The Sales Evangelist

Connie Kadansky was a highly motivated, highly goal-oriented salesperson, and she was still taking naps at two in the afternoon instead of prospecting.That contradiction sent her down a research rabbit hole that turned into a 29-year career studying sales call reluctance. Connie broke down for me why being too nice is one of the most expensive habits a seller can have, and what to do about it instead.The Napping Salesperson Who Became a Call Reluctance ExpertYears ago, Connie was a highly motivated, highly goal-oriented seller who kept finding herself taking naps at two in the afternoon instead of prospecting.That contradiction led her to a book called The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance, written by two behavioral scientists, and eventually to their fear-free prospecting workshop and eight weeks of coaching.She's been a licensee with that research organization for 29 years, and still uses the same assessment to diagnose call reluctance in sellers today.Being Too Nice Is a Real, Named Problem: The YielderC

An architect plans every brick before laying one. An archaeologist starts digging and adjusts based on what turns up. Adam Mark Louther says most sales reps try to sell like architects when the job actually calls for an archaeologist's mindset.Adam built his first sales skills knocking on doors selling exterior cleaning services, and today he coaches founders and sales teams on turning conversations into paying clients.We talked about why overthinking kills deals, how the first five minutes of a call sets the frame for everything after, and the two-call process he uses to close more business.Stop Overthinking and Take ActionAdam's biggest message: sales gets overcomplicated. Most people already have enough information to move, but they stall out gathering more instead of acting on what they have.People stuck in analysis paralysis are the ones who need every detail mapped out before they'll take a single step, and that costs them in a fast moving environment like sales.The reps and leaders who win aren't the o

Your prospect isn't only buying the product or the price. They're buying you. That's the idea behind one of Jordan Harbinger's most popular keynotes, and it's why we're pulling this archive conversation back out.Jordan went from a bored kid who got into trouble to a Wall Street attorney to the host of one of the biggest interview podcasts around. And the thread running through all of it is relationships. The principles here haven't aged a bit. This episode explores all of it.Why Jordan Started Studying This in the First PlaceJordan assumed people with strong networks were either born into them or got there through some elite club or school connection.That changed on Wall Street, when he realized everyone around him was just as smart and just as hardworking. Being the smartest or the hardest worker in the room was no longer a real advantage.A partner at his firm who was rarely in the office turned out to be out generating business through relationships, not hiding from work. That single conversation changed ho

Less than ten percent. That's how many highly targeted emails actually get opened. In this archive episode, pulled from an old Sales From the Street segment, I'm breaking down exactly what I look for in a cold email before I'll even open it, let alone reply. If email opens are a struggle for you right now, this one still holds up.Why Most Cold Emails Never Get OpenedPeople are buried in email. I was already at 67 messages by mid-morning when I recorded this, and I expected to hit 100 by the end of the day. Executives at bigger companies get even more.Less than ten percent of even a highly targeted email actually gets opened.If you want to land in that ten percent, everything starts with standing out immediately, not with writing a longer pitch.Your Subject Line Has to Earn the OpenThe subject line is the first thing anyone sees, so it has to catch attention completely on its own.A common mistake, according to MailChimp, is a subject line that doesn't actually reflect what's in the email. Whatever you promise

Three appointments a week. Twelve a month. If you want a consistent pipeline, you have to know exactly what it takes to get there.The problem is that most reps don't stop prospecting because they don't know how. They stop because meetings, active deals, and everything else on their calendar slowly take over. A few missed prospecting sessions turn into a weak pipeline, and then the scramble begins.In this solo episode, I break down the discipline framework I coach sales reps to use: set a specific goal, work backward from the number, protect the time needed to hit it, and create accountability around the activity. Once you know your numbers, you can stop guessing whether your pipeline will be full next month and start building toward it.Why Busy Reps Still End Up With Empty PipelinesMost reps who fall off on prospecting aren't too busy, they have a discipline problem.The common pattern is a quick sprint, a day or two of hard prospecting, then tapering off once meetings and existing opportunities take over.Fixi

Most salespeople treat follow-up like an afterthought: a quick check-in email, then nothing. I sat down with Corrie George, founder of YESA and Canada First, and former president of Grant Cardone Canada, to talk about the follow-up system that's actually helped him close hundreds of millions of dollars in sales.Most Sales Are Won After the Fifth ContactAccording to Salesforce, less than 20 percent of sales happen in the first few points of contact.82 percent of sales happen between the fifth and twelfth point of contact.Most sales reps stop following up long before they reach that window, which means they're walking away from the majority of their pipeline.Know Where Your Buyer Really Is in the Buying CycleBefore you follow up, figure out where the buyer actually is. Some people aren't even aware they have the problem you solve yet.Corrie says salespeople often compete with a purchase in a completely different category, not just a direct competitor.Understanding that stage changes how, and how often, you shou

Every seller has been there. You send the perfect proposal, deliver a great pitch, and then the exec on the other end goes silent. I sat down with Anthony Reeves, a former global executive at Amazon, WPP, LVMH, and Airbnb, to talk about the real reason executives ghost you. It's not what most sellers think.Executives Aren't Ghosting You, They're Protecting ThemselvesExecutives get to their position by protecting their career and their company, and staying out of trouble.The number one question running through their head in a pitch is whether this decision could embarrass them personally or embarrass the company.If a sales conversation doesn't address that fear directly, it gets pushed to the back burner, which looks a lot like ghosting.Slow Down. You're Probably Over-PreparingAnthony spent years as the final decision maker at companies like Amazon and WPP, with back to back thirty minute meetings from morning to night.By the time a deal reaches an executive's desk, it's often already been vetted by their team

Every sales leader wants to go upstream. Bigger logos, bigger checks, bigger deals. But most of what determines whether that move actually works has nothing to do with the sales team. I sat down with Alison Disken, an expert in executive alignment, to talk about the one thing most companies miss when they decide to go upmarket.Why Going Upmarket Takes More Than A New Sales PitchEveryone wants to go upstream because that's where the bigger checks are.But most of what determines success in that move has nothing to do with the sales team specifically.The nuance that gets missed is making sure the entire company is aligned before sales even starts prospecting.Get The Full C-Suite Aligned On What Upmarket MeansExecutive alignment is one of the most overlooked pieces of any strategic pivot.Allie shared an example of a European tech company acquired by a US private equity firm. They were winning in mid market, but got pushed to chase enterprise names without ever redefining their tech stack, competitive positioning,

Sales and marketing are supposed to work together, but in most companies, they don't. Not to the level your revenue actually needs. In this episode, I sat down with Mark Kapczynski, co-founder of Kontrol Media and author of Everyone Sells, to talk about practical, sometimes unconventional ways to get these two teams pulling in the same direction.Why Sales and Marketing Still Don't Work TogetherTraditional marketing was built around brand awareness, not revenue. That history still shapes how a lot of teams operate today.Marketing budgets are getting cut because leadership now expects marketing to prove its impact on revenue, not just visibility.Sales and marketing need to see each other as one team working toward the same goal, not two departments with separate scorecards.Give Sales and Marketing One Shared GoalMost companies still measure marketing on traffic and awareness, while sales is measured strictly on closed revenue.Mark says both teams need a shared goal tied to revenue, whether that's new logos, hig

This wraps up our four part LinkedIn Response Series. Over the last few episodes, I covered your headline, your banner, and how to turn profile views into real conversations. In this final episode, I'm showing you how to take those conversations and turn them into booked appointments.Never Pitch FirstThe fastest way to kill a new LinkedIn conversation is to pitch right away.When someone replies to you, keep the conversation focused on them before you bring up your product or service.Make The Conversation About ThemOne of the easiest ways to find something to talk about is to look at what the person posts on LinkedIn.I'll drop a prospect's profile link into Claude or ChatGPT and ask for ideas on how to start a natural conversation with them.If they post about something like running marathons or self improvement, use that as your opener. Ask a real question about it.Use Voice And Video MessagesVoice and video messages inside the LinkedIn app get far better replies than plain text.Record them natively in the Lin

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Getting a notification that someone viewed your LinkedIn profile can be exciting, but most sellers don't know what to do next. In this episode of the LinkedIn Response Series, I am sharing how to turn profile views into meaningful conversations that can lead to appointments and new business. Instead of ignoring those notifications or sending an immediate sales pitch, I'll show you a simple process that helps you engage interested prospects the right way.Why Profile Views MatterA LinkedIn profile view is often a sign that someone is interested in learning more about you or your business. They may have found you through your content, received a connection request from you, or be researching your company before reaching out.In many cases, prospects are doing their homework before booking a meeting. That makes profile views an early buying signal that should not be ignored.Avoid the Wrong ResponseIt is tempting to react in one of two ways: send an immediate sales pitch or do nothing at all.Neither approach is eff

Your LinkedIn headline is one of the first things prospects see, yet many salespeople waste it by listing their job title and company name. In this first episode of the LinkedIn Response Series, I explain why your headline should focus on the problem you solve instead of who you work for.A strong headline tells prospects immediately how you can help them, increases profile views, and encourages more conversations before you ever send a sales message.Why Your LinkedIn Headline MattersYour headline is more than a job description. It helps prospects quickly decide whether you're relevant to them.A well-written headline can:Increase profile views by making your profile stand out in LinkedIn searches.Encourage more inbound conversations from interested prospects.Clearly communicate the value you provide before someone reads the rest of your profile.Improve your visibility by using keywords your ideal buyers are already searching for.Stop Leading With Your Company NameMost buyers don't care where you work unless yo

Administrative tasks are part of every sales role, but they should never take priority over selling. I'm revisiting a conversation from the archive with Anthony Iannarino to share practical ways to keep admin work from taking over your day. While this conversation first aired in 2020, the principles are still relevant today, especially when AI can help streamline many everyday tasks.Busy Is Not the Same as ProductiveA full calendar does not always mean meaningful progress. As sales professionals become more successful, more requests, emails, client issues, and internal tasks naturally compete for their attention.The challenge is learning to separate work that creates opportunities from work that simply keeps you busy. Staying productive means focusing on the activities that move deals forward instead of constantly reacting to every request.Protect Your Most Important WorkThe best time and energy should be reserved for activities that directly contribute to sales.Instead of starting the day by checking emails

How do you handle competitor questions without sounding defensive, desperate, or unprofessional?In this solo episode, Donald C. Kelly shares three practical strategies for talking about competitors with confidence and credibility. Instead of attacking another company, he explains how to use customer stories, thoughtful questions, and your prospect's own insights to position your solution as the better fit.If you're in a competitive sales environment, this episode will help you navigate competitor conversations in a way that builds trust and moves deals forward.Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:Why You Should Prepare for Competitor Conversations (00:00:31 – 00:01:30)Donald explains that prospects are often evaluating multiple vendors at the same time.Rather than being surprised by competitor questions, sales professionals should prepare their messaging ahead of time and understand where their solution stands out.He emphasizes that preparation gives sellers confidence when those conversations arise.Lead With Yo

What separates sales professionals who earn six figures from those who consistently earn seven?In this episode, Donald sits down with Brandon Fluharty, enterprise SaaS sales leader, speaker, and author of The Seven-Figure Millennial. Brandon shares the mindset, systems, and practical strategies that helped him become a seven-figure earner without subscribing to hustle culture.Throughout the conversation, Brandon explains why success in enterprise sales comes from slowing down. Choosing the right opportunities. Building meaningful customer relationships. creating a personal operating system that supports consistent performance.If you're selling into enterprise accounts, leading complex deals, or looking to improve your sales career without burning yourself out, this episode is packed with actionable insights.Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:Brandon's Journey Into Enterprise Sales (00:06:03 – 00:06:56)Brandon shared how he transitioned from DJing while starting his sales career to eventually becoming a seven-f

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Don’t dream small as a seller. Always think bigger than what feels comfortable. My guest, Jason VanDevere, author of the bestselling book Dream Driven and founder of the Goal Crazy platform, shares an incredible story about his car dealership business and how a 90-day plan can completely shift results. He also breaks down five principles that challenge you to remove limitations and start moving toward bigger goals with intention.Meet Jason VanDevereJason VanDevere is the author of the bestselling book Dream Driven and the founder of the Goal Crazy platform, which helps entrepreneurs set goals, manage their time, and actually follow through on what matters most.After leaving his family’s successful car dealership business, Jason went on to build a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio and create the Goal Crazy Planner, now used by tens of thousands of people to stay focused and hit their goals.He lives in Akron, Ohio with his wife and four children, and also shares insights as the host of the Goal Crazy P