The Sales Evangelist

40 Episodes
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By: Donald C. Kelly

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...

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Dream BIG: What Every Sellers Must Do To Shatter Their Dreams
Dream BIG: What Every Sellers Must Do To Shatter Their Dreams episode artwork
#2012
Today at 10:00 AM

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The Return of Trade Show and Human-to-Human Interaction
The Return of Trade Show and Human-to-Human Interaction episode artwork
#2011
Last Monday at 10:00 AM

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Customer Success Series: Turn Customers Into Evangelist
Customer Success Series: Turn Customers Into Evangelist episode artwork
#2010
06/12/2026

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Customer Success Series: The 5 Pillars of Customer Success
Customer Success Series: The 5 Pillars of Customer Success episode artwork
#2009
06/12/2026

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Customer Success Series: Leaky Bucket
Customer Success Series: Leaky Bucket episode artwork
#2008
06/08/2026

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Stop Quitting So Fast
Stop Quitting So Fast episode artwork
#2007
06/01/2026

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

Early in my college years, I found myself stranded in California with a friend during a business trip. We had no transportation, limited options, and needed to...


Sales Is No Longer A Numbers Game
Sales Is No Longer A Numbers Game episode artwork
#2006
05/29/2026

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Helping Customers Understand The Business Problem You Solve
Helping Customers Understand The Business Problem You Solve episode artwork
#2005
05/25/2026

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Sales Isn't Fun Anymore
Sales Isn't Fun Anymore episode artwork
#2004
05/25/2026

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Why So Many Talented Women Never Make It to Leadership
Why So Many Talented Women Never Make It to Leadership episode artwork
#2003
05/18/2026

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 support them.

Meet Erika Chestnut

Erika Chestnut is a transformational leader with more than 25 years of experience in the tech industry. She is passionate about helping individuals and teams rethink lead...


How To Help Enterprise Sellers Speak The Language of their Clients
How To Help Enterprise Sellers Speak The Language of their Clients episode artwork
#2002
05/15/2026

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The Biggest Reason Why Your Sales Pipeline Is Not Converting As It Should
The Biggest Reason Why Your Sales Pipeline Is Not Converting As It Should episode artwork
#2001
05/11/2026

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What 2,000 Sales Conversations Taught Me
What 2,000 Sales Conversations Taught Me episode artwork
#2000
05/08/2026

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The Biggest Reason Why Your Sales Pipeline Is Not Converting As It Should
The Biggest Reason Why Your Sales Pipeline Is Not Converting As It Should episode artwork
#1999
05/04/2026

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Missed Quota Series: Prospecting With A Next Rather Than A Spear!
Missed Quota Series: Prospecting With A Next Rather Than A Spear! episode artwork
#1998
05/01/2026

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 buyers are already looking for a solution.That is where intent data comes in. Tools like ZoomInfo and 6sense can help you identi...


Missed Quota Series: They Were ONLY Selling 11 Hours Per Week!
Missed Quota Series: They Were ONLY Selling 11 Hours Per Week! episode artwork
#1997
04/27/2026

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 too long. Think about the time spent digging for information before a call. That can easily turn into 45 minutes of manual research for one prospe...


Missed Quota Series: The AI Gap is Real...You Debate "It's A Fad, While Your Competitor Is 6 Months Ahead of Your
Missed Quota Series: The AI Gap is Real...You Debate "It's A Fad, While Your Competitor Is 6 Months Ahead of Your episode artwork
#1996
04/24/2026

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 spending 45 minutes digging into a single prospect, sellers can now pull together key insights in just minutes using tools like ChatGPT or Claude. That k...


Missed Quota Series: Your Deal Didn't Die, Tariffs Put It on Ice
Missed Quota Series: Your Deal Didn't Die, Tariffs Put It on Ice episode artwork
#1995
04/20/2026

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Missed Quota Series: You Won Your Champion and Still Lost the Deal Here's Why
Missed Quota Series: You Won Your Champion and Still Lost the Deal Here's Why episode artwork
#1994
04/17/2026

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Missed Quota Series: The Dark Funnel - The #1 Reason Sellers Missed Quota In Q1
Missed Quota Series: The Dark Funnel - The #1 Reason Sellers Missed Quota In Q1 episode artwork
#1993
04/13/2026

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 to this. By the time you’re getting in front of a buyer, they’re already about 67% through th...


Missed Quota Series: 10 Data Backed Reasons Why Seller Missed Q1 Targets
Missed Quota Series: 10 Data Backed Reasons Why Seller Missed Q1 Targets episode artwork
#1992
04/10/2026

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. firms reported declining sales after tariffs took effect, which is leading to a lot more hesitation.

2. Buyers Are Cutting Costs

Prospects are being more cau...


Three Ways To Increasing Velocity & Getting Cold Deals Unstuck
Three Ways To  Increasing Velocity & Getting Cold Deals Unstuck episode artwork
#1991
04/06/2026

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 spent over 20 years helping sales professionals improve how they show up and sell. Having experienced the challenges of sales firsthand, she understands what it feels...


From Two Sales Per Year to Over 100 Qualified Appointments Per Month
From Two Sales Per Year to Over 100 Qualified Appointments Per Month episode artwork
#1990
04/03/2026

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 consultants who promise big results but fall short. For small businesses, that can be costly.Eric Samson knows this firsthand. Before founding Group 8A, he ran several e-co...


How My Coaching Client Got Referrals From A Rejection
How My Coaching Client Got Referrals From A Rejection episode artwork
#1989
03/30/2026

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The Rule of Seven For LinkedIn Sales Navigator
The Rule of Seven For LinkedIn Sales Navigator episode artwork
#1988
03/27/2026

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Donald, What Is Your GTM Motion Right Now?
Donald, What Is Your GTM Motion Right Now? episode artwork
#1987
03/23/2026

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How to Win Big Selling in a Niche Industry
How to Win Big Selling in a Niche Industry episode artwork
#1986
03/20/2026

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The Real Reason Your Close Rate Is So Low!
The Real Reason Your Close Rate Is So Low! episode artwork
#1985
03/16/2026

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How To Get More Replies From Your Cold Outreach
How To Get More Replies From Your Cold Outreach episode artwork
#1984
03/13/2026

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The Fortune Is in the Follow-Up
The Fortune Is in the Follow-Up episode artwork
#1983
03/09/2026

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What To Do When Champion Will Not Include Other Key Decision Makers
What To Do When Champion Will Not Include Other Key Decision Makers episode artwork
#1982
03/06/2026

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How to Hit Your Number Without End-of-Quarter Panic
How to Hit Your Number Without End-of-Quarter Panic episode artwork
#1981
03/02/2026

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Your Quota Problem Is a Thinking Problem
Your Quota Problem Is a Thinking Problem episode artwork
#1980
02/27/2026

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How To Sell With Integrity In The World of AI
How To Sell With Integrity In The World of AI episode artwork
#1979
02/23/2026

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How Can I Shorten My Sales Cycle And Close Deals Faster?
How Can I Shorten My Sales Cycle And Close Deals Faster? episode artwork
#1978
02/20/2026

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I'm Running Out of Time & My Pipeline Is Weak
I'm Running Out of Time & My Pipeline Is Weak episode artwork
#1977
02/16/2026

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How to Get Quality Referrals To Skyrocket Your Sales
How to Get Quality Referrals To Skyrocket Your Sales episode artwork
#1976
02/13/2026

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. While 90 percent of customers say they are willing to refer others, only 11 percent of salespeople actually ask. If you are not asking, you are leaving op...


Are Sales Frameworks Ruining Real Conversations?
Are Sales Frameworks Ruining Real Conversations? episode artwork
#1975
02/09/2026

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Your Sucks At Using AI, Here How To Fix It
Your Sucks At Using AI, Here How To Fix It episode artwork
#1974
02/06/2026

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Prospects Are Liars!
Prospects Are Liars! episode artwork
#1973
02/02/2026

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 “think about it,” often as a way to avoid further discussion.

Key Strategies for Sellers

If you find them lyin...