{"podcast":{"title":"The Sales Evangelist","slug":"the-sales-evangelist-745326","podcast_index_feed_id":745326,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-sales-evangelist/","website_url":"https://thesalesevangelist.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/fe6d6bc9-634a-4afd-b1b9-2c486ff17ad8/podcast-cover-art-min.jpg","author":"Donald C. Kelly","episode_count":2000,"summary":"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 working. Today I interview the world's best sales experts, successful sellers, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who share their strategies to succeed in sales right now: folks like Jeffrey Gitomer, Jill Konrath, Bob Burg, and Guy Kawasaki to name a few. They share actionable insights and stories that will encourage, challenge, and motivate you to hustle your way to top income status. If you’re someone looking to take off in your sales career and earn the income you deserve, hit subscribe and let’s start doing BIG THINGS!","last_synced_at":"2026-06-26T20:21:23.816716+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sales-evangelist-745326"},"episode":{"title":"Missed Quota Series: The Dark Funnel - The #1 Reason Sellers Missed Quota In Q1 | Donald C. Kelly - 1993","slug":"missed-quota-series-the-dark-funnel-the-1-reason-sellers-missed-quota-in-q1-donald-c-kelly-1993","published_at":"2026-04-13T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sales-evangelist-745326/missed-quota-series-the-dark-funnel-the-1-reason-sellers-missed-quota-in-q1-donald-c-kelly-1993","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sales-evangelist-745326","url":"https://thesalesevangelist.com","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/clrtpod.com/m/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/01e118f8-79a7-4d07-bc5b-13dae567b119.mp3","summary":"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 their decision-making process. They’ve done their research, explored options, and in many cases already have a shortlist before you even show up. The Buyer’s Shift: The Dark Funnel This is what I call the dark funnel. It’s everything happening behind the scenes before a buyer ever talks to you. And here’s the reality. A lot of buyers prefer it that way. Gartner found that 61% of B2B buyers want a seller-free experience early on, and 43% of executives are discovering solutions through social media. If you’re not visible during that stage, you’re already behind. Content Is How You Show Up Early So how do you get ahead of that? You’ve got to start thinking like a content house. If you’re not consistently showing up with insights, you’re invisible while buyers are forming their opinions. This isn’t about posting just to stay active. It’s about sharing content that actually helps your ideal customer think through their challenges. What to Share to Stay Relevant If you’re in something like cybersecurity, think about the kind of content your buyers care about. Break down major breaches and what companies can learn from them. Explain new compliance changes in a way that’s easy to understand. Share real-world insights based on what you’re seeing in the field. This is the kind of content that bui…","meta_description":"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 se…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1157,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-sales-evangelist-745326/episodes/missed-quota-series-the-dark-funnel-the-1-reason-sellers-missed-quota-in-q1-donald-c-kelly-1993/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sales-evangelist-745326/missed-quota-series-the-dark-funnel-the-1-reason-sellers-missed-quota-in-q1-donald-c-kelly-1993.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}