Joining me on this episode of Accelerate! is my guest Philip Calvert, social media sales expert, and social media sales strategist, based in the UK. Among the many topics that Philip and I discuss, are Philip’s journey from financial service sales to social selling strategist, how LinkedIn gives salespeople a public face, how to use LinkedIn effectively and politely, and how social media can build bridges, but cannot close sales.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[5:10] As the founder of a networking site, Philip received invitations to speak about social media, not only for financial services, but for law, accounting, pharmaceuticals, etc.

[7:41] When Philip asks audiences  if they know why they’re on LinkedIn, hardly any hands go up. Unless you have been trained on it, you’ll never fully get the best out of it. LinkedIn is the website for your personal brand. People buy people.

[11:02] Everybody, in every organization, is potentially a salesperson. The social media philosophy of a business must be extremely clear, and in a policy book. E.g., “We encourage everybody to get involved, but don’t do anything stupid.”

[12:48] It starts with training people how to build a professional profile. Make sure to have a good photo and some human interest on your profile. List your interests in the Additional Information section, as searchable keywords, separated by commas.

[18:32] The ‘loose connection,’ concept includes connecting with everybody possible, except spammers. What does Philip say is the main function of social media?

[22:41] Social media can distract you with shiny new tech. “Give that a go,’ is not a strategy. Have a strategy about which platforms to use, and how, to create conversations, which can build relationships.

[26:24] Most people never bother to customize the LinkedIn connection request. Do it! Always connect from a person’s profile page, not from the LinkedIn suggestions list, so you can see their interests, to customize your note.

[28:04] What does Philip advise you to do when you get a notification that someone viewed your profile?

[31:43] Use courtesy and common sense to determine the best way to start building a relationship with the person you find on LinkedIn. It may be through LinkedIn, or it may be to pick up the phone, or send an email.

MORE ABOUT PHILIP CALVERT

What’s your most powerful sales attribute?
Speaking.

Who is your sales role model?
Denis Waitley, Tom Peters, Elon Musk.

What’s one book that every salesperson should read?
Get More Referrals Now! The Four Cornerstones That Turn Business Relationships Into Gold, by Bill Cates.

What music is on your playlist right now?

Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Metallica.

CONTACT PHILIP CALVERT

Website: PhilipCalvert.com

Twitter: @PhilipCalvert

LinkedIn: Social Media Speaker