Jen Allen-Knuth

Yesterday, I hit 100k followers on here. You peasants will never know what it’s like to join the 6 Figure Club, so here's what happened when I achieved this impressive milestone.

I boarded my United flight to New Orleans. (First class, obviously. An internet celebrity can’t be seen among the commoners.)

A hush falls over the cabin. A slow clap escalates into a full standing ovation.

Sheepish, I bow my head and insist to be treated like any other non-famous passenger.

The pilot timidly approaches me. "An autograph for my child? She's not well." I decline. Unpaid work for exposure? I think not.

Instead, I demand 100,000 Stroopwafels to commemorate my achievement.

AirPods in. Ready to drift off to my custom playlist, “Podcast Episodes With Me In Them.”

Buzz buzz.

A text. It's my husband.

"Honey, great news. Thanks to the enormous check you received from LinkedIn for crossing 100k, we can afford those custom Hermes luggage sets the kids have always..."

But, I was no longer listening.

I was lost in my own thought leadership.

I whisper, "What if I turn this moment into a post… about turning moments into posts?”

The women and children cry. The men nod their head in solemn agreement.

As I deplane, I trip over an iPhone charger.

"This isn't a setback. It's an obstacle I've overcome. #Authenticity."

(In all seriousness, thank you for engaging and following along with my content on here. You make this place a lot more fun and I'm grateful for you 🩷)

SDRs & AEs: are you using COI (cost of inaction) or ROI (return on investment) in your outreach to earn meetings right now?

Here's why COI is powerful.

ROI = by doing something, you COULD see this return
COI = by changing nothing, you ARE seeing this cost/risk

We have inherent skepticism about ROI claims.

Let's play this out.

My wedding is in 2 months. I have a compelling event to get in shape.

But, I've been complacent about going to the gym for the last 7 months. As much as I'd LIKE to tone up, I've become accustomed to not going. That's my status quo.

I know that by going to the gym I COULD tone up. But, it's not a guarantee (other things would have to change, too, like my diet).

So, it's easier for my status quo to prevail, even though I have a compelling event.

Or, I settle for minor “good enough“ DIY improvements, like cutting down on post-dinner snacks.

Now, let's say I went to the doctor. The doctor ran some tests and showed me I was at serious risk for a heart attack.

All of a sudden, there's a serious cost to my status quo. That's my cost of inaction (COI).

It's no longer about realizing a benefit (“I might be able to tone up for my wedding“). It's about something much bigger and much more urgent.

I'm not suggesting we tell every buyer their business is at risk of a heart attack.

But, to defeat status quo and earn time with budget-conscious buyers, we won't be able to rely on the same benefit-led outreach that kept us fed when cash was abundant.

Ask yourself 3 Qs:

1) What's the under-appreciated cost/risk if your buyer does nothing differently in 2023? (If your answer is, “they won't see 10x the leads/growth/etc.“, go back to the drawing board.)

2) How big are those costs of inaction relative to the costs/risks of buying and implementing your solution? (Think of it like a see-saw. Which side would win?)

3) What are the alternative investments/DIY approaches your buyer might be considering? (AKA what are their after-dinner snacks? What are the under-appreciated risks/costs of those alternatives?)

If this feels hard - you're on the right track. It's much easier to slap a 10x ROI in an email.

It's much harder to consider WHY a buyer's business can't afford to tolerate status quo.

But, that's the exact same business case they're going to have to make to their boss to get budget.

Here's a company I'm being paid $0 to say nice things about who deserves our attention.

Bereave.

According to their research, 1 in 9 employees will face a devastating death this year.

51% of employees who lost a loved one left their job within 12 months.

An employee's mental toll of grief is even harder because of the overwhelming list of tasks to do when someone dies.

Bereave helps employers + employees navigate death & grief beyond giving the employee time-off.

Their LinkedIn content is A+.

It's tactical, helpful, and genuine. They're one of the few company accounts I genuinely enjoy following on here. Their content is designed to help.

With so many traumatic events happening in 2024 - I'd love to see more founders and CEOs pay attention to this space ❤️

Chungus Humungus is officially a foster fail!

Beyond grateful for the best husband in the world for making my Christmas wish come true.

I started bawling as soon as I opened my gift bag and saw a collar with Chungus’ name on it🥹

Happy Holidays to you all!

(As always….adopt, don’t shop 🩷)

today I learned you can request $ in a group chat. follow me for more money-making tips.

See these 2 Frenchie puppies? They, along with 23 other dogs, were just rescued from a house of horrors. A breeder selling cute Frenchie puppies who were living in hell.

I’ll spare you the horrific photos.

25 dogs who lived in rusty cages. No blankets. No love. Terrified. Some had no access to food or water.

Some of the dogs were being used as bait dogs. One needs to have their eye removed. Another is in surgery right now because her ear was nearly ripped off.

If you’ve been following me, you know that I share a different rescue dog every Saturday from Many Paws Global Rescue.

Well, they just took in 17 of those dogs. And they need our help.

The shelter director was in tears when Nicholas I. Knuth 📸 and I walked in today. She’s the toughest woman I know. But, she hasn’t slept or eaten in 2 days because she can’t get the images out of her head.

I try not to ask for much on here.

But, I’m begging you for help.

Many Paws just took on thousands of dollars in medical bills.

If you are in a position to help - please visit their website and make a donation. Or, call them to foster. Or, adopt.

Or, simply repost this to get the word out.

I just made a $1000 donation.

If everyone reading this made a $10 donation, you could make such a difference.

The last time I did this, y’all raised $8,000 in a day.

Thank you for whatever you can do to help ❤️

Last week, I flew to NYC to deliver my final in-person Sales training workshop for 2025. And, by the looks of this picture, I did a terrible job. Everyone's looking at their laptops.

But, it's intentional.

A big part of how I build my workshops comes from being in the participant's seat for 18 years.

The trainings that helped me the most weren't those where I watched a facilitator deliver slides for hours.

They were ones where I worked on real stuck accounts in my territory.

In this one, we worked on how to prepare for and run discovery convos with outbound-originated opps. How to show up with a status-quo-busting POV. How to avoid mindless open-ended disco questions that scream "I haven't bothered to do research on your business....can you just give me the answers to the test?". How to avoid solution dumping when our Happy Ears hear a pain we know we can solve.

There's a heavy focus on using AI as a research assistant to do discovery before the discovery call.

So, what you're seeing here is sellers applying the AI prompts to the accounts they chose in pre-work.

They're building out their account POVs in the workshop.

The tenure in the room ranged from 2 weeks to 20+ years in Sales. This team worked hard, leaned in with great questions, and made their leaders proud. Great teams like this are why I love what I do.

My favorite feedback quote: "At my age, I'd consider myself an experienced seller, but the stuff Jen is sharing is absolute gold. I'm really grateful for these types of sessions."

Now, home for 2 months before SKO season kicks off in January! Dropkicking this suitcase to the basement.

I just read a post from a CEO who was in disbelief that a customer churned b/c they're going to try DIYing the vendor's AI solution. It included the quote - "Good luck, see you in 6 months when you realize how hard it is."

I think we're going to see a lot more of this from tech companies in 2026. This isn't me picking on anyone. DIY is a really tough competitor. And, it hurts to lose to it.

But, wishing for a customer's failure has never served me well in Sales.

It's understandable that our knee-jerk response is to name all of the reasons why DIY is a bad idea.

Often, our points are valid.

But, the delivery is defensive. We erode trust because we fail to be collaborative or helpful.

Instead, here's something that worked for me when I was up against DIY:

#1 - I asked questions about how they were thinking about rolling it out. Not "gotcha" questions. Qs that were genuinely curious in nature that helped me understand their beliefs/assumptions. I sought to understand (vs. seeking to correct them). Often, this exposed a flawed assumption.

#2 - I shared ideas/tactics from other execs that were taking a DIY approach, so they could learn from them. I stopped fighting against DIY. This built trust.

#3 - Lastly, I offered at least one idea for how I could partner with the team as they thought through their DIY approach. I prescribed suggestions on areas where I knew DIY typically fell down. It gave me the chance to get in with the teams and illuminate the roadblocks that made DIY harder than they assumed.

More of those DIY deals started to convert. Not all of them. Just more of them.

TLDR - there's a great Brent Adamson quote - "Before you tell someone why they're wrong, first tell them why they're right".

When competing against DIY, I stopped trying to be "right". I started trying to be useful.

I'm in Mexico this week for a Revenue Kickoff. I've spent much of January on the road, delivering workshops and keynotes. It's my busy season. But, I couldn't do it without my husband, Nicholas I. Knuth 📸.

Many of you know we have 4 kids (3 living at home) and 5 dogs.

Nick never guilts me. He never complains. He texts me first thing every morning I'm on the road with a message telling me I'm going to do a great job.

He's the reason I was able to start my own company. He's the reason I stopped doubting myself.

I'm so damn grateful to have a husband that supports my ambitions.

Cheers to all of the partners who show up this way 🩷

(PS - I was looking for an excuse to share this photo of Nick and Milk that he sent me today)

5 ideas for your 2026 Sales kickoff.

1. Swap 1 happy hour with a volunteering event at a local animal shelter

Want to build camaraderie? Puppies. Can't think of a shelter that wouldn't be over the moon for some extra hands right now. Post photos on your company LinkedIn page.

2. Offer headshots.

Saw this a lot more in 2025. Sellers love it. You're saving them $ and helping them build a more credible digital presence.

3. Customer panel.

But, don't make it feel like a staged ad. Ask Qs about a day in the life of a CXO. What made them take the initial meeting? How did they involve their team in the buying process? What did their biz case look like to their CFO/boss? What other options did they consider? What kind of Sales tactics are a turnoff?

4. Pickleball tournament.

Good arrival day event to bring the team together and help break down silos. Bring in Morgan J Ingram as the celebrity referee.

5. Musical chairs with the ELT.

I have 0 evidence this does anything positive for business or morale. But, it'd be a fun way to break up a long slog of PowerPoint presentations post-lunch. And I like the idea of watching ELT members wrestle.

Bonus: try this if you have a hard time getting people back in their seats after a break. Anyone who enters the room late has to sing Pink Pony Club on stage. I learned this when I was at Challenger. One of the facilitators made me sing "I'm a little teapot" to an audience of 300 sales engineers. I was never late to a break again.

Sellers & AMs: here's an idea to re-engage a closed-lost opportunity. It'll cost you a stamp and a $20 ChatGPT subscription.

Step 1: Copy/paste the transcript of your last meaningful call with them into ChatGPT (using a Pro or Enterprise account)

Step 2: Prompt it with, "Come up with a crossword puzzle for this client, based on this transcript". Suggest ideas if you don't like the answers. (Ex: "focus more on words the client used when describing their business problem".)

Step 3: Copy/paste the reply into a free crossword puzzle builder (like Puzzlemaker).

Step: 4: Print it. Drop it in the mail with a handwritten note. Don't know their address? An email or LinkedIn DM works, too.

I just tried this on a recent call with a CRO. They're asking AEs to own more outbound pipe gen in 2026.

The first 11 Across answers spelled “OWN PIPELINE.”

And, one of the answers was "VNECK". Clue: "the kind of black shirt Beth swears by". (We showed up to the call wearing matching shirts and had a laugh about it).

Will EVERY prospect like this? No. Nothing always works and nothing never works in Sales.

But, is it a little more creative than "BUMPING THIS TO THE TOP OF YOUR INBOX!" or "THOUGHTS?!!!".

I think so.

Didn’t hit 100k on here this year

Did hit a tiny jump yesterday in Jackson Hole

Not on purpose

But it was a solid 1 cm vertical, so I’m going into 2026 with the energy of an Olympic skiier

Much love to you all for a happy and healthy new year

(And happy birthday today to my wonderful husband and everyone’s favorite dog photographer, Nicholas I. Knuth 📸)

5 cold email subject lines that would work on me right now (to get an open):

Jen > Kyle Asay
Many Paws Donation
Chris Farley, Sales Icon
Vermont, Amsterdam, Toronto
Deliliah + Koa + Pogo

Why? Because it shows the rep spent a few mins on my LinkedIn and has a genuine interest in speaking with me. I'm not just a name on a list of 1000 email addresses for people with the title of "Founder".

If you have a prospect who shares content on LinkedIn or X, take the time to be curious. (And, yes, not all prospects post on social. This only applies to the ones who do.)

Now, to compare, here are the 5 most recent cold email subject lines I received:

contact update
You might like this, Jen!
Elevate Your Digital Presence with Wikipedia
Quick question about DemandJen's operational efficiency
Quick question, Jen

The job of a subject line is to earn the open. It doesn't earn a reply. That's the job of relevance. And, it's why nailing relevance in your email body matters so much.

But, we can't earn a reply if we don't earn an open.

(PS - Samantha McKenna has some of the best advice on cold email subject lines, using her Show Me You Know Me approach).

Y’all raised $6k yesterday! 😭😭

That money goes directly to helping dogs like Willie (aka one-eyed Willie) get the eye surgery he so desperately needs.

If you missed yesterday’s post, he’s one of 17 dogs Many Paws rescued from a truly horrific breeder/dog fighting situation this week.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. I’m beyond grateful for your kindness. You made a real impact on these dogs and this rescue. I’m so moved by your kindness.

If you missed yesterday’s post and would like to donate, there’s still a ton of medical and spay/neuter expenses looming. A $10 donation or simply reposting this post goes such a long way.

Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸

Willie (and many others) are available for foster or adoption at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL ❤️

Meet Kenzie 🩷

A beautiful, 1 year old gal with a heart full of love and a tail that never stops wagging.

She’s sweet, soulful, and loyal.

And she could really use a foster family.

Fostering costs you nothing.

It’s the most rewarding experience to watch a dog feel what it’s like to enjoy the comfort and joy of a home for the first time.

To sleep in comfort instead of a crate. To know what it feels like to have a family.

Dogs like Kenzie never did anything wrong. They’re great dogs who were let down by humans.

Best of all - fostering allows the rescue to save another dog. You help two deserving dogs.

There’s never been a better time to foster. Rescues need your help.

Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸

Available at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL.

Meet sweet Mara (and our 3rd Saturday sponsor, Leslie Venetz) 🩷. I asked Leslie which Many Paws dog she'd like me to feature in today's post. Her answer?

"Is there an elderly mid to large breed dog? Or a bully breed?" 🥹

Mara has never experienced the love of a family. She was used to breed puppies. And, 7 year old, 59-lb pit bulls don't have an easy time getting adopted. Yet, she's calm, easygoing, walks nicely on a leash, loves dogs, and does great in daycare. She deserves a quiet, loving home where she can feel safe, cared for, and truly part of a family.

Available at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL (Chicago burbs). Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸.

Today's post is sponsored by Leslie Venetz. She's an exceptional B2B Sales Strategist, brilliant speaker, and author of the USA Today best-selling book, Profit Generating Pipeline. And, because she's such a kind human, Leslie has offered to give away a copy of her book to the first 50 people who comment on this post with a photo of their rescue dog! 🥰

Leslie will be donating $500 to one lucky animal rescue of YOUR choice! Here's how to make it happen.

Comment on this post with the name of your favorite local animal rescue (or Many Paws). On Monday, I'll pick one randomly and Leslie will donate $500 directly to that shelter.

Leslie - thank you for having such a generous heart. $500 goes a long way for a dog rescue 🩷

And, thank YOU for reposting, commenting, and liking. It's an easy way to help get Mara in front of her forever family!

Yesterday, I said goodbye to my best friend of 14 years, my first dog, Mugsy.

I adopted Mugsy from Paws Chicago when I was 30. He was by my side through my highest highs and lowest lows. To say this dog changed my life is an understatement. He was my shadow.

He was diagnosed with cancer in Sept. They gave him a month to life. He gave me 8 more months.

Yesterday, he took his last breath in my arms. As someone who travels a lot for work, I can’t tell you how you how grateful I am that I was able to hold him and tell him how much I loved him as we said goodbye.

So, for today’s Many Paws post, I’m sharing Sarah Smile, in honor of Musgy.

If you ever met Mugsy during a Zoom with me, you know he had the best smile. It lit up a room.

Sarah Smile was born with a cleft palate, but it doesn’t cause her any issues at all. She’s playful, happy, gentle, and full of love. She’s lived with kids and other dogs and absolutely adores them. I love her smile.

So, I’m hoping you’ll help me share her. She’s available for foster or adoption at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL.

Instead of a sponsor for today’s post, I’m donating the $500 to Many Paws in Mugsy’s honor.

Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸

And, please, please adopt, don’t shop. Foster. Donate. Do what you can, to the extent you can.

Nothing compares to the feeling of giving a rescue dog a second chance at love 🩷

5 things I’d like to see more on my LinkedIn feed in 2026 (and 1 thing I’d like to see less):

- creators who share a mix of business and hobby content (ex: Keith Weightman’s drawings, Irina Soriano’s photography)
- acts of charity
- rescue dogs (duh)
- leaders recognizing team members (not just what they achieved, but how they did it)
- earlier career sellers learning out loud (ex: Alex Murphy is wonderful at this)

One thing I’d like to see less:

- mundane events turned into soap opera style posts to appease the algorithm (ex: “I dropped my pen. And, in that moment, everything changed. Because here’s the brutal truth: my pen is the window to my soul.”)

Your turn. What do you want to see more? Less?

Some of my biggest Sales f*ckups happened when I forgot a human was on the other side of the deal. Especially when chasing a contract signature. So, here's the one-line email I use to address it now:

"Did we hit an unexpected roadblock?"

The use of "we" is intentional. I'm not trying to fingerpoint. Often, prospects back away or get defensive when they feel accused.

"Unexpected" gives them an out. Normalizes something they didn't see coming. Humans often feel guilty sharing bad news. Prospects are no different. Especially if you've done a great job in the sales process.

But, most importantly, we never know what someone is going through. Especially with the state of the world right now.

I've made the mistake of getting sassy over email with a prospect who ghosted me. I will never, ever forget the pit in my stomach when they replied that one of their coworkers had passed away.

Compassion and kindness go a long way in Sales.

I've decided to create a competitor to LinkedIn. It's called BitchIn. The concept is simple.

Every post is a complaint. Finally, a place where you can complain freely. And, surround yourself with others who like to complain, too.

Need to tell the world you're being unfairly shadowbanned by the algo? BitchIn.

Feel you are owed more engagement because your posts used to pop opp before everyone jumped on the "build a personal brand" bandwagon? BitchIn.

It's not you. It's not your content. It's the algo. You deserve better!

Best part? When you click "post", you'll hear a round of applause, just for you!

Come grow with us!

PSA: No one gets special treatment here. We ALL have posts that perform poorly. We ALL get less engagement than before. But, it's a free platform. We get what we pay for. None of us "deserve" more impressions just because we used to get more. Does this mean I think LI is a well-run product? FFS, no. But, again, it's free. I don't yell at the Costco lady when I don't like the taste of a free sample. I don't say, "The last lady gave me a decadent waffle, and you gave me a potato chip. FORGET YOU, I'M GOING TO BUILD MY OWN GROCERY STORE!". This place has always been about trust. Some (not all) of the people I see constantly complaining are the SAME people that thought no one would notice when they copy/pasted AI slop for posts. Or, said yes to every brand deal that knocked on their door. Or, posted constant "___ is dead" posts to gain eyeballs through shock and awe hooks. Instead of yelling into the void, take a minute and assess if MAYBE, just MAYBE, there's some ownership you can take here. This place is insufferable enough, without you throwing a pity party for yourself in every 12th post.

Sincerely,

Me, hypocritically yelling complaints into the void
CEO, BitchIn

Yesterday, I went for a 67 mile run. It only took me 13 mins.

I went home after 2 miles, but that's beside the point. I WENT for the 67 mile run. And, that sounds much better for a LinkedIn hook.

The next time you see a LinkedIn post claiming to have the secret AI tool to book 50 meetings/day, please, please ask them the same 4 questions Tim Davidson asked (below).

Shockingly, the post's author didn't answer his question. Maybe they were really busy in meetings????

Meet Mara 🩷

She’s a 7 year old, 59lb girl with the most gentle demeanor (especially with kids).

Dogs like Mara always have a harder time getting adopted. She’s older + she’s a pittie mix. It doesn’t make her any less deserving of love.

Every dog should be judged by their own demeanor. Not breed sterotypes.

We have a husky who never makes a peep and is scared of his own shadow.

We have a pittie who would throw herself in front of a bus to protect our kids.

Mara is calm, easygoing, walks nicely on a leash, and does amazing in daycare. She’s a complete love.

Mara deserves a loving family. Will you help share her? 🩷

Available at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL.

Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸

PS - I know many of you have pitties, too. I love seeing your photos in the comments - please share them!

I stopped doing paid brand partnership posts. Here's why + what I prefer instead.

1. I dreaded writing them.
Why do stuff I dread? Isn't that half the point of going off on my own?

2. Many (not all) B2B brands want you to write like a corporate marketer.
It got boring pushing back on requests to write posts that sounded like stale bread.

3. I don't want to be known as an influencer. I want to be known as a SME.
At times, those two things felt at odds with each other. Not saying it can't be done well. I just personally didn't like that feeling.

So, here's where I'm at with brand partnerships.

I think the magic is in in-person event activations.

AKA working with a SME who has the attention of your ICP as a magnet to attract your target market to your events.

I've done this with a few orgs now (and have seen other SMEs do this very well, too). What I love is how much of a win it is for the brand, the SME, and the attendees.

I get to do what I love (speaking, teaching).

The brand has an easier time filling the room and opening up new connections.

Attendees walk away having learned something (vs. being pitched).

So, putting it out there that one of my goals for 2026 is to work with a brand on an event that blends my two passions - sales/marketing + rescue pups.

Would that be chaotic? Potentially. But, that's on-brand for me.

Some DemandJen-isms you've heard if we've been in a Sales training workshop together:

1. "Your outbound message is your movie trailer."
Our prospects decide whether to hit "play" or "skip", based on our message. Pushy, product-focused, and "we-we"? The prospect assumes that's what a Sales call will be like, too. Skip.

2. "A better way" rarely defeats "good is good enough".
Let's say you own a house. Would you move homes every time a realtor showed you a better home? Humans rarely act to realize 'better'. We act when we perceive there to be an intolerable negative consequence with how we're solving the problem today.

3. "Never be nice, never be mean."
Don't be a jerk to someone who is trying to learn. But, don't withhold constructive criticism out of a desire to be perceived as "nice". The nicest thing we can do is tell them the truth.

4. "The hard work works because it's hard."
Imagine your prospect makes the decision to buy based on who delivered the better Sales experience - you or your competitor. Do the hard work to set your experience apart early. Most sellers choose easy.

5. "How we open is how we win."
Want to become a better closer? Learn how to be a better opener. Most late-stage deal problems are consequences of early-stage failures.

And, last but not least:

"In Sales, nothing never works and nothing always works".
Don't believe anything that promises the secret "hack" to success. If Sales were that easy, everyone would do it.

Here’s a great example of why tonality matters in a cold email. Read the first 2 sentences.

Do they make you want to lean towards or away from this person?

Does the copy make you feel uniquely seen, heard, and understood?

Does it make you feel like this sender has a sincere desire to meet with you?

Weigh in with your take. No wrong answers.

I've got an announcement coming out tomorrow for a new DemandJen offering. It's my first one for individual sellers, not companies.

More to come tomorrow, but this wouldn't have happened without the team at 30 Minutes to President's Club.

I joined them for a podcast episode in May 2023, while I was still working at Lavender AI.

After leaving Lavender, they invited me to co-host 30MPC with Nick.

I did that for 10 months, while I was standing up DemandJen. I owe them a ton of gratitude for the visibility they gave me to their audience.

Nearly 3 years after joining them on their podcast, we're launching this offering together.

We worked so hard on this and I'm really proud of how it turned out.

I'll share the details tomorrow, but wanted to use today to say a sincere thank you to the 30 MPC team.

(And, if your team hasn't read their book, "Cold Calling Sucks and That's Why it Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Calling Strangers in Sales - grab it! It's written like a tactical playbook, not a novel. So good.)

Here's a super simple tactic to try in your next discovery call.

It works when you notice your prospect has a pet, mentions a hobby, or has something meaningful hanging in their office.

Let's say they have a dog. You know because the pup shows up in the Zoom screen or you hear them bark.

Step 1: Stop and ask, "Who's that?".

"Oh, that's Guster."

Step 2: Read the room. Do they offer more about Guster? Or, are they dismissive. If dismissive, get back to the convo. If they offer more, engage in that before pivoting back to the convo.

Step 3: Fast forward in the sales process. You're trying to reach your prospect by phone, email, text, etc. But, not getting a reply.

Try sending the subject line "Guster". Why? It's something you'd only know if you spoke with them. It helps cut through the inbox noise.

Or, let's say they have a 1997 Bulls Championship banner hanging in their office. Use '97 Bulls as your subject line.

BIG, IMPORTANT NOTE:

Nothing always works and nothing never works, but I don't love this move for prospecting. We run the risk of looking like a creep who's been digging around in their personal social media accounts to find their pet names. If it's something they're publicly putting out there on LinkedIn, ok. But, otherwise, no.

And, definitely never ever ever do this with their kid's name. That's just weird.

Meet Mr. Sniffles 🩷

If it has a smell, he must investigate it. Thoroughly. Repeatedly. For science.

He’s a 2 month old little guy with a waggy tail and a nose that never quits.

New toys? Sniff them. New friends? Sniff them. That spot in the yard you’ve walked past 47 times? Definitely needs another sniff.

When he’s not on important sniffing missions, he’s busy being adorable.

I had a chance to meet Mr. Sniffles last week.

As soon as I picked him up, he gave me a kiss, then curled up into the tiniest donut and fell asleep in my lap.

This pitbull puppy is so tiny, so cute. He’ll steal your heart. Great with dogs, too 🩷

Available at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL.

Photo credit: Nicholas I. Knuth 📸

Today is my final SKO of the season. And, it’s for the biggest logo I’ve ever worked with in my 22 years of selling.

Will report back later, but taking this moment to feel proud of myself.

I second guessed myself for a long time before starting DemandJen.

What helped me stop doubting myself was how many of you were in my corner. Sharing my name. Sending encouraging DMs and comments. Hiring me for SKOs and workshops.

I would never have these opportunities if it weren’t for you. I’m a 1 person business, lucky enough to have a community of good people lifting me up.

For all of its highs and lows, Sales has given me the chance to create a life and a career that I love. Sales will take you places you never dreamed you could go.

Like Bentonville, AR, baby!!!!!!!!!

My Saturday Many Paws rescue dog posts will start up again next week. Nicholas I. Knuth 📸 is going on Monday to take photos of the newbies.

Until then, here's a photo of me and Chungus Humungus FaceTiming this week.

If you're new here - we fostered Chungus and ended up adopting him in December. The first 2 years of his life were horrible. But, you'd never know it. He's the happiest, funniest dude.

PS - the biggest reason why I've been posting Many Paws rescue dogs every weekend for the last 2+ years was to break the false belief that rescue dogs are somehow "less than" a dog from a breeder. I'd love to see your rescue dogs, too! Comment a photo of them below 🩷

Meet Alpaca Kyle.

Every Saturday, I post a photo of a rescue dog available for adoption at Many Paws Global Rescue in Palatine, IL.

But, this week, Kyle Asay messaged me with a desperate plea.

“Jen - how can I be more likeable on the internet? You are so cool, funny, smart, and kind. What could I do in absence of having any of those qualities?”

And so, with the help of Keith Weightman and Jacob Karp, Alpaca Kyle was born. Furry, friendly, and rarely bites.

He’s not looking for a home.

But, Minnie, a gorgeous Husky is.

Want to meet Minnie? Head over to Kyle Asay’s post today. It’s one of my favorite photos Nicholas I. Knuth 📸 has taken this year!

I needed a new bedtime TV show to binge, so I started watching ER from S1E1 this week. One of the episodes featured a Sales guy who came in for stomach pain.

His character was exactly how sellers are portrayed in TV/movies.

Always grinding.
Cell phone attached to his hip.
PClub or death.
Never takes no for an answer.

This characterization is why I never wanted to go into Sales. I ended up in it because I wanted to move to a city (DC). ~10 mins into my interview, I knew I wanted to be just like the Sales rep who was interviewing me.

I got the job. Ended up working for her. She was 1 of 4 Enterprise AMs on the team. They were all a force. Zero tolerance for mediocrity. Top performers. Brilliant coaches. These women shaped me into who I am today.

One of those women (Keli Frazier-Cox) DMed me this photo over the weekend. It's from her goodbye party in 2006.

I remember sitting in that office like it was yesterday. Those 20 years have flown by.

Sales didn't come naturally to me. I didn't make PClub every year. I lost big deals that stung (and still sting) because I made a bad call. Because I did the wrong thing.

Sales will humble you like nothing else. It's a career that forces you to take complete accountability. Treat it like it's your own business and you'll realize that, most of the time, the finger of blame points back to ourselves.

But, for every loss, there's a lesson. That lesson makes us better for the next deal. And, every time you share that lesson with the rest of your team, they get better, too.

So, if you're in a slump, keep your head up. Every seller goes through it. It doesn't define you. It just makes your next deal that much sweeter 🩷

Let's play a game. Here are the hooks of my top 10 LinkedIn posts in the last 90 days (based on # of impressions).

Which one do you think had the most # of saves? Which one do you think generated the most inbound leads? And, which one had the most comments?

Hint - they are 3 different posts. None of them are the post with the highest impression count.

#10: 5 cold email subject lines that would work on me right now (to get an open).

#9: Steal this prospect dinner idea.

#8: There are average CROs. There are good CROs. There are great CROs. And, then, there's Kara DelVecchio.

#7: I use SkinCeuticals Vitamin C serum. It's stupid expensive, but it works well, so I keep hate-buying it.

#6: Looking for a 2026 Sales Kickoff speaker? Here's how to decide if I'm the right option for your company (which isn't always the case).

#5: Petition to remove "budget" as a closed-lost reason in CRM.

#4: Here's how I open a discovery call with an outbound-originated opp.

#3: Are you buying a private jet? Me either. So, why did I watch a 7 min video of a Sales meeting for one?

#2: Here’s a great example of why tonality matters in a cold email. Read the first 2 sentences.

#1: Yesterday, my son's travel basketball team needed an extra player. Coach asked my daughter to sub. And, I don't know what made me more proud.

(I don't sell any services or workshops re: LinkedIn content or social selling. There are way more qualified people for that stuff. But, I've been running some experiments for fun. Will be sharing some of what I'm seeing/learning here in the coming days, if you're interested!)