The Sales Evangelist

Quality beats quantity when it comes to lead generation, prospecting, and moving customers through your sales funnel. Knowing who to talk to and how to reach them can save you from getting caught up in drawn-out back and forths with the wrong people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Dave Fink, the CEO and Co-founder of Postie. They talk about boosting efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process through focusing on ideal buyers.

A Clear ICP Leads to Efficiency

• Casting a wide net and gathering as many leads as possible may sound like a great sales strategy, but it isn’t the most efficient.

• Developing specific Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) can help sellers identify customers that are a perfect fit.

• Weeding out clients won’t be a perfect fit may seem time-consuming, but in the long run, you avoid wasting time with prospects who can’t, or won’t, become customers.

Engage the Right People

• Not everyone in the company is a decision-maker or influencer. The people who stand to benefit from your product may not have the power to buy, so figure out who does.

• With recent layoffs all over the tech industry, there are fewer people in companies so it may be easier to reach decision-makers.

• Not all decision-makers think or act the same way. Things change. Consider how macro trends may be impacting them and treat them with empathy.

Handling Discovery Properly

• Do research about the person you’re going to be talking to and the company they’re a part of. Knowing their position in the company can help you understand their point of view.

• Just like doctors can have a great bedside manner that makes you feel safe and comfortable, sellers who treat discovery like a conversation rather than an interrogation will have more success.

“I very much believe that information is power. Quite frankly, if you’re an inquisitive person, whether you’re successful in a specific prospecting initiative or sales cycle, you’re going to learn something from it.” – Dave Fink

Resources

Check out the website: http://postie.com for great content!

Connect with Dave Fink on LinkedIn

Sponsorship Offers

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

Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data.

1. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights.

1. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals.

2. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse.

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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

It’s challenging to be in sales right now, and keeping up isn’t enough – it’s time to get ahead of the curve. Bringing AEs and BDRs together to learn from each other will make your organization stronger and more cohesive. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Katie Swick, the Global Sales Enablement Lead at Stripe, to hear how her team’s collaborative approach to learning has revolutionized the way they sell.  

 A Symbiotic Relationship

• When AEs help educate BDRs, the BDRs in turn become better at finding quality leads. This makes the AE’s job easier in the long run.
• BDRs learn better prospecting skills AND what makes a good AE through the program. This makes them more effective in their current positions but also prepares them to be great AEs in the future.
• AEs also report learning a lot from the process and see the value in training BDRs – they volunteer to help out!

 Getting Ahead of the Curve

• BDRs need to understand how to “lose fast” rather than hang on to prospects that aren’t going to go anywhere. AEs can educate BDRs on how to identify qualified leads.
• Technology is moving quickly, and prospecting in particular has changed a lot. BDRs can help AEs upgrade their prospecting skills.

 Bridging the Gap Between AEs and BDRs

• In cases where AEs are too busy to handle all potential accounts, BDRs can jump in and help move smaller clients through the pipeline.
• AEs also, in some cases, will help BDRs with prospecting to add to the top of their sales funnel.

 “The program is really meant to stay at that cutting edge and say, ‘Hey, what’s working? What’s not? How do we take advantage of that?’ Because we know that a sales technique that worked two years ago probably isn’t going to work today.” – Katie Swick

 Resources

Reach out to Katie Swick on LinkedIn

 Sponsorship Offers

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

Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data.

1. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights.

2.            These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals.

3.            We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse.

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

 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

Midway through the sales process, you might find your deals stagnating because you’re just not talking to the right people. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly talks with Jakub Hon about connecting with the stakeholder who can make that final call. We’re sure you’re going to get a lot out of this interview. For more from Jakub, check out his webinar on August 2nd at 8 AM Eastern! 

Recognize the Buyer

• The buyer is someone who can say yes, even when the team says no, or vice versa. They have the final say on where the budget is going to be allocated.

• If your “champion” at the organization is on board, your next task is to probe them for more information that will lead you to the economic buyer.

• Ask questions about the organization’s approval process so you can start mapping it out.

• Ask “numbers” questions about budget, revenue, etc. to find out whether your champion knows the answers or knows someone who does.

• Stay aligned with your champion all the way through the process – you still want them on your team!

Get Your Prospect to a Meeting

• If your champion doesn’t want you to bypass them to talk to their boss, ask questions they’re not able to answer and they’ll direct you to the person who can. If that doesn’t work, be blunt.

• It’s okay to give and take. Sellers like to give, don’t forget to ask for something in return! Offer things like demos and free trials in exchange for contact information for higher-ups.

• If you reach out to the economic buyer and they brush you off onto someone else, ask for a short meeting with them to discuss their perspective on where the business is headed. This won’t be a conversation about features – let them know that!

Encourage Them to Talk

• If there is information out there on the company, you should already know it. Don’t ask the economic buyer about their value proposition. Do your homework.

• Start or end the message with questions. Even if they don’t answer the question, it may spark interest.

• All communication should be relevant and direct.

• Keep your conversation about business and not about features.

“If you’re not aligning with the economic buyer and you talk just to your champion… usually these deals slip from the pipeline, because, guess what? There’s the competition talking to the [other stakeholders] and involving the economic buyer in their sales process. If you’re not in control of the process, there’s somebody else controlling the process.” – Jakub Hon

Resources

“How to Sell to the C-Suite” Webinar on August 2nd – Registration Link

SALESDOCk.com

Connect with Jakub Hon on LinkedIn

Sponsorship Offers

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

Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data.

1. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights.

1. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals.

2. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse.

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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

It’s time to level up and set yourself apart in an executive’s inbox, but you know it’ll never happen as long as you keep parroting the same lines your prospect gets from every other seller. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly gets into why we should NEVER use the phrase “just bumping this up” in a follow-up e-mail. Listen in to hear the things you should say instead!

 The Problem With Saying “Just Bumping This Up”

• When you say, “Just bumping this up,” you’re prioritizing yourself in their inbox and insinuating that they aren’t organizing their e-mails. This annoys prospects and turns them off.
• Your prospects are busy people with a lot on their plate. “Just bumping this up,” is a filler phrase that doesn’t add any value and shows a lack of effort on the seller’s part.

 How SHOULD You Follow Up?

• Focus on the same pain point that you highlighted in the first e-mail. Then show the prospect your solution by making a quick video describing or demoing it.
• Think from your prospect’s perspective. They’re busy people – if their objection is that they don’t currently have time to meet, let them know you can meet later on.
• We use the Spotlight feature on LinkedIn SalesNavigator to identify prospects who have posted on LinkedIn during the last 30 days (try it free for 60 days at linkedin.com/tse). Use information from LinkedIn to identify triggers and bring those up in your follow-up.
• You can also use testimonials or describe the experiences of other clients who you serve.

 “No matter what you sell, whether it’s a water bottle or it’s a complex HR solution for an enterprise-level organization, you need to think, behave, and act like a consultant and recognize the capability in your role, and treat your e-mails and communication accordingly. Otherwise, [prospects] are going to treat you the way that you sound. You don’t want to sound just like a sales professional, just like an order taker. Jump up in your position.” – Donald Kelly

Resources

Check out episode 707 for more ideas on following up!

Sponsorship Offers

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

Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data.

1.  Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights.
2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals.
3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse.

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

 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

One size does NOT fit all! Having the power to customize a product or service to fit our needs makes us feel confident in how we’re spending our money. The same is true for our prospects. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly meets with Joe Ardeeser, the Founder/CEO of Smart Pricing Table, to talk about using optionality to build trust and give agency to customers.

Ways to Offer Optionality

• Provide different service lines. If you have a customer who uses one of your services, tell them what else your company can do for them.
• Customize individual services. Talk to your customers about ways they can configure your service to work better for them.
• Offer options for different budgets. If you can’t downsize your offer, you might lose big deals.

Build Trust With Prospects

• Offering a “good”, “better”, and “best” option can help customers feel comfortable because they can see that you’re not just trying to get the most money possible out of them.
• Buyers need to feel like they have agency and control over how much they want to spend and what they’re getting out of the deal.
• Prospects are probably going to have conversations with other stakeholders before buying. Arm them with the knowledge of your optionality so they can consider things in their own time.

Don’t Lose Deals

• You can’t make EVERYTHING optional. Make sure the service will work, even if the customer wants a very stripped-down version.
• When customers don’t choose your product, most of the time you’re not going to know why.
• If you make it so that your prospect can add or subtract services to adjust the price, you can avoid losing deals by small margins.

“Take some time to think through what you sell and define it well so that you can build things quicker. When you build things quicker, you have more options.” – Joe Ardeseer

Resources

Visit SmartPricingTable.com to schedule a demo!

Sponsorship Offers

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

Are you struggling to close deals? Cold outreach wastes the buyer and seller's time at every stage, especially when sellers are using shallow and outdated data.

1. Your organization can overcome these challenges with technology that translates comprehensive, high-quality buyer data into real-time insights.

2. These deeper insights empower sales reps and teams to adopt the habits of top performers, which leads to better outcomes - like more pipelines, higher win rates, and larger deals.

3. We call this Deep Sales. And we’ve built the first deep sales platform with the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/tse.

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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

Prepare yourself: next time you pick up the phone for a discovery call, you’ll know exactly how to engage your prospect and let THEM convert themselves. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly has a great conversation with David Newman, author of the business bestseller “Do It! Marketing”. They go deep on what makes a successful discovery call, and here’s a hint: it’s not a bunch of small talk. 

Go Deep Fast

• Don’t spend your discovery call having surface-level conversations. Most sellers don’t go deep enough because they want to be liked and sound smart.
• Many sellers don’t ask questions to expand upon what prospects tell them. Instead, as David says, take off your ‘sales hat’ and put on your ‘investigative journalist’ hat.
• Most sales professionals think being likable is the same as being talkative. This is boring to clients – get them talking early and often!

Become a Consultant

• David’s first question on a discovery call is: how have you arrived at where you are today?
• Another question David asks prospects is: do you mind if I treat you like a fee-paid client? This takes you and them out of buying-and-selling mode and puts you in a position to tell the prospect helpful information.
• When you have the prospect’s permission to tell them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, you can be real and honest.

Treat Prospects Like Clients

• Ask: How do you see this ending up if all goes well? (Then ask: “What else?” several times!)
• Ask: What does that mean for you personally/professionally? What happens financially if this is successful or unsuccessful?
• Ask: Can you put a number on it? Don’t be afraid to get specific about numbers. 
• Ask: Who else will notice these improvements? (This is key for finding out who else needs to be involved in this process!)

“The more you treat prospects like clients and customers, the more clients and customers you will get.” – David Newman

 Resources

Order David’s new book, Do It! Selling, from Amazon

Get companion tools, videos, worksheets, and more at http://doitmarketing.com/selling

Set up an exploratory chat with David! http://doitmarketing.com/call

 Sponsorship Offers

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

 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

If you’re not using LinkedIn to build up the front of your sales pipeline, let this be your sign to take the leap. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly has an info-packed conversation with Megan Killion, the powerhouse behind MKC Agency. You probably already know content creation isn’t just about sharing articles and posting pics. Listen in to hear proven strategies for connecting with the right audience and starting quality conversations.

Content Strategy

• You can’t just “post and ghost”! Your engagement is necessary.
• Megan cautions against the use of LinkedIn pods that automate engagement using bots. Going this route won’t help you gain traction with the people you want to reach.
• Her number one tip for aspiring creators on LinkedIn is to use polls. LinkedIn’s algorithm results in more engagement with polls than other kinds of posts, but you have to be strategic about them.

 Identify Ideal Customers

• When you market to everyone, you market to no one. 
• Use your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) to narrow down the list of people you’re interested in reaching with your content.
• Learn your buyers’ pain points, demographics, values, attitudes, etc. Get as niche as you can.
• Your ideal audience should be behind you in knowledge by 3-5 years. These people will find your content engaging without feeling like it’s above or below them.

 Setting Up Your Process

• Make a list of 5-10 subjects that you are an expert on. Within each subject, identify specific teachable topics. This is going to form the basis of the content you create (at least at first). 
• “Niche down,” just like when you define your ideal customer. Get increasingly more specific about what you know well and speak on those things.
• Define who you are. Identify your values and the values of your business. Know what makes you unique and capture that in your content.

“Our number one metric across all channels, whether you’re cold-calling, cold-emailing, sending messages, or posting content on LinkedIn, is QC: Quality Conversations. Are you starting quality conversations and finding out more info? If you’re not doing that, that channel is a waste for you.” – Megan Killion

Resources

Follow Megan Killion on LinkedIn - Message her telling her you heard about her on TSE and get access to her framework!

https://mkcagency.com/

Sponsorship Offers

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

     I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

 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

Don’t be intimidated by the business acumen that gets used every day in C-suite meetings! If you want to hold your own in these conversations and earn a seat at the table time and time again, you’ll need to get educated. We’ve got you. In today’s episode, our host Donald Kelly talks with David Graswick, VP of Sales for Databook. Listen in to learn the metrics you need to understand before meeting with management.

The Language of the C-suite

• Execs are interested in the big picture. Sellers are not often taught how to have these types of business conversations – mastering this can set you apart.

• Anyone can say words like “revenue growth” or “back office efficiency,” but if you can become fluent in these topics and personalize discussions to your specific prospects, you’ll be invited into higher-level meetings more often.

• Sales leaders and sellers need to be educated before they can start having more informed, impactful conversations with buyers.

7 Financial Metrics for Sellers

1. Revenue Growth. Executives compare their company’s revenue growth to that of their peers. They are motivated to hit targets because the company’s performance is directly linked to their bonuses and compensation.

2. Profitability. Leaders have shifted away from a “growth-at-all-costs” mindset. In today’s market, sellers need to show how their product helps drive the company toward “smart growth.”

3. SGNA (Sales, Growth, and Administrative Expenses). These are expenses directly linked to selling the product. The C-suite wants to lower SGNA margins, which can look like doing big deals in a shorter amount of time.

4. Back-Office Efficiency. You may not have access to all of this information if you’re working with a private company, but you can make educated guesses based on how public peer companies are operating. Even if you’re not always correct, you’re speaking from an educated perspective.

5. Productivity. Think of this as “revenue-per-employee.” Increasing productivity means finding ways to improve or maintain revenue from customers without increasing costs to the company. 

6. Investor Sentiment. An exec wants to make sure investors believe the company can meet Street expectations. Identify your prospect’s past issues and show how your product closes the gap between where your prospect is and their projected performance.

7. Gross Margin. Any expenses that don’t fall into the SGNA category are considered a part of this metric. If you can help companies reduce costs in any way, you will get the C-suite’s attention.

Strategic Relationship-Building With Databook

• Unlike a lot of other sales technology, Databook was built to help sellers create strategic narratives for their prospects.

• The key is to align Street expectations, management priorities, and the solutions you provide in a broader narrative.

“You’re probably not going to tell these executives anything about their past performance they don’t already know. But, in my experience… if you can show how they are ranked and compared against their peer group, how that aligns with the Street expectations of your organization over the next two years, and where your solutions can help drive to that… That becomes a different narrative and a much better story that we’ve seen resonate at a much higher rate.” – David Graswick

Resources

http://www.databook.com

Call (412) 807-9119 if you’d like to speak with David directly!

Sponsorship Offers

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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

The differences between you and elite sales earners are probably more subtle and nuanced than you think. In this episode, our host Donald Kelly sits down with sales revenue and profit growth expert Doug C. Brown to talk about the traits of “elite producers.” Listen in to discover the mental patterns that might be holding you back.

What is an Elite Producer?

• They are both “top producers” (producing articles of value at the top of their industry) and “overachievers” (consistently exceeding expectations).

• They spend time improving their brain power, seeking out challenges, and bettering themselves.

• They use leverage to create better results. From each article of value they create (like a sale) they create byproducts (like referrals and networking opportunities).

Adopt the Habits of Top Earners

• Take the time to learn what holds you back. Work on those “weaknesses” and turn them into strengths. Derive your confidence from that.

• Figure out your points of leverage and double or triple your efforts in those places.

• Don’t be afraid to invest. Use company money to encourage your growth and make your business more profitable.

What You Believe Matters

• Your mind will find reasons not to push for more. Identify those thoughts and recognize that you can push past them if you choose to.

• If you allow yourself to get discouraged, you set yourself up for failure. If you believe things will go well, you will be more prepared when they do.

“Elite producers really are the 1%ers. I am one, I have been one, and I went to others that I knew and I said… ‘Let’s find the real inward things that people are thinking and doing.’ I was really surprised that it wasn’t really that much different than things a top producer was doing. But there are these slight nuances that are within.” – Doug C. Brown

Resources

Tell Doug C. Brown you heard this episode and get access to his FREE E-book! Send an e-mail to [email protected].

Sponsorship Offers

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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

Connecting with prospects over the phone can be daunting. Your success as a rep comes down to what you say, and more importantly, how you say it. In this episode, Donald Kelly meets with sales expert Jeremy Chen to discuss the dreaded cold call. Chen’s sales team primarily uses cold calling to generate business, but that’s not why he’s so passionate about it. He’s passionate because, in his words, “a cold call saved his life.”

Always Act Like You Belong

• When job hunting, Chen accidentally called the CEO of a massive Canadian company! Even though the CEO hung up on him, he got a call back a few weeks later that connected him with a job.

• Because Chen didn’t initially know he was calling the CEO, he didn’t have any tension or fear when he called. Even execs are just people – embrace confidence.

Just Make the Call

• You never know where a call will take you! When Chen called the CEO of Telus, it completely changed his life.

• Don’t get discouraged. Hang in there and try not to take the rejection personally. Keep trying.

Use a Pattern Interrupt

• Chen uses transparency. He actually says, “This is a sales call… Feel free to hang up on me if you don’t take sales calls.” This weeds out the prospects who aren’t interested.

• If the person doesn’t hang up, Chen doesn’t use industry jargon. He explains things in layman’s terms.

• He asks questions and LISTENS. Instead of railroading prospects, he lets the prospect explain their pain.

Remember Your Purpose

• Stay on target. In your first call, all you need to do is book an appointment, not make a sale.

• You might gain some insights into your prospect’s pain points. Take note, but don’t try to explore the whole story.

• Offer them a specific time (and place if you’re meeting in person). 

“Just make the call. I know that a lot of reps that I deal with today, they’re nervous, they don’t feel like their leads are the greatest, their territory sucks, whatever. Make the call. You have no idea where your next call is going to take you.” – Jeremy Chen

Resources

Reach out to Jeremy via e-mail: [email protected]

For more information, check out: JeremyChenSales.com

Sponsorship Offers

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

I think we can all agree that sales should be fun. However, many times, we find ourselves in a quagmire where we’re not progressing and deals are not going the way that they should. This is why we created TSE Sales Foundation. It’s a program designed to help sales professionals just like you master the fundamentals of sales so they can radically improve their sales pipeline and close more deals. To find out more about TSE Sales Foundation and our next start date, simply go to thesalesevangelist.com/foundation.

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