The Sales Evangelist

You have about ten seconds to grab a prospect's attention on LinkedIn. If you’re spending more time scrolling than positioning yourself as a thought leader, you’re not using your profile to its full potential. Here’s how to turn it into the perfect “first discovery call.”Profile Positioning·  If you go back to episodes 1941 and 1088 with Brynne Tillman, you’ll hear her explain why it’s time to move past the resume mentality.·  Your profile is prime real estate. Start with a compelling banner that clearly shows who you help and how. Use a professional, up-to-date photo, and try LinkedIn’s name pronunciation feature to add a personal touch.Headline & About Section·  Craft a headline that’s punchy and credibility-building—skip the job title and highlight the value you deliver.·  In your About section, speak directly to your ideal client’s pain points. Use storytelling and short testimonials to build trust and connection.Target and Engage·  Create micro-lists for targeted outreach—CFOs, CEOs, COOs—so you can personalize your messaging around real problems.·  Before pitching a meeting, engage thoughtfully with your prospects’ posts to build rapport and show genuine interest in their needs.Homework Challenge·  Update your banner, headline, and profile photo. Rewrite your About section to focus on the problems you solve, and build a micro-list of prospects. ·  Also, don’t forget about using my LinkedIn Sales Navigator trial to jump-start your outreach.“Your profile needs to be a lead-generating tool. It needs to attract prospects; they need to see it. And within five seconds, know what you have to offer.” - Donald Kelly.ResourcesIf you want to try LinkedIn Sales Navigator, start your 60-day trial here. My LinkedIn Prospecting Course will show you exactly how to start attracting more prospects right away.  And don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn!Sponsorship Offers1.  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.2.  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.3.  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.CreditsAs 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.

I’m digging into The Sales Evangelist archive to bring you another gem! One of the best parts about this podcast is that so many episodes share timeless sales strategies you can use for years.This rerun features Brynne Tillman, CEO and “LinkedIn Whisperer” at Social Sales Link, and author of The LinkedIn Sales Playbook. If social selling feels like a mystery, you’ll want to hear Brynne break down her 4 LinkedIn Pillars for business development.The Value of a Great LinkedIn Profile·  Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just an online résumé—it’s your first sales tool.·  When prospects visit your page, they’re not looking for your mission statement or how long you’ve been in business. They want to know how *relevant* you are to them.·  Head to getmyssicore.com for a personalized score that rates your social selling skills.·  The higher your score, the more likely buyers are to see your value.·  Write your summary like a mini blog post—something that instantly helps your reader.·  Highlight the challenges your buyers face, and share three to five insights they can use right away.·  When you lead with value, you build credibility faster and move through the sales cycle with less friction.Pillar 1: Establish Your Professional Brand·  Your professional brand is your profile. By positioning your profile to offer insight and value, you build credibility and spark curiosity.·  You’re getting prospects excited to take your call. If they can learn something just by visiting your profile, they’ll imagine a conversation with you will be even more valuable.·  Position yourself as a subject matter expert and thought leader.Pillar 2: Find the Right People·  How are you using LinkedIn to find your buyers and influencers? If it’s true that an average of 6.8 people are involved in every major buying decision, how are you identifying all the right people within an organization?·  Instead of focusing only on the champion, who else should you reach out to or engage?·  Prospecting and relationship-building go hand in hand. It’s about offering real value and leveraging your network to get introductions to your target prospects and buyers.·  Create search strings using your buyers’ titles, tailored to your target location or industry.Pillar 3: Engage With Insights·  How are you sharing, commenting on, and engaging with content? Are you using hashtags to find the right conversations? Are you feeding your network with valuable insights that move them closer to your solution?·  It’s more than just liking or sharing. LinkedIn rewards consistent engagement—sharing, commenting, and contributing to conversations.·  Avoid “random acts of social.” Anything done without intention or purpose rarely leads to success, especially on LinkedIn.Pillar 4: Build Relationships·  “Connecting and forgetting” is like collecting business cards that just sit in a stack on your desk. How valuable is that? That’s not a network.·  There’s more value in genuinely connecting with a few people at a networking event and having meaningful conversations than there is in collecting every business card in the room. Bring that same thoughtfulness online.“There’s no reason to network differently online than you do in person.” - Brynne Tillman.ResourcesYou can also check out episode 1088 to hear the rerun with Brynne Tillman. Connect with her on LinkedIn and grab a copy of her book, The LinkedIn Sales Playbook.Sponsorship Offers1.  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.2.  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.3.  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.CreditsAs 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.

In this engaging discussion, Matthew Pollard, a renowned storytelling and sales expert known as the Rapid Growth guy, reveals how to overcome fourth-quarter objections with impactful narratives. He emphasizes the pitfalls of overwhelming buyers with jargon and how to pivot towards personal storytelling to build trust. Matthew shares a concise framework for crafting persuasive 45-second stories, delving into the costs of decisions that affect buyers. He also highlights the importance of making buyers champions for your solution, ensuring they rally for your proposal.

Most sellers tend to get caught up in the technical side—asking the “right” questions, handling objections, and checking all the boxes. But in the process, we often overlook something just as important: the emotional side of selling. That’s why I invited Alex Kremer, founder of Alluviance, to join me. He breaks down how the right mindset can help you close more deals and build lasting relationships.Meet Alex Kremer·  Alex Kremer is the Founder of Alluviance, a community and organization dedicated to transforming sales and leadership through authenticity, purpose, and performance. ·  With over 15 years of experience, he has worked with top companies like Salesforce, AWS, and Gong, and played a key role in scaling Outreach from $25M to $250M. ·  He’s hired, trained, and led over 100 Account Executives and Sales Managers, earning President’s Club honors 7 years in a row.·  Alex is known for helping leaders build high-performing teams and purpose-driven cultures that achieve lasting results.Beyond the Tactics: The Role of Mindset in Sales Success·  Alex pulls back the curtain on his journey, opening up about the hidden struggles he faced even when he seemed most successful. ·  Despite hitting top quotas and leading major accounts at Microsoft, he battled depression, highlighting a key truth: salespeople can meet every external standard and still feel empty inside. ·  Alex explains how mental, emotional, and even spiritual health are often overlooked but absolutely crucial to sustainable, fulfilling sales success.Practical Strategies: Filling the Void and Mastering the Inner Game·  Alex introduces the concept of “parts work,” a therapeutic approach to identifying and relating to various emotions without self-judgment. ·  He stresses the importance of self-awareness, inviting reps to treat their emotional states with the same curiosity as they would a sales prospect in discovery. ·  Simple practices like mindful breathing, walks without phones, and reflective journaling can create the internal space needed for clarity.Leadership in Action: Bringing Mindfulness Into Sales Teams·  For sales leaders, Alex suggests starting meetings with grounding exercises such as box breathing or gratitude practices. ·  Investing a few minutes in presence and connection sets a more productive tone than jumping straight to numbers.“When you connect more deeply with yourself, it allows you to connect more deeply with other people, which is very interwoven with sales.” - Alex Kremer.ResourcesAlex’s company, Alluviance, hosts regular retreats blending sales tactics with inner game work. Reach out to Alex on LinkedIn or the Alluviance website for future retreat details.Sponsorship Offers1.  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.2.  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.3.  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.CreditsAs 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.

Lorenzo Bizzi, a researcher and author, spent four years diving into the science of sales, challenging common myths in his book, Myth vs Science of Selling. He discusses how data-driven research can significantly enhance sales outcomes. Lorenzo reveals that organization trumps likability in B2B sales, emphasizes the importance of helping buyers diagnose their problems, and clarifies when excitement can genuinely drive sales versus when it falls flat. Balance in customer orientation is key, as is focusing on long-term mindset growth for sustainable success.

Zoltan Vardy, a messaging and value-proposition consultant, shares his insights on crafting clear value propositions. He discusses why founders often struggle to articulate their products simply. Zoltan introduces a five-question framework for creating compelling messaging and highlights the importance of understanding the customer's perspective. They dive into defining target customers and identifying key benefits that set a service apart. Listeners learn how to draft a concise value statement and the significance of iteration in messaging.

Alina Vandenberghe, co-founder and co-CEO of Chili Piper, reveals how her personal LinkedIn efforts drive an impressive 50% of the company's open pipeline. She debunks the myth that only influencers with large followings can make a difference, showcasing how genuine engagement fosters substantial impact. Alina shares her journey from initial posting fears to creating authentic content driven by a desire to help others, especially during the Ukraine crisis. Her insights on building connections through purposeful posting and daily reflections provide valuable strategies for anyone looking to enhance their social influence.

Michael Manzur, Founder and CEO of Flood Me Social, explores the power of influencer marketing in sales strategies. He emphasizes that salespeople should embrace the role of influencers to build genuine communities, not just audiences. Michael reveals common pitfalls companies face, such as misalignment of objectives and focusing on vanity metrics instead of genuine sales results. He shares practical tips for aligning influencer efforts with business goals and showcases a successful CarMax campaign highlighting measurable outcomes that converted leads into real results.

Dr. BJ Allen, Director of the sales program at Brigham Young University and co-host of Sales 101: The B2B Classroom, joins to discuss the booming growth of college sales programs, which have seen a 50% increase over the last 20 years. He highlights the practical training students receive, including role-play and real-life projects, enhancing their employability. The integration of AI tools in sales education is also a hot topic, showcasing how future sales professionals can leverage technology for better outreach and analysis.

Discover innovative strategies that boost sales productivity while minimizing stress. Learn about mastering task prioritization and how it can transform your daily routine, inspired by icons like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Delve into effective time management techniques that balance work and personal life. Gain insights on how accountability and structured planning can help achieve revenue goals and the power of mastermind groups for support and motivation. It's all about working smart to enhance your success!