The Sales Evangelist: Sales Training|Speaking|Business Marketing|Donald Kelly

Video content is a powerful tool to help any seller accomplish their selling goals. However, it’s only powerful when executed and distributed properly. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by digital marketing professional and owner of KickStart Dental, Chris Pistorius, to learn how any seller can capitalize on video production to garner prospects’ attention. What are things people get wrong with video production? There isn’t a process in place. He uses Lucidchart, a mind-mapping software that helps chart the process and gather steps for a seller to visualize. Map it out and have a plan, but continue with the understanding that it will likely change. Have your Dream 100 - the list of one hundred targets you’d like to acquire as clients. Get a CRM system that fits our needs. Chris uses Pipedrive, but Salesforce and other top CRM systems are viable options depending on your volume and process.  Maintain consistent communication: GoHighLevel is a tool built for marketing agencies that

Whether you’re a sales professional or work in another industry, hearing the word ‘no’ can get anyone in a negative mindset. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Harry Spaight, a sales coach and consultant who wants to help every salesperson overcome their fears to find sales success. Why does discouragement affect us so badly? As sellers, we frequently take rejections personally.  Even if the sale is rejected for a myriad of reasons, the seller will still assume they are the reason the prospect is not interested in the sale. We make offers through options, just like a fine-dining server. Each time a server makes an option, they expect a rejection. If professional offers can get into the same mindset, we can lead with service in mind. If someone doesn’t want your offer, think about what other options might impact their business or be helpful to their work. Sales is a place of service. There are so many choices with what you’re selling. Make it easy for a buyer to work with you

Anyone in sales sends emails. (If you don’t, we’re a bit concerned.) But how can you go about sending emails effectively that generate results? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses five things you need to be aware of to send an effective email.   You don’t need to tell them your name.   Your email is full of precious information, and emails already have the ‘from’ section, email domain, and signature. AKA, the prospect already knows who you are!  While you might want to explain on a phone call, it is repeated information in an email.   Explain a relationship or medium the prospect can refer back to.   The point of reference connects you to the prospect. For example, did you meet them through LinkedIn, or did a mutual connection refer you? State this existing relationship to build pre-existing rapport with the prospect. If no relationship exists, tie your outreach to the organization’s goals or content the company posted online.   State the use case.   Give the prospect a reason to

When it comes to improving sales, all it might take to reach your goals is a shift in mindset. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Justin Cunningham to learn how any sales professional can stand out, transform, and optimize their mindset for better performance.  You won’t be able to sell until you believe you can sell. Adjust your beliefs. Try integrating a value-based reframe - People will form their beliefs after an experience. During your next relationship or interaction, you’ll subconsciously look for those same affirming beliefs to support your existing notion.  Decide that you want something better and find evidence to support that new belief. Set yourself apart to win larger-scale accounts: Learn what they’re passionate about and what drives their bottom line to integrate a plan framed directly to them. A gatekeeper will pass individualized materials and information to a decision-maker rather than a mass-sent supply of information. Don’t act like an employee; act like a

It’s an all-too-common sales tactic to reduce your price to drive more sales. However, it can be easy to reduce our worth far below the time, energy, and thought it takes to provide the service we have. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by professional sales coach Steve Brossman to uncover his secrets to creating sales without lowering your worth. The three levels of influence: Imposed: Present and pitch information to the client to make an informed buying decision Collaborative - When the client is involved, they invest to co-create a solution. Self-influence - With the right connections and collaboration, the buyer knows you’ll deliver more than whatever money you charge. Shift your sales mentality: Instead of portraying selling as taking from buyers; shift your perspective. Instead, think of it as giving greater value than what they’re willing to invest. Create information and relationships through your videos, content, and messages to potential buyers.  Come with high energy.

Working in sales becomes drastically easier when we have a mindset and behavior that encourages our best work. But how can we curb limiting beliefs to develop a consistent and positive change in behavior? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by speaker, author, and podcast host Heather O’Neill to discuss how sales leaders can inspire change in their mindset for performance growth.  Our existing beliefs can hold us back:  Our perceptions about the profession, money, or industry can all hold us back from our full potential.  More importantly, our beliefs about ourselves can have the same impact - the idea that we don’t have enough experience, work, or ability to get the job done. These limiting beliefs often aren’t true and are inspired by what others tell us, not necessarily what we believe. Your brain doesn’t know what’s true and what isn’t - it’ll believe whatever is easier. If you tell yourself you’re a confident speaker, you’ll be more confident with it. (And yes, the reverse is

Even the best sellers must overcome the feeling of burnout at one point or another. But how can we maintain performance while finding time for our physical and mental health? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Chris Prangley to discuss his own experience with burnout and how any seller can maintain success and momentum in their careers. Making good money can also come with stress:  Review your ‘why’ to maintain motivation toward your financial goals or realign with your company mission and personal goals.  If you don’t maintain your health and well-being, you’ll eventually burn out. How do you determine why you do what you do? Making a certain amount of money is a great goal, but it is not a ‘why.’ Instead, it should be more profound and connected to who you are. You'll find the most success at the intersection of your why and the company’s mission. Try journaling about your traits and values to determine what you care about and continue to explore that. Look for the niche that

Sales isn’t rocket science. However, we want to cover our bases just in case. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by former NASA flight control engineer and CEO of ElevenPoint2, Kristin Taraszewski, to learn how sales organizations can adequately train their employees with technical knowledge to close more sales.  Many sellers require technical training to sell their products, and that training has become more scarce. In 2021 alone, 39% of all salespeople switched jobs. Unfortunately, that shift led to a huge need for training that hasn’t been fulfilled. It’s difficult to keep up with the rapid changes of the world as quickly as the solution is needed. Many companies don’t have a definitive onboarding and training program beyond a few online courses. It’s expensive to pull salespeople out of the field to train, and lecture-based training historically has a 10% retention rate, making it challenging to implement successfully. Give sellers a clear map. When training sellers, a clear p

Your personal brand and image impact everything about your sales process. Creating and maintaining a professional self-care routine is necessary to put your best foot forward to make the most money and foster the most connections. In today’s episode of the Sales Evangelist, Donald shares some quick tips for any seller to improve their confidence and build a personal brand that reflects the hard work you do each day. Sometimes, we neglect the emotional for the physical: Sure, scoring that meeting or closing the deal can be nice. However, it’s not as nice when it comes at a cost for our own physical and emotional needs as human beings. The Sales Evangelist is launching a course to build your professional self-care routine; check out the information here: thesalesevangelist.com/free-sales-training Build a positive attitude and confidence: One of the biggest things to help you be more effective is confidence.  Even if you don’t know a lot about the industry or individual, learn the company basics. Research the

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by frequent guest and CEO of Sales Gravy, Jeb Blount, to discuss an important (and often avoided) topic: selling a price increase to clients.  The price increase conversation is awkward, especially if you’ve never done it before. A seller’s main priority is to get the increase without losing the customer or order. Increases are good for the health of an organization. They’re essential to ensure you get the resources to sell more deals, help prevent layoffs, and service quality initiatives.  Understand what kind of price increase is occurring: Defensive increases are smaller and leveraged across the entire company. In addition, having a relationship with the customer makes discussing a price increase easier. The status quo means it takes a lot of work for a buyer to leave - many customers are likely to stay with you despite the price increase.  Popular narratives sellers can use to discuss: In an inflationary period with supply chain issues, pri

Many buyers see sellers as a commodity. While the goal of every seller is to close more deals, how are you supposed to do that without being memorable to the buyer? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by a sales coach and expert, Casey Jacox, to learn how sellers can stand out and be memorable to their prospects. Sellers are under a lot of pressure: Whether that pressure is to hit KPIs, increase quarterly figures, or just contribute to company growth, sellers have a lot to worry about. However, sales leaders are unlikely o slow down and contribute to sellers’ foundational skills (AKA building relationships.) The ultimate goal? To make internal and external connections that help sellers improve their close rate while enjoying their position more than before. Six things sellers can do to be more memorable: Bring a positive attitude to your team Manage expectations of your team and prospects Understand the difference between listening and hearing Document and record interactions, goal

The modern seller is exceptional in their industry and knows what to do to add value to prospects, keep a full pipeline, and close more deals. But how exactly can we be modern sellers? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales consultant Amy Franko to discuss what she believes makes modern sellers stand out in today’s market.   The modern seller excels in three things: Their value is an essential part of the conversation; they look to be a part of the equation that closes a deal.  They are seen as difference makers in the eyes of their clients and others in the industry. Prospects and buyers believe modern sellers have a competitive advantage over the other sellers in the industry. Anyone can be a modern seller: Understand the makeup of your territory and what you’ve been assigned to sell. Then, take a strategic view of what makes up your territory. Determine if you have a business plan for your inventory, revenue, and profit. The hallmark of a modern seller is the ability to ta

Creating and maintaining a full and robust pipeline of high-quality leads and sales is dramatically easier when utilizing a trust-based sales strategy. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by professional sales coach Chris Morrison to understand how making yourself irreplaceable is the key to securing more high-quality clients. Why be irreplaceable? The name gives it away, but memorizing a sales script isn’t a scalable long-term solution to making more money.  To make yourself irreplaceable, you have to make yourself known. Command trust as a trusted advisor to those around you, whether coworkers, managers, or customers. Have a following or community of people who take your word as trusted advice.  Many sales reps get comfortable and fall into repetition. Understand that salespeople have two battles to fight - one with prospects and one with their company.  Building trust with clients: The two most common outreach methods are still phone and email. However, understanding the best wa

Believe it or not, changing your sales communication strategy can be all you need to close more sales! In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO and Founder of Ajax Union, Joe Apfelbaum, to learn how he changed his sales approach to land more deals with larger accounts. Break into larger accounts without wasting too much time: Everyone says to go on LinkedIn, but many people don’t understand how to use LinkedIn effectively. Anyone will see through a counterfeit pitch, even if it's just a mutual connection request.  Don’t waste time talking to unqualified leads by creating a strategy to guide your connection requests. Know the buyer, their issues, and their goals to sell effectively. Features tell, stories sell. Become a storyteller to motivate and inspire people to create positive interactions on LinkedIn.  Coaching without permission is criticism, so build rapport (through storytelling) to build the relationship beforehand. When you get a referral, the buyer or prospect doesn

Some salespeople say LinkedIn doesn’t work for their industry. But LinkedIn is effective! (Chances are, you’re simply not using the platform correctly!) In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald explains the different LinkedIn features available to help make anyone a LinkedIn success. Connect with Donald on LinkedIn to share what features are effective for you that everyone should know! Name Pronunciation By enabling pronunciation on your LinkedIn profile, people can listen to you explaining how to say your name. While simple, this powerful tool will foster better communication and greetings, especially when utilizing cold outreach in the sales process. If your name is easily pronounceable, it’s still a quick intro to your personality and how you approach greetings. Utilizing video in messaging: The video introduction feature on LinkedIn is an opportunity for a more in-depth look at who you are, what you do, and what motivates your professional pursuits.  Engage your audience, direct them to a web

In pretty much any team dynamic, some will perform at their best and some less than up-to-par. So how can we utilize our tech stack to help low-performers blossom into the great sellers we know they can be? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CEO of Logik.io, Chris Shutts, to understand how to best manage and create strong sales teams. It’s commonplace for new sellers to struggle in complex industries. There’s often a massive difference between an experienced rep and a new hire, beyond what experience alone can account for in productivity and time-to-value ratio. Logik.io helps standardize sellers’ effectiveness to help everyone reach quotas and KPIs.  Buyers are becoming very particular in the way they interact with tools. In B2B transactions, people put up with complications. However, that impatience found in B2C transactions are moving into B2B. If your company can respond faster, your margin will grow. Technology helps guide the user. With Logik.io, they want feedback fr

Believe it or not, anyone can go from small-scale deals to multi-million dollar closes. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales and mindset coach Cheryl Parks to discuss how she gets the right people in the conversation to close large-scale deals. Believe in your own story: You don’t need to be the best salesperson; you need to be the best thing your customers dictate. If you don’t know the answer to something, toss the answer to someone else. Be honest and approach situations as needed. Starting the conversation with larger accounts:  In today’s environment, there are so many more opportunities. Sales is a treasure hunt, not a linear scenario. The insights you provide to a CEO or CFO mean more than just sending a case study or book; be the extra set of eyes and ears that provide concise thoughts. Large deals don’t happen overnight - you need to have conversations, talk to new people, and determine where they spend their time. Go to the companies you are loyal to, because you’

Unsurprisingly, most people work to get paid (a wild concept, I know.) Despite that, navigating and creating a proper pay scale for sales teams is a seemingly complex and difficult process. How can we create a pay scale that works for the organization and the workers themselves? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the CRO of LinkSquares, Steve Travaglini, to discuss what he does to strike a balance between these two sides.  Salary open for negotiation in sales roles doesn’t make sense. If you have two people doing the exact same job, they should be paid the same. Pay isn’t the way to motivate people. If you pay people differently, that will eventually get out and will result in a lack of trust in the organization. Base salaries should be standard across a job title, but allow the variable income (i.e. commission) to determine how much a seller’s skills allow them to make.  There should be no questions or ambiguous items when an employee signs a compensation agreement. Set the rule

Sellers often look for the newest tool, software, or strategy to find success and increase performance. However, improving the core elements of sales is often overlooked. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Dan Zavorotny, the co-founder and COO of Nurtisense, to learn what elements every great sales team should integrate into their culture. Flexibility Culturally, you have to portray the values that work for your company. However, they might not fit other people. People operate differently. If you are a self-motivated individual and you know what will make you perform your best, you should have the flexibility to do that. People who like flexibility can find a balance in life that drives people’s ability to perform at their best time rather than the company’s best time. Transparency Many employers sell potential employees on the dream of working with the company rather than the reality. Being straightforward with the reality of working with the company saves time interviewing, o

This is a conversation we need to have. Cold outreach is one of the core tenants of successful sellers, right? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by the founder of Blueprint, Jordan Crawford, to discuss why there might be a better strategy. Every job Jordan has, he’s either been fired from, or the company went under. He ultimately found his place helping startups scale and grow for long-term success, and it was through this endeavor he found a better methodology than personalized cold outreach. The ‘spray-and-pray’ method was the initial online sales foray. However, that soon led the way to personalized outreach. So, is a new method taking the lead? Personalization has its uses, and there are times it is still functional. However, there are some where it isn’t. Personalization helps grab a prospect’s attention. But as a B2B seller, you should only want their attention if their company has a problem your solution can help solve. If you aren’t making a commercial transaction, person