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!

Episodes

Mentioned books

Jan 7, 2022 • 26min

Scaling Teams Across Countries, Cultures, and Continents | Jerry Brooner - 1521

Without sales, companies wouldn’t generate revenue! And with hundreds of thousands of niches and topics for sales professionals, creating an effective hiring strategy is critical for companies to fill their team with qualified and creative talent. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Jerry Brooner, President of Global Field Operations at Enable, to discuss his best sales hiring practices. Finding and keeping good talent is a warzone. To be clear, there is no shortage of talent. But many hiring managers just aren’t searching in the right places for the right people. For example, hiring managers who look only in major U.S. cities completely ignore the rest of the country (let alone the rest of the world.) In reality, there are intelligent and capable people no matter where you go, and they all bring different perspectives to a team. Jerry’s strategies to recruit a diverse team: First, think about what’s important for the company and the sales team. In most instances, that means a wider array of diversity and experiences. Jerry’s team searches not only in different states and countries but also beyond the major areas of those places. So, for example, when recruiting in the UK, they check locations besides London. How to plan a recruitment strategy: Work backward. Look at your customers, your team’s territories, and the industries those territories fall in, and look for knowledgeable people in those areas. Make entry-level jobs entry-level. Determine if the number of years of experience you’ve selected is essential. Most of the time, it isn’t. Look for accomplishments rather than years of experience to ensure everyone has an opportunity for consideration. Addressing and fostering diversity in his own company: Jerry believes that diversity is his company’s biggest asset, but he acknowledges that you must prioritize it. Focus on a diversity of country, gender, and race to create a team capable of understanding and interacting with clients in prospects in a way that works best for them. Don’t look to fill a diversity quota; look to fill roles with good people. You just can’t get the best people by searching one location. If you’re hiring entry-level BDRs, don’t just go to the same three or four colleges. Instead, broaden your selections to find candidates beyond those institutions. Jerry’s final word of advice? The sales profession is made better with a diverse group of people. In the long term, we’ll all be better for it. For more information or to contact Jerry, reach out to him at jerry@enable.com. 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 mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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

Jan 3, 2022 • 20min

Three Mistakes Salespeople Make When Setting New Year Goals | Donald Kelly - 1520

It’s easy to make simple mistakes when setting goals for the new year, especially if you quickly fall back into the same habits as you did the previous year. So on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses the three mistakes salespeople make when setting goals and how you can prevent those same pitfalls. And happy birthday to Donald’s sister, Jessica! 1. Don’t set huge goals without a plan. A Harvard study revealed that people aren’t likely to succeed in huge goals. The key is to set micro-goals that are far easier to obtain and make you happier. The 12-Week Year concept is powerful because it does precisely that - breaks down an overarching goal into smaller, easier-to-obtain segments. Whether it’s to make a million dollars in sales or lose a certain amount of weight, micro-goals are far easier to obtain than a massive goal. 2. Be more descriptive when setting goals 65% of the population are visual people, and it’s natural for humans to think in pictures. If you have a goal in mind, making it descriptive allows you to visualize and thus better understand why the goal is important in the first place. If your goal is to hit a quota, what are the benefits of hitting that quota? Associate the benefits and results of the goal with the goal itself to overcome objections you might create for yourself. To learn more about the benefits and how to engage in a descriptive mindset, check out the Sales Evangelist Sales Mindset Training Program. 3. Set a goal, not a dream. It takes discipline to accomplish a goal. And you might have habits that are in direct conflict with achieving a goal. You can’t just wish on a plan - set it up and designate steps to accomplish that goal to see it come true! 4. Of course, a bonus: Believe in yourself! Whether in personal or professional goals, many people don’t believe in their ability to reach them. Affirmations are a great way to affirm your beliefs in yourself. The problem - they’re typically too vague, Keep them in the present tense, keep them visual, and keep them descriptive. It’s a great way to force yourself to believe in yourself and your goals. 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 mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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

Dec 31, 2021 • 18min

How to Make Your Initial Zoom Meetings More Engaging Whether You Can See Your Customer or Not | Julie Hansen - 1515

While we might be in a post-pandemic world, the myriad of zoom calls is here to stay. But, for any professional, creating and maintaining professional virtual relationships is more complex than in-person. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by actor, author, and founder of Selling On-Video Master Class Julie Hansen to learn how to better engage our virtual audiences. When transitioning from theatre to camera, she had to practice communication. When everyone went virtual, Julie noticed other people struggling (as she was) to communicate through a camera. So, she created her masterclass to teach skills salespeople could apply to their virtual sales techniques. She also wrote an Amazon bestselling book, Look Me In the Eye, to further educate people in virtual communication. Communicating with a client whose video is off can be challenging. The value of having your video on is huge. Even if the prospect is unseen, looking at the camera as if they’re speaking will create a stronger relationship. Salespeople tend to assume the worst - that the client is bored, disengaged, or not paying attention. And that attitude tends to bring out the worst in the salespeople, resulting in skipping ahead and rushing through content. Visualize the prospect having a great reaction, even if you can’t see it, because it encourages you to maintain positive momentum. Resist the urge to watch yourself: Never have your own image on; you’ll focus on your faults and be entirely out of the moment. (Remember, It’s not a mirror!) While Julie recommends setting your camera as close to the screen or image as possible, remember that humans are precise with eye contact. So even if it’s off by only a couple of inches, most people will recognize that. In general, look directly at the camera whenever someone else is speaking. (Yes, it’s counterintuitive, but it’s true!) How can you better engage with virtual prospects? Break the passive pattern of the virtual call - especially if there’s more than one person. When we get in front of a screen, we're trained to be in a receiving mode- looking at something, reading something, or typing something. We aren’t usually engaged with other people. To break that, use the power of eye contact. People will feel more compelled to respond when you look at the camera. Whenever you want someone to respond to what you’re saying, look directly at the camera (rather than the screen) to indicate you’d like a verbal response. In-person communication utilizes much more body language than we realize. But if your face has nothing to say, why are you on video? Being expressive will help book more meetings. Julie’s major takeaway? Don’t expect this to be something you’ll figure out independently. While you can minimize the importance of these skills, recognize others are perfecting this craft to deliver great virtual communication. And they’ll make their customers feel seen and heard. To contact Julie, follow her on Twitter @acting4sales, LinkedIn (@juliehansensalestraining), or YouTube. 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, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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. This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Dec 13, 2021 • 35min

How "The Practice" and Being Different Can Help Sellers Connect With More Prospects | Seth Godin - 1514

We could spend hours discussing the importance of honing your craft. But, whether it’s perfecting your golf swing, mixing the perfect cocktail, and of course, making sales, practice is what leads to a better result. Today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist features NYT bestselling author Seth Godin. He and Donald discuss elements of his most recent book “The Practice” and how salespeople can use these principles to connect with prospects. There is a disconnect between what selling used to be and what selling is now. A salesperson is no longer responsible for informing prospects or conducting a sale- the internet does that. A salesperson is responsible, however, for the transference of emotion. And that is the skill most salespeople need to cultivate. How can the idea of trusting yourself from “The Practice” help an individual sales rep? Most people are their own worst boss. They’re never satisfied with their work and undermine their future potential. The challenge that comes with trusting yourself is acknowledging two voices in your head - the scared one that needs reassurance and the generous, connected voice. Silence the first voice a little bit and listen to the other one. In a B2B setting, we don’t need a replaceable salesperson lined up to argue about some RPF; we need people with creativity and confidence. Remember, the client isn’t just buying the product; they’re buying the story. Instead of saying “I need to be the expert,” say “ I know all the questions.” Young BDRs don’t position themselves to be seen as the expert. View yourself as a consultant to be more confident in conducting meaningful conversations. If you know the ten questions that change everything for a client, that’s useful. You aren’t pushing people to buy your answer, but it’s about being present for someone to find their own. Look at Fred Wilson’s blog (one of the most successful venture capitalists of all time.) Be like Jackson Pollock. Both Jackson and his brother Charles took painting classes from Thomas Hart Benton. Charles’s work looked like Benton’s, and he went unknown. On the other hand, Jackson’s work was creative. However, everyone hated it. But when the right collectors saw his work, Jackson found success. The moral of the story: Don’t look for gimmicks or stunts. Just be unique. The desire to be liked and fit in drives many salespeople to the role. But great salespeople are willing to bring friction to the table to get people out of their rut. Be a Purple Cow and look for ways to stand out. Being a purple cow isn’t talking about yourself. What it means to be remarkable is that people make remarks about you. They're not going to talk about you because you need to make a sale. They're going to talk about you because you're generous, see status roles, understand affiliation, have insight, and make their life better. Seth’s takeaway for people new to the sales industry? You don’t need to learn all the tactics yet. First, decide if you want to be a professional, look to the future, and fail along the way. For more content from Seth, check out his blog for daily articles, and purchase his new book The Practice or his previous book Purple Cow (among others), available on Amazon. 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, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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

Dec 10, 2021 • 28min

Boost Engagement Through Prospect-Centered Selling | David Smith - 1513

Selling can be a complicated process, especially when prospects have multiple objections to your solution. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by David Smith to discuss how he uses prospect-centered selling to overcome these objections and help prospects make authentic and genuine decisions. David encountered this issue when developing senior housing communities in St. Louis. His job was easy: to fill the communities. But David’s problem wasn’t generating leads; it was converting them to make a final decision. It’s a difficult decision to leave your home and move into a retirement community. It’s a decision many people don’t want to make, even though it is logically the right choice. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says there are four prerequisites to a sale: Having a product or service Being able to afford it Being able to use it Having a desire for it - this was the critical missing from David’s prospects. The solution? David had to draw motivation out of them. It’s a complex, heuristic sale based on emotional resistance. And until someone recognizes and overcomes that emotional resistance, there’s no solution. David recognized that moving out of your home comes with a loss of identity. He needed to look at this transaction not from an investor perspective but the perspective of each individual prospect. When David sells, he looks for themes and values of the individual to build a foundation. And this approach applies to any product or service. Upon finishing this project, David could go back to law or help others fill their communities. He chose the latter. He built a methodology (with the help of his partner, Alexandra Fisher) based on the psychology of change. He also build the CRM Sherpa, which launched in June of 2014 and is now used by 1500 communities around the globe. With his CRM, David extrapolated helpful information that further guided his methodology: If you spend more time in direct selling activity, you’ll have better results. How you use that time in the selling zone matters. The more time per lead worked, the better results will be. Effectively use the time spent planning subsequent engagements Creatively and purposely connect and follow up with prospects. It’s not in the hearing; it’s in the telling. Hearing keeps interest and motivation along the way. But the most crucial part is for the prospect to articulate their thoughts and feelings. And you do that by asking clarifying questions and showing a genuine interest. His goal is to help his prospects make an authentic, autonomous decision that reflects their own values. His major advice? It’s not one size fits all when it comes to selling. Everyone responds differently. Be yourself, be heroic, and be authentic. For more content from David, check out his book “It’s About Time,” available on Amazon. Visit his website, oneonone.com, and check out his CRM at sherpacrm.com. 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, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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

Dec 6, 2021 • 25min

How to Use Follow Up to Increase Sales Up to 60% | Daphne Thomson - 1512

Studies show it takes 8-12 touchpoints to convert a prospect to a client, yet many salespeople give up after the first one or two. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald interviews Fractional CMO and digital marketing expert Daphne Thomson to learn her strategy for effective sales follow-ups and why you should revitalize your process. First things first, the follow-up is more than just a phone call. A follow-up is a value you provide in that touchpoint, and it should be roughly 80% value and 20% sales. Because 60% of conversions occur only after the 12th touchpoint, you must have a system in place to ensure prospects regularly receive valuable messaging. See the prospect as a person, not just a lead. The connection becomes much more powerful once you relate to them on a human level. Salespeople bring in the business, so you’re indirectly responsible for a large part of your team. Hopefully, that drives and motivates you to continue to follow up. To continue to add value to prospects throughout their touchpoints, make sure you place them in the funnel specific to the value they want. The majority of follow-up platforms are similar. She uses Zoho, ActiveCampaign, and MailChimp as follow-up systems, but there are many. So it really depends on your needs. What should an organization do to establish a better follow-up system? Educate yourself. If you can learn these systems, you are educated and have power. For salespeople, perform a survey to ask people for reviews on platforms or your value messaging. When a salesperson comes to sell their product or service, ask them what platforms they use. Particularly for follow-up platforms, see if they even use their own. Remember, it’s not going to happen overnight. This is a process that requires consistency to make effective. If you’re worried about reaching out to people too many times, realize those people were likely not going to buy from you in the first place, especially if that’s the typical style for your company. Final takeaway? Keep consistent. Remember that 60% of sales aren’t made until the 12th touchpoint, so keep at it. Visit www.catchthebeat.ca for a full webinar on the specific funnels you should create for optimal success. For more great content and information from Daphne, connect with her on LinkedIn, or find her on Facebook and Instagram (@daphnethomson2901.) She also hosts weekly small business shows on Clubhouse (@daffer.) 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, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals 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 by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, or 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

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