Jill Konrath

Rapid Learning Mini-Course Video #5

Welcome back. I’m glad to see you’re focused on becoming a rapid learner. It truly is a skill you can use throughout your career. And another thing, employers are looking for rapid learners.

After taking a high-level scan – the 30,000-foot view – of what we want to learn about LinkedIn, we’ve finally decided that creating a strong profile is the best place to start. Now, we take a deep dive into this area, scoping all the sub-chunks of the overall profile chunk.

Rapid Learning Mini-Course Video #4

Hey! You’re already getting smarter. By now, you’ve discovered rapid learning requires you to do things a whole lot differently from your normal ways. Shoot, your old high school teachers would really be impressed at how organized you are now.

Now that you’ve completed your Chunking exercise, it’s time to move to a crucial next step – Sequencing.

Rapid Learning Mini-Course Video #3

I’m glad you’re here. Our goal today is to make sense of all that LinkedIn chaos you created after reading my last article: How to Rapidly Master LinkedIn. But first, a quick story.

For many years, I worked as a consultant, helping companies to jumpstart sales of their new products and services. In just three months, I had to learn about their offering, customer, sales process and more. Then, I created a special training program, playbooks and PPTs on “how to sell this new stuff.” There were some years that I did this a dozen times.

Because of my work, I had to master rapid learning skills or I’d drown. I always scanned first. And, since it was ALL new to me, I knew I’d never remember it. So, I wrote it all down. I couldn’t trust my already overloaded brain.

Rapid Learning Mini-Course Video #2

Welcome back. Today we’re going to look at how to use agile selling strategies to quickly master LinkedIn. Now, we’re not going to turn you into an overnight expert. However, in just 30 days we can get you up-and-running, so that you’re getting some real value out of it.

Why did I choose to tackle LinkedIn? Because whenever I speak to a group or do a workshop, I discover that the majority of reps only use a small fraction of what’s available – and they don’t do it very well.

I believe that everyone needs to learn more about LinkedIn. It's a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how to use rapid learning skills.

Last February I was in serious discussions with Mark Roberge, Chief Revenue Officer at HubSpot, about co-authoring a book. At my request, he sent me several lengthy articles he’d written.

The minute I saw them, I realized the man was brilliant – and needed to write a book of his own. And he has – The Sales Acceleration Formula just came out!

Here’s the fascinating part. Mark’s an engineer and MIT grad. He’s never been in sales. Yet HubSpot’s two founders brought him in to develop “scalable, predictable revenue growth.” In just a few short years, this start-up grew to $100 million in revenue.

Mark’s unconventional strategies played a big role in making that happen. Every sales leader and entrepreneur can learn a ton from his approach. I hope you enjoy my interview with him.

Rapid Learning Mini-Course Video #1

Welcome to my new 7-part series on how to use agile selling strategies to master LinkedIn. This program is based on my newest book, AGILE SELLING – which is all about how to quickly get up to speed in today’s ever-changing sales world.

After writing SNAP Selling, which reveals how to sell to today’s crazy-busy prospects, tons of salespeople came up to me (or emailed me) and said, “I’m crazy-busy too, Jill. Can you help me?”

Initially, I didn’t have an answer for them. It sounded like they needed a time management course – which has never been my strength.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the issue went way beyond that. Everyone had too much to do – including me. We’re totally overwhelmed. Our work spills into our holidays, weekends and evenings.

I want to get you thinking today, so here’s my question:

If research showed that sales was 100% a learned skill, how would that impact your perception of your own success – or lack of it – today?

I know that sounds strange to ask, but bear with me. If it was true, how would it impact how you reacted to a competitive loss or when your prospect decided to not do anything?

• Would you be more curious in terms of where you blew it or what went wrong?
• Would you look at your own culpability in losing the deal?
• Would you have tried to figure out a better way to help your prospects see the value of changing from the status quo?

On Valentine's Day, everyone's thoughts turn to love. That's why I thought it would be fun to share why I'm so passionate about this crazy profession.

The truth is, Sales seduced me.

I never expected to like it. It had a bad reputation and I didn’t want to be seen as one of “those kind” of people. I took the job at Xerox so I could learn how to sell. I committed to doing it for one year. It didn’t take me long though to discover that my perception was totally inaccurate.

But love? I can assure you it was not love at first sight.

It was early Tuesday morning. I was triaging my email, quickly deleting everything I could. Irrelevent or boring newsletters were zapped in a flash. Then I hit one from HubSpot: Lights, Cameras, Sales! SNAP, SPIN & Other Popular Sales Methodologies Imagined as Movies.

With the year-end push behind him, Matt wasn’t looking forward to rebuilding his pipeline. Yet he knew that his boss would be on him to “pound the phones” as soon as he got into the office.

More, more. Faster, faster. Close, close. It was an endless cycle that sometimes made him question why he stayed in this profession.

At least the traffic was light as he drove into work. Perhaps it was a positive omen, something he desperately needed after that weird dream that had been haunting him for days.

He decided to treat himself to a latte at Starbucks before starting his prospecting marathon. On entering, he saw Danielle, the team’s perennial superstar, tucked away in a corner table. She made selling look easy.

And, he realized with a start, she’d been a key player in that dream. Maybe she’d have some insights into it’s meaning.