In a recent LinkedIn post, Leslie Venetz discusses her ambitious goal to double her in-person speaking engagements in 2026 and actively seeks the support of her professional network to achieve it. Venetz, an award-winning speaker and sales trainer, detailed her first year on the SKO (Sales Kick-Off) speaker circuit, where she completed 13 paid in-person gigs.
Reflecting on her inaugural year, Venetz expressed pride and gratitude for the partnerships and positive feedback received from sales teams. She is now setting her sights higher for the upcoming year.
“I have an audacious goal to 2 x my in person speaking gigs in 2026 & they say you don’t get what you don’t ask for. So I am asking for your help to hit this goal.”
Venetz is transparent about her request, asking her LinkedIn community to keep her in mind and mention her name in relevant contexts. She specifically requests to be considered when others see posts about events seeking speakers, when they know of an upcoming SKO being planned, or when they hear discussions about a need for sales training or workshops.
Venetz’s Expertise and Core Training Topics
With a professional background in training sellers since 2008, Leslie Venetz brings extensive experience to her speaking engagements. She highlights that she has developed six comprehensive SKO programs and 17 workshop-style training topics, which can be customized to address the specific growth opportunities of different teams.
The sales leader points out that the training topics frequently praised by teams include:
- Better discovery techniques
- Territory management strategy
- Outbound sales strategies
- Needs analysis and value selling
Venetz emphasizes the value of community support in her business development efforts, noting that direct referrals and mentions within her network constitute a significant portion of her revenue.
“One of the most valuable gifts this community gives is saying my name in rooms I am not in (or tagging me in Slacks and on posts). Genuinely is makes up nearly a 1/4 of my annual revenue which is a GIFT!!”
She further elaborates on the importance of making it easy for her network to refer her, underscoring her proactive approach to seeking opportunities.
Leveraging Community for Growth
Leslie Venetz frames her request not just as a personal ambition but as a strategic move to leverage the collective power of her professional community. She points out that her success is intertwined with the willingness of her connections to advocate for her services.
“I’ve been training sellers professionally since 2008. I have 6 fleshed out, highly rated SKOs and 17 workshop style training topics so I can customize decks based on a unique teams growth opps.”
As Venetz states, “Here I am, an award-winning speaker, standing in front of her LinkedIn community, asking them to say her name.” This direct appeal underscores her belief in the power of word-of-mouth and community endorsement within the sales and business development space.
Additionally, Venetz makes a point to mention her availability of discounted rates for non-profit organizations, extending her support beyond the corporate sector.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Leslie Venetz on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on December 9, 2025 | View original post on LinkedIn →