Social Selling Be found by new buyers

Bring value to clients Build your career

EXECUTIVESOCIALACADEMY.COM

1

WHY Why is this important?

Like it or not…

YOU have an online brand

Either you are controlling it

Or… it’s controlling you

It goes wherever you go, it’s yours, it’s your career

90% For B2B transactions, Forrester found that buyers go through 90 percent of the buying process before they even talk to a vendor

Today’s buyers are empowered & informed

2 Billion When they want something (products or services) they search online. They’ll find you, not vice versa.

Be findable

Trust People buy from people they know like & trust.

Social = higher perceived credibility, authority, trust

Data Tells Us IBM Sellers engaged in social achieve:

30% higher pipeline

20% higher closed revenue

It’s about business outcomes & quota attainment

2

WHAT What is the mindset & focus?

Buyer’s Journey It’s a ‘buyer’s journey, not a sales cycle’

That journey starts online long before (and IF) they ever talk to you

It’s not about you, it’s about them

Surface Area Building a digital brand is about creating greater surface area for you

Create more ways for people to find you

2 Objectives Influencing new buyers = new rev Providing value to clients = loyalty

For Sales perspective, building revenue on both ends

Share what you know You know more than you think you do…

Think about what questions people have

Help people through their buyer/user journey

360° Network It’s about building & leveraging collective expertise in your network

You are as smart as your network

Content Content is the currency of today’s connected economy

Content = visibility = value = pipeline

From Selling To Serving 1.  Help people 2.  Share & curate useful information 3.  Build a smart network 4.  Listen for needs 5.  Demonstrate thought leadership 6.  Nurture relationships online Choose to lead the opportunity (vs chase or miss it)

3

HOW 10 steps to making it happen

Setup Connections Setup your profile

1.  Enter what you are known for

2.  Enter tags for your expertise

3.  Add links to your social profiles

Set yourself up to leverage IBM Connections to serve clients

Step 1

Build 360° Network Create a ‘smart’ network

§  Connect across SMEs for solutions you sell

§  Connect across client touch points

§  Connect across your territory

§  Connect across roles

§  Connect across marketing for content

Tip: Use ‘Advanced Search’ to find the right people

Step 2

Setup LinkedIn Setup your profile

1.  Craft compelling headline

2.  Create a ‘serving’ summary

3.  Add value-add content for your solutions

4.  Customize your LinkedIn URL

5.  Add your LinkedIn to your email signature

It’s about a) findability & b) how you can help It’s not a resume or about how you ‘crush quota’

Step 3

Setup Twitter Setup your profile

1.  @firstnamelastname (or derivative, not @jim_251)

2.  Upload appropriate professional photo

3.  Align your bio with your LinkedIn summary

4.  Start sharing & connecting

Start small & build… incremental compounding over time

Step 4

4 Rules of Value 1.  Share what you know

2.  Share what has helped others

3.  Provide information on questions people have

4.  Always add context to provide meaning

Be a source of value… and be consistent

Step 5

Finding Content 1.  Get content from W3 Connections

2.  Join IBM GetSocialHub for content

3.  Get content from LinkedIn Pulse or industry channels

4.  Get your content from IBM newsletters in your inbox

5.  Get content from marketing

Think about what information would help buyers & clients

Step 6

Finding Opportunity 1.  LinkedIn Groups

2.  Twitter #hashtags

3.  Influencers in your solution area

4.  Use Advanced Search in Twitter

5.  Follow competitor @handles

Listen for signals of unmet needs

Step 7

Toolbox 1.  Connections (browser & mobile)

2.  LinkedIn Premium Sales Navigator (browser & mobile)

3.  Hootsuite or Tweetdeck (browser & mobile)

4.  Talkwalker Alerts (on competition)

** Relationships - Nimble (browser & mobile)

** Smart – Buffer (browser & mobile)

** Deeper value thru context – Meddle (browser)

Right tools can help you work smarter w/ better outcomes

Step 8

Day-to-Day §  Invest time to build your brand

§  Invest in your social connections

§  Tap your network for introductions & expertise

§  Help people with value

§  Put it on calendar = 30min AM + 15min PM & grow it

It’s a journey, no shortcuts, benefits compound over time

Step 9

The 1 Percenters §  Build a platform you own, you control

§  Build YOUR OWN intellectual property

§  How = Start a blog

§  This is where you really build authority

§  Authority = Credibility = Trust = Buy

§  Truth: Not for everyone, but if you commit, it will pay off!

This is a career investment that grows with you

Step 10

The question to ask

Are you leading the opportunity or chasing it?

Follow these steps to lead....

EXECUTIVESOCIALACADEMY.COM

Resources

For links to over 20 resources on each of these 10 steps,

head on over to executivesocialacademy.com/sellerresources

(not able to link them all here on Slideshare)

EXECUTIVESOCIALACADEMY.COM