Kevin "KD" Dorsey

Stop overcomplicating outbound. Let me give you a simple, 3-step framework for outbound prospecting. Step 1: Get a list of your buyers with verified phone numbers. Step 2: Call that list and talk to your buyers. Step 3: Repeat step 2. Pfew... that was hard.

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Want to future proof your sales career? Stop "selling." Become a problem solver. How? One way is to create your own partner network. Here's how: 1) Revisit the details of your Ideal Customer Profile and the main persona you sell to 2) Identify the top 5-10 vendors/services your persona works with (ideally the ones that are complimentary to your solution) 3) Call into each vendor and ask to talk to one of their top reps (or find them on Linkedin) 4) Tell the rep that you focus on the same ICP/Persona and you want to develop a relationship with them because you come across opportunities for their services when you're talking to your clients and prospects. See if they would be open to meeting weekly or monthly to talk about what you're both seeing out there and share leads/opportunities 5) When you meet with clients, don't just focus on asking loaded questions to find the pain that your solution can solve. Try to dig into their challenges and find the root cause of the issue they are having. Sometimes that root cause it not something your solution can solve but one of your partners can. Instead of pushing for the sale, make the intro. By taking this approach you not only become the "trusted advisor" that everyone talks about, you bring value to the client and a partner that will almost certainly come back around in your favor eventually. I got into the details of this approach with Alexander J. Buckles from Forecastable on this week's episode of the Make it Happen Monday podcast.

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Why is CS so neglected? Customers are the easiest prospects And yet we don’t have a process for growth Why is that? When funding was flooding in, the focus in so many companies was all on new business. This funding flowed into SDR hires, sequencing tools, marketing budgets and lead generation programs. As this happened, we saw CAC reach often unsustainable levels and it left little budget for Customer Success. More importantly, it wasn’t a top priority for leadership. The process to identify unhealthy accounts and get them healthy and to retain and grow healthy accounts was often missing. Customer Success still rarely falls under the CRO, as if to say that retaining and growing existing customers isn’t part of the revenue engine. I’m seeing it more and more but we still have a long way to go. We’re in desperate need of a reset. There is no better opportunity than to retain and grow an existing customer and it deserves the same investment, resources, strategy, process, data and tools that new customer acquisition has been getting the last 10-20 years. Why do you think so many companies are still dragging their feet here? 🤔

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Why is CS so neglected? Customers are the easiest prospects And yet we don’t have a process for growth Why is that? When funding was flooding in, the focus in so many companies was all on new business. This funding flowed into SDR hires, sequencing tools, marketing budgets and lead generation programs. As this happened, we saw CAC reach often unsustainable levels and it left little budget for Customer Success. More importantly, it wasn’t a top priority for leadership. The process to identify unhealthy accounts and get them healthy and to retain and grow healthy accounts was often missing. Customer Success still rarely falls under the CRO, as if to say that retaining and growing existing customers isn’t part of the revenue engine. I’m seeing it more and more but we still have a long way to go. We’re in desperate need of a reset. There is no better opportunity than to retain and grow an existing customer and it deserves the same investment, resources, strategy, process, data and tools that new customer acquisition has been getting the last 10-20 years. Why do you think so many companies are still dragging their feet here? 🤔

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Hey sales people, be careful with ‘Gong’ advice. Because you don’t work for Gong. Gong had 6 funding rounds. Each time millions of people heard about Gong. Branding Familiarity Your company probably doesn’t have that level of awareness. When Gong sales people engage most decision makers already know what they’re calling about. People with in the prospect have probably already had a discussion about Gong. Gong is a great company with great people. But the branding makes it a lot easier to sell so take the advice with a grain of salt. Have a great Friday! #sales #ifurnotgong

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Sell to the 20% No one cares about the entirety of your solution. They only care about the 10-20% that aligns with their priorities and will help them address their problems or achieve their goals. This is evident by the fact that people only use about 10-20% of what they buy. Think about all those over bloated call intelligence platforms. They have soooooo much functionality but most people and companies use them to record every call and probably only listen to a fraction of them without even going into the additional functionalities. 2025 should be the year of reduction and simplicity, in both our tech stacks and sales approach. We need to get back to the basics in sales and start using the technology that doesn't crush our budgets and does what we need it to do. That's why I've partnered up with Otter.ai, specifically for the call recording and intelligence functions. It automatically records all my calls, summarizes and extracts the exact information I need about the call, allows me to us their AI Chat to ask anything I want about any meetings, including multiple meetings from the same client, and then automatically syncs it to my CRM. It does all this and is FREE for individuals and super affordable for businesses. If you haven't checked out Otter yet, you really should. It's the next evolution of the tech stack that focuses on what matters and doesn't kill your budget. #makeithappen #sponsor

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Alignment. That's priority number 1 in SDR Management: - Align with SDRs = happier team - Align with Marketing = better leads - Align with AEs = better relationships - Align with Rev Ops = better processes - Align with Enablement = better training BONUS... - Align with C-suite = better budget It's okay to disagree. It's not okay to be misaligned. Disagree and Align. P.S. SDR Leaders - Grab your free mini course https://lnkd.in/eeu4SKRP

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Crappy salespeople talk too much. The second a prospect mentions a problem, they unleash a flood of features, benefits, and solutions. They're so hungry for prospect validation... it's gross. Talking doesn’t sell. Silence does. The best salespeople don’t rush to fill every second with words. They know the power of silence. They use it as a weapon. Here’s why: ✅ Silence makes your prospect uncomfortable. Ever noticed that awkward pause after a tough question? That’s where the magic happens. Silence creates tension, and people hate tension. They’ll fill the void themselves, often giving you key insights they wouldn’t have shared otherwise. ✅ Silence shows confidence. Nervous people can’t stop talking. They ramble, trying to justify, explain, or beg for the sale. But a salesperson who’s comfortable with silence? That person knows they’ve got something valuable. Silence says, “I’m in control, and I know my worth.” ✅ Silence gives your prospect space to think. When you fire off feature after feature, you overwhelm the prospect. Their brain shuts down. Silence, though, gives them time to process and connect the dots. They start to see how your solution fits their problem—on their own. ✅ Silence protects you from over-promising. Salespeople who talk too much end up promising too much. When you stay quiet, you keep things tight. You don’t feel the need to say “yes” to everything. You let your offer stand, and you let the prospect sell themselves on it. The dirty little secret? Salespeople who DON'T sell think more words mean more value. ❌ Wrong. More words cheapen the offer. Silence builds intrigue. It creates scarcity. It makes prospects lean in and want to know more. Next time you’re in a sales conversation, and you feel the urge to fill the silence—don’t. When your prospect says, “Hmm, I’m not sure,” don’t rush to fix it. When they ask, “How does your solution work?” give a short answer… and then shut up... Let the silence do the work. Here’s the wild part: The more you use silence, the more your prospects will start selling themselves to you. They’ll say things like, “I guess this could work for us,” or “Maybe we do need to make a change.” And all you did was keep your mouth shut. Stop being the salesperson who can’t wait to barf all over your prospect. Start being the one who knows that silence isn’t empty—it’s packed with opportunity. This is how you become a Master of the Close, and... This is the way. - Hanley #SellWithSilence #SalesTactics #masteroftheclose Drop a comment if you’ve ever seen a sales rep talk themselves out of a deal. Let’s hear those stories!

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If you’re an SDR/BDR there’s a good chance you are about to see massive changes with your role. Here’s why: The title has always been transactional and supplemental in the sales process - both things that the buying market doesn’t give a sh*t about. And no leader wants to admit that 👆🏻 The reason it has survived so long is because it does the dirty work for the salespeople that aren’t willing to prospect or don’t like prospecting. And no salesperson wants to admit that 👆🏻 It’s a role that’s been tormented by leadership Looked down upon as “little” or “unimportant” And in general, has become a whirlwind of doing the same damn thing and expecting a different result… Not to mention my favorite thing Watching SDRs get hired and 30 days later they are being fired because their “results are lacking” LOL… It’s comical. It’s why we need a Rebellion. If you’re an SDR/BDR you should consider becoming a Rebel and doing it different like your colleagues in our programs. More results, more passion, more purpose, more desire, better outcomes. Creating your own job security not just at the org you represent, but because you can now go replicate those results anywhere else. Our free Rebel Slack community is always open. #ChangeTheGame #BDR #SDR

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Pre-call research is ruining your team's performance. If you spend 5 minutes between calls, whatever you are doing needs to produce a 2.9x increase in connect to meeting booked rate JUST TO BREAK EVEN. You should not need to do any research before cold calling.

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You’re not going to scale to 7-figure revenue if: — You rely on “trying everything” over strategic prospecting. — You create more content instead of prioritizing lead quality. — You focus on visibility over closing relevant sales conversations. It leaves you saying: — “I’m getting more views, but not real leads.” — “I’m networking, but discovery calls are low.” — “I’m creating content, but it’s not translating to sales.” Then you're thinking: — “All content strategies are the same.” — “Social selling seems more like luck than skill.” — “Direct outreach just feels spammy.” So, it's back to prioritizing guesswork: — Hoping your next post generates quality leads. — Wishing you could generate demos without constant manual outreach. — Relying on random tips from influencers with a different audience. (I'm not an influencer 😆 not even close!) Here’s how I consistently help clients beat this: Stop creating content without a niche-aligned lead focus. Stop expecting visibility alone to convert to sales. Stop following hacks instead of proven lead-gen strategies. And: Start targeting clear, niche-specific messaging. Start running consultative calls with a buyer-ready framework. Start turning casual leads into qualified prospects. Being a CEO is hard. But you can remove scattered prospecting and build a scalable, 7-figure pipeline. (Not just “more views” or “brand awareness.”) I’ve done it for multiple companies in the last 15 years (one at a time but now I'm a free agent). DM me “ALPHA” and stop listening to your next “content hack.”

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🔑 MEDDPICC isn’t just a methodology; it's the blueprint for consistently closing complex deals. It cuts through the noise and focuses on what truly drives a sale, from identifying key decision-makers to understanding the critical pain points that lead to a signed contract. Here’s how it breaks down: Metrics: What’s the measurable impact for the customer? Economic Buyer: Who controls the budget? Decision Criteria: What drives the decision? Decision Process: How will they decide? Paper Process: What’s the approval and signing process? Identified Pain: What problem are you solving? Champion: Who’s your internal advocate? Competition: Who are you up against? If you’re serious about winning deals, you need MEDDPICC in your toolkit. It’s the blueprint for turning speculative opportunities into qualified wins. 💥 #SalesSuccess #B2BSales #MEDDPICC #SalesExcellence

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We always should be learning from each other. CEOs join networking groups with other CEOs or have Executive Coaches. Directors look to their peers and VP for new ideas. If you are an AE or SDR, turn to the people who are great in your organization at closing, discovery, prospecting and copy what they do. This video from Brian LaManna is over a year old and it is still so true. I reviewed it over the weekend and had to reshare it. Happy Monday and End of Quarter!! P.S. Brian's full episode is in the links and is 33 mins of great content! P.S.S. Here is to finally hiring an editor to make my videos look decent. Lesson learned there...should have invested that money long ago. #salestips #copybestpractices #thebirdsnest

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How salespeople leverage LinkedIn is an endless list of tactics, techniques, and frameworks. One of the best use cases for sellers on the front lines is education about your prospect and their company. 👨‍🍳 Elric Legloire and Stephanie White 🩵 have a few flows they run to learn about people they're about to approach with a value proposition. They're both LIVE with me November 19th to share their secrets with the Sell Better audience. Be there. Learn. Change. Win. 👉 https://hubs.la/Q02WQjJT0 #saywhatsales #sellbetter #dailyshow #idealclientprofile #ICP

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You're tiering accounts in your new territory.. You have three levels, Tier 1, 2, and 3. Tier 1 - Strong ICP/high propensity to buy, high touch/customization Tier 2 - Decent ICP/medium propensity to buy, blend of custom and automated Tier 3 - Poor ICP or low propensity to buy, high automation Typical distribution of tiering would be something like this: Tier 1 - 10% of accounts Tier 2 - 30% of accounts Tier 3 - 60% of accounts What's the typical distribution you see?

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There are only 2 types of SaaS sellers… Transactional Seller: - Driven by activity - Uses existing marketing material - Talks about product, budget, & delivery - Focuses on competition, features, & comparison - Engages with anyone who will say yes to a conversation Category of One Seller: - Driven by impact - Develops unique insights - Talks about outcomes, risks, & change - Focuses on the customer, transformation, & legacy - Stress tests the insights with right persona & their key people The Category of One Seller is closing above-average deals, even in today’s tough environment. What's their secret? They know one key thing that Transactional Sellers don’t: How to enable a legacy for the right executive. I call it the “Persona-Based Transformation Blueprint.” I used the exact process to win $27.3M in ARR with 11 new logos in less than 4 years. I now walk every seller I coach through it. Get started using the links in my featured section. 🐝

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These #sales methodologies' names are all cringy. 😅 MEDDIC (and its cousins MEDDPIC, MEEDIC, MEDPRICK and whatever else) SPIN SNAP COF BAMFAM BANT Then we have all of these things: "The 5 Ps for sales success" "The 4 Ls for #AE excellence" " The 5 Inverted blue Is of #marketing execution." " The 6 Ms of #recruitment" * Whoever guesses which ones of these are fake wins a prize! STOP. no, now, seriously, cut it out. How about you tell us what your method does? What it's about? No word soups and vague statements. 🙄 And getting into the actual learnings, it doesn't really get much better. 😆 I will name my sales methodology DUH. I don't know what the letters will stand for, but it doesn't matter. I want to make it happen! Who's with me? 😅

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Life science sales reps Here's the best time management advice you won't hear from the gurus: Disqualify deals quickly. Nothing wastes your time more than chasing unqualified opportunities that string you along. Avoid happy ears. Spend less time on bad deals. Spend more time prospecting the right deals. Your win rates will go up. Your stress will go down. Want to learn how? Join Succession

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I was asked what is the fasted way to win new business for sales - get warm introductions in your target accounts. Here are 7 steps that I think will help you get radically more pipeline fast:🔥📈 Inboxes are overflowing, cold outreach is losing its punch. Warm introductions are the key to breaking through the noise and accelerating your sales pipeline. 1. Define Target Accounts 🎯 Zero in on accounts that align with your ideal customer profile. Know their challenges, and understand how your solution uniquely solves them. Focus on a subset you’re confident about – don’t let analysis paralysis slow you down. Key: Don’t get stuck on the first step; just go for it! 2. Identify Connectors in Your Network 🕸️ Expand your network (or automate this with platforms like https://lnkd.in/e-XsFVmR) to match up with contacts who have trusted relationships with key players in your target accounts. Look for people with deep industry and solution experience- they’ll help boost your credibility.  3. Engage with Value First 💬 When requesting an intro, lead with value. Show why the intro matters to their connection and how it benefits them. Remember, your Trusted Advisor isn’t your sales rep – they’re a facilitator of value for their network. Offer insights, unique perspectives, and collaborate in a knowledge exchange. This will set you apart as more than “just another sales rep.” 4. Personalize Your Outreach to the New Contact 🧑‍💼 After a warm into, skip the canned pitch. Reference your mutual connection, then tailor your message to your target accounts needs. Tap into your advisor’s inside knowledge on what truly matters, from active projects to key priorities. This approach makes you relevant, aware, and genuinely interesting. 5. Nurture the Relationship, Not Just the Opportunity 🤝 Warm intros open doors, but it’s the relationships that close deals. Focus on building trust, actively listening, and providing value. Even if there’s no immediate sale. 6. Don’t Forget Your Sales Process 🚀 Whether it’s Solution Selling, MEDDICC, or MEDDPICC, stick to your process to stay on track. Use your advisor’s insights to set you apart, but also to qualify out quickly – if it’s not a fit, pivot to protect your credibility and the trust of your connection. 7. Reward Your Trusted Advisor 🏆 Recognize your advisor’s role in your success! A thoughtful gesture, creative reward, or a few percentage points on the deal can make a significant impact. It shows appreciation, strengthens the partnership, and sets the stage for future collaboration. Warm introductions are your ticket to stronger connections, faster cycles, and higher close rates. Are you tapping into them? 🔑 And if you want to make this easy, check out https://lnkd.in/e-XsFVmR – the first platform designed to automate and scale your ability to find and leverage warm introductions into all of your target accounts. 🔗 #SalesTips #Sales #SDR #SalesPipeline #WarmIntroductions #ForceEquals

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