The Sales Evangelist: Sales Training|Speaking|Business Marketing|Donald Kelly

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 r

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 det

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 an

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

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 abo

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 proxi

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-

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 compa

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. 

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 rele

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

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 t

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 pr

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, wher

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 se

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 rec

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 COVI

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 unde

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

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