From Cold to Connected: Why Great Sellers Build Audiences First | Benjamin Douablin - 1904

There’s a theory that if a seller focuses on a buyer’s inner feelings, then they’ll be more effective in closing a deal. This will require you to put your therapist cap on to tap into the customer’s emotions.My guests, Jack Frimson and Zac Thompson, sales professionals and co-authors of Selling Is Therapy, share their techniques from their latest book. Listen to learn more about how you can start selling like a therapist to close more deals.Meet Jack Frimson &amp; Zac ThompsonJack and Zac are seasoned sales professionals and co-founders of an agency specializing in helping clients book more high-quality appointments.&nbsp;Together, they have worked with hundreds of clients, developing practical, actionable strategies to make sales conversations more empathetic, effective, and rewarding for everyone involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;Why the Therapist Approach?Salespeople often default to outdated, aggressive tactics that leave both parties feeling slimy.Drawing inspiration from therapy, Jack and Zac discovered that the best sellers act less like “persuaders” and more like thoughtful guides, catalyzing customer self-discovery.Permission-Based Questions &amp; “Softening the Blow”Simply asking before posing tough or blunt questions disarms prospects, making conversations feel safer and more genuine.This approach helps navigate tough topics, such as budget or decision-making authority, without sounding confrontational.Levels of ListeningGreat salespeople distinguish themselves by noticing what isn’t said—body language, hesitations, or changes in tone.Calling out the “elephant in the room” (with empathy) opens space for honesty and trust.The “Test Close”Instead of forcing meetings or pushing agendas, the “test close” invites prospects to design the most valuable meeting for themselves (“What would make a call next week worthwhile for you?”).This boosts the chances of attended and effective appointments—and prospects are more invested because they helped build the agenda.The IKEA CurveWhen prospects participate in creating the solution (“If you could design your perfect platform/campaign/vendor, what would it look like?”), They feel a greater sense of ownership and buy-in.This technique is especially effective in competitive sales situations and discovery calls.Low-Stakes Practice &amp; Continuous ExperimentationJack and Zac encourage sellers to experiment with these tactics in everyday settings, like at a coffee shop, to build confidence before using them in sales calls.Letting Go of AttachmentThe healthiest sales approach is one where you’re unattached to the outcome—focused instead on helping, not convincing.If you’re struggling with this, evaluate your alignment with the product, company, and your belief in the impact you deliver."Softening the blow is when we seek permission before we ask one of those big, big questions." - Jack Frimson."You always want to be calling out the elephant in the room. Another chapter of the book talks about the levels of listening.&nbsp; It shares how salespeople tend to miss the things that aren't being said." - Zac Thompson.&nbsp;ResourcesGrab a copy of their book on Amazon.Follow and reach out to Jack and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/"

You’re posting content on LinkedIn but is it actually bringing in sales leads? In this rerun episode, I sit down with Tom Abbott, LinkedIn strategist and international sales expert, to talk about how you can create content that doesn’t just get likes but fills your pipeline. If you’re tired of playing the social media game with no ROI, this episode is your blueprint.Meet Tom AbbottTom is the founder of SOCO Sales Training and one of the top voices when it comes to using LinkedIn for B2B sales. He’s trained thousands of sales professionals around the world, and in this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what’s working on LinkedIn right now. Whether you're brand new to the platform or looking to sharpen your edge, Tom delivers actionable insights that can lead directly to revenue.Turn LinkedIn Into a Lead MachineTom explains why most sellers get LinkedIn wrong and what to do instead. It’s not about being overly polished or promotional. It’s about being intentional, authentic, and consistent.Speak to your audience’s pain pointsDon’t just talk about your product. Talk about the problems your prospects are actively trying to solve.Use a simple post structureTom breaks down the 3-part framework: hook, value, and CTA. Get attention, deliver insight, and give them something to do next.Stay visible without being spammyConsistency beats perfection. Tom shares how often to post, what formats are working best, and how to balance content types.Connect, don’t just broadcastThe magic happens in the comments and DMs. If you’re not engaging with your audience, you’re missing the point."LinkedIn is a sales tool not just a résumé. Use it that way, and it will change your business." – Tom AbbottResourcesFollow Tom Abbott on LinkedIn to see examples of his post structure in action. Check out SOCO Sales Training if you want to take your team’s LinkedIn strategy to the next level. Need help building your sales content strategy? Join my Sales Mastermind Class. Visit thesalesevangelist.com for templates, tools, and more episodes to sharpen your selling skillsSponsorship OffersThis 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.CreditsAs 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<a href="https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P" rel="noopener...

Are your mornings setting you up for success? Or are they throwing your whole day off track? In this rerun episode, I’m diving into one of the most requested topics from the archive, how to structure your morning routine for consistent sales success. Whether you're an individual contributor or leading a team, these habits will help you focus, prioritize, and perform better every single day.Start the Day Off RightWhen I first started selling, I struggled with mornings. I’d roll into the day reacting to emails, jumping on calls, and chasing activity but not results. Everything changed when I started being intentional about how I began my day. These are simple but powerful strategies that help me stay focused and in control. In this episode, I’ll share the exact routine I follow and why it works.The Morning FrameworkClarity is key. I start with 5 to 10 minutes of reflection, this could be prayer, journaling, or just quiet thinking. The goal is to reset and get my mind right. Then I review my pipeline so I know exactly which deals to prioritize. I write down one to three clear outcomes I want to accomplish that day. I also get moving whether it’s a workout or stretching, that physical energy helps jump start mental clarity. And finally, I stay out of email and Slack first. That’s reaction mode. I want to start in creation mode. These practices help me take control of my time, my mindset, and my performance. If you’re in sales, this will help you take control of your results."Control your morning and you’ll control your momentum." – Donald KellyResourcesWant to build a strong morning routine? Grab our free guide: Start Your Morning Like a Top 1% Seller Join my Sales Mastermind Class and level up your productivity and pipeline. Thinking about starting your own podcast? Get professional support from Blue Mango Studios.Sponsorship OffersThis 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.CreditsAs 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, <a...

How do you take a company that’s been winning in the SMB and mid-market world and help it thrive in the enterprise space? On today’s episode, I chat with Adam Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Motive. Adam shares the exact strategies his team used to move upstream without losing their core customers. If you're thinking about scaling your sales motion to land enterprise-level clients, this one is a must-listen.Meet Adam BlockAdam Block is the CRO of Motive, a company that offers an AI-powered operations platform for the physical economy. Their platform helps businesses in sectors like logistics, construction, and energy run safer and more efficient operations. Motive is used by massive organizations such as FedEx, Halliburton, and Centos and they didn’t get there by accident. Adam and his team made a strategic decision to go enterprise, but they made sure not to break what was already working.Going Enterprise Without Breaking Your FoundationAdam shares that Motive's journey upstream started with demand from the market. Their technology was attracting attention from larger organizations across a variety of industries. But rather than jump too fast, the team took a thoughtful approach focused on three major pillars:Do No HarmThe team made a commitment to keep serving existing customers while building out the infrastructure for enterprise. This meant careful segmentation, performance tracking, and redefining metrics to ensure success across the board.Rewire the Business for EnterpriseFrom the sales process to customer support, Adam's team rebuilt their entire operation to accommodate longer sales cycles and more complex buying processes. They also rebranded from KeepTruckin to Motive to reflect their broader market.Hire the Right PeopleTalent was key. Motive built a team of top-tier sellers and developed a farm system for internal promotion. With a focus on RAD, Resilience, Accountability, and Discipline, they created a high-performing culture that thrives under pressure.Lessons from the FieldAdam shared practical tactics for leaders looking to move upmarket:Don't chase enterprise at the cost of your base. Segment carefully and let each part of your business do what it does best.Rebranding isn't just about a name, it's about a new story. Make sure it matches your long-term vision.Build internal mobility. Create opportunities for junior talent to grow into enterprise roles, which lowers hiring risk and strengthens your culture.“You have to be bold. But you also have to be intentional.” – Adam BlockResourcesTo learn more about Motive, visit GoMotive.comConnect with Adam Block on LinkedIn Thinking about starting your own podcast? Check out Blue Mango Studios. Want help improving your sales skills? Join our Sales Mastermind Class.Sponsorship OffersThis 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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 <a href="https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/cx/20/09/sales-navigator-podcast?src=re-pod&amp;trk=tse&amp;veh=tse&amp;mcid=6897323946090332160"...

Should you email or call prospects? Which method is best for effectively reaching your clients? To find out, listen to my chat with Matt Tharp, the CEO of Hunter.io. He provides data and insights on why businesses should focus more on cold email than cold calling.Meet Matt TharpMatt might be perceived as biased towards email since he's the CEO of Hunter.io, but he was drawn to the company precisely because of its commitment to email.He enjoys working with fast-moving businesses that prioritize high velocity and product-led growth strategies. He believes this approach helps build a robust pipeline with marketing, while the sales motion supports and supplements that pipeline.Sales-driven models, heavily dependent on closing the next deal, can make it challenging for new sellers or businesses to find their footing. Relying solely on cold calling makes pipeline building particularly difficult, and the current business environment is only making cold calling harder.Matt shares his own experience as a decision-maker: if someone cold calls him unexpectedly, he's likely to get annoyed because it almost always interrupts something he's doing.Marketing Strategy for Email OutreachMatt and his team conducted research to determine which marketing strategy prospects prefer. The results showed that 61% prefer cold emails, while less than 10% prefer cold calling. He also found that individuals in the US prefer digital outreach 71% more than calling.To successfully begin email outreach, Matt suggests keeping two key things in mind:1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How you build and segment your email list.2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How you write your content.He advises against trying to reach everyone when building your list. Instead, personalize it and make it relevant to your target audience. Keep your audience segments under 100 contacts to help maintain message relevance.Subject Line TrendsTo create subject lines that generate clicks, Matt emphasizes the importance of addressing a problem the buyer is facing.It's better not to be overly playful. Instead, speak to a problem that prospects genuinely care about, and in the first one or two sentences, demonstrate that you are there to solve it. Then, explain how you will solve their problem. The final step involves adding a clear and easy call to action at the bottom of the email."Looking at current trends for business scaling investments, it's clear: phone calls are becoming less and less effective." - Matt Tharp.ResourcesIf you need help scaling your business with email outreach, consider Hunter.io (I highly recommend it).&nbsp;If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class.Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios.&nbsp;Sponsorship OffersThis 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.&nbsp; 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 <a...

You have thousands of prospects coming to your website daily, yet 80% of them don’t even sign up for your newsletter. What can you do to turn this around?My guest, Dan Novaes, the founder and CEO of Mode Mobile, is here to tell you how in this quick chat. His advice will make your prospects give away their emails as soon as they click on your website.Meet Dan NovaesDan Novaes is the CEO of Mode Mobile and creator of the EarnPhone. Mode Mobile is revolutionizing the mobile industry with its “Earn As You Go” software, enabling millions of users to turn daily smartphone habits into passive income.Under Dan’s leadership, Mode Mobile achieved 32,481% revenue growth (2019–2022), earned the #1 spot in software on Deloitte's2023 Technology Fast 500 List, and pioneered a fundraising model leveraging 30,000+ everyday investors. Now, they’re on a mission to reach1 million shareholders while tackling a $1 trillion market opportunity.Turning Around Investor Page TroublesEven though his company’s landing page was doing well, he saw that his investor page was struggling to retain prospects. Dan provides the steps he and his team took to make the changes.Knowing that he doesn’t really know what’s going on in a prospect's world when they’re looking at the page, he decided it would be best to send reminders to entice their return.&nbsp;He also found that offering an incentive for returning entices prospects even more.Dan achieved a 600% return by applying this method to his marketing efforts. He spent $ 15,000 to start the efforts, and in a short period, he ended up with a $ 750,000 return.The Most Important ComponentsWhile conducting the marketing research, he discovered that certain components were most effective in achieving his goals.One was targeting the older demographics aged 55 and above. He found that boomers were more receptive than the younger generation.&nbsp;He also found that it is important to put a name to the face within the email.&nbsp;The last component Dan shares is how truly important copywriting is, even in this AI-driven world we live in today.&nbsp;“People don’t invest enough in copywriting. The message has to hit just right. You don’t want to just have AI write generate copy.” - Dan Novaes.&nbsp;&nbsp;ResourcesWant to learn more about Dan? Visit Invest.ModeMobile.com&nbsp;Consider using these resources for your marketing efforts: Retention and Beehiiv.&nbsp;If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my Sales Mastermind Class. Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios.&nbsp;Sponsorship OffersThis 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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 <a...

show notes

I hope you enjoyed my funny intro, because it would be nice if you could call on Ghostbusters when prospects decide not to follow up with you. In the last few episodes, we've focused on strategies to ensure prospects attend scheduled meetings.&nbsp;I'm exploring this topic more with my guest, Steven Schneider, CEO &amp; Co-founder of TrioSEO. He shares what he and his team are doing to keep clients from ghosting appointments.Meet Steven SchneideSteven Schneider collaborated with two fellow sales experts to help scale multiple businesses into 6- to 8-figure enterprises by optimizing their SEO keywords on their websites.Even though he runs a multimillion-dollar SEO agency, he still struggles with clients who frequently fail to show up for appointments. He's sharing tactics that you can use in your sales approach.How His Company Handles Ghosting ProspectsNo matter how much you prepare for the follow-up or how many reminders you send, sometimes prospects simply don't show up for the meeting.&nbsp;I asked Steven how his team is handling this common sales problem. He says that people often ghost sellers because they're actually too busy to respond, or they're shopping around to find the right product.Steven shares that he keeps this in mind and realizes that he is low on their priority list.So, he tackles their pain points and dives deep into them to show prospects why they need his assistance or product.He also shares how he views each client as a unique case study if they're not following up. He goes to their website, sees why their traffic has dipped, and sends a screenshot of it.&nbsp;Then, he shares his follow-up proposal with the prospect again. This is how he digs into the pain point and shows why working with him is valuable. Often, ghosting prospects will follow up with him after he sends this email.During the Follow-Up MeetingAfter he successfully gets a ghosting prospect to attend the meeting, he begins by asking questions to help them uncover what they already know.&nbsp;Then, he shows them the website mistakes that are causing them to lose potential leads and money.It's a strategy that works so well for him that he's able to close deals right then and there.Handling First-Time Leads with No Prior ContactSteven has a unique method to help keep first-time leads, who are in the very beginning stages of the sales funnel, from ghosting.&nbsp;He shares how his website provides a contact form with questions to filter out whether prospects are a good fit for his company's services. This lets him know who is serious and who isn't.Once they’re able to schedule a meeting, he sends an email sharing a little warning of why they must not forget to attend it.&nbsp;How Individual Sellers Can HelpThe first two examples focus on collaboration between the marketing and sales departments to tackle ghosting clients. But what can an individual seller do to help?Steven suggests it's a good idea to share a case study to illustrate what success will look like if prospects attend the meeting. He recommends including this in follow-up emails to confirm appointments and demonstrate the value of the service.“Treat every client as a unique case study to learn something new.” - Steven Schneider.&nbsp;ResourcesConnect with Steven on LinkedIn.Learn more about TrioSEO here.<a href="https://trioseo.com/b2b-seo-services/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

shownotes

Thank you, Martin, for going back in time with The Sales Evangelist podcast. Thanks to him, we're going back to episode 1177 where I deep-dived into why leads are creating more work for us.In this episode, I share why many small organizations struggle with their inbound sales and how to fix it. The challenge is always deciding who should follow up on them and how to do it effectively.The Sales TeamAssume that a sales team is composed of three people: the marketing person who does almost everything, the junior assistant who helps with content creation, and the outsourced person who does the marketing strategies. Among the three, who should follow-up the lead?&nbsp;Not all leads are created equal. This means that before deciding who will follow up the lead, the lead should be evaluated first.You don’t want your salesperson pitching to a lead that in the end would go to another competitor.Do a Pre-QualificationDo a pre-qualification in your organization to know if the people you are going to have the conversation with are ready to consider the deal. Set a benchmark and rules for what you consider a marketing quantifiable lead. Consider the following questions:&nbsp;What is considered a sales qualified lead?What is the KPI of your organization?&nbsp;How many new inbound leads do you want to get per quarter/per month?How much money do you want to generate from those leads?The answers to those questions will lead you to your ideal customer. It would also help you identify the triggers that qualify them to be a marketing quantifiable lead and a sales qualified lead.&nbsp;The work is far more efficient because when a lead comes in, your salespeople can vet them and follow the pre-qualification factors you’ve set to see if the lead can generate new business for the organization. This is also helpful in maintaining your current customers.&nbsp;Create a SystemCreate a system to efficiently manage the workload. The marketing team can do the pre-qualification to increase the odds of the lead being converted into something real. Whenever a lead comes in, let marketing take a look at it and check the website and the title of the person.&nbsp;Then let the intern or junior marketing rep take over the other tasks like looking into LinkedIn, HubSpot, Marketo, or other platforms you have to find the data that you can transfer into your CRM.&nbsp;Marketing can help fix the problem of having to go back to the beginning of the funnel and pre-qualify the leads again because they’re not yet ready at the moment.&nbsp;Website Leads MatterThe sales team sometimes takes for granted the leads that they didn’t hunt for. A good example is leads coming in from the websites.&nbsp;It is disheartening when a sales rep doesn’t take that into consideration when a lead comes in via the website.&nbsp;Whenever an inbound lead comes in, it is best to use your flow process to follow-up particular prospects. It should be written and put in your company’s playbook so that everyone can read it and use it with every inbound lead that comes in.Follow-up Right Away&nbsp;A stat from insidesales.com said that a lead that’s contacted within five minutes is 100 times more likely to convert than leads that are followed-up 90 minutes later.When a lead comes in, follow up right away. You’re more likely to convert than if you wait.&nbsp;The sales team can take a quick visit to the person’s website, check their LinkedIn profile, and the pages they’ve visited on your site.&nbsp;Focus On The People That...