Jill Konrath

At the end of each year, I always take a look back to see what content really resonated with my readers.

Here's a summary of the most viewed and commented on blog posts in 2014. Enjoy!

I first met Mary, my husband's youngest sister, shortly after we started dating. She was the first person I'd ever known with Down Syndrome. To me, she looked funny, she talked funny and she chewed with her mouth open. It made me uncomfortable.

Back then, kids like her weren't mainstreamed. They didn't exist. And I had no experience dealing with this human imperfection. So I kept my distance, not wanting to interact with this flawed individual. But Mary wouldn't let me do that. She refused to give up on me. And her charm worked as she wormed her way into my heart.

Feeling slammed? Let me guess. You’re under intense pressure to meet your monthly numbers. It’s impossible to keep up with all the reports. You’ve got an open territory, your new hire is struggling and all this new technology is overwhelming.

Your customers are changing too. Getting on their calendar is increasingly difficult. They sometimes
disappear into black holes for months on end. They’ve upped their expectations, yet seem fixated
on the bottom line.

If you're planning on being at Dreamforce this year, I'll be speaking there. This event is huge. Last year 130,000+ people came from around the world. Put on by SalesForce.com, it is THE EVENT for people in the sales space. 

I'm speaking on Wednesday morning. Here are the details:

#1 Competitive Edge in Today's Sales World

• October 15th, 9 am PT (Wednesday)
• Marriott Marquis, Yerba Buena Salon 7

With today's escalating buyer expectations and ever-changing business environment, it's tough to stay at the top of your game. I kick off the session with a focus on the singular skill that virtually guarantees a successful career.

If you’ve struggled with some ups and downs in your sales results, check out my recent interview with Colleen Francis. She’s the author of >Nonstop Sales Boom as well as a highly respected colleague.

In our conversations, she shares some insightful ideas that are guaranteed to get you thinking.

JILL: Why did you decide to write Nonstop Sales Boom now?

COLLEEN FRANCIS: Over the last years, I’ve seen an increasing trend that is impacting most businesses I work with. Time and time again, prospects and clients will say to me, “We don’t need you or any consulting help. We’re having our best month or best quarter ever.”

Of course I’m happy for their success. But all too often, a quarter or two later, we speak again and they say, “Now we’re having our worst quarter ever, can you help us?” They’re struggling but they didn’t see it coming and couldn’t prevent it.

Recently I sat down to talk with Ken Thoreson, president of Acumen Management. He just came out with a new book called, SLAMMED!!! For the First Time Sales Manager.

I’ll never forget when I was first promoted into management. It was a real wake-up call – and very frustrating. I was working harder than ever, but barely seeing the results.

If you’ve recently moved into a sales management position, or are hoping it’ll be your next career move, read on. There’s some good advice ahead.

Last Friday, I was on the edge. Literally. I was speaking to a group of sales professionals. Some were new to sales; most were experienced pros.

I was doing a totally new keynote on AGILE SELLING, sharing strategies on how to quickly learn new things so you could stay at the top of your game – or to get there.

Now, you probably don't think of me being nervous about doing new things, but I am. I want my keynotes and workshops to be awesome experiences for everyone who's there.

It took me a long time to prepare.

Shortly after SNAP Selling came out, tons of salespeople said to me, “This is great info on selling to today’s crazy-busy prospects. But I’m frazzled too. How can you help me?”

Initially, I thought it was a time management problem. But, after pondering things for a while, I realized it was a bigger issue.

• Too much was changing: products, buying cycles, the economy, technology, competitors.
• Customers expected more. They wanted you to continually bring them ideas, insights and information to help them be more successful.
• To stay at the top of your game, you needed to always be learning – but when? Your calendar is already full.

I should be jumping up and down with joy right now. After all, my new book, AGILE SELLING, is coming out next week.

But instead of busily rolling out my well-planned book launch campaign, I’m sitting in a hospital room watching my husband sleep.

Ten days ago he had quadruple bypass surgery - which went well. I expected a quick recovery because he was healthy going into it, and built my plans around it.

Then complications set in. I immediately canceled everything; family is more important than a book. After a couple of scary days, the downhill spiral stopped. Thankfully, my husband is getting better little by little every day.

But even though I'm in the midst of a family crisis, the world doesn't stop. I can’t delay the book launch date; that’s set by the publisher months in advance. Plan A is totally shot.