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

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

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 pa

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

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

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 Europ

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 thei

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 m

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 somethin

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 tho

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 initia