Jill Konrath

This not meant to be a political statement. It is simply commentary about what a candidate did - and what we, as sellers, can learn from it. When Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the presidential race, he immediately soared to a front-runner status. But, it didn't last long due to his performance during the Republican debates. For those of you who don't follow American politics, during the recent debates Perry stated that he'd eliminate three federal departments. When asked which ones, his mind went blank. He came up with two, but the third eluded him. For 55 seconds, he wracked his brain, babbled and even looked to his colleagues for a little help. (Check it out on YouTube.) Finally, he sheepishly said, "Oops! I guess I blew that one." Yes, he did. But it didn't have to lead to his downfall. If I were coaching Rick Perry on his sales presentation, I'd offer him these ... (more)

3 Big Sales Problems I See Today

Recently I was interivewed by the Sales Lead Management Association about some of the biggest problems I see today that are having a negative impact on sales -- and what can be done about them What was my key focus? - Management's failure to understand changing customer/behavior. - Lack of sufficient digital assets to attract & nuture prospects. - Improper training & tools for salespeople to help them succeed in the new sales environment.   You can listen to the download the interview below. Download this episode (right click and save) ... (more)

Procrastination: Its Real Cost is Not What You Think

It's a weekend afternoon and I'm working on a post for my blog. I'd wanted to get it done during the week, but you know how things go. Before I knew it, I stumbled onto this YouTube video by Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation. Please listen to it before you continue reading. You'll know why I say that when it's done. So if you'll excuse me now, I'm going to cut this post short. I have fun to do. It's a beautiful day and I need to get outside. And, if you'd like to learn more, take the Procrastination Test. You'll get a detailed understanding of your procrastina... (more)

Brianna just hung up on me

I'm at my desk working. Right now. When the phone rang, I picked it up without looking who was calling.  "Hello," said the voice. "My name is Brianna. I need to reach the senior administrative person in your office."  She was crisp and efficient. When she finished, it was clear she expected me to direct her to the appropriate person. So far, so good.  "What's this in regards to?" I asked. "An administrative audit. Would you please forward my call," she replied. It wasn't a question, but a command.  "Can you tell me a bit more?" "Just one minute," she said. I waited 5 seconds, 10 ... (more)

Creating Content that Attracts Prospects to You

Recently I had a conversation with Chas. Cooper about how important content is to capturing the attention of today's crazy-busy people. Personally, I believe if salespeople don't have quality content for all three stages of their prospect's decision process, they're fighting a tough battle that's hard to win.  Good content is delicious. It makes your prospects want more. They can't wait to take another bite. Mmmmm good.   That's why, when Chas posted the resulting article on his blog, I asked if I could share it with you. Here it is! Maximizing the Time Value of Content We all ... (more)