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

Secret Ninja Hack For CRM Updates and Meeting Recaps The task that many salespeople find cumbersome is updating and maintaining the CRM. If you have CRM hacks, however, the task can be faster and less tedious.    CRM hacks you need to know Updating CRM isn’t an easy job. When you meet a prospect, and you have a great conversation, ideally the relationship will continue to progress. Although the relationship building is gratifying, most salespeople don’t enjoy spending time recording the details, updating the information on the CRM, and organizing the details as the relationship moves toward a closing. Working on CRM is not the most exciting aspect of the sales process, but it is necessary.   The importance of CRM An organized CRM helps salespeople understand their customers more, and this knowledge offers a better idea about how to help the customer. A salesperson can only be as effective, however, inasmuch as the data in the CRM is useful. One of the CRM hacks you can use is utilizing Google Doc for its acce

Using Video To Improve Lead Generation   There have been huge improvements in lead generation tools that salespeople can use with much more efficiency. In this episode, Sean Gordon will discuss the video technology he and his team created called vidREACH and how it can be used to improve contact with prospects.   Ideas to improve lead generation With  technology available today, people are seeing video as an effective tool to improve lead generation. Forbes projects that 80% - 85% of all content by 2022 will be sent through videos as people are turning to mobile-based apps. A 30 second video easily replaces 500-word content.    Salespeople want a platform that allows them to stand out in their industry so they need a personalized approach to make a human connection, especially when the pandemic has made it difficult for people to gather. This human connection leads to more conversation, then appointments, and eventually, closing more deals. Regardless of the channel you use to connect with other people, wheth

Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales   We all have strengths that will help us become great salespeople. The problem is, we don’t always know what these strengths are or how to use them to sell authentically. Eddie Villa is both a life and a sales coach and in this episode, he’ll speak about using our strengths to help us sell authentically.   Strengths of a Salesperson  There are 34 different strengths that fall under 4 themes: Relationship building, strategic thinking, influencing, and executing. Everyone has different motivations and strengths when it comes to selling. Are you someone who wants to deepen relationships?  Are you driven by checking off a list?  Do you like to learn new skills?  Are you motivated by the process? Once you realize what your strengths are, and you lean into your motivators, selling becomes easy! Balancing your strengths Company culture may not align with your strengths. In that case, focus on the required activities to get the job done. Once you know the

How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals   Abraham Lincoln is one of the most iconic individuals in American history for many reasons, but specifically his strategy in winning the Civil War. The Civil War was one of the darkest times for the American people, a pivotal time, and it caused the bloodiest wars fought on American soil. Abraham Lincoln brought the nation together and unified the two opposing beliefs of the North and the South people. Why bring this up on a sales podcast? Believe it or not, salespeople can use Lincoln’s strategy in closing more deals.   Going out there It was Lincoln’s idea to visit the troops and see their issues and difficulties first-hand. That experience helped him understand what they were fighting for and he was able to communicate his observation to key leaders and generals. Lincoln listened and gathered information to know what was going on in the field.  As a result, The Situation Room was created in order to discuss the intel that was gath

Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible   Jim Benton is the CEO of Chorus AI, a leader in conversation intelligence, who helps people understand the conversation that their sales teams are having with their customers.    Technology is more important than ever as it can be used to tell stories that help your clients understand what it is you offer. However, with the pandemic, it is all the more challenging to know these stories within your sales team and what their activities might include.   Becoming the best storyteller Three ways to become great storytellers:    Authenticity  A sales rep can be authentic and relaxed when he’s prepared. He has to understand what’s required of him to be present in the conversation and not be distracted.   Experience Experience is tied to authenticity. The  most authentic stories come from those that you have personally experienced. New sales reps who don’t have stories of their own can share what they observe. This means paying attention to the details of what is going on arou

How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings   Virtual and remote settings are now part of the sales process due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, it can be hard for a salesperson to build trust with your buyers you can’t meet face to face. In this episode, we’ll look at ways trust can be built regardless of proximity. Russell Wurth is the global VP of Sales Enablement at Showpad and has had an expanding range of experience over the last 20 years.     One of Russell’s favorite books, The Trusted Advisor, has a great formula for trust: Trust is credibility plus reliability plus intimacy divided by self-orientation. Trust is about developing credibility and reliability with a bit of intimacy. The thing about intimacy is that it’s hard to develop virtually. This is something that you build by personal interaction through dinners, lunch meetings, and other events. With the lack of personal meetings, however, sales reps now need to rely heavily on their credibility and reliability.  Developing pe

The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success   Regardless of the industry we are in, success is the goal, but it isn’t easy to achieve. It takes time and effort and oftentimes, we have to overcome mental blocks that keep us from attaining that success. In this episode, we’re talking about breaking through that upper limit to achieve sales success.    Limiting your sales success Gay Hendricks wrote the book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. It is a powerful book that talks about how we set limitations and don’t take big leaps because of fear. As a salesperson, we set limits on ourselves about what we do on a day-to-day basis. This may include calling clients or setting appointments. We  have these upper limits, the proverbial glass ceiling,  we impose on ourselves. These are the limits we don’t go beyond.    For example, one salesperson may limit himself to three appointments a day and when they try to go beyond that, they somehow find ways to sabotage themselves.

Use virtual tools to do more, in less time, with better outcomes   Out of necessity, we are moving into a digital world in which almost every step of the sales process involves the use of virtual tools. The challenge is, not all salespeople know how to use these virtual tools and it’s inhibiting sales growth.    Jeb Blount has been doing virtual sales since 2015. As he recognized the increasing need for sellers to be tech-savvy, he wrote  Virtual Selling and realized that there is so much more than integrating videos in the sales process. Virtual sales include integrating all the virtual communication tools, both the synchronous and asynchronous. The question was how to utilize all these virtual tools for sales and blend these into a viable way to sell and prospect. We say “blend” because face-to-face selling isn’t always available, especially in this season of people’s social distancing. Being able to use virtual tools makes the sales process more efficient and productive.    Virtual calls, for example, is

Using Trello to Manage Business and Sales Efforts   Trello is an emerging platform that helps their customers manage and organize tasks. On one screen, Trello is an amazing “white board” that shows your to do list, doing list, and done list, especially when you have multiple projects and ideas being generated at once.  How do you use Trello so you can focus more efforts driving sales? Check out this episode.    Brittany Joiner is a self-proclaimed Trello nerd as she’s been using the program for about a decade. She works full-time in marketing and is learning programming on the side. Productivity has always been something she’s passionate about learning more of. Since she saw the movie, Cheaper by the Dozen as a kid, she’s loved the satisfaction brought about by efficiency.    Brittany has been using Trello as a tool to organize all aspects of her life and it’s been a great help in keeping track of all her tasks and schedules in one place while keeping other team members in the loop about what’s going on. Trel

The Number 1 Reason You Hear "I'm Not Interested"   Of course salespeople like to hear positive responses from their prospects but it’s not always the case. Sometimes prospects say, “I’m not interested.” Why do you hear that? Is there something wrong with your pitch? Listen to this episode and understand what prospects are thinking when they say they’re not interested.    Donald has worked with hundreds of sales reps,has coached a variety of individuals, trained organizations, and he’s been on countless sales phone calls. All those experiences have taught him many things.  Donald’s latest lesson came from seeing Disney’s, The Princess and the Frog.    The story of Tiana and the Frog In the story, Tiana lives in Louisiana and has a dream of creating an amazing restaurant with her dad. She wants to do something with her life and have a purpose. Eventually, however, she gets turned into a frog. The prince in the story also gets turned into a frog. Together, they begin their quest to find the witch that turned th

How a Power Dialer Streamlines Your Sales Process and Improves Productivity   Power dialers improve your sales process and productivity. As a salesperson, have you given this any thought? Listen to this episode to help you decide if a power dialer will help you in your business.   Sean Leonard is the founder of FunnelFLARE and the CEO of Jump Demand. One of their products is FunnelFLARE and the other is a  marketing automation platform. Sean has a background in long sales cycle sales, specifically in the process automation where they are selling automation software. Interestingly, it didn’t start in sales and marketing but in manufacturing. In his early days, he was selling industrial software for manufacturing mainly in process control. Automation really played a huge part to help scale the marketing cycle. They started Jump Demand with the goal of helping people automate customer acquisition. They use FunnelFLARE for sales enablement.    The issue in sales Sales is about the highest paid hard work and the l

How I Creatively Booked Meetings Using Video With people being more isolated, the trend of how to set appointments is changing. Salespeople need to be more creative about how to get a prospect’s attention, such as using videos. This episode will be about using this approach to make you stand out from the crowd and get that meeting.    Frank Weshcler works for a company called Dynamic Signal. They started in San Bruno but for the last two years, the company has branched out to Chicago. It is a communications and engagement platform to help enterprises and commercial size companies.    The journey toward creating videos  When Frank was still interviewing with Dynamic Signal, he was asked how comfortable he was in front of the camera. With video creation being part of their outreach, he needed to be able to do quick 30-second dynamic video clips where he could introduce himself and create a pitch. With his theater background, he was immediately comfortable and got started making videos.    Use your creativity Fr

10 things new sellers should avoid doing   We all make mistakes from time to time but you can’t avoid them if you don’t know they’re mistakes. In this episode, Donald will share 10 mistakes he’s made so you he’s made so you don’t have to.    Mistake #1: Being pushy People hate pushy sales reps. These are the ones that are often associated with being a stereotypical “used car salesperson.” This makes buyers feel like they are being tricked into making a purchase. Buyers nowadays are educated, prepared, and they are familiar with the tactics that sellers use. These days, buyers have different options and can go somewhere else if they don’t feel you have their best interest at heart. Buyers want to move toward sellers who can educate them to make the best decision, as opposed to someone who is trying to push them into an option they don’t really need. .  Pushy sellers are those who are trying to hit their own deadlines and quotas without taking into account what’s best for their customer. They have abandoned the

How to Virtually Forge Deep Connections With Prospects   The pandemic has changed the methods of prospecting. Sales is still about connecting with people on a personal level but with so many people doing business virtually now, sales reps have to be able to do this without getting to see people in “the real world.”    Steve Herz is the president of the Montag Group, a talent agency specializing in representing sportscasters, TV newscasters, weathermen radio personalities, podcast hosts, and more. Over the last four years, however, Steve has also become a coach to executive CEOs and anyone who wants to improve their communication skills to close more deals.    Don’t Take Yes for an Answer  Steve’s book is  Don’t Take Yes for an Answer. The title might seem odd to a salesperson whose livelihood depends on a yes. In this case,  Steve means that he doesn’t want people to be surrounded by the yeses that keep them stuck in mediocrity.  It impedes your improvement.   For example, Steve was in his second year of law

What To Do When a Customer Says “Not Yet” To Closing   We’ve all gotten a “not yet” from a prospect and it can be frustrating having that delay in closing. In this episode we’ll look at how to move from “not yet” to yes.   Jeff Shore is a salesperson at heart and has been in the industry for a number of years. He started his sales career in real estate but for the last 20 years, he’s been at Shore Consulting. Jeff works with companies large and small all around the world. He is also a published author and is getting ready to launch his 10th book. He used to look at sales from the perspective of the salesperson but now, he’s looking at how a buyer buys. Instead of reading sales books, he reads psychology books to know what’s going on in the mind during the sales process that leads to the decisions people make.    Salespeople are sales counselors because they get to the root of the problem before they try to provide any kind of solution. This is the heartbeat of sales. We understand the customers’ problems and

5 Things All Sellers Should Do Before Prospecting Many salespeople find prospecting daunting. Prospecting is one of the most critical actions a sales rep can do to develop leads.Donald has worked with many salespeople and he still sees sales reps who don’t prepare as much as they should when prospecting. Even people who are high in the organizational chart need to prospect.  In this episode, Donald is sharing 5 actions that all sellers should take before prospecting. Set goals Plan ahead of time Focus on your list Do your research and find the right information about your prospects Have the proper mindset   Setting your goals  You must have a goal whenever you prospect. Having a goal allows you to have focused action in the time you’ve set aside for prospecting. Set a goal for how many prospects you want to contact in your scheduled time frame. Evaluate what you want to achieve. For example:   Do you plan on getting three new prospects? Are you setting two new appointments? Will you be making X number of ca

What To Do When a Prospect "Ghosts" You   During these uncertain times salespeople can feel they are being “ghosted” by prospects.  Someone who once seemed like a potential client has vanished with what seems like no hope of reconnecting. When this happens, what can you do?  You’ll find answers in this episode.    Rian Laniga graduated college and moved to Australia for a year. When he went back to Ireland, he started his career in sales. After working for other companies, he decided to start his agency to help B2B sales leaders get themselves in front of people more regularly. Rian is working with clients all over the globe including Singapore, Ireland, England, and the United States.    Defining ghosting Ghosting is not simply sending an email and not hearing or getting a response. Ghosting is more of already having a meeting with them, arranging for a follow-up, and then they didn’t show up. It’s when you’ve reached out to them multiple times but you didn’t hear a response. It’s not a one and done deal.   

How a Steady Referral Rate Generated More Than 900 Authentic Testimonials   A great way to increase the longevity of any business or sales career is to have great referrals. In this episode, we’ll explore the evolution of referrals and the stages of you can move through to receive authentic and quality testimonials and referrals.   Amber Vilhauer is the owner of the company called NGNG Enterprises, which stands for No Guts, No Glory, a phrase that her mother used as she was growing up. It reminds Amber to face her fears as she navigates the online world.    A large part of NGNG Enterprises’ work includes developing high-performance websites. Amber understands websites are the hub and heart of a business and her goal is for people to land on your website and to experience you. In order to do that, the video has become a big part of their marketing strategy so the connection is more personal. They also have a marketing division where they help influencers start creating videos and live streaming. Amber’s team t

5 Things To Know Before Using LinkedIn Voice Message   Salespeople want to know how to use new features that enable us to reach out to prospects and an example is the LinkedIn voice message. There are, however,  things you need to know before sending your first one.   LinkedIn Voice Messaging LinkedIn is now expanding its reach and updating its platform with new features. One great feature you want to be aware of is the ability to send a video message. Donald Kelly has 5 tips for using LinkedIn’s voice message:   Tip 1: Keep your message simple  Tip 2: You need to have a specific message Tip 3: Offer value Tip 4: Follow a structure Tip 5: Have an invitation to action   Keep it Simple  LinkedIn voice messages offer a 60-second to record a message. (If you don’t know how to find this tool, you can check out this episode on our YouTube channel, episode 1316.) When you only have 60 seconds you need to keep your message simple and brief. Your prospects are bombarded with activities from daily schedules and you don

Finding the Right Blend of Personalization and Automation In Outbound Sales   There has to be a balance between personalization and automation in outbound sales. The question is, how do you keep the right blend of the two? In this episode, we’ll discuss how to personalize the method of automation.   Stephen Lowisz always says that he sucks at everything except sales. He was 16 when he started selling consulting solutions. He didn’t make any money at first but even with no formal training he was able to study the process and he made his first 1.1 at 19. When Stephen started sales, it was old-school smile-and-dial. It was a time of manual effort - finding people, getting their data, putting it on SalesForce, and calling. Things are different now.   The lack of interest in effective outreach Outbound sales isn’t necessarily viewed as appealing. The appeal comes later when you’re collecting the check. Outbound sales is considered spam because we often get automated messages from a variety of sources. Many sales t