Blog: Archives

March 10By Podcast, Social Selling, Video Leave a comment

Why Social Selling is about Opening, Not Closing - Ep. 088

Social Selling is about opening, not closing. You’ve heard this time and time again from us. Well, it’s time we revisit this philosophy. Greg Hyer, Martin Brossman and Elyse Archer discuss why this mindset is critical for success in social selling.

The traditional approach to sales where the sales person is at the center of the sale is wrong. Sales management has been teaching sales reps to close everything while the rest of the organization is tasked with keeping accounts open. Sales has it backwards. It’s time for a change.

Listen to this episode to understand the foundation for this new sales philosophy and start to take your social selling efforts to the next level.

The Social Selling Podcast by Linking into Sales is sponsored in kind by North Carolina State University - Technology Training Solutions. Please be sure to visit to learn more about their professional continuing education opportunities so you too can sharpen your technology skills and remain competitive in your industry.

Audio Run-time: 32:54

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:54 — 30.1MB)

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February 23By Podcast, Social Selling, Video Leave a comment

Introducing SocialSelling.Training - Ep. 087

SocialSelling.Training is now live! Greg Hyer and Martin Brossman introduce their new sales training platform for those looking to improve their social selling skills.

SocialSelling.Training launches with two free courses, “LinkedIn Profile Fundamentals for Social Selling” and “Twitter Profile Fundamentals for Social Selling.”

Greg and Martin start the show talking about the recent events at Twitter including the leadership changes and financial performance. Please keep in mind that Twitter is a financially viable company. Wall Street simply doesn’t understand social media networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Greg shares the plans for SocialSelling.Training and how they will be rolling out a new course every month of 2016. By the end of the year there could be as many as 14 courses. Students who complete all 14 courses will earn their Social Selling Certification from Linking into Sales. The next course to be released in February 2016 is “Establishing a Social Selling Routine.”

The Social Selling Podcast by Linking into Sales is sponsored in kind by North Carolina State University - Technology Training Solutions. Please be sure to visit to learn more about their professional continuing education opportunities so you too can sharpen your technology skills and remain competitive in your industry.

Audio Run-time: 28:25

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:25 — 26.0MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

February 8By Podcast, Video Leave a comment

Sales and Selling in 2016 with Rory Vaden - Ep. 086

Greg Hyer, Martin Brossman and Elyse Archer welcome Rory Vaden of Southwestern Consulting to the show to share his predictions for the future of selling in 2016.

Rory Vaden, MBA CSP is Cofounder of Southwestern Consulting, a Self-Discipline Strategist and an Internationally Renowned Speaker. His first book Take the Stairs was a #1 Wall St Journal and #2 New York Times bestseller. His new book Procrastinate on Purpose is the first book ever to focus on the emotional side of productivity and it presents 5 methods to literally multiply your time. Listen to his weekly podcast and get free daily insights at Rory Vaden’s Blog.

Here are three of the predictions that Greg, Martin and Elyse discuss with Rory. The rest can be found in this blog post titled “10 Predictions About the Future of Selling in 2016 and Beyond“.

  1. Trust has to be built before the sales conversation ever begins.
  2. The emergence of the personal brand.
  3. There will be a coalescence of sales and marketing.

Rory explains what he means my servant selling and how sales must transform to help their clients even if it means you won’t make the sale.

You can watch Rory’s TEDTalk at TEDxDouglasville here: “How To Multiply Your Time.”

Audio Run-time: 31:10

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:39 — 27.1MB)

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January 25By Podcast, Social Selling Leave a comment

Using Video in B2B Sales and Social Selling - Ep. 085

Using video in B2B Sales and Social Selling can be very effective for driving engagement and getting the message across. But it can also be intimidating for sales professionals. As more and more content is being created by Sales in an effort to engage prospects and move deals forward, we must expand our skill set to include video and being effective on camera.

In this episode, we talk with Grant Crowell, Director of Marketing at 919 Marketing. He’s a YouTube Certified Audience Growth professional and creator of a number of videos that help people understand digital etiquette. Grant shares with Martin, Greg and Elyse his insights on digital marketing with video as well as how sales can use video to drive conversation.

Greg opens the show by sharing some news that LinkedIn may be testing auto-playing of YouTube videos in the activity stream. Give the topic of discussion with Grant, this may be a timely update for you to consider with using video.

Audio Run-time: 50:06

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:06 — 45.9MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

January 12By Podcast, Social Selling Leave a comment

Social Selling Routine Components - Ep. 084

What goes into a Social Selling Routine? Greg Hyer, Martin Brossman and Elyse Archer share each of their perspectives on what goes into a sales routine. Each stress how important a routine is critical for any sales professional.

Martin:

For most of us, routines need support to stay in existence. Here are a few questions to consider asking yourself:

  • How are  you going to set yourself up for success? 
  • What context or environment do you need to keep a routine alive? 
  • What are the emotional drivers that will inspire you to consistent action on your social selling routine for 2016? 
  • What has worked the best in the past where you stuck with a routine the longest? 
  • Is your motivation strategy a moving away from or toward strategy? Are you more motivated by Goals or Challenges to solve?

Elyse:

Prior to outsourcing some of what I do:

Daily (start of day)
- put up one post on FB, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn

End of day:
1. Check to see if I have outstanding messages or comments to reply to on any of my social platforms
2. Send connection request with custom message to people who looked at my LinkedIn profile that day…

Example:

Mark,
I noticed you visited my profile - I’m curious as to what brought you by? If there’s anything I can do to help you in your business please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Best,
Elyse

3. Check to see if there’s anyone I spoke to or worked with that day for whom I should write a LinkedIn recommendation
4. Prep for meetings the next day: look through the LinkedIn connections of people I’m meeting with the next day to see who I might ask for an introduction to
5. Send LinkedIn messages to everyone who sent me a connection request without context

Thanks for the connection request. I’m happy to connect here and help you in your business in any way that I can.

If you have a chance to answer three quick questions, that would help me to help you:

1. What prompted your connection request?
2. What type of people are you looking to meet?
3. Who out of my connections would be a good introduction for you today?

To Your Success,
Elyse

Weekly - New to my routine - pull 10 people from my VP of sales target list on LinkedIn who I want to connect with. Send connection requests along with a request for a call.

Post-Outsourcing:

  • Have VA put up a daily post, either a blog I’ve written or a blog one of the people I follow and whose philosophy I agree with has written
  • She alerts me when I have new messages in

Seeking more discipline is not an efficient way to go. For example, if you are on a diet removing cookies for the house is more efficient than trying to stop yourself with more discipline from eating them.  

Greg

Questions and thoughts to consider:
What’s the difference between quota and goal? - Individual quotas lead to business goals
Remember to ask yourself “Do your quotas lead to goals?”
Why is routine so important when it comes to quotas and goals?
Can behavior chains help drive quota and goal attainment?
“If this, then that” approach to routine
Does reducing options help achieve quota and goals?
Answer why you want this to occur

Audio Run-time: 46:37

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:37 — 42.7MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

December 30By Podcast, Video Leave a comment

Post-Click Marketing with Jonathan Lacoste of Jebbit - Ep. 083

Post-Click Marketing Data Provides Better Context for Social Selling

Jonathan Lacoste of Jebbit talks with Martin, Greg and Elyse about how his post-click marketing solution is used to support the buyer’s journey and gathers important data to be used in social selling. The data collected by Jebbit can be helpful with shaping the context of the conversation social sellers will have with prospects.

Jonathon also lets us in one how his sales team uses social selling. He recommends that his sales team finds the social network they are most comfortable with and run with it. He doesn’t force them into a social network. But they will use the post-click marketing data from their own application to improve sales engagements.

While at Boston College, Jonathan Lacoste launched Jebbit with classmates Tom Coburn and Chase McAleese. When Lacoste and Coburn raised venture capital in the summer of 2013 for Jebbit, it made him one of the youngest internet entrepreneurs to raise venture capital at the age of 19.

Jebbit is a venture-backed marketing technology company that has created the #1 Post-Click Marketing platform used by brands such as Volkswagen, Reebok, and Dell. Without a single line of code, the Jebbit technology transforms webpages and content into interactive experiences that drive deeper education, engagement, and conversions. Marketers utilize Jebbit to amplify the short and long-term results of digital campaigns and to create a better customer decision journey.

Links Greg mentioned:

Jonathan Lacoste’s interview with CNBC
Jebbit - The Post-Click Marketing Platform
Jebbit’s Marketing Personality Quiz

Visit SocialSelling.Training to start your online training. Register and we will start your training off for free with two courses; Linking Profile Fundamental for the Social Seller and Twitter Profile Fundamentals for the Social Seller. In addition, we will show you how the path to social selling was blazed in our “Introduction to Social Selling” lesson. These courses are free and will be updated as changes are rolled out to LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit SocialSelling.Training to register today.

Did you leave a review on iTunes or Stitcher? If you did, we want to send you a free Linking into Sales vinyl sticker. Once you’ve left a review, let us know by visiting our request form.

Thank you to our sponsor: NCSU-TTS is an in-kind sponsor of the Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast. To discover the adult learning and professional education opportunities available please visit http://linkingsales.wpengine.com/ncsutts.

Audio Run-time: 32:18

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

December 22By Podcast, Social Selling, Video Leave a comment

Social Selling Planning for Q1 in Q4 - Ep. 082

Social Selling isn’t just about Selling. It’s about Planning too!

Don’t let Q4 cancellations get in your way. Use social selling techniques to get those meetings scheduled now for Q1. Elyse Archer is back to talk with Greg Hyer and Martin Brossman about how to stop whining and start scheduling those meeting for Q1.

January is a critical month for sales pros. You need to be visible in December to have a successful January.

Contact your client and ask for meetings or referrals. Use this opportunity to strengthen relationships for mutual benefit. Greg suggests using the tagging tool on LinkedIn and the list tool on Twitter to organize prospects. Martin suggests reevaluating relationships and focus on the wins. Set yourself up for success by associating with the win. Elyse wants you to write down those wins and share those stories with your clients and prospects.

Take the time to get organized and don’t stopped calling prospects. Be persistent. Remember our episode with Lindsey Boggs? She stressed the importance of being persistent. Remember, be positively aggressive.

Remember to schedule time for learning. Things are moving very quickly. Software platforms are being updated and strategies are changing. Refer to our interview with Holly Sullenger of NC State - TTS where she discusses the importance of professional continuing education.

Greg reminds listeners that Social Selling is about Opening, not Closing and the real ABC’s of Social Selling are “Always Be Creating.” Social sellers need to always be creating new connection, new opportunities, the next step

Planning is so important. Elyse suggests taking a look at a book called “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. It’s about a new routine focused on planning your day and being proactive rather than reactive.

Check out our list of social selling tools and see if any will help you being persistent and effective.

Social Selling News

LinkedIn in is retiring the Sales Plus account level. Learn more about what to do with insight from Lindsey Stemann

Visit SocialSelling.Training to start your online training. Register and we will start your training off for free with two courses; Linking Profile Fundamental for the Social Seller and Twitter Profile Fundamentals for the Social Seller. In addition, we will show you how the path to social selling was blazed in our “Introduction to Social Selling” lesson. These courses are free and will be updated as changes are rolled out to LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit SocialSelling.Training to register today.

Did you leave a review on iTunes or Stitcher? If you did, we want to send you a free Linking into Sales vinyl sticker. Once you’ve left a review, let us know by visiting our request form.

Thank you to our sponsor: NCSU-TTS is an in-kind sponsor of the Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast. To discover the adult learning and professional education opportunities available please visit http://linkingsales.wpengine.com/ncsutts.

Audio Run-time: 22:31

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:33 — 19.7MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

December 9By Podcast, Video Leave a comment

Selling Across the Generations with Tim Moore - Ep. 081

Selling to a Baby Boomer, a Gen-X’er, or a Millennial?

Selling to someone born in a different generational group can be challenging when you don’t understand what influences them to make decisions. We spoke with Tim Moore, a generational sales and marketing speaker. He delivers keynote presentations on “selling, communicating and marketing to the generations.”

In this episode Greg Hyer and Martin Brossman talk with Tim Moore to understand the challenges that Baby Boomers face selling to Generation X and Millennials. Then we look at the challenges Millennials face when selling to Baby Boomers. Some of the challenges each face come down to communication preferences and how decisions are influenced.

This was a fascinating discussion that will make you realize that the sale is not about you but who you are selling to. You must set aside your preferences and pick up on those of your prospect. Otherwise, you will never be a top sales performer.

How you can learn more about Tim Moore:

Visit his website: http://www.timmoorespeaks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/timmoorecary
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmoorespeaks
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMooreSpeaks

Visit SocialSelling.Training to start your online training. Register and we will start your training off for free with two courses; Linking Profile Fundamental for the Social Seller and Twitter Profile Fundamentals for the Social Seller. In addition, we will show you how the path to social selling was blazed in our “Introduction to Social Selling” lesson. These courses are free and will be updated as changes are rolled out to LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit SocialSelling.Training to register today.

Did you leave a review on iTunes or Stitcher? If you did, we want to send you a free Linking into Sales vinyl sticker. Once you’ve left a review, let us know by visiting our request form.

Thank you to our sponsor: North Carolina State University -Technology Training Solutions is an in-kind sponsor of the Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast. To discover the adult learning and professional education opportunities available please visit http://linkingsales.wpengine.com/ncsutts.

Audio Run-time: 48:14

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:14 — 44.2MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

December 1By Podcast, Social Selling, Video Leave a comment

Social Selling Keeps the Momentum in Q4 - Ep. 080

Social Selling can be very effective in Q4.

Q4 can be a drag for some in Sales. Either you can’t reach people or they have just decided to postpone the decision until Q1. It’s frustrating. Greg Hyer and Martin Brossman share a few “To-Do’s” that can help you keep the momentum going with social selling until year end and for the beginning of next year.

To-Do’s by Year End

Touch base with clients and prospects - Think nudges. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine what they are facing at this point in the year. If they are working retail, it’s likely they are very busy and are very unlikely to make any buying decisions. If your clients and prospects are B2B chances are they are planning for Q1. No matter what type of client and prospect you sell to, you have to remember to pace them.

Social Selling fundamentals reminds us to use our social listening skills to understand what’s effecting our clients and prospects. Visit their profile pages and check on their most recent status updates. If something they have shared should be engaged with by you, then do so. This is an opportunity to stay front of mind. If you send an email use a tracking tool like Yesware or Sidekick to notify you if they have opened your email.

To-Do’s for Next Year

If things are really slow, update your social selling profiles with customer successes. Remember they your profiles should be customer facing. The successes you share should be how you have helped your clients become successful.

Get your social selling tracking and reporting spreadsheet ready for 2016. If you aren’t using a spreadsheet, make sure you’re logging you activities correctly in your CRM. It’s up to you to prove that social selling is working in your sales organization.

Establish your theme for 2016. What is the persona that you will be prospecting? Start building your lists based on similar characteristics. Personas help personify the type of prospects you want to reach. Remember that prospects respond better to people that know the issues they face and has a proven track record for success.

Define your education goals. We are big proponents to continuing education. It’s how you avoid becoming stale. The Social Selling Sales Professional is agile and smart. They stay informed to what’s happening in their prospect’s industry as well as they keep up with the changes that can directly impact their ability to sell.

Narrow your client focus. Pruning is needed. Define your MVP clients and how you will keep them happy. Let go of the ones on the bottom dragging you down. You are the front line to keeping your business open and healthy.

Visit SocialSelling.Training to start your online training. Register and we will start your training off for free with two courses; Linking Profile Fundamental for the Social Seller and Twitter Profile Fundamentals for the Social Seller. In addition, we will show you how the path to social selling was blazed in our “Introduction to Social Selling” lesson. These courses are free and will be updated as changes are rolled out to LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit SocialSelling.Training to register today.

Did you leave a review on iTunes or Stitcher? If you did, we want to send you a free Linking into Sales vinyl sticker. Once you’ve left a review, let us know by visiting our request form.

Thank you to our sponsor: NCSU-TTS is an in-kind sponsor of the Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast. To discover the adult learning and professional education opportunities available please visit http://linkingsales.wpengine.com/ncsutts.

Audio Run-time: 13:31

The Linking into Sales Social Selling Podcast is a professional development podcast geared towards sales and marketing professionals that use social media tools and networks to support the sales process and help them become more proficient in social selling.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:31 — 12.4MB)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS