Check out my newest ebook, Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales? Learn how others are leveraging LinkedIn to connect, create opportunities and increase sales.

In this ebook, you'll discover tips and strategies from numerous entrepreneurs, salespeople and business professionals who found ways to use this new sales tool to their best advantage. Real ideas from real people.

Click here to get your copy.

Yes, the title is playing off John Jantsch's recent posts on sales idiots & marketing idiots. But seriously, it's a chance for people in Sales to share their two cents. If you have something to say, take this survey.

The CMO Council and it's new Coalition to Leverage & Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE) are benchmarking the current state of sales & marketing alignment and integration.

Your insights are needed to understand what's really happening in your company and what you really need from Marketing to be more effective. You'll be asked for info such as:

• Is your company sales or marketing focused?
• How well do you align with Marketing? How well does Marketing align with your needs in Sales?
• If you could ask Marketing for one thing...what would it be? Better leads...better collateral...better messaging? Where do they rate?

Please share your thoughts re: the reality of the sales/marketing relationship and help get the conversation started!

Go to the survey now.

As any self-respecting person would do, I must stand up for my profession. Today John Jantsch wrote a post called, "Those Idiots in Sales Don't Get It!"

Clearly he's pointing the finger in the wrong direction. As all of us in the sales field know, the issue is with Marketing.

In fact, that's why I wrote an ebook on What Sales Really Needs From Marketing: 7 Strategies to Get More & Better Prospects into Your Sales Pipeline.

I know those marketers try hard to do a good job. But they're putting all their efforts in the wrong direction. If you'd like to close the gap between sales & marketing in your company, make sure your leaders read this ebook.

You can download it on my official Selling to Big Companies blog.

(P.S. John also wrote a post on Those Idiots in Marketing Don't Get It. Both of us are trying hard to get sales & marketing together.)

In yesterday's teleseminar, cold calling expert Leslie Buterin of The Top Dog shared her secrets for gaining executive-level access. Several key insights include:

• Don't be crude & try to blast past the gatekeeper. You need to turn this person into your ally.
• Your company name is absolutely irrelevant - as is your job title. Leave it out.
• Speak to the gatekeeper as if they're the executive. Their job is to protect their boss's calendar, ensuring that only people who can address critical business issues "get in."
• Use "bottom line" language - the kind that's used in the boardroom. Say it slowly and be prepared to repeat it up to 3x. Assume the gatekeeper is writing down what you're saying.
• Resist the temptation to go into a sales presentation. Instead, focus on your business impact.
• You must sound like a "top dog" yourself  the tone of your voice, cadence, professionalism. Plus, she showed us how that sounds.
• At most, you have 90 seconds with an administrative assistance so you must be prepared before you make the call. Otherwise you'll be blasted into rapid oblivion.

I loved it when Leslie said that if the gatekeeper asked, "Are you selling something?" your answer should be, "Absolutely I'm selling something - but only if it's a good fit." She then shared how to take control of the call again so you can set up the appointment.

I know a lot about selling, but I found myself taking copious notes during this session with Leslie. If you're interested in getting the audio for "The Golden Keys to the Gatekeeper", click here. You'll discover more about all the above, plus additional strategies on what to do/say when asked to send more info, how to keep at the executive level instead of getting shoved down, and much more.

Or, if you'd like to learn more about the entire "Foot-in-the-Door" Teleseminar series, check this out. If you sign up you'll get immediate access to Leslie's session and my previous one on "Cracking Into Corporate Accounts."

If so, check out this teleseminar, the 2nd in the Foot-in-the-Door Series.

Golden Keys to the Gatekeeper:
Strategies to Get Into the Executive Suite
When: Thursday, March 20, 2 pm EST
Price: $79 for this session; only $199 for all 4 sessions
Speaker: Leslie Buterin, author of Secrets to Scheduling the Executive Level Sales Call

Wanna press a sales pro’s hot button? Just whisper the word “Gatekeeper” and prepare for a 20-minute rant. You’ll hear how they seem bent on keeping sellers out of the decision maker’s sight; how they suck the very life out of a person with a firm “Thanks but no thanks”; and how they shut you downbefore they even know what the call is about! Go figure.

In this upcoming teleseminar, you'll discover:

• The words that’ll magically transform the Gatekeeper from a pit bull to your strongest ally… that’s right ... she will actually want to help you get to where you want to go!
• Five key points to communicate to the executive assistant that will make the doors of the executive suites swing wide open … and make them glad to see you the day of your appointment!
• What to say when the Gatekeepers asks for “something in writing” … what to send that will actually compel them to call you back for an appointment!
• How to keep them from kicking you down several rungs of the corporate ladder to a low-level decision-maker who isn’t interested in taking your call … you’ll get “staying power” and the ability to “level the playing field” in a way that’ll keep you in front of “Top Dog” decision-makers!
• The way to keep from getting shut down before they know what you are calling about … you’ll learn the Gatekeepers' psychological triggers that’ll grab her attention and cause her to usher you into the hallowed halls of the executive suites to see her boss!
• And more …

Sign up for this session.

Learn more about all the sessions & save: The Golden Key to the Gatekeeper, Leveraging Trigger Events to Get In, and The Voice of Experience. Plus, get the audio from Cracking into Corporate Accounts.

LinkedIn, the online business networking site, connects over 17 million experienced professionals from over 150 countries. Yikes! That's so many that it makes my head spin. I'd love to fantasize that a few of these people would stumble onto my profile, be suitably impressed and initiate contact. But so far, it hasn't turned out that way.

Yet many sellers have learned how to leverage LinkedIn to drive more sales. They're not sitting around waiting for their phone to ring. Instead, they're using it as an additional resource that supports their prospecting efforts.

Here's how your peers are using LinkedIn to grow their business. True stories. Real results.

As a self-professed technophobe, using social media such as LinkedIn is not second nature to me. I force myself to experiment with these new mediums knowing that ultimately they'll have an impact on the selling profession - even though I'm still unsure what it might be.

About 2 years ago, I set up my profile on LinkedIn. It was sterile & boring, conveying only enough to enable me to say I had an online presence. Then last year I read entrepreneurial guru Guy Kawasaki's blog article on his LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover and felt compelled to redo mine based on what I learned.

Since then, I've accepted numerous invitations to connect, yet fretted if I should since many came from total strangers. I've written a few recommendations and received a few.

Mostly I was a passive observer - waiting for some sales miracles to happen. Of course, they never did and I began to doubt LinkedIn's ability to deliver real tangible results.

When: Thursday, Feb. 7th, 2 pm EST
Price: $79/person, register

As a seller, you have one the most lucrative jobs in business today. You're in complete control of your own destiny. There are no limits to your success – except yourself.

In this audio teleseminar, Jeb Blount, author of The Power Principles and #1 sales podcaster, teaches you how to define exactly what it is you want and then how to implement a plan to get there. Jeb not only "walks his talk," but has demonstrated an incredible ability to overachieve in a short time. Specifically, you'll discover:

• A  simple, straightforward way to set goals that lead to real achievement.
• How to clearly define what you want and develop simple steps to success.
• The five Power Principles for creating winning goals.
• Why investing in yourself is a smart business decision.
• How focusing on small incremental changes can shorten your time-to-achievement.
• How the Law of Congruency impacts long-term success.
• The real secret to overcoming procrastination.
  

You wont want to miss this teleseminar. Register now.

I admit it! I'm hopelessly addicted to this fluffy, feel-good show where famous men & women dare to learn something new with millions of people watching their every move.

Tonight I'll be watching the finals, cheering my favorites on one last time. Tomorrow I'll be despondent that it's over.

But before the results are announced, I'd like to weigh in on what you as a seller can learn from "Dancing With the Stars."

1. Practicing before prime time is essential.

Each week the stars not only learned a new dance, but also struggled to perfect it before they stepped on the stage. They practiced hours each day, tripping over their own two feet and worrying endlessly about mastering the intricacies of each dance.

Sellers need to take this lesson to heart. You can't "wing it" in sales today. Savvy sellers run through their presentations multiple times before standing in front of the committee. They listen to their own voicemail messages before calling real clients. In short, they stumble over their own words in private before they "perform" in front of prospective customers.

To increase your sales success, practice more.

2. You can't skip any steps.

Every dance has certain requirements that the judges expect to see. When the couples don't have enough turns or taps or whatever, they're docked points – which could ultimately lead to their eviction the following week.

Sellers who skip steps of the sales process in their attempts to get the business quickly, create obstacles that can delay or even derail their own sales efforts. Customers have their own buying process to go through. They won't be rushed. The more sellers "push" towards closure, the more likely they'll blow it.

To win more sales, don't skip any steps.

3.  The best option doesn't always win.

At the beginning of this season, actress Sabrina Bryan (Cheetah Girls) was clearly a formidable competitor. She danced beautifully and powerfully. Everyone was convinced she would be in the finals. But halfway through the competition, she was booted off the show because the viewers hadn't voted for her.

Sellers need to constantly be aware of anything that could negatively impact their sales efforts. If the right people in the company aren't advocating for your product or service, your ability to win the sale is at risk.

To stay in the game, make sure people are cheering for you.

4.  Lack of confidence doesn't sell.

Jennie Garth, actress of Beverly Hills: 90210 fame, came out week-after-week and did a yeoman's job. But she didn't believe she was a dancer and it showed. At times, it felt like she was counting steps or moving tentatively, afraid to really get into the role the dance needed from her. Instead, her niceness showed through – and it cost her.

Making a decision to change from the status quo is risky. Customers worry about what might go wrong or if they'll achieve the desired results. Sellers who are confident in their firm's capabilities often can provide the impetus to move ahead.

To initiate change, know the difference you can make.

5.  All things being equal, relationships count.

Going into tonight's finals, three contestants remain: Spice Girl Mel B, Indy 500 champion Helio and performer Marie Osmond. All have demonstrated "enough" dancing skills to be a contender for the coveted trophy. Now it all boils down to relationships.

Will the Spice Girl's fans cast their ballots en masse? Will Helio's & Julianne's chemistry pull in the votes? Or, will Marie's long-time fans carry her into the winner's circle?

When just three competitors remain in a sales situation, typically customers perceive any of them to be capable of doing the job. Then, the real question becomes, "Who do we want to work with?" Hopefully it will be you.

To win the trophy, strengthen relationships.

Tonight, at 8 pm Central, we'll find out who the actual winner is from this season's Dancing With the Stars. Fortunately, it really doesn't matter because we've already learned the sales lessons

November 5-6, 2007, Minneapolis, MN
Early Bird Rates end October 15th

If you're a smart, savvy woman who sells products, services or ideas to the business community, check out the upcoming Sales Shebang conference. This unique event features an All Star cast of sales experts who know what it takes to achieve extraordinary success:

    •    Joanne Black, author of No More Cold Calling 
    •    Anne Miller, author of Metaphorically Selling 
    •    Michelle Nichols, Business Week columnist & podcaster
    •    Wendy Weiss, author of Cold Calling for Women
    •    Leslie Buterin, author of Secrets to Scheduling
          Executive-level Sale Call
    •    Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation for the
          Complex Sale
    •    Faith Ralston, author of Play Your Best Hand
    •    Kim Duke, author of Tickled Pink 
    •    me (Jill Konrath) and many more.

No matter what your experience level, you’ll learn valuable new sales strategies, expand your thinking, and enrich your spirit at the Sales Shebang conference. 

Don't miss this incredible learning and networking event. Learn more now.

(Note: Guys - Tell the smart, savvy saleswomen you know about this event! BTW, you can come too!)