The Social Sales Playbook: Developing a B2B Sales Plan That Drives Results

In the world of B2B sales, social selling has become crucial. The old playbook of cold calls and trade shows is no longer effective. B2B buying decisions now happen earlier, with 57% of the process completed before contacting a supplier. Social selling is about being present, building credibility, and providing valuable content on platforms like LinkedIn. It's important to engage with potential clients by personalizing messages and maintaining relationships. Building a strong personal brand and training teams are also essential. Measurement and tracking metrics are key to understanding the success of social selling. Overall, social selling takes time and effort, but it is worth it for building genuine relationships and driving real business. Welcome, everyone, ready to jump into the world of B2B sales in 2024. We're going deep on social selling, folks, deep. Things have changed. Let's just say the old playbook doesn't quite cut it anymore. It's not just about cold calls and hoping for the best at trade shows anymore. B2B buying decisions are happening way earlier. Way earlier. Gartner found that 57% of the B2B buying process is done before a supplier is even contacted. Imagine right now a potential client is Googling your company's leaders. What are they finding? Are they seeing expertise, thought leadership? Because if they're not, you're behind before you even start. It's not about being pushy anymore. It's about being present right from the start. And that's where social selling comes in. But we're not talking about just throwing random posts on LinkedIn. No, not at all. This is strategic. This is about building a real presence that brings those clients to you. But first, we got to understand why things have shifted. Give us a lowdown. Buyers these days, they're swimming in information. More informed than ever. Then you've got millennials who basically grew up online. They're the ones making decisions now in a lot of companies. Right, right. And the pandemic, that just accelerated everything digital. So what's the move then? Meet your audience where they are. And for B2B, that's online. And more specifically, that's LinkedIn. Think of it like, I don't know, the virtual networking event that never ends. Your LinkedIn profile. That's your first impression, your digital storefront. Make it count. And first impressions. They matter. Remember that story, the CEO who almost locked a huge contract because that old video of him singing karaoke popped up? Yeah, not ideal. Point is, what you put out there matters. You never know who's looking. OK, so LinkedIn game on point. Got it. But how do we stand out? Think of your profile as like your best marketing tool, not just a resume. You're showcasing what you know. OK, I like where this is going. What are the must have? Valuable content. And by that, I mean content that your audience actually cares about. So no more hiding those sales pitches and blog posts. Exactly. You want to be seen as an expert in your field. What insights do you have? What data can you share? That's the kind of stuff that gets people talking. So become the expert that everyone goes to. Got it. Exactly. When people see you as a source of good information, they're going to trust you more. Makes sense. Build credibility before you even have them on the phone. Right. A great way to do that is sharing your expertise on LinkedIn. Think in-depth articles, blog posts, even videos, if you're feeling adventurous, all providing real value to the people reading. It's like they say content is king, right? But how do we get all this great content in front of the right eyes? Strategy. You can't just post and pray. Got to be smart. One thing people overlook, a good CRM system. CRM. That's customer relationship management, right? For managing contacts, keeping track of deals. It's way more than that now. Think of it like your social selling brain, especially the newer ones. Really built for this. Game changer. OK, now you've got my attention. What are we talking about? Imagine knowing exactly who's engaging with your content on LinkedIn. That's what a CRM can show you. Some even work right within LinkedIn Sales Navigator. See if someone clicked your link, watched your video, Goldmine. So no more guessing. You can tailor everything you do. You got it. And of course, it helps you manage all those follow ups. So nothing slips through the cracks. But even before all that social listening. Have you explored that much? OK, social listening. Honestly, it kind of sounds creepy when you say it like that. I know, right? But it doesn't have to be. Think of it like you've got this radar picking up everything being said about your industry, competitors, your own company, even eavesdropping. But make it legal. There you go. But really, it's about knowing what people are saying, what matters to them, where the opportunities are. Give me an example. Say I'm selling like those eco-friendly packaging solutions to food companies. What am I listening for? You'd set up alerts for keywords like sustainable packaging, obviously, supply chain, anything about regulations impacting them, you name it. So it's not just about my brand. It's the whole conversation around my customers needs. Bingo. And here's a really cool part. You can track sentiment to people ranting about a competitor's product. Boom. Opportunity. Someone praising a new initiative. You can jump in on that. Be there at the right place, right time with the solution. Exactly. Be present, be relevant, be helpful. And speaking of helpful, let's loop back to engagement for a second. You think those generic great to connect messages are cutting it down it? Please, no. If you want to actually connect with someone, make it personal. OK, what does that look like? Walk me through it. Before you even hit connect, look at their profile. Do you know the same people? Did they post about an event you were at? Find that common ground. So just like networking, but we're doing it from our desks. You got it. And once you're connected. Don't disappear. Send a message, share a relevant article, tag them in a conversation. Keep that relationship going. Yes. And be generous. Provide value, even if you're not getting anything back right away. People can smell a phony a mile away, especially online. 100 percent. Be authentic. People buy from people they like, they trust. And you build that by being genuine. Speaking of having a good personal brand, that's got to be more important than ever. Right? No doubt. People connect with people, not some faceless company. They want to know the who behind the what. So how do we build that personal brand, especially in B2B? It's not like we're trying to be influencers or anything. Start with your unique value. What makes you stand out? What's your special sauce? Then build your presence around that. And LinkedIn is ground zero for all this. Where else? It's your digital you. Get a good headshot. Write a headline that tells people what you're about. Use that summary section to tell your story. Like a mini elevator pitch. Exactly. Talk about your wins, but keep it real. Let your personality come through. What are you passionate about? What makes you tick? And the content, we've got to keep that going strong, too. Absolutely. Sharing your knowledge is key. Articles, videos, even just thoughtful comments on other people's stuff. Become the go to person in your field. The one everyone trusts and admires. You got it. And that trust, that's what turns into sales. It's like we're building our own, I don't know, personal brand empires. Digitally, of course. Love that analogy. But even empires need a strong foundation, right? In the world of social selling, that's training empowerment. So many companies jump into this without giving their teams the right support, the right tools. Exactly. It's like giving someone a toolbox and being like, OK, go build a house. Good luck. You need to know how. So true. So how do we train for this? What do teams need to know? Everything. The technical stuff, how to use LinkedIn, those search filters, crafting messages people actually respond to. Right. Because no one wants to get those DMs. And then the strategic stuff, too, like how to present yourself, how to navigate all those like unspoken rules online. It's about confidence, right? Giving people the confidence to put themselves out there. 100 percent. Yeah. But it's not just about throwing information at them. You need to build a culture around it. Make it part of how you operate. What does that look like, though? Give me a visual. OK, so imagine you've got a team meeting. Everyone's sharing their social selling wins. What's working, what's not? Or maybe you have a little friendly competition. Who's got the best engagement? Gamifying it a bit. Yeah. Yeah. Make it fun. Celebrate the successes. Because when people feel supported, they're more willing to take risks. You know, make it part of your DNA, not just another thing on the to do list. Yes. OK, but here's the thing. Even with all that, there's one more piece. We got to measure this. Ah, the million dollar question. How do we know if it's actually working the ROI of it all? Right. Everyone wants to know. And you can know it starts with setting goals. What do you want out of this? More leads, faster sales, brand awareness. And then track the metrics that matter. Yeah. Yes. And don't be afraid to go beyond the obvious ones. Like how are people talking about you online? Sentiment analysis, that's huge. Or are influencers sharing your stuff? It might not equal sales today, but it shows you're building something real. Exactly. It's about the long game. Those relationships, those connections, that's what builds lasting success. Amazing. OK, so as we wrap up this deep dive on social selling, what's the one thing you want everyone listening to remember? Social selling. It's not a quick fix. It takes time. It takes effort. You got to be willing to learn and adapt as you go. But I'm telling you, it's worth it. It's about building real relationships that turn into, well, real business. Couldn't have said it better myself. And hey, have some fun along the way. Right. It doesn't have to be a drag. All right, everyone. Thanks for joining us on this social selling deep dive. We hope you got a ton of value out of it. Until next time.