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

Your prospect has rejected the deal, and now you’re unsure whether to try another sales tactic to change their mind or simply move on. This final episode of the Back to Basics series will guide you in overcoming sales objections and keeping your pipeline moving forward. Slow Down It’s natural to do everything in your power to get a prospect to say yes. This can often lead to rushing the sales process in hopes of securing that long-awaited agreement. Instead of speeding up, take a moment to pause and breathe deeply. Begin addressing the objections raised by your prospect calmly and methodically. Taking the time to regroup prevents panic and helps you avoid costly mistakes. Express Appreciation Your prospect may have valid reasons for hesitating or declining to move forward in the sales process. Acknowledge this by expressing understanding and gratitude for their time. Next, use a softener to gain permission to dive deeper into their concerns. I explain how to do this in the episode, which wil

Before visiting Dubai, I did some research to determine if it was the right destination for a trip. If I hadn’t taken a few minutes to do so, I could have ended up having a horrible experience.   This is why it’s important for you to conduct discovery calls—to ensure you and your prospect will have a pleasant experience working together. In this episode, I share the basics of a discovery call and how to set one up properly to ensure you land a deal with your prospect.   The Purpose of Discovery Calls Discovery calls are meant to determine if you and the prospect are a good fit for each other.  Too often, sales reps focus solely on their own goals instead of the prospect’s needs. If you’re only focused on reaching your quota, how can you be sure your product will actually solve the prospect’s problem?   Steps to a Successful Discovery Call   Confirm the Appointment: Before the day of the discovery call, confirm the meeting and ensure that the right individuals will be attending.   Build Rapport: Star

You’re waiting for a client to respond to your offer, but it’s taking longer than expected. How can you get them to speed up their decision? Listen to my conversation with Cindy Allis, CEO and Co-founder of Floatist, where I show her how to create urgency and close deals faster. Meet Cindy Allis Cindy Allis is the CEO and Co-founder of Floatist, a B2B tech company in the yacht industry. Currently, her industry is facing seasonal challenges, making it harder for her sales team to navigate the B2B sales cycle. In our discussion, Cindy shares some of her team’s strategies, including offering incentives to help customers make quicker decisions. I also provide tailored sales advice to address the challenges her team faces during the Q4 period. Insights on Sales Seasonality Cindy highlights the impact of seasonality on their sales process, explaining how charter companies’ pricing strategies influence their business.  She notes a recent extension in the peak season, driven by market trends and events

Sometimes, getting a prospect to say “yes” requires the right personality. But what if your personality doesn’t quite match theirs? How can you prevent them from hanging up the phone? My guest, James Buckley—the self-proclaimed phone expert and co-host of the Sell Better Podcast—is here to share the communication style you need to instantly increase your cold-call success rate. Click play and learn how to align your sales style with your prospect’s personality. Meet James Buckley After meeting James Buckley, it’s clear why he’s known as “the phone guy.” His communication style evokes emotions far more swiftly and effectively than email ever could.  James personalizes his sales approach by being authentic, intuitively connecting with prospective customers in a way that builds rapport and trust.  Thanks to his unique methods, James has become a valuable resource for both new and seasoned sales professionals.  Be sure to check out Sell Better, where he shares daily and weekly sales tips. Have the R

Here’s a shocking fact, reps don’t have to be nice in order to make a deal. Unconsciously, your need to be liked is turning you into a pushy salesperson. Listen to this episode with my guest Chris Caldwell to help you stop making this sales mistake.  Chris Caldwell’s Background Chris Caldwell is a sales trainer and expert who runs “Sell As You Are,” a company that helps sales professionals succeed by embracing their authentic selves. With experience coaching youth soccer and leading sales retreats, Chris has deep insights into human behavior and the psychological needs that drive success. He focuses on aligning beliefs and behaviors with genuine intent, offering practical strategies to foster personal power, authenticity, and commitment in sales teams. Unmet Needs in Sales How do sales reps manifest their unmet needs in sales contexts? Chris provides an analogy of parents at a youth soccer game, demonstrating how people often project their unfulfilled emotional needs onto external situations or

LinkedIn Ads are a great way to help sales teams reach their target audience with less stress. But to make them work, you’ll need the right LinkedIn Ad strategies. In this episode, I’m joined by AJ Wilcox, host of the LinkedIn Ads Show podcast. Discover his three tactics that will have prospects running to your inbox. Meet AJ Wilcox AJ Wilcox is a seasoned expert in LinkedIn advertising. He runs a podcast dedicated to LinkedIn Ads and manages a successful LinkedIn Ads agency. Initially an SEO and Google Ads specialist, AJ transitioned into LinkedIn advertising while working for a SaaS company. His expertise quickly grew, leading him to manage LinkedIn’s largest spending ads account worldwide. Why Should Sales Teams Use LinkedIn Ads? Most people avoid using LinkedIn Ads for two reasons: 1. They’re expensive 2. They believe they don’t work If you’re one of those who think Meta Ads are better than LinkedIn Ads, AJ is here to prove you wrong. He explains that LinkedIn targets a company’s audience

What in the world is the status quo? How is it able to keep you from closing deals? My guest, Will Barron, founder of Selling Made Simple and the Salesman Podcast, is here to reveal the number one deal killer. Tune in to learn more about the status quo, Will’s experience with it, and how he was able to overcome this sales challenge. Introducing Will Barron Will Barron, the mastermind behind Selling Made Simple and the Salesman Podcast, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in B2B sales. He specializes in helping salespeople close more deals in a simplified manner. Will’s strategies revolve around understanding the root causes of sales stagnation and turning them into actionable steps. What is the Status Quo? You know that feeling where you won’t do anything unless there’s a massive reward at the end? It kind of stalls your motivation to get things done. This feeling illustrates the concept of the status quo. Many salespeople face situations where deals stall and ultimately fall off the pi

In the early days of my career, I had the chance to go through Sandler Sales Training. While there, I met my two wonderful guests for this episode, Emily Davidson and Mike Montague. The principles they taught in that course provide excellent strategies that you can use during this year’s Q4 to help prepare for Q1 next year. Take notes and listen to their game plan, which will surely help you close more deals before the new year. Common BDR Challenges During Q4 You may wonder how to make the most of the remaining months of the year. Which deals should you focus on? Should you let any clients go if you know they won’t make a decision before the end of the year? These challenges can cause a lot of anxiety, but with a strategic plan, you can overcome them. Mike suggests continuing to prospect during this time. You don’t want to start the new year trying to rebuild your sales pipeline. Don’t start fresh in 2025 and bring Q4 clients along. Prioritizing Deals You may find yourself with deals that are movin

In sales, you can’t rely solely on the product to close deals; you need the right strategies and mindset to get prospects to say yes to your offers. Some companies excel at this, while others need a bit of help. Join me and my guest, Mark Roberge, in this episode as we share three case studies of businesses that turned their sales success around. Meet Mark Roberge Mark Roberge is a renowned expert in sales and venture capital, known for his data-driven strategies that transform businesses.  As the fourth employee at HubSpot, he developed a scalable sales model that fueled the company's growth.  In addition to mentoring startups, he shares his sales expertise through podcasting and speaking at major events like the Inbound conference. Understanding the Reticular Activating System (RAS) Your brain filters information all the time, and often in ways that may keep you from succeeding in sales.   We explore the Reticular Activating System (RAS) and how the brain prioritizes information it deems imp

Continuing from our last topic on prospecting, this episode dives deeper into it. I’m sharing an episode from last year featuring my discussion with Dr. Jean Oursler. She discusses why you’re not prospecting enough and what you can do to overcome this unique sales challenge. Meet Dr. Jean Oursler Dr. Jean Oursler is a renowned sales trainer known for her innovative approach to boosting new business development.  She created the Caveman Brain System, a methodology based on understanding how the amygdala’s fight, flight, or freeze response can hinder sales success.  Through her coaching, Dr. Jean aims to spread the principles of the Caveman Brain System widely, enabling teams to improve their business outcomes significantly. Caveman Brain: What Is It? Our brain still operates as though we’re living in the wild, even though society has evolved.  Dr. Jean explains that the amygdala plays a major role in how we interact with the world around us. For example, you might struggle with cold calling becau