The Sales Evangelist

With the rise of AI tools, most sales representatives utilize them to their advantage to help save time. However, the problem with using these tools is the risk of sounding too robotic and not coming across as genuine. 

In this profession, sales reps must be authentic to help them build relationships with potential customers. How can you use AI tools and still show up authentically every time with your clients?

In this episode of the TSE podcast, host Donald Kelly welcomes Carl Sajous, the sales director at HR tech company Fringe. Carl shares his insights on the importance of authenticity in sales and how building genuine relationships can lead to business success. He discusses the challenges of maintaining authenticity in the age of AI and offers practical tips for building relationships and closing deals. 

The Power of Authenticity in Sales

• Donald highlights the value of authenticity in sales and praises Carl for being genuinely passionate about his work. 

• Carl emphasizes the need to be true in every conversation and transaction. 

• He believes authenticity allows for deeper connections and meaningful relationships with prospects and clients.

Balancing AI and Authenticity

• The rise of AI technology has made sales processes more efficient, but it can also compromise authenticity. 

• Carl shares his perspective on using AI tools like Chat GPT to improve sales interactions. 

• He explains how he leverages AI to understand common industry talking points and stands out by offering unique insights and solutions.

The Importance of Active Listening

• Donald and Carl discuss the art of active listening as a crucial aspect of building relationships. 

• Carl emphasizes the need to listen attentively without preconceived notions. 

• Sales professionals can offer tailored solutions by genuinely understanding a prospect's struggles and pain points. 

• Carl encourages his team to use their ears more than their mouths, allowing them to absorb information and provide meaningful feedback.

Being Genuine in a Professional Setting

• Carl shares his experience of feeling pressured to act a certain way when starting B2B sales. 

• He reveals how he overcame the challenge of balancing professionalism and authenticity. 

• He developed stronger connections with his prospects and clients by being himself and maintaining professionalism.

Focusing on Relationship Building

• While closing deals is essential, Carl's primary focus is building relationships. 

• He shares a story about a deal that didn't go in his company's favor but resulted in three referral opportunities from the client. 

• Carl explains the importance of creating lasting relationships beyond a single transaction.

• By supporting clients even when there is no immediate benefit for his company, Carl fosters trust and opens doors for future opportunities.

Equipping Champions for Success

• Carl discusses the role of champions in sales. 

• Sales professionals can more effectively close deals by preparing and empowering champions to advocate for a solution. 

• Carl encourages his team to equip champions with all the necessary information, ensuring they are confident in sharing the value proposition and benefits of the product or service.

Providing Creative and Tailored Support

• Tailoring support and resources to fit the communication preferences of each individual is vital. 

• Carl emphasizes the need to adapt and provide various tools such as video demos, one-pagers, templates, and alternative communication channels like texting or video calls. This flexibility allows sales professionals to meet prospects' needs and build stronger connections.

The Mirror Technique

• Carl summarizes his insights with a powerful image of imagining a mirror before engaging with prospects and clients. 

• By recognizing yourself and staying true to your values and intentions, you can show up authentically and build trust with those you interact with. This authenticity paves the way for successful sales relationships.

Carl's emphasis on authenticity and building genuine relationships in sales is invaluable. By listening, understanding, and genuinely showing up as yourself, you can create meaningful connections that lead to successful transactions and long-term partnerships. Authenticity is the key to standing out in a sea of sales professionals and building a thriving sales career.

“Always imagine there's a mirror in front of you. When you do that, you show up authentically. You tell yourself the truth, and there's no one around to skew that. Showing up authentically means just being yourself, being there for the people in your life and in that transaction with you. That'll breed success in a major way.” - Carl Sajous.

Resources

Fringe.us 

[email protected]

Carl Sajous on LinkedIn

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

In this episode of the TSE podcast, Lawrence, co-founder of Practice Lab, joins the show to discuss the importance of qualification in sales. He shares insights on determining the right people to bring into your sales pipeline and provides valuable tips on effective qualification techniques. 

Lawrence emphasizes the need for curiosity, asking impactful questions, and understanding potential customer's pain points. He explains the concept of "bucketing" prospects based on their awareness and urgency of the problem they must solve.

The Club Analogy and the Importance of Qualification 

• Lawrence uses the bouncer at a club analogy to emphasize the need to be selective about who enters your sales pipeline.

• He explains the difference between qualification and discovery, emphasizing that qualification is crucial at the beginning of the sales process.

• Lawrence emphasizes the need to avoid setting oneself up for failure by being too focused on meeting quota multiples rather than ensuring the quality of prospects.

Inverse Relationship Between Pipeline and Win Rate

• Lawrence presents an interesting observation that the win rate of a sales team often decreases as the size of the pipeline increases.

• He shares that teams with smaller, more qualified pipelines can achieve higher win rates.

• Lawrence encourages sellers to be ruthless in their qualification process to increase win rates and focus on prospects with more urgent and painful problems.

Leading with Curiosity and Natural Conversations 

• Lawrence discusses the importance of leading with curiosity for authentic and effective sales conversations.

• He advises sellers to ask questions that get potential customers to focus on their goals and desired outcomes rather than solely discussing product features.

• Lawrence stresses the need for active listening and conversations that don't feel like scripted checklists but genuine discussions.

Disqualification as a Sales Strategy

• Lawrence shares an approach from his experience at Apple, where he encouraged potential customers to disqualify themselves from the product if it didn't meet their specific needs.

• He explains that this approach helps prospects evaluate the value and urgency of their own problems, building stronger commitment if they choose to continue in the sales cycle.

• Lawrence highlights the importance of helping prospects disqualify themselves to ensure they present a strong case to their organization.

Practice Lab's Approach to Skill Improvement

• Lawrence explains that Practice Lab focuses on practicing specific sales skills and improving broader conversational and human interaction skills.

• He uses the analogy of Kobe Bryant taking tap dancing lessons to enhance his footwork, highlighting the value of practicing skills outside the direct sales realm.

• Lawrence emphasizes the importance of simulating realistic scenarios during practice sessions and measuring progress against a standard of excellence.

Qualification plays a crucial role in the sales process, determining the quality and success of a sales pipeline. Lawrence emphasizes the need for curiosity, effective questioning techniques, and peer feedback to improve qualification skills. 

He also advocates for realistic practice sessions focusing on broader conversational and human interaction skills to improve overall sales performance. By adopting these strategies, sales professionals can increase win rates and create stronger relationships with qualified prospects.

"One of the things that I've kind of noticed, and I don't see a lot of people talking about, is that there's almost an inverse of what your sales pipeline is to win rate." -Lawrence Wayne O’Connor.

Resources

ThePracticeLab

[email protected] 

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly dives deep into the number one reason why prospecting on LinkedIn may not be working for you and, most importantly, how to fix it. Kelly breaks down the common challenges sales professionals face and offers practical steps to enhance prospecting efforts on LinkedIn. 

Understanding the Problem

• Kelly opens the episode by addressing the frustration of salespeople not receiving responses or appointments through LinkedIn. 

• He attributes this challenge to the focal point of prospecting efforts - the people being targeted.

Focusing on the Right Accounts

• The podcast outlines the importance of targeting accounts more inclined to purchase, emphasizing the concept of foresight in understanding buyer behavior. 

• Kelly suggests analyzing past successful deals to identify commonalities among the organizations, individuals, or industry trends, effectively creating a target account list based on these insights.

Leveraging Relationship Explorer

• Kelly highlights the value of using LinkedIn's Relationship Explorer feature to identify shared connections with targeted individuals within an organization. 

• This approach enables sales professionals to establish more meaningful and genuine connections, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Embracing Foresight

• The episode stresses the significance of discerning potential buying signals, such as job changes within the target organization. 

• Kelly underscores that people who have recently changed roles are more likely to be open to making purchasing decisions, making them prime prospects for outreach.

Harnessing Alerts for Actionable Insights

• Kelly advises the strategic use of LinkedIn's alerts feature, which provides timely updates on the target accounts, including job changes, content sharing, and hiring activities. 

• This empowers sales professionals with actionable insights to engage with the right prospects on time.

Personalizing Connection Requests

• Kelly emphasizes the importance of crafting personalized connection requests based on the information gathered from LinkedIn. 

• By referencing shared experiences, posts, or geographical similarities, sales professionals can significantly increase the chances of accepting their requests.

Unlocking the Power of Warm Introductions

• The podcast emphasizes the potency of leveraging warm introductions, as individuals are more receptive to engaging with connections recommended or referred by mutual contacts. 

• Kelly advocates using this approach to establish credibility and rapport with target prospects.

Donald reinforces the significance of targeting the proper accounts on LinkedIn and leveraging foresight to drive effective prospecting outcomes. The episode delivers actionable insights and practical steps for sales professionals aiming to enhance their prospecting efforts on LinkedIn. 

“Those warm introductions are just like money. It is the bread and butter for LinkedIn because people have a higher chance of doing things with people recommended or referred to them.” - Donald Kelly.

Resources

Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

"Are you tired of your sales outreach falling flat and not getting the results you want? Well, you're not alone. 

Many sales reps miss out on a crucial aspect of their customers' buying behavior. In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly emphasizes the importance of utilizing LinkedIn as a tool for generating sales opportunities and engaging with prospects. 

He highlights recent buyer behavior trends and provides insights on overcoming common challenges faced by sales professionals on LinkedIn. Listen to this week’s episode of the TSE podcast to hear a powerful strategy to maximize its potential.

Recognizing the Potential of LinkedIn 

• Many sales representatives acknowledge being present on LinkedIn for years without seeing significant business results.
• Donald acknowledges the frustration and attributes the lack of effectiveness to a failure in properly utilizing the platform.
• He encourages listeners to acknowledge that their prospects are active on LinkedIn and proposes that engagement is key to success.

Being an Active Participant 

• Donald points out that a common mistake on LinkedIn is observing and not actively participating.
• He urges sales professionals to break free from being wallflowers and actively engage with their network.
• Donald reveals the core strategy: posting at least one piece of content on LinkedIn every week.

Overcoming Excuses and Finding Topics 

• Donald dismisses the argument of lacking time as an excuse for not posting.
• He underscores that investing 15 minutes in creating a post is manageable for those actively pursuing new leads.
• To counter the issue of not knowing what to post about, Donald suggests reflecting on objections received during prospect conversations.
• He advises addressing objections in a post, giving practical examples to illustrate how to do it effectively.

Tailoring Content to Address Objections 

• Donald emphasizes the need to provide compelling reasons in response to objections.
• He advises sales professionals to dig deeper into objections to uncover the underlying concerns.
• Using a hypothetical scenario of selling a CRM to a prospect with an existing internal solution, Donald illustrates how to approach objections effectively.
• By addressing the deeper reasons behind objections, sales professionals can debunk misconceptions and provide compelling reasons for prospects to consider their solution.

Donald highlights the significant potential of LinkedIn as a platform for sales professionals to engage with prospects and generate new business opportunities. The key to overcoming common challenges and creating meaningful connections is to participate actively and consistently post relevant content.

Addressing objections in a compelling manner allows sales professionals to build trust and convert prospects into customers. Implementing these strategies on LinkedIn can yield remarkable results in expanding the sales pipeline and increasing close rates.

“I talked about this several places, but the data is also proving it because most of the buyers are tired of searching and clicking. What they're doing, however, is that they want to find stuff where they are. And the study has shown that 44% of buyers have said they are discovering new software and products via social media.” - Donald Kelly.

Resources

Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn

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.

2.            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.

3.            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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

Did you know that you can close a deal before the actual sales process?

Say what? That doesn’t make any sense.

Actually, it does. But for it to make sense, you must listen to this week’s episode of the TES podcast. In this episode, host Donald welcomes Carlos, a Dynamics and Business Application Specialist at Microsoft, to discuss the importance of internal buy-in for sales reps. 

Carlos shares his insights and experiences in navigating large organizations and building strong relationships with internal partners. He highlights the significance of trust and effective communication in securing warm leads and closing deals successfully.

Carlos' Role at Microsoft

• Carlos briefly explains his role as a dynamics and business application specialist at Microsoft, specifically focusing on the banking vertical. 

• In this position, Carlos collaborates with large banks to help solve operational and sales force issues using Microsoft's CRM tools and local platform. 

• He expresses his excitement and passion for his work at Microsoft and emphasizes the value he brings to the table through his expertise.

Understanding the Power of Internal Buy-In 

• Carlos emphasizes the significance of internal buy-in for sales reps. He highlights how sales professionals often struggle to realize the power of gaining support within the buyer's organization before closing a deal. 

• Carlos admits that he faced similar challenges when he started as a young sales rep, and he acknowledges that many others are still trying to figure out this process. 

The Significance of Internal Partnerships 

• Drawing from his 15 years of experience in various sales roles, Carlos emphasizes the importance of building alliances with internal partners. 

• As a specialist, Carlos is not the primary point of contact with customers. However, he realizes the significant impact of warm leads generated through strong relationships with internal partners in increasing the probability of closing deals successfully. 

• Carlos shares an example from his early days as a field sales rep at Bank of America, where he developed a fruitful partnership with a financial center manager. This partnership allowed Carlos to enhance his lead generation efforts and create a successful sales pipeline. 

• Trust, timeliness, and follow-through were key factors in building and sustaining such partnerships.

Success through Building Trust 

• Carlos explains how trust was pivotal in his relationship-building efforts with internal partners. By approaching his partnerships with humility and a genuine willingness to meet expectations, Carlos established a solid foundation for trust. 

• Through consistent communication, timely responses to leads, and transparent follow-ups, Carlos ensured that the internal partners were informed and involved in the entire sales process. 

• Carlos demonstrated his commitment to delivering value by prioritizing customer satisfaction, providing efficient service, and demonstrating integrity. His success in nurturing these partnerships led to multiple achievements, such as recognition in the Platinum Clubs at Bank of America.

Carlos emphasizes the significance of internal buy-in and the impact it can have on sales success. He encourages sales reps to prioritize building relationships with internal partners, being reliable, and displaying integrity throughout the sales process. Sales professionals can navigate large organizations and increase their chances of success by cultivating trust and delivering value.

"I learned quickly in my first sales role that I need to become friends with my customers. I'm sure everybody will agree a warm lead where there's a relationship with the customer is a lot better than a cold lead." - Carlos Oquendo Jr.

Resources

Carlos Oquendo Jr. on LinkedIn

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

You send hundreds of messages on LinkedIn every week, but you are still waiting for someone to get back to you. Maybe there’s one or two who have the courtesy of saying hello back to you, but it never goes any further than that.

As a sales representative, you know how important LinkedIn is to help you gain clients. However, if you’re not creating engaging conversations with prospects, it will be hard to build a pipeline.

In this episode of the TES podcast, host Donald Kelly shares five creative ways to do outbound with LinkedIn. Tune in and hear what he has to say.

Stop Sending Generic LinkedIn Requests

• You may find it easier to send basic messages stating who you are and what you can do for prospects. However, these types of LinkedIn messages often get ignored. 

• Instead, consider sending a personalized message to your prospective clients. This involves reviewing their profiles and seeing how to connect with them.

Don’t Just Care About Building Your Pipeline

• Yes, your goals are to gain clients and make money. But this shouldn’t be all you care about. People can sense this and will know if this is the only thing you’re worried about.

• Donald shares why sales reps should focus on building relationships with prospective clients. 

• Always remember that people crave connections. If your prospects have a positive relationship with you, they’re more likely to do business with you.

How to Send a Personalized Message on LinkedIn?

• Even if the person you’re speaking with turns out to be someone who you don’t work with, they may be some help later on. This is another reason why sales reps need to send personalized messages on LinkedIn.

• How can you do this?

• Ask questions: Once again, dig through their profiles and be curious about what they or their company share on LinkedIn.

• Engage on the platform: Don’t be a fly on the wall, and take the time to comment on the posts your connects share. It shows you’re genuinely interested in them and not just trying to take their money.

• Give compliments: If you see they’re doing good in something, compliment them. Donald discusses how complimenting prospects will help them engage more with you in the messages.

The goal of the TSE podcast is to help sales reps 3x their sales pipeline and close twice as many deals. Every week, we share two episodes to help sellers reach their goals. So, if you need help building your pipeline and closing deals, subscribe and listen to this episode.

“You need to make sure you strive to have some kind of genuine connection with human beings; people are craving that these days.” - Donald Kelly.

Resources

Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

Are you struggling to make meaningful connections with prospects in today's cluttered and noisy marketplace? If so, you're not alone.

In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Matt Reuter, a senior director of Sales Development for RealPage. Matt shares valuable insights and strategies for increasing connection rates with prospects in today's competitive market. 

He highlights the challenges sellers face, particularly in terms of breaking through the clutter and noise, and offers practical tips to overcome these obstacles. Matt emphasizes the importance of smart and strategic activities, focusing on outcomes rather than sheer volume, and understanding the nuances of prospect behavior to maximize connection rates.

Craving Results

• Drawing inspiration from Tim Grover's book, Relentless, Matt emphasizes the significance of craving results and focusing on the right activities. 
• By understanding the desired outcomes and having a relentless drive to achieve them, sellers can channel their energy and efforts into activities that are more likely to yield positive results.

Understanding Your Prospect

• Matt emphasizes the need for sellers to take a step back and truly understand their prospects. This includes considering factors such as their industry, location, and daily routines. 
• Drawing from his experience working with diverse teams across different cities, Matt recognizes that work-life and business practices vary across regions. 
• Sellers can align their outreach efforts with prospects' preferences and schedules by understanding these nuances.

Optimizing Activity Timing

• To boost connection rates, Matt advises sellers to identify specific time slots when prospects are more likely to engage. 
• He suggests looking for gaps in the prospect's schedule, rather than bombarding them during peak meeting hours. 
• Choosing the right time to reach out, send an email, or connect on LinkedIn increases the chances of catching the prospect's attention and avoiding crowded inboxes and voicemails.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

• Matt encourages sellers to work smarter by focusing on the quality rather than the quantity of their activities. This means prioritizing meaningful interactions that are more likely to yield positive outcomes. 
• He cautions against wasting time on aimless calls and emails that do not result in connections. 
• Instead, sellers should invest their energy in activities that have a higher probability of success, based on their understanding of the prospect's preferences and behavior patterns.

Shifting the Metric

• Matt challenges the conventional emphasis on the number of calls or emails made and urges sellers to focus on the outcomes they desire. 
• Rather than simply counting the volume of activities, sellers should prioritize the desired results, be it setting up a meeting or securing a connection. This shift in mindset helps sellers prioritize their efforts and places the emphasis on achieving meaningful outcomes that drive success.

Autonomy and Empowerment

• Matt explains how he empowers his team to structure their day based on their understanding of the prospects they are targeting. 
• Rather than micromanaging their schedules, he encourages his team members to evaluate the buyer's behavior and align their activities accordingly. This autonomy allows sellers to make informed decisions on when and how to engage with prospects, thereby increasing their chances of establishing connections.

In this episode, Matt highlights the challenges faced by sellers in establishing connections with prospects. Through his insights and experiences, he discusses the importance of understanding the prospect's behavior, optimizing activity timing, and working smarter rather than harder. 

When sellers focus on results rather than sheer volume, they can increase their chances of success. Implementing these strategies can help sellers cut through the noise, break through the clutter, and ultimately build stronger connections with their prospects.

"Helping one seller fine-tune and improve their approach by even a quarter of a percent could result in millions of dollars for them and their company in the long run." -Matt Reuter

Resources

Matt Reuter on LinkedIn

Relentless by Tim Grover

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.

2.            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.

3.            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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

Do you struggle with multithreading as a seller? Would you like a secret technique to help you develop relationships with decision-makers?

In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," host Donald Kelly speaks with Spencer Muhonen on the concept of multithreading in sales and shares strategies and tactics for effectively implementing it. They provide insights based on their experience in the industry, offering valuable tips for BDRs and sellers looking to improve their pipeline and build relationships with multiple stakeholders.

Who Is Spencer Muhonen?

• Spencer is a senior tenured SDR for Awardco, a SaaS company based in Provo, Utah, that focuses on employee recognition and incentives. 

• He shares his role and highlights the importance of targeting traditional personas in prospecting, along with key internal champions in other departments to strengthen the case for sales.

Collaborating With the Sales Department

• Donald and Spencer emphasize the significance of multithreading in modern sales, as sellers must engage with multiple stakeholders throughout the buying journey. 

• They caution against ineffective approaches, such as cheesy sales tactics or simply blasting outreach to a list of focus accounts without a thoughtful strategy.

• Spencer defines multithreading as expanding outreach beyond traditional personas and titles, reaching out to key decision-makers in various departments to build credibility and enhance the pipeline.

• He explains that sales departments can be excellent sources of internal champions, as people in sales are often looking to grow their own pipelines. 

• Spencer highlights his willingness to have meetings with other sales professionals who approach him on LinkedIn, even knowing that he is not a decision-maker. This reciprocal approach can lead to strengthened relationships and mutual support.

Engaging With the Finance Department

• Donald and Spencer further discuss other effective multithreading strategies, such as contacting the finance department. 

• Spencer emphasizes the importance of vendor managers and their oversight of profitability and contracts. 

• By connecting with finance teams during the RFIs or RFPs process, sellers can build intrigue and gain intros to C-suite members. This approach is often overlooked but can yield significant benefits.

Personalizing Your Messages

• Both speakers address the issue of using the same message for multithreading prospects. Donald refers to it as "lazy selling" and asks Spencer for his approach.

• Spencer suggests personalizing the messaging, taking into account the specific context and pain points of each stakeholder. 

• Sellers can build trust and make a stronger impact by tailoring outreach to individual needs.

Building Internal Brand Champions

• Throughout the conversation, Donald and Spencer provide actionable advice and share their experiences to guide sellers in implementing effective multithreading strategies.

• They underline the importance of building relationships beyond traditional personas, leveraging networks in sales departments and finance teams, and personalizing outreach to engage stakeholders more effectively.

This episode of "The TSE Podcast" offers valuable insights to BDRs and sellers on the art of multithreading in sales. By expanding their reach and building relationships with various stakeholders, sellers can enhance their pipeline and increase the chances of closing deals. Through personalization, collaboration, and a strategic approach, sellers can navigate the complex sales landscape successfully.

"Expanding your outreach away from your traditional personas, titles that you would target when prospecting, and normal decision makers. There is a larger scheme of decision makers, but also key internal champions you can build from other departments that can strengthen your case and strengthen your pipeline long term to build credibility when it comes time for an account executive to have, hopefully, a closed deal." -Spencer Muhoner

Resources

Spencer Muhonen on LinkedIn

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

In the dynamic world of sales, the game has evolved. Gone are the days of relying on a single decision-maker to push a deal forward. Today, successful sales professionals understand the importance of engaging with multiple organizational stakeholders to secure the coveted win.

In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald speaks with sales expert Nick Reed Smith. They discuss the increasingly complex world of sales and how to manage multiple stakeholders in the buying process effectively. 

Nick shares his experience and strategies for multithreading deals, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with various decision-makers and influencers within an organization to increase the chances of closing a deal successfully. Join Donald and Nick as they dive into the art of multithreading and uncover helpful tips for sales professionals seeking to improve their techniques.

The Changing Dynamics of Sales Processes

• Nick highlights the evolving nature of the sales landscape, where deals are becoming more complex and multiple stakeholders are involved. 
• He emphasizes the need for sales reps to adapt and find new ways to interact with buyers effectively.

Becoming a Trusted Consultant

• One of the key shifts in buyer expectations is the desire for sales professionals to act as consultants rather than mere order-takers. 
• Buyers want a partner who understands their needs, manages multiple stakeholders, and provides valuable insights throughout the sales process.

Understanding Multithreading

• Nick introduces the concept of multithreading, which involves building relationships with multiple individuals within the buying organization. 
• Rather than relying solely on one point of contact, sales reps should engage with decision-makers, economic champions, technical champions, and coaches to comprehensively understand the deal's dynamics.

Mapping the Organizational Landscape

• To effectively multithread, sales professionals need to identify the key personas and individuals they should engage with within the buying organization. 
• Nick advises sales reps to map out the various stakeholders they must interact with, ensuring they cover all necessary roles, such as CRO, CFO, Rev Ops, head of alliances, and VP of sales.

Taking Control and Providing Updates

• Nick emphasizes the need for sales reps to maintain control of the multithreading process. 
• Instead of asking permission to interact with other stakeholders, he suggests clearly communicating to the initial point of contact that multiple team members have been reaching out to their counterparts. 
• This approach keeps everyone informed and engaged while setting the foundation for a collaborative relationship.

Balancing Pushiness and Transparency

• Some may perceive constant engagement with multiple stakeholders as pushy, but Nick argues that it is necessary in today's sales environment. 
• By framing the multithreading approach as a shared effort involving various team members, sales reps assert their expertise and demonstrate their commitment to understanding the organization as a whole.

Managing multiple stakeholders in complex sales deals is a growing challenge for sales professionals. Through the art of multithreading, sales reps can build stronger relationships and easily navigate the buying process's complexities. The key takeaway from this discussion is that multithreading is not only a sales strategy but also a mindset shift toward becoming a trusted advisor and consultant to buyers.

"Oftentimes, what I found the reason for me that it does slip is because, okay, I was spending too much time with the person I thought was the decision-maker. And maybe I didn't have enough knowledge of what was going on in other departments, or maybe there was someone else higher up that I needed more buy-in from them." -Nick Reed Smith

Resources

Nick Reed Smith on LinkedIn

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.

2.            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.

3.            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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

Have you ever faced the challenge of trying to increase your outbound contact ratio? In today's highly competitive business landscape, reaching out to new clients can be challenging. 

But what if we told you there's a way to double your contact with prospects and see significant improvements in your sales results? In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with Richard from Durham Lane, an integrated sales and marketing outsourcing business based in the UK. 

They discuss the challenges of net new client acquisition and how Durham Lane successfully increased their outbound contact ratio by adopting a qualitative approach to prospecting. Richard shares valuable insights on intelligent prospecting, omnichannel strategies, and the importance of meaningful conversations with potential clients.

The Importance of Intelligent Prospecting

• Richard highlights the need to move away from solely focusing on effort and instead embrace intelligent prospecting and thoughtful business development activities. 
• Durham Lane believes in the power of engaging prospects in meaningful conversations to drive Net New client acquisition. 
• They have developed techniques based on selling at a high-level methodology, which they successfully implemented to improve their outbound contact ratios.

Omnichannel Approach for Effective Engagement

• Durham Lane emphasizes the importance of an omnichannel approach to maximize their outreach efforts. 
• While technology plays a crucial role in facilitating communication, it's vital to understand the customer journey and use various channels to engage with potential clients. 
• Richard explains that providing sales teams with tools like telephone, email, and LinkedIn is not enough. 
• To ensure successful engagement, businesses need to support the entire customer journey and tailor messages to the buyer's specific state – whether they are in the problem education, solution research, or solution selection phase.

The Power of Relevance and Call to Action

• Richard emphasizes the significance of relevance in messaging strategies. 
• Using the same message for prospects at different stages of the buyer's journey often results in a lack of engagement. Therefore, Durham Lane focuses on creating tailored messages that address each targeted persona's specific problems, solutions, and aspirations. 
• Alongside relevance, a clear and compelling call to action is essential to encourage prospects to take the desired next step. 
• By emphasizing business fit and value, businesses can demonstrate their understanding of the buyer's needs and establish a meaningful connection.

Swift and Strategic Follow-up

• One of the critical success factors in increasing outbound contact ratios is the speed and effectiveness of follow-up. 
• Durham Lane prioritizes timely follow-up to keep prospects engaged and convert their interest into opportunities. They ensure that their sales team is equipped to have meaningful conversations, showcasing their understanding and expertise. 
• Richard emphasizes the importance of being part of a consistent and valuable conversation thread that progresses from digital interactions to human communication.

Richard’s experience and approach to increasing outbound contact ratios provide valuable lessons for businesses looking to improve their prospecting and business development efforts. Implementing these strategies can lead to more successful engagement, ultimately contributing to business growth and success.

“Work with your colleagues in your marketing team and bring the two functions together because you should really be driving towards the same goal, which is peeking the attention of the right people in the right types of company so that your sales team can convert them into revenue and your customer success team can look after them for life. If you can achieve that, you have a winning strategy.” - Richard Lane.

Resources

Durhamlane.com

[email protected] 

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.

2.            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.

3.            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.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS