Selling In Color

We’ve come to the end of another season of Selling in Color! In this season’s finale, Donald touches on some of the great episodes and looks forward to what’s coming next for the podcast. A look back on some great episodes: * Nia Lewis [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3F316yuka4w4RU9T4X4XxX?si=20cfca071102404a] shared how she overcame her imposter syndrome. * Janice B. Gordon [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5IejcqPXd0TOya7Hk48wGA?si=70eea4dfeb434328] discussed the racial inequalities of sales teams in the U.K. * Jerry Brooner [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2H557X7HILGqrfKC4FHcKM?si=d59b3428c5ed4e4d] told us how he builds diverse sales teams. * Stephanie Chung [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cEALU12Kj1xqksZpymrTR?si=50096103e32343b4] shared her experience with high-ticket selling. * Natasha Hemingway [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iMMpzpw2XfzNzeaDKnAYD?si=4c811cc0d76c4694] explained how crucial it is for us to invest in ourselves. * Jason Bay [https://open.spotify.com/episode/591dfQrnZx8nEntAjIhacJ?si=a5ef650899604b41] taught us great email tips and strategies. All of these folks gave their input, but what’s the main takeaway from this season? Always look to tell new stories, learn new tips, and find new strategies. A look forward to what’s to come: * Moving forward, Selling in Color is shifting shift a little bit, moving more towards a storytelling style rather than purely direct interviews. * If you haven’t done so, connect with Donald on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly/] and tell him what you want to hear more about. Whether that’s highlighting brands, tech expansion, or the Great Reshuffle, we’d love to hear what you want. We’ll be back the first week of April for the launch of the next season. We can’t wait to see you as we share more strategies, stories, and tips for people of color to use as we get the success we deserve. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. [https://www.skipio.com/] This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/ [https://www.mparticle.com/careers/]. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist], designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist]! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals [http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals] or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey [https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P]. Join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b]. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode to help us understand what you want to hear. Audio provided by Free SFX [https://freesfx.co.uk/] and Bensound [http://www.bensound.com/]. 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.

We’re in The Great Reshuffle - a time where many people leave their jobs in pursuit of another. While you might want to move on to your next adventure, are you sure you’ve done everything you should before leaving? Find out on today’s episode of Selling in Color the ten things you must consider before leaving your current job. Don’t leave a job and make them regret hiring you in the first place. * Who knows what life holds; you might want to rejoin that company again! When it comes to employment, don’t burn bridges. * If you’re working within the same industry, the word can travel. And that can be damaging to your career if you leave on a negative note. * People leave because of flexibility and money - they like the opportunity for growth or adaptability inside the company. People don’t want to be stagnant. Ten things to consider before leaving: * Don’t burn bridges. (We’re better than that.) * Give a two-week notice. Think about it from an employer's perspective; the least you can do is equip your manager to be their best. * Give your boss the news. Of course, you don’t need to give them your life story, but explain that it’s time for you to move on. * Depending on the company's size, recommend someone to take your spot. * Make it easy for the next person coming in; let them know next steps, prospects, and future deals. * Give a resignation letter. It doesn't have to be complicated; you can find examples online. It’s formal, but it sets the standard as a professional. * Think about your team members. Connect coworkers on LinkedIn with other strong professionals. * Give back the company's belongings; you have bigger fishes to fry. * Think about your benefits. You might have a 401K, vacation days, or life insurance that you might need. Are you able to switch it over? * Speaking of vacation days, take the days you earned! The best time to find a new job is when you currently have one. Wait until you have signed the offer letter and have secured income before leaving your old job behind. When it’s all said and done, this is about your mental health and well-being. Do something you appreciate and enjoy doing. Oh, and happy Black History Month! Make sure to connect with Donald on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldckelly/] for more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. [https://www.skipio.com/] This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/ [https://www.mparticle.com/careers/]. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist], designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist]! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals [http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals] or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey [https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P]. Join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b]. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode to help us understand what you want to hear. Audio provided by Free SFX [https://freesfx.co.uk/] and Bensound [http://www.bensound.com/]. 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.

Emails are critical for successful salespeople. In today’s episode of Selling in Color, Donald goes over his favorite email tips, tricks, and best practices with all-star guest Jason Bay, co-owner of Blissful Prospecting [https://blissfulprospecting.com/]. Changing the email game * Engaging in the “murder by numbers approach” of sending 1,000 emails to land five appointments impacts the customer quality. * To work with a specific group of customers, show them you’re their peer. Don’t be the spam-sending stranger, be the friendly (but informative) industry peer. * You’ll send less mail with this account-based approach, but the return will be better. * Think of it as going to the gym. If you go with a plan for the session, you’ll be more efficient than if you just wing it. * Do prospecting preparation on the front end, so you don’t spend time with ill-fitting prospects. Jason’s video tips: * People avoid video [https://thesalesevangelist.com/episode944/] because they worry about how they’ll appear. But working around that fear leads to better open rates and conversion, so it’s an ideal strategy. * Look directly into the camera to maintain eye contact with the recipient. * Use quality equipment and proper lighting. * Smile! Create the sense that working with you is enjoyable. * Limit your video to 30 seconds or less. * Prepare bullet points of what you’d like to say rather than prepare an entire script. Connecting with video: * You’re not going to sell a prospect over the phone or through email or LinkedIn. Your job is to sell them on the appointment. * When choosing a video platform, consider tools that flow with what you already use. * Utilize screen-sharing to convey complex topics or show specialized data. Make the experience as enjoyable as possible! * Loom [https://www.loom.com/] is a Google Chrome extension that’s a little clunky but effective. Soapbox [https://wistia.com/soapbox] has a free version that is very capable and of good quality. * AB test everything, including different areas of your email sequence. * Prioritize prospecting based on who is most engaged with your outreach. “Changing The Email Game” Resources: * Connect with Jason at blissfulprospecting.com/Donald [https://blissfulprospecting.com/Donald], where he has put together essential tools to get you started in video prospecting. You’ll find a PDF, a script, and the flow for recording that will move you toward changing the email game. * Check out Loom [https://www.loom.com/], Soapbox [https://wistia.com/soapbox], BombBomb [https://bombbomb.com/], or Hubspot [https://blog.hubspot.com/customers/introducing-hubspot-video] for video capability that meshes with your existing workflow. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. [https://www.skipio.com/] This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/ [https://www.mparticle.com/careers/]. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist], designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist]! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals [http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals] or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey [https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P]. Join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b]. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode to help us understand what you want to hear. Audio provided by Free SFX [https://freesfx.co.uk/] and Bensound [http://www.bensound.com/]. 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.

As we enter Black History Month, it’s important we remember ways to encourage and elevate underrepresented sellers. Only 20% of sales professionals are people of color; this month is the perfect time to acknowledge that discrepancy and take steps to a more diverse sales community. So on today’s episode of Selling in Color, Donald details three simple ways to elevate underrepresented sellers. 1. Utilize LinkedIn to highlight someone. * A previous Selling in Color guest, DeJuan Brown (check out his episode here [https://open.spotify.com/episode/78voRK81Ojrsoixd6yBeNJ?si=gwmkrNkPQQWrS9-O2ZziKQ]), used to make weekly LinkedIn posts highlighting others in his community. * Hiring managers say they don’t know any people of color or that no people of color choose to apply for open positions. So DeJuan made a point to expose these people to people of color. 2. Give a lead or help a sales rep thrive. * A recent guest A.J. Vassar [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DcIHs3RptgSxdMjPGYEEB?si=US3lET_fTui4vJK3ZXFLmQ] stated that we need to connect more. And that the first thing we should ask is, “what are you trying to accomplish this week, month, and year?” * If you help enough people, you’ll eventually get what you want. Reciprocity is real. * Ask your friends who their ideal customer is, and as you’re prospecting for yourself and see someone who qualifies, help them out. 3. Celebrate wins. * Celebrate those around you when they accomplish something great. * Not only does this encourage that individual, but the noise this celebration creates will inspire other people of color to go out and do big things as well! This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. [https://www.skipio.com/] This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/ [https://www.mparticle.com/careers/]. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist], designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist]! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals [http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals] or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey [https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P]. Join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b]. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode to help us understand what you want to hear. Audio provided by Free SFX [https://freesfx.co.uk/] and Bensound [http://www.bensound.com/]. 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.

Like many sales professionals, you probably have a ton of contacts on LinkedIn. But how do you connect and build relationships with those people? Find out on today’s episode of Selling in Color! In this episode, Donald shares his insights (and his screen) to help you nurture your LinkedIn contacts. Visit The Sales Evangelist website page for this episode to follow along on Donald’s screen. 1. Take advantage of LinkedIn notifications. * If someone announces a new position, comments on your post, or shares an article, use that to create a personal touch in your message. * Remember, you don’t need every message or notification to have a sales purpose. You should also connect and interact purely to develop a relationship. 2. Send personal messages * If someone has already reached out to you on LinkedIn, that’s a good reason to respond and engage with them. * Look through their page and ask quetions to learn more about them. After all, you connected for a reason! 3. Keep a list of people to contact * Make a list of sales managers (or whoever you want to interact with.) If you notice any first-degree connections who hold that title, reach out to them. * If you haven’t interacted with them since your initial connection, asking a simple question fosters a dialogue that might lead to a lasting relationship (or just break the ice and make your subsequent follow-up less awkward.) Not every message has to be (or should be) for a sales reason. Every salesperson, at some point in their career, will feel stuck. Revitalizing your LinkedIn can be just the tactic to get past that hurdle and increase your productivity and pipeline. (And, of course, you can also increase productivity by purchasing Donald’s Sales Planner [https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Evangelist-Planner-Donald-Kelly/dp/B09NKWMX2P/ref=asc_df_B09NKWMX2P/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564685171189&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13971187286354500953&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015695&hvtargid=pla-1762296556272&psc=1].) This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. [https://www.skipio.com/] This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/ [https://www.mparticle.com/careers/]. This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist], designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free [https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist]! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals [http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals] or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey [https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P]. Join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b]. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode to help us understand what you want to hear. Audio provided by Free SFX [https://freesfx.co.uk/] and Bensound [http://www.bensound.com/]. 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.