The Sales Evangelist

How do you handle competitor questions without sounding defensive, desperate, or unprofessional? In this solo episode, Donald C. Kelly shares three practical strategies for talking about competitors with confidence and credibility. Instead of attacking another company, he explains how to use customer stories, thoughtful questions, and your prospect's own insights to position your solution as the b...

What separates sales professionals who earn six figures from those who consistently earn seven? In this episode, Donald sits down with Brandon Fluharty, enterprise SaaS sales leader, speaker, and author of The Seven-Figure Millennial . Brandon shares the mindset, systems, and practical strategies that helped him become a seven-figure earner without subscribing to hustle culture. Throughout the con...

show notes

show notes

show notes

Don’t dream small as a seller. Always think bigger than what feels comfortable. My guest, Jason VanDevere, author of the bestselling book Dream Driven and founder of the Goal Crazy platform, shares an incredible story about his car dealership business and how a 90-day plan can completely shift results. He also breaks down five principles that challenge you to remove limitations and start moving to...

We’re tapping into a Renaissance era in sales. AI is changing how sellers operate, but human connection is still what builds trust and closes deals. My guest, Yiannis Gavrielides, Co-founder and CEO of Covve, shares how trade shows remain one of the strongest ways to build real relationships in a digital-first world. Meet Yiannis Gavrielides Yiannis Gavrielides is the co-founder and CEO of Covve,...

In the final part of this customer success and retention series, I share how businesses can move beyond simple transactions and turn satisfied customers into true brand evangelists. The focus is on creating experiences that people remember and naturally want to talk about. The Power of Memorable Experiences Brand evangelists are not created by accident. They are built through intentional experienc...

It costs 5x more to attract new customers than to retain existing ones, which is why client retention matters so much. For part two of this series, I am going over the five pillars of customer success. Pillar 1: Exceptional Onboarding Strong customer success starts the moment a client says yes. Onboarding should feel seamless, intentional, and personal, using things like welcome emails, videos, an...

Retention of a client will take you much further than constantly being on the hunt for a new one. I’m sharing a three-part series on client retention for sellers who struggle with keeping clients for the long term. This first part focuses on how to move away from the “leaky bucket” approach and start using strategies that actually help you retain and grow your customer base. Why Customers Leave Ma...

So many sellers quit within their first few months in sales. Honestly, I think many of them give up too soon. Sales isn't easy, but success often comes down to staying committed when things aren't going your way. I'm sharing why determination matters, how to push through rejection, and why the sellers who keep going are often the ones who eventually succeed. Why Determination Matters in Sales Earl...

Sales has changed dramatically in the age of AI, but success still comes down to having the right strategy. That's why I sat down with Tom Stearns and Peter Cleary, co-authors of Graphic Sales: How to Build a Prospecting Playbook. They shared how sales teams can move beyond vanity metrics and build a data-driven prospecting process that helps reps focus on the right opportunities and generate bett...

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is focusing too quickly on their product instead of understanding the deeper problem their customer is trying to solve. That’s why I wanted to bring back this conversation with Jeff Koser , founder and CEO of Zebrafy. Even though this episode originally aired during the pandemic, the principles still apply today, especially when it comes to standing out in...

Lately, I’ve been hearing more sellers say the same thing: “I’m losing my joy in sales.” Honestly, I get it. Selling today feels different than it did a few years ago. Cold outreach is harder, inboxes are crowded, buyers are more cautious, and deals take longer to close. When the wins slow down, it can start feeling like you’re just grinding through the motions instead of enjoying the work. But I...

Many women in sales struggle with feeling like they’re not fully qualified for leadership roles, even when they’re already doing the work. That self-doubt can make it harder to pursue promotions and career growth. To help break this down, I invited leadership coach and tech executive Erika Chestnut to share the challenges women face when advancing their careers and how sales leaders can better sup...

Nowadays, there’s no such thing as easy selling. You need to know more than just product features and benefits. You also need to understand how businesses make money and how different decisions impact success. The problem is that many salespeople still lack strong business acumen. That’s why I brought in Kevin Cope, CEO of Acumen Learning and author of Business Acumen for Sales Success. He shares...

AI can help you move faster, but it can also help you make mistakes faster. Too many sellers rely on automation while skipping the fundamentals that actually help deals close. One of the biggest problems? Poor qualification. I sat down with Gearoid Cox, CEO of SalesPipeline, to share advice on how sellers can build healthier pipelines, qualify deals more effectively, and stop wasting time on oppor...

We finally made it to the 2,000 episodes! After podcasting for 13 long years on sales conversations, it taught me a few things about the industry. Sales has changed a lot since I started this podcast in 2013, and one thing became clear over the years: the people who adapt the fastest are the ones who continue to win. Why Speed Matters More Than Ever Today’s buyers expect answers immediately. They...

Should your demo and discovery call happen in the same meeting? If you’re combining the two, it may be the reason your pipeline is not converting the way you want it to. Wesleyne Whittaker, sales professional and author of Sales Reset, joins me to challenge how most teams run demos and discovery and why it might be the reason deals are stalling. She also shares practical frameworks from her book S...

40% of a seller’s time is spent on prospecting. That’s a big investment, especially when a lot of it does not lead anywhere. So how do you make sure that time actually turns into real opportunities? Let’s break down how to prospect in a way that leads to conversations and closed deals. Leverage Intent and Relevant Data A big part of prospecting comes down to timing. You want to reach out when buye...

Salesforce found that reps spend just 11 hours per week actually selling. That means nearly 70% of their time is spent on everything else. So where is it going? Let’s break down what sellers are really doing and why it’s keeping them from hitting quota. Identifying Time-Bleeding Tasks Let me show you what’s really taking up their day. A lot of it comes down to necessary work that just takes way to...

Salesforce found that sellers who use AI are 3.7 times more likely to hit quota. So what are they doing differently? Let’s break down how AI is helping sellers work more effectively and why it’s becoming a core part of modern sales. Maximizing Efficiency in Prep and Prospecting AI is taking a lot of the busy work off a seller’s plate, especially when it comes to prep and prospecting. Instead of sp...

You’re feeling the impact of the tariffs, aren’t you? They keep your deals from moving forward. Luckily, I came up with three ways to move those tariff blocks out of the way and make everything move in your favor. 1. Show Them What It’s Costing to Wait When deals stall, it’s easy for companies to pause spending and focus on what feels urgent right now. But waiting comes with a cost. Instead of pus...

Today, most deals involve 11 to 13 decision-makers. Nobody wants to be the one held responsible if things go wrong. So instead of one decision-maker, you’re dealing with a full committee. That’s one of the biggest reasons deals stall, and that’s what we’re getting into in this Missed Quota episode. Why Deals Stall Even When You Do Everything Right You’ve done your research. You ran a solid discove...

A lot of sellers are working hard but still falling short in Q1. The challenge isn’t always activity. It’s timing. This is part two of the missed quota series, and I’m sharing why buyers are already far into their journey before you ever connect with them and how you can show up sooner. Why Q1 Feels So Difficult for Sellers Most sellers wonder why Q1 feels so tough, and a big part of it comes down...