The Sales Evangelist

A slow Q1 isn’t random. There are patterns behind why many sellers miss their targets early in the year. I’m walking through ten of those challenges and how you can turn things around. 1. Tariff Uncertainty Is Freezing Decisions A lot of companies are hitting pause right now because of tariff uncertainty. When businesses don’t know what’s coming next, they delay decisions. In fact, 82% of U.S. fir...

Getting deals unstuck can feel frustrating, especially when you reach the end of a quarter and nothing seems to be moving. Karen Kelly, one of the 100 most powerful women in sales 2025, breaks down how the way you show up in your sales process can be the difference between a deal that stalls and one that moves forward. Meet Karen Kelly Karen Kelly is a sales trainer, coach, and speaker who has spe...

Sometimes selling comes at the most unexpected moments in life. As an entrepreneur you’re selling your business to customers and you need to go from zero to hundreds fast. Eric Samson, CEO & founder of Group8A, is here to share how he went from hoping deals would come in to building a system that brings in sales opportunities every single month. Meet Eric Samson We’ve all experienced consultan...

It’s early in the morning, and you’re getting ready to look for prospects on LinkedIn. Every conversation is a precious gem, but how can you shine while reaching out? I have a LinkedIn strategy that helped my coaching client. I’m telling you it works because he got five referrals from using it. Breaking Through the Noise on LinkedIn One of the biggest challenges right now is standing out on Linked...

I’m a big believer in LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and that’s why I’m revisiting episode 1827 . Josh Shirley from Sandler joined me to share how to use the tool effectively and get real results. Josh Shirley’s Background Josh Shirley is a sales professional with Sandler, a well-known sales training organization. He works with sales leaders who want a structured system that delivers predictable result...

I don’t believe in sharing sales advice unless I’m actively doing it myself. Right now, I’m building a podcasting agency, Blue Mango Studios, and putting these strategies into practice every day. I’m sharing what’s working as I go, so you can apply it to your own process. Lead with a Point of Reference One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is reaching out without context. Buyers don’t respond b...

In a niche industry, you don’t win by doing what everyone else is doing. Like David facing Goliath, you have to stand out by bringing something different to the table. My guest, Brian Uzcategui, Vice President of Sales for The Kinetic Co., is here to share how he is winning in the tissue industry and the concepts you can apply to your own work. Selling in a Niche Industry Selling in a niche indust...

Many sellers ask the same question: how can I increase my close rate? Often the challenge is not the product or the prospect but hesitation at the moment when it is time to ask for the business. I’m sharing a few ideas that can help you confidently ask for the close and move deals forward faster. Stop Waiting Too Long One common mistake is waiting too long to ask for the close. Sellers may say som...

Most sellers think their outreach struggles come from poor timing or weak messaging. In reality, the bigger issue is that many outreach attempts focus on surface level problems instead of the real challenge prospects are facing. A few small changes can make your outreach far more relevant and much more likely to get a response. Stop Selling the Surface Problem A common example is when sellers lead...

You probably thought following up on a deal would be easy, but many sellers struggle with it. I’m sharing a simple way to make the process easier and stop assuming that no response means something negative. The Data Behind Effective Follow-Up Let me share a few statistics that might change the way you think about follow-up. About 85 percent of sales require five or more follow-ups, yet 44 percent...

During a deal, you might spend weeks speaking with one person only to realize the real decision makers were never involved. So how do you get your champion to bring the stakeholders into the conversation? I’m bringing back an old concept that can help prevent this situation from happening again. When Your Champion Won’t Bring Others Into the Deal During a deal, you might spend weeks speaking with...

At the end of every quarter, many sellers feel shaken when they look at their quotas. You’re putting in the work, yet the results still aren’t where they should be. I’m sharing a few ideas from The 12 Week Year that can help you rethink the calendar quarter and develop habits that take some of the stress out of selling. The 12 Week Year Mindset Instead of thinking about your annual quota, start tr...

Negative thinking can hold you back from success. I sat down with Benoy Tamang, an entrepreneur who has started and exited seven companies, to talk about mindset. How a leader or even an individual sales rep thinks can make all the difference in results. The Underdog’s Advocate Benoy is passionate about helping startups, shaped by his own experiences with adversity, including racism his father fac...

People crave genuine connection, and that can feel harder to create in today’s AI-driven world. But when you sell with integrity, buyers trust you more and move forward with confidence. Joining me in this episode is Mark Hunter, longtime friend, professional seller, and author, to talk about his new book Integrity First Selling and his passion for authentic, trust-based sales. Why Integrity Still...

You’ve been working on closing a deal for the last six months, but you thought you would have closed it three months ago. Why didn’t you reach your deadline sooner? I’m going to tell you why in this episode and show you how you can shorten your sales cycles. Why Are Your Sales Cycles Longer? I’ve found there are several reasons sellers experience longer sales cycles: Fear of making mistakes Job se...

show notes

I know referrals work. You just have to get them from the right people. In this episode, I am sharing three ways to get high quality referrals that will help you build your sales pipeline. Ask Your Happy Customers The most common way to generate referrals is by reaching out to customers who are thrilled with your service and asking for an introduction to their network. Here is the surprising part....

Recently, a seller sent me a voice note asking why his framework is failing him every single time. I am sure other sellers are facing this same issue, and in this episode, I am going to share how to fix it. Sales is not a black and white solution. It is filled with ambiguity. My advice will help you navigate those gray areas with more confidence. Beyond the Framework I start by challenging the ide...

There is a specific way to use AI technology to get the results you want. To show us how to do this, Dr. Eve Kedar, a community builder, enablement strategist, and educator, joins me for this episode. Drawing on her experience supporting over 18,000 AI enthusiasts, Eve shares strategies to help sales teams use AI without amplifying the overwhelm that can come with new technology. Meet Eve Kedar Ev...

Do buyers lie? The short answer is yes and I’m going to tell you why in this episode. I’m also going to tell you how to get the truth of their issues out and close the deal.  Why Do Buyers Lie? Buyers don’t always lie intentionally. However, there’re three main reasons why they do: They feel uncomfortable saying “no.” They’re not interested but don’t want to hurt your feelings. They want to “...

SDRs and BDRs are having to become more strategic and more technical to close deals. You would think that in a world of AI, their jobs would become easier or even be replaced. But buyers are more informed, and they know when a seller is not putting much effort into personalization. Joining me in this episode are two sales professors, BJ Allen and Kristie Jones, to discuss how we can better prepare...

Yes there’s a ton of things you can do on LinkedIn Sales Navigator. However, if you’re still struggling to use it and find prospects, you need to focus on one tool at a time. In this episode, I’m going over how to use InMail the right way to get prospects. I’m telling you, it’s one of the easiest ways to book appointments, and I have data to prove it. How to Make Responsive InMail Campaigns I did...

What should you be posting on LinkedIn, and what should you avoid? In this episode, I share three LinkedIn posts sellers can use right away. Posting the right content on LinkedIn can help you book more appointments and grow your pipeline. Why You Should Be Posting on LinkedIn If you are not posting on LinkedIn, you are missing a real opportunity to stand out. Only a small percentage of users creat...

We’re a month into 2026, so there’s no time for rookie mistakes. In this episode, I’m breaking down 10 common mistakes sellers make and how to avoid them. Catching these early can help you set yourself up for success for the rest of the year. 1. Not Having Enough Deals in the Pipeline One of the biggest mistakes I see is not having enough opportunities in the pipeline. I recommend carrying three t...

Sales enablement is meant to make selling easier, yet many teams struggle to see real results from it. In this rerun episode, Ahmad Munawar breaks down why most sales enablement efforts fall short and what leaders must do to turn enablement into a true revenue driver. We explore alignment, execution, and how enablement should support sellers in real conversations, not just live in documents and da...