The Sales Evangelist

Many salespeople rely on assumptions about salespeople - think the cringe-inducing car salesman from movies. But while there’s truth in its origins, that description is no longer true to the modern salesperson. And while the modern salesperson embraces technology to achieve more, they often fall short. The takeaway? We aren’t getting better at selling. So how can we improve? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald brings on sales teacher, author, and consultant Andy Paul to discuss his strategy for revitalized selling.

While there are commonalities, there is more than one way to sell well.

• The push to sales conformity is really for management, not the seller. Because management wants something predictable. However, the real world is more complicated. 
• You learn, take those learnings and apply them to life. And you become the sum of your experience and knowledge. We all end up doing things differently, even if they lead to the same result.
• Despite all the tools and technological advancements that benefit us, we aren’t getting better at selling. 
• We have ready access to a world of information, so it should make for a better and more efficient buying experience. However, our win rates are dropping.
• His book was a way of acknowledging the common sales behaviors, stopping, and doing only what works.

The problem starts with educating sellers on what their job is.

• When asked “what’s your job?” The answer comes back “to persuade someone to buy my product.”
• In reality, your job is to listen to the prospective buyer’s challenges and help them find resources to overcome those problems.
• Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
• The Catalyst by Jonah Berger - Human beings have a resistance to being persuaded.
• Instead of persuasion, think about it from an influence perspective. Persuasion is coercive, while influence is affecting the actions of others without force. It’s a change in mindset.

Four Pillars of Changing Sales

• Connection - Some people conflate a relationship with a friendship. While you don’t need to be friends with your buyers, you make connections in every interaction you have with them. Credibility and trust promote the relationship that makes a buyer choose to invest their time and energy into you. The seller is the first line of differentiation to the buyer. It costs you nothing to build a level of trust, but it does make a difference.
• Curiosity - We understand the world through curiosity and asking questions. The currently accepted sales process has a tiny time fr discovery. But in reality, this process should happen in every conversation with the prospect or buyer. To be interesting to someone else, you first need to be interested in them.
• Understanding - Our job is to listen to the most important thing to the buyer. What’s the context? A salesperson’s time to understand the buyer is a process that should never stop. Fully understand the buyer to determine how you can help them overcome challenges.
• Generosity - Humans are wired to give and collectively support one another. It triggers reciprocity, and the purpose of your generosity is to achieve what is important for both parties.

Value exists only in the eyes of the buyer. The point you should achieve in sales is to help make a decision after an interaction. Were they closer to making a decision at the end of a call? If not, why did you have the meeting? 

We don’t have a lot of control over our lives. But the baseline choices we make as sellers can help achieve what’s most important to them, which is all the difference you might need to make a sale. 

Andy’s Manifesto - Sign it (especially as a sales leader)

Go to his website andypaul.com, Amazon, or anyplace books are sold to check out and order his book TITLE. SIgn his manifesto 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

More people use LinkedIn now than ever before. Is it the promised land? Not quite. But it’s still an excellent resource to find leads, start conversations, and ultimately convert connections. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by authentic seller and co-host of the making Sales Social Podcast Bill McCormick to discuss generating conversations that convert on everyone’s favorite professional social media platform. 

Three groups of people to understand on LinkedIn:

• The Lion: The people with a ton of connections they might not know very well. (Recruiters are a great example of this group.)
• The Purist: People who only connect with people in their industry or area. While they have high-quality connections, they don’t have very many.
• The Networker: People who see LinkedIn as a networking room open to connecting with new people. This group is the median between the Lion and the Purist.

A critical part of every LinkedIn connection strategy is the introduction.

• How many times do you connect without interacting with your contacts? Probably more than you think.
• In fact, you’re likely already connected to your ideal contacts, but you forgot about them.
• Bombbomb is a great resource to send video introduction messages that stand out and encourage communication with one another. It fosters conversation.

Conversations aren’t rocket science.

• Even with the free LinkedIn platform, you can filter potential contacts based on area, industry, and more criteria. (The takeaway: you don’t always need Sales Navigator.)
• We listen with our eyes. (Yes, you heard and read that right.) 
• Being a helpful resource to prospects, even if that means working with someone other than you, is the best way to approach social selling and build credibility.
• Determine what kind of content is helpful to your prospect’s problems. But instead of just sending a link, ask to send the link. And only send it if they ask for it.
• Sharing content correctly conveys the trust and credibility that establishes yourself as a thought leader.

Only 2% of LinkedIn users share content.

• You differentiate yourself by sharing content at least once per week. (Posting twice a week is even crazier.)
• You want your content to resonate with your followers before you pitch.
• Then, create curiosity. Make your audience think about something they’ve never thought about before. Teach them something new about their product or platform.
• Ask yourself if you’re creating curiosity or just pitching. Only then can you worry about disseminating content.
• Content should be a mixture of one-to-many, one-to-few, and one-to-one. Variety is the spice of life (and your LinkedIn feed)

Final tip: LinkedIn is the Rolodex of today. You can search their connections and see if they can connect you with others. To get Bill’s referral formula, connect with him on LinkedIn. Subscribe to his podcast, Making Sales Social, which features interviews with top sales and marketing leaders and strategic tips to master LinkedIn. Finally, become a free member of Social Sales Link to access a free library of resources, from masterclasses to platform optimization tips.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Video is one of the most successful and valuable tactics salespeople can implement to land more meetings and reach higher sales goals. But it can be challenging to start without understanding the basics. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Vidyard’s VP of Marketing and Chief Video Strategist Tyler Lessard to discuss how you can start integrating video content into your outreach campaigns.

Common Video Mistakes:

• The largest mistake is the perception of video in today’s business world. Video is no longer a one-to-many, high-quality product like movies and advertisements. Now it’s about connection, not perfection.
• Video is just a new mode to communicate with prospects like phone calls, social media, and traditional email. However, short videos are a visual medium that drastically help create a connection.
• You don’t need a scripted, rehearsed monologue. The goal is authenticity.
• A viewer can see the passion and excitement for the product or service that email just can’t quite convey, making it a more emotionally effective strategy than traditional messaging.

Subject LIne Best Practices:

• People typically send video messages as an email. Therefore, getting people to open the email is your greatest challenge.
• Teasing a video in the subject line piques curiosity and stands out from what’s happening out there, resulting in higher open rates.
• When people end video the same way they send emails, it doesn't feel right. These videos are an opportunity to convey authenticity and show passion, likely with a more interest-based CTA. 
• If you can incorporate something immediately relatable to your audience, it can stimulate higher engagement. 

How creative do you need to be to send video content?

• You don’t need to be a creative video-maker. However, be creative in your messaging. For example, visiting a prospect’s LinkedIn profile with a screen-share to show something you notice.
• Consider filming pre-meeting and post-meeting videos. Even if it’s a short, 20-second reminder, it creates a rhythm of communication and increases the meeting show rate.
• Post-meeting, send a video recap to attendees and people who missed the meeting, which increases your exposure and familiarity with the team.

Tyler’s final takeaway? Whatever industry you’re in, video is here to stay and now is the time to figure out how you can use it to communicate your ideas. Vidyard has a tremendous amount of free resources for salespeople on their website, vidyard.com. Get in touch with Tyler on LinkedIn for more resources and content. His book, The Visual Sale, is available on Amazon. Check out co-author Marcus Sheridan’s appearance on The Sales Evangelist. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Converting web leads is the dream for virtually every B2B company. What if we told you there’s a way to increase the conversion rate for web visitors by as much as double your current rates? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by co-founder and CEO of Chili Piper, Nicolas Vandenberghe, to discuss how his SaaS platform does just that.

Only a fraction of website visitors turns into sales leads.

• The key to improving your conversion rate is to automate your inbound process. 
• The old inbound strategy depended on a human salesperson reaching out to a prospect (typically based on a form submission.)
• This humanist delay can result in up to days of lag time between the form and the response. And the business world is just too fast-paced for that.
• Speed to Lead helps overcome this issue by automating the qualification process and scheduling meetings in real-time.

Prequalification is critical to faster client acquisition.

• You don’t want to waste time interacting with a potential client who won’t be suitable for your product. (And conversely, you shouldn’t want to waste their time.)
• Because so much data is available, clients can be pre-qualified automatically. For example, prequalification based on company size or revenue is easily accessible information that can be automatically checked with the initial form submission.
• Qualifying based on intent is trickier, but it can be accomplished through observing website visit frequency to gauge intent.

Consider reallocating manpower to positions only humans can do.

• Human beings are better at influencing and building trust, which is why Nicholas recommends inbound SDRs be reallocated to outbound SDR positions. 
• Many elements of the inbound process are menial and repetitive, like scheduling meetings and answering form submissions. People don’t need to spend so much time on the administrative elements of the profession.
• The added value of a real salesperson is in our ability to influence - something machines just can't do as effectively.

Nicolas’s final takeaway? The beauty of machines is that you can continually optimize them to better serve you and your prospects. You can experiment with which criteria are most important and adjust accordingly. Decisions are made fast, and they go to the fastest-moving person. So don’t let a lag time in inbound messaging cause slow sales cycles that result in opportunity loss. If you're interested in demoing this automated conversion platform, visit chilipiper.com. (They use their tool, so we’re sure you’ll be contacted promptly.)

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

There aren’t many people in the world who look forward to cold calling. (And if you're one of those people, you deserve an award.) But if you want to see an immediate improvement in your cold outreach, there are two things your prospects should know as soon as you start your first interaction. Find out what those are on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist. 

1: Who are you?

• Your initial outreach should include your name (we hope that’s obvious). Still, it should also include the relevant information about you that will ease prospect anxiety and make them more receptive to what you have to say.
• This information could be how you found them, like LinkedIn or at a networking event. Even better, you could reference other people in the company the prospect works with, and that they suggested the connection. 

2: What do you want?

• Once a prospect understands who you are, the seller must explain why they’re calling.
• Typically, there’s a reason you selected these specific people to cold call. As a result, you (hopefully) know a few pain points that you can use to prompt them into a conversation.
• They might not be receptive to an interaction at this particular time, but in explaining what you want, even if it’s just to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss if your product is right for them, they’ll be more likely to agree to the next step.
• Remember, you call dozens of similar people each day; you have experience and knowledge beneficial to these prospects. 

This two-part strategy is necessary for any cold outreach campaign, whether on the phone, email, or LinkedIn networking. Bring value to the table, and you’ll have a better chance of landing that next appointment. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Many salespeople dream of reaching the illustrious seven-figure earners club. But how can you achieve this goal? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by Brandon Fluharty to discuss his seven-step framework for making seven figures in enterprise SaaS sales. 

There are core truths to seven-figure selling: 

• You’re likely selling to large enterprise companies. While you can do it with small and medium-sized companies, it is challenging.
• You have experience (and confidence) selling to large clients. 
• You need the patience to endure incredibly long sales cycles.

1. Get in the right environment.

• Find your “Goldilocks” situation concerning your ideal workplace, whatever that may be.
• What kind of internal infrastructure do you need to feel comfortable and successful?

1. Build a transformation mindset

• Seven-figure earners sell a transformation that doesn’t just solve an issue; it prevents the problem from happening again. 
• In SaaS, you want to be the player touching multiple parts of the business. And that takes a transformational mindset.

1. Be strategic about your target account list.

• Sell to clients that give you purpose. Identify the reasons you like you prefer your ideal client, and search for more that fit those criteria. 
• Doing so keeps you motivated during dishearteningly long sales cycles that enterprise companies have.

1. Create a standard no one else delivers.

• The Diamond Standard - Picture a coal field in your competitive scenario, and be the diamond for your clients. 
• It is easier to perform to this standard when working with the clients you are interested in and passionate about.

1. Break through personal limitations

• The higher you climb, the more imposter syndrome you’ll feel. For example, Brandon initially thought his introversion limited his success. 
• But, as he climbed the ranks, Brandon realized he could listen more than talk. And that weakness turned into a strength.
• Write down traits you feel hold you back. Then, how can you repurpose those and turn them into strengths?

1. Rally others inside your organization

• Nothing great is achieved alone. And when you’re talking about seven and eight-figure deals, you’ll need help. 
• Be a generalist with your skillset, but be a specialist with your outcome.
• Be confident that you’re engaged and can make an impact. Don’t dictate; collaborate.

1. Develop a personal operating system

• Move out of hustle culture and work more intelligently.
• DFC: Discipline, flexibility, and curiosity. Anything with a start, middle, and end should utilize these components.
• PREP: Plan, Rest, Effort, Performance. 
• Balance these two frameworks to operate and live life instead of hustling around the clock. (It’s a much more humanistic approach.)

Follow Brandon on LinkedIn for more content, information, and insights. Subscribe to his bi-weekly email newsletter Be Focused, LIve Great for a discounted copy of his e-book upon its release! 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

As we enter the new year, there’s no time like the present to set new goals and embrace the productive mindset you’ve always wanted. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by lifelong businessman, best-selling author, and coach Brad Sugars to discuss how you can revolutionize your thinking. 

Revolutionize your mindset to get to the next level:

• It starts with the acknowledgment that your attitude needs to change.
• Brad’s formula for success: Dreams x Goals x Learning x Planning x Action. Getting to that next level involves all five of these components.
• Many of us are taught not to “bite off more than we can chew.” But change often means diving into the deep end and moving past our comfort zones.

But why should you jump into the deep end? 

• Immersing yourself in a new way of doing things creates a new identity, and that identity shift is the change people need.
• Put yourself in situations where you aren’t the smartest or most productive person in the room. Doing so gives you the push to grow and learn. 
• Instead of looking to beat your average quarter, beat your best quarter. You never see sports professionals aim to perform above their average; they aim to perform above their best.

Your goal is not your glass ceiling. 

• Don’t let a low goal influence your ability to thrive.
• Pick your favorite mentor growing up. How would you be different if you got to sit with them for thirty minutes for the next 90 days?

Brad’s quick lead generation advice:

• What are most salespeople using for lead generation? Email, social media, and other standard practices.
• What are they missing? Simply asking who is interested; they’re trying to make a sale rather than see who’s interested.
• If someone expresses interest, that’s the ideal person to start a conversation with,

Brad’s final takeaway? Set goals, don’t be the smartest person in the room, and grow into your goals. (Because if you knew how to achieve that goal today, you’d already be doing it.)

Visit Brad’s website at https://bradsugars.com/ for more content and information. Contact him on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter and mention you came from Donald’s podcast to receive 90% off his 90-day course. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Differentiation is critical when operating as a B2B seller. But what’s the best way to differentiate and ensure you earn more money? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by management strategist Lee B. Salz to understand how to effectively set yourself apart in B2B sales. 

Why does Lee have a passion for B2B sales strategy?

• The short answer? Golden Girls. The long answer? Lee needed a job his junior year of high school, so he was hired to drive the vehicle for a dry cleaning delivery service. 
• Lee was fascinated that people were willing to spend more for the convenience of delivered dry cleaning. However, it was only certain people - those with long work commutes. Those who worked local found it unneceessary. 
• The takeaway? Understand who gets meaningful value from what you’re selling, because not everyone will.

Find the people who see meaningful value in what you’re selling.

• Visit targetclientprofile.com to download a free worksheet to identify your target profile client.
• It’s not an ideal client profile; it’s a target profile client. Ideal is who you want to sell to in a perfect world. Target clients are who you can and should sell to today (and any day of the week.)
• Your product won’t be meaningful to everyone. If something is marketed to everyone, it’s marketed to no one. Some people just won’t see value in your product.

Innovation happens everywhere. 

• As long as someone sees value in your innovation, there’s place for it in the market.
• There are always people who are going to compete against you. It’s one of the oldest comparisons you see - salespeople are the athletes of the business world. 
• But one difference completely invalidates the comparison. Professional athletes work behind the scenes to deliver flawless performance. Salespeople, on the other hand, play the game without improving their performance. 

What can you do today to improve your game? 

• It takes the work, research, and tools to be a professional.
• Competition has never been more fierce. And if we’re being honest, the differences between your product and your competition’s product is probably insignificant.
• Despite these more minor differences, how many companies are lowering quotas? None. Salespeople are expected to win at higher rates.
• You have to take a step back and look at every touchpoint in the buyer’s journey to analyze where you can outsmart and outsell a competitor. (Which is exactly what Lee discusses in his book.)

Lee’s major takeaway? Don’t just sell; sell differently. Look at your touchpoints, discovery meetings, customer service, and every aspect of your sales practice to identify what you can do differently. To stay up-to-date on Lee’s content and practice, follow him on LinkedIn. Read the first chapter of his new book for free at selldifferentbook.com

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

For many salespeople, a change in mindset encourages growth as you cultivate your sales practice. And on today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by sales consultant and speaker Natasha Hemmingway to learn her 5-step formula to rewire the brain and think like a sales pro. With 16 years of corporate sales experience (and multiple years as a professional sales consultant), Natasha believes that sales changes everything. It gives us access, opportunities to impact and influence others and help solve their problems.

Step One: Mindset

• Many sales teams focus exclusively on the numbers, hustling for new clients purely for financial gain. But this mentality just doesn’t help anyone.
• Selling with heart means putting the client at the front of your selling technique. Serving them should be your priority. 
• Selling is a partnership just as much as it is a transaction, and it is the willingness to walk away from a deal if it isn’t right for the prospect.

Step Two: Communication 

• Communication cannot come without the proper mindset, and it requires an understanding of what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.
• In your communication, come from a place of confidence, ease, and grace.
• Most small and mid-size companies need to focus on their main thing. Selling dozens of slightly different products doesn’t encourage a purchase; it prevents it.
• Developing your authentic sales voice will help the client determine their best purchase (which should be your goal.)

Step Three: Energy 

• How are you showing up to work? People know if you’re nervous, anxious, or just want money. You just can’t hide it. 
• Without the proper energy, you will encounter challenges converting sales and finding growth, regardless of how good your product or service might be.

Step Four: A sales process 

• Solo entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even medium-sized businesses frequently don’t have a sales process. 
• If you wing your sales process, you’re likely repeating the same mistakes. A sales process quickly helps increase conversions and prevent these mistakes. 
• At a minimum, a sales process should detail the components of a sales call, pricing, follow-up, and closing.

Step Five: A sales strategy 

• Even if your business is similar to fifty other people, your sales strategy and process are likely quite different. 
• People (especially in the sales world) mimic what they believe is successful. But can you deliver your authentic self while trying to be someone else? (Hint: No.)

Natasha’s main takeaway? If you aren’t communicating and touching the human behind the payment, there’s a critical gap in your sales process. Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn or Instagram, and visit natashahemmingway.com for free downloads, sales quizzes, and other excellent resources.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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

Many salespeople have a misconstrued mindset about mindset itself, hindering success and costing more money. In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald discusses five common sales misconceptions and how to overcome them. So start the new year by overcoming these common misconceptions.

Myth #1: Mindset is a soft skill and can’t be proven to result.

• Yes, motivational things are important and cool. But pep talk motivation has a purpose - it helps you perform. If your mind is game-ready, the performance will follow.
• Mindset isn’t just your motivation; it’s the way you think. Motivation is only a tiny (but necessary) part of that.

Myth #2: I don’t need mindset, I can just hustle and complete tactics.

• When you get to a certain point, “hustling” only gets you so far.
• People who shatter records, earn promotions, and go beyond their current limit need more than hustle; they need the proper mindset.
• Research shows 80% of our daily thoughts are negative, and we do this to keep ourselves in our comfort zones. 
• Mindset training teaches you to combat and subvert those subconscious thoughts.

Myth #3: I don’t need mindset training to strengthen my mind.

• Even the most mentally tough person on Earth has another level they can reach.
• People sell themselves short to avoid disappointment down the line. But you can definitely do more. And mindset coaches help with that.

Myth #4: Mindsets are an either-or proposition

• Mindset by Carol Dweck establishes the dichotomy of a fixed or growth mindset. But the truth is, it’s not an either-or situation. You can be both!
• We have thoughts on both sides of the scale, between overcoming negativity in the workplace to our goals and career aspirations. 

Myth #5: Anyone can do anything

• Okay, this sounds pessimistic. But it’s simply reality. You can’t grow wings. You can’t breathe in space. And, most likely, you won’t make the NBA. There are things you can’t or shouldn’t do.
• Understanding this doesn't mean you have a bad mindset. Instead, it encourages you to shift your focus to things you have control, which allows you to see greater results.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. 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, Stitcher, or Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX 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