Systematic Selling Podcast

Today, Keely Flood joins us on the pod. 

Keely is a ten-year corporate sales veteran. During that time, he earned multiple President’s Club awards in the SaaS and recruiting spaces. About a year ago, he started his own company, The Honest Salesperson, which provides sales coaching services to staffing and recruiting firms.

Keely opens up about his unorthodox career path—from college football coach to corporate sales to entrepreneurship—and all the sales lessons he learned along the way. Throughout the episode, we delve into various aspects of sales, leadership, and the importance of taking a systematic approach to achieving business growth.

So, get ready to take notes on Episode 14 of the Systematic Selling Podcast. And check out my Top 6 Takeaways 👇

Systematic Selling is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Key Takeaways

1. Empathy and Humility in Sales

Keely emphasizes the importance of seeking to understand the client's perspective and being open to different viewpoints. His background in studying religion taught him to appreciate diverse interpretations, which translates well into the sales process. Instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all solution, he listens actively and recommends alternative options if his offering is not the right fit.

2. Prospecting and Inbound Systems

Keely leverages LinkedIn as a powerful prospecting tool. He engages with people who view his profile, connect with him, or interact with his content. By thanking them for their time and offering to help, he initiates conversations that can lead to potential business opportunities. This approach showcases how to extract value from inbound prospecting efforts.

3. Discovery and Goal Alignment

During Discovery Calls, Keely seeks to understand the client's current situation, desired future state, and the missing pieces to achieve their goals. He aligns his goals with his clients' goals, ensuring that his efforts contribute to their success. This alignment fosters trust and sets the foundation for a productive working relationship.

4. Building Trust and Saying No

Keely emphasizes the importance of building impeccable trust with prospects and clients. He shares an example where he turned down a potential client because he wasn't the right fit, even though it meant declining a sizable paycheck. This decision exemplifies putting the client's interests first and building trust for long-term relationships.

5. Overcoming Founder Challenges

As a founder, Keely candidly discusses the challenges of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the fear of failure. He highlights the importance of having a supportive community, particularly a spouse or partner, who can provide reassurance and perspective during difficult times. He also shares strategies for combating these challenges, such as reminding himself of his "why," reflecting on past successes and embracing his ability to outlast competitors through perseverance.

6. Advice for Founders

Keely advises founders to accept feelings of fear, doubt, and imposter syndrome as normal human experiences. Denying or fighting these emotions can spiral out of control. Instead, he recommends acknowledging these feelings, relying on support systems, and focusing on processes and systems that have proven successful in the past.

Additional Highlights:

* Keely's background as an offensive lineman in college football instilled a team-oriented mindset and a willingness to grind in the trenches, traits that have served him well in sales and entrepreneurship.

* He emphasizes the importance of setting specific goals with clients and holding them accountable, ensuring that their objectives remain a priority amidst the demands of running a business.

* Keely shares his journey from coaching college football to transitioning into corporate sales, highlighting the transferable skills he leveraged from his recruiting experience.

* He advocates for an "always be learning" mindset, adapting strategies based on market feedback and continuously improving sales processes.

The Bottom Line

Episode 14 provides valuable sales insights for founders, owners, and sales professionals. It covers topics such as building trust, prospecting strategies, discovery processes, goal alignment, overcoming challenges, and maintaining a growth mindset.

In the meantime…

If you haven’t already done so, consider subscribing to the Systematic Selling Newsletter for free.👇

This is where you can learn how to build, fix, and maintain the 10 systems every business needs to produce more consistent, predictable, and—most importantly—profitable sales growth.

I’ll leave you with this: 

Always remember…When you fix your systems, you’ll fix your sales.

See you next time!

Sean

About the Host: Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Lyden Communications LLC, an Orlando, Florida-based sales training and media company for founders looking to systematize their sales and scale their business.

Today, Dan Manning joins us on the pod. 

Dan spent a career in the Air Force, where he was an A-10 fighter pilot, military diplomat, and speechwriter at the Pentagon. 

But now…he's a master storyteller for his company, Build The Story. 

And Dan has built a business working with founders, coaches, consultants and executives to help them tell the stories that their audiences need to hear.

We all know intuitively that stories are powerful vehicles for selling ideas and inspiring people to action.

But most founders don’t know what stories to tell or how to tell them.

That’s why I asked Dan to join us on the Systematic Selling Podcast.

He shares with us the three stories every founder needs in their toolbox.

And he shows us how to *build* those stories for maximum impact. 

So, get ready for a master class on entrepreneurial storytelling on Episode 13 of the Systematic Selling Podcast.

Key Takeaways

The Value of Storytelling in Business:

* Stories are powerful tools for communicating ideas, building trust, and driving action.

* Well-crafted stories can help founders and businesses connect with their audiences, convey their value proposition, and ultimately drive sales growth.

The Three Core Stories Every Founder Needs:

* The Founder's Origin Story: Explains how the founder identified and solved a particular problem, leading to the creation of their venture.

* The Customer Success Story: Highlights how a customer faced a specific challenge and how the founder's product or service helped them overcome it and achieve success.

* The Vision Story: Paints a picture of the future the founder envisions for their business, inspiring their team and customers to join them on that journey.

The Structure of a Compelling Story:

* Preamble: A short hook that captures the audience's attention and sets expectations for the story.

* Before: The backstory or context that sets the stage for the challenges and transformation.

* Challenges: The pain points, struggles, or obstacles faced by the protagonist (often the founder or customer).

* Change: The pivotal moment or event that catalyzed the transformation from struggle to success.

* Resolution: The positive outcome or desired state achieved after the change, highlighting the value proposition.

* Meaning: The key takeaway or lesson the audience should derive from the story.

The Importance of Starting with Pain Points:

Successful stories resonate by addressing the audience's pain points or challenges first, rather than leading with the solution or product.

People are more motivated to take action to alleviate pain than to pursue potential gains.

The Process of Crafting Stories:

Dan emphasizes the importance of collaborating with clients to uncover the authentic moments of change that drive their stories.

He starts by identifying the desired action or outcome and then works backward to construct the narrative around the pivotal moment of change.

The Power of Simplicity and Clarity:

Dan's approach to storytelling favors simplicity, directness, and clarity over complexity or embellishment.

His stories aim to be unmistakable in their meaning and easily understood by the audience.

Additional Insights:

Dan's diverse experiences, from flying fighter jets to working as a military diplomat and speechwriter, honed his communication skills and ability to connect with different audiences.

His time learning Russian and navigating cultural differences reinforced the importance of simplicity, empathy, and tailoring messages to the audience's understanding.

Storytelling follows a similar structured approach to programming, with a formula and clear components that work together to achieve the desired outcome.

Dan emphasizes the importance of capturing the audience's interest, not just their attention, to keep them engaged and receptive to the story's message.

Overall, this episode provides you with valuable insights into the art of storytelling for business and highlights the critical role narratives play in connecting with audiences, building trust, and driving action. 

The Bottom Line

Let us know what you think!

Leave a comment 👇

Or simply hit “reply.” 

In the meantime…

If you haven’t already done so, consider subscribing to the Systematic Selling Newsletter for free.👇

This is where you can learn how to build, fix, and maintain the 10 systems every business needs to produce more consistent, predictable, and—most importantly—profitable sales growth.

I’ll leave you with this: 

Always remember…When you fix your systems, you’ll fix your sales.

See you next time!

Sean

About the Host: Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Lyden Communications LLC, an Orlando, Florida-based sales training and media company for founders looking to systematize their sales and scale their business.

Today, I’m honored to have Robin Dreeke join us on the Systematic Selling Podcast. 

Robin is a veteran Marine, former chief of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, and bestselling author of three books, including The Code of Trust, An American Counterintelligence Expert's Five Rules to Lead and Succeed.

Reading this book inspired me to reach out to Robin to come on the show.

That’s because, in it, he breaks down the systems he developed in the FBI to produce more consistent results in building trust with Russian spies while recruiting them to become informants for the U.S.

The idea behind systems is to create a higher level of consistency and predictability in the responses you elicit from others.

And if Robin could develop effective trust-building systems in the high-stakes game of counterintelligence, couldn’t those same systems be applied to sales?

The answer is Yes.

But what, exactly, are those systems? And how can we apply them to sales?

Robin breaks it all down for us in this wide-ranging conversation on building trust and forging unbreakable alliances. 

Have pen and paper handy because you’ll want to take notes on this one or come back to listen to Episode 12 of the Systematic Selling Podcast. 👇

Systematic Selling is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Key Topics Discussed in Episode 12:

* Introduction to Robin Dreeke: Discover Robin's fascinating background as an FBI spy recruiter, his main focus on Russian intelligence, and how his career has shaped his understanding of trust.

* Transition from FBI to Sales and Leadership: Learn about Robin's journey from the FBI to starting his own company and how the principles of counterintelligence apply to sales and leadership.

* The Science of Trust Building: Robin breaks down his approach to trust, emphasizing the importance of understanding others' challenges and aligning your offerings with their needs.

* Practical Strategies for Sales: Insights into Robin's four keys of communication to inspire safety and trust, and how these strategies can be applied in sales to improve outcomes and build lasting relationships.

* Navigating Challenges and Building Alliances: Discussion on the challenges of building trust, especially in difficult situations, and strategies for creating unbreakable alliances in business and life.

* Dreeke's Publications and Contributions: Overview of Robin's books, including The Code of Trust and Sizing People Up, offering listeners resources for deeper learning on trust and relationship building.

15 Action Items for Building Trust in Sales:

* Be deeply present without any distractions (focus on another human being)

* Communicate with transparency and vulnerability

* Foster healthy relationships by demonstrating curiosity towards others and suspending ego

* Own your actions and take full accountability for them

* Seek to understand others' context, empathize, and build deep empathy

* Continually build and maintain relationships through consistent actions

* Put in the reps to improve mastery of communication skills

* Focus on others by seeking their thoughts and opinions instead of telling them yours.

* Talk in terms of their challenges, priorities, and pain points instead of your own.

* Be non-judgmentally curious and validating to make people feel seen and heard.

* Empower people with choices to give them situational awareness and make them feel safe.

* Seek the thoughts and opinions of potential customers to understand their needs and preferences.

* Talk about the challenges they are facing, such as specific problems related to their business or personal life that your product or service can solve.

* Show genuine curiosity about their experiences, interests, and goals without passing judgment on their choices or beliefs.

* Offer them choices when presenting solutions so they have control over the decision-making process.

🎯 The Bottom Line

Robin provides a masterclass on the critical role of trust in sales, emphasizing empathy, understanding, and strategic communication. His unique perspective, rooted in his experiences with the FBI, offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to enhance their sales effectiveness and build stronger, more trusting relationships.

Let us know what you think!

Leave a comment 👇

Or simply hit “reply.” 

In the meantime…

If you haven’t already done so, consider subscribing to the Systematic Selling Newsletter for free.👇

This is where you can learn how to build, fix, and maintain the 10 systems every business needs to produce more consistent, predictable, and—most importantly—profitable sales growth.

I’ll leave you with this: 

Always remember…When you fix your systems, you’ll fix your sales.

See you next time!

Sean

About the Host: Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Lyden Communications LLC, an Orlando, Florida-based sales training and media company for founders looking to systematize their sales and scale their business.

The best time to have started thinking about AI in your sales processes was about 14 months ago when OpenAI launched its public version of ChatGPT.

The next best time?

Right now.

Because the AI landscape is changing daily. Literally. 

And the founders who lean into AI tools for sales—and not dismiss them—already have a significant competitive advantage in speed, hyper-targeted messaging, and much lower customer acquisition costs. 

If you feel like you’ve fallen behind, how can you catch up?

I asked Henry Hays, co-founder of DisruptREADY, to join me to discuss AI’s impact on sales on Episode 11 of the Systematic Selling Podcast. 👇

Systematic Selling is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Henry is a founder, keynote speaker, and adjunct instructor at LSU. He co-founded DisruptREADY to help companies prepare for and implement disruptive technologies, like AI…before it disrupts them. 

That’s why I invited Henry to join us. He spent over 20 years climbing the corporate sales ladder before becoming a founder. 

Now, he’s on the front lines helping companies tap into the power of AI to gain a competitive advantage.

Henry understands sales. He has his finger on the pulse of AI. And he knows what it’s like to be a founder.

I can’t wait for you to hear this episode!

✅ Your Action Items

Here are six action items to consider after listening to today’s episode:

* Embrace a mindset of possibility thinking regarding AI and its capabilities.

* Educate yourself and your team about AI and its potential applications.

* Consider enrolling in the Digital Assets Team University (DATU) program for comprehensive AI training.

* Build a digital assets team and empower them to explore and implement AI solutions.

* Develop a clear vision of success with AI and communicate that vision to your team.

* Explore the possibilities of AI tools to automate repetitive tasks, such as research, lead qualification, and proposal generation.

📜 Episode Index

Introduction- Welcome to the pod (00:19)

* Henry's background and expertise (00:02)

Henry's Journey—College and love for communication (02:18)

* Understanding the importance of urgency and truth in sales (06:06)

* Building a trusted network for learning and validation (11:39)

Artificial Intelligence—Your attitude towards AI (12:23)

* Parallel principles of openness to learning and humility in sales (13:56)

DisruptREADY—Starting as a boutique consultancy (16:31)

* Focusing on translating AI for small to medium-sized businesses (17:04)

* The essential eight principles (18:27)

Time Management and AI—Using time and resources effectively (21:39)

* Analyzing time allocation and priorities (21:53)

* Example of research (22:36)

AI Trends—Specific impact on  sales (24:21)

* Prompt engineering and deriving desired outcomes (30:11)

* Right person, right message, right timing (32:44)

AI Tools for Sales—Outbound prospecting and targeted messaging (33:14)

* Crafting messages with AI assistance (33:40)

* Summarizing and recalling conversations (34:39)

AI in Business—Aligning AI trends with business goals (35:29)

* Identifying target audience and communication strategies (35:37)

* Training bots for specific industries (41:02)

Leveraging AI for Sales Success—Using AI for lead generation (42:36)

* Maximizing time with clients using AI tools (43:48)

* Expanding messaging templates and scalability (45:10)

Embracing AI Education—Importance of continuous learning (46:38)

* Drip-style educational format (47:10)

* Empowering employees with AI knowledge (48:27)

Resources and Conclusion—Free online resources for AI education (50:09)

* Contact information for DisruptREADY (56:18)

Note: The timestamps provided are approximate and may vary slightly based on the exact timing in the original recording.

🎯 The Bottom Line

Let me know what you think of this episode!

Leave a comment 👇

Or hit me up at [email protected]. 

In the meantime…

If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to our email newsletter for free. 

This is where you can learn how to build, fix, and maintain the 10 systems every business needs to produce more consistent, predictable, and—most importantly—profitable sales growth.

I’ll leave you with this: 

Always remember…When you fix your systems, you’ll fix your sales.

See you next time!

Sean

Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Lyden Communications LLC, an Orlando, Florida-based sales training and media company for founders looking to transition out of sales by building a consistently successful sales team.

#10. The Salesman’s Prayer

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co

#9. “I will act now.”

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co

#8. “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co

#7. “I will laugh at the world.”

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co

#6. Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co

#5. “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Listen to this scroll 3x per day for 30 days.

And watch your life change forever.

The 10 Scrolls from Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World:

Scroll Marked I: “Today, I begin a new life.”

Scroll Marked II: “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Scroll Marked III: “I will persist until I succeed.”

Scroll Marked IV: “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”

Scroll Marked V: “I will live this day as if it is my last.”

Scroll Marked VI: “Today, I will be master of my emotions.”

Scroll Marked VII: “I will laugh at the world.”

Scroll Marked VIII: “I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”

Scroll Marked IX: “I will act now.”

Scroll Marked X: “The Salesman’s Prayer”

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/055327757X

Join other smart entrepreneurs (and their sales teams) on the journey to mastering the sales process and achieving your most ambitious goals.

Subscribe at www.SystematicSelling.co