By Jill Konrath A massive clap of lightning woke me from a dead sleep at 3 a.m. It was pouring outside. I responded as I always do in a storm – rushing downstairs to unplug my computers, hoping they weren’t already fried. Briefly turning on the outside light, I noticed a big branch had fallen right outside […]
By Jill Konrath Ever lost an important deal that you were sure was going to close? Conversely, have you ever been surprised when you emerged as the winner? Recently, I had a chance to interview Stu Perlmeter, an expert in Win-Loss Analysis. His team at 1st Resource helps clients avoid innumerable deal-killing blind spots. They also look at what’s working – […]
By Jill Konrath In the “Experience Economy,” authors Pine and Gilmore write, “Those businesses [sellers] that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience.” Unfortunately, most PowerPoint presentations do exactly the opposite. They’re boring. They’re one-sided. […]
By Jill Konrath When I began working in sales, I was on a mission to get up to speed as fast as possible. I read all the sales books, went to seminars and took everything I learned as the gospel truth. One of my biggest sales opportunities at the time was a fast-growing construction firm. I’d […]
By Jill Konrath Jay is the owner of a massage therapy company. He’s trying to figure out how to sell his services to the corporate market. Like many of you, he doesn’t have a strong business case to capture a company’s attention. That’s why he recently asked me: “I’m have trouble figuring out my value […]