The best thing about my relationship with RainToday is getting the heads up on their research.  It is solid.  So I can’t wait to tell you about their latest report, The New Rules of Selling in 2011.  And, yes, the rules have changed.  The recovery isn’t turning back the clock.  It’s a whole new game.  Mike Schultz not only reveals the new rules for selling professional services, but also explains how you must transform the way you sell in 2011.

Since we’re talking about RainToday, here’s another heads up:  next week, Mike Schultz and the RainToday team are re-opening enrollment for their highly-touted online learning program, Selling Consulting Services with RAIN Selling. After successfully putting hundreds of consultants through this 4-month program in 2010, they are re-opening enrollment for two weeks only on Monday, January 17. If you jump on the bandwagon early, you get a good discount.  (Full disclosure:  I am a contributing editor for RainToday’s online newsletter.  I also think highly enough of their work to become an affiliate for this, so yes, I do get a commission if you sign up.  And…this commission is not enough money to get me to lie about it’s value to you.  Just check it out and if it works, go for it.  Given all the changes out there, this help won’t hurt you.)

There’s training videos and there are award-winning training videos.  Here’s your chance to create the latter.  Training Magazine has teamed up with new video distributor, TrainingTube.tv, to launch a contest of the best training videos.  The winner gets a free registration and their video viewed during the conference, along with top billing at the site.  The winners are chosen with the most “View It!” votes.

Here’s what the winner really gets:  bragging rights about an award from a media leader.  Awards are an effective way to show prominence, so this is a fabulous opportunity.  Experts, start your cameras…now.  January 14, 2011 is the deadline and voting will close on January 21st.  Here’s the link to get started.

Attending the 1st annual TEDWomen Conference was a game-changer for me.  Over 80% of the attendees were new to TED, so everyone was open to meeting new people.  Had the best conversations in a long time.  Here’s what I learned from the 70 speakers and the hallway conversations:

• When Polynesian sailors see a huge storm coming up, they loosen the lashes on the wooden boards of the ship so the water can come through the boat without destroying it.  Good strategy for any changing environment.
• Make your requests for help small and specific.  A change agent in Ghana wants U.S. leaders to mentor her women’s cooperative.  She asked for one Skype call her quarter.  I said “sold”.
• Regarding the global meltdown:  we need to resist the urge to rebuild what caused the problem in the first place.

And finally:  nothing — social media conversations, YouTube videos, nothing — takes the place of meeting folks face-to-face.  Pay the extra money and show up.  The people you meet is worth it.

Every once in a while, I do something wild just to see what happens.  (“Let’s just see what happens” will probably be on my tombstone some day.)  Last month, I asked this question “Why are you ignoring me?” because many of us put content out on the Internet and hear crickets chirping in response.  The answers were enlightening.

What I learned:  That Tips, Trends and Tirades(r) is no match for college mid-terms.  Laughed out loud when I read “it’s not you, it’s me”.  And Mark O’Brien was the kindest when he wrote “Vickie, we’re not ignoring you!  Your honest, thoughtful and bold insights encourage each of us to listen, listen carefully and often listen, again.  I am certain, these messages are filling your pipeline with many future successful clients, including me.  So some of our ‘radio silence’ is simply us, starting at our computers, muttering, ‘Why didn’t I think of that… too!”

Ya know what happens when you ask a crazy question?  You find out the impact you are really making.  From the heart.  Try it next time you email your community.  You might be surprised at what you hear in return.

Just when you thought it was safe, the holiday season is upon us.  The older I get, the faster time flies.  And the more grateful I become.

This has been an interesting year:  business is up, thanks to courageous clients who put their money where their passions are.  Personal is so-so as my family remembers the two people who passed away this year.  And I appreciate every single moment, even those times filled with tears.

As we break bread today with those we love, take a moment and look at their faces.  Celebrate who they are and the role they play.  And then tell them the impact they have on your life.  It will be the best gift you’ll ever give.

Yes, social media is everywhere in the meetings industry, but this study shows how deep Corporate America is using it with trade show marketing.  The Digital + Exhibit Marketing Insights 2010 put out by the Center for Exhibition Research (CEIR) and George P. Johnson Experience Marketing (GPJ) finds that 72 percent of exhibition marketers expect to have a digital event strategy in place by the end of 2010 (a blinding flash of the obvious), that 44 percent intend to build up their internal capabilities (good news for subcontractors and geeks without jobs), that 78 percent believe digital marketing increases their exhibits’ effectiveness (explains why the train left the station so fast), and that 40 percent spend up to 10 percent of their exhibition budget on digital (the best news for social media experts and the reason why I’m blogging about this study).

Favorite tools of the trade:  online ads pre-event, onsite text messaging and RSS/content downloads post-event.  Pretty tame stuff but a good start.  Look for more innovation in 2011.  Again, great source of opportunity for marketing and social media experts.

You just got a lead of a decision-maker who not only has the budget but is also ready to buy.  The problem:  a lot of other experts know this deal is going down and the buyer is being bombarded with options.  Your job now is to get on the short list.

Many exploratory conversations are really pleas for work.  When you go through all your accolades and previous successes, you are simply saying “please hire me because I’m good”.  In crowded markets, that’s not going to work.  Everyone has success stories, raving fans, and a good background.  Otherwise, they wouldn’t be out there selling their expertise.  Buyers won’t spend the time to figure out how you’re different.

Instead, the conversation you should have is all about establishing the criteria for success.  Influence the benchmarks they use and you influence who they choose.  How to do that?  Let them discover your value, then talk about what they need.  I’ll drill down on the strategies that set up this “aha” moment in the November 23rd call on sales conversations for Extreme Mini Makeovers.  Register here.