logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
30m 6s

Surviving Enterprise Sales In a Tight Ec...

Donald C. Kelly
About this episode

Right now, more so than ever, it is critical for salespeople to learn how to navigate in a tight economy. On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, our host, Donald Kelly, talks with the co-founder of DocSend, Russ Heddleston, about how to listen more, use the prospect's language, and how do ONE thing well for them. 

Why won’t order-takers survive in a tight economy?

  • Over the last few years, more and more order-taking roles are being pushed to automation. The role of the salesperson is changing because of the amount of competition and vendors. What can we do?

Be curious and listen more

  • Your first job is to listen and understand why you are having a conversation and how you can help your customer. 
  • Look up who you are talking to ahead of time. Russ says that very few of the salespeople he talks to have done their research ahead of time. 
  • The process will move faster if you are more patient on your first calls. 

Bridge the gap between value and the company's goals

  • Companies have been through the ringer in the past year, so have empathy for your prospect.
  • Your best bet to get them to buy is to understand their business. Understand what they are trying to solve so that you can become a partner to them. 

Use their own language

  • The person you are talking to is not the only person involved in the buying decision. Even if you convince them, they need to convince everyone else in the company. 
  • To help your champion save time, recognize their language and use it so that they can turn around and explain it to their company. 
  • If you are not versed in their industry, talk to product marketing and your support team, then document it for the next person. 

Do ONE thing well for them

  • Make it simple, not complicated, for why they should buy. 
  • Take all the value propositions your product has and boil it down to one thing. The discovery is key in this process so you know what is important to them. 

Episode resources


This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

The sales landscape is totally changing. The way that we are selling is out of line with the way our prospects are buying. You need to adapt to succeed. Imagine if you could use data that could give you insights into when somebody is ready and the challenges they are facing so you can fine-tune your message specifically toward them. Deep Sales, a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE.

This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad.

Are you tired of a digital workspace cluttered with notes, folders, files, and half-filled spreadsheets? (Not that we’re speaking from personal experience.) Luckily, we’ve found the solution.

Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you...

Up next
Aug 22
Why Your AI Sales Strategy Is Failing And How To Fix It | Doug Foley - 1926
Are you trying to use AI to speed up your sales cycle, only to find it's making your prospects' experience worse? The key is using technology to your advantage, not against you.In this episode, I'm joined by Doug Foley, an expert in sales enablement and AI integration. He shares ... Show More
32m 28s
Aug 18
The Easy 8-Step Framework to Win Enterprise Deals in the AI Era | Daren Fields - 1925
Today's buyers are more informed than ever, thanks to AI. Yet, they remain wary of sellers who rely on it too heavily, creating a unique challenge: How can you leverage technology to enhance your sales process without losing the authentic, personal connection that closes deals?To ... Show More
35m 47s
Aug 15
Stop Saying "Just Following"... Do This Instead! | Donald Kelly - 1924
After three to four follow-up emails, you start feeling like you're just an annoying fly to your prospects. Honestly, you're probably just buzzing their inboxes, especially if you're only sending simple "just checking in" messages. In this episode, I'll show you how to send follo ... Show More
15m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
Leveraging LinkedIn
Welcome to the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast! In this episode, host Diane Helbig is joined by sales and marketing expert, Matt Clark. Matt shares his insights on leveraging LinkedIn for targeted outreach and intentional, productive interactions. He emphasizes the import ... Show More
33m 45s
Aug 2023
#136: Rory Clark—A New Way to Approach Your Sales Conversations
Have you ever had an idea for the Business Made Simple podcast? We want to hear from you! We’re always dreaming up ways to make this podcast more valuable for our listeners, so we want to hear what you’ve loved and what you want to hear more of so we can make future episodes even ... Show More
33m 28s
Mar 2024
#788: Removing the Guesswork from Sales
Accurate sales forecasting is a consistent struggle for many organizations. In this episode, Bill and Bryan dive deep into the root causes behind this prevalent issue. They explore how leadership's pressure for inflated pipelines can lead to inaccurate forecasts, as well as the i ... Show More
21m 43s
Nov 2023
Sales Career Growth Strategies from Account Executive Extraordinaire JC Pollard
This is episode 637. Read the complete transcript on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. Purchase Fred Diamond's best-sellers Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know and Insights for Sales Game Changers now! ... Show More
24m 57s
Mar 2024
Handling Objections with Joe Marcoux, the Sales Sensei
This is episode 658. Read the complete transcript on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. Purchase Fred Diamond’s best-sellers Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know and Insights for Sales Game Changers now! ... Show More
24m 19s
Aug 2023
Episode 298 Mastering Real Estate Sales Techniques To Close Deals
In this episode of Closers Are Losers, Jeremy takes the reins to offer valuable insights into the realm of real estate sales training. The spotlight of this episode is a Q&A session with Jeremy, where the focus is squarely on overcoming real estate objections. Tune in to gain exp ... Show More
58m 59s
Jun 2022
Why You’re Not A Top 1% Earning Sales Rep
So many salespeople struggle day in and day out with their sales jobs. It’s not because they were not born with awesome skills, but because their training could not help them increase their sales ability to overcome their struggles.    Before you succumb into more frustration, I ... Show More
10m 48s
Apr 2024
447. Exactly What to Say - The Magic Words for Influence and Impact
Do you have the same ol’ generic value proposition as your competition? You probably do and it’s not working, according to communications expert Phil M. Jones. In this episode, Phil takes us through how to pick the right words, the right framing, and the right timing in sales, an ... Show More
52m 50s
May 2024
SPI 785: Small Tweaks for Big Sales with Brian Moran from SamCart
#785 Tiny changes to improve your sales process add up to a lot more revenue. This is especially true for your checkout pages! So, how do you build a frictionless experience for your customers? Find out in my chat with Brian Moran from SamCart, a platform for creating fully optim ... Show More
36m 37s