The Sales Evangelist – Details, episodes & analysis

You call a potential client, and when they answer the phone, what do you say to reel them into your offer? “Hello, how are you doing? My name is Kevin?”

No, this is going to get you hung up on. Listen to this episode to find out what you’re supposed to say instead. I share five effective cold call openers to help you start conversations with prospects. Also, don’t forget to download the call opener document for the other five tactics. 

1. Curiosity Opener

• Curiosity makes a prospect more interested in your call and open to conversing with you. 

• Try verifying the prospect’s name and referencing something you saw about them on LinkedIn. Make sure it's relevant to a business problem they're currently having.

• This initial spark can pave the way to a longer dialogue where you can provide value.

2. Referral Opener

• You can consider this one as the golden opener. 

• Use this call opener when you know someone within the prospect's professional network to boost your credibility.

• Mentioning a mutual contact can make the prospect more inclined to listen to what you have to say.

3. Problem Solver Opener

• Take time to research a common challenge in the prospect’s industry. 

• Start by stating that you've spoken to others in the same field who have faced similar problems. Then, ask how they are currently handling this challenge. 

• This approach not only shows your understanding of their industry but also positions you as a potential problem-solver.

4. Industry Insight Opener

• A part of being a seller is being an expert in industry trends, and you can use this as an advantage when cold calling.

• After you verify the prospect’s name, share an interesting trend within their industry.

• This will show the potential buyer that you’re well-informed and that your solution is timely and beneficial to their needs.

5. Value Proposition Opener

• If nothing else works, then try to deliver a compelling value proposition. 

• Be specific on how you’ve helped similar companies to achieve measurable results.

• This can immediately capture the prospect's interest and make them more willing to continue the conversation.

"You want to spark curiosity. It makes it more intriguing for the prospect." - Donald Kelly.

Resources

https://thesalesevangelist.com/opener

TSE Sales Mastermind Class

TSE studios

Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn

Sponsorship Offers

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

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

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

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

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

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

You may be working at a company that doesn't have a good CRM, which can easily make your job stressful. How can you overcome this challenge to boost your sales?

Listen to this episode and hear my conversation with a ten year veteran sales professional. I chatted with Moustafa Moursy on how to develop your own personal sales system to help close more deals fast.

Moustafa Moursy’s Background

• Moustafa Moursy runs Push Analytics, a full-service digital agency. 
• His team specializes in various areas, including CRM implementation and consulting, helping businesses elevate their operations to the next level. 
• With experience across numerous industries, Push Analytics is a top-tier HubSpot partner and offers tailored solutions for complex business needs

Why Do Sellers Need a Workflow?

• If you don’t have a personal system of management, you’re only going to get so far.
• You may be good at the day-to-day workflow or a specific skill, but without a personal system, you’re only going to get so far.
• The personal system allows you to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. 

What Should Be In Your System?

• It depends on what type of service or product you’re selling. The more complex your workflow is, the more planning you will have to do to build your system.
• Moustatafa shares that you should start by organizing your day-to-day workflow:
• Build healthy habits to help you be productive
• List out the tasks you plan to do for the day
• Have a positive mindset
• If your company doesn’t have a good CRM, Moustafa shares how you build a spreadsheet to create a system. 
• Have checkpoints, and at the end of the week, review them. This will help you stay on track with your system, and if something falls through the cracks, you’ll be able to catch it. 

Building Your Personal System

• Moustafa shares several steps to help you build a personal sales system:
• Organizing your CRM or spreadsheet
• Writing out what you want your system to be
• Building habits to create your system

“Maybe I would have been able to close a deal, if I had follow-up. That’s the point of having a personal system.” - Moustafa Moursy.

Resources

Reach out to Moustafa: [email protected] and use TSE” in the subject line for a consultation.

Sponsorship Offers

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

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

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

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

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

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

How can you gracefully sauté around the nay-sayers when making cold calls? You might have to learn from a ballerina to find out. 

In this episode, I sit down with Wendy Weiss, the Queen of Cold Calling, to discuss the power of mastering the art of cold calling. Wendy shares her journey from ballerina to sales trainer and how the principles she learned in ballet class have transformed her approach to sales.

Meet Wendy Weiss

• Initially, she aspired to be a ballerina and pursued a dance career. However, she worked at a telemarketing agency focused on business-to-business development to support herself financially between dance gigs. 
• Years later, when her ballet career ended, Wendy realized that her expertise in cold calling was a marketable skill. This realization led her to write her first book, "Cold Calling for Women," and launch her own business.
• Now she helps business owners, sales professionals, and individuals build their sales pipelines and grow their businesses more effectively.

The Ballet Class Model

• Wendy explains the three-step model she learned in ballet class and how it applies to sales:
• Warm-up: Define your target audience and create a script that resonates with them.
• Rehearsal: Practice your script and prepare for potential objections.
• Performance: Execute your cold calling strategy with confidence.

Overcoming Fear and Rejection

• The fear of rejection keeps you from making the phone calls, but once you let go of it, everything else will fall into place. Wendy shares her own experience with rejection in the dance world and how it prepared her for sales. 
• She emphasizes the importance of practice and muscle memory in overcoming fear and building confidence.

Effective Role-Playing Techniques

• To help sales teams master the art of cold calling, Wendy suggests implementing role-playing exercises. 
• She recommends having team members practice their scripts as if they were on real calls, standing up and using headsets to make the experience more realistic.
• She also suggests using a rapid role-play technique in which the leader raises various objections, and team members must quickly respond with appropriate answers.

Success Story

• Wendy shares the inspiring story of her client, Tammy, who overcame her fear of being perceived as pushy or aggressive in her cold-calling efforts. 
• After completing Wendy's six-month implementation program, Tammy is now on track to make $25,000 per month in her commercial real estate business, with the potential to earn $300,000 annually.

“We keep doing the same thing over and over and over again until you get the muscle memory. You don't have to think about it. You can just do it. It's the same in sales. You need the muscle memory." - Wendy Weiss.

Resources

The Salesology Sales Prospecting Toolkit

Gosalesology

Salesology: Conversations with Sales Leaders

Wendy Weiss on LinkedIn 

Sponsorship Offers

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

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

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

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

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

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

In this episode of the Sales Evangelist podcast, host Donald C. Kelly explores the common pitfalls of salespeople and emphasizes the importance of understanding and providing what buyers truly want. By shifting the focus from selling to educating, sales professionals can build trust, provide valuable insights, and ultimately close more deals.

• Donald highlights the tendencies of salespeople to rely on automated emails and fail to listen to buyers' needs truly. 
• He also underscores the issue of pushing products or services onto buyers without understanding their actual requirements. 
• These common missteps contribute to a lack of trust between sales professionals and their potential clients.

• By redefining the essence of selling, Donald emphasizes the importance of persuading someone of the merit of a solution rather than simply pushing products or services. 
• He delves into the concept of buyers seeking solutions to their problems, as opposed to being pitched generic offerings.

• A key insight from Donald is the revelation that buyers crave education and seek out sales professionals who can serve as industry authorities. 
• Salespeople can capture potential clients' trust and interest by providing relevant insights and foresight.

• Donald encourages a strategic shift from selling to educating, urging sales professionals to focus on mastering their industry and understanding the recurring problems buyers face.
• By adopting the role of an industry guide, sales professionals can effectively educate and provide solutions tailored to the specific needs of potential clients.

• The episode offers actionable strategies for sales professionals, such as analyzing the commonalities and differences among their top clients to identify key drivers behind successful deals. 
• It is through these insights and foresight that sales professionals can engage buyers in meaningful conversations and educate them effectively.

• Donald shares insights into leveraging LinkedIn as a powerful tool for educating potential clients and building a robust sales pipeline. 
• He emphasizes the impact of educational content in attracting and engaging potential clients, thereby facilitating business growth.

In this insightful episode, Donald Kelly delivers valuable guidance for sales professionals seeking to enhance their approach and effectively meet the needs of potential clients. Be sure to explore the LinkedIn program and subscribe to the podcast to help enhance your sales skills more.

[Tweet "Sellers are selling, while buyers or potential buyers are looking for education. They're looking to be taught. They're craving to be taught. They're not looking to talk to another salesperson.” - Donald Kelly."]

Resources

TSE LinkedIn Prospecting

Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn

Sponsorship Offers

• This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

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

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

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

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

The battle for your audience’s attention is fierce, so you must ensure you don’t bore your prospects. Storytelling is the key to interesting presentations. The good news is that you’re already a storyteller. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, David Hooker of Prezi explains how to keep your prospects interested and provide the information […]

The post TSE 816: Don’t Bore Your Prospects to Death! appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

Your LinkedIn profile is free real estate. It’s your opportunity to communicate with your prospects, share your message, and provide value to your customers. Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re discussing how to make yourself stand out on LinkedIn, and how to use LinkedIn for outreach. About your customer Your LinkedIn profile must be about you, […]

The post TSE 815: TSE Hustler’s League-“Beef Up LinkedIn” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

Sales professionals engage in a constant hustle and grind to achieve their numbers and meet their goals. What they may not understand is that the prolonged stress can affect sales. On today’s episode of Sales From The Street, Ericka Eller emphasizes the need for sales professionals to use their time intentionally and the practical ways […]

The post TSE 814: Sales From The Street-“Stress Can Affect Sales” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

If you’re new to sales, you may already lack confidence simply because you lack experience. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, personal stylist Rayne Parvis teaches how to use your wardrobe to fake confidence if you’re new to sales. First impression If you’re not hitting your style or looking your best, your client may […]

The post TSE 813: How To Use Your Wardrobe To Fake Confidence If You’re New To Sales appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

It’s frustrating to contact decision-makers and discover that they’re not calling back. You’ve got a great product, and you provide great service, but you’re not getting access to them. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we discuss some little-known secrets about decision-makers. We’ll address why you must distinguish yourself from the pack in order […]

The post TSE 812: Selling Basic 101…”How Come They’re Not Calling Back?” appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

Your success as a sales professional depends largely on your ability to handle objections. Give up too quickly and you’ll miss an opportunity to dispel your client’s concerns. If you view the objection as a buying signal, you’ll create an opportunity to collaborate with the customer. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Jim Jacobus […]

The post TSE 811: How Do I Handle Objections? appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.