Jill Konrath's Blog, page 2

Is Your Value Proposition Strong Enough?

I was eating lunch with the new president of a large manufacturing company. She was well aware of the work I’d done with their sales organization. So when I asked about her biggest challenge, I assumed we’d be talking sales. Instead, she answered, “Waste.”

Why Flexible Slides are the Key to Conversational Sales

Recently I interviewed Luke Goetting, Director of Puffingston Presentations for an Engaging Presentations video series I did with Prezi. His expertise is in "transforming stale business presentations into visually engaging stories." That's why I asked him to share his thinking with you.

Is This Mental Trap Making It Harder for You to Close Deals?

The first time I heard the call-in radio interview with the "deer crossing lady," I couldn't believe it. Tears of laughter were streaming down my face. The more she talked, the worse (or perhaps better) it got.

This Scared Me To Death...

I was standing on a ledge, facing a rock wall. The path at Water Canyon ended there; we couldn't go any higher. Looking down over my right shoulder, I saw a bottomless pit. One that I was supposed to descend. My stomach was churning, my head was spinning. Fear owned my body and I was at its mercy.

My Worst Blog Post Ever

I trudged into the coffee shop, ordered a large mocha and sat down in the corner. I was dripping professional discouragement. It's been five months since I published my weekly newsletter—something I've done religiously for over a decade.

How to Keep Competitors Out of Your Best Clients

When Todd called me, he was worried. His company was growing. Over the past few years, they'd steadily acquired their toughest competitors. 

They were now the dominant player in a fragmented market, setting the benchmark against which all other vendors are compared. 

So what could possibly be going wrong? It turns out, a lot!

How to Take the Path of Least Resistance

After going through a difficult period in my personal life, my work habits had deteriorated pretty badly. I knew it was time to turn things around again, but darn, it was so freaking hard. 

The Experience of You

I was psyched. My goal? To set up a meeting with the SVP of sales at a targeted software company. I’d researched his company, knew their objectives and strategic initiatives and uncovered some game-changing trigger events.

Are You Ready for a Virtual Reality Challenge?

It was my last day at the Sundance Film Festival. After waiting for way too long, Shari Levitin and I finally entered the virtual reality experience that people were raving about.

Tackling the Impossible Sales Challenge

How do you get a targeted account if all your previous attempts have failed? If you want to catch a big fish, perhaps the sports fishermen of New Zealand can give you some ideas. After all, they face a very difficult, if not insurmountable, challenge that would stop most fisherman entirely.