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

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

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 R

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

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

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 pi

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 movin

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 imp

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 becau

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 AS

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 w

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 ski

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 happe

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 Matter

It’s no secret—a structured sales process can significantly boost your ability to close deals. Following a proven step-by-step method reduces the pressure and uncertainty when a potential buyer says "no." In this episode, I sit down with Gregg and Mike, co-authors of Sales Sucks, But It Doesn’t Have To, to discuss the sales strategies that have fueled their success. Tune in to learn how you can apply their techniques to achieve the same results. The Genesis of "Sales Sucks, But It Doesn’t Have To" Greg and Mike's Previous Roles: At their last company, Greg and Mike devised technological innovations that expedited onboarding and sales processes, helping the company grow faster than its competitors. Why Write the Book: After realizing that new sales representatives could improve by using these effective methods, they decided to create a book to outline their step-by-step process. Sales Methods for Leaders and Reps Rapport and Problem-Solving: Establishing rapport and understanding client problem

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 techn

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 approac

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 c