

The Sales Evangelist
Donald C. Kelly
I believe in doing BIG THINGS! You should be earning 6 figures easily as a sales rep. But chances are you are not...yet! Sales is the most important department in every company but many sellers are never taught how to effectively sell, much less how to earn their way to high-income status. My own career limped along until a company I worked for invested in sales training to help me succeed. Immediately afterward, I closed a deal worth 4X what the company spent on me and saw hockey-stick improvement in my performance. So I started a podcast to “Evangelize” what was working.
Today I interview the world's best sales experts, successful sellers, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who share their strategies to succeed in sales right now: folks like Jeffrey Gitomer, Jill Konrath, Bob Burg, and Guy Kawasaki to name a few. They share actionable insights and stories that will encourage, challenge, and motivate you to hustle your way to top income status. If you’re someone looking to take off in your sales career and earn the income you deserve, hit subscribe and let’s start doing BIG THINGS!
Today I interview the world's best sales experts, successful sellers, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who share their strategies to succeed in sales right now: folks like Jeffrey Gitomer, Jill Konrath, Bob Burg, and Guy Kawasaki to name a few. They share actionable insights and stories that will encourage, challenge, and motivate you to hustle your way to top income status. If you’re someone looking to take off in your sales career and earn the income you deserve, hit subscribe and let’s start doing BIG THINGS!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 18, 2023 • 24min
3 Tactical Ways ChatGPT Can Help You Set More Appointments | David Kreiger - 1696
Everyone fears AI tools will steal jobs, especially in sales. However, this is far from the truth! These advanced chatbots are here to make our work easier and get things done more efficiently. You just have to learn to use the AI tools and ChatGPT to your advantage. The host, Donald Kelly, and special guest, David Kreiger, founder of SalesRoads, explain how in this episode. They emphasize the importance of using AI to enhance the understanding of customers and prospects rather than merely automating processes. So, let's dive in and discover the power of composed audio and AI in sales. Utilizing Chat GPT for Role Playing and Coaching ● Most people find it challenging to use Chat GPT and feel the tool doesn't create exactly what they want. ● Kriger shares why you should give Chat GPT a persona when interacting with the tool and creating content. ● He also provides an example of how sales representatives can role-play with the tool to create buyer personas. ● You shouldn't rely solely on it to build customer profiles and buyer personas. Instead, view AI and Chat GPT as helpful tools within the sales process. Unveiling the Potential of AI in Marketing ● Donald discusses the introduction of Facebook ads and discovering the impact of incorporating complexity and more details in their ad content. ● They admit their early struggles with Facebook ads but highlight the pivotal role played by grasping the significance of feeding in detail. ● They express gratitude for the eye-opening insights shared by their conversation partner, acknowledging the transformative power of AI tools in generating different iterations of an ideal customer profile. The Benefits of AI in Crafting Ideal Customer Profiles and Buyer Personas ● The conversation delves into building ideal customer profiles and buyer personas using AI and chat GPT. ● Kriger emphasizes the value of engaging in conversations with the target market to create accurate profiles. ● He also highlights how AI tools can facilitate information generation and effortlessly interact with personas, providing insights that would be otherwise unattainable daily. The Three Tactical Ways to Use Chat GPT ● Tell Chat GPT who it is: It is still in its early stage, and you have to be as detailed as possible to get the desired results when using the tool. ● Take advantage of Chat GPT: Remember, it's not here to take our jobs! People who know how to use AI tools effectively will be the ones to excel in the sales profession. So, take advantage of this accessible technology and learn how to use it properly. ● Start using AI tools: If you want to create ICP, give it your marketing and buyer's persona information. You can only get good at using the tools by interacting with them and testing what does and doesn't work. "AI doesn't replace people; it gives you additional capabilities and superpowers." -David Kreiger Do you want to revolutionize sales performance and succeed in sales strategies? We know you do! So, be sure to follow the Sales Evangelist podcast to hear more from our wonderful guests! Resources David LinkedIn Sales Road website Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Aug 14, 2023 • 27min
How to Create Value and Urgency by Asking Better Questions | L'areal Lipkins - 1695
Many sellers struggle with pushing clients to close a deal because they don't want to appear too strong. In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with L'areal Lipkins, a B2B sales team consultant. L'areal shares insightful questions to drive urgency and motivate prospects to act more quickly. Who Is L’areal Lipkins? L'areal owns Lipkins Consulting Group and works with B2B sales teams to sell value. She helps teams optimize their sales processes by applying guided strategies and psychology. Through her teachings, sales teams can understand why they're doing things and not only focus on selling tactics. She helps people make more money! The Problem With Urgency There are two types of salespeople: those who are too pushy and those who wait to close a deal. Don’t make the mistake of conversing too long or coming off too strong. It can cost you money! Use the Whole Pie framework to create value and urgency with enriching questions. What Is the Whole Pie Framework? The Whole Pie framework uncovers the real problem prospects are having and helps sellers to dive deeper into discovering it. Sellers ask three types of questions: problem, impactful, and emotional. With the framework, sellers can show prospects that their situation is important to them and they want to fix the problem. Problem Questions These questions involve what prospects are comfortable discussing. Sellers don't have to dive too deep into finding the problem. Problem questions include, "Tell me about that" or "When did you first notice this?" 80% of sellers make the mistake of selling the problem! Impact Questions These create a ripple effect of discovering actions prospects actions in making sales. How is it impacting the team, company, and association? Only 10% of sellers ask impact questions! Why don't sellers ask more impactful questions? The two reasons are the need for more training and learning to use their words. Emotion Questions Most salespeople don't ask these questions because they don't want to get too personal. Only the elite sellers dive this deep! Emotion questions are "I'm so tired of this not working" or "I feel overwhelmed." Sellers discover the personal impact that's keeping prospects from closing a deal. “But we all have problems; we're not going to pay enough, we're not going to pay because they're not big enough to solve.” - L’areal Lipkins Do you want to make more money? Of course, you do! Connect with L’areal Lipkins and follow the Sales Evangelist podcast to become a better seller. Resources L’areal Lipkins LinkedIn Lipkins Consulting Group What Top Performing Sales People Do Different? PIE magnet Sponsorship Offer This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing, and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Aug 11, 2023 • 24min
How Time Kills Deals and Ways to Move the Sales Along | Tim Rohrer - 1694
In today’s episode, our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with guest Tim Rohrer. Rohrer has years of experience in radio advertisement and is the author of “Sales Lessons From the World’s Greatest Mentor.” Discover how he learned the hard way that time kills sales. Time can kill sales: How is this possible? Tim shares his first loss while working as a radio advertisement before the days of social media. During that time, it was essential for a salesperson to have personal conversations with prospective clients. Tim found the perfect client and connected with him. He returned to his office to create a proposal and place it in a file until the meeting day. However, Tim saw him two days later, and the client asked him a question in an odd way. Tim didn’t think much about it, but his gut told him he should. When the meeting day came, he soon discovered why closing a deal is crucial when you have prospective customers where you want them. Always close a deal quickly and use tools to help you do so. For example, consider creating sales templates to give potential clients an idea of what they’re getting into. Then have them come in the very next day to have them sign the contract. Strike while the iron is hot! Those within real estate know, more than likely, there will always be two decision-makers when closing a deal. You show them everything they need to know to help them decide immediately. However, one potential client says we must consider it, and the other agrees. Do you let them leave so they think about it? The short answer to this is no! Tim shares why you must keep questioning them when they tell you we’ll think about it. What if the decision-makers are away? Tim shares why salespeople need to improve their communication and presentation skills. You won’t always be selling directly to the decision-makers. Sometimes you have to deal with the influencers. Influencers are your future salespeople. However, they’re not as good as you! Tim shares how you can help them remember key points of your presentation, so they’ll do an excellent resale to the decision makers. “Be ready to do business today with people who say yes” - Tim Rohrer Resources Tim Rohrer’s Book: Sales Lessons From The World’s Greatest Mentor Tom Freeze’s Book: question-based selling Website: TimJMRohrer.com Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Aug 7, 2023 • 26min
How To Get Over Any Sales Objection! | Marcus Chan - 1693
You find the perfect client and start proposing a deal with them. When you are about to close the sale, the potential client says, “I have to think about it.” What are you going to do now? In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks with Marcus Chan, the founder of Henley Consulting Group. Chan shares the Heart Framework to help sales reps overcome objections. HEART Framework H - Heard. Use this framework for any objection thrown your way. For example, if the objection is, let me think about it, start with the letter H for heard. You show them a little empathy and make them feel heard. E - Elaborate. Next, have them discuss what is on their mind with the letter E and elaborate on the objection. Ask, "Can you tell me more about that?" Marcus provides an excellent example of how digging deeper can help sales reps find the root objection. A - Aside from that objection. After you have them elaborate more, move on to A, aside from that objection. Do they have any other questions or comments that may make them object to the deal? R - Rectify Value - Make them tell you why they should take the deal. While they are talking about it, ask them what they like most about it or how they think it can improve their business. T - Transition to Close. After this, you may notice that they no longer have the same objection, move on to the letter T. The T stands for transition to a close. Show your potential clients how you can help them overcome their objections. For example, you can include a happiness guarantee within your contract. Tonality: does it make a difference? The way you deliver your message will relay differently to your clients. Your tone can show them that you care about their problem or it can make them feel like you’re just trying to close the deal. If your delivery isn’t making them feel at ease, their brain goes into fight or flight mode. By making them comfortable with your tone, they’re less likely to do this and more likely to listen to what you say. Why don't most sellers ask more questions? Often it's due to fear of not knowing what to say in case of an objection. However, some sellers are more worried about getting the sales as quickly as possible. Don't make the mistake of offering discounts and using closing tactics immediately. You're causing more problems and avoiding finding the real objection. Instead of rushing, take your time and converse with the potential buyer. Eventually, they'll open up and tell you everything you need. Do you want to start practicing the HEART framework? If you listen to the end, Marcus shares a detailed step-by-step for BDRs. It’s pretty simple, and you’ll probably have tons of fun while practicing the framework. Doing it daily will help you become great at using the HEART framework. Resources LinkedIn 6-Figure Sales Secret Book Sponsorship Offer This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing, and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Aug 4, 2023 • 28min
How to Identify Key Stakeholders and Properly Engage Them | Dave Fink - 1692
Quality beats quantity when it comes to lead generation, prospecting, and moving customers through your sales funnel. Knowing who to talk to and how to reach them can save you from getting caught up in drawn-out back and forths with the wrong people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Dave Fink, the CEO and Co-founder of Postie. They talk about boosting efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process through focusing on ideal buyers. A Clear ICP Leads to Efficiency Casting a wide net and gathering as many leads as possible may sound like a great sales strategy, but it isn’t the most efficient. Developing specific Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) can help sellers identify customers that are a perfect fit. Weeding out clients won’t be a perfect fit may seem time-consuming, but in the long run, you avoid wasting time with prospects who can’t, or won’t, become customers. Engage the Right People Not everyone in the company is a decision-maker or influencer. The people who stand to benefit from your product may not have the power to buy, so figure out who does. With recent layoffs all over the tech industry, there are fewer people in companies so it may be easier to reach decision-makers. Not all decision-makers think or act the same way. Things change. Consider how macro trends may be impacting them and treat them with empathy. Handling Discovery Properly Do research about the person you’re going to be talking to and the company they’re a part of. Knowing their position in the company can help you understand their point of view. Just like doctors can have a great bedside manner that makes you feel safe and comfortable, sellers who treat discovery like a conversation rather than an interrogation will have more success. “I very much believe that information is power. Quite frankly, if you’re an inquisitive person, whether you’re successful in a specific prospecting initiative or sales cycle, you’re going to learn something from it.” – Dave Fink Resources Check out the website: http://postie.com for great content! Connect with Dave Fink on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Jul 31, 2023 • 24min
This is How BDRs & AEs Should Collaborate In 2023 | Katie Swick - 1691
It’s challenging to be in sales right now, and keeping up isn’t enough – it’s time to get ahead of the curve. Bringing AEs and BDRs together to learn from each other will make your organization stronger and more cohesive. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Katie Swick, the Global Sales Enablement Lead at Stripe, to hear how her team’s collaborative approach to learning has revolutionized the way they sell. A Symbiotic Relationship When AEs help educate BDRs, the BDRs in turn become better at finding quality leads. This makes the AE’s job easier in the long run. BDRs learn better prospecting skills AND what makes a good AE through the program. This makes them more effective in their current positions but also prepares them to be great AEs in the future. AEs also report learning a lot from the process and see the value in training BDRs – they volunteer to help out! Getting Ahead of the Curve BDRs need to understand how to “lose fast” rather than hang on to prospects that aren’t going to go anywhere. AEs can educate BDRs on how to identify qualified leads. Technology is moving quickly, and prospecting in particular has changed a lot. BDRs can help AEs upgrade their prospecting skills. Bridging the Gap Between AEs and BDRs In cases where AEs are too busy to handle all potential accounts, BDRs can jump in and help move smaller clients through the pipeline. AEs also, in some cases, will help BDRs with prospecting to add to the top of their sales funnel. “The program is really meant to stay at that cutting edge and say, ‘Hey, what’s working? What’s not? How do we take advantage of that?’ Because we know that a sales technique that worked two years ago probably isn’t going to work today.” – Katie Swick Resources Reach out to Katie Swick on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. 2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. 3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Jul 28, 2023 • 27min
How to Engage Economic Buyers and Get Them to Talk | Jakub Hon - 1690
Midway through the sales process, you might find your deals stagnating because you’re just not talking to the right people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly talks with Jakub Hon about connecting with the stakeholder who can make that final call. We’re sure you’re going to get a lot out of this interview. For more from Jakub, check out his webinar on August 2nd at 8 AM Eastern! Recognize the Buyer The buyer is someone who can say yes, even when the team says no, or vice versa. They have the final say on where the budget is going to be allocated. If your “champion” at the organization is on board, your next task is to probe them for more information that will lead you to the economic buyer. Ask questions about the organization’s approval process so you can start mapping it out. Ask “numbers” questions about budget, revenue, etc. to find out whether your champion knows the answers or knows someone who does. Stay aligned with your champion all the way through the process – you still want them on your team! Get Your Prospect to a Meeting If your champion doesn’t want you to bypass them to talk to their boss, ask questions they’re not able to answer and they’ll direct you to the person who can. If that doesn’t work, be blunt. It’s okay to give and take. Sellers like to give, don’t forget to ask for something in return! Offer things like demos and free trials in exchange for contact information for higher-ups. If you reach out to the economic buyer and they brush you off onto someone else, ask for a short meeting with them to discuss their perspective on where the business is headed. This won’t be a conversation about features – let them know that! Encourage Them to Talk If there is information out there on the company, you should already know it. Don’t ask the economic buyer about their value proposition. Do your homework. Start or end the message with questions. Even if they don’t answer the question, it may spark interest. All communication should be relevant and direct. Keep your conversation about business and not about features. “If you’re not aligning with the economic buyer and you talk just to your champion… usually these deals slip from the pipeline, because, guess what? There’s the competition talking to the [other stakeholders] and involving the economic buyer in their sales process. If you’re not in control of the process, there’s somebody else controlling the process.” – Jakub Hon Resources “How to Sell to the C-Suite” Webinar on August 2nd – Registration Link SALESDOCk.com Connect with Jakub Hon on LinkedIn Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Jul 24, 2023 • 15min
Stop Saying "Just Bumping This Up" | Donald Kelly - 1689
It’s time to level up and set yourself apart in an executive’s inbox, but you know it’ll never happen as long as you keep parroting the same lines your prospect gets from every other seller. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly gets into why we should NEVER use the phrase “just bumping this up” in a follow-up e-mail. Listen in to hear the things you should say instead! The Problem With Saying “Just Bumping This Up” When you say, “Just bumping this up,” you’re prioritizing yourself in their inbox and insinuating that they aren’t organizing their e-mails. This annoys prospects and turns them off. Your prospects are busy people with a lot on their plate. “Just bumping this up,” is a filler phrase that doesn’t add any value and shows a lack of effort on the seller’s part. How SHOULD You Follow Up? Focus on the same pain point that you highlighted in the first e-mail. Then show the prospect your solution by making a quick video describing or demoing it. Think from your prospect’s perspective. They’re busy people – if their objection is that they don’t currently have time to meet, let them know you can meet later on. We use the Spotlight feature on LinkedIn SalesNavigator to identify prospects who have posted on LinkedIn during the last 30 days (try it free for 60 days at linkedin.com/tse). Use information from LinkedIn to identify triggers and bring those up in your follow-up. You can also use testimonials or describe the experiences of other clients who you serve. “No matter what you sell, whether it’s a water bottle or it’s a complex HR solution for an enterprise-level organization, you need to think, behave, and act like a consultant and recognize the capability in your role, and treat your e-mails and communication accordingly. Otherwise, [prospects] are going to treat you the way that you sound. You don’t want to sound just like a sales professional, just like an order taker. Jump up in your position.” – Donald Kelly Resources Check out episode 707 for more ideas on following up! Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Jul 21, 2023 • 24min
The Power of Optionality to Close More Deals | Joe Ardeeser - 1688
One size does NOT fit all! Having the power to customize a product or service to fit our needs makes us feel confident in how we’re spending our money. The same is true for our prospects. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Joe Ardeeser, the Founder/CEO of Smart Pricing Table, to talk about using optionality to build trust and give agency to customers. Ways to Offer Optionality Provide different service lines. If you have a customer who uses one of your services, tell them what else your company can do for them. Customize individual services. Talk to your customers about ways they can configure your service to work better for them. Offer options for different budgets. If you can’t downsize your offer, you might lose big deals. Build Trust With Prospects Offering a “good”, “better”, and “best” option can help customers feel comfortable because they can see that you’re not just trying to get the most money possible out of them. Buyers need to feel like they have agency and control over how much they want to spend and what they’re getting out of the deal. Prospects are probably going to have conversations with other stakeholders before buying. Arm them with the knowledge of your optionality so they can consider things in their own time. Don’t Lose Deals You can’t make EVERYTHING optional. Make sure the service will work, even if the customer wants a very stripped-down version. When customers don’t choose your product, most of the time you’re not going to know why. If you make it so that your prospect can add or subtract services to adjust the price, you can avoid losing deals by small margins. “Take some time to think through what you sell and define it well so that you can build things quicker. When you build things quicker, you have more options.” – Joe Ardeseer Resources Visit SmartPricingTable.com to schedule a demo! Sponsorship Offers This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn. Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com

Jul 17, 2023 • 32min
Three Things to Make Your Next Discovery Call a Guaranteed Success | David Newman - 1687
Prepare yourself: next time you pick up the phone for a discovery call, you’ll know exactly how to engage your prospect and let THEM convert themselves. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly has a great conversation with David Newman, author of the business bestseller “Do It! Marketing”. They go deep on what makes a successful discovery call, and here’s a hint: it’s not a bunch of small talk. Go Deep Fast Don’t spend your discovery call having surface-level conversations. Most sellers don’t go deep enough because they want to be liked and sound smart. Many sellers don’t ask questions to expand upon what prospects tell them. Instead, as David says, take off your ‘sales hat’ and put on your ‘investigative journalist’ hat. Most sales professionals think being likable is the same as being talkative. This is boring to clients – get them talking early and often! Become a Consultant David’s first question on a discovery call is: how have you arrived at where you are today? Another question David asks prospects is: do you mind if I treat you like a fee-paid client? This takes you and them out of buying-and-selling mode and puts you in a position to tell the prospect helpful information. When you have the prospect’s permission to tell them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, you can be real and honest. Treat Prospects Like Clients Ask: How do you see this ending up if all goes well? (Then ask: “What else?” several times!) Ask: What does that mean for you personally/professionally? What happens financially if this is successful or unsuccessful? Ask: Can you put a number on it? Don’t be afraid to get specific about numbers. Ask: Who else will notice these improvements? (This is key for finding out who else needs to be involved in this process!) “The more you treat prospects like clients and customers, the more clients and customers you will get.” – David Newman Resources Order David’s new book, Do It! Selling, from Amazon Get companion tools, videos, worksheets, and more at http://doitmarketing.com/selling Set up an exploratory chat with David! http://doitmarketing.com/call Sponsorship Offers 1. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Sales Foundation. I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation. 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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS
hubpspot.com/marketers
bluemangostudios.com