Social Selling: Thought Provoking Insights That Go Beyond the Latest Trends

3 POWERFUL WAYS B2B SOCIAL SELLING KEEPS YOUR PIPELINE FULL
UNDERSTANDING
THE NEW RULES
OF ENGAGEMENT
LIKE DATING
ONE MARKETING DIRECTOR SPEAKS OPENLY ABOUT HOW THE HARD WORDS
OF A SALES PERSON CHANGED HER CAREER FOR THE BETTER
7 OF THE MOST COMMON
SOCIAL SELLING
MYTHS DEBUNKED
Diagramming
the social
science
behind
people’s
buying
behavior
online.
HOW SOCIAL SELLING IS
HOW DO YOU
BUILD TRUST
ONLINE?
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INFLUENCE

WWW.UNTHINKSOLUTIONS.COM
2
INSIDE
Amarketer’sconfession
My name is Gretchen Lehman. I come
from a background of branding and
marketing with over 16 years of experience
in the creative industry.
When marketing and sales remain siloed,
I’ve witnessed the danger the separation
poses to a company’s potential for growth.
In 2014, I was at a networking event and
encountered a sales person whose direct
words proved to be a turning point in my
career. He rather bluntly said,
“I am embarrassed to say at the time I
dismissed him quickly thinking to myself,
“How arrogant. Just like a salesman!”
In the years that followed, I saw some
pretty brutal company failures while being
on several different projects. As I sought
to determine the root cause I kept hearing
the salesman’s voice, “Start with sales not
branding.” The further I dug for answers,
the more I learned he had a point.
I have since purposely worked to build
bridges between all the functions that
touch and effect business development,
applying my unique people first
perspective and skill set.
Some of the highest compliments I’ve
received from salespeople are, “Wow, that
is useful. It’s not that marketing fluff I am
used to!”
You have it all wrong.
You have to start with
sales not branding.

3
STORY
A HEARTY HELLO | FROM GRETCHEN LEHMAN
FILLING YOUR PIPELINEThe Power of B2B Social Selling
Build Awareness | Build awareness with the targeted Senior VP/C-
Suite directly. Generate authentic connections and gradual trust that
lay the groundwork for future, long term growth. The old adage, right
person, right time, right price remains true. Building a qualified and
aware audience positions you to act quickly when the time is right.
Organic/Authentic Growth | Build your company brand organically
through P2P (person to person) and B2B at the same time. Because
people do business with people they know and trust, LinkedIn social
selling opens opportunities for an increase in valuable referrals to
accelerate growth because you are always top of mind.
Sustainable Growth | Gain an audience for life. One you can foster
relationships with at no additional cost vs. paid ads which usually
requires continual PPC, paid re-targeting and an integrated email
strategy to stay in front of the same individuals consistently.

4
INSIDE
THESTORYBEHIND
THEShuffling
According to The Financial Post, “Strategy, communication and
the CFO’s office go hand-in-hand as more companies stare
down the barrel of digital disruption. This digital agenda is the
most frequent topic of conversation among CFOs, said Kevin
McKenzie, a partner and the business development leader for
Ernst and Young.”1
1
http://business.financialpost.com/executive/c-suite/the-fine-art-of-telling-the-story-
behind-the-numbers

THE STORY
SUCCESS TODAY REQUIRES:
ALIGNMENT IN
STRATEGY,
COMMUNICATIONS AND
THE CFO’S OFFICE
A Fresh Perspective on
an Old Problem.

6
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
ALIGNMENT REQUIRES:
SHIFTING APPROACHES
Strategy ⟹ Instead of building the business strategy primarily based on
business objectives, the underlying blueprint should first closely mirror the
buyers value journey as revealed by customer research and real life input from
sales, customer success and existing clients. Only then is it possible to define
attainable business objectives and generate collective ownership
across departments.
⚠ Caution ⇒ Overlooking what may seem like a subtle difference in approach
means running the risk of being seen as a commodity and forced to compete
based on price and speed instead of value. Or worst yet, wasting precious
resources only to discover the objectives defined were unattainable to start with
and driving the wedge between departments deeper.
Communications ⟹ Instead of marketing, sales, and customer success operating
independently, messaging and persona development should be based on
input from the front line sales and customer success teams in collaboration with
marketing as well as any role in the company responsible for internal or external
communications and aligned directly with the business strategy.
⚠ Caution ⟹ Marketing tools created without sales and customer service
insights as its primary influence will result in marketing materials that the sales
team is unable to use. Sales team members will likely “go rogue” in order to
meet numbers. As growth margins narrow, close rates will flatline and eventually
diminish. Hoping that a shift in the economy is just around the corner and will
offer relief is foolish in today’s business climate.
CFO or Executive Management ⟹ Instead of valuing only metrics directly
attributed to sales, the entire organization starting at the top with the CFO or
executive management team must begin to recognize and value directional
metrics that reflect progression along the buyers value journey.
⚠ Caution ⟹ Insistence on all business development related activities being
directly attributed to revenue will prevent your people from taking the necessary
steps to achieve predictable and sustainable growth.

THE INTERNAL SHIFT
“TRY NOT TO
BECOME A MAN OF
SUCCESS. RATHER
BECOME A MAN OF
VALUE.”
– ALBERT EINSTEIN

8
> WHAT SOCIAL
SELLING IS NOT:
⚠ Posting intermittently.
Posting on a regular schedule and
with a predictable cadence is an
important aspect of your social
selling strategy.
⚠ Posting and watching for likes.
“Likes” are certainly a useful tool
to measure interest level in a
particular topic or type of content
but otherwise focusing on “likes” is a
waste of time.
⚠ Trying to increase the size of your
following without regard to who the
followers are.
One of the best reasons to
implement social selling is prospect
quality. To chase followers for the
sake of numbers or appearances is
counterproductive.
⚠ Establishing yourself as a
thought leader.
Few people are truly thought
leaders. That doesn’t mean if you
are talented and bright you aren’t
influential within a smaller group
of people.
ALIGNMENT REQUIRES:
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
> WHAT IS SOCIAL SELLING?
Harvard Business Review defines social selling as “(When)
salespeople use social media platforms to research, prospect,
and network by sharing educational content and answering
questions. As a result, they’re able to build relationships until
prospects are ready to buy.

9
⚠ Re-sharing posts without adding
a thoughtful comment.
Unless you are adding value to the
conversation your posts are little
more than noise.
⚠ Joining social platform groups
without contributing.
The vast majority of groups online
are one way broadcasts from the
group owner. Without intentional
nurturing of the group by it’s
owner, they too become noise and
easy to ignore.
⚠ Posting company centric
content only.
The purpose of social platforms is
just that – social. If the company
centric content you share is
consistently valuable chances are
good it will drive traffic to your
website. However, exclusively
posting company centric content
undermines the value that being
an actual person brings. People
don’t get to know a brand, they
want to get to know a person who
represents the brand.

10
SOCIAL SELLING:
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
> IT’S A LOT LIKE DATING
Levinger’s Theory explains it well. He defined the progression of
relationship into 5 stages: Acquaintance, Build-Up, Commitment,
Deterioration, and Termination. There are socially acceptable
behaviors that are appropriate from the first time
we meet a person and that change progressively as we get to
know the other person better.
The same rules of engagement apply online as they do off line.
Being aware of the rules and how to apply them in a virtual world is
all the more critical to follow in the absence of body language and
other non-verbals we otherwise use in social settings to establish
connection and trust.

11
Acquaintance
• Common mutual interest
• Most conversations are small talk
• No trust or commitment
Build-Up
• Conversations determine
compatibility
• There is a level of mutual trust
and influence
• Presence of self-disclosure
statements
Commitment
• Continuing sense of trust and
influence
• Most conversations are deeply
meaningful
• Presence of commitment
Deterioration
• Less frequent conversation
• Less self-disclosure
• Imbalance of cost & reward
• Sense of broken trust
Termination
• Communication ends
> PROGRESSION OF
RELATIONSHIP
The stages

12
INSIDE
THE NEW | DIGITAL AGENDA
THE SOCIAL STRATEGY
BUILDING TRUST ONLINE
> TRUST VS. LIKES
“If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they
trust you, they’ll do business with you.”– ZIG ZIGLAR
What if you started using social platforms as a vehicle to find and
establish trust with prospects while your competitors continue wasting
time focused on “likes” and relegating the use of social platforms to
junior employees who “know more about these things”?
YOU COULD STEAL SIZABLE MARKET-SHARE RIGHT OUT
FROM UNDER YOUR COMPETITORS.

13
THE SOLUTION

14
USING SOCIAL HEURISTICS | CUTTING THROUGH THE DIGITAL NOISE ONLINE
[1] Reciprocity
Performing an act of
kindness although small
for yourself is perceived
as high value by the
other person.
🌐 how it works Online
Sharing a valuable insight
or expertise about a
problem a prospect
faces that they would
not otherwise have ready
access to.
[2] Liking
Giving a plausible, salient
compliment that draws
attention to similarities.
Reviewing a prospects
online presence and
determining what is most
important or top of mind
for them and then sharing
a specific compliment
that demonstrates your
understanding and
genuine interest.
[3] Social Proof
Point out similar others
that are doing the
behavior you expect out
of the target of influence.
Quoting a widely
accepted resource from
your industry and adding
additional insights or
sharing client testimonials
that are most similar to
your target of influence.
HOW DO YOU
BUILD TRUST?
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INFLUENCE
SOCIAL HEURISTICS > HOW THEY WORK

15
SIX
KEY HEURISTICSDEFINITION OF HEURISTICS | AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
Heuristics: Rules-of-thumb that can be applied to guide decision-making based on a more
limited subset of the available information. Because they rely on less information, heuristics
are assumed to facilitate faster decision-making than strategies that require more information.
⚠ Caution: Ignoring the implications of heuristics on how your audience
makes decisions greatly reduces your ability to build trust successfully.
Reference: “Applying Strategic Influence | Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management
[4] Consistency
Make requests that are
consistent with active and
public statements made
by the target of influence.
Inviting someone
to attend a webinar
sponsored by an
organization the target
of influence has listed as
being a member of.
[5] Expertise
Stating formal education,
and certifications, awards
to reinforce perceived
expertise.
Prominently displaying
your certifications, awards,
and /or accomplishments
on your social profiles.
[6] Scarcity
Make things appear
more scarce and valuable
with: competition, unique-
ness, time pressure, and
loss framing.
Inviting a prospect plan-
ning to attend an industry
conference to an exclusive
event sponsored by your
company for a select few
conference attendees.

16
TOP 8 MOST SURPRISING STATISTICS
[1]
Brand messages reached
561% further when shared by
employees vs the same messages
shared via official brand social
channels. (SOURCE: MSLGROUP)
Click to tweet this.
[2]
Employees have 10 times
more followers than their corporate
social media accounts. (SOURCE: CISCO)
[3]
74% of decision makers say they pre-
fer to work with professional service
providers who also know their col-
leagues, friends, or acquaintances.
(KREDIBLE RESEARCH)
[4]
Employee posts on social media
receive 4.4 x more profile views than
clicks, likes, or comments.
(KREDIBLE RESEARCH) Click to tweet this.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Implementing a social selling strategy represents an excellent
opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.
LEVERAGE EXISTING
RESOURCES
> EMPLOYEE VALUE
Your client facing employees are one of your most valuable assets that most
companies fail to understand and often overlook.

17
What channels have the
highest potential for
your brand’s message to
flourish? Click to Watch
> VIDEO INSIGHTS
USE YOUR SMART PHONE CAMERA
TO SCAN the QR codes and watch
further insights on video.
How do you find
someone you know
you can trust?
Click to Watch
How courageous are
you to look at your
team to find weak links?
What if you were to
learn you were one?
Click to Watch

18
TOP 8 MOST SURPRISING STATISTICS
KEY TAKEAWAY: People work with people they know and trust. Your top priority
in social selling must be building relationships for the sake of a relationship.
Making a sale should be secondary.
[5]
Brand messages are re-shared 24x
more frequently when distributed by
your employees, versus your brand.
(SOURCE: MSLGROUP)
[6]
Leads developed through employee
social marketing convert
7x more frequently than other leads
(SOURCE: IBM)
[7]
76% of business decision makers
say they use online sources to learn
about professional service providers.
(KREDIBLE RESEARCH)
[8]
53% of decision makers have elimi-
nated a vendor from consideration
based on information they did or did
not find about an employee online.
(KREDIBLE RESEARCH)
LEVERAGE EXISTING
RESOURCES
> HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
Using a social selling strategy is an excellent way to reach prospects you might
otherwise miss using more traditional channels.

20
THEUNTHINKAPPROACH
The name Unthink Solutions sums up our overarching
philosophy. It’s time to approach business development in a
new way. We aim to put people first in all we do.
“No one cares about your brand. It is not loved. It is not
important. It is not invited anywhere but to your company
picnic. That is, unless you can make the brand relevant to
people’s lives. To the way they understand things...No one
cares about your brand unless you find a way to speak to
why you care about it.”
– SCOTT GOODSON, AUTHOR OF UPRISING AND FORBES COLUMNIST
UNTHINK / IN ACTION • Connect instead of sell
• Share instead of promote
• Listen and ask real questions instead of broadcasting
• Unthink everything instead of assuming
• People first instead of growth without accountability
• Mutual respect instead of autocratic
• Inspirational instead of motivational
WHAT’S IN A BRAND?

21
WHAT’S IN A BRAND?
SUCCESS AT UNTHINK
IS GENERATING:
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ENGAGEMENTS THAT
ARE MORE LIKE HAVING
COFFEE WITH A FRIEND

UNTHINK SOLUTIONS IS A DENVER BASED
TEAM OF CONSULTANTS & SPECIALISTS THAT
WORK WITH B2B STARTUPS AND PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES NATIONALLY.
With a people first lens we solve revenue problems by
identifying the gaps across departments, in teams, strategy,
process, software, resources, and reporting. Then we
collaborate with you to address each area of need.
UNTHINKSUITEOFSERVICES
BRANDING
• Logo & Brand Standard Design
• Web Design
• Print Design
• Trade Show Booth Graphic Design
• Promotional Product Design
MARKETING
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Content Strategy and Creation
• Lead Generation
• Event/PR Promotion
• Social Media Management
• Digital and Traditional Ads
• Sales & Marketing Alignment
SALES
• Sales Enablement
• Sales Strategy
• Social Selling
• Inside Sales
• Sales & MarTech Implementation
Contact Us
Gretchen Lehman
Director of Marketing and Sales
[e] gretchen@unthinksolutions.com
[ p] 720-724-5904
UNTHINK SOLUTIONS SERVICES
22

HAVE A UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE TO SHARE?
WE WANT TO HEAR
FROM YOU.Please send your idea to gretchen@unthinksolutions.com. Use the
subject line: Submission. In 100 words or less tell us what you
want to share in the next issue, why it’s unique, and what value does
it offer to our readers.
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
23

SALES
ENGAGEMENTS
THAT ARE MORE
LIKE HAVING COFFEE
WITH A FRIEND
Can you imagine how many of those deals
your team could close?
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
CLICK TAKE THE QUIZ

Social Selling: Thought Provoking Insights That Go Beyond the Latest Trends

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Social Selling: Thought Provoking Insights That Go Beyond the Latest Trends