The Sales Evangelist

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 First

• The 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 Them

• One 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 Messages

• Voice and video messages inside the LinkedIn app get far better replies than plain text.
• Record them natively in the LinkedIn app, not through Loom or another video tool. It feels more real, and prospects respond to that.
• Always end your voice or video message with a question. That question is what pulls the reply out of them.

Give It A Day Or Two

• Don't ask for anything the same day someone replies to you.
• Wait a day or two, then ask a permission based question tied to something specific about them or their company.
• This is what turns small talk into a real business conversation.

Message The Right People

• None of this works if you're messaging random people.
• Build your outreach around people who fit your ideal customer profile. Target the accounts and titles you actually want to work with.
• Relevant messages get relevant replies.

Turn It Into An Appointment

• Once someone shows interest, ask if they're open to a five to seven minute conversation.
• If you can't explain what you offer in five to seven minutes, that's a sign to tighten up your pitch first.

"If you can't explain what you offer in five to seven minutes, you don't have a right to ask for someone's time." — Donald C. Kelly

Resources

• Learn the full system inside the LinkedIn Prospecting Course.
• Email Donald directly at [email protected] to ask about joining the next cohort.
• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, 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.

show notes

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.

• A 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.

• It is tempting to react in one of two ways: send an immediate sales pitch or do nothing at all.
• Neither approach is effective. Instead of rushing the conversation or letting the opportunity pass, use the profile view as a reason to start a genuine connection.
• The goal is to build a relationship before discussing your product or service.

• A simple, honest message can open the door to a meaningful conversation.
• If someone views your profile, take a moment to review theirs. If they look like a good fit, send a connection request with a friendly message acknowledging that they visited your profile.
• Asking why you are not already connected feels natural and often encourages a response without sounding salesy.
• Once they accept your request, continue the conversation by asking what prompted them to visit your profile. Their answer may reveal a need, an opportunity, or an interest in working together.

• Not everyone who views your profile will become a customer, and that's okay.
• Some people will decide you are not the right fit, while others are already interested in what you have to offer.
• Focus your time on the people who are engaging with your profile, content, or connection requests. Those are the conversations that are most likely to turn into appointments and future business opportunities.

• Following up on profile views does not have to take a lot of time.
• Set aside time each week to review who has visited your profile.
• Reconnect with people you've already engaged with, and send connection requests to new prospects who fit your ideal customer profile.
• A consistent follow-up process helps you start conversations before your competitors have the chance.

Resources

• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help in creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, 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.

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.

• Your 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.

• Most buyers don't care where you work unless your company is already widely recognized.
• Instead of using your company name or job title as the main focus, use your headline to explain the problem you solve. When prospects immediately recognize a challenge they're facing, they're far more likely to view your profile and engage with you.

• A great headline only works when it's seen by the right people.
• Rather than trying to appeal to everyone on LinkedIn, narrow your focus to your ideal buyers. This could include people who:
• Recently changed jobs.
• Are active and posting on LinkedIn.
• Match your target industry or decision-maker profile.
• The more relevant your audience, the more effective your headline becomes.

One effective approach is to build your headline around three parts:

• Identify a specific problem your ideal customer is experiencing.
• Make the problem feel immediate and relevant.
• End with a question that points toward the result they want.

This approach sparks curiosity and encourages prospects to learn more about you.

• Avoid technical language, company jargon, or long descriptions.
• Your headline should be short, easy to understand, and immediately clear. Prospects should know within seconds whether your profile is relevant to them.

• Even small changes can make a noticeable difference.
• After updating one team member's LinkedIn headline to focus on customer pain points instead of company information, connection requests began turning into real conversations.
• Prospects started asking buying questions and booking appointments without being pitched directly.
• The change wasn't in the outreach. It started with the headline.

In the next episode of the LinkedIn Response Series, I explain how to increase LinkedIn profile views so more qualified prospects actually see your profile and your headline.

"Address the problem your prospect is already thinking about, then show them the outcome they're looking for."

Resources

• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help in creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, 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.

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 Productive

• A 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 Work

• The best time and energy should be reserved for activities that directly contribute to sales.
• Instead of starting the day by checking emails or responding to client requests, block uninterrupted time for prospecting, nurturing relationships, and preparing for important sales conversations.
• Administrative work can be handled later without sacrificing the work that drives results.

Create Boundaries Around Client Requests

• Being available for clients does not mean responding to every request immediately.
• Many transactional tasks, such as correcting invoices, retrieving reports, or resolving operational issues, belong to other departments.
• While it is important to make sure customers receive the help they need, those responsibilities should be delegated whenever possible so selling remains the priority.

Use Time Blocks to Stay Focused

• Switching between emails, CRM updates, prospecting, and meetings throughout the day makes it difficult to stay focused.
• Working in dedicated time blocks helps eliminate distractions and improves productivity.
• Setting aside uninterrupted periods for prospecting, project work, and administrative tasks makes it easier to complete each activity without constantly changing focus.

Batch Administrative Tasks Together

• Administrative work is unavoidable, but it does not have to interrupt the entire day.
• Grouping similar tasks together, such as updating the CRM, replying to emails, or completing reports, helps reduce time lost through constant task switching.
• Completing these activities during scheduled blocks keeps them from interfering with revenue-generating work.

Let Your CRM Work for You

• A CRM should be used as a tool to support future conversations, not as another task to avoid.
• Recording important notes after meetings makes it easier to remember customer goals, previous discussions, and next steps.
• Instead of relying on memory, use the CRM to capture details that strengthen future interactions and improve follow-up.

Confidence Matters More Than Endless Research

• Many sellers delay prospecting because they believe they need more research before making a call.
• Research has its place, but it should never replace meaningful outreach.
• A clear value proposition, confidence in the conversation, and consistent follow-up have a much greater impact than spending hours gathering information that may never be used.

Prioritize Opportunity Creation Every Day

• Sales success comes down to creating opportunities and winning them.
• Administrative work supports the sales process, but it does not replace it.
• Protect time for prospecting, client conversations, and relationship building before tackling lower-value tasks.
• Consistently doing the most important work first creates better long-term results.

"Do what's most important first every day without failure, and don't negotiate with yourself." — Anthony Iannarino

Resources

• Keep track of your sales activity and boost your results with the Prospect Pro sales tool.
• Step up your sales game with Sales Mastermind. Get accountability, stay motivated, and tackle the blockers keeping you from hitting your goals.
• Visit Blue Mango Studios for help in creating podcast production content.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

1. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, 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.

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 Your Strengths Instead of Attacking Competitors (00:01:31 – 00:02:30)

• Donald shares his first strategy for handling competitor discussions.
• Instead of naming competitors or criticizing them directly, he recommends emphasizing the areas where your solution performs best while subtly addressing gaps that prospects may experience elsewhere.
• The goal is to keep the conversation focused on solving the customer's problem rather than attacking another company.

Let Customer Stories Do the Talking (00:02:31 – 00:07:30)

• Donald introduces his favorite approach: using customer success stories to explain why buyers switched from a competitor.
• Drawing from his experience competing against Laserfiche in the document management industry, he demonstrates how to acknowledge what a competitor does well before explaining why customers ultimately chose a different solution.
• He explains that customer experiences carry far more credibility than sales claims because they come from real users rather than the salesperson.

Use Reviews and Testimonials as Third-Party Validation (00:06:01 – 00:07:30)

• Donald encourages sales professionals to study customer reviews on platforms like G2 and Google Reviews.
• Instead of making negative claims yourself, use publicly available feedback to understand common concerns and position your solution accordingly.
• This approach allows prospects to hear criticism from existing users instead of from you.

Let Prospects Voice Their Own Doubts (00:07:31 – 00:10:30)

• The third strategy is to ask thoughtful questions.
• Donald recommends asking prospects what concerns they have about other vendors instead of volunteering criticism yourself.
• Once they share their doubts, you can validate those concerns and explain how your solution addresses the issues they're most concerned about.
• This creates a more natural and trustworthy sales conversation.

Three Strategies to Handle Competitor Questions with Confidence (00:10:31 – 00:11:39)

Donald wraps up the episode by summarizing his three-step framework:

• Build your sales conversation around your strengths.
• Use customer stories to explain why buyers switched from competitors.
• Let prospects express their own concerns before responding with customer proof and relevant examples.

Themes Discussed

• How to discuss competitors professionally
• Positioning your solution without badmouthing others
• Using customer stories to build credibility
• Leveraging online reviews in sales conversations
• Asking better questions during competitive deals
• Building trust through evidence instead of opinion

Key Quote from the Episode

"How you can talk about your competitor without badmouthing them is to have your customer do so."— Donald C. Kelly

Resources Mentioned

• G2 Reviews
• Google Reviews

Follow Donald on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound.

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-figure enterprise SaaS seller.
• According to Brandon, reaching seven figures happened much faster than expected and taught him that success is about enjoying the process rather than chasing a destination.
• He explained that falling in love with the daily work mattered more than the financial milestone itself.

Why Slowing Down Helps You Sell More (00:06:56 – 00:09:32)

• Brandon introduced the philosophy that changed his career: slow down in order to speed up.
• He explained that constantly hustling and chasing every opportunity drains both time and energy.
• Instead, he focused on becoming intentional about where he invested his effort and chose accounts where he could create the greatest impact.

Protecting Your Time and Energy (00:09:32 – 00:12:57)

• The discussion shifted to why focus is one of the most valuable skills in enterprise sales.
• Brandon explained his Diamond Standard framework for identifying ideal accounts instead of trying to sell to every large company.
• He also shared why understanding the customer's experience gave him credibility when speaking with executive buyers.

The Three Truths About Seven-Figure SaaS Sales (00:14:18 – 00:17:09)

• Before explaining his framework, Brandon outlined three realities every seller should understand.
• According to Brandon, seven-figure earners typically sell to enterprise organizations, develop confidence through experience, and remain patient during long sales cycles.
• These three foundations make the rest of his seven-step framework possible.

Find the Right Sales Environment (00:17:09 – 00:20:00)

• Brandon explained why choosing the right company matters as much as developing sales skills.
• Rather than joining the largest organization, he recommends finding a company that's mature enough to support enterprise deals while still allowing individual sellers to make a meaningful impact.
• He also encouraged sales professionals to focus on industries creating long-term transformation, such as AI, cybersecurity, and cloud technology.

Build a Transformation Mindset (00:20:00 – 00:21:32)

• Brandon believes the best enterprise sellers don't sell products.
• They sell transformation.
• Instead of focusing conversations around features and pricing, he encourages sellers to help customers rethink how their businesses operate and prepare for long-term change.

Be Strategic About Your Target Accounts (00:21:32 – 00:26:49)

• Brandon explained how the Japanese concept of Ikigai helped him rethink account selection.
• Rather than accepting every opportunity, he prioritized companies that aligned with his interests, expertise, motivation, and ability to create meaningful change.
• According to Brandon, purpose creates the motivation needed to navigate long enterprise sales cycles.

Create Your Diamond Standard (00:29:02 – 00:30:34)

• Brandon shared the five criteria he uses to identify his ideal accounts.
• His Diamond Standard focuses on opportunities that are personally interesting, industry-leading, aligned with his expertise, capable of moving quickly, and large enough to justify significant investment.
• He explained that every seller should create a personalized framework rather than copy someone else's.

Turn Imposter Syndrome Into a Strength (00:30:53 – 00:33:01)

• Brandon discussed why imposter syndrome becomes more common as sales professionals advance.
• He shared how embracing his introverted personality allowed him to become a better listener and deeper strategic thinker.
• Instead of viewing personality traits as weaknesses, Brandon encourages sellers to turn them into competitive advantages.

Win Bigger Deals Through Collaboration (00:33:01 – 00:35:18)

• According to Brandon, seven-figure deals are never won alone.
• He explained why successful enterprise sellers build strong partnerships with legal teams, solution consultants, executives, and marketing instead of trying to control every part of the process.
• Collaboration, not ego, leads to larger opportunities.

Step Seven: Build a Personal Operating System (00:35:18 – 00:39:29)

• Brandon concluded by introducing two personal frameworks: DFC (Discipline, Flexibility, Curiosity) and PREP (Plan, Rest, Effort, Perform).
• These systems help sales professionals prepare effectively, adapt during conversations, reflect on performance, and avoid the burnout caused by hustle culture.
• According to Brandon, consistent performance comes from operating intentionally rather than simply working harder.

Themes Discussed

• The seven steps to earning seven figures in SaaS sales
• Why slowing down leads to better sales performance
• Building a transformation mindset in enterprise selling
• Creating a strategic target account list
• Overcoming imposter syndrome
• Collaborating to win enterprise deals
• Developing a personal operating system for long-term success

Key quote from the Episode:

"It's not a destination. It really is falling in love with the process." — Brandon Fluharty

Connect with Brandon Fluharty on Linkedin:

linkedin.com/in/brandonfluharty

Signup for Brandon’s Newsletter:

Be Focused Live Great

Visit Brandon’s website: brandonfluharty.com

Connect with Donald C. Kelly:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly

Sponsors:

• HubSpot: hubspot.com
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Start your 60-day free trial at [linkedin.com/sell
• Blue Mango Studios: Turn your podcast into a lead generation machine at bluemangostudios.com

Featured Resources:

• Be Focused Live Great: Brandon’s newsletter for insights on professional growth.
• The Seven Steps to Earning Seven Figures: Brandon’s upcoming book on the "anti-hustle" guide to million-dollar SaaS sales.
• Mistakes That Made Me podcast

Credits:

As one of our podcast listeners, 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, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound.

show notes

show notes

show notes