The Sales Evangelist

Congrats, you just landed a sales job! But should you accept it? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald provides his three tips to consider before you accept that job offer. Connect with their current sales team. Directly asking a sales team what their opinions are at their company is a great way to discover the company culture. They aren’t trying to sell you anything - they have nothing to gain from convincing you it’s a great place when, in reality, it isn’t. Finding the sales team is tremendously easy as well because their entire job is centered around being available.  Determine what customers say about them right now. How do you go about doing this? (It’s easy.) Look through case studies and online reviews to generate names, and reach out to those people on LinkedIn. But why should you do this? It can help you get a good scope of the company and show if they consistently update their work or bank off of case studies from 2008. Look at Glassdoor and Google Reviews for the company. Nobody is more brutally honest than strangers on the internet, right? Glassdoor is a platform where current and past employees share information about working at the company.  While people might exaggerate on the internet, this can help bring up any concerns you might need to consider before accepting the job. The main takeaway here is that you really want to know as much about the company as possible before accepting. Limit the surprises you might face, and you’ll be on your way to a great next step in your career. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Do you wish you had a list of things to avoid when looking for your next sales gig? We brought an expert to do just that - Jasmine Black. As the owner of BrainChild PSM and with over 15 years of corporate sales experience, Jasmine understands both sides of the metaphorical sales coin. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, she gives you the inside scoop on mistakes B2B sellers should avoid to land their next job. What should B2B sellers avoid when searching for their next gig? Don’t wait for your next opportunity to fall in your lap.  Learn to be assertive without being overly aggressive in interactions throughout the hiring process. Remember, you want to show how you can provide value to the organization, not just show up to the office with your resume. Position yourself as a thought leader in the organization. Tell them challenges you see and explain how you’ve resolved similar issues in the past. Or even provide a plan to utilize in the future once you have the position.  Don’t engage without intentionality. When you create your own personal brand, that professional reputation precedes you. Determine how do you want to be known.  Create your resume to work for you. Jasmine read an article about a man who finds a job he wants and then builds a perfect resume for that job. He then spends the next year developing the skills in that resume to know he’s qualified and experienced in the role. There are several outlets to gain knowledge and experience in a skillset like sales, such as LinkedIn and Hubspot.  What can sellers do to start making themselves attractive to land that next job? Create your brand, and create it with intention. Take time to write a list of things you want to be known for - they can be things you want to improve on, something you already know, or things you might even be lacking. Record yourself saying those things, and look back at the recording - do you believe yourself? Is that what you want? If it is, great, keep going that way. If not, reroute.  Networking is critical to the sales industry. If you aren’t networking, start. Jasmine’s secret to networking: What’s the awesome new social media platform Jasmine utilizes to interact with new and knowledgeable people? Clubhouse. When she seeks to network, Jasmine’s ultimate goal is developing a relationship. You should be into the quality of relationships versus the quantity of connections. Clubhouse has no visuals; it's just real names and real identities. The culture is sharing value, being participative, and welcoming - AKA the perfect networking atmosphere.  Jasmine’s final piece of advice? You can have anything you want in life if you just help enough others get what they want. Get in touch on Instagram, LinkedIn, or @brainchild on Clubhouse! This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

The resume is an integral part of the professional world. But while it does show off your prior work experience, it doesn’t show who you are as a person. What motivates you, or why are you applying for that specific job? Simon Tecle, VP of Sales at SyncroMSP, joins us on today’s episode to explain how you can tell your story at your next interview, sans resume, to begin the next step of your career with confidence and success. The resume is not your story. A typical interview response is to admit, “I don’t have experience in x,y, or z.” Don’t let your resume be the anchor in your conversation, especially if you know you lack the experience to capitalize on it. The hiring manager already knows you have a lack of experience, and they wouldn’t be talking to you if that was a deal-breaker. Why do we feel so tied to our resume experience? Because resumes are critical in the corporate world. However, stories convey key skills to a job we don’t put on our resume. Are you ex-military? Talk about your time management. Are you a parent? I bet you’ve mastered multitasking. Do you play sports? Talk about your will to win and competitive spirit. Overcoming traditional interviews. If an interviewer is insistent on a resume-based interview, link line items from the job description to your personal stories. A quick tip - don’t agree with the interviewer if they mention a lack of experience. It isn’t about just answering the question; it’s about responding in a way that is best for you. Simon’s other tips for sellers to remember for their next interview: Always have thoughtful questions at the end, and follow up immediately after the interview. Highlight skills and accomplishments that demonstrate both soft and hard skills related to the job description. Simon’s major takeaway? Apply to careers and jobs where you relate to the requirements of the role. Plain and simple. Want to get in contact with Simon? Email him at simon@synchromsp.com, or connect with him on LinkedIn. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

Going into an interview can be tough. Whether it’s your very first interview or your twentieth, the nerves never go away completely. You don’t want to sound like an idiot, right? But what if you had a cheat sheet and knew the most common questions salespeople tend to mess up? That’s exactly what we did for today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist. Today we’re joined by Kathleen Steffey, founder, and CEO of Naviga Recruiting, to learn how to answer difficult interview questions and secure your next sales gig. Question One: Anything related to your sales process.  A VP of Sales might ask an interviewee about their selling process from beginning to end. Even if that salesperson knows their approach, they often just don’t know how to articulate it. If someone can’t walk through their process, a leader might think they lack depth or aren’t methodical. Think about your process in advance, write it down, and go from there. Question Two: Tell me where you came in against quota? You have to know when you came in against quota, whether it’s over or under. If a sales rep doesn’t know their numbers, it’s considered a big negative. What if your business doesn’t measure by quota? (Yes, those companies exist.) Create your own measurable goals that define success, and know if you’ve achieved those goals.  Question Three: What is your prospecting strategy? Ten years ago, people could get away with merely pounding the pavement or cold calling. But in today’s marketplace, if you’re not handling prospecting in an integrated manner, you’re viewed as antiquated. Know your strategy, and if your strategy is purely through one pipeline, you likely want to reevaluate your strategy.   Question Four: How do you differentiate yourself in the selling process? If you’re meeting your numbers, you might not have ever had to think about this. But the sales process has changed where you have to be creative to be successful. Show an interviewer you're different; show them your resilience and prospecting skills through your process. It wins, especially for salespeople. Find Naviga Recruiting on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and connect directly with Kathleen on LinkedIn. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.\ But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

Moving to a virtual workplace means companies can hire better and faster while reducing employee cost and turnover. But are there benefits to returning to the brick-and-mortar model of 2019? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews Dan Fantasia, founder of the sales career advancement company Treeline Inc. to discuss what sales professionals look for in their 2021 work environment. What are sales professionals looking for in 2021? Most employees prefer virtual roles over in-person. So if you’re thinking of reintroducing your company to the office, you might want to reconsider. If someone is sold on the remote option, they might start looking for a new opportunity. The pros and cons of having a brick-and-mortar company versus operating remotely: In a virtual job, it’s more challenging to build camaraderie outside the office. However, there are ways to facilitate this relationship.  Dan’s company participated in a virtual wine tasting, and they start each morning with a zoom call to stay aligned and promote communication. The pro of remote working is the removal of commuting.  Companies no longer have to compete for employees with companies in a particular area - they can hire across the United States.  However, this is a double-edged sword, as competing companies are equally able to contact employees with new opportunities. What should employers be aware of that salespeople want in their 2021 work environment? Just because your company is virtual doesn’t mean you can lowball a candidate. They have an entire world of opportunity now and can just look elsewhere.  Don’t be stuck on the decision to go back to an in-person model. You might have to pay for a building people don’t use, but if your employees work better remotely, the payoff will make the decision worth it. There are risks of virtual work depending on the position, the most pressing being if your employees are mature enough to work virtually. However, between a virtual company and an in-person company, the virtual company can source candidates from the entire country to ensure that the person thrives in that type of environment.  Virtual companies offer a diversity of regional cultures, which can develop new perspectives in your employees. Dan’s advice for sellers and companies: Corporations should be open-minded and take advantage of the virtual opportunities. You’ll find immense payoff with a virtual model. For candidates: Look for your next opportunity when you’re still employed. You want the longest runway possible to have the time necessary to consider your options. When you’re employed, you won’t have to accept the first offer out of desperation but can instead move towards an opportunity you want. If you want to get in contact with Dan, email him directly at fantasia@treelineinc.com, or you can visit his company website. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

Are you trying to find your first sales job or looking to stand out from the competition to land that first gig? Look no further, because on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly shares three strategies to find your first sales job. Strategy One: Befriend recruiters for the type of jobs you’re trying to land. Recruiters have a vested interest in finding great people - it means they get more money. So don’t be afraid of interacting with them! To find the right recruiters, go to any recruiting website to see which industries specific people recruit for. Search for them on LinkedIn, connect with them, and see which companies they hire for.  Once you find the recruiters and build a relationship, you’ll have an opportunity ready for you when looking for your next career step. Strategy Two: Network, network, network Your network is your net worth. If you go on social media and ask your network for job recommendations, you’ll get a ton. Not all of them will be good, but there will be opportunities with potential for you to explore. If you already have a job and don’t want your employer to see it, direct message your connections in the space you’re looking to move into.  Find the movers and shakers in your community, introduce yourself, and see if they’re able to direct you to someone who can help you. Strategy Three: Connect with people within your target company. This strategy, taken from Jacob at Sales for the Culture, will help you land a sale or job with a specific company or industry. Find a company on LinkedIn, reach out to any recruiters specifically for that company, and introduce yourself. Reach out to employees in the department or position you’re looking to get in and connect with them. You’ll be amazed how willing people are willing to advise and help get you where you want to go. With these strategies, you’ll have a relationship with the recruiter, information from your connections, and relationships with the people at your target company. Sounds pretty good, right? This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

Before the pandemic, salespeople could hear and learn from their peers through unscheduled interactions. But with water-cooler conversations at an all-time low, how can we continue to learn from our team members? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Zach Ballenger, co-founder of Casted, to discuss how companies can continue to foster spontaneous conversations in the virtual office.  What is learning in osmosis? Learning by osmosis uses that desktop chatter you don’t expect to hear. It’s walking by your coworker right when he gives an excellent pitch or when you casually see how your colleague organizes her work on her computer—organic learning through unscheduled interactions. A lot of salespeople don’t want to go back to an office post-pandemic. While there are many benefits to virtual work, losing the ability to develop unscheduled conversations is one element that is unfortunately lost. What are the benefits of osmosis learning? It facilitates unexpected growth opportunities. With an in-person office, nuances such as handovers and explanations provide context for growth, especially for those newer in the industry. Overhearing information can inform potential training and opportunities to perform better. What can we do to foster osmosis learning in some way in a remote environment? Have colleagues shadow each other throughout their workday. They might learn something new by watching the tasks they perform each day completed in an entirely new way. Create pop-up zoom meetings for employees to work together, even if they aren’t directly working together on anything in particular.  Start a Discord server for anyone who plays games or shares a hobby to build relationships outside of the office. What tip do you have for a sales rep who feels they miss that type of learning? Let someone know you want that element integrated into your workday. You can rely on management to help start this process, but don’t be afraid to ask your other coworkers and colleagues. Are you interested in learning more from Zach? Reach out to him on his company website or connect on LinkedIn. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

The pandemic changed the way we sell. Or even how do we sell? Using LinkedIn as a resource for BDRs and SDRs to make sales, even during COVID-19, can help lead you to success. Today on The Sales Evangelist Donald is joined by Amanda Staffon and Jason Behnke, former business development representatives at BlueGrace Logistics, to learn how they used LinkedIn throughout the pandemic as a tool to supplement and advance their sales process. Selling in a difficult time While the pandemic threw a wrench in everyone’s professional lives, an opportunity was created: to help those in need.  Amanda and Jason found themselves focusing even more on building relationships and being available for their prospects. With COVID-19, the necessary questions have shifted from understanding company strategies to understanding if their basic needs are being met as an organization. Prospecting today  Now that the end of COVID is in sight, salespeople are running at high speeds to make up for the lull of 2020.  Rotating between phone calls, email, and LinkedIn outreach help ensure your prospects receive your message. Plus, it’s helpful to use multiple platforms in our newly-found virtual economy.  People are no longer as receptive to a direct approach. However, authenticity and patience are high in demand - prospects want a conversation, but at a slower pace.  The upside? Salespeople can learn more about their prospects’ goals and needs. AKA, you can guide them to the product that best suits their needs.  Now more than ever, it’s essential for empathy to drive the communication between the seller and the prospect. Develop casual conversations  Because people are spending more time at home, prospects might be open to phone calls during odd hours. And with the sudden shift to virtual work, sales reps have opportunities to hold more casual conversations, thus developing their relationship.  The omnichannel approach (providing great customer service across multiple platforms and channels) is more important than ever.  Face the objection  No matter what you do, some people just don’t want to be sold to. When a prospect has this objection, Amanda encourages honesty: tell your client you want to know how the pandemic affected their company to help ease their challenges.  Empathy and authenticity are two important traits a salesperson can develop, especially on LinkedIn.  Take advantage of LinkedIn features like voicemail messaging to demonstrate authenticity to your prospect. Commenting on other peoples’ content is a good strategy for LinkedIn; interacting with their posts and other commenters can begin a great conversation.  “How BDRS and SDR Should Use LinkedIn During COVID19!” episode resources You can reach both Amanda and Jason via their LinkedIn accounts. Go ahead and connect with them!  If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald about it. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote 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

President and Co-founder of BombBomb Darin Dawson joins us on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist to discuss the importance of utilizing video in sales after COVID-19. Running sales marketing and customer success for his video platform company gives Darin key insights to make your post-pandemic sales successful. The importance of video for sales in the post COVID era: The pandemic taught us how to create a new and different customer experience: video. Even once the pandemic ends, people might not be keen to leave the video approach because people can be unique, creative, and (most importantly) themselves.  Any business can replicate and develop new features, but there is no way to replicate people. And video allows people to capitalize on the people and the relationship you’ve built with your prospects. Video is personal, not personalized. Relationships aren’t built over text on a screen: Use video for the back and forth dialogue typically done through text. Video capitalizes on a salesperson’s relationship-building skills and helps them stand out from the competition. Sending a video is asynchronous, meaning the prospect can watch the video on their time, send it to coworkers or decision-makers, and even view it multiple times. While video is now used mainly for initial outreach, you can and should experiment with sending video throughout the sales process to capitalize on the face-to-face interaction video provides. Where has Darin seen video used to increase sales post-pandemic? Video builds better relationships, which can later accelerate sale expansion down the line. Communication is more than verbal; nonverbal is just as important. And you can find nonverbal communication through video. Your videos don’t have to be a formal sit-down. Videos can be short, informal, and meant to build relationships with those you’ve already talked with. For founders, directors, and managers, consider sending videos internally to encourage and congratulate your employees. Darin’s biggest takeaway? People are your best asset. And you need to capitalize on that by providing a fresh and exciting customer experience. Connect with Darin on LinkedIn, but make sure to connect with a personal message! If you’re interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by the Founder and Dean of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy, Annie P. Ruggles. Annie has spent the last decade harnessing her Hulk-like disdain for hard sales and tacky self-promotion to help others sell their services without feeling slimy, queasy, or untrue to their ethics. And on today’s episode, she’ll explain how we can maneuver these tactics for sales in a post-COVID world. How do I ensure that my business will succeed in a post-pandemic world? Change areas of your selling that aren’t right for your message and delivery. You no longer have the excuse of COVID to keep those bad habits. Consider the post-pandemic a clean slate to look at your selling procedures and identify where more education or skill is needed. We tend as small business owners to sell and manage our sales folks to sell to people exactly like us. Cast a wider net.  Balance your emotional storytelling with the details and KPIs. What are some other things salespeople do that may be subtly eroding trust with a prospect?  If you can throw your sales script out the window, please do. The typical 30-minute discovery call no longer works: How do you know if you're the right fit for them if you blab the whole time? Instead, ask, without any fluff, what is the most important problem we could solve together? And how will you know if we're successful? What can I do for my business to thrive? Do more to rise against the horrible reputation of selling. We can have literally anything brought to us in minutes, yet we still have this idea that selling requires a ghoulish, predatory behavior.  Whoever you are or whatever your personality is, you’re a salesperson if you deliver value and receive profit. That includes parents, coaches, teachers, and many other professions you might not consider. If you're telling your story, how do you know how much emotion to bring? What she doesn't want to do is come off like it's all about her. So she's not going to share personal or painful details, but she will share her story, the emotions she felt, and why that experience helps her understand the prospect’s needs. Dial down the detail, dial up the emotion; it helps cast a wider demographics net. Annie’s major takeaway? Post-COVID, we crave connection more than ever. Be a genuine individual. Be present, be honest, and listen. Learn when to close your mouth and listen. Especially after sharing the price point, we tend to babble and fill the space. Do not fill the space - that’s their thinking space, and you should respect it. Did Annie impact you? For those in an education space, visit her website. Otherwise, connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.  If you’re interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by NetHunt CRM. NetHunt CRM is a sales automation tool that lives inside Gmail. It covers a full set of features to manage leads, nurture customer relations, monitor sales progress, and automate sales and marketing workflows. With native-like Gmail and  G Suite integration, you can access your CRM data, launch bulk email campaigns, and set up automated sequences from the comfort of your inbox. NetHunt helps move leads down your sales funnel and never lets a valuable prospect go untouched. NetHunt CRM offers TSE listeners a 40% discount for the first three months along with free user training and a dedicated Customer Success Manager with any pricing plan. Try NetHunt CRM today at https://nethunt.com/tse. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by Free SFX.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com