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The Sales Evangelist
The Sales Evangelist

The Sales Evangelist

I believe in doing BIG THINGS! You should be earning 6 figures easily as a sales rep. But chances are you are not...yet! Sales is the most important department in every company but many sellers are never taught how to effectively sell, much less how to earn their way to high-income status. My own career limped along until a company I worked for invested in sales training to help me succeed. Immediately afterward, I closed a deal worth 4X what the company spent on me and saw hockey-stick improvement in my performance. So I started a podcast to “Evangelize” what was working. <br /> Today I interview the world's best sales experts, successful sellers, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who share their strategies to succeed in sales right now: folks like Jeffrey Gitomer, Jill Konrath, Bob Burg, and Guy Kawasaki to name a few. They share actionable insights and stories that will encourage, challenge, and motivate you to hustle your way to top income status. If you’re someone looking to take off in your sales career and earn the income you deserve, hit subscribe and let’s start doing BIG THINGS!

Available Episodes 10

Are you struggling to make meaningful connections with prospects in today's cluttered and noisy marketplace? If so, you're not alone.

In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald Kelly speaks with guest Matt Reuter, a senior director of Sales Development for RealPage. Matt shares valuable insights and strategies for increasing connection rates with prospects in today's competitive market. 

He highlights the challenges sellers face, particularly in terms of breaking through the clutter and noise, and offers practical tips to overcome these obstacles. Matt emphasizes the importance of smart and strategic activities, focusing on outcomes rather than sheer volume, and understanding the nuances of prospect behavior to maximize connection rates.

Craving Results

  • Drawing inspiration from Tim Grover's book, Relentless, Matt emphasizes the significance of craving results and focusing on the right activities. 
  • By understanding the desired outcomes and having a relentless drive to achieve them, sellers can channel their energy and efforts into activities that are more likely to yield positive results.

Understanding Your Prospect

  • Matt emphasizes the need for sellers to take a step back and truly understand their prospects. This includes considering factors such as their industry, location, and daily routines. 
  • Drawing from his experience working with diverse teams across different cities, Matt recognizes that work-life and business practices vary across regions. 
  • Sellers can align their outreach efforts with prospects' preferences and schedules by understanding these nuances.

Optimizing Activity Timing

  • To boost connection rates, Matt advises sellers to identify specific time slots when prospects are more likely to engage. 
  • He suggests looking for gaps in the prospect's schedule, rather than bombarding them during peak meeting hours. 
  • Choosing the right time to reach out, send an email, or connect on LinkedIn increases the chances of catching the prospect's attention and avoiding crowded inboxes and voicemails.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

  • Matt encourages sellers to work smarter by focusing on the quality rather than the quantity of their activities. This means prioritizing meaningful interactions that are more likely to yield positive outcomes. 
  • He cautions against wasting time on aimless calls and emails that do not result in connections. 
  • Instead, sellers should invest their energy in activities that have a higher probability of success, based on their understanding of the prospect's preferences and behavior patterns.

Shifting the Metric

  • Matt challenges the conventional emphasis on the number of calls or emails made and urges sellers to focus on the outcomes they desire. 
  • Rather than simply counting the volume of activities, sellers should prioritize the desired results, be it setting up a meeting or securing a connection. This shift in mindset helps sellers prioritize their efforts and places the emphasis on achieving meaningful outcomes that drive success.

Autonomy and Empowerment

  • Matt explains how he empowers his team to structure their day based on their understanding of the prospects they are targeting. 
  • Rather than micromanaging their schedules, he encourages his team members to evaluate the buyer's behavior and align their activities accordingly. This autonomy allows sellers to make informed decisions on when and how to engage with prospects, thereby increasing their chances of establishing connections.

In this episode, Matt highlights the challenges faced by sellers in establishing connections with prospects. Through his insights and experiences, he discusses the importance of understanding the prospect's behavior, optimizing activity timing, and working smarter rather than harder. 

When sellers focus on results rather than sheer volume, they can increase their chances of success. Implementing these strategies can help sellers cut through the noise, break through the clutter, and ultimately build stronger connections with their prospects.

"Helping one seller fine-tune and improve their approach by even a quarter of a percent could result in millions of dollars for them and their company in the long run." -Matt Reuter

Resources

Matt Reuter on LinkedIn

Relentless by Tim Grover

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 the dynamic world of sales, the game has evolved. Gone are the days of relying on a single decision-maker to push a deal forward. Today, successful sales professionals understand the importance of engaging with multiple organizational stakeholders to secure the coveted win.

In this episode of “The Sales Evangelist Podcast,” host Donald speaks with sales expert Nick Reed Smith. They discuss the increasingly complex world of sales and how to manage multiple stakeholders in the buying process effectively. 

Nick shares his experience and strategies for multithreading deals, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with various decision-makers and influencers within an organization to increase the chances of closing a deal successfully. Join Donald and Nick as they dive into the art of multithreading and uncover helpful tips for sales professionals seeking to improve their techniques.

The Changing Dynamics of Sales Processes

  • Nick highlights the evolving nature of the sales landscape, where deals are becoming more complex and multiple stakeholders are involved. 
  • He emphasizes the need for sales reps to adapt and find new ways to interact with buyers effectively.

Becoming a Trusted Consultant

  • One of the key shifts in buyer expectations is the desire for sales professionals to act as consultants rather than mere order-takers. 
  • Buyers want a partner who understands their needs, manages multiple stakeholders, and provides valuable insights throughout the sales process.

Understanding Multithreading

  • Nick introduces the concept of multithreading, which involves building relationships with multiple individuals within the buying organization. 
  • Rather than relying solely on one point of contact, sales reps should engage with decision-makers, economic champions, technical champions, and coaches to comprehensively understand the deal's dynamics.

Mapping the Organizational Landscape

  • To effectively multithread, sales professionals need to identify the key personas and individuals they should engage with within the buying organization. 
  • Nick advises sales reps to map out the various stakeholders they must interact with, ensuring they cover all necessary roles, such as CRO, CFO, Rev Ops, head of alliances, and VP of sales.

Taking Control and Providing Updates

  • Nick emphasizes the need for sales reps to maintain control of the multithreading process. 
  • Instead of asking permission to interact with other stakeholders, he suggests clearly communicating to the initial point of contact that multiple team members have been reaching out to their counterparts. 
  • This approach keeps everyone informed and engaged while setting the foundation for a collaborative relationship.

Balancing Pushiness and Transparency

  • Some may perceive constant engagement with multiple stakeholders as pushy, but Nick argues that it is necessary in today's sales environment. 
  • By framing the multithreading approach as a shared effort involving various team members, sales reps assert their expertise and demonstrate their commitment to understanding the organization as a whole.

Managing multiple stakeholders in complex sales deals is a growing challenge for sales professionals. Through the art of multithreading, sales reps can build stronger relationships and easily navigate the buying process's complexities. The key takeaway from this discussion is that multithreading is not only a sales strategy but also a mindset shift toward becoming a trusted advisor and consultant to buyers.

"Oftentimes, what I found the reason for me that it does slip is because, okay, I was spending too much time with the person I thought was the decision-maker. And maybe I didn't have enough knowledge of what was going on in other departments, or maybe there was someone else higher up that I needed more buy-in from them." -Nick Reed Smith

Resources

Nick Reed Smith 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.

It's hard to keep up with the current methods of the sales industry? In this episode of "The Sales Evangelist Podcast," you will discover the sales industry's current SDR/BDR challenges and innovative strategies to combat them.

Our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with Howard Dover, a sales expert, researcher, and professor, on how staying adaptable and adjusting helps you become a better sales rep. From the psychological toll of constant rejection to the destruction of dreams and careers, it is evident that a change is needed. 

Join us as we uncover the importance of innovation and adaptability in achieving success.

The Changing Landscape of Sales

  • Howard discusses research on the sales industry, sharing insights from tracking data on sales cities and the growth of Sales Development Representatives (SDRs).
  • LinkedIn's 2018 report shows that the SDR function has experienced exponential growth, increasing by 580% over the past three years.
  • Howard highlights the need for innovative approaches in sales outreach as the buyer's behavior evolves with each new tactic.

The Power of Unique Prospecting

  • The importance of pattern interrupting and capturing attention in sales outreach efforts is emphasized.
  • Howard shares a personal example to illustrate the significance of having a captivating offer and using behavioral adjustment to act differently in certain situations.
  • Buyers have become overwhelmed by traditional approaches, and Howard suggests that honest and unique methods can help sales professionals stand out.

The Future of Sales and Strategies

  • Reflecting on the future of the sales industry, Howard predicts a shift towards a full lifecycle approach, where salespeople will generate their own leads and build their own pipelines.
  • The need to revisit older sales methodologies and find effective ways to adapt to the present market is discussed.
  • He acknowledges the challenges of breaking away from conventional training and thinking but emphasizes the potential rewards of embracing a more agile and business-minded mindset.

The Dust Bowl Analogy

  • Drawing inspiration from the Dust Bowl disaster, Howard highlights the parallel between the flawed plowing technique and the challenges faced in the sales industry.
  • The importance of adjusting and evolving approaches in response to changing customer behaviors is emphasized, drawing from interviews with successful students during the pandemic.
  • Scott Leasey's belief in avoiding overprocessing and adopting creative, business-minded approaches is mentioned as a valuable perspective.

Embracing Change and Human Behavior

  • Howard encourages sales professionals to embrace change and understand human behavior, suggesting that success lies in creativity and adapting to the current market.
  • The concept of standing out by grasping human behavior and exploring creativity is discussed.
  • The risks of sticking to old methods are highlighted, with the speaker emphasizing the need to become adaptable and open to new approaches.

The sales industry can be unforgiving, but there are strategies and approaches that can lead to success. By embracing change, staying agile, and thinking outside the box, sales reps in can navigate the ever-changing landscape and achieve their goals. 

"Being honest and unique in our approach can capture the buyer's attention and set us apart from the years of attempts to hack the system." - Howard Dover

Resources

Howard Dover LinkedIn

The Sales Innovation Paradox by Howard Dover

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.

If you don't understand why people buy, you may want to kiss your career as a sales rep goodbye. Also, if you're having difficulty connecting with your prospects, you may not be able to reach your monthly goals either.

Luckily, your host, Donald Kelly, spoke with the perfect guest to help you understand your prospects better. In this episode, Donald interviews Eric, a business strategist and coach, about understanding the reasons behind customer buying decisions and how to improve sales conversion rates. 

Eric introduces the BANK framework, an innovative tool that helps salespeople connect with customers more deeply by understanding their personality types and values. This episode explores the importance of understanding customer buying behavior and provides practical strategies for sales success.

Understanding Customer Buying Behavior

  • Eric highlights the need to go beyond traditional sales techniques and understand customers' underlying motivations.
  • Salespeople often deliver the same pitch; some customers say yes, while others say no. Understanding why people buy is crucial to improving sales conversion rates.
  • Eric emphasizes the significance of recognizing that individuals have different personality types, values, and decision-making processes.

Introducing the BANK Framework

  • Eric introduces the BANK framework, which stands for Blueprint, Action, Nurture, and Knowledge.
  • The framework helps salespeople identify and adapt to each customer's personality type, enabling effective communication and building customer trust.
  • The BANK framework goes beyond gender-specific differences and provides insights into the underlying values that drive customer decisions.

Overcoming the Language Barrier

  • Eric compares the struggle of ineffective communication in sales to speaking different languages.
  • Salespeople often present their products or services in ways that resonate with them but may not connect with the customer.
  • By understanding and adapting to the customer's preferred language, salespeople can bridge the communication gap and tailor their presentations to meet specific needs.

The Four Elements of the BANK Framework

  • Blueprint (B): Represents individuals who value stability, accuracy, and organization. They prefer logical and detailed information that helps them make informed decisions.
  • Action (A): Represents individuals who value excitement, speed, and results. They seek quick solutions and appreciate presentations that offer immediate benefits.
  • Nurture (N): Represents individuals who value relationships, collaboration, and trust. They respond to personal connections and appreciate salespeople who take the time to understand their needs.
  • Knowledge (K): Represents individuals who value expertise, data, and evidence. They appreciate presentations that provide in-depth knowledge and demonstrate credibility.

Implementing the BANK Framework

  • Eric discusses how the BANK framework can be applied in sales scenarios.
  • Salespeople are encouraged to assess the customer's dominant BANK code based on their preferences, communication style, and decision-making processes.
  • Salespeople can tailor their presentations to meet each customer's needs and values by leveraging insights from the framework.

Understanding customer buying behavior is crucial for sales success. The BANK framework emphasizes individual personality types and values, and provides salespeople with a powerful tool to connect with customers authentically. 

You can increase the conversion rate and build stronger client relationships by adapting your presentations and communication styles to the customer's preferred language. Using the BANK framework will improve your sales performance and enhance customer satisfaction with ease.

"Because for many of us, we must understand why people spend money with us. Like, why is someone going to buy from us? And I'm hoping today that you can help us to grasp that better and grow in that understanding." - Eric Goodman

Resources

Eric Goodman LinkedIn

Crack My Code

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.

Our host, Donald Kelly, speaks with Carlos Oquendo Jr., a business application specialist at Microsoft. He shares his insights and experiences in developing strong relationships with internal buyers to increase sales success.

Carlos provides valuable strategies and examples to help sales reps navigate large organizations and achieve their sales goals. Listen to this week’s episode of the Sales Evangelist Podcast to help you become a better sales representative.

Understanding the Role of Internal Partners in the Sales Process

●     Carlos emphasized the significance of internal buy-in before making a sale.

●     He highlighted the challenges sales reps face when deals fall through due to the internal team's lack of support and understanding.

●     Carlos explained how, as a specialist, his role involved working closely with internal partners to build trust and gain customer introductions. Doing this increased his chances of closing deals and achieving sales targets.

Developing Trust with Internal Partners

●     Carlos shared his firsthand experience from his early days as a field sales rep at Bank of America, selling merchant services.

●     He recognized the importance of cultivating relationships with the financial centers he was assigned to to receive referrals and warm leads.

●     Carlos proactively approached the center managers and asked about their expectations, indicating his commitment to meeting their needs.

●     As a result of consistently delivering excellent customer service, Carlos earned the trust of his internal partners. The faith of his internal partners helped him gain an increase in referrals and success.

The Power of Follow-through and Integrity

●     Carlos stressed the importance of following through on commitments made to both customers and internal partners.

●     He shared his approach of promptly contacting customers who referred to him, ensuring a seamless experience and building trust.

●     Additionally, Carlos made it a practice to inform the referring partner about the referral's progress. This proactive communication helped maintain transparency and avoid surprises.

Maintaining Consistency and Repeating Successful Strategies

●     Carlos's success was not just limited to one instance. He shared how he replicated his approach in different financial centers, consistently showing up and establishing partnerships based on mutual expectations and trust.

●     By repeating these successful strategies, Carlos achieved remarkable results, earning recognition and accolades, such as being inducted into two Platinum Clubs at Bank of America.

Building strong relationships with internal buyers is crucial for sales success, as Carlos's experiences exemplify. Trust and mutual understanding can help sales reps secure warm leads, gain valuable introductions, and increase closing rates.

This week’s TSE podcast episode provides a valuable guide for sales reps looking to navigate large organizations effectively. Listen to their conversation to help you achieve your sales targets.

"I really need to stay connected to them and understand their world, what their goals are, what their priorities are, so that they are willing to introduce me to their customers." -Carlos Oquendo Jr.

Resources

Carlos Oquendo Jr. 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 Kelly discusses the importance of utilizing LinkedIn effectively as a sales professional. Those working as business development representatives or trying to build a sales pipeline should tune in to this week’s episode.

Donald shares three key focus areas for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to grab attention, generate more appointments, and ultimately drive sales.

Utilize Your Banner

●     Donald emphasizes the often overlooked real estate of the banner on your LinkedIn profile. This space provides an opportunity to showcase your value proposition and target audience.

●     Potential prospects can quickly understand how you can help them if you clearly state who you serve and the industries you specialize in.

●     Additionally, if your company has noteworthy brand recognition, include it in the banner to further establish credibility.

●     Donald suggests using Canva to create a professional and eye-catching banner that aligns with your company's branding. You can begin selling to prospects even before you engage in a conversation by maximizing the potential of your banner.

Take Advantage of the Name Pronunciation Feature

●     LinkedIn offers a feature that allows users to record a 10-second audio clip pronouncing their names.

●     While this feature is crucial for individuals with complex names, Donald recommends utilizing it regardless of the simplicity of your name.

●     The audio introduction serves as an additional engagement tool and helps prospects connect with you on a deeper level.

Optimize Your Headline

●     The headline section is often filled with generic information such as job titles and company names automatically generated by LinkedIn.

●     Donald suggests utilizing this space strategically.

●     Consider using keywords your target audience is likely searching for, such as specific industry terms or pain points.

●     Craft a headline that attracts potential prospects to learn more about you and your expertise.

●     It's essential to align your headline with your specific goals and expertise, ensuring it accurately represents your value proposition.

Be Proactive and Engage

●     Donald advises being proactive and engaging with your LinkedIn network regularly.

●     Interact with posts, share valuable content, and participate in industry discussions.

●     Building a strong presence on LinkedIn will strengthen your personal brand, enhance credibility, and attract potential leads.

Maximizing your LinkedIn profile as a sales professional can significantly impact your ability to grab attention, generate appointments, and close deals. These four tips will help you make a lasting impression on potential prospects and increase your chances of success.

"Your profile needs to sell before you even have a conversation with someone." -Donald Kelly.

Resources

Donald C. Kelly 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 Calendly.

Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com.

4.    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.

Are you holding yourself accountable?

If not, then it’s keeping you from success within the sales industry. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist Podcast, host Donald Kelly speaks with Jessica Schultz about the importance of holding yourself accountable as a sales representative. Discover what accountability means and how it can improve your sales performance.

The Power of Leading by Example

  • Jessica highlights the significance of leaders displaying the behaviors they expect from their team members. 
  • Leading by example sets the tone for the entire organization, as it helps build trust and respect among team members. 
  • Clear expectations should be set, and any issues that arise should be addressed through reporting and conversations with the team members involved. 
  • She also stresses that if team members consistently fail to meet expectations despite efforts to support and guide them, leaders should be willing to cut ties and send a clear message to others.

Importance of Accountability and Feedback

  • One-on-one meetings allow one to discuss concerns, ideas, and goals. 
  • However, Jessica acknowledges that one-on-one meetings can often be neglected due to other priorities. 
  • To ensure accountability, metrics should be defined, and transparent reporting should be implemented. 
  • The CEO's voice is vital in addressing underperforming team members, as a clear directive from the top can greatly impact the team's performance.

Educating Leaders on Effective Sales Management

  • Jessica discusses the need for educating founders and sales leaders on what good sales management looks like. 
  • Defining expectations with metrics and implementing transparent reporting are key to holding sales leaders accountable. 
  • She encourages sales managers to stay on top of expectations to ensure reps hit their goals.

The Role of Sales Leaders in Deal Management

  • Jessica emphasizes the importance of being prepared for calls, promptly following up with reps and customers, and staying engaged and available to support the sales team.
  • The use of technology tools like Gong can help identify challenges and keywords in conversations but should not be relied upon solely. 
  • Managers must still actively listen to the entire conversation and analyze it further. 

Breaking Down Sales Metrics for Success

  • Many companies struggle to determine which metrics to manage their sales representatives to.
  • Jessica highlights the importance of breaking down revenue goals into actionable tasks for reps. 
  • Educating clients on critical sales metrics like average contract value (ACV) and conversion rates is also crucial. Founders may struggle to provide effective coaching, even if they listen to sales calls. 
  • She shares their approach to determining the number of weekly meetings with qualified customers to close deals and setting goals accordingly.

Setting clear expectations for sales leaders and team members is crucial for a thriving sales organization. Jessica shares her insights on accountability for sales leaders and founders in optimizing their sales processes. 

"Clear expectations should be set, and any issues should be resolved through reporting and conversations." - Jessica Schultz

Resources

Jessica Schultz LinkedIn

Amplify

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 Calendly.

Calendly is the leading meeting scheduling software that automates your scheduling, speeds up your sales cycle, and closes more deals. Get started for free or learn more at calendly.com.

4.            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.