The Sales Evangelist

Should you email or call prospects? Which method is best for effectively reaching your clients? To find out, listen to my chat with Matt Tharp, the CEO of Hunter.io. He provides data and insights on why businesses should focus more on cold email than cold calling.Meet Matt TharpMatt might be perceived as biased towards email since he's the CEO of Hunter.io, but he was drawn to the company precisely because of its commitment to email.He enjoys working with fast-moving businesses that prioritize high velocity and product-led growth strategies. He believes this approach helps build a robust pipeline with marketing, while the sales motion supports and supplements that pipeline.Sales-driven models, heavily dependent on closing the next deal, can make it challenging for new sellers or businesses to find their footing. Relying solely on cold calling makes pipeline building particularly difficult, and the current business environment is only making cold calling harder.Matt shares his own experience as a decision-maker: if someone cold calls him unexpectedly, he's likely to get annoyed because it almost always interrupts something he's doing.Marketing Strategy for Email OutreachMatt and his team conducted research to determine which marketing strategy prospects prefer. The results showed that 61% prefer cold emails, while less than 10% prefer cold calling. He also found that individuals in the US prefer digital outreach 71% more than calling.To successfully begin email outreach, Matt suggests keeping two key things in mind:1.   How you build and segment your email list.2.   How you write your content.He advises against trying to reach everyone when building your list. Instead, personalize it and make it relevant to your target audience. Keep your audience segments under 100 contacts to help maintain message relevance.Subject Line TrendsTo create subject lines that generate clicks, Matt emphasizes the importance of addressing a problem the buyer is facing.It's better not to be overly playful. Instead, speak to a problem that prospects genuinely care about, and in the first one or two sentences, demonstrate that you are there to solve it. Then, explain how you will solve their problem. The final step involves adding a clear and easy call to action at the bottom of the email."Looking at current trends for business scaling investments, it's clear: phone calls are becoming less and less effective." - Matt Tharp.ResourcesIf you need help scaling your business with email outreach, consider Hunter.io (I highly recommend it). If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class.Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios. Sponsorship OffersThis 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.

Andrew Barbuto, a seasoned sales professional and author of "Top Sales Producer," shares invaluable insights aimed at boosting sales performance. He outlines five key habits that set top sellers apart: effective time management that prioritizes revenue-generating tasks, targeted research to identify potential clients, and the importance of minimizing distractions during prospecting. Additionally, he highlights the power of using CRM tools for follow-ups and strategic outreach, emphasizing that disciplined preparation is crucial for successful sales meetings.

In this engaging discussion, Dan Novaes, the founder and CEO of Mode Mobile, shares insights on transforming website visitors into loyal leads. He reveals how his company achieved remarkable revenue growth by innovating email capture strategies. Dan emphasizes the importance of personalization and incentives in enhancing visitor engagement. He also highlights how understanding generational email preferences can significantly boost conversion rates. With practical tips on effective email marketing, Dan’s methods led to a stunning 600% return on investment!

No matter what you’re doing right now, cold outreach should be a part of your game. I’m returning to episode 1605 with Tanner Stewart, Sr. BDR Manager at Activated Insights, where he shares three tips on how to handle every single cold call. Meet Tanner StewartAt the time of the interview, Tanner was an account executive at Home Care Plus. Previously, he worked as a BDR with the same company for approximately two years. In these roles, he gained experience in conducting cold outreach every day. Now he is a Sr. BDR Manager with a new company, Activated Insights. The Biggest Challenge Sellers Face When It ComesTo Cold OutreachTanner shares how most sellers don’t know which prospects they should call in the first place to close a deal. He shares that if you’re calling hundreds of the wrong people every day, you’ll have little success. It’s best to focus on the right people and the right message to reach your goals.3 Things Every BDR Must Master When Doing Cold CallsBe a human, treat your prospects like humans.·  Be genuinely interested in your prospects. If they ask you how you are, be genuine and vulnerable. This helps them bring their guard down. ·  Instead of starting a call by saying, “Here’s what we are doing and how we can help you with,” start with, “I’ve been talking to some folks, and here are trends I am seeing in the industry. Are you seeing this as well?”·  Be present when making calls, and when they do answer, don’t be afraid of the interaction or being genuine.2.  Product selling vs. solution selling·  Avoid the temptation to dive deep into your product. It’s not bad to want to give them information about your product, but think about relating what you tell them back to what they have told you about their challenges. Take the time to genuinely care about the prospect and alleviate their pain points.3.  Ask questions and know when to ask them·  Instead of diving into your product, ask them a question. You can ask them if what they are doing is working for them.·  Little follow-up questions help you dig deeper. A great question is, “Can you tell me a little more about that?”·  Once you’ve booked the demo, don’t be afraid to ask a few more questions to figure out what they are hoping for.“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. As scary as someone’s title may be, deep down, they are also human. Be yourself and enjoy it!” - Tanner Stewart. ResourcesFollow Tanner on LinkedIn. If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class. Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios. Sponsorship OffersThis 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.

Sometimes, all it takes to have a strong pipeline is having a well-organized routine. Since it’s summer, you may be getting a bit hectic and find it hard to do this.I’m going back to episode 1600 with my guest, William Padilla, Mid-Market Account Executive, who shares how he structures his day to reach his goals. His advice will help you understand how being well-organized can be impactful to your work.  Meet Will PadillaDuring the interview, Will shared how he started as a regular sales guy with the tech company, GRIN. He went on to become a top-performing sales agent and an account executive for the company within two years. Now, he is a mid-market account executive for the company, Aspire.  Planning And Prepping Your DayDon’t go into your day winging what you plan to do. For example, Will realized he was too distracted and hit his metrics only by scrambling on a Friday afternoon.He decided to structure his day, achieving all his late-stage interactions in the morning to reserve his afternoons entirely for prospecting.Adapting Your Approach For More ClientsBDR roles are fairly science-based because they focus on meeting metrics and quotas. When Will needed to book eight demos per month, he quickly realized that not every cold call was a qualified demo. He would ensure that at least four cold calls were set up each week with qualified leads. Whatever demo number you need to hit, book double to ensure enough opportunities to reach your quota. Implement the 5×5 rule – don’t log off for the day unless you have five new companies to prospect and five contacts within each company.Be Like Batman And Robin: Work With Your AEAs a BDR, understand that your account executive is your teammate. So sometimes, it helps to be friends. By establishing a working relationship with your Account Executive (AE), you increase the likelihood of both of you succeeding, as your success largely depends on one another.“I wouldn’t say I’m more talented than the next seller; I’m just more structured.” - Will Padilla. ResourcesFollow Will on LinkedIn and TikTok. If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class. Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios. Sponsorship OffersThis 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.

t seems like every time you turn around, cold calling is being painted as the worst thing a seller can do. Now, Apple has created a new feature that's making this sales method even worse. Luckily, in this episode, I'm going to provide you with some ways to handle this situation and still close deals through cold calling.iOS 26: Call ScreeningIf you remember from the last episode, I told you what we'd be discussing today: Apple's newest feature, iOS 26: Call Screening.It's a feature that lets you ignore unwanted calls from numbers you don't know. Call Screening essentially helps you decide if a call is actually worth answering or if it's just an annoying telemarketer. The trick is that call screening lets you answer unknown callers in the background. Once they share their name and reason for calling, it appears on your screen. You can then decide whether to answer or ignore it.Apple’s New Feature Is Not Going To Stop Cold CallingYou might think this new feature will prevent you from hitting your quota, but honestly, I believe it will actually help sellers. With the rise of social media, we found a way to still reach out and connect with our prospects. We just have to evolve and figure out how to do it with Apple’s new feature. Just like with social media, we can adapt to this, too.How Will Most Sellers Feel About This Change?Here’s what I believe most sellers will do because of this change:Keep doing the same tasks they've been doingStart feeling down because no one is picking upPut more effort into cold calling to ensure they reach their quotaTake advantage of AI toolsI also believe that there will be a group of people who simply adjust to the changes. They might start doing parallel dialing, where they make three to four calls at the exact same time. Whenever one of them picks up, a seller will take that call.What Should Sellers Be Doing?Instead of taking the steps mentioned previously, try these instead:Be relevant:Remember, call screening will allow you to talk to an AI tool. Think outside the box on how you can connect with prospects on a personal level during this moment.Try to be funny: I recently played a short clip demonstrating how creative sellers used to be during the days of collect calls. My point is to be witty or make a joke that will make your prospect want to pick up the phone.Use a point of reference:Make the prospect feel as though they already know you. Try using LinkedIn to connect with them before you do cold outreach. But keep in mind, don't become another spammer. Look for ways to get engagement from others and be smart about your connection requests.The keyword is relevance. Try to be as relevant as possible to prospects during cold outreach, and I promise you that you will still be able to close deals despite any new changes coming out. "Human beings are like water. We’re going to find a way to get through or around a problem and come back another way. The way we go about Apple’s new feature has to evolve." - Donald Kelly. ResourcesIf you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class. Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios. Sponsorship OffersThis 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.

No matter what anyone says, cold calling isn’t dead. The digital world just made it harder than it used to be.This is why I’m revisiting episode 1730 with my guest, Gabe Lullo.  He shares his expertise and insights on cold calling and sales strategies in this ever-evolving landscape. Is Cold Calling Dead?Addressing the prevalent debate, Gabe firmly asserts that cold calling is far from dead.Supported by data and real-life experience, he emphasizes the effectiveness of cold calling in qualification, call-to-action, and appointment setting, debunking the myths surrounding its relevance in the current sales environment.Modern Sales ApproachGabe stresses the importance of an omnichannel approach, integrating call, email, and social platforms to establish meaningful and relevant connections with prospects. He emphasizes the need for high-volume activity paired with a relevant message, highlighting the power of personalization and the human touch in driving engagement.Strategies for Relevant MessagingGabe delves into the nuances of crafting relevant messaging, emphasizing the importance of relevance over mere personalization. He shares insights on identifying and leveraging data providers to tailor messages according to the prospects’ specific verticals and ICPs, and the significance of using technology for optimizing communication channels.The Role of Human Touch and EmpathyWe explore how human touch, empathy, and personalized, relevant communication set sales professionals apart in the current market. Gabe emphasizes the need to sound like a human, not an AI bot, illustrating how to engage prospects effectively and foster genuine connections.Optimizing SequencingGabe challenges the traditional sequence approach, advocating for a burst of activities across multiple channels rather than drawn-out, segmented sequences. He highlights the significance of engagement and conversation to drive effective communication, emphasizing the need to adapt and modernize sales strategies.Mastering the Cold CallGabe shares valuable insights into mastering the art of cold calling, stressing the need for extensive training and knowledge of objection handling. Understanding and anticipating objections empowers sales professionals to navigate conversations effectively and win at cold calling."Relevance matters more now. That human touch is what sets individuals apart from the low-hanging fruit." - Gabe Lullo.ResourcesConnect with Gabe on LinkedIn.If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class.Sponsorship OffersThis 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 hope you enjoyed my funny intro, because it would be nice if you could call on Ghostbusters when prospects decide not to follow up with you. In the last few episodes, we've focused on strategies to ensure prospects attend scheduled meetings. I'm exploring this topic more with my guest, Steven Schneider, CEO & Co-founder of TrioSEO. He shares what he and his team are doing to keep clients from ghosting appointments.Meet Steven SchneideSteven Schneider collaborated with two fellow sales experts to help scale multiple businesses into 6- to 8-figure enterprises by optimizing their SEO keywords on their websites.Even though he runs a multimillion-dollar SEO agency, he still struggles with clients who frequently fail to show up for appointments. He's sharing tactics that you can use in your sales approach.How His Company Handles Ghosting ProspectsNo matter how much you prepare for the follow-up or how many reminders you send, sometimes prospects simply don't show up for the meeting. I asked Steven how his team is handling this common sales problem. He says that people often ghost sellers because they're actually too busy to respond, or they're shopping around to find the right product.Steven shares that he keeps this in mind and realizes that he is low on their priority list.So, he tackles their pain points and dives deep into them to show prospects why they need his assistance or product.He also shares how he views each client as a unique case study if they're not following up. He goes to their website, sees why their traffic has dipped, and sends a screenshot of it. Then, he shares his follow-up proposal with the prospect again. This is how he digs into the pain point and shows why working with him is valuable. Often, ghosting prospects will follow up with him after he sends this email.During the Follow-Up MeetingAfter he successfully gets a ghosting prospect to attend the meeting, he begins by asking questions to help them uncover what they already know. Then, he shows them the website mistakes that are causing them to lose potential leads and money.It's a strategy that works so well for him that he's able to close deals right then and there.Handling First-Time Leads with No Prior ContactSteven has a unique method to help keep first-time leads, who are in the very beginning stages of the sales funnel, from ghosting. He shares how his website provides a contact form with questions to filter out whether prospects are a good fit for his company's services. This lets him know who is serious and who isn't.Once they’re able to schedule a meeting, he sends an email sharing a little warning of why they must not forget to attend it. How Individual Sellers Can HelpThe first two examples focus on collaboration between the marketing and sales departments to tackle ghosting clients. But what can an individual seller do to help?Steven suggests it's a good idea to share a case study to illustrate what success will look like if prospects attend the meeting. He recommends including this in follow-up emails to confirm appointments and demonstrate the value of the service.“Treat every client as a unique case study to learn something new.” - Steven Schneider. ResourcesConnect with Steven on LinkedIn.Learn more about TrioSEO here.https://trioseo.com/b2b-seo-services/https://trioseo.com/Sponsorship OffersThis 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.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.

You have a discovery call with a prospect, and they seem interested in your product—until it's time to follow up. After three attempts, you finally get the message: you waited too long to close the deal.What can you do differently to prevent this from happening again? Listen to my chat with Benjamin Dennehy, who explains why sellers often get stuck in a "matrix" and how it prevents them from closing deals at the right time.Meet Benjamin DennehyMeet Benjamin Dennehy, known as the UK’s most hated salesperson, all thanks to his amazing marketing campaign. He shares how sellers often make the mistake of closing when prospective buyers are expecting them to. Don’t forget that you’re the one with all the power when it comes to choosing the right time to close a deal.The Sales Matrix: Closing At The Wrong PlaceWhen first starting in the industry, Benjamin discovered that most sellers live in a system they don’t realize they’re part of. This is another reason why sellers tend to close deals at the wrong time.There are also two systems when sellers are out in the field: the buyer's system and the seller’s system. The problem arises when these two systems intertwine, making the buyer appear as the winner.Due to conditioning, buyers are aware that if they say no to a seller, the seller won't stop. So, they think of other ways to try to keep sellers from continuing without actually saying no. Benjamin delves into the list of reasons why prospective buyers give objections or deceive sellers to prevent a deal from moving forward. I'm sure you’ve heard plenty of these!He also explains how the matrix is designed to prevent sellers from exerting control in closing deals, and how their buying habits lead them to sympathize with prospective buyers when they express their objections.How to Get Out of the Sales MatrixTo get out of the sales matrix, Benjamin shares that sellers must start closing at the beginning of the first meeting. When you try to close at the end, you give the buyer complete control over what happens next.At the start of the meeting, Benjamin does three things to get a prospect to say no:Get permission from them to say no. If they believe the product is of no use, then there's no point in continuing the conversation. This will also let you know if the person you're speaking to is the decision-maker.When speaking with the CEO, he asks a series of questions to determine if he can actually assist their company with their problem. If there's no "no" in these answers, then he moves on to the third step. This is when he'll discuss how they can move forward together to close a deal.The method works because if prospects aren't logically saying no, then they have to agree to move forward.“We've been told a lie that the person with all the money has the power. But in reality, money only has power when someone wants it.” - Benjamin Dennehy. ResourcesFollow Benjamin on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. Don't forget to DM the code TSE for a link to his two free courses. You can also learn more about him on his website.Sponsorship OffersThis 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.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 insightful discussion, Benjamin Douablin, Founder of Full&Rich, shares his expertise on harnessing LinkedIn to boost sales performance. He underscores the importance of building a personal brand through strategic content creation, even for those less inclined to create. The value of consistency and meaningful connections over just audience size is emphasized. Benjamin also delves into using podcasts and diverse content formats to enhance engagement and educate potential clients, illustrating the power of social media in modern sales strategies.