The Sales Evangelist: Sales Training|Speaking|Business Marketing|Donald Kelly

Getting to know Jeff Fromm  Jeff Fromm has written four books over the last 10 years on Gen Z. He uses thought leadership to stimulate his sales funnel and content marketing as his inbound tool.    Diving into brand loyalty  Jeff thinks of loyalty in terms of frequency of use and price elasticity. Loyalty to a brand equates to using its products more frequently. It doesn’t doesn’t mean using the brand exclusively; it means I’m willing to pay a small premium for it.  Loyalty should matter to salespeople because when you’re helpful to your customers, they’ll want to work with you over and over. It’s the difference between average outcomes and making a lot of money. Professional salespeople are empathetic, they have great listening skills, and they collaborate to solve problems.  Buyers don’t want to buy your product; they want to solve their problem. Questions are your friend, because they help the seller become smarter about the buyer, and they lead to a sale that is a better fit to the buyer’s needs. You hav

Using Past Stories in Your Close  Stories are powerful as they can help promote your product or service in many ways. How can you use stories to close deals? Nathan Hirch is a long time entrepreneur who started with an Amazon business when he was still in college, selling over $25 million in product. He built his company using virtual assistants and other freelancers and within four years, he was able to scale it to an eight-figure business.  Stories are effective Stories make you relatable and as a result, it’s easier to build relationships with other people. The more specific your story is, the better the reception will be and the more you tell your stories, the more comfortable you become in sharing them. As you tell your story, you want to watch for their reactions and listen to the feedback. Adjust your stories accordingly so it’s sharper the next time you tell it.  There’s a certain amount of trial and error when crafting your story as you tweak it and see what works. It’s not necessary to always share

I Don’t Need Anymore Training! It's a mistake for salespeople to believe they don't need any more training. This mindset isn’t productive and it certainly won’t help you improve your skills as a salesperson.  There are many people who don’t think they need to improve upon what they already know. It’s a pervasive issue and it's due to several reasons:  There is a hypocrisy that’s often present in the sales arena Training is expected in many industries so it can be taken for granted. People don't look at areas they can improve on Hypocrisy in sales Salespeople know how to handle an objection like “We have this product already. We don’t need yours." We understand this is a challenge and can share how our product may help them due to the changes in trends. The same is true in sales where trends change there too. We can’t be hypocrites and expect our sales to improve when we don’t improve as well. The change should start from us.  Training is expected Sales is a continuous learning process and there are many opp

Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel Salespeople use direct mail to move their prospects through their sales funnel but how does that impact the business? Let’s talk about that in this episode. Nick Runyon loves everything about marketing. He started out promoting his parents’ and friends’ business and ever since he’s been fascinated by connecting people with problems to people who have solutions. Direct mail defined  Traditionally, direct mail has included letters, solicitations, and mailboxes. These can be personalized for marketing messages and are called tactile marketing. Nick started personalized direct mail when he needed to reach out to a gentleman with a portfolio of assets who had an interest in their mission. It was difficult to connect with billionaires but Nick was able to.  Without much information, Nick was able to get his location and send him a package that included his book. Nick wrote a personal message in that book and called the gentleman fifteen minutes after he got th

How 5-Star Reviews Can Increase Conversion Rates Reviews are a great marketing strategy to increase conversion rates. Have you been using your reviews well? In this episode, let’s talk about reviews as a way to increase conversion rates.   Brian J. Greenberg, aka The Salesman Who Doesn't Sell, has founded businesses in e-commerce, marketing, and financial services. He has generated over 50 million in revenue from his businesses and collected over 10,000 reviews and testimonials from customers. Brian is the founder and president of True Blue Life Insurance, and Insurist, whose mission is to be transparent, honest, and helpful to their customers without ever bugging or pushing them. Brian also runs e-commerce websites at Touchfree Concepts and Wholesale Janitorial Supply and is the chief marketing officer for Love Fitness and You.    Reviews are critical in sales Customers look up companies on the internet and read reviews and complaints before they make they ever make a buying decision. Building a good online

4 Steps to Systematic Sales Growth  Salespeople and business owners employ different strategies to achieve sales growth. In this episode, Jimmy Burgess talks about steps to systematic sales growth.  Jimmy has been in real estate for 27 years and the years have let him experience all the different marketing cycles. He was able to build a time and had over a million dollars income in a year and he’s also experienced bankruptcy with just $500 to his name. He is now with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Beach Properties and starting his own podcast show.  Systematic Sales Growth Systematic sales growth can be achieved by either doing more of what you’re doing at the moment or trying new things. The whole business pattern is about birth, growth, maturity, and decline. Businesses need to look for more ways to add value to the market and ensure that people will come back to you.  Competence Jimmy talks about ABL or always be learning. Build competence by learning new things to improve the business. Look at your weak

Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections Being in sales, there needs to be a level of optimism but objections are also part of the process. How do you handle objections? Alison started her career in the human resources field before she jumped into entrepreneurship. She tried building her own business four times but failed each time. It was her fifth try in 2019 that she became a success.   Skills to overcome objections   Alison has 3 C’s to guide her in being successful in sales: Clarity, confidence, and connection.    Clarity starts with customer discovery.  It’s in this stage that prospects are able to share their needs and sales reps are able to define how they can be part of the solution. Objections often fall under three categories - budget, time, and necessity. Prospects either don’t have resources to proceed, don’t have the time to engage, or they have no need for the product or service. When you’re clear where their objections fall, you’ll have a better understanding about how to overcome these ob

How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections   Objections are common in sales but many struggle with knowing how to overcome them well. Today’s guest will talk about recognizing intent signals as a tool to overcome objections. Ernest Owusu leads a sales team at 6sense, an account-based orchestration platform that helps companies identify when an organization needs their help in prioritizing and engaging with them in a meaningful way. Ernest leads their SDR and BDR team.    Intent signals defined Intent signals are interactions, like digital interactions, with a prospective company, or even one person, that is an indicator that they want to have a conversation with you. The intent is an interest in either you, your competitors, or your industry. It tells you they are interested and you can engage.   COVID-19 has become one of the most common objections that salespeople face today. The budget objection won’t come from a company that shows intent in the offered solution. Salespeople can overcome o

Vulnerability - The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020   The key to surviving this year’s pandemic is being vulnerable. Donald explains the reason why in this episode.   Donald was talking to another gentleman about his experiences during the pandemic and asked how he was coping and making sure the family was doing well. This man could have skirted the issue but he didn’t. He told the truth and said that the situation isn’t going great. While it isn’t going great for everybody, few people will share the areas they are suffering from.    This conversation affected Donald and it allowed him to connect with the person on a human level, not just a professional one. Having a deeper conversation opened up a more meaningful dialogue and an opportunity for more conversations in the future. The vulnerability of this gentleman allowed him and Donald to talk more honestly with each other. They were able to share their experiences and challenges through this pandemic in a more authentic way. Vulnerability in

The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals   Are your sales suffering because your deals are getting cut off? In this episode we will address some of the issues that can kill deals. George Bronten is the founder and CEO of Membrain.com, a sales enablement CRM.    Things killing your sales deals Even before the pandemic, assumptions are one of the reasons why deals get killed. Salespeople make decisions based on assumptions and with sales being a very broad profession, it involves a lot of processes and complex solutions. Because it can be complex, you can’t make decisions based just on a “type” of person or solution. This can lead to wrong conclusions.   Many salespeople think they’re disciplined people but they may not be consistent. True discipline isn’t a one-time thing. It has to be repeated daily.   Selling is about helping someone improve their situation. This means you don’t have to sell to everyone, but you do want to offer help.    People are rational and emotional beings. Sales reps may be compli

Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life   A successful business learns from what it experiences, either through its own history or the history of others. Let’s talk about some of the important business lessons you can apply in all areas of life.    Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur and a mentor. He’s worked with celebrities who have become entrepreneurs and with his help, they have been able to achieve success. Mark Timm is also an entrepreneur and they met through their mutual mentor, Zig Ziglar.    The pandemic has impacted businesses of all sizes. These have been challenging months but this has also been a learning curve for Kevin. Kevin’s aggressive curiosity allowed him to start his career and it has sustained him to this day. He succeeds by watching where people begin and how they get to their destinations. The importance of mentors, the right pitch, and a great mindset Having the right kind of operational and finance team is imperative to help growth but Kevin also realize

Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections?   The presidential election of 2020 is coming. The question is, will this impact B2B sales? Let’s talk about that in this episode.    An article published in NewNorth stated that the political season impacts B2B sales but it depends on the industry and the type of customers you’re looking for. Studies have shown that multi-million dollar organizations tend to be less shy during the election. The large organizations expand because they have more consumers, stockholders, and others that have a stake in the success of the company. They have the ability to make more solid predictions and see the bigger picture. They determine how the elected leaders will affect the organization.    The election is different for the mid-sized companies as they aren’t immediately impacted by the results. This is also true for smaller companies. For sales reps, you may have more challenges in the time of the election. Brandon Julio, a professor at the London Business School said that dur

How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises   When selling, we want to talk to the decision makers but how do you reach them in order to qualify them as a prospect?  Let’s talk about that in this episode.    Erik Kostelnik is the CEO of Postal.io,  a sales marketing engagement platform that generates leads, increases sales, and improves customer retention by optimizing offline engagement and interactions.    Challenges in reaching out to decision makers There have always been obstacles in selling; however, in the last 20 years, it has gotten a lot noisier due to sales and marketing automation. As a result, it has become more difficult to grab the attention of potential clients. People are just overrun by messages and have become desensitized. You need to be different if you want to interrupt this massive flow of data to the decision-makers.     How to reach decision makers Historically we have operated on “five touches” to get to a yes or a no response. Operating within these parameters, sales re

Mistakes Salespeople Make When Prospecting   Prospecting is one of the hardest stages in the sales process. It’s where salespeople commonly make mistakes that impact the entire pitch. Learn some of the common prospecting mistakes in this episode.    Diane Helbig works with small business owners and salespeople in overcoming their struggles. She works out realistic ways for salespeople and entrepreneurs to get things done in an authentic manner.    Common prospecting mistakes Here are the top 3 common mistakes that salespeople make when prospecting.    Salespeople believe that everyone is a prospect Believing that what they seek is a sale rather than a meeting Talking more than listening   Sales is about solving the problem and connecting your product to your client’s need. This isn’t about convincing people to buy from you. Unless you have what they need, convincing someone who wasn’t ready to buy can lead to buyer’s remorse. If you approach the prospect with the closing in mind, the sales process becomes a

Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership    Understanding women leadership is becoming an important facet of sales success today. Women now play the same roles that men have but it’s not a typical subject to talk about the challenges that women face in their careers. Linda Yates helps people and organizations tap into their most positive, profitable, and professional image.    Obstacles to women leadership  Even though it’s 2020 women are still facing this challenge - the lack of pay base across the table. Males typically make more than their female counterparts, even in the same role. Leadership roles have been primarily populated by men over the course of time, women have flooded that role.    Even then, there’s still a disparity. Women often feel like an imposter when the reality is that  they are capable of doing the job well.  Women will, however, have the tendency to hold back because they still don’t have the bravado.    The critical point to being successful, however, is striving to be the best and

Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale   Sales is about the timing - when to pitch, when to close, and when to ask for the sale. Sales reps need to learn how to nail down this timing to get the desired outcome. Tim Kintz is the president of the Kintz Group, a training and consulting company for the automotive industry. He’s been in the car businesses for 30 years and recently published his book, Frictionless, which talks about closing and negotiating with purpose.    Best ways to ask for the sale Customers today have choices. Every dealership is just a click away from buying the car and the failure to deliver exceptional experiences will cause sales reps their deals.  Today’s lifestyle is different than it has been. People worked and could afford to change cars every two-three years. Now, many are battling unemployment. With everything so unsure, everyone is having to navigate a variety of financial struggles.    Sales reps must focus on building the relationship because with so much competition it isn't

How to Reach Executive Decision Makers, and Why They are Listening Right Now In previous episodes, we’ve covered that sales reps have to touch base with several people within their industry, especially the executive decision-makers. This may seem a  daunting task in today’s climate but it’s necessary.    In this episode, we talk to Jeremy Miller, the founder of Sticky Branding. His experience in moving through recessions with the family business, and with his own brand, prepared him for the economic downturn that resulted from covid. With the knowledge he’s accumulated, he’s helping other businesses turn it around and in many cases, launch even better.    Reach out executives The pandemic leveled the playing field for all - every sales rep and even the executives are going through the same experiences together. Almost all businesses are in a state of change as they push the threshold of what they’ve known as common business practices.  They’re having to relearn where to listen. Sales reps who are equipped wit

Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills? Sales is a career where people develop their social skills and deepen relationship building. What happens, however, if you’re starting from a place of anxiety and it’s hard for you to talk to people?  Is it still possible to have a successful career in sales? Unfortunately, sales isn’t the solution to these issues and in this episode, we’ll talk about the reasons why.    The wrong idea of getting into sales Sales is a career that deals with interacting with people and the point of it is not to boost your confidence. Being a salesperson who is looking for ways the customer can benefit you means that you’re thinking more about fulfilling your needs rather than helping the buyers solve their problems.    Nobody should get into sales exclusively thinking about what they’re going to get out of it. This mentality makes sales reps people pleasers. They’re afraid of offending their prospects so it keeps the sales rep from asking the important questions.

A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values Solving customer needs are core to any business. For your organization to achieve success, you need to understand what’s valuable to your customer. Let’s talk about that in this episode.    David Priemer had the opportunity to work with Salesforce and saw how sales machines were built operationally and culturally. His time in sales made him realize that people naturally love to buy things but they don’t like speaking with salespeople. David aims to combine his experience as a salesperson and research scientist with the curiosity-based approach to help make sales better for all.     Sell the way you buy Modern selling and buying have changed dramatically over the past 5-10 years. With the advent of social media, people no longer have the mental bandwidth to care about everything equally. Unfortunately, many salespeople are stuck using the same tactics that worked 10-20 years ago and that can be disastrous. Salespeople must step up and use modern approaches

How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers How can you become indispensable to your customers? Let’s learn the important facets of our clients’ businesses in this episode.    Nick Casale is the director of Sales at Sendoso, a company that makes it easy to send anything everywhere so you can ship gifts to your clients and prospects. Their services can help you engage, acquire, and retain customers.             Becoming indispensable to your clients The challenge is understanding the difference between what your buyer can get exclusively from you versus what they can get from Google or other sources. There are two ways to become indispensable to your clients. The first is by being helpful and approachable and the other is recognizing that both you and your clients are human beings. You should  be able to maintain a business relationship while delivering business value.    Salespeople can make the mistake of forgetting that clients and prospects are more than that. They are also people with families and at the en