https://youtu.be/Ye60yyr5qz8

In today’s episode of the Salesman Podcast, we converse with our special guest, Sam Rathling

about how we can build our sales pipeline with social selling, especially through LinkedIn. Sam is a LinkedIn and social media expert, and an award-winning, global authority sales pipeline transformation. Will and Sam have a tactical conversation filled with an abundance of value we can all learn from.

“You connect with someone today who is not ready to buy from you, but social selling, really, is about staying Top of Mind.” -Sam Rathling

Social Selling to Rebuild A Pipeline

Sam emphasizes the importance of social selling as it builds one’s personal brand and establishes one as that go-to person. Social selling allows salespeople to tap on decision-makers. Traditional methods of selling through cold emailing and calls can also work, although this can prove to be more difficult, given the pandemic.

“Prospecting and outreaching to your target market and decision-makers through something like LinkedIn can be a different way of approaching the traditional method. If done effectively and done the right way, this can be a very effective and very positive way of getting new business.” -Sam Rathling

Personal Brand In Social Selling

There is a need to have a personal brand in social selling to communicate effectively with customers. Sam encourages salespeople to look at their LinkedIn profiles through the eyes of their ideal clients and to cultivate content that makes them industry experts. This must be done consistently in order to prospect through LinkedIn and outreached to decisions makers. 

“What you want is people coming to you, and messaging you saying, that they want to do business with you. Talking to them rather than you having to hunt and look for business all the time.” -Sam Rathling

Combining Inbound and Outbound Success

When it comes to building the sales pipeline, salespeople need to combine both efforts made in inbound and outbound sales. Touchpoints established through LinkedIn can set the tone and keep salespeople at top of mind for the decisions makers.

“I think it is a blended approach and not just in one thing or the other. Often, when I go in and train sales teams, they think that the LinkedIn piece is just to replace what they are already doing. It shouldn’t be that at all.” -Sam Rathling

Bio:

Sam Rathling is an International Speaker & Coach, an Amazon best-selling author. She is an authority in Referral marketing, Business Networking, and LinkedIn. Sam has spoken to audiences of up to 1200+ people in 16 countries, spanning 3 continents.

Resources:

* Sam on LinkedIn

* Book: Linked Inbound: 8 Social Selling Strategies to Generate Leads on Linked

* LinkedIn Profile Tips For Sales