Jill Konrath's Blog, page 16

Sales Advice for Startups (& Small Biz Too!)

Today I spent 30-minutes on the phone with a startup company that's soooo excited about their new offering. In our short time together, they tried to tell me everything it could possibly do.

They even talked fast to cram as much in as possible. I had to slow them down to so I could digest what they were saying – and try to figure out the business value.

What to Do If You Don't Have Metrics for Your Value Proposition

Let me guess. Your company doesn't have any metrics for your value proposition and you're wondering if it's possible to be successful. Absolutely.

1. Go talk to Your Clients

If they don't have exact metrics, perhaps you can suggest a range. You might say, "Gut level – do you think it helped cut costs somewhere between 8 – 10%?" They'll either say, "That's about right," or tell you if it's too high or too low. Either way, you now have some metrics you can use.

The Hidden Power of Gratitude in Driving Sales

This is one topic I never thought I'd write about. For many years, I wasn't at all grateful. I was too busy busting my butt, trying to make my own success at the same time I was raising an active, growing family.

I never gave even one little thought to the people who made it possible. Nor did I stop to appreciate the beauty of nature, the fortuitous life I was born into or how good a cup of coffee could really taste.

Then, a few years back, I had a couple of terrible years. Both personally and professionally. You might say it was a disaster.

How to Get Your Sales Team to Consistently Overachieve

Feeling slammed? Let me guess. You’re under intense pressure to meet your monthly numbers. It’s impossible to keep up with all the reports. You’ve got an open territory, your new hire is struggling and all this new technology is overwhelming.

Your customers are changing too. Getting on their calendar is increasingly difficult. They sometimes
disappear into black holes for months on end. They’ve upped their expectations, yet seem fixated
on the bottom line.

How to Conduct a Premortem to Win More Sales

Have you ever tried to figure out what might go wrong before a meeting? That might be one of the smartest things you could do to win more sales.

Rather than waiting till the end to find out that you lost – and why – you can think about it way ahead of time when you can still make a difference.

When I think about all the business I've lost over the years, 3 main themes come to mind.

[Webinar] Selling Productively to Buyer 2.0

Posted November 6th, 2014

Start Increasing Your Sales Productivity Today

Connecting in a world where the buyer is king – and doesn't even want to talk to a sales rep – is really tough. How are you ever going to make your numbers?

If that's on your mind, join me for this 30-minute webinar: Selling Productively to Buyer 2.0.

Fred Studer, Microsoft sales and marketing expert, and I will share strategies to help your salespeople:

A Simple Strategy to Increase Win Rates

What would it take for you to double or even triple your win rates? According to LinkedIn research, you have a significantly better chance of closing sales when you have multiple connections within a single account.

Can it really be that simple?

Not exactly ... Winning isn't simply a function of having lots of LinkedIn connections. It requires a well-thought-out strategy. If you're only well connected to one or two people at a company, you're vulnerable if something happens to them.

Also, since most decisions today involve 4+ people, it's essential to establish relationships with all of them. That way you have a greater likelihood of getting buy-in, working through obstacles and keeping the decision process moving forward.

Powerful Sales Brain Trust Speaks on #1 Competitive Edge

Last Wednesday, I spoke at Dreamforce, the big SalesForce.com event that draws 130,000+ people globally. I talked about today's #1 competitive edge. (It's what my new book, Agile Selling, is all about.) I also lead a panel discussion on this topic, featuring this extraordinary brain trust. 

Left to right: Joanne Black (author of No More Cold Calling & Pick Up the Damn Phone), Debra Walton (Chief Content Officer of Thomson Reuters, HuffPo blogger & women's advocate), Trish Bertuzzi (CEO of The Bridge Group inside sales consultancy), Josiane Feigon (author, speaker, sales futurist and CEO of Tele-Smart sales training) and me.

Key Question Every Sales Manager Should Ask Their Interviewees

At Dreamforce last week, Bob Perkins of the AA-ISP (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals) interviewed me and Trish Bertuzzi on key learnings and takeaways. (Trish is the CEO & Chief Strategist of The Bridge Group, a leading inside sales consultancy.)

In it, I share a key question every sales manager should ask their interviewees. It's a topic I'll be speaking more about at the INSIDE SALES 2014 Conference November 6th in Minneapolis.

Why My LinkedIn Profile Isn't Good Enough

I have a confession to make. I haven't updated my LinkedIn profile* for 18 months. I know. Shame on me. I'm supposed be a leader on things like that, but I'm human too.

If you looked at my profile, you'd probably think it's fine. It doesn't read like a boring resume or make me look like a hungry, job-hunting sales vulture. It doesn't sound like a self-serving company brochure.

It's customer focused, showcases my expertise and establishes my credibility. It's my professional presence online. Even LinkedIn says it's well done. 

But here's the truth. My LinkedIn profile doesn't reflect changes I've made in the past year and a half. Worse yet, it's no longer meeting my objectives.

(FYI: It still says that I have a new book coming out in May, 2014 when it's already a bestseller. I didn't change anything because I want you to see what's wrong with it.)

Time to get some help! So I called in Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success to scour through it with a fine-tooth comb. He recommended the following 5 actions to help me leverage LinkedIn more effectively. Some really surprised me!

Before we dig in, here's a quick look at the top section of my profile: