9 Major Sales Lessons from 1,900 Episodes of The Sales Evangelist | Donald Kelly - 1900

May 23, 2025

Discover nine essential sales lessons gathered from nearly 2,000 conversations. Learn that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to selling and the importance of testing various methods. The podcast emphasizes the necessity of continuous prospecting and accountability in driving sales performance. It shares insights into leveraging LinkedIn as a powerful tool for closing deals. Additionally, find out how personalization can simplify the buying process and strengthen client relationships. These takeaways could transform your sales approach!

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ADVICE

No Single Best Sales Method

There is no single best way to sell; each method's effectiveness depends on your market and execution.
Test different sales approaches and iterate based on what works for you.

ADVICE

Always Be Prospecting

Always set aside dedicated time for prospecting, even when closing deals.
Continuously building pipeline maintains momentum and prevents dry spells in sales.

ADVICE

Accountability Drives Sales

Maintain one-on-one coaching to keep sales reps accountable and performing.
Lack of coaching leads to slipping habits and decreased results.

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I’ve made it 1,900 episodes of The Sales Evangelist podcast. Not quite at 2,000 yet, but I’m close.

But since I’m still going strong, I thought it would be a good idea to share the nine biggest sales lessons I've learned from hosting this podcast. Hopefully, one of these lessons will help you grow your sales pipeline too.

1. There's No One Way of Selling

Everyone is always asking me, “What’s the number one method of selling?” If you want my honesty, there isn’t one.
From all of my interviews, I've found that it’s best to focus on who you’re going to sell to and how to break through the noise to grab their attention.
I also recommend just testing out the different sales methods we share on this podcast. If it works for you, great; if it doesn’t, then try another one.

2. Always Be Prospecting

I’m a firm believer that a seller should always be prospecting, even when you’re closing deals.
If you have options in the sales pipeline, great. But you should also always be figuring out how you can do a better job at sales prospecting to keep prospects coming to you.

3. Accountability Moves Sales Forward

I've heard this over and over again from my countless conversations: sales reps need that one-on-one time so they can stay accountable.
I share a story about how an old manager of mine stopped her one-on-one time with me. This caused me to slip up and make little mistakes from not receiving coaching.

4. Be on LinkedIn

LinkedIn will always be a powerful tool in helping you find and close deals. I've found that when sellers aren't using LinkedIn correctly, they tend to struggle with prospecting.
Connect, share, and engage on LinkedIn and see how your sales pipeline starts building.

5. Address Objections First

If you don’t handle the “nos” first, they’ll be an issue later. Going back to episode 446, Tom Gates shares how easing a customer’s objection can increase your win rate.
Don’t be afraid to bring it up; doing so will let you circle back when the prospect is ready to close a deal or prevent having unnecessary clients in your pipeline.

6. Little Things Work

Bob Berg shares details on how to get endless referrals, and he does this by just going the extra mile. Make yourself memorable by simply sending handwritten notes. The little things actually do work when trying to build your network.

7. Sales Is About Relationships

There’s so much information out there, and if you’re not making things personal, prospects aren’t going to connect with you.
Go back to episode 1898; I share how relevancy and personalization give you a higher response rate. In the world of AI, no one wants robotic messages.

8. Make Buying Easy

Transparency is everything in sales, and people want to know what they’re getting before they buy.
Marcus Sheridan shares how giving the price upfront provides a mutual action plan that helps make it easier for prospects to buy from you.

9. Understand Your ICP

When you know who you’re targeting, your message becomes clearer, and you have a higher closing rate.
In episode 1625, I share why adapting to your ICP is important and how it helps you as a seller.

“Accountability drives sales forward.” - Donald Kelly.

Resources

Connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message for more help with cold outreach, or send me an email: donald@thesalesevangelist.com

If you need more help elevating your sales game, join my Sales Mastermind Class.

Sponsorship Offers

This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey . We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.