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.

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

"Mind If I share what I learned about your business, before we start talking about {solution}? I don’t want to assume I've got everything right, simply because I researched COMPANY beforehand.

It looks like COMPANY sells a PRODUCT/SERVICE to STAKEHOLDER ROLES at CUSTOMER VERTICALS/TYPES. It seems like the problem you're solving for those customers is X and the company makes money by XYZ. What did I get wrong?”

Here's why I do it this way:

1. 82% of B2B decision-makers think sellers are unprepared during the 1st meeting (source: Gartner). 82%!!!!!

Watch their face/tone change when they realize you took the time to prep. Most common reaction? "Thanks for taking the time to learn about our business. Most sellers don't". Anyone can do this. It takes 2 mins to prompt AI for these answers. The bar is on the floor.

2. Most disco calls are 30 mins. I hate wasting my time. I hate wasting prospects' time. There's no reason for them to spend 7 mins educating me on something I could've easily researched beforehand. More time for the good stuff.

3. The "what did I get wrong" question invites correction. Correction = discovery. It also sets the tone that we're not a know-it-all. Overly assumptive, know-it-all reps sound naive. The discovery motto I teach is "be specific - but seek to be corrected, not correct".

From here, it's an easy transition into "It looks like your CEO is asking the business to...." to ground the conversation in an exec-level objective, before digging in to associated business problems.

Great outbound discovery builds trust by helping prospects think differently about their business, before we ask them to think differently about ours.

How we prep and how we bring that prep to life = two skills that make or break whether we earn that trust in the first few mins of the call.

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.

Getting ghosted on a contract signature today? Instead of sending another "any update?" email, try this one-line email:

"Did we hit an unexpected roadblock?"

It doesn't assign blame to the buyer. And, it opens the door for them to tell us the truth.

We don't get ghosted as much when we make it easy for them to do that.

If I send, "Any update?" - there's an implied hopefulness in that question.

As humans, we don't like the way we feel about ourselves when we think we're about to disappoint someone. Prospects are no different. Especially if you've been pleasant to work with.

The faster we get to the real roadblock - the faster we can figure out if and how to turn the deal around.

PS - before the "yOu ShOuLD ALwayS hAVe A NExT sTEp" crowd chimes in - yes, of course we should. Sometimes we don't. This is for those sometimes. And, yes, we should be picking up the phone, too.

I paid Rayna van Beuzekom to create an explainer video for my DemandJen Pipeline Generation Workshop Series offering for Sales teams. Here's how it turned out + why I didn't use AI to do it instead.

I'm a big believer that creatives are going to be the ones to save us from the soul-sucking sameification of AI-generated creative slop.

The 4 best investments I've made in DemandJen have been thanks to creatives:

My LinkedIn banner image (Emily Court).
My speaker reel (Cody Bonsignore).
My logo cartoons for my website/collateral (Alejo P.).
And, now, my workshop explainer video.

All of them did a great job of bringing my brand to life, in a way that doesn't feel like some watered down, corporate version of me.

Rayna is taking on new clients for video consulting, short-form, and long-form video. You can film it remotely, which makes it easy to fit into your schedule. If you're intimidated about filming video, Rayna makes it so approachable and painless.

(A big thank you to Nicholas I. Knuth 📸 for filming this for me!)

Finally jumped on the bandwagon and hired a LinkedIn ghostwriter.

So far, impressions are down, mispelled words are up, and my keyboard is covered in drool.

Other than that, it’s going great.

I understand the desire to write LinkedIn posts that exaggerate our work, experience, knowledge, or results to make ourselves sound more impressive.

LinkedIn is largely a platform where everyone brags about their successes. It's easy to play the the comparison game.

So, you start fudging a detail here and there. Exaggerate some minor details about your experience. Copy/paste someone else's work, with a few tweaks, so you can call it your own. Make claims about your work you can't really back up, but sound good in content.

Because you want to sound impressive, too.

And, frankly, most of us have insecurities, imposter syndrome, and compare ourselves to others. I sure do.

But, the single most meaningful ingredient for success is trust.

I'd argue it's even MORE important in an AI world, where it takes ~90 secs to spin up a completely delusional, yet pretty, version of reality.

And, every time we do this, we erode our reader's trust. In between the lines, we imply they're too stupid to tell.

I had a ton of insecurity about starting a speaking business. I didn't write a published book. I didn't have a badass story of 3 exits. I never climbed Mt Everest. I was just an AE.

Instead of trying to make myself sound like I was at the same level as those speakers who did, I carved out a different lane.

I led with what made me "weak". Never a CRO. Never got any of the fancy speaker certifications.

And I used that to show how I was different. Not better. Not "as good". Different.

I spoke like your Sales team, not a polished speaker. I could relate to your Sales team's flawed beliefs and assumptions, because I held those same beliefs and assumptions, too. I didn't show up with a wagging finger. Because I had made the same mistakes they did.

Buyers like different. Different registers clearly in the brain. "As good" registers like two apples. "Different" registers like an apple and a hammock.

I write this with a lot of empathy. I know it's tough to get out of the comparison game our brain loves to play.

But, trust is built when we tell the truth.

So, when we mask it, exaggerate it, or downright lie about it, we trade LinkedIn likes and impressions for integrity. And, the bank doesn't cash LinkedIn impressions.

What makes you different is your advantage. Not your flaw to cover up.

Yesterday, I spent the day training a 100+ commercial team in Boston. I'm going to share more about that experience in another post today (dream team). But, I would've never had this opportunity without these two people: Jill Forbes and Neil Forbes.

Jill and I worked together for years at Corporate Executive Board. She's a force of nature. The epitome of someone who helps you realize your own worth. And, one of the most effective sellers I've ever seen in action. 30 mins spent with Jill makes you feel like you can conquer the world.

Jill introduced me to Neil a few months back. He's the SVP of the customer expansion team at Quickbase. Neil is the type of Sales leader you dream of working for at a tech company. An unrelenting drive, a passion for skill development, and a willingness to get in the trenches with you. He commands respect equally as well as he gives respect.

Jill raised my name to Neil, and Neil went to bat for me for this opportunity. I wouldn't have been on Quickbase's radar without him.

I write about this for two reasons:

1. If you're early in your Sales career, your teammates right now will be the same people raising your name and opening doors for you later in life.

2. You've heard the saying "your network is your net worth". As cheesy as it is, it couldn't be more true. One of the best decisions I ever made was working at a company where I was intimidated, daily, by how smart and effective my peers were. Being in their orbit made me better.

I don't talk enough about how the people I've met throughout my career have helped me. I wouldn't have a business without them.

Thank you Jill & Neil 🩷

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.

Want to be a LinkedIn thought leader? You've probably heard the advice to leave insightful comments on posts. Here's exactly how to do it well, in 3 simple steps:

1. Seek to outsmart the post's author with your comment. This is your special moment to let everyone know you’re the smartest guy/gal in the room!

2. State your opinion as fact. Don’t waste time offering compelling evidence. People are uncomfortable with your expertise because they are intimidated by it. You are right and that's enough.

3. Use AI to automate as many comments as possible. Don't worry about people who complain about this. YOUR AI comments are definitely in a league of their own! No one can tell. You're the exception!

One of my former Sales leaders had a rule for deal reviews. If I couldn't answer these 3 Qs about a deal, I wasn't allowed to bring it to a deal review:

What do they sell?
Who do they sell it to?
How do they sell it?

I remember the first time I had a garbage answer to the first question.

"They're in manufacturing."

"That wasn't my question. What do they sell?"

I turned red and admitted I didn't know, expecting that he would explain it to me.

"Who's up next?"

As I watched the next AE go, I realized why these Qs were so important.

Context.

When I didn't understand what a company sold, to whom, and how, my Sales conversation was me pitching our solution, and leaving it to the prospect to figure out if/how it fits.

When I knew the answers to those 3 Qs, I was able to build a POV that showed I attempted to understand how the problem our solution solved might be playing out in their world.

This allowed me to build a "so what" story upfront.

My boss wasn't being hard on us. He was teaching us that context matters, and holding us accountable for doing the work.

Have you ever received an envelope in the mail that appears to be handwritten? You thought, "Wow, someone took the time to write me a letter!". You didn't recognize the return address. So, you ripped open the envelope. And, inside, was junk mail from your bank.

That feeling when you realized they were trying to dupe you by choosing a font that mimics handwriting? It sticks with you. So, the next time you see an envelope like that - you assume it's junk mail from the bank again.

That's the same feeling your buyers often feel when we use AI to "personalize" cold email.

Most sellers aren't on the receiving end of a high volume of cold email.

So, we ask AI to write a personalized email to a target account. And, we're wooed by the novelty of it.

But, what we don't see is the eye roll from our prospects. Because, unlike us, they get a LOT of AI-generated cold email. So, they're able to spot the patterns.

The message we're unintentionally sending when we do this is - we think prospects are too stupid to tell the difference. We know personalization and intention work to earn attention.

We just don't feel like doing the work to do it.

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 📸)

Here's the story of how Biggie Smalls helped me win a deal.

Think C-level conversations have to be boring? Think again.

LinkedIn's new research shows that top performers are winning by acting on the right signals and leaning on warm connections instead of cold ones.

Learn more, here: https://lnkd.in/gbCUSgYG

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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 ❤️

Some answers to Qs I get every now and then:

- Do offer 1:1 coaching?
No. Salman Mohiuddin and Krysten Conner are my go-to recs if you're in Enterprise and want a great Sales coach.

- Do you only do SKOs?
No. I have April/May workshops for clients who planned them around their in-person QBRs. Most of them are 2 hour outbound or discovery workshops where I'm helping reps break open new logo or expansion accounts.

- Any other offerings?
A 5 hour video course, "Selling to the C-Suite". The 30 Minutes to President's Club produced it. You can buy it on their site for $299. I'm really proud of it.

- Do you have 100 dogs?
No, 4. I'd have 100 if I was FU rich. I'm not FU rich.

- Do you have kids?
4 stepkids. I've never changed a diaper. Met the youngest when she was 5.

- How'd you come up with DemandJen?
When I left Challenger, my old boss said "If you don't name your company DemandJen, you're a fool." I'd love to claim creative rights. I can't.

- Do you actually dislike Kyle Asay?
No.

- How'd you start your own business?
Went to LegalZoom. Registered for an LLC. Bought a website domain on GoDaddy. I wasn't ready. Not sure anyone really is. But, realized I could always go back into Sales if it didn't work out.

- Is that laptop sticker a photo of Larry Bird giving the double bird?
Yes. Yes, it is.

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.

Planning your 2027 Sales Kickoff? Here are 65 SKO ideas, crowd-sourced from sellers & sales leaders yesterday, organized into 9 themes.

Thought this format might be easier vs. scrolling through the comments of yesterday's post. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

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

Yes, we need to multi-thread.

But, if I ask all 4 of my kids, "Would you like to eat Nerds gummy clusters + drink Jarritos soda for dinner?", I'd hear a unanimous "yes".

If I shared those dinner plans with Nick, I'd hear a very different answer.

Same holds true for our deals.

If we're not engaging the executive early, we may be walking ourselves into opportunities that sound good, but run the risk of being shot down at the 23rd hour.

It's why we see such a significant increase in win rate, when we DO involve an exec (as shown below).

Want the rest of the findings from my Selling to the C-Suite study with 30 Minutes to President's Club & Gong? Full study, here: https://hubs.li/Q03-pY330

Spent the last few days in Jackson, WY in awe of the UserEvidence team. They hosted ~100 Marketers at their annual Highline event to talk about how to build trust in a world where buyer skepticism is running rampant. Here's what made it so incredibly special (+ what I wish other events would copy, too):

1. The thoughtful details

There were times when I caught myself thinking that I should've hired UE to plan my wedding. One attendee said, "This is the first time I've attended an event that felt like it was built for the attendee's experience, not the vendor's". Custom cowboy hats. Postcard stations to send notes home to family. An event soundtrack with each attendee's favorite song. The list goes on an on. I came back to my room on day 2 to find this Wrangler shirt as a thank you gift for speaking. Their sincere appreciation for attendees making the trip came through in every tiny detail. Shout out to the Planwell team here, too!

2. The content

The speakers and panelists weren't on a pointless PowerPoint parade. I'm not a Marketer (I was there to provide a Sales POV on what it's like to sell when buyers don't trust vendors). Yet, I walked away with a full page of notes. UE chose speakers and panelists who knew their topics inside and out. I love to learn. I learned a lot yesterday.

3. The attendees

I didn't meet a single arrogant, egomaniac. No small talk. I laughed a lot. A+ people. Also learned that if you give Marketers a theme (western wear), they will nail it.

4. The UserEvidence Team

You will not meet a more genuine, helpful, smart, curious, and kind team than UserEvidence's. Not just saying this because I'm on a mountain-air-high. Every single member of that team made this event better by being there. A very special shout out to Jillian Hoefer and Alex Eaton. You two create magic in a way that I haven't seen before. Thank you for the countless hours this team put into this. Every minute of your preparation was obvious to us, as attendees.

Heading home with a stuffed suitcase and a ton of gratitude for the UE team 🤠

I spent the last 2 days in SF with the Sales team at Semgrep, working on outbound pipeline generation + executive-level discovery. Here's what we did + what I loved most about working with them.

This is a team that is already performing well in a highly technical sale. But, as they move upmarket to focus on ENT, the CRO wanted to equip the team to engage with C-level execs earlier in the sales process.

So, we ran two, 2-hour workshops around their QBR. Every seller brought a top account they haven't been able to crack open. And, they left with a new message to earn that exec's attention + a tailored discovery conversation plan for the first call, that didn't feel like death by 1000 questions.

We talked a lot about selling vs. buyer status quo. The team asked brilliant questions. They did a phenomenal job applying it to their accounts, real-time. And, we had a lot of laughs while doing it. Working with Sales teams like this are the best part of my job.

A very big thank you to the dream team of Garrett Souza, Megan McKitrick, and Kate Nechanicky for all you did to make this happen.

PS - Semgrep is hiring for a bunch of Sales/SE/SDR roles. If you're looking for a great team & product, head over to their career page to take a look!

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????

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.

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!

day #234987 of being done so dirty by YouTube Shorts thumbnails

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.

Wanna join me this Thursday?

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/g6PVYSqS

(It’s virtual! Not in Boston.)

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 🩷

Imagine you're shopping for a new family home. You set a Zillow alert for a 3 bedroom home, within your price range, in your ideal zip code. Your notification dings.

The perfect home.

You go to the open house. You put in an offer.

Just like the 47 other families who had the same Zillow criteria as you did.

And, now you're in a bidding war.

To me, this feels a bit like what's happening as Sales teams increasingly rely on tech that alerts sellers to "new CXO" or "Series D funding" or "website visit" signals.

It makes perfect sense for Sales teams to use the tech.

But, I spend a lot of time working with Sales teams on outbound. And, I worry our profession has become a lil lost in the sauce of teaching sellers to rely on it.

And, in some cases, automating "Saw you were on our website - want a demo?" or "Saw you just closed a Series D round - want to learn more about how we help companies do XYZ?" outreach to those prospects, so they can claim the esteemed honor of "we reached out first".

What happens when your competitors are using the same signals and automations you are?

It's not a new or original POV that chasing after the 3% of accounts in-market comes with inherent risks.

It's crowded. They're farther down the path of researching options. They've likely formed an opinion about what they want in a solution. They're commoditizing vendors into apples vs. apples and more likely to make price-based decisions (unless you have widely-accepted unique + valuable differentiator vs. competitors).

Again, no knock against using the tech. I would've loved to have it as an AE to supplement my outbound efforts.

But, have we taught sellers to become a little too dependent on it? Are we at risk of letting the most valuable Sales skills atrophy because of it? Are we creating the Zillow effect and seeing win rates fall because of it?

What's your take?

(This is the internet. I expect many of you will disagree with me on this. I'm ok with you voicing a different POV. Respectful disagreement is a good thing on here.)