to college, I tried to take AT&T with me but there weren’t a lot of cell towers back then so it couldn’t happen. They released me from my contract and I signed on with Verizon. Verizon was fine but I was excited when AT&T expanded its coverage and I could use them once again with my new iPhone. My family and I used AT&T for everything. It was a sad day when we moved and had to switch to Comcast but it was exciting when we were eventually able to switch back once again. We understand that companies grow, things happen, and changes are made. We didn’t like all of AT&T’s new ideas but we rolled with the punches and kept moving. A lot of plans have changed in the industry. There is a different structure to leasing phones now, for example. They also offer a prepaid plan where, if you pay off your phone, you have unlimited use for just $45 a month through an automatic bank withdrawal. Sounded good to me! Text notifications let you know when the amount will be withdrawn from your account so you can prepare. It was all running smoothly until we noticed some fraudulent activity on our bank card during the holiday season. We decided to cancel the card and apply for a replacement. You can see where I’m going with this … No customer loyalty About two weeks later, AT&T disconnected my phone, so I called them right away. I certainly accept responsibility for my share of the problem but let me tell you what happened. Because my plan had ‘expired,’ they had cancelled my services -

Fri, February 15, 2019

TSE 1031: Show Our Customers Love Through Effective Onboarding

As sales reps, we often forget that we can show our customers love through  effective onboarding . We invest so much of our focus on  getting  new customers that we don’t necessarily think about how we can deliver an awesome experience once they’ve committed. Jamie Masters  has been a business coach for over 10 years. She has interviewed close to 500 millionaires and billionaires in business in order to learn what they actually do, as opposed to what is written about them in books. As a result, she has extensive knowledge about how successful people run their businesses. THE NITTY-GRITTY DETAILS She says business is never pretty and certainly never perfect. But there are many cool ways, she has learned, to make the nitty-gritty details easier, better, and less stressful. Many entrepreneurs and salespersons are visionary, big-idea thinkers who sometimes find themselves frustrated when they try to implement their ideas. It is imperative that they find someone who can help accomplish all the minor details; to help with the nitty-gritty. Jamie used to work as a project manager – she identifies as a Super Geek – but yet even as the owner of her company, she struggles when dealing with details. She just hates it.  Her right-hand operator, however, has no problem handling details, for which Jamie is eternally grateful. Business owners and salespeople, generally speaking, have many similar qualities. Most of the time, for example, the owner is often the salesperson for the company, particularly in the beginning. It can be difficult, however, to concentrate on the visionary quality and relationships of the business without having to worry about dropping things. BACKUP PERSON Having a backup person who can help with the nitty-gritty details provides that opportunity. The freedom to maneuver without worry makes a huge difference. Jamie knows from experience that people are usually super-excited about a sale at the beginning. But if important details are dropped as the process moves along, the customer will begin to have reservations and will doubt the legitimacy of the product and the sales rep. There are ways, however, to automate the sales process which will not only allow you to keep your customers but will impress them. If you are successful in sales, the  process  will only repeat itself – hopefully, many times over – so why not put a system in place to make it easier for everyone? When a company is organized, when it has a great system in place, it is exciting, as a sales rep, to execute the vision. It is exciting to share a level of expertise with your clients. It makes the clients feel important and valued as well

Thu, February 14, 2019

TSE 1029: Sales From The Street: "Be Bold, Take Action" | Courtney & Dr. Tye Caldwell

As entrepreneurs, many of us run into difficulty, especially when we are just starting out. The key is to be bold and take action . Dr. Tye Caldwell is the CEO, co-founder, and visionary behind the success of ShearShare. Realizing what the future could hold for both the beauty and barber industries, he created a platform for licensed professionals to move from working in their homes to working in salons, barber shops, and spas. This created not only opportunities to work in places where they could be classically trained, but created an opportunity for increased income as well. Dr. Caldwell has been in the industry for 25 years. He’s an instructor with a doctorate degree in professional barbering and cosmetology and co-owner of an award-winning salon. Dr. Caldwell is also the author of  Mentored by Failure , a best-selling book about how to be successful in the industry. CHANGING DYNAMICS When he approached his wife, Courtney, with the idea for ShearShare, she admits to being hesitant. He reminded her how they used to have stylists on a waitlist who wanted to work at their salon, but that it was no longer the case. Instead, he had stylists who just wanted to rent a space for one or two days a week. Courtney liked the old-school way when stylists signed a long-term contract and became part of the team and the culture. But her husband was persistent. He knew he’d rather collect some money on the empty chairs than none at all. It was a success. Everyone loved the experience and flexibility. So much so, that they began to call other salons to find spaces for stylists who were traveling. Word got out quickly. More and more stylists called looking for spaces where they could work by the day. Fast forward three years and the Caldwells knew they were on to something. The beauty industry, as a whole, has been archaic for years, according to Dr. Caldwell. With only four ways to actually work – by commission, by renting a booth, in a salon, or as an employee, stylists were unable to work where and when they needed. ACCESS OVER OWNERSHIP The Caldwells wanted to change that and they knew technology was the key. These days, because of advancements in technology, people can press a button to get a ride, to have food delivered, or to rent a room in someone’s home instead of a hotel. The beauty industry needed to be more on-demand as well. Because they both serve on advisory boards for beauty schools and barber colleges, the Caldwells knew it was something the next generation wanted. ShearShare is the first mobile app that allows a stylist to rent a salon or barber shop space by the day. Taking three years to fully develop and implement the idea allowed them to realize the different ways it would, and would not, wo

Thu, February 14, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Emotional Connections" | 1030

Emotional connections  are an important part of life but sometimes sales professionals forget that those emotional experiences can help us make genuine connections with our prospects. In some cases, those emotional connections can help us close more deals. On Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing some ideas for ways that you can build emotional connections with your prospects. TSE CERTIFIED SALES TRAINING PROGRAM The TSE Certified Sales Training Program began as a result of my inexperience as a seller. I wasn’t a great sales rep, but I went through training that transformed me. I created TSE Hustler’s League, which was my own version of a sales training program. Since then, that program has evolved into the TSECSP. You can take the course alone or with a group to gain from group coaching. The new semester will begin in April. CONNECTING WITH BUYERS Salespeople often overlook the importance of connecting with buyers on an emotional level.   People make decisions emotionally, but they justify them logically. #EmotionalConnection CLICK TO TWEET   At some point in your life, you were likely interested in someone but you were afraid of letting that person know. You might have even been rejected by that person. Imagine your buyers in that scenario. They encounter emotional experiences daily. They have problems and challenges daily that they need help solving. If you step into that role, you have an opportunity to create emotional connections. BEST CLIENTS Think back to those clients you’ve successfully brought on board. Perhaps they were afraid of losing their jobs if they couldn’t solve a problem at work. Or afraid of losing track of invoices. Or unable to follow up on opportunities that came through their pipelines. They likely signed on with you because you were able to demonstrate to them how they could  solve a problem . You created a connection by helping them. SENDING EMAIL If you’re sending email as part of your prospecting process, are your subject lines boring? “Join us for a free webinar.” Your prospect doesn’

Tue, February 12, 2019

Sean McDade | Your Customer Journey Starts with the Prospect Experience | 1028

So often, as sales reps, we neglect to realize that  the customer journey starts with the prospect experience. Sean McDade, PhD, is the founder and CEO of  PeopleMetrics ; a software and services company that helps organizations measure and create a better customer experience by listening to their customers and prospects.  Sean is also the author of “ Listen or Die: 40 Lessons that turn Customer Feedback into Gold, ” a book about how to listen to your customers, clients and prospects in order to create a better experience for them. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Any time that a company interacts with a customer or prospect, they are providing a customer experience. It could be a digital experience on a website, an in-person experience through a meeting with a sales rep, or customer experiences via contact centers or online chats. A great company is one that consciously manages those interactions to create positive experiences for their customers. As a sales rep, the experience you give to your prospects is very important. The prospect’s interaction with a sales rep sets the tone for the experience he can expect as a customer. This is especially true if you are selling B2B products, software, professional services, or any high-end consumer products that a prospect is likely to spend significant dollars on to purchase. A sales rep can increase the value in the sales process by answering questions in detail, by solving problems, and by reducing pain for the prospect. The metric used to measure customer experience is substantially higher for sales reps who add value over those who do not. When a prospect feels that he was lied to, or misled, at the beginning, it is difficult to recover. The great sales reps are the ones who set the tone for a great customer or client experience over the long-term. As for the sales reps who are not setting a positive tone – Sean believes they are creating the very real possibility that the client will churn in the future instead. MARKETING VS SALES Marketing sets the brand promise. They set the expectations but it is up to the sales reps to bring it to life. The prospects will remember their  conversations  with sales reps long after they’ve forgotten the marketing campaign. The sales rep has more credibility and is more effective, as a result, in setting a positive – or negative – tone with the prospect. POSITIVE PROSPECT EXPERIENCE PeopleMetrics measures various attributes by sending a survey to each prospect to determine the experiences

Mon, February 11, 2019

3 Simple Things You Can Do To Offer Exceptional Customer Experiences | 1027

When you’re working to stand out from the pack, there are 3 simple things you can do to offer  exceptional customer experiences. In this day and age, it is easier now that ever before to stand out by offering a great experience because so many others, quite frankly, are not. We can get almost anything we want quickly and easily. That focus on speed, however, eventually causes the quality of the customer experience to decline. Think about it. So many organizations focus on speed in order to beat their competition or to attain the numbers, that they neglect to put their customers first. While it is certainly possible to have both, it takes effort. The bar has been set low today. When we focus on the speed at which we deliver our product or service, or focus only on finding and getting new customers, we neglect the people we already have.   THE BUCKET ANALOGY We neglect the people we already have that are easier to sell to … the ones who can give us referrals … the ones we can upsell ….We neglect them and waste our time running back and forth, here and there, instead. It is the bucket analogy all over again. We work hard to fill our buckets by bringing people in only to have them fall straight out the holes in the bottom. We need to be sure to plug those holes so that our hard work doesn’t drain away. One of the things we can do to show love and care and respect to our current customers is to woo them, right from the start, with a great experience. What happens too often is that we knock on doors, blast emails, and get their attention with great marketing messages. We sell them on a dream or a vision, and we deliver our product quickly. But we neglect to consider our client’s experience. EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES YOUR CLIENT’S NAME Dale Carnegie once said that “a person’s name is to him/her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” It’s true.  We can be in a large crowd but if someone calls our name, we immediately turn around. We want to know who knows us. Using your client’s name in conversations creates a more  personalized experience . It is as simple as “What can I help you with today, Amanda?” I know for sure, that if you are going to call my company or connect with me,  I will respond much better if you use my name . Be sure to address your client the way he prefers to be addressed. For example, does he sign his emails as ‘Dave’ or ‘David’? If you aren’t sure, just ask. The simple task of asking about something that is important to him shows that you care.   HOW YOUR CLIENTS MAKE MON

Fri, February 08, 2019

Hannah Shamji | How To Do High Quality Customer Interviews | 1026

Sellers must understand what drives their customers and their core needs in order to help them be more effective, and conducting  high-quality customer interviews  is an important piece in that process. Hannah Shamji is a conversion copywriter who has a degree in Psychology and training in counseling. She likes to merge her understanding of human behavior through customer research with producing an effective customer interview. It brings about accurate feedback and insight and provides a valuable asset to your business.          CHALLENGES OF CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS Focus groups are a popular way of conducting interviews, but Hannah has found them to be time-consuming and not very effective in getting pure, unbiased answers. When we ask the wrong questions, we often get empty answers. There are time constraints in creating the right questions to ask. There is a difference in just writing a question and coming up with a question that sparks the emotions of the customer to draw out the purity of their response. WHY DO CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS You want to speak to the emotional drivers of your audience. This helps bridge the gap between what you might think will sell your product or service to actually selling it. Doing these customer interviews correctly will help you  answer the questions  of what you should sell, how you should position it, what people care about, and what features or aspects you should focus on. In the past, I’ve done things just because they seemed like a good idea rather than being sensitive to whether it was something people wanted. An example of this was for a college class, my classmates and I had the opportunity to create an on-campus business. What created excitement for us ended up being a complete failure, and ours was one of the first companies in the school’s history to lose that amount of money. We were more concerned with our own interests rather than what the rest of the student body was concerned with. This is why it is so imperative to find out the products and services that appeal to your audience. STARTING THE CUSTOMER INTERVIEW Find your target audience and connect. This audience could be an existing customer you’ll propose something different to or a prospect you aren’t sure will be a good fit. Figure out the target market and pursue it. When Donald first started out in the business industry, he worked for several small companies that did not have a target audience and they just wanted him to go out and sell. The mentality of not having a specific audience to market to is not a good sales strategy. Once you establish who you want to market to, the kinds of questions you ask are imperative. <

Thu, February 07, 2019

Tiffany Southerland | TSE Certified Sales Training Program: "Give Them Your All" | 1025

One of the best ways to show your appreciation for your customers and provide value to them is to give them your all . Tiffany Southerland i s a career confidence coach who works with both young, and experienced, professionals who are ready to make their career mark on the world and who want to increase their fulfillment in the work they do each day. She helps individuals evolve, thrive, and perform to the best of their ability. A business cannot exist without clients, so it is crucial to have a solid relationship with your buyers. Tiffany serves individuals one-on-one in a group setting and believes that, if they are not happy - if they have not improved or realized results - she has not done her job. It is, therefore, very important for the success of her business that she continually better herself in order to do better for her clients. The goal is not to simply make more money but rather to help the clients. A salesperson who pushes her own agenda over the needs of her clients is likely to lose those clients. The natural by-product of happy clients, however, is increased sales. Tiffany recalls failing to launch a group program twice because she had locked herself into reaching a specific number. She was focused on that target instead of the service she wanted to deliver. Once she removed the target and focused on the experiences, services, and opportunities she wanted to provide for her clients instead, she began to see results. Her level of stress was replaced with positive energy. People began to react differently to her as a result and her new goal was reached. Our unique gifts Tiffany knew that she wanted to build her business for the sake of changing people's lives and she wanted to leave a legacy. She had to realize and believe that she was capable of doing so. She needed to believe that she was uniquely gifted to provide her services in the way her clients wished to receive it. Tiffany was serious about reaching her goal. She knew she was capable of making an impact in a way that only she was qualified to do. Tiffany believes we are all uniquely gifted because our lives are all different. We came into our particular roles in a way that no one else did, even if we are doing the “same job.” Once you internalize that concept and apply the difference to the way you do business, you begin to walk authentically and in your own unique voice.  Regardless of the metrics or the sales targets, if you can show up authentically, it becomes easier to do anything. You are no longer working to fit somebody else’s mode. You will be perceived differently. People can tell when you are trying to be something you are not. Instead of thinking about makin

Wed, February 06, 2019

Phil Sweeney | Sales From The Street: "Selling To Everyone" | 1024

Selling a product or service that expands across multiple industries is possible when we realize that  selling to everyone  takes a team effort. Phil Sweeney worked in sales while in college because he enjoyed talking with people and problem-solving. Now, just two years after graduating, Phil is still working for  Negotiatus , a fast-growing tech start-up business he first joined while in school. There were only a handful of employees when Phil first signed on. Now they are at 60 employees and Phil is loving every minute of it. SELLING TO EVERYONE It was exciting, as a salesperson, to have totally green fields ahead in terms of being able to work with, and sell to, any company. Phil had to quickly learn how not overextend himself. He had to learn how to hone in on the  ideal customer  profile. He had to understand who had the biggest need for the platforms he offers. When Phil first joined the sales team in its infancy, the company really could sell to everyone. It was a huge undertaking. They were also faced with the challenge of being a new company with little success to promote. They were shooting from all cylinders to determine where the biggest impact was in terms of the types of companies that they were attracting. From there, they were able to focus more and more on those types of clients. Phil dedicated blocks of time to the task. For 2-3 hours each day, he would not take any calls, schedule meetings, or go anywhere. Ideally, using blocks of time outside of selling hours, Phil would focus solely on who he was going to call the next day. He used many of the brilliant resources now available such as Sales Navigator, to find the people he needed to find and to learn more about them prior to the call. SHARING THE IDEAL CUSTOMER PROFILE Now that he is part of a larger sales team, he is having conversations not only within sales but also with success teams and operating teams to understand, in their opinion, which clients have been the most successful and easiest to work with. When selling to everyone is possible, it is easy to find yourself going nowhere fast. It is hard to know the correct verbiage for each industry. Selling in the medical industry, for example, is much different than selling in the automotive industry. It can be hard to land a good appointment until you narrow your focus to the industries that work best for your company. DIVIDE AND CONQUER Success begins when the teams can focus and then specialize across multiple industries. Phil believes it is important to identify as an expert in whichever field or department you are selling to. It is massively beneficial when you can speak the sam

Tue, February 05, 2019

Stacey Brown Randall | Generating Business Referrals...Without Asking | 1023

When you bring value to customers and care for your clients, you’ve taken an important first step toward  generating business referrals… without asking . Stacey Brown Randall considers herself a contrarian in the sales world, because she believes that if you’re asking for referrals, you’re doing it wrong. She helps small business owners and solopreneurs generate referrals and she dispels myths about referrals. She didn’t set out to focus on referrals, but after her first business failed, she discovered that business owners have to figure out how to touch business development every day. You also have to figure out the ways in which you’re willing to do it. TONS OF OPTIONS Sellers have countless options for bringing in clients and prospects to their pipelines, but they have to be options that the sellers are willing to do day-in, day-out. When her own business failed, she asked herself what went wrong. Although there was more than one mistake along the way, she realized that she never figured out how to fill her pipeline consistently. She never found an activity she was willing to do on a regular basis. She researched and found that  referrals  offer an amazing way to bring in clients, and they’re often quicker to close. They also trust you before they ever meet you, and they are less price sensitive. Everything about referrals is just better. REFERRAL PIECE Stacey was determined to figure out the referral piece when she launched her second business, but all the information she could find said you had to ask for referrals. To her, asking for a referral felt like a second-cousin to a cold call. She didn’t want to do it. In order to help her second business be successful, she decided to figure out how to generate referrals without asking. Once she did that, she moved into teaching other people how to succeed in the same way. REFERRAL MISTAKES Referrals are not about you. If you ask for them, or make them part of your marketing plan and develop promotions around them, you’re making the referrals about you. Stacey discovered that the sales process has three buckets:  prospecting  activities, marketing activities, and referral activities. What we do to generate referrals looks different than what we do compared to prospecting and marketing. When I’m in prospecting mode, I’m looking for someone who will say yes within 30 days. With marketing, it’s a little more long-term but there is always an ultimate mindset. Referrals, however, require different activities and a different mindset. The biggest mistake people make is treating their

Mon, February 04, 2019

The Redheaded Stepbrother of Sales...Client Success | 1022

The Red-headed Step Brother of Sales … Client Success ; we don’t pay attention to it. But, we should. There were times, growing up in Jamaica when we would have issues with getting water into our house. The pressure wouldn’t be strong enough or a pipe would burst, and we would have to take buckets down to the community water source and haul them back home. Imagine me, Little Donald, carrying a bucket of water a quarter mile each way …and I’m sure I filled that bucket to the very top. Naturally, some will spill out as you walk along, but imagine my surprise to see the bucket only half-full when I got home … A small crack in the bucket caused me to lose most of it. What incentive would I have to go back for more? I needed to fix that bucket. Client success is the same way. Nobody pays attention to it but it is critical to the organization’s success. CLIENT SUCCESS Client success is the function of a company responsible for maintaining the relationship between the client and you, the vendor. The goal of  client success  is very simple: to make sure your clients are as successful as possible. This, in turn, improves your relationship with the client and the lifetime value of that client. It helps the organization in many ways. As with my bucket example, client success is the source that helps to make sure the holes in the bucket are sealed. We don’t lose water – we don’t lose customers. [02:17] Compare the lifetime value of your client to my bucket of water. The last thing you want to do is lose your customers after working so hard to get them. It would be such a waste to work for a year and a half to land an amazing client only for them to move on after only a year. Multiply that scenario across multiple clients and you’ll find yourself in a whole heap of trouble: you need to fix that bucket. You need to address client success. [03:26] I read a statistic in an article published by the  Precision Marketing Group  which states that 86% of buyers will pay more for a product if they receive a better customer experience. This may not occur immediately but imagine a client does come on board who has an opportunity to purchase more of the licenses, or services, that you offer. Let’s use furniture sales as an example. You sold a nice desk and chair to your client. In the future, what prevents him from going elsewhere if he needs another chair? [04:11] MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS What if your client success team was able to actively work that account and learn the goals of the client? If you knew the client was planning to expand in

Fri, February 01, 2019

Zvi Guterman | The Value of Giving Prospects Hands-on Control During Presentations and Leave-Behind | TSE 1021

What is  the value of giving prospects hands-on control during presentations and leave behinds? Zvi Guterman , founder and CEO of  CloudShare , is here today to tell us. CloudShare is a cloud company providing IT labs as a service mainly for IT training, IT sales enablement, and sandboxing, all in the cloud. Like most entrepreneurs, Zvi got the idea for CloudShare when faced with a problem that needed a solution. In previous positions, there was always a point in the sales process when Zvi needed to build a demo or training talk. When he realized how much time and work he was spending to build that infrastructure, as opposed to actually doing the demo and closing the deal, he knew there had to be a better way. He looked but couldn’t find a service to create labs for him, so he decided to create that service. Ten years and $30 million later, Zvi has seen a lot. HANDS-ON CONTROL DURING PRESENTATIONS Zvi learned from working with his customers and users that, once a prospect is given a hands-on experience, the level of  commitment  from those prospects increases. It is no longer some vague idea that you are selling but rather a tangible product. When the clients understand how the software works, for example, it is easier for them to imagine using it. They are more committed and less worried because their questions are answered. It also allows sales to  collaborate  with the prospects on how best to utilize the product.   Hands-on experiences remove obstacles and shorten the sales cycle. #SalesCycle CLICK TO TWEET   A hands-on experience allows sales to move control of the demonstration to the prospect. It increases the prospect’s understanding of the product and allows them the opportunity to ask questions they may not even know they had. Onboarding then becomes super enjoyable. Begin by answering simple questions and explaining terminology. Then, proceed together to

Thu, January 31, 2019

Kristy Ellington | TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Understanding & Managing Fear" | 1020

If we allow it to, fear can hold us back and dominate our lives, but if we focus instead on understanding and managing fear , we can identify the source of our fear and we can improve our own performance. Kristy Ellington shares today why she believes that being fearless is a myth, and how she overcame years-old fears to unlock improved performance in her own job. Fearless Being fearless is a myth because the truth is that everyone experiences fear. Fear doesn't simply infect one section of our lives, but rather every part. We get caught up in our thoughts and emotions, and fear keeps us from doing the things we want or need to do to get to the next level. Fear causes us to focus inward instead of focusing on the client , which is really detrimental in sales. As sellers, we want to focus on our clients and how we can connect with them, but fear keeps us focused on how they perceive us, and whether they are judging us, and how we look to them. Fight or flight Fear triggers our natural fight-or-flight instinct, which diverts resources from our brains into our arms, legs, heart, and lungs. It slows down our thinking so that we can't fully analyze situations and we can't think critically. We have no available judgment and we can't find creative solutions because we're afraid. Fear hinders us in a variety of ways, but realistically it's all in our heads and it's all connected back to some unidentified source of fear that we have to address. Take action For sellers, the need to overcome fear is real, and they don't have a lot of time to do it. They have quotas to meet and they have to pick up the phone. Understand your trigger. If you're afraid of picking up the phone, unpack that fear. It's often the fear of judgment or the fear of rejection or not being professional or expert enough. You fear going off-script and looking or sounding stupid. Use this five-step process before any big presentation or conversation: Notice. Recognize the problem. Admit when you're afraid. Aware. Be aware of where the problem is: tightness in your throat or butterflies in your stomach. Make. Make the connection. Where did you first feel this problem? What's the source? A bad public speaking experience? Evaluate. Is this real right now? You have no reason to believe that anyone will make fun of you, so your own thoughts are causing the fear. It isn't real. Shift. Once you understand that your fear isn't real, you can shift your focus back to your client. Worst-case scenario If you have any kind of fear

Wed, January 30, 2019

Ian Wendt | Sales From The Street: "Fear and Mental Toughness" | 1019

Salespeople need  mental toughness  to weather all the ups and downs of the industry, as well as the pressures and difficulties when things aren’t going well. Sometimes clients choose another seller. Sometimes a customer ends the relationship. In other cases, we do everything we’re supposed to do, and the deal still won’t close. Today Ian Wendt talks with us about one of the most difficult moments in his career and how he got through it and continued his journey. TEACHING INSTEAD OF SELLING Sales is full of challenges, and it requires a certain amount of self-motivation. For Ian, though, the greatest challenge was when he decided that he didn’t want to knock on doors. He realized that while he was really good at selling, he was even more valuable as a teacher. He needed to find a way to make himself valuable enough that he could teach other people how to sell and how to be mentally tough, which was what he was really passionate about. It’s sometimes tough for people to build a sales career that doesn’t involve knocking on doors. Finding a way to make the transition felt daunting to him. He was haunted by the fear of what would happen if he  couldn’t  make it work. Ian shared a quote from the book  Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds  by David Goggins that goes like this: “Most people don’t even start if they don’t have a guarantee.” That was Ian’s mindset at the time of the transition. PULLING THE TRIGGER Ian decided to sell for one more summer, and his regional manager used him to do some training. When Ian went to certain offices, those groups started seeing huge spikes in their performance. He was helping them close significant deals and move the needle. He started tracking his results so he could demonstrate his value. Ian asked for the opportunity to run a training program, but his leadership told him there was no such position available in the company. If, however, Ian could prove the value in his training, the company would consider creating one. Ian is a big believer that you don’t negotiate until you bring value, so that’s what he set out to do. He was determined to produce something he could negotiate with. TRACKING RESULTS Ian started tracking the offices, reps, and leaders that he was training. He tracked their  metrics  and their increases and the improvements in their completion rates for about three months. He visited about 11 offices and trained more than 60 reps. Once he had a binder full of information, the leaders called him in to ask what he was doing. They were

Tue, January 29, 2019

Aaron Walk | Where's My Mentor? | 1018

Many of us in sales have jumped into companies without a training process or guidance; we find ourselves winging it and wondering,  “Where’s my mentor?” Aaron Walker  started in the business when he was 18 years old. At the age of 27, he sold to a Fortune 500 company and retired. Eighteen months later, his wife told him he was becoming fat and lazy; so he went back to work, purchased the company he first started and grew it four times in 10 years. It was all fun until the unimaginable happened in August 2001. Aaron accidentally killed a pedestrian with his car. It changed his life. He sold the business and spent the next five years learning how to deal with the tragedy. CHANGING HIS LEGACY In the process, he realized that his financial success lacked significance. He didn’t want his legacy to be “‘enough money to retire at the age of 27.” Nobody cares. He wanted to make a change. He decided to spend his life encouraging and edifying others. Aaron changed the way he did business. He started looking outward more than inward and he gathered mentors to help him. His life began to take a very different path. With the help of several mentors he has worked with for more than two decades in a Mastermind group, Aaron launched his own coaching company,  View From the Top . He now leads 14 mastermind groups in eight different countries to help people live a life of success and significance. ISOLATION IS THE ENEMY TO EXCELLENCE Aaron defines a mentor as somebody who will walk alongside you for an extended period of time, as opposed to a coach who helps you get through a certain point in life. Aaron has been with some of the same mentors for more than 40 years. They help him realize where he needs to go in life. Mentors are people who have been there/done that and whose core values coincide with your own. They are the people who want what is best for you rather than what is best for themselves.   For sales, in particular, mentors are crucial. Aaron believes that it is very difficult to grow and expand alone because we each have only one filter – one life experience that guides how we view things. THE VALUE OF MENTORS Other people see us differently than we see ourselves. As such, mentors can help realize your superpowers. They also help you understand your weaknesses and to see your blind spots. Having a mentor to point out what we would otherwise miss ourselves can be the very thing that puts us over the top. We have many obstacles and upper limit challenges that we need to push through. Trusted and unbiased advisors can point us in the right direction. Aaron recalls a guy in one of his mastermind groups that was putting together a c

Mon, January 28, 2019

Don't Treat Prospects Like a Number | 1017

If you've been guilty of bulldozing your prospects or being rude or uncaring, today must be the day you change your mindset: Don't treat prospects like a number . Although numbers are important to those of us who work in sales, we can't let them become our primary focus. They can help us measure our success and determine our strengths and weaknesses, but we can't reduce our prospects to a number. Find the balance Some organizations focus so little on numbers that they don't have any way to replicate their successes. They have no idea how many calls it takes to get to the right customer. They have no idea of their conversion rate . On the other hand, some organizations are so focused on the numbers that it becomes the primary focus of their work. As a result, they often sacrifice quality in the name of numbers. Do not lose track of the people in the process. My wife got a call from a traditional seller in a traditional selling situation last week: he knew nothing about the company except the name and the phone number. He didn't know who he needed to speak to, and it was obvious he was calling from a call center. The caller wasn't prepared and he didn't have a cadence to his call. Dialing for dollars Some companies have a single speed. They spend each day dialing for dollars and relying on phone calls to advance their numbers. They fail to realize that today's buyers are busy. They fail to approach selling from the buyer's standpoint. It never occurs to them that they could have brought value in an email. Or that they could have used multiple emails to share client testimonials or valuable tips or irresistible messages. They overlook LinkedIn as a place to connect with prospects and they miss the opportunity to provide value. They forget that they could mail something to the prospect or research who they should contact within a company. They overlook the strength of using multiple points of entry rather than just blasting the prospect with phone calls. Control your emotion When my wife told the caller that we weren't interested in doing business with him, he got upset. He's no doubt frustrated because he's doing the same activity every single day and not having much success, but it doesn't give him a pass to get upset. Sometimes you've brought value and done everything possible for your buyer, and they still aren't ready to buy. It's ok to say, "Hey, I get this all the time. Sometimes people aren't ready. Out of curiosity, is it because you guys already have someone in place or just that you're not looking to buy right now?"

Fri, January 25, 2019

Brian Manning | How to Deal With The Pressure of Hitting Your Quarterly Number | 1016

We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling in sales as we near the end of another month … so how do you deal with the  pressure of hitting your quarterly number ? It’s not easy, especially without the proper guidance. Brian Manning, SVP & Head of Growth at  PatientPing , works to help startups grow their ideas and he is here today to share insight on how to deal with the pressure of hitting your quarterly numbers. PatientPing is a care coordination platform that helps healthcare providers collaborate with one another on shared platforms. Brian has been with PatientPing for three years now. He oversees their sales, marketing, government affairs, and partnerships. From a sales leader standpoint, Brian thinks of quarterly numbers in terms of the Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) for each layer of the business: the overall company ARR, the sales team ARR and the individual sales rep ARR. WILL, SHOULD, COULD Sales reps often feel the pressure to perform and, as a leader, Brian likes to have his reps 3x their pipeline as they enter the quarter. As the quarter goes on, however, and things become more sophisticated, Brian moves on to the ‘Will, Should, Could’ method. This method involves marking each deal throughout the quarter as Will Close, Should Close and Could Close.  Wills usually equal about 95%, while Should is at 70% and Could is closer to 50%. The Sales Operation Team does this for each week for each rep to provide a projection for the quarter. In this way, at any given week, the reps have a pretty good sense of where they stand in relation to their targets. Brian has found that the projections are smart and reliable. THE DETECTIVE MINDSET When sales reps feel pressure to hit their quarterly numbers, it is usually a result of a failure somewhere in the sales funnel. There might not be enough leads, the presentations may not convert into proposals, or the deals may be stuck in contract too long. It is usually one specific thing that slows them down. It almost takes a detective mindset to figure it out sometimes, but it can be done. A key factor in reducing the pressure of hitting your quarterly numbers begins with the numbers that are expected of the sales rep. The rep needs to be comfortable with those numbers. If they do not see a path toward achieving the goal set in front of them, they need to alert their manager right away – before the quarter even starts. It should not be viewed as a sign of weakness, nor should a rep fail to come forward because of pride.   As a manager, Brian knows it is important to listen to his team. The territory could be bad, the ramp might be too quick, or the training may need to be improved. He does, however, require an intelligent and well-thought-out conversation rather than simple excuses. You never

Thu, January 24, 2019

Paul Carswell | TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Lack of Confidence" | 1015

One of my favorite topics to talk about is  lack of confidence  and the challenges and fear that come along with it; and, more specifically, how we can overcome it. Paul Carswell was the salaried manager of a Sherwin-Williams storefront for many years before transitioning in 2018 to become an independent Medicare Insurance Specialist. He works with clients ages 65+ to help them and to bring value to their community.   Surviving on a 100%  commission-based income  took some getting used to. Instead of clients walking into the store, Paul had to learn how to make calls and set appointments. In order to educate potential clients on the complexities of the Medicare system, Paul also hosts educational events in the community. He uses podcasts like this one to reach out to as many people as possible. Such events help people to realize that his primary goal is to help the community rather than to simply earn a paycheck. LACK OF CONFIDENCE Moving from a salaried position to a commission-based position certainly caused some fear and trepidation. The transition of receiving a paycheck every two weeks, regardless of performance, to selling private insurance came with a steep learning curve. Paul knew he had to get out in front of people. Nobody was simply “walking into the store anymore.” Previously, his whole day had been planned out for him. Now he had an empty schedule that only he could fill. It seemed nice and relaxing for the first two weeks but then reality set in. With no paycheck coming in and no prospects on the calendar, Paul admits to feeling defeated. A lack of  confidence  was setting in. REGAINING CONFIDENCE Paul had to put his pride aside and get busy. Drawing from his experience as a basketball player, he knew he had to take shots if he was ever going to score. He started contacting old friends and networking – anything to populate his schedule. It didn’t matter if it was Medicare-related or not. Paul found that the more he put on his calendar, the more he was able to begin to weed out the events that would not benefit his business. Eventually, after about eight weeks of making calls and networking – still without a paycheck – he finally had a full schedule of Medicare-related events to look forward to. As a result of the changes he implemented, Paul improved his relationships with his friends by talking with them more. On the business side of things, he has increased his bookings from zero to 50 and is earning a decent income because of the work he put into it. It didn’t all com

Wed, January 23, 2019

Kevin Yee | Sales From The Street: "New Rejection | 1014

As salespeople, we’ve all faced  new rejection.  It feels like a punch in the gut every time. It can sometimes make you question if you should even stay in the business.   Kevin Yee knows what I’m talking about. Rejection is especially hard to handle when you are new to it as Kevin was. Kevin left the pharmacy industry and now runs a high ticket closing agency of about ten team members working with B2B and B2C clients. It was risky move but after attending a sales training course, Kevin was highly motivated. He was excited to start making calls but terrified at the same time. He knew he lacked experience and that affected his confidence. Kevin wanted clients but he wasn’t sure if he was really going to be able to help them. Intellectually, he knew he could work hard and figure things out but he remained insecure. THE WRONG FOCUS He was so focused on those insecurities, that within moments, his first client had control of the call. Looking back, Kevin realizes he was trying to be someone that he wasn’t. He is naturally inclined to be helpful but he was trying to be authoritative in his delivery. He knew all the right things to say but he lacked conviction and it came across in his voice. It didn’t help that the client was also not interested in the services of a high- ticket closer. Kevin had worked so hard to put everything in his training so the rejection really hit him hard. His  confidence  in sales was shaken. He didn’t want to go back to pharmacy, however, so he decided to try again. TRYING AGAIN At the time, he was a one-man sales team. He had a marketing background so he set up a sales funnel for himself where he was the closer at the end. With help from his YouTube channel, the leads started to come in. It was a good problem to have. Kevin signed on a few friends to help out. Having confidence in the team’s ability to get results made it easier to reach out to more and more clients. Certainly, the best time to close a sale is right after closing a previous sale because that is when confidence is high. It has been six months since the  sales funnel  took off. The team has been getting better and better and Kevin has focused on getting more and more clients. He learned how to really connect with people and to be a good friend to his clients. Kevin takes the time to really learn about their businesses so that he can tackle any problems his clients may have. He knows that the most important part of any new business is marketing and sales. WORKING WITH OTHERS<

Tue, January 22, 2019

Tom Libelt | How to Deal With Uncertainty as a Salesperson? | 1013

ow do you deal with  uncertainty as a salesperson?  It’s definitely a tough thing that can wipe some people out. Tom Libelt  has been a salesman for almost 20 years; inside sales, outside sales, retail, large corporations – you name it. He has a couple of his own companies as well and is currently focused on the marketing of online courses. Tom credits just getting up every morning and going to work as the secret to his success. And, he never leaves anything half-finished. You don’t have to accomplish ten million things in one day – aim for two or three. It is amazing how much you can achieve in a year if you just check two or three items off each day. You could record an album, get a degree, open a store … In this way, Tom has been able to 5x his company in just three months. PLAN AHEAD He says the trick is to plan ahead the night before so as not to lose your focus, momentum, and energy trying to figure it all out the next morning. When Tom is in the middle of a really fun project, he sometimes will let it set overnight just so he can enjoy it again for another day. Leaving something overnight, however, also just bugs him the whole night; he can’t stop thinking about it. He wakes up looking forward to finishing it. In his experience, completing a great project first thing in the morning establishes the work flow for the rest of the day. You will already be in the mindset to get things done. DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY Dealing with uncertainty is especially difficult as a salesperson. We hear ‘No’ more than anyone else in any profession. It can be a real roller coaster ride: Got a sale! … No sale…. Almost got a sale …hot lead! … nothing. It is especially hard when there is a target to hit. The ride can last two or three weeks before it lands on a sale. It’s a grind sometimes and it can chip away at your confidence – and increase your uncertainty – if you don’t have the experience to handle it. As a salesperson, Tom defines uncertainty as a feeling that nothing is working. It is that moment when the negative thoughts start to take over and you begin to worry. It is when the confidence and experience you need to know you will be okay are not there. Those moments are fueled by fear and the worst decisions are often made as a result. Imagine trying to close a deal and being terrified of what might happen if you fail. The client can sense that fear and you will not close that deal despite all your abilities. The wrong value and emotions are transferred to the client. Clients don’t buy when they are scared. You wouldn’t want a hesitant doctor – you want a confident doctor.  It is the same with sales. PROJECT CONFIDENCE We have to project competence, <a title= "TSE 666: How To Gain Confidence To Pick Up The Phone as a Small Business Owner" href=

Mon, January 21, 2019

You Are Important As Well!!! | 1012

If you find yourself hesitant to tell people that you work in sales because you think anyone can do it, today we’re discussing the fact that You are Important as Well!! The year was 2011. I was a recent college graduate working for the first company in my professional career. I was attending a fine dining networking event when I ran into an old friend. The old friend, it turns out, had decided to take on Wall Street after graduation and was now the head of finance for a multinational company in Miami. It sounded like he was doing great. “Hey! Donald! It’s great to see you! What are you doing these days?!” I clammed up because I didn’t want to tell him that I was in sales for a medical company. I was ashamed of saying I was a sales rep because, early on, it felt to me like anyone could do sales. [0:00] Change your mindset It took me a while to realize that not just anyone can do well in sales. And I want to help you change your mindset, too. I want you to understand that you are important as well! Many professional careers - medical, law, finance - require college degrees. They are critical jobs with important tasks. Sales, however, doesn’t carry the glamour it once did. Many of us don’t even wear a suit to work anymore. Rather, it is believed that anyone who can “sell” can get a job in sales. We sit behind a computer and make phone calls … we are pushy people, bottom feeders, and we lack the ability to do anything else. [03:19] That is how I used to feel. Now I know better. Money In sales, we have an unlimited level of income. After executives, sellers earn the highest incomes. As a salesperson, it is your job to bring money into the organization. Money is the lifeblood of any company, even for non-profits. Finance, HR, tech, even the CEO - none of them can do their job without money. The company cannot grow without money. Every department needs money but only sales can deliver it. [04:38] Certain jobs, like sales, are an asset to any company. Other positions - ones that earn a paycheck every week without bringing money into the firm - are liabilities. [06:21] Salespeople are so important to the bottom line. The information we have is needed in board meetings because everyone wants to know what the sales pipeline looks like.  They need to know. [06:52] Education Sales can be an easier field to get started in because it doesn't require a lot of technical training. [Tweet "It is also true that your capacity to perform well as a salesperson will increase significantly with education. #SalesEducation"] It is why I do this podcast. It is why I offer training and how I am able to help companies, and their sales teams, do better. Un

Fri, January 18, 2019

Alex Quin | What To Do When Everyone Tells You "No" | 1011

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to  Alex Quin  about how to step up our game, get back up when we get knocked down, and what to do when everyone tells you no. Alex is an investor who focuses on projects that he is passionate about, whether they be in entertainment, media, or fashion. His current projects include a globally-distributed clothing company based in Miami and several content creation projects bound for Netflix and Amazon. As a public figure, Alex has had the opportunity to work with many brands that use his image and likeness for promotions and commercials. As an entrepreneur with several successful projects that garnered a lot of media attention, Alex became an influencer despite initially wanting to remain behind the scenes. [01:28] HARD WORK AND CONSISTENCY Some view his achievements as an overnight success. Alex doesn’t agree. He knows it took many years of hard work and consistency. Yet people tend to focus on the finished product. Consider social media for example. We want to portray ourselves positively and in the best light, which can come across to others as a perfect life. But social media is just the highlight reel. It doesn’t show the downfalls, the difficult times, or the moments of self-doubt. When all the hard work is glossed over, it is easy to be fooled into thinking that you are the only one not succeeding. In reality, everyone makes mistakes. But those mistakes can become opportunities to learn. [03:16] Alex cites money, or rather the lack of it, as his biggest challenge. He started an advertising company using money he earned working in the fast food industry. No job was too small. If he needed to clean bathrooms in order to afford computers or camera equipment or to pay the rent on a small office, he did it. It was a difficult journey and he worked with a lot of people who let him down. [04:46] HOW TO HANDLE ‘NO’ As sellers, many of us enter the industry assuming everyone will be nice, or at least polite. So  rejection  really hurts. It takes a while to understand that they aren’t necessarily being mean to us but that maybe we are just not offering a good fit for what they need. So how do we handle ‘no?’ We need to be realistic. We can get so involved in our project that we lose the outsider’s perspective and fail to see our own shortcomings. Maybe the prospects are saying ‘no’ because there is a flaw in our presentation. Maybe we aren’t doing something right. We need to re-evaluate ourselves and keep an open mind. Is the feedback coming from a negative perspective or from a constructive criticism perspective? If you are continually hearing ‘no’ – what is the common denominator? Find out why

Thu, January 17, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "BETA" | 1010

Sales professionals who lose track of the fundamental tasks involved in selling don't perform as well, so we've created the TSE Certified Sales Training Program to help sellers stay focused on what's important. Sales includes many tedious tasks that, done together, help sellers be successful. The TSE Certified Sales Training Program focuses on fundamentals because we want to help you be proficient at selling. Golf game Golf demands precision. Small adjustments to your club or your stance can completely change your swing and where the ball lands. It's a tedious game, and the professionals who play it every day practice the same shots over and over to become proficient at it. If they don't practice it repeatedly, they won't perform well on the course. [03:19] TSE's Certified Sales Training Program intends to do the same thing for sellers. Our goal is to help sellers focus on the small, fundamental tasks on their way to becoming proficient. I spoke to a VP of a major organization about fundamentals and why we miss them sometimes; things like prospecting, asking the right questions, building rapport, listening, building value, and closing. When we don't do the fundamentals, we don't succeed. Experienced sellers I've come across many people who are experienced sellers that suddenly clam up and struggle to do things like prospecting. Fear paralyzes them and their pipelines dry up as a result. [04:02] I typically discover that they never truly understood the fundamentals, so when they started to struggle, it wrecked their confidence. The TSE Certified Sales Training Program is different than anything we've offered in the past. It's 12-weeks long, and it's broken up by month. Each month, we tackle the core struggles sellers face. The first month addresses prospecting. The second deals with building value. The third area is conversion or closing. Each month includes four modules and each module includes 30 minutes worth of video. After you watch the videos, you can engage with the coaching groups to address what you learned. At the end of the week, you apply the principles you learned, and test the results. We include role-playing and shared experiences. At the end of the entire course, you're certified. Now you can go and share what you've learned with others in your organization. We're launching a Beta test of the program and we're inviting about 20-25 people to participate with us. They'll help us work out the kinks before we publicly launch the program. Role play<

Wed, January 16, 2019

Pauline “Muffin” Grayson | Sales From The Street: "Don't Ration Your Passion" | 1009

Pauline “Muffin” Grayson is a graphic designer who believes we shouldn’t let anything get in the way of our passion, and she has a single message for us:  Don’t  ration your passion . Pauline has a degree in fine arts. After school, she stumbled into freelancing and surface pattern design; the design for gift wrap and greeting cards. You may know her from her designs on   petitelemon.com  and  Shutterfly.com . PURSUE YOUR PASSION Pauline describes passion as doing something you absolutely love without letting anything else get in the way. For Pauline, that is design. She says she is just not happy unless she is doing it. It is who she is as an individual. Yet sometimes, societal expectations seem to limit us from pursuing our passions. I remember telling people that I was in sales and getting the distinct impression from them that they assumed it was only because I couldn’t find anything better to do. I wasn’t living up to their expectations despite that I was doing what I truly loved to do. Pauline can relate.  As a stay-at-home mom, many people wrongly assume she chose to do so because she couldn’t do anything else. Pauline is passionate about being a mom, but she is also passionate about design. So she found a way to do both. It makes her a better mom and a better designer as a result. Many people abandon their passion because they fail to  set goals . As a young girl on a dairy farm in Idaho, Pauline learned that hard work pays dividends. She says she is not the best designer out there but believes that her hard work and her goal to continually improve is what sets her apart. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY Fear is often not even based in fact. We worry about what might happen and create a false reality as a result. It is helpful to have someone to discuss your goals and aspirations with; someone who can keep you grounded and on course.   Set goals high but also set reasonable timelines to reach them. Pauline recalls a time when she met the owner of Betty’s Beds, someone she really wanted to work with. Fast forward a year after their initial encounter and Pauline never heard back from the owner. But rather than letting it go, or being afraid to reach out, Pauline sent them an email. They have been working together now for some time and Pauline has seen her designs on blogs, magazines, and HGTV. DON’T GIVE UP Pauline could have concluded from the year-long gap in communication that the owner simply didn’t want to work with her. Instead, she chose to understand and empathize that they are busy

Tue, January 15, 2019

Henry Kaminski, Jr | Plan, Prepare & Refuse To Give Up | 1008

Today we’re talking about how to Plan, Prepare and  Refuse to Give Up  with podcast host, branding expert, and author Henry Kaminski, Jr. Henry is the founder of  Unique Designz , a full-service design, branding and digital marketing agency dedicated to helping authority brands; coaches, consultants, influencers, speakers and authors to scale their expertise and personal brands into profitable business models. Henry started twelve years ago as a freelance graphic designer, eventually growing his business into a mature, boutique brand development agency.  His average client is typically worth $50-100K over a calendar year. But Henry remembers not so long ago when he was working for Fiverr. As sales reps, we know how it feels to want to get to the top as quickly as possible. We think it will be easy but then it is not long before we hit the hiccups. PLAN AND PREPARE Henry says it all comes down to preparation. He credits himself with once being the worst salesman on the planet. These days, Henry follows a very specific, tried and true script that he practices on a weekly basis. He does not deviate from that script and, as such, he is closing more and more sales. People perceive our value based on the questions we ask so planning ahead of time what to say is key. As Henry says “asking stupid questions only gets you stupid answers.” You will be perceived as an amateur. As a brand strategist and brand developer, Henry wants to position his clients to become subject matter experts.  He wants people to be on the edge of their seats whenever one of his clients is speaking. It is all about positioning and that comes with preparation. Do your research on your client. Know as much about them before you make the call. This is a lesson Henry learned the hard way. You have to know the answers to the questions but you will want to challenge the person that you are speaking to. There is no value in telling the client what they already know. Let your client know that you may ask them some tough questions – questions they maybe haven’t about thought before. Be sure they understand that your intent is not to pry but to get to the root of the issues in order to be the most helpful. BE INTENTIONAL Henry became intentional with his desire to start his own business after Hurricane Sandy blew through New Jersey and wiped out two of his biggest clients. Henry tried to continue living the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed but with a revenue loss

Mon, January 14, 2019

Is It Possible To Have A "Perfect Day" In Sales? | 1007

Is it possible to have a “perfect day” in sales? Phone calls from prospects just as soon as you walk into the office … demonstrations are set … proposal reviews are awesome; everything is smooth sailing. What would it take to have that perfect day in sales? Do we have control over any of the elements?  I think so. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, I will share something valuable that I learned over the weekend that can help us all accomplish the perfect day in sales. [0:00] Perfection doesn’t happen by accident There was an awesome older lady in our congregation who recently passed away. During the eulogy, her daughter shared a story about her mom who was, apparently, quite a perfectionist. She always looked great. Everything was always on point. One day when the daughter was leaving for school, the mother noticed that the daughter had only ironed the front side of her skirt. As the daughter explains, she didn’t see any reason to iron the back of the skirt because she was going to be sitting down at school, nobody was going to see it. It just didn’t matter. Her mother disagreed and told her,  “Perfection doesn’t happen by accident.” [02:46] She was right. If you want something to work out well, it isn't going to happen by accident. The perfect job, the perfect marriage - the perfect day in sales - do not happen by accident. You have to do something to make it work. None of us will be perfect but we can get close. We can get results if we put in the work.   Michael Phelps, for example, imagined in his mind the perfect swim meet before every competition. He knew what it would feel like to win - to have the perfect race. He practiced for perfection and it is no accident that he became the best swimmer in the world. [03:33] Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Usain Bolt, Mother Teresa ... They are all arguably the best in their chosen fields because they put in the work. Aim for the perfect day Imagine the most amazing appointments and demonstrations on the schedule. Proposal reviews, closing calls, deals closing left and right … It can happen. It won’t be perfect, maybe a few will need to reschedule, but it will be pretty darn close. [04:56] Certainly you’ve noticed the sellers in your organization who always seem to have the perfect day; everything always seems to work out for them.  How do they do it? They are prepared. They know that the perfect day in sales will not happen by accident. Do all you can now to have appointments for next month. Maybe that means going early to the office to respond to the leads that came in overnight and get ahead of the competition. Make the calls. Make the follow-ups. <

Fri, January 11, 2019

Stacey Hanke | Immediate Steps You Can Take To Begin Growing Your Influence | 1006

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we discuss the  immediate steps you can take to begin growing your influence .  Whether you are in sales or not, everyone, at one time or another, needs to increase their influence. I’m reminded of a coworker of mine who really knew how to connect with people. Tom had that ability to influence others. He just understood people and prospects and he knew how to speak to them. He could point out potential problems before they became problems. As such, when he spoke, his clients listened. He was respected. My guest today, Stacey Hanke, is here to talk about how we, like Tom, can grow our influence. [00:01] Stacey is the author of  two books , a Certified Speaking Professional, and CEO of  StaceyHanke, Inc. Stacey and her team work with directors, to C-Suite, and with sales professionals to make them more aware of the level of influence they really have versus they level of influence they  believe  they have. They accomplish this with keynotes, with mentoring, and through workshops. They increase awareness by giving practical how-to advice so their clients know how to use both verbal and non-verbal methods of influence every day of the week. [03:25] INFLUENCE: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T Stacey has worked with a lot of individuals and organizations over the past 16 years. And though she sees it happen quite often, Stacey believes that influence is not something that you should turn on and off. For example, you’ve got a high stakes phone conversation, meeting or sales pitch and you decide to ‘turn it on.’  There’s nothing authentic about that. There’s no integrity to it. [04:46] Influence is when your verbal and non-verbal communication remain consistent at all times and in all situations. It is congruent with your priorities and purposes. Influence is having the ability to move people to take action long after the interaction has occurred.   It takes discipline and hard work. It is hard because we often get caught up with worrying about how we are perceived. Will they like me? Am I going to say the right thing? Switch your thinking. What is important to my client? What is their experience with the topic? Why is this conversation happening? To really drive home the value of your product or your service – whatever you’re trying to influence the person to act on – it first has to resonate with the client. [05:36] So, be genuine. Stacey recently helped a client to realize that he was putting more time into marketing materials and PowerPoint slides than into the actual delivery of the product. It is not the experience his clients were looking for. [06:46] FEEDBACK: WHY YOU NEED IT. As a sales rep, one of the first steps to increase your influence is

Thu, January 10, 2019

TSE Certified Sales Training Program - "Emotional Intelligence" | 1005

Sometimes small problems grow into much bigger problems, and without emotional intelligence  to help you address misunderstandings, these problems can affect your relationships with prospects and clients.  Have you ever met up with a friend who suddenly became upset but, to you, the thing they were upset about wasn’t a huge problem? When you react, it becomes something bigger, and before you know it - you are arguing with each other without really knowing what you are even arguing about?! You can have similar situations with a prospect. The client loses interest, or maybe, becomes so upset they no longer want to do business with you ever again. [0:00] What happened? Why does it go wrong? The answer: Emotional intelligence. These situations affect both sellers and buyers, so our TSE Certified Sales Training Program will help you identify these problems before they escalate.  The TSE Certified Sales Training Program is designed to help sellers at every level, from new sellers to seasoned professionals. The course has three main sections of four modules each. Tackle each section on your own or participate in a group. [01:58] Surface-level problems I was running a meeting last week when one of the committee members had an issue outside the topic we were discussing. The challenge she proposed began to derail the entire meeting. What was I to do? I realized that it was a surface-level problem rather than a true issue. We decided, therefore, to have a one-on-one discussion to address it instead. Turns out, there was so much more she wanted to talk about than what was originally mentioned during the meeting. If I had entertained the issue during the meeting, it would have derailed the entire event for the entire group. [02:43] No money was involved, but imagine a similar scenario when working with a client. A client or prospect presents you with a surface-level problem. Then, because of a lack of emotional intelligence, people focus on that problem instead of the underlying issue. [03:37] Emotional intelligence Suppose your client says they will not renew their contract. They might be upset because the project was late. Perhaps they are downsizing. Or maybe they no longer have the budget for it. Those are not the true issues. [Tweet "When we lack emotional intelligence, we focus on the distractions instead of the core issue. #EmotionalIntelligence"] Emotional intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, to control, and to express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.[04:22] Empathy In Stephen Covey ’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People

Wed, January 09, 2019

Sales From The Street - "Grit" | 1004:

There’s a single characteristic that distinguishes effective sellers from the others, and it’s  grit . It separates those who work hard and effectively from those who don’t. It distinguishes those who go above and beyond the call of duty from those who do not. GRIT Those of us in sales need to have grit. Grit is courage. It is resolve. It is a strength of character. To have grit is to have rock solid mental toughness. If you can be rock solid, right now – at the beginning of the year – you will be so much more effective and efficient. [01:39] Consider the new hire whose resume looked fantastic, but who shows up with no drive or passion for the work. Sometimes we pass by individuals with higher levels of grit simply because their GPA wasn’t as high or their resume was lacking. [02:34] I have a problem with that. I know some very smart people who lack the level of grit needed to take advantage of their intelligence. They end up in mediocre jobs. It seems like a waste of talent. On the other hand, we see folks without the necessary level of education who have passion and grit. They have the ability to do more and work harder than the average person. DESIRE How? Where does their level of passion and perseverance come from? [03:16] I believe it has everything to do with their level of desire. There was a low point in my life when I was faced with homelessness but I had the drive to make sure that my family was taken care of. There are certainly people who are smarter than I am or who have more experience than I do, but I had the grit to create this podcast series. I was determined to make it happen and I hustled. [04:06] I had the desire and the perseverance. There were difficult times, of course. I didn’t always know if it was going to work. But we pushed through. Can grit be taught? Can mediocre individuals on your team get it? Yes. BE POSITIVE “I can’t do it.” “I can’t make that call.” “It’s not going to work.” If you can’t, then you won’t.   But if you say you can – then it is more likely that you will. Things move for people who have the desire to make things move. Perseverance means you will do whatever it takes to make something happen because you want it to happen. You have to push through the tough spots. Use the right words. Instead of “maybe I’ll get a sale,” or “I hope I get a sale,” try “I will get a sale today!” Obviously, realistic  goals  are important: Is it possible? Can I do it?  I’m sure you can make a million dollars in sales in a day – but is it likely? Maybe not. But it is certainly likely that you will find the right client today or close a deal today. [06:22] VISUALIZE SUCCESS Think about what you need to do to make it happen. If you

Tue, January 08, 2019

Steve Richard | 5 Common Mistakes Sales Managers Makes When Coaching | 1003

In our work with sales reps, sales teams, and sales managers, we encounter many people who believe that sales coaching doesn’t work, but many of them fail to realize that there are  5 common mistakes sales managers make when coaching . Steve Richard, founder of ExecVision, shares how to avoid those mistakes, and he suggests you start by recognizing that there’s a difference between coaching and training. COACHING Training is teaching someone to do something new that the person doesn’t know how to do. Coaching is helping someone do something that they  do  know to the point of mastery. If we expect a rep to embrace a certain behavior, we have to train him. If we don’t, that failure is on us. [04:37] Then, after we’ve trained him, we have to overcome the “forgetting curve” which is a function of our brain’s tendency to purge information. Coaching is the act of training iteratively, focusing on the person, and repeating that behavior until it becomes second nature, like tying a shoe. Consider whether your organization is struggling with any of these mistakes. 1. FAILING TO DEFINE WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE. We must give our teams a definition of what a call should look like. Include the key things you want them to say, the behaviors you want them to exhibit, and give them a target. Give your team members total clarity on what you want them to do. [06:11] Develop consistency among your team members so you can hit bigger numbers. Also, build a team of people who will identify these steps. Include managers, senior executives, and representatives from operations, enablement, and sales. A varied team can ensure that these decisions aren’t being made by people who haven’t made calls in a while. Check out the book  Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance  for clarification about metrics. Learn the difference between activity metrics that you can control — things like making phone calls and sending LinkedIn connection requests — and objectives like having conversations with people which you have less control over. Aside from simply giving your team members goals, give them a roadmap to achieve them. [08:32] How many activities should they achieve in a week to achieve their goals? Many organizations have salespeople who are “unconsciously competent,” which means they don’t know why they are successful. Though it’s not bad, it’s impossible to  scale . You can’t pair a new employee with someone who is “unconsciously competent” and expect her to learn the righ

Mon, January 07, 2019

What If I Train Them And They Leave? | 1002

Many leaders avoid adequately training their team members because of a single looming question: What if I train them and they leave? They structure their businesses so that multiple people work on a single project while other projects sit undone. It costs them money and productivity. If you're one of those managers, I'll offer you a different consideration: what if you don't train them and they stay? We're devoting the month of January to the topic of mental toughness, and today's topic is directed at business and sales leaders as well as sellers. Leaders When team members aren't trained well, they won't be effective at their jobs. When team members aren't effective at their jobs, the manager will have to help them do their jobs in addition to doing his own. Leaders who fear employee departure often choose not to provide the necessary training, but the reality is that many of those untrained employees end up staying in their jobs. [3:37] What if they stay with you and they don't know what they are doing? Financial considerations Imagine your employee makes $40,000 a year. Are you willing to pay him $40,000 despite the fact that he doesn't know what he's doing, and then require someone who is making $60,000 a year to help him do his job ? Maybe you'll eventually fire the person because he isn't performing. [04:23] When you let someone go, you may end up paying unemployment benefits, and then you'll incur the cost of hiring someone new. Whether you use an agency or review the resumes yourself, you'll have to invest time trying to find someone who already has training. Cyclical Even if your new hire does have sales training, she won't know your process. She won't be able to perfectly understand your organization, so she won't immediately be effective. If you choose not to provide training, you'll be back in the same cycle three months after you hire her. [05:04] You will have spent countless amounts of money to avoid spending money on training. You'll suffer from lost opportunity and lost revenue. Long-term benefits Imagine you have three employees. After you train them, one of them leaves your organization. First of all, consider why the person is leaving. Is it possible that you're not paying enough? Does your organization lack direction for its employees? Don't miss a chance to evaluate why people are leaving. [06:36] Even if you have a great situation, people may still leave. They may have to move out of state for family reasons or something else. People don't stay in one place forever. If one leaves, you still have two great employees who are giving you money back. If you don't train them, you'll likely lose thousands in sales because they aren't good at their jobs. Do the math When I was a young seller, I worked for a company that s

Fri, January 04, 2019

James Moffat | What Causes Fear and How to Overcome It? | 1001

We all have some kind of fear, but when we discover  what causes fear and how to overcome it, we can discover new opportunities and success. Fear can prevent us from experiencing amazing things in life, or pursuing new business opportunities. We suffer through anxiety and difficulty when dealing with these fears. But no more! James Moffat, CEO and Founder of Visibility Impact  guides new entrepreneurs and people wanting to start businesses by providing them with the tools and information they need to grow their business with proper exposure. He accomplishes this through a number of programs to drive results. His clients achieve bigger goals in a shorter amount of time and gain visibility. [02:00] Self-limiting I used to have a fear of talking to important people. I felt like I wasn’t worthy of their time or attention. It was a fear I quickly had to learn how to overcome in order to succeed in sales. When I finally understood that I was speaking with other human beings, people who were maybe just as nervous about talking to me as I was about talking to them, it made all the difference. I was the only limiting factor to my success. [10:37] James and I will talk about fear. What is it? How can we overcome it? What can we do on a daily basis to conquer fear instead of allowing it to conquer us? The Effects of Fear Many of us in sales have fears that hold us back and cause inaction. James defines fear as a worry about the unknown. It has a physiological effect not only on your mind but on your body as well... cold sweats, stress, etc. [05:10] Common fears among salespeople include worrying about what to say during a cold call , worrying about having enough product knowledge, and worrying about how prospects may react. Many of us also fear giving our first presentation to a real audience. Is my content relevant? Will people even listen to me? [05:48] Overcoming fear Overcoming these fears - or at least accepting them and learning how to cope with them - is necessary for success. You don’t have to suddenly like what it was you once feared; you may always dislike cold calling for example, but you must learn how to deal with it. We often find ourselves assuming the worst before we even begin. We have negative thoughts instead of positive ones. Controlling Fear Using cold calls again as an example, James still doesn’t particularly enjoy making them but he found a way to make himself feel more comfortable about it. He took the time to learn more about the person prior to the making the call. James spent time on their website, learned about their business, and visited their LinkedIn profile. James would also coordinate the time o

Thu, January 03, 2019

Stephen Hart | The Sales Evangelist 1000th Episode with Donald C. Kelly | 1000

It's The Sales Evangelist 1000th episode and Stephen A. Hart from the Trailblazers.FM Podcast is conducting the interview while Donald Kelly answers the questions. This podcast started five years ago after Donald attended sales training to try to improve his performance. He started seeing some gains, and he figured the very least he could do was tell other people what was working for him. He realized along the way that he would get to interview great guests like Jeffrey Gitomer who would share a wealth of information and he was hooked. Donald wanted to share sales content that would help himself and others at the same time. Blessings and opportunities The greatest benefit to a podcast like this is the relationships you build. There's a camaraderie and people want to help each other. [05:50] Perhaps it's because the medium is so new, but a lot of podcasters are connecting with each other to share experiences. People have become like family, and many business opportunities have emerged from it. There's a whole crew of people in the background who help create the content, and it's blessing people along the way. After Donald jumped ship from his full-time job in 2015, this lifestyle business allowed him to travel and speak in different parts of the country, and it all stemmed from the training and consulting that has developed. 10,000 hours The podcast is officially five years old, which amounts to about 10,000 work hours. According to Malcolm Gladwell's theory that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, Donald is officially an expert podcaster now. The story started when Donald was working at a software company in Boca. His plan was that at the three-year mark, he wanted to go back to grad school for an MBA. [10:11] The other alternative was that he would launch a startup. TSE started as a hobby because Donald had done B2C in high school and college. Now, he transitioned to B2B , but he didn't know how to talk to people or set up business opportunities. His company provided training and he discovered a love of teaching and an excitement about the content he had learned. He paired his love of teaching and his desire to be the center of attention, and it was a perfect marriage. Edutainment allowed him to educate and entertain at the same time. Birth of a podcast Jared Easley introduced Donald to the world of podcasting despite the fact that Donald knew nothing about it. He started by listening to Seth Godin's Startup School , a

Wed, January 02, 2019

Sales From The Street-"Start The Day Off Right" | 999

Your morning routine has the power to  start the day off right , which makes it crucial for you to make sure yours is effective. Whether you’re listening to music, educating yourself with podcasts, exercising, or engaging in spiritual activity, you’ll find that you accomplish more when you engage in a regular routine. BRAINPOWER Scientific research suggests that our brains work best in late morning. If we lay in bed scrolling through social media, we’re missing crucial time in our day. [04:29] We should take advantage of that time to engage in  productive activity .   Even if you don’t consider yourself a morning person, make sure that when you do get out of bed, you win the morning. #DailyRoutine CLICK TO TWEET   TAKE CHARGE Instead of starting your day focused on the negatives in the day, take charge of your perspective. Because you know what will happen in the first hour of the day, you’re in charge of your day. [05:23] By  acting  instead of being acted  upon , you’re taking charge. If you get an email from your boss who suddenly wants a report by noon, you may find yourself stressed and short-tempered. On the other hand, when you’re in control, you’ll respond better and be less likely to get stressed out. You won’t do  anything  in your day until you’re ready to do it. OWN YOUR MORNING There’s no limit to the ways you can  take control of your morning . Besides reading, journaling, and exercising, you can also work on a side hustle. When I was still working for a software company, I did my podcasting in the morning. [06:23] It was something I enjoyed, so I didn’t mind doing the work. Now that podcasting is my work, I use my mornings to write my book. I’ve discovered that by taking control of my morning, I find clarity on things I’ve been thinking about and answers to problems I’ve been trying to solve. ACCOUNTABILITY <

Tue, January 01, 2019

Airica Kraehmer | How to Turn Failure into Success | 998

Failures can be crippling if we allow them to be, but when we have the proper guidance, we can learn  how to turn failure into success . Airica Kraehmer of Gracious Care Recovery shares her own story here and reminds us that we can turn our weaknesses into our strengths. MENTAL TOUGHNESS Airica’s story doesn’t directly involve sales, but it does involve difficulty and mental toughness. She started working as a model in the fashion industry and she had a dream to succeed there. She realized that the fashion industry demands that you be your own product and that you bring your A-game all the time. She called it cut-throat. As a result, there’s room for exploitation. Airica found herself the victim of human trafficking because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wrote down her story, and when she finished her book, she looked for outlets that would help her share it. She figured telling her story would help her move beyond the struggle. She became an international best-selling author, and it taught her that she could rise above the low points in life. SEEKING A CHALLENGE After she moved to Florida, Airica realized that the state was number two in the country in terms of human trafficking, tied with Houston. After the upcoming Super Bowl, Florida is projected to move into the number one spot due to the large influx of people. Hearing stories of other victims made her realize that she was part of something bigger. She realized that the process would repeat if she didn’t do something to help. She reminded herself that there were as many good people in the world as there were bad people. REJECTION Nobody wanted to talk about trafficking, so she kept encountering closed doors. She compares it to cold calling for sellers. [07:23] Though people cared about it, they didn’t feel like they could speak out about it. She kept knocking on doors, and eventually, she found Gracious Care Recovery. There were survivors there who recognized the need for people to speak out. Her message to sellers, then, is to keep knocking on doors. Despite the fact that she was addressing an impossibly hard topic, she found people who would engage. Get in the other person’s mindset. We each have different experiences, and we’re each traveling a different journey. That means we each have different ideas. That can be a powerful tool as long as we remember that the effort isn’t all about us. It’s about who we can help and who we can serve. Keep in mind that the prospect isn’t rejecting you. It simply isn’t the right time for your prospect. PERSISTENCE If you’re a sales manager who is motivating a team to overcome rejection, teach your team members to practice persistence. Be persistent, but be kind. Be willing to invest the time to build trust. Sales is a numbers game to some degree, and you hav

Tue, January 01, 2019

Where There is No Vision The Salesperson Perishes | 997

Where there is  no vision  the people perish, and that’s especially true in sales. Because we aren’t constructing physical structures like houses or sidewalks, the game of sales is largely mental, and it requires a visionary mindset. The book  Think & Grow Rich  by Napoleon Hill, now  available as a free download ,  addresses the importance of vision and what can happen when you don’t have an eye on the future. VISION FOR SALESPEOPLE Vision demands that we look beyond the work that we’re doing today. It demands that we look into the future, perhaps to the end of the quarter or the end of the year. In some cases, we’ll look to the end of five or 10 years. Without vision, you won’t progress and you won’t  grow . We may imagine the worst-case scenario, and then we find ourselves in a loop, playing it over and over in our heads. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps shared his strategy of playing a “tape” of a perfect race in his head. His coach encouraged him to imagine how it would feel to win, the accomplishment he’d experience, and then think about that over and over. POSITIVE LOOP Michael had a positive loop playing in his head, so even when he found himself making bad decisions, he was able to get back on track quickly. He had a tenacious drive to succeed. I worked with a guy once who always saw life through a negative lens. He could turn the very best outcomes into negative scenarios. If he won the lottery, he’d likely complain about driving to Tallahassee to claim his prize, or about the fact that he had to pay taxes on his winnings. You may work with people like this. Avoid getting pulled into their negative mindset. When you spend large amounts of time around these people, you may allow their negativity to creep into your thinking. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS Emerson said that whatever we persist in doing becomes easier. I refer to this quote all the time because it’s true that our mindset affects our outcome. If you are focused on negativity, you’ll more readily see negative outcomes. If you focus on the fact that you’re going to  set an appointment , you’re going to capitalize on an opportunity. You’re going to reach your commission and create power to accomplish those things. When I spent too much time around my negative coworker, I spent less time on the phone and less time doing

Thu, December 27, 2018

Jaeden Schafer: Getting New Leads Through Instagram | 996

Behind the scenes at The Sales Evangelist, we're working to increase organic engagement and interact with our audience, and we've discovered a powerful way to develop new leads through Instagram . According to Jaeden Schafer, Instagram typically accounts for about 10 percent more organic engagement than Facebook, so it's a great place to gain a new audience and develop new leads. Who can benefit? [Tweet "Every business, whether it's B2B or B2C, can benefit from Instagram as long as they know how to use it. #Prospecting"] When Instagram initially launched, its goal was to share nice looking pictures. If you're following that original idea, your company will likely benefit from it. [02:16] But what if you're a refrigeration repair company? How do you post compelling pictures of refrigerators? Posting photos of refrigerators all day won't really prompt much growth. So if, for example, you own a refrigeration company in Miami, post pictures of the area you serve with information about the services you provide. Target people who are the customer persona you're trying to attract. It basically just needs to be pretty. Mistakes on Instagram Many people will offer the same tips for setting up an Instagram account: Choose good photos Find out what your customers want Then they expect people to just show up. If the engagement doesn't happen, they just let the page die, which is the worst possible thing you can do on social media. Since social media is about social proof, outdated accounts are worthless. [05:13] When people want to buy something online, they often check online to make sure that the social media accounts are updated. If they aren't, they might assume you'll be unresponsive. Plan to post at least once a week if you want to appear actively engaged. If you're trying to grow, you should post every day. If you find yourself thinking that you don't have the team or the resources to post every single day, remember that there are tools available to help you. Later.com is a scheduling tool that will let you schedule 30 posts for free. You can schedule a new post every day that will keep you active and growing. Instagram tactics Though Instagram is a great place to find new leads, sellers will also want to move those leads from interested to purchasing . Avoid letting your account just sit. Instead, use your account to find new leads. You can do that with targeted Instagram ads or automation. Better yet, use your account to like and comment on people's posts that are in your target audience. [07:53] Consider the food truck business that launched an Instagram page and then shared images of the food it would

Thu, December 27, 2018

TSE Certified Sales Training Program- "Strategic Planning" | 995

Strategic planning  isn’t only for entrepreneurs: Shane Spiers says sales reps must know where they are headed and what the team’s common purpose is. Strategic planning helps sales reps work better as part of a team and achieve more. Originally from New Zealand, Shane now calls the UK home. It is where his career has grown to what it is today. His record is dominated by leading and scaling 7, 8 and 9-figure rapid growth companies, mostly in real estate, construction, and service-based businesses. Shane created  Summit Leader  to help 7-figure entrepreneurs scale with an 8-figure growth model. His focus is helping businesses scale from entrepreneurial to managed growth. [00:29] Approximately 96% of businesses earn less than $1 million in revenue. Of the 4% that make it past a million, only 10% make it to $10 million. With only .4% of businesses reaching the $10 million mark, Shane hopes to have an impact by producing more 8-figure businesses. [01:20] A COMMON GOAL As a business moves from entrepreneurial to managed growth, the management, leadership, and logistical challenges become quite different. The startup ways of working can hinder a business rather than advance it. Shane has been down the path many times before. He understands the importance of including sales reps in the process of strategic planning to grow a company. Whether you are a business owner, team leader, or part of a team, it is important to understand what the company stands for and what it believes in. It is important to know the common goal and your purpose in achieving it. A team without priorities, or with different views, cannot work well together. [02:23] STRATEGIC THINKING AND EXECUTION Before you can plan where you will be in the long term, you must make decisions about who you are and what you stand for. Decide how you will differentiate yourself from the competition. In the sales world, particularly, be very clear about who comprises your target market. Know who your  ideal customers  are, where they are, and what is important to them. It starts with upfront thinking. Know where you want to go and make a plan to get there. Establish your guiding principles first. Build your core. When businesses fail to clearly define their values, it trickles down into the sales force. [03:35] Think about your core as the provider of stability, power, and control that will support growth. Without a strong core, you risk instability from cultural challenges, loss of focus, disengagement, and a lack of heart. An organization or team that is weak will struggle. The core values are what you will do – and won’t do – to get what you want. They are the tim

Thu, December 27, 2018

Eric Graf: Partnering To Lower Customer Acquisition Costs | 993

Eric Graf, CEO of Flockgen,  explains how mid-market businesses can trade relationships with one another to expand service offerings and lower customer acquisition . As sales reps, we need to make appointments and we need to make sales but often times, we don’t know how to find the best people. Typically, we develop a prospect list and a sales pitch and bring on a marketing team. It becomes the core business. Eric cites this as a common problem that negatively affects business with regard to customer acquisition. At Flockgen, clients are able to increase their bottom line because the cost of customer acquisition is spread among the partners. Expanding beyond the core Mid-market companies can expand the conversation with their customers beyond just the core aspects. When they do, they will realize that the prospect of monetizing exists in multiple areas which are often overlooked. At Flockgen, the cost of customer acquisition is spread across multiple services far beyond what mid-market companies might do in the core. As an example: There are already a number of partners with great businesses that sell telecom products. Some have had the same product for the past ten years, but their sales reps can’t talk to the customers beyond the core even if they wanted to. They don’t have anything else to present to those customers. [00:53] Flockgen offers an alternative solution. They can drive revenue with those relationships around completely different products and services. Ones that have nothing to do with telecom. They leverage those relationships to introduce new products and services in a way that doesn’t require a lot of cost because they already have hundreds of partners that offer many different things. [02:46] Such a partnership allows you to do more in one place instead of finding a partner with many companies on your own. By focusing on the ways mid-market companies work together to become stronger and build revenue, everybody wins. Creating a well-oiled referral process Referrals are a natural part of sales. They drive revenue and create business. Flockgen partners with people they know and trust. Using the telecom example again, suppose you have a salesperson selling phone systems all day long. As a partner with Flockgen, the salesperson could also talk with customers about sustainability, controlling costs, or operations. He has a credible way to have that conversation because Eric and his team have provided him with content and talking points. He doesn't have to be an expert in the field. Instead, he just has to be able to access the interest in the client. [04:16] The Flockgen Difference The Flockgen c

Wed, December 26, 2018

Josh Cunningham: Sales From The Street-"Don't Trick Them" | 994

Josh Cunningham, founder and CEO of  rokrbox ,  fast-tracked his entrepreneurial career by helping to solve a recurring problem for real estate clients and learning an important lesson along the way:  Don’t trick them . Josh first stumbled upon the ISA, or Inside Sales Agent, role in real estate while attending seminars with Vyral Marketing founder and CEO Frank Klesitz. Vyral Marketing works with top agents to create content and to get referrals and repeat business. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Many top professional teams buy real estates leads online, but their agents don’t always do a good job of following up on them. Like any good entrepreneur, when Josh heard a lot of people complaining about a common frustration, he decided to solve the problem. [00:39] He started  rokrbox . A rocker box is a gold mining tool used in the 19th century to separate the sand and gravel from the gold. Likewise,  rokrbox  takes your real estate leads and separates the tire-kickers and time wasters from the motivated buyers and sellers. [01:26] TAPPING INTO THE STUDENT MARKET Rokrbox is strategically located directly across from the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas. Many sharp and enthusiastic young professionals go there looking to grow their skills. Josh provides them with the opportunity to develop real-world sales skills, CRM skills, and pipeline management skills. All of his student-employees typically graduate with multiple job offers from some type of sales professional career. [02:21] Since starting in 2013,  rokrbox  has worked over a million internet leads, hired over 250 ISAs, and trained them to move forward in their careers. Looking back, Josh believes that scalability was his biggest sales-related struggle. He knew he could do the job but wasn’t sure if he could train others to do it. When he first started hiring college students, he realized a lot of the same struggles that most people run into when building any sales team. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS His first mistake was in not clearly setting expectations for the new hires. The job posting on the Texas A&M website was too vague. It wasn’t clear that a new hire could expect to make a ton of phone calls a day, could expect to be rejected all day, etc. It was just too ambiguous. As a result, a new hire might go through the entire interview process and personality assessment only to quit almost immediately after starting the job. One young man, in particular, spent over 15 minutes learning the types of calls to make, the technology/scripts/dialo

Mon, December 24, 2018

If You Are Not Tracking Your Performance You Are Losing! | 992

Tracking your performance and setting measurable goals will help you perform better as a sales rep. We can optimize our performance if we calculate our daily output to help us fine-tune our work. Sales professionals are competitive creatures by nature, whether we're competing against others or against ourselves. When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of performance accelerates.   Potential I participated in a leadership retreat in college and the speaker asked me to participate in a demonstration by jumping as far as I could. She then measured the distance and asked me to jump again to see if I could beat my original effort. Turns out I did, because I had a measurable goal . If I hadn't measured my first attempt, I wouldn't have known whether my second attempt was better. As a sales professional, you'll benefit if you measure your activity on a daily basis. [03:42] Optimization You're probably already planning some of your work: prospecting, phone calls, LinkedIn contacts, and those efforts are all great. But in order to optimize, now you must measure those efforts. If you're making phone calls, what are you measuring? Are you measuring the number of calls? Are you measuring the number of appointments you're setting based upon phone calls? Start writing down and measuring your key indicators. [04:14] If you're measuring LinkedIn activity, what are you measuring? Are you measuring the number of connections you can make? Are you measuring the people who replay to your conversations? Develop key indicators or key performance metrics that you can measure on a daily basis. Trends When you measure those numbers, you'll begin to notice trends. You might notice that you set more appointments on Wednesday and Thursday than on Monday and Friday. You may discover that you successfully connect with more people on LinkedIn on Tuesdays. [04:51] This effort may sound like a lot of work, and some of you may think you can't possibly find the time. Realize that top performers in every industry are measuring and optimizing their efforts. That's how they improve. Coaching That's also where coaching comes into play. Now imagine you're measuring these numbers and your performances while you're being coached. You're going to quickly discover that you're improving quickly. The problem is that we often get comfortable with our performance level. We settle for an acceptable amount of production and we accept it as our best. You may recognize this mindset as, "This is how I've prospected for years, so I'm going to stick with this format." [05

Sat, December 22, 2018

Tom Jenkins and Amir Reiter: Sky Rocket Your B2B Sales Through the Power of Chat | 991

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk about how to take advantage of the  power of chat  when growing your business. Many organizations have struggled to capitalize on the power of chat, but Amir and Tom share the struggles they’ve had using chat and how we can overcome them. Tom Jenkins and Amir Reiter help companies scale their workforce without having to get offices, pay insurance and taxes, or worry about hiring and training. Instead, they offer technology and strategy. At  CloudTask , they provide sales development reps, they manage account executives convenient and they manage the customer success/account reps responsible for renewals and upselling to existing customers. They comprise one office. If someone wants to hire five sales reps, five account executives or five support reps, they will all be in office and managed so that the customer gets what they want – representation and results.   By specializing in sales, customer success and customer support, CloudTask is the best of the breed. [00:51] THE POWER OF CHAT One of the biggest issues is a lack of clearly defined ownership. If you look at our partners at  Drift.com  for instance, their ability to work as a bot or as a human can confuse whether chat is owned by marketing or by sales. Marketing is typically used to drive traffic to forms, to blogs and to sign-ups. As such, marketing tends to prefer automation. Sales, however, relies on people first, so deciding who owns chat is often a hurdle. Failure to assign ownership then creates a failure to act or a failure to implement correctly. [02:19] We manage a lot of cloud chat programs and have noticed that many people view chat as just another tool for the reps to use in addition to calling, emailing, LinkedIn, etc. Rather, with a high volume of web traffic, chat is a key tool in the generation of  qualified leads. In fact, because chat allows you to respond quickly with the right answers and in the right way, it can be your number one lead generation tool. [03:17] QUALIFY LEADS People today want answers now. They expect to be able to go onto a website and to be able to chat. It has worked well in the B2C world but is really moving quickly into the B2B world as well. We are finding that an MQL (marketing qualified lead) or SQL (sales qualified lead) that chats with a member of the sales team is 2-3 times more likely to close versus one that goes through the process of filling out a form. It makes sense. A form is stationary and available to anybody. With chat, you are able to quickly let people qualify themselves with a friendly discussion. For example, suppose someone

Thu, December 20, 2018

Kris Nelson: Sales From The Street - "From Click Try Buy to a Full-Fledged Sales Team" | 989

On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk with Kris Nelson, head of sales for CoSchedule.com,  about how businesses can move from "click, try, buy" to having a full-fledged sales team . CoSchedule is a SaaS-based marketing platform that helps marketers to stay organized through a combination of content calendar, a product, project management solutions and execution via social campaigns and email campaigns. CoSchedule took the time to focus on true growth and the company has seen tremendous results. Prior to reaching that point, however, the business, which began as a "click, try and buy," didn’t even have a sales team. When "click, try, and buy" works Initially, they released the product as a straightforward "click, try and buy," product because it made sense at the time. They also designed it for small teams and individuals. The level of product and the price point didn’t really dictate a need for a dedicated sales team. [01:26] As the product progressed and became more complicated, however, it became apparent that they needed a sales team to help the clients really understand how CoSchedule could benefit them. It was simply a natural progression to establish a sales force as the product grew and the price point increased, especially with some of the advanced plans. They moved away from the "click, try and buy," and toward a professional marketing team and into a standard sales cycle. [03:17] Bringing whiskey to a Kool-Aid party I’ve always thought it was a waste of time and resources to have the sales reps focus on low-end sales, think $15 a month kind of stuff because customers don’t need help making a decision at the price point. Higher end products are different. Companies who ask customers to pay more become more concerned with the quality of the product, and that's when you need a sales team. It is truly an overkill to engage someone in a formalized, professional sales cycle at some of the lower price points. At the higher price points, it makes total sense. You have to be sure you are asking the right questions of the organization to make sure your product is a fit. The sale is nice but long-term happy customers are the true goal. [04:25] Move toward a sales force Kris credits CEO and co-founder of CoSchedule, Garrett Moon, as the person who helped take the company where it is today. It began with a series of phone calls to prospects to see if the market was viable and to see if it made sense to move the price point. Once that was established as true, Moon hired more people, including Kris, and the sales process was on its way. [05:58] Kris says that CoSchedule is still an extremely heavy i

Thu, December 20, 2018

Kathleen Hessert & Krista Jasso: How To Adjust My Sales Process When Selling Gen Z | 988

On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we're talking to Kathleen Hessert and Krista Jasso about the newest generation and how to adjust your sales process when selling Gen Z . Kathleen launched a project called We R Gen Z because she saw a lack of information about the newest generation because the marketplace was completely focused on millennials. Her organization conducts original research with a bank of 1,000 teens on a monthly basis to understand Gen Z. Krista -- a member of Gen Z herself -- works as the social media coordinator and intern coordinator for We R Gen Z and she believes that her generation will take the world by storm. Massive spending Gen Z spends $44 billion a year in the U.S. and influences $600 billion when it comes to household spending. It's vital for the marketplace to understand that Gen Z will make up 40 percent of the U.S. population and 37 percent of the global population by the year 2020. [3;47] Organizations that exclude them will be behind in their sales efforts, and they may never catch up. Mistakes selling Gen Z Sellers often talk down to Gen Z and the generation sees it. Gen Z has what Krista calls a "strong BS filter," and they see right through lack of authenticity. The generation values authentic, genuine behavior. Gen Z is turned off by fake, flashy marketing, instead choosing brands that are transparent about what they value and believe. [6:50] Gen Z cares about who is behind the product as well as the product or service itself. They care about what top executives are saying about topics such as politics and the environment. They include countless outside factors in their decision-making and if a brand doesn't match what they are looking for, they won't support it. Gen Z trends We R Gen Z hosts a trends panel that evaluates what's hot and what's not for the generation. Organizations should understand that Gen Z are the next creators and innovators. Those companies need the young people of Gen Z more than the young people need their products or services. They will buy or shun organizations based on their values and their passion. When Nike included Colin Kaepernick in its commercials , one member of We R Gen Z put all his Adidas clothes away and wore only Nike for two weeks to honor the decision made by the company. [10:19] The founder of Tom's Shoes gave $5 million to anti-gun-violence in response to a school shooting in California, marking the largest corporate donation ever to this particular issue.  The decision resonated with Gen Z. Business is more than money, especially for Gen Z. Older marketers can miss this if they try throwing more money at

Thu, December 20, 2018

I Don't Have Time For Daily Planning | 987

On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we discuss time management and how daily planning can help you be more effective in your role as a seller. It seems like there is never enough time in the day to get things done. We need an extra day in the week or at least an extra hour a day.  I was always so busy that it felt like I didn’t even have time to sit down to read a book. Even knowing how important personal development was, I always managed to put it off. Then, I took a vacation. It is amazing how much you can do when you are in the air for five hours with limited distraction. So what changed? What happened? The amount of time I had certainly didn’t change. My focus did. The concept of daily planning How many times have you been told to try daily planning? Now, how many times have you actually done it?  [02:04] If you are the modern seller that I know you are, you are distracted. Reading proposals , talking to customers, going to meetings, checking email ... These are all distractions. Every time an email pings your phone, you are pulled in a different direction. Everyone - from internal teams to clients to prospects to friends - is vying for your time and attention. As a result, important things fall through the cracks. You finish at the end of each day and find yourself wondering if you accomplished anything at all. It all goes back to the very powerful principle of being acted upon as opposed to acting. [02:59] Essentialism Thinking back to a previous episode when we spoke to Greg McKeown about his book Essentialism , I’m reminded that we can’t have priorities.  The plural of the word ‘priority’ shouldn’t even exist. There can only be one priority. Essentialism means to focus on the essentials. As a seller, your most important task is to bring in new customers and close deals. So, what activities will lead you to that result? Until you understand what you need to do as a seller, you will not be able to stay focused. You will always be acted upon. Sure, there will always be important distractions but oftentimes they are not the activities that you need to do to accomplish your goal. [04:46] To help you stay focused and have the time to do the things that matter the most, I want you to think about these three questions: Will the activity move me toward my essential goal of helping people make a decision and close a deal? Do I have to do it? Is this a task that no one else can do? Does it have to be done right now? If the activity doesn’t tie into your goal o

Thu, December 20, 2018

Meridith Powell: Driving Sales in the 4th Quarter | 986

Today we talk to Meridith Powell about driving sales in the 4th quarter and how organizations can drive success from the selling side as well as the leadership side. Meridith was voted one of the top 15 business growth experts to watch, largely because she is passionate about helping clients learn strategies to succeed in any economy. 4th quarter complications Meridith calls the 4th quarter of the year her favorite because typically organizations have relaxed a bit and let their guards down. That presents an opportunity for other organizations to put on what she calls a full-court press while everyone else has relaxed. Everyone takes their foot off the gas at the end of the year. They've been working hard all year, and they have achieved decent numbers, so they aren't worried about driving sales in the 4th quarter . They are tired, and when Thanksgiving rolls around, it's followed soon after by Christmas. The cold weather makes it an easy time to be a bit lazier. She calls it the perfect storm of sales laziness. You must keep selling during the 4th quarter to keep that quarter strong. Additionally, though, sales has a lag time. The sales you make in the 4th quarter will determine how well your 1st quarter goes. If you don't invest energy into 4th quarter sales, you'll establish a self-fulfilling prophecy for the 1st quarter and you'll be behind all year long. Begin in October It's never too late to salvage the 4th quarter. [Tweet "Embrace the 4th quarter as an opportunity. Shift your paradigm and recognize that this isn't the time to stop selling; it's the time to start selling. #4thquartersales"] Proceed carefully, though. There's a lot happening in the 4th quarter and your clients and prospects have to-do lists of their own. Establish a plan, and identify a sales leader who will focus on driving sales in the 4th quarter. Even if you don't have one, determine who you need to connect with during the 4th quarter. List your top clients, your best prospects, and those who could be doing more business with you. Once you have that list, design the touches. Focus on thanking them for an amazing year and let them know you'll get in touch with them at the first of the year to establish a plan for the next year. Plan for sales in January If you want your January to be productive, you must lay the groundwork in December by booking appointments. By connecting with people at the end of the year and again in January, you keep yourself visible with your most important customers. As a bonus, you're likely to find organizations that need to dump money before the end of the year to avoid paying taxes. For those customers who haven't yet committed, you've taken one more step to move forward at a time when everyone else is resting. 4th quarter trouble If you haven't hit your numbers by the start of

Thu, December 20, 2018

TSE Certified Sales Program - "Fear of Prospecting" | 985

oday on The Sales Evangelist, we're going to talk about the fear of prospecting, how your coworkers often contribute to it, and how you can overcome your fear of rejection. Fear of rejection often keeps salespeople from going after potential deals, but it doesn't have to be this way. Intimidation If you're a new rep and your teammates warn you to stay away from a certain account, it can cause you to fear to reach out at all. In our case, a seller named Rick found himself in this exact situation. He believed so strongly in what he had to offer that he actually went to visit the client. [3:07] He spoke to the prospect's receptionist and he left information with her that she could pass on to the VP of the company. Several days passed and he didn't hear from the receptionist or the VP. Fortunately, his confidence outweighed his fear of rejection . He called the prospect at 7:30 a.m. and was able to talk to the exec because the receptionist wasn't there yet. Eventually, he closed the deal that his coworkers said couldn't be closed. His co-workers could have solved the problem as well, but they allowed the warnings and stories to intimidate. They never reached out to him. TSE Certified Sales Training In our  TSE Certified Sales Training program , the first lesson we teach is how to prospect like an evangelist. The first thing we discuss is how to overcome the fear of rejection. [4:58] Fear results when we believe that someone is going to cause us harm or pain. But how does that belief come into existence? Because we were taught or coached to be fearful of the word no . When we were kids, we didn't fear being told no . But as we got older, we became conditioned to the idea that no is bad. Knowing the problems Rick did believe that he could be rejected, but he had a greater belief that he could solve a problem for the prospect. In many cases, because we don't understand what the prospect's challenges are, we have little confidence in our ability to solve problems for him. [6:57] To overcome fear, you must develop confidence in what you have to offer. The more times you successfully solve problems for comp0anies, the more confident you'll become. [Tweet "That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the thing changes, but our ability to do it changes. #BuildConfidence"] If you make enough calls, speak with enough prospects, and solve enough problems, you can become more confident. Getting better If you could listen to your very first <a title= "TSE 754: Sales From The Street-“Cold Calling?”" href= "https:/

Thu, December 20, 2018

Matt Hernandez: Sales From The Street-"Find Local Partners" | 984

On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Matt Hernandez about the changes in the marketplace, and how the ability to find local partners has helped him drive more revenue for the businesses he serves. In his work with small-to-medium businesses, Matt has worked to figure out new ways to deal with leads because people have become more resistant to cold calling. He believes that, although cold-calling can work, it must exist in the right circumstances. The key is better lead intelligence. Hire the right people Matt doesn't struggle with recruiting or interviewing salespeople.  The key, he says, is to be very upfront about the challenges of the role and hire the right type of people. Hire open-minded people who aren't super particular about their activities and who often aren't as needy. [7:15] They'll be more coachable. Also be very honest about the type of role you're hiring for, the challenges it will present, but also the benefits of the role as well. Moving away from cold leads In the past, sellers would have a name and a phone number and they could attack each cold lead with different opens or different hooks. Now, he says, people are numb to that approach. Instead, his company looked to generate inbound leads and lukewarm leads. Matt's company uses a program called "Local Partners" that pays contractors to feed them warm or hot leads from local areas. He pointed out that using pure commission models doesn't change your cost structure. [9:14] He does acknowledge that you must make sure the payment is in line with the revenue goals. You must make sure your customer acquisition costs aren't too high. Big revenue increases Matt's company has seen strong results from the move away from cold calling. He estimates that the effort now accounts for 5 to 15 percent of their deals. He predicts that this kind of effort would likely work in a variety of industries. Companies just have to be creative to figure out how to scale in a cost-effective way. Buying leads can be very expensive, but a pay-for-results model can work if the infrastructure is set up properly. [11:10] Partnerships model Begin by listing as on Craigslist in the cities you're interested in. State what you're offering and decide ahead of time how much you can afford to pay. Decide how much you'd be willing to pay someone if they were to generate meetings or contracts. For longer sales cycles, you might have to pay per demo. [12:09] In shorter sales cycles, you pay based upon generating contracts. In your ad, provide a range of income that interested parties could generate per month. Then you could interview over the phone or in person or over video. The effort is super cheap, super easy and really scrappy. Be willing to pivot Be creative. Sales requires consistency and training and the right effor

Thu, December 20, 2018

Todd Earwood: I Reinvented The Webinar Model | 983

n today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, I talk to Todd Earwood about the adage that we need not reinvent the wheel, but Todd is doing just that. Todd famously cold-called the CEO of a billion dollar company for 43 straight days until he finally got the interview, and then the job. He began his career in software. It wasn’t until he was making the rounds to thank investors for the success of his latest software endeavor that he realized that marketing was his real niche.   As Todd explains it, one of the investors simply asked Todd what his future plans were, which seemed like such a silly question at the question. Software was all he had ever done. But the investor went on to say that marketing and sales were really the special skills he saw in Todd. Todd reluctantly agreed and MoneyPath began.  [00:54] Clear the path to purchases through quality marketing At MoneyPath , Todd and his group of marketers ‘clear the path to purchases.’ It is their tagline because they are dedicated to helping sales. In the marketing world of pretty pictures and shiny objects, the reality is that without the lifeblood of qualified leads coming into the sales team, good things are not going to happen. Budgets will be cut and people will lose their jobs. But if you can master the marketing side of things, then the company grows. Everybody is happy and everybody wins. In the software environment, Todd was willing to experiment and fail. He looked beyond the traditional social channels, the paid media and the heavy use of emails. To begin, Todd and his team did an email research project where they opted into the funnels of the top 300 SAS software companies to see what those companies would do with a cold lead. The number one email topic returned to Todd’s team was about content. The second topic was webinars and that is when things really began to change. Now instead of writing six blog posts a week, Todd and his team create one great webinar every 15 days. Before long, they had created a massive educational series with more and more content. Reinventing the webinar to keep listeners engaged The old model is clearly broken because nobody really gets excited about ‘this week’s webinar’. People sign up but they don’t attend. Todd and his team wanted to change that. [03:38] There is a poor functionality with the current webinar system. It fails to keep the listeners engaged. Even when the topic sounds interesting, we never get around to actually listening to it, or to listening to it wholeheartedly. Todd realized that the engagement model needed to change. It needed to become interesting and engaging. There is just too much information and too many ways to deliver it

Wed, December 19, 2018

Throw a Dart at The Wall Goals | 982

Today on The Sales Evangelist we’ll talk about planning and setting effective goals. It’s that time of year again where we find ourselves contemplating our achievements over the past 12 months. Some of us reached our sales goals and some of us did not, but we can all benefit from reflecting on what worked well, and what did not work at all. HAVE A PLAN There’s a difference between setting goals by ‘throwing a dart at the goal wall’ versus setting goals based on the experiences that we are guided towards by the people we meet. It is the difference between having hope and having a plan. [03:27] A ‘throw a dart’ goal is as simple as choosing a random number – say $80,000 for example – and then setting that as your commission goal. But why that number? Are you simply hoping to make $80K, or do you have an actual plan in place to achieve it? I hope I lose 10lbs next year, I hope I win the lottery, I hope we get out of work early… Those are all just hopes because there is no plan in place to accomplish any of it. You have no control over the outcome. Goals, however, are fact-based. Let’s consider again the idea of earning $80K in commissions. If you made $40K last year and you know you want to push yourself more next year, does doubling your income seem realistic? Or is a goal of $60-65K more reasonable? [04:16] UNREALISTIC GOALS The problem with repeatedly setting goals that are not based on fact is the likelihood of failing to meet them. It becomes a vicious cycle. We fall short of our goal, we feel deflated as a result, and we stop trying. This contradicts  Grant Cardone’s 10x Concept  but hear me out. Let’s say I went to my manager and told him that I am going to try to get a million dollars in  revenue  for the year. We put that idea in motion and plan around it despite that, in reality, my highest revenue ever was $50K. It’s just not going to happen because it is an unrealistic goal from the start. [05:10] So what steps can you take to ensure that your goal is both realistic but also pushes you to achieve more? I have five that I want you to consider. [06:50] REASONABLE AND ACHIEVABLE GOALS Learn from the experience of others.  Talk with your teammates that have done well or talk with your manager. Find out what goals they set when they were new to the business.  What steps did they take? What is a reasonable goal in their opinion? Put your goal in writing.  Once you have decided on a reasonable

Wed, December 19, 2018

Creating an It Factor Culture

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re going to hear from David DeRam, CEO and co-founder of Greenlight Guru, about the “it” factor, and how it can change the culture in any organization. CULTURE At Greenlight Guru, David and his team spend a lot of time focusing on culture. He calls the company culture unique, but he says that culture doesn’t fall down on you like rain. You don’t experience culture; you participate in it. Leaders can think about culture and work to create culture, but leaders can’t execute culture. It’s like a plant that will grow the way that it grows, and if everyone isn’t on board with the culture, the culture won’t grow the way leaders want it to. [4:51] As a result, David’s team looks to everyone on the team to get involved and participate in the  culture .   Culture drives results. It impacts every single nook and cranny of your business. #WorkCulture CLICK TO TWEET   People will work how they feel, and if they feel great, they’ll bring an entirely different energy to their efforts. PROFESSION David’s team intentionally calls work your  profession . He points to the fact that the leaders in every industry, (think Tiger Woods, Warren Buffet, Jimi Hendrix) have devoted themselves to their work. Their work is their  profession . [6:35] Listeners of this podcast have devoted their lives to sales and it’s their profession. Your profession isn’t just what you do; it’s what you believe. David’s team has worked to bring all of those aspects into the culture. Companies tend to focus on results, and by focusing on  results  you can miss the one thing you desire the most, which is the people, culture, and execution. “IT” FACTOR David became immediately aware of the “it” factor when he subbed as a coach for a little league baseball team. As soon as he encountered the players on the team, he could tell who the natural athletes were. They moved naturally. They were confident. The true players were like fish in water.

Wed, December 19, 2018

TSE Certified Sales Program - "Lazy Outreach" | 980

I received an email the other day from a sales rep that I found so annoying that I am dedicating this entire episode to the ways you can avoid making the same mistakes with your emails. This episode will give you ideas to make sure your emails grab your prospect’s attention so that he will reply instead of deleting your email. ANNOYING EMAILS The annoying email I received began, “Hello there.” Who is ‘there’? Do they not even know my name? I’ve done 1000+  episodes.   I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and my name is easy to find. The lack of effort on the part of the sender was evident from the very start. It is almost an insult. And it didn’t improve from there as the body of the email in no way addressed my type of business or my needs. It was simply an email blast. It was, quite frankly, a waste of everyone’s time. The days of sending out crappy emails are long gone. You want your emails to encourage a reply, to start the kind of engaging conversation that will lead to a sale now, or in the future. It needs to open the door for continued discussions. [01:49] ENGAGING EMAILS Using the email I received as an example, how easy would it have been for the sales rep to look me up on LinkedIn, or on my website? Or why not call and try to find out the best point of contact for the email?   Furthermore, nothing about the email had anything to do with sales. At all. It was a vague and generic email that didn’t even refer to me as a person. There was no  personal connection , so why would I want to continue that conversation?   Here’s what I recommend instead: Make sure the subject line is catchy. It is the first thing they will read and frankly, it might be the last thing they bother to read, so make it good. “Donald, I saw this on your website and thought it might help” is a fine example. They know my name, they know I have a website, they looked at my website … I am going to open that email. [05:11] Next, begin your  email  by immediately referencing the thought contained in the subject line. Don’t tell them your name, or your company name because they don’t need it right now. It can all be found later in the signature block at the end. Don’t even worry about saying hello – just dive into the issue. BE DIRECT “Donald, I noticed on your sales page that it wasn’t loading properly at the end. This could be caused by X or Y. I would love to talk with you about how we’ve helped other podcasters fix it….” That difference makes all the difference! It

Wed, December 19, 2018

Alex Glenn: Sales From The Street- New World for CRM and Mirroring Pipeline Stages | 979

Sales constantly evolves. As technology and tools change, we have new processes and strategies available to us. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we hear from Alex Glenn about the new world for CRM and mirroring pipeline and how it can help us be more effective in our sales processes. Alex runs automateddata.af, a place where customers can grab working automations for their businesses. The platform crowdsources solutions and wraps them up into a usable format for those in sales, marketing, and customer success. DEVELOPING CRM CRM has seen a bit of a shift over the last few years. Instead of being software that costs thousands of dollars and requires a great deal of training, your CRM must be more agile now. [3:51] CRM must work with your existing tools as well as the dashboards you regularly use for work. It must be easily accessible and easily connectable. Most founders are also coming around to the idea that CRM should serve as all-in-one solutions. It’s very convenient for people to access the information they need without having to lead the dashboard they already work in. BEST SOFTWARE POSSIBLE The first issue must be finding the best possible software for each process. [7:46] You want to conduct outreach — either cold emailing, cold calling or LinkedIn prospecting. Then you want to manage that person or that prospect using CRM. You’ll need post-conversion like signup, demos, and other options, and you’ll need nurturing  touchpoints  like email, and phone calls. Then you’ll need post-sale drips and one-to-one messaging. The problem is that all of that can’t exist in one tool, but several tools are trying to accomplish all or 75 percent of it. The “all-in-ones” represent themselves that way because they cover most of these activities, though many of the components will be somewhat bare bones. [9:20] There are issues with each of them that limit your capabilities. AUTOMATION Customers need to have timely messages that are appropriate for their specific situations. All-in-ones won’t ever be the best solution because they won’t be able to give you everything you need at every step. Google Apps is global now, and many people in the tech and startup scenes are using it because there’s so much collaboration possible. [11:55] But if your  cold outreach  system isn’t talking to your CRM and talking to your website, then you can cause a lot of confusion because you might be messaging someone in LinkedIn while you’re sending emails at the same time. It can make your efforts seem disorganized. You need a tool that syncs your pipeline stages.

Wed, December 19, 2018

Justin Hartzman: From Funding to Exits-How to Grow a Business Ripe for Acquisition | 978

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll talk to serial entrepreneur  Justin Hartzman  about how we can grow a business and why we should do it with the possibility of an acquisition in mind. Justin is the CEO and co-founder of  Needls.com , the Internet’s first RoboAgency. It is the easiest and most effective way for small businesses to advertise online and bring in more sales. By answering just six questions,  Needls.com  knows who you are, who you want to sell to, and what you want to sell. It can create 50-500 ads in real time, deliver them to the network, and show them to your ideal customer.  THE BOTTOM LINE OF ANY BUSINESS Some of us seek the independence that comes from being our own boss while others desire flexibility and creative freedom or want to achieve a sense of personal fulfillment. [1:59] The bottom line of starting any business though, as Justin explains, is to earn the financial freedom to live our lives the way we want. A successful business puts more money in our pockets and allows us the time to enjoy it. Trying to start a new business, however, is tricky. While there are more people now looking for opportunities to fund, there are also more people competing for those funds. The common approach is to build the product first. Then you find the money to produce the product next and then sell the product. Justin recommends the complete opposite approach. IF YOU SELL IT, THEY WILL COME. Sales are always first. Find out if people want your product and if they do – sell it to them.   With the sales lined up and letters of intent in your hand, it becomes much easier to find people to fund your product. [3:19] For example, Justin’s fiance’ told him that a friend on Facebook was looking for someone to build an iOS app. When that need for an app turned into an immediate $60,000 contract, the light bulb turned on and  Needls.com  was born. People always have questions and they will always ask other for answers. Justin and his team created a software program to scan their  Facebook  feeds for specific words that could lead to other sales. [4:32] They soon realized a 300% increase in their business. Those sales gave them the funds they needed to take Needls.com  where it is today. PLANNING FOR ACQUISITION Ignore those instances when a fledgling business did well and was acquired without planning for it because those are few and far between. Instead, Justin firmly believes that you need to be organized and to plan for an eventual acquisition from Day One. [8:02]</p

Wed, December 19, 2018

Stop Unnecessary Distractions | 977

Many of the activities in our day don’t actually help us close more deals. We’re busy doing things, but they aren’t moving our deals forward. Today we’ll talk about the things that distract us as sales reps, and how we can stop unnecessary distractions that are actually hindering our efforts. DISTRACTIONS Email is a necessary part of our sales efforts but spending time cleaning up our email isn’t an effective use of our time. If this were a football game, you wouldn’t be in the locker room trying to learn plays. Once the game starts, you’ll spend your time trying to advance the ball and score. So why do we spend our time at work doing things that aren’t conducive to closing deals? [4:30] Very often, we are hesitant to do the things that we really need to do. We don’t want to make cold calls or try to upsell our existing customers.   Sellers often want to do things that are easy, so we do things that make us feel accomplished like cleaning our email instead of tackling hard tasks like cold calling and prospecting. #Productivity CLICK TO TWEET   RECORD YOUR ACTIVITY Spend an entire week writing down all your activity and the amount of time you spend on it. [5:14] If you go to the kitchen to get a drink, write it down. If you talk with other team members, write that down and record how long it takes. Record all of your activities: email,  updating CRM , creating proposals and attending meetings. Write down how long you spend on planning and social media. If you get sidetracked by your cell phone, write it down, and write the time next to it. As you do this over the course of a week, you’ll begin to see trends in your daily activity. ANALYZE YOUR ACTIVITY Now look at your activity and figure out which steps actually contribute to your closing deals. [6:46] Be honest about your activity and look for places that you can use your time better. Could you take

Wed, December 19, 2018

Tom Williams: How To Not Make Your New Sales Process JUST Another Flavor of The Week #976

The last thing you want is to have your sales process abandon by your sellers. We will share with you how to prevent this. Listen to how.

Wed, December 19, 2018

Curt Rapp: TSE Certified Sales Program - "Shortcuts" | 990

On today's episode of The Sales Evangelist, we're talking with Curt Rapp about how sellers can benefit from the experiences and knowledge of others, and how that knowledge creates shortcuts . Curt works as an independent contractor selling luxury outdoor products to consumers. During the holidays, that means Christmas lights and decorations. During the warmer months, he sells outdoor cooling systems and mosquito control. He has access to marketing collateral like CRM and other resources, but he has to bring purpose and a sense of direction to the process. He has to take ownership in the sales process and get focused. TSE Hustler's League Curt took part in our online coaching program, previously called TSE Hustler's League. He said the most valuable part of the experience was learning from other people's mistakes. Curt calls them shortcuts because he's borrowing knowledge from other people. [03:15] Learning how other people handle the daily dogfight of sales helps him borrow their knowledge the next time he finds himself in a dogfight of his own. In TSE Hustler's League, even as the administrator of the course, I learned shortcuts and other tricks from people in other industries. Silos Salespeople tend to isolate themselves because they focus on the fact that their industries are different from other industries. The truth is that although the sales industries are very different, people who sell cars can learn from people who sell bicycles. Curt said it took him several years to understand that he could learn from other people. Early on, he didn't listen to people or their advice, and he ignored shortcuts that could have helped him be more successful. [05:31] By learning from others, he gets to benefit from new information, and then he gets to share it with other people. [Tweet "Learning new information and sharing it with others means you learn twice: once when you hear it, and again when you teach it to someone else. There's tremendous value in learning from other people. #sharedexperience"] Having a plan Curt said that early in his sales career, he took everything that came his way. He wasn't selective in the choices he made. He saw opportunities all around but he didn't wait for the right opportunities. [07:08] Many of his past mistakes stemmed from dealing with people incorrectly and failing to intentionally set his expectations. As a new seller, he got excited about phone calls and appointments because he didn't have the confidence to expect them to happen. Now, he has the confidence to know that he can set appointments and close deals, and it has changed his focus. Confidence has ma

Thu, November 29, 2018

TSE 975: TSE Certified Sales Program – What Is It?

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, I am introducing our new program – the TSE Certified Sales Program. If you are a sales leader in a company – this program is for you. If you are an executive or business owner of a small firm and your sales reps don’t have a process – […] The post TSE 975: TSE Certified Sales Program – What Is It? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, November 28, 2018

TSE 974: Sales From The Street: “Document Everything”

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Chirag Gupta, founder of NoD Coworking, about documenting processes and how it will help your organization become more efficient and more profitable. Chirag has been an entrepreneur since college, and his coworking space in Dallas has achieved profitability, a goal many startups never achieve, largely as […] The post TSE 974: Sales From The Street: “Document Everything” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, November 27, 2018

TSE 973: Achieve Sales Growth Through Collaborative Sales And Marketing

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to content marketing leader Pam Didner about the critical role content plays in sales and the importance of collaborative sales and marketing. Content plays a critical role in educating customers and prospects, making sales enablement a natural extension of content marketing. Pam is the author of Effective […] The post TSE 973: Achieve Sales Growth Through Collaborative Sales And Marketing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, November 27, 2018

TSE 972: How To Get Salespeople Not To Skip Steps In The Sales Process

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we discuss the value of following every step in the sales process, and how you can prevent your sales team from skipping steps in the process. Sales processes aren’t intended to add burdens to your role as a sales leader, but should actually free you and your team […] The post TSE 972: How To Get Salespeople Not To Skip Steps In The Sales Process appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, November 23, 2018

TSE 971: How To Develop A Sales Process That Works

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk with global sales team leader Michael Wills about how to develop a sales process that works. Many sellers have no real sense of direction, but they expect to be successful despite the lack of a plan. Defining a sales process A sales process provides a way […] The post TSE 971: How To Develop A Sales Process That Works appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, November 22, 2018

TSE 970: TSE Hustler’s League – “You Are Too Late”

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist Hustler’s League, we’re talking about how you can exert influence into the buying process even when you are too late. TSE Hustler’s League is our online group coaching program that brings together sellers from all industries and all abilities to share ideas. Executives I’m reading a book called […] The post TSE 970: TSE Hustler’s League – “You Are Too Late” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, November 21, 2018

TSE 969: Sales From The Street: “Knuckle Dragging Sales”

  On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to John Crowley, author of Knuckle Dragging Sales, about the difficulty of sales and a return to simple ideas about selling. John helps sales professionals build a personal brand so they can increase their visibility and their earnings. Knuckle dragging John said he has gotten a […] The post TSE 969: Sales From The Street: “Knuckle Dragging Sales” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, November 20, 2018

TSE 968: How To Ask A Potential Customer The Right Questions That Make Them Feel Comfortable And Not Pushed

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Kory Angeline about the right questions, and how you can help your customers feel comfortable without feeling pushed. No matter what industry you’re in, you’re probably going to find yourself selling. And truthfully, a lot of us aren’t good at it. Kory offers the idea […] The post TSE 968: How To Ask A Potential Customer The Right Questions That Make Them Feel Comfortable And Not Pushed appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, November 19, 2018

TSE 967: How Does The Statement “Unless You Are Breaking Stuff, You Are Not Moving Fast Enough” Apply To Sales?

One of our listeners reached out to me the other day about Mark Zuckerberg’s recent quote: “Move fast and break things.” On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we discuss the idea that if you’re not moving fast enough to break things, then you aren’t moving fast enough, and how that statement relates to sales. […] The post TSE 967: How Does The Statement “Unless You Are Breaking Stuff, You Are Not Moving Fast Enough” Apply To Sales? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, November 16, 2018

TSE 966: The Law of Harmonious Attraction

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, I had the pleasure of speaking once again with Jeffrey Gitomer, The King of Sales, about the Law of Harmonious Attraction. Jeffrey is an author, speaker, and business trainer who writes and lectures internationally on sales, customer loyalty and personal development.  He also hosts the very popular Sell or […] The post TSE 966: The Law of Harmonious Attraction appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, November 14, 2018

TSE 964 : Sales From The Street: “Selling And Monetizing Your Brand”

  On today’s episode of Sales From The Street, we talk to global entrepreneur Doyle Buehler about monetizing your brand. Doyle helps businesses organize their work and their strategies so they can do good work. Many sellers don’t actually own their own businesses but they operate a business within a business. They are intrapreneurs, and many […] The post TSE 964 : Sales From The Street: “Selling And Monetizing Your Brand” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, November 13, 2018

TSE 963: How To Help Business Owners And High Performers Hone In On Their Zone Of Genius, Work Smart And Make More Money

In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, I talk to Phil Newton about how we can work smart and accomplish more by doing less. It all began with a “sob story of events” when Phil was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, an intestinal disorder with an array of symptoms that prevent him from doing business the […] The post TSE 963: How To Help Business Owners And High Performers Hone In On Their Zone Of Genius, Work Smart And Make More Money appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, November 12, 2018

TSE 962: What Salespeople Can Learn From The “Political and Dating” Industries

The political and dating industries share a common goal: to narrow your choices down to the one candidate that makes the most sense for what you want. Particularly in the political arena, the ads target those people who would be most likely to support a particular cause or candidate. On today’s episode of The Sales […] The post TSE 962: What Salespeople Can Learn From The “Political and Dating” Industries appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, November 09, 2018

TSE 961: How Do I Create A Cold Email Outreach Process?

Processes allow us to work a campaign from end to end. They help us know how to follow up and what to say and how to proceed rather than just shooting from the hip. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Forster Perelsztejn of prospect.io talks about the importance of a campaign for purposes of cold […] The post TSE 961: How Do I Create A Cold Email Outreach Process? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, November 08, 2018

TSE 960: TSE Hustler’s League – “$1 Million”

Most startups never reach the $1 million mark. Roughly 95 percent of startups will never achieve that level of revenue. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we visit with Sangram Vajre, “The Accidental Evangelist,” about what he learned from building a company and how to achieve $1 million. Sangram founded a company called Terminus, […] The post TSE 960: TSE Hustler’s League – “$1 Million” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, November 05, 2018

TSE 957: Sales Process 101

When I worked for a corporate organization, I had to call executives and convince them to consider our product. I had no direction for the conversation. Until I got sales training, I didn’t know what to stay to get them to the next step. That map is known as a buying process or a sales process, […] The post TSE 957: Sales Process 101 appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, November 02, 2018

TSE 956: How to Fire Up Your Business Ecosystem and Grow Explosively

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re talking to Ralph Welborn, CEO of CapImpact, about ways you can fire up your business ecosystem and grow explosively. Ralph is a co-author of the book Topple: The End of the Firm-Based Strategy and Rise of New Models for Explosive Growth.  He refers to himself as a moth to a […] The post TSE 956: How to Fire Up Your Business Ecosystem and Grow Explosively appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, November 01, 2018

TSE 955: TSE Hustler’s League – “False Truth”

  All of us confront fears that hold us back and prevent us from being really successful at sales. One of the biggest is the fear of rejection, and it’s one of the first lessons we’ll review in The Sales Evangelist Hustler’s League when we begin our new semester in January. On today’s episode, we’ll […] The post TSE 955: TSE Hustler’s League – “False Truth” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 31, 2018

TSE 954: Sales From The Street: “Scary Cat”

When you pursue prospects but don’t get responses, it can be intimidating. We don’t want to lose those prospects, but we don’t know why they aren’t responding. On today’s episode of Sales From The Street, we’re talking about loss aversion, and how it can be scary for sales reps to lose prospects, and also what […] The post TSE 954: Sales From The Street: “Scary Cat” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 30, 2018

TSE 953: The 2-Minute Video Pitch That Helps Me Generate Very Warm Sales Call

Video is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, including those of us at the Sales Evangelist. We’re launching a YouTube channel called TSE TV and using Instagram as well. On today’s episode, we’ll talk with Deepak Shukla about the 2-minute video pitch that helps generate warm sales calls. Deepak is the founder of the SEO […] The post TSE 953: The 2-Minute Video Pitch That Helps Me Generate Very Warm Sales Call appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, October 26, 2018

TSE 951: How To Increase Sales Faster Using AI

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Erroin Martin shares what he has learned about artificial intelligence and how sales professionals can increase sales faster using AI. Martin is the vice president of sales at Conversica, with 20 years of experience in sales. Conversica does conversational artificial intelligence for B2B and B2C. Robots? Artificial intelligence […] The post TSE 951: How To Increase Sales Faster Using AI appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, October 25, 2018

TSE 950: TSE Hustler’s League-“The Upsell”

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, let’s make the wheel more effective. If something already works, try to improve it rather than starting from scratch. It’s so much more difficult to find new customers than it is to sell to people who are right there in front of you. On today’s episode of […] The post TSE 950: TSE Hustler’s League-“The Upsell” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 24, 2018

TSE 949: Sales From The Street – “You Do Have Time”

Everyone has the same amount of available time every day. When people lack the time to systemize their businesses or hire and train new people, it’s because they aren’t using their time in the right way. They aren’t prioritizing the things that are important. On today’s episode, serial entrepreneur Carissa Hill shares how to grow […] The post TSE 949: Sales From The Street – “You Do Have Time” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 23, 2018

TSE 948: What Small Businesses Need To Know About Building An Empire Through Effective Marketing

On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Michael Koral about building an empire, and what small businesses need to know about building an empire through effective marketing. Michael is the co-founder of needls.com, a robo-agency that creates targets and optimizes Facebook and Instagram ads for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Small business owner […] The post TSE 948: What Small Businesses Need To Know About Building An Empire Through Effective Marketing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, October 22, 2018

TSE 947: How Do You Help Sell or Bring a Brand New Product to Market?

Bringing a revolutionary new product to market can be difficult, especially if you don’t yet have a community of supporters. Apple did it in 2007 with the iPhone, solving a problem that people weren’t even aware that they had. How can you capture people’s attention if you don’t already have that community? Today on The […] The post TSE 947: How Do You Help Sell or Bring a Brand New Product to Market? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, October 19, 2018

TSE 946: Three Effective Ways To Create Loyalty

The buying process has changed, and by the time your prospect gets to you, he has already done a substantial amount of online research. A recent study showed that 68 percent of people in the B2B space believe online information is far more helpful to them than the information they get from salespeople. On today’s episode of […] The post TSE 946: Three Effective Ways To Create Loyalty appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, October 18, 2018

TSE 945: TSE Hustler’s League-“Overselling”

You cannot oversell to your prospects. We’ve been talking all month about closing, and about what you can do in your closing efforts to give your clients exactly what they want. On today’s episode of TSE Hustler’s League, we’ll discuss how to improve closings and how to avoid overselling. The TSE Hustler’s League is an online […] The post TSE 945: TSE Hustler’s League-“Overselling” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 17, 2018

TSE 944: Sales From The Street: “Video Cold Outreach”

Your prospects are inundated with cold communications every day. Your job is to make sure that your communications don’t wind up in someone’s spam folder. Personal communication is an important part of modern-day sales, and video cold outreach is an important tool. On today’s episode of Sales From The Street, John Simpson, Director of Business […] The post TSE 944: Sales From The Street: “Video Cold Outreach” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 16, 2018

TSE 943: How Business Owners Who Don’t Like Sales Can Improve Sales Performance

Business owners often have to lead their sales teams despite the fact that they don’t always understand exactly how to do it. Often times, they’re simply ignorant about what to do. It’s absolutely true, though, that business owners who don’t like sales can improve sales performance. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re talking […] The post TSE 943: How Business Owners Who Don’t Like Sales Can Improve Sales Performance appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 16, 2018

TSE 942: How Confident Are You With Closing?

When it comes to closing, you have to be confident. Closing is throughout the sales process and you have to build confidence in what you sell. The buyer must feel your confidence and believe that your product or service is capable of solving her problems and helping her business to succeed. On today’s episode of […] The post TSE 942: How Confident Are You With Closing? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Sat, October 13, 2018

TSE 941: Build Enough Value Before You Try To Close

The process of building value begins early in the buying journey. Sales professionals talk a lot about building value, but the truth is that value looks different to everyone. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we have a candid conversation about value — and why it’s important to build enough value — with Tyler […] The post TSE 941: Build Enough Value Before You Try To Close appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, October 12, 2018

TSE 940: TSE Hustler’s League-“We Can’t Sell It Right Now”

  Most sales reps believe they are good closers, but the truth is that many struggle. It’s difficult to persuade someone to spend thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, on what you’re offering. Until you build value, you can’t sell. On today’s episode of The Hustler’s League, we’ll talk about why tricking […] The post TSE 940: TSE Hustler’s League-“We Can’t Sell It Right Now” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 10, 2018

TSE 939: Sales From The Street: “Ditch The Funnel”

The traditional funnel works in a lot of industries for many sellers. It’s always true, though, that no single industry is exactly the same.  In some cases, sellers have to find a different way to operate. Jereshia Hawk had to ditch the funnel. Today on Sales From The Street, Jereshia Hawk shares how she shifted her mindset […] The post TSE 939: Sales From The Street: “Ditch The Funnel” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 10, 2018

TSE 938: How Today’s Buying Journey Has Drastically Changed And Why It Matters To You!

The buying journey has changed, and sellers must change with it. Sellers must address the gap between how people buy and how people sell. We must uncover why it matters that today’s buying journey has changed. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Martyn Lewis, founder of Market Partners, about how today’s buying […] The post TSE 938: How Today’s Buying Journey Has Drastically Changed And Why It Matters To You! appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 09, 2018

TSE 937: The Questions You Ask Are NOT Building Trust

  Sometimes as sales professionals, we unintentionally erode the trust we have with our clients. The way we pose a question or the way we treat our clients can prevent us from closing a deal. Sometimes the questions you ask are not building trust. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we continue our month-long […] The post TSE 937: The Questions You Ask Are NOT Building Trust appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, October 05, 2018

TSE 936: Best Practices For Using Visuals To Level Up Your Sales Game

About 65 percent of the population learns visually. When you’re engaging with your prospect, are you simply explaining your goods and services or are you showing them your goods and services? Today we’ll discuss the power of using visuals to level up your sales game. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Payman Taei, founder […] The post TSE 936: Best Practices For Using Visuals To Level Up Your Sales Game appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, October 04, 2018

TSE 935: TSE Hustler’s League-“Closing Is Too Much”

  If you’ve been following the show for a while, you know that The Sales Evangelist Hustler’s League is an online group coaching program designed to help sales professionals of all levels. Today we’re discussing the occasional mindset that tells us that closing is too much. On today’s episode of TSE Hustler’s League, I’m going […] The post TSE 935: TSE Hustler’s League-“Closing Is Too Much” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, October 03, 2018

TSE 934: Sales From The Street – “Referral Business”

People are often uncomfortable with the idea of prospecting. Many salespeople struggle with it because they relate it to cold calling, but it isn’t possible to transition to a referral business until you find prospects. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Richard Nongard talks about the role prospecting plays in transitioning to a referral […] The post TSE 934: Sales From The Street – “Referral Business” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 02, 2018

TSE 932: How Do I Close The Deal?

Most sales professionals understand the importance of closing. They also understand that the more prospects they interact with, the greater their odds of closing will be. But sometimes challenging situations arise, which leave us asking, “How do I close the deal?” On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll talk about closing more deals and increasing […] The post TSE 932: How Do I Close The Deal? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, October 02, 2018

TSE 933: Closing Strategies That Can Be Used By People at Any Level In Any Industry

No one wants to discover at the end of a sales process that the prospect isn’t planning to buy. So how can you improve the odds that your prospect follows through? What closing strategies will improve your odds? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, David Cook, author of How to Be a Great Salesperson… […] The post TSE 933: Closing Strategies That Can Be Used By People at Any Level In Any Industry appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, September 28, 2018

TSE 931: How To Use LinkedIn for Inbound and Developing Process

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for sales professionals, but you must have a strategy in order to use it well. If you have a plan, you can use LinkedIn for inbound and developing process. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Rebecca Brizi, strategic consultant to small businesses and solopreneurs, talks about using social media to […] The post TSE 931: How To Use LinkedIn for Inbound and Developing Process appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, September 27, 2018

TSE 930: TSE Hustler’s League-“Storytelling Questions”

          It’s tempting to think that when a lead contacts us first, the transaction should be pretty simple. We’ll ask about the company; about the challenges the company is facing; we’ll try to determine how we can help. But what happens when the conversation goes nowhere? You must make sure you’re […] The post TSE 930: TSE Hustler’s League-“Storytelling Questions” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, September 26, 2018

TSE 929: Sales From The Street: “How We Increase Sales By Helping Clients Tell THEIR Story”

When you tell stories, you capture the attention of the buyer and you build relationships. You also stand out from the competition, who isn’t using stories to grab the buyer’s attention. The key to marketing is helping clients tell their story. On today’s episode of Sales From The Street, Arty Gold from Animus studios talks […] The post TSE 929: Sales From The Street: “How We Increase Sales By Helping Clients Tell THEIR Story” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, September 25, 2018

TSE 928: The New Era of Effective Prospecting

The process of prospecting constantly changes. It has evolved over the last 5, 10, 15 years, and it continues to evolve today. Buyers are more educated than they used to be, so we’re entering a new era of effective prospecting. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we talk to Ryan O’Hara, VP of marketing […] The post TSE 928: The New Era of Effective Prospecting appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, September 24, 2018

TSE 927: Don’t Be Too Desperate

Sales can be a little bit like dating in high school. When relationships go south, it’s tempting to try to hang on. The other person won’t answer your phone calls. It’s like you never existed. The same thing sometimes happens with inbound leads, and in both cases, remember this: don’t be too desperate. On today’s […] The post TSE 927: Don’t Be Too Desperate appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, September 21, 2018

TSE 926: Lead Generation Through Digital Marketing

Traditional marketing options will always exist for business owners and people in sales. Digital marketing, however, can be a more cost-effective way to grab people’s attention and guide them down a path to purchasing. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Jeet Banerjee discusses how lead generation through digital marketing can help you bring customers into your […] The post TSE 926: Lead Generation Through Digital Marketing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, September 20, 2018

TSE 925: TSE Hustler’s League-“Video Revolution”

You’re more than likely listening to this episode because you want to improve as a seller or a marketer. You’re seeking education so you can get an edge on your competition. There’s a tool that many of us are failing to embrace, and it could begin a video revolution. On today’s episode of The Hustler’s […] The post TSE 925: TSE Hustler’s League-“Video Revolution” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, September 19, 2018

TSE 924: Sales From The Street: “The 60 Second Sale”

    What if you could make more money and get home on time for dinner every night? Sounds impossible, right? The 60-Second Sale might be the answer for sales professionals who want to achieve success without sacrificing their lifestyles. Today on Sales From the Street, we’ll talk to Dave Lorenzo, author of The 60-Second […] The post TSE 924: Sales From The Street: “The 60 Second Sale” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, September 18, 2018

TSE 923: How To Grow Your Sales Without Spending A Dime On Marketing

Imagine a world where you don’t have to spend any money on marketing. You have leads pouring in, deals close, and referrals pour in. Imagine being able to grow your sales without spending a dime on marketing. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Jon Ferrara shares the method he recommends to grow your sales […] The post TSE 923: How To Grow Your Sales Without Spending A Dime On Marketing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, September 17, 2018

TSE 922: Don’t Take Your Leads For Granted

Sometimes sales reps neglect their leads. We stop doing the things we know we need to do because we assume things will continue working the way we expect them to. Don’t take your leads for granted. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll talk about the things that sales professionals sometimes neglect and why […] The post TSE 922: Don’t Take Your Leads For Granted appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, September 14, 2018

TSE 921: The 7-Step Approach Pagely Used to Systematize Sales

Whether you’re working a sales campaign or building a fantasy football league, preparation and process will always improve your outcome. You absolutely have to have a sales process to systematize your sales. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll hear from Sean Tierney, Director of Sales for managed WordPress hosting provider Pagely.  Sean will share the […] The post TSE 921: The 7-Step Approach Pagely Used to Systematize Sales appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, September 13, 2018

TSE 920: TSE Hustler’s League-“Prospect.io”

On Tuesday I told you about a guy named Louis whose job it is to set appointments and find opportunities for an account executive on his team. The problem for Louis is that his CRM stinks, and his database is no good, so he struggled until he stumbled upon Prospect.io. On today’s episode of The […] The post TSE 920: TSE Hustler’s League-“Prospect.io” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, September 12, 2018

TSE 919: Sales From The Street:”Starving Artist”

The notion of the starving artist has been around for many years, but many entrepreneurs spend a lot of years “starving” as well. For sales professionals, when we don’t have processes in place to keep our funnels full, we can find ourselves “starving” as well. On today’s episode of Sales From the Street, Arty Goldstein […] The post TSE 919: Sales From The Street:”Starving Artist” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, September 11, 2018

TSE 918: Using Technology To Convert Leads

Every sales professional understands the importance of generating leads. In addition to those leads, we must focus on using technology to convert leads. Today on The Sales Evangelist, Patrick Shaw will talk to us about using technology to convert leads. If we use technology and software, we can work smarter and not harder. Patrick is […] The post TSE 918: Using Technology To Convert Leads appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, September 10, 2018

TSE 917: Why Your B2B Inbound Leads Are Not Closing

When your marketing department rounds up good inbound leads for your sales reps, but your sales don’t increase, it can leave you confused. If the leads are highly qualified, it can leave you confused about why your b2b inbound leads are not closing. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll discuss the common reasons […] The post TSE 917: Why Your B2B Inbound Leads Are Not Closing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, September 07, 2018

TSE 916: How To Develop A Marketing Message That Cuts-Through & Brings More Leads

Imagine how quickly sales will decline if your sales and marketing teams aren’t communicating well. You must have a marketing message that cuts through the noise and generates inbound leads. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Tom Poland helps us learn more about how to effectively create a marketing message that will guide your […] The post TSE 916: How To Develop A Marketing Message That Cuts-Through & Brings More Leads appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, September 06, 2018

TSE 915: TSE Hustler’s League-“Application”

Early on in The Sales Evangelist, I didn’t have an application process in place to qualify my inbound leads, and it cost me customers. I suspect you could be missing this connection, too. On today’s episode of The Hustler’s League, I’ll share what might have prompted some of my customers to leave my program, and […] The post TSE 915: TSE Hustler’s League-“Application” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, September 05, 2018

TSE 914: Sales From The Street:”How To Handle Inbound Leads”

We cannot develop quality inbound leads without a process that nurtures and prepares our customers. As a sales professional, it’s important to know how to handle inbound leads so that you’re working in tandem with your marketing team. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, I’m putting myself in the hot seat to discuss how […] The post TSE 914: Sales From The Street:”How To Handle Inbound Leads” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, September 04, 2018

TSE 913: Common Mistakes We Make Trying To Get Inbound Leads

If you want to take advantage of inbound leads, you must create content for your website that attracts people. It must draw people who are researching and trying to find solutions. We must also avoid common mistakes we make trying to get inbound leads. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Ken Tucker continues our […] The post TSE 913: Common Mistakes We Make Trying To Get Inbound Leads appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, September 03, 2018

TSE 912: What Should Sales Know About Inbound Leads?

Inbound is a powerful tool for your organization. We all want inbound leads, but we have to work with our teams to make sure our company will be known by the people who are seeking our product or service. What should our sales team know about inbound leads? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, […] The post TSE 912: What Should Sales Know About Inbound Leads? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, August 31, 2018

TSE 911: The Secret Formula Of The “Elite 1%” Of Business Leaders

What allows some teams to achieve consistent success? Why are some leaders able to convince their team members to consistently follow? What is the secret formula that allows the elite 1% of leaders to achieve greatness? Today on The Sales Evangelist, Don Barden shares the secret formula that allows leaders to achieve repeatable success, and […] The post TSE 911: The Secret Formula Of The “Elite 1%” Of Business Leaders appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, August 30, 2018

TSE 910: TSE Hustler’s League-“It’s All Backward”

If you find yourself thinking that your clients just don’t get it, the problem may not be the prospect. It may not even be the product. The problem may be the way you and your company are selling your product. If your sales process is designed all around you, that means your prospects aren’t being […] The post TSE 910: TSE Hustler’s League-“It’s All Backward” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 29, 2018

TSE 909: Sales From The Street:”Buy Your Competition”

There’s a difference between having a lifestyle business and having a business that’s truly scaling and growing. In order to grow, you have to have customers. The secret is to buy your competition. On today’s episode of Sales From the Street, Carl Allen talks about how to massively grow your sales by acquiring another business. […] The post TSE 909: Sales From The Street:”Buy Your Competition” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, August 28, 2018

TSE 908: Lifter Leadership-How To Innovate, Engage, Build Trust And Be Purposeful All At Once!

For sales leaders, improving your team’s numbers isn’t always enough. If you can help your team innovate, engage, build trust, and be purposeful, you’ll lift your team up and improve their lives. Lifter leadership will change your sales team and change your company. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Paresh Shah, author of the […] The post TSE 908: Lifter Leadership-How To Innovate, Engage, Build Trust And Be Purposeful All At Once! appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, August 27, 2018

TSE 907: The Little Things Matter The Most When You’re Leading

How far are you willing to go to get ahead of the competition? In order to be successful, you must do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Realize that little things matter the most when you’re leading, and if you adopt them in your own business, you can become a better sales leader. […] The post TSE 907: The Little Things Matter The Most When You’re Leading appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, August 24, 2018

TSE 906: Questions That Sell-The Powerful Process to Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants

Selling is always a challenge. When sellers are confused about what they’re selling or about what their customers want, selling is impossibly hard. Learning to ask questions that sell will absolutely make a difference in your sales process. Paul Cherry talks to The Sales Evangelist audience about identifying the customers’ pain issues and getting them to […] The post TSE 906: Questions That Sell-The Powerful Process to Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, August 23, 2018

TSE 905: TSE Hustler’s League-“Holes In Your Sales Process”

If your sales team focuses only on how many deals are closed, you won’t know much about your sales process. When the numbers drop, is the problem with the prospecting or with marketing? If you’re only focused on results, you won’t know. In order to find the holes in your sales process, you must evaluate […] The post TSE 905: TSE Hustler’s League-“Holes In Your Sales Process” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 22, 2018

TSE 904: Sales From The Street-“Building Value Pre, During & Post Meeting”

We all understand the importance of building value for the prospect. It’s important to know, too, that it’s an ongoing process. We should focus on building value before, during, and after the meeting. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Josh Smith, author of How to Guarantee Qualified Sales Meetings With Real Decision Makers, explains why building […] The post TSE 904: Sales From The Street-“Building Value Pre, During & Post Meeting” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, August 21, 2018

TSE 903: How To Get More Time Back As A Sales Manager To Exceed Quota

Regardless of your industry, you’re probably invested in helping your sales team optimize its performance. Ultimately, we need our teams to hit their quotas and perform at their peak. So how do you help your team get more time back in order to exceed quota? Jason Loh visits The Sales Evangelist podcast today to help […] The post TSE 903: How To Get More Time Back As A Sales Manager To Exceed Quota appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, August 20, 2018

TSE 902: Numbers Alone Can’t Coach

Sales numbers won’t tell you much about your sales team. They might tell you who’s struggling and who isn’t, but they won’t tell you where the problems lie. Numbers alone aren’t sufficient to help you coach your sales team. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll discuss the role numbers play in coaching a […] The post TSE 902: Numbers Alone Can’t Coach appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, August 17, 2018

TSE 901: The Authentic Leader Model and Making Better Leaders

Authentic leadership involves understanding that everyone has a unique journey, and everyone brings some kind of baggage to the office. You don’t have to understand the baggage; you simply have to understand that they have it. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Dr. James Kelley, professor of marketing, talks to us about authentic leadership, […] The post TSE 901: The Authentic Leader Model and Making Better Leaders appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, August 16, 2018

TSE 900: Where We Came From And Where We Are Going!

We have produced 900 podcast episodes! Today on The Sales Evangelist we’ll celebrate our 900th episode and share the impact the podcast has had on our business, as well as some highs and lows. We’ll discuss where we came from and where we are going. It’s humbling to think about. Twenty episodes a month designed […] The post TSE 900: Where We Came From And Where We Are Going! appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 15, 2018

TSE 899: Sales From The Street-“Your Legend”

Leadership is difficult. Even when the people you’re leading have something in common, it’s tough to lead a varied group of people. Leading a group of independent, free-thinking employees presents a unique challenge, but it’s one that allows you to leave your mark. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Barth Getto, president of Empowery […] The post TSE 899: Sales From The Street-“Your Legend” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, August 14, 2018

TSE 898: What Role Does A Sales Coach Play In A Growing Organization?

Christie Walters believes that sales is an act of service. She defines coaching as the secret sauce for all top performers. Coaches take on different forms, and Christie believes that the best coaches operate from the performer’s perspective rather than their own. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Christie Walters, co-host of the podcast […] The post TSE 898: What Role Does A Sales Coach Play In A Growing Organization? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, August 13, 2018

TSE 897: 15 Great Sales Coaching Questions You Should Ask

As a sales manager, your focus must rest largely on your sales reps rather than your customer. You must win your sales reps over in order to get them to perform at their peak. Do that asking great sales coaching questions and building strong relationships. On today’s episode, we’ll discuss how to help your sales […] The post TSE 897: 15 Great Sales Coaching Questions You Should Ask appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, August 10, 2018

TSE 896: Empower Yourself First Before You Can Empower Others

In order for your organization to operate at its best, the people within must be empowered. The team must feel confident working together and it must believe in the process. But believing in the process begins with the leadership, which is why you must empower yourself before you can empower others. On today’s episode of […] The post TSE 896: Empower Yourself First Before You Can Empower Others appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, August 09, 2018

TSE 895: TSE Hustler’s League-“Use Their Own Words”

                  When you’re talking to a prospect, the most important thing you can do is build value into the conversation. Your goal should be to delight them in ways that none of your competitors have. One of the easiest ways to do that is to use their […] The post TSE 895: TSE Hustler’s League-“Use Their Own Words” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 08, 2018

TSE 894: Sales From The Street-“Learn Marketing”

          When sales are good, life is good. So what do you do if you’re a brand new business that isn’t making enough money to pay the bills? When larger companies believe you’re too new to trust, you must learn marketing in order to help others get to know your business. […] The post TSE 894: Sales From The Street-“Learn Marketing” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 08, 2018

TSE 893: How to Make New Employees Feel Like They Already Belong

When your company on-board a new employee, you invest time, effort, and resources into the process. So if you’re going to spend the money, doesn’t it make sense to put energy into making sure the employee is successful? The key is to help new employees feel like they already belong. On today’s episode of The […] The post TSE 893: How to Make New Employees Feel Like They Already Belong appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, August 07, 2018

TSE 892: How Can I Better Coach My Sales Team?

When your sales team isn’t hitting its numbers, what can you do to help them improve? How can you make sure your training process is effective? Ask yourself this: How can I better coach my sales team? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’ll discuss sales coaching, and how you can help your sales […] The post TSE 892: How Can I Better Coach My Sales Team? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Fri, August 03, 2018

TSE 891: Sales Enablement – A Master Framework to Build, Coach, and Lead Your Most Productive Sales Team

Sales Enablement means different things to different people, and though the definition varies widely, it’s one of the fastest growing trends in the world of B2B selling. More than 59 percent of organizations report having a devoted sales enablement effort, but only 34 percent are achieving their goals. It’s vital, then, that organizations develop a […] The post TSE 891: Sales Enablement – A Master Framework to Build, Coach, and Lead Your Most Productive Sales Team appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, August 02, 2018

TSE 890: TSE Hustler’s League-“It’s About The Inches”

There’s always room for improvement. It’s why you listen to podcasts like this one. Sometimes successful sellers get so focused on the big stuff that they lose sight of the fundamentals. In sales, though, it’s about the inches. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist Hustler’s League, we’ll review sales fundamentals that can help you […] The post TSE 890: TSE Hustler’s League-“It’s About The Inches” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, August 01, 2018

TSE 889: Sales From The Street-“Talent vs. Performance”

Working with a talented group of people doesn’t guarantee success, because talent and performance are altogether separate. Sometimes sales leaders find themselves leading a team whose performance doesn’t equal its talent. When potential is left on the table, how do you teach your team the value of talent vs. performance? On today’s Sales From The […] The post TSE 889: Sales From The Street-“Talent vs. Performance” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, July 31, 2018

TSE 888: Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell

Stories validate the work you’re doing. They build value. And really good salespeople never stop telling stories. Mike Adams, author of the book Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell, explains that stories forge connections between people who don’t know each other and they help to establish rapport. Today on The Sales Evangelist, Mike Adams outlines […] The post TSE 888: Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Mon, July 30, 2018

TSE 887: What Do You Do…For Me?

I noticed something interesting at a conference I attended recently. The conference was amazing, but I noticed something noteworthy about many of the exhibitors: they didn’t know how to tell me the problems they solve. They tossed around words like noteworthy, synergy, cohesive, and proprietary, but they couldn’t answer the most important question: “What do […] The post TSE 887: What Do You Do…For Me? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Sun, July 29, 2018

TSE 886: Professional Selling In The Age of Kardashian: Let Your Millennials Do Their Thing

Every aspect of selling has changed in the last 25 years. In any field where people have to connect with other people, the changes in communication have caused big shifts. For sales professionals, the key is to resist the urge to push back against millennials’ natural tendencies. Instead, let your millennials do their thing. On […] The post TSE 886: Professional Selling In The Age of Kardashian: Let Your Millennials Do Their Thing appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Thu, July 26, 2018

TSE 885: TSE Hustler’s League-“Dog Chasing A Car”

Imagine a dog chasing a car in your neighborhood. He’s chasing the car with every ounce of effort that he has, but clearly, he hasn’t developed a strategy: what will he do when he catches it? As sales professionals, we need a clear strategy for prospecting so we know exactly how we’ll delight the prospect […] The post TSE 885: TSE Hustler’s League-“Dog Chasing A Car” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Wed, July 25, 2018

TSE 884 : Sales From The Street-“Your Own Avatar”

When Mike Simmons made the move from individual contributor to leader, he tried to implement his own approach to the sales process. He eventually realized that his scripts and his processes wouldn’t work for everyone on the team. He discovered that each person needs a unique set of guiding principles. On today’s episode of Sales […] The post TSE 884 : Sales From The Street-“Your Own Avatar” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .

Tue, July 24, 2018

TSE 883: How To Effectively Acquire Inbound Leads By Building Value Early

Mikael Dia wasn’t always an entrepreneur. His first business venture enjoyed early success. But it also revealed to him that he knew nothing about selling to people other than family and friends. As a result, he invested his efforts in learning to effectively acquire inbound leads. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Mikael shares […] The post TSE 883: How To Effectively Acquire Inbound Leads By Building Value Early appeared first on The Sales Evangelist .