Changing The Game With Social Selling, Presented By Sap

The buzz: “Repeat after me: Social media followers are not leads. They could be, however.” (Ben Green, “B2B Social Media: 6 Tips for Social Selling Strategy” (Ben Green, Oktopost). Reality check: Sales is the world’s oldest profession, with each technological era impacting how the salesperson sells. Only recently has technology, in the form of social media, shifted the power from the B2B seller to the B2B buyer, who can search and shop for enterprise solutions as easily as finding a garage door opener on Amazon. How have successful companies made the paradigm shift to a Social Selling culture that benefits sales, marketing and the customer? The experts speak. Bernie Borges, Vengreso: ‘I am thankful for laughter except when milk comes out of my nose” (Woody Allen). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “The key to change… is to let go of fear” (Roseanne Cash). Join us for Social Selling Secrets of Companies Doing It Well – Part 2.

The buzz: “In the old days, sellers would bring their Rolodex from company to company–now they bring their LinkedIn network” (@RobBois). Top salespeople have mastered how to use social networks to grow revenue potential, exceed quota, prospect efficiently, and maintain a robust pipeline. How? They play by each social network’s etiquette rules, know what customers want to see, how and when they want to see it, and know their own social media goals. Our panel will share Top 5 Guidelines to help you write your Social Selling Playbook. The experts speak. Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling: “My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is” (Ellen DeGeneres). Lori Richardson, Score More Sales: “Love or Fear. The decision defines you” (Oprah Winfrey). Michael LaBate, SAP: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” (Benjamin Franklin). Join us for Social Sellers Playbook: Top 5 Do’s and Don’t Do’s.

The buzz: “The qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful” (J. Jonathan Zittrain). Facebook has the most users. LinkedIn is for serious professionals. Twitter is considered in-between. Per the American Press Institute, 79% of members use Twitter to get the news, 36% to pass the time, and 19% to network. But 19% doesn’t mean you should omit Twitter as a social selling tool. The experts speak. Sarah Goodall, Tribal Impact: “One technology doesn’t replace another, it complements. Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevator” (Stephen Fry). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch…the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around” (Leo Buscaglia). Charrele Robinson-Brown, SAP: “An open-minded person sees life without boundaries, whereas a close-minded person can only see what’s beyond their eyes” (Kaoru Shinmon). Join us for Insider Secrets: Twitter for Social Selling.

The buzz: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” (William B. Cameron). If you’re your company’s designated “bean counter” in this Age of Social Selling, the standardization of digital performance metrics may give you a sigh of relief. Why? You’ll be able to measure the business impact of all digital selling performance across your organization and provide timely feedback to reinforce what’s working vs what can be improved or eliminated. And you can level the playing field for marketing investments. The experts speak. Scott Santucci, Social Enablement Society: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” (Leonardo da Vinci). Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter: “My mom always said life was life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get” (Forrest Gump). Marco Cai, SAP: “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things” (A. Einstein). Join us for Social Sellers’ Playbook: Making It Count.

The buzz: “Technology can make salespeople more effective and efficient IF you know what tools to use” (Triblio). Despite hard proof that Social Selling gives the modern B2B sales force a tangible advantage over social laggards, many companies consider it a trend or fad. Need more info before you dip your toe in the water or wade in deeper? We’ll share insights on how the best and right social selling tools can help you navigate the increasingly crowded pool, especially when used by your entire organization – not just Sales! The experts speak. William Arruda, Reach: “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken” (O. Wilde). Meagan Davis, GAN Integrity: “‘I never look back darling, it distracts from the now” (E. Mode). Phil Lurie, SAP: “Negative results are just what I want. They're just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don't” (Edison). Join us for Social Selling Insider Secrets: What’s In Your Toolbox?

The buzz: “Content is fire, social media is gasoline” (Jay Baer). Reality check: the world’s oldest profession is Sales. Each technological era has impacted how the salesperson sells. Only recently has technology, in the form of social media, shifted the power from the B2B seller to the B2B buyer. B2B buyers can search and shop for enterprise solutions as easily as finding a garagedoor opener on Amazon. How have successful companies made the paradigm shift to a Social Selling culture that benefits sales, marketing and the customer? The experts speak. Bernie Borges, Vengreso: ‘You may find the worst enemy or best friend in yourself” (English proverb). Gabe Villamizar, Lucidchart: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” (Aristotle). Michael Labate, SAP: “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination” (Jimmy Dean). Join us for Social Selling Secrets of Companies Doing It Well.

The buzz: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” [Luke 6:31]. Truth time: Do you stalk prospects to get into their Facebook newsfeed, or are you a patient advisor in their buying journey? We’ll resume our 2017 discussions about the do’s and don’ts of Social Selling, and how you and your team “should” vs. “should not” behave in the digital world. Hint: Yes, the Golden Rule still applies in our hyper-paced Digital Age. The experts speak. Viveka von Rosen, Vengreso: ‘Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right” (Henry Ford). Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts” (Robert Fulghum). Charrele Robinson-Brown, SAP: “Great companies in the way they work, start with great leaders” (Steve Ballmer). Join us for Mind Your Manners: Social Selling Etiquette and The Golden Rule – Part 3.

The buzz: “If you cannot learn daily, you cannot become a digital marketer” (Soravjain.com). Your staff may be excited about social selling training and enablement, but what happens when they return to their day-to-day jobs? The gauges of social selling success include how well and how consistently they execute their lessons in the real business world and add value to your marketing and sales. Tune in for best practices to encourage social selling adoption, maintain momentum, and monitor execution. The experts speak. Mic Adam, Vanguard Leadership: “For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour” (Mary Kay Ash). Loic Simon, PartnerWin: “Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good (Malcolm Gladwell). Marco Cai, SAP: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (Gandhi). Join us for Social Selling Post-Training Momentum: Strategies and Best Practices.

The buzz: “The importance of understanding the impact of competitors’ social footprints compared to your own can’t be overstated” (Paige Leidig). All brands and organizations operate in a competitive, fast-paced global environment. But while ignore the competition, others are obsessed with tracking competitors, even using “under the radar” spy methods. If traditional wisdom still holds – that strong knowledge about competitors’ strengths and weaknesses positions you to make smart marketing strategy decisions – then it’s time to add social media to your competitive info-gathering toolkit. The experts speak. Frank D. Geisler, ERPsourcing: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance” (Robert Orben). Simon Deschênes, Oak3s: “I don't need time. What I need is a deadline (Duke Ellington). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently” (Marie Forleo). Join us for Modern Competitive Analysis: Remember Social Media!

The buzz: “Widespread Social Selling adoption in companies remains a challenge...why aren’t more companies taking Social Selling seriously?” (SPI) Building a successful corporate Social Selling program beyond LinkedIn can be complex, especially if it requires a company-wide cultural change. First, getting your executive and managerial support and branding can be a challenge if they don’t get the concept of Social Selling ROI. Your next hurdle: rolling out and scaling a training curriculum to make Social Selling every employee’s role. Then you’ll need enablement initiatives to drive motivation and program expansion. Is it worth all this effort? Yes! The experts speak. Amar Sheth, Sales for Life: “Everything you want is a dream away We are legends, every day” (Coldplay). Perry van Beek, Social.ONE: “Screw It Let’s Do It. (Sir Richard Branson). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Change before you have to” (Jack Welch). Join us for Social Selling Success: Getting Your Company on the Bandwagon.

The buzz: “The days of the ‘us versus them’ mindset between sales and marketing teams are over…no room for companies made up of teams that compete with each other–even if it’s just for glory and recognition” [Charles McKay]. Analysts and experts say Social Selling requires a close collaboration between marketing and sales. Sounds good, but how can these business units come together to make a social selling initiative work? Time for a reality check on the ins and outs, ups and downs of getting siloed organizations to collaborate on a common goal. The experts speak. Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “If you align expectations with reality, you will never be disappointed” (Terrell Owens). Lorraine Maurice, SAP: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear” (Mark Twain). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself” (Henry Ford). Join us for Sales and Marketing: Becoming A Social Selling Dynamic Duo.

The buzz: “79% of sales people that use social media outsell their peers” [Forbes]. Social selling is at a tipping point, “that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, spreads like wildfire” (Malcolm Gladwell). It is impacting how sales and marketing teams collaborate, do business and engage customers. But as the supporting technology constantly changes, do the behaviors of great Social Sellers need to change, too? The experts speak. Bernie Borges, Vengreso: “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor” (E. Musk). Brynne Tillman, Vengreso: “Become the person who would attract the results you seek” (J. Cathcart). Mario Martinez Jr., Vengreso: “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking” (G.S. Patton Jr.). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “There is no substitute for innovation. Original, revolutionary ideas will always rise to the top” (R. Branson). Join us for Social Selling at the Tipping Point.

The buzz: “The existing culture of traditional B2B companies is not entirely conducive to online procurement experiences ... [yet] B2B e-commerce sales in the US will soar as high as $1.1 trillion by 2019” [Evan Klein]. Today’s digital buyer expects to be a dynamic part of the sales process, not just a passive receiver of information. According to a Walker study, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. Can Social Selling help B2B solutions sellers enhance their customers' experience throughout the sales cycle? The experts speak. Firdaus Shariff, SAP: “Take risks now and do something bold. You won’t regret it” (Elon Musk). Evan Kirstel, Strategist: “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed” (Napolean Hill). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Make every interaction count, even the small ones. They are all relevant” (Shep Hyken). Join us for 2020 B2B Customer Experience: The Role of Social Selling.

The buzz: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” [Luke 6:31]. Is this Golden Rule passé in our hyper-paced digital world? Not! Why? Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Truth time: Do you stalk prospects to get into their Facebook newsfeed? Or are you patiently serving as an advisor in their buying journey? The experts speak. Jill Rowley, #SocialSelling: ‘To be interesting, be interested” (Dale Carnegie). Sarah Goodall, Tribal Impact: “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new” (Dalai Lama). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “I make a distinction between manners and etiquette - manners as the principles, which are eternal and universal, etiquette as the particular rules which are arbitrary and different in different times, different situations, different cultures” (Miss Manners). Join us for Mind Your Manners: Social Selling Etiquette and The Golden Rule.

The buzz: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” (Bruce Cameron). We’re hearing exciting success stories about the new sales elite: savvy quota-over-achievers who apply social selling techniques and tools with energy and diligence. But how can you measure the value of your non-quota-carriers: sales team members, marketers and other business groups who don’t “get” how to do social selling? And how to help them use “traditional” social tools to boost their impact? The experts speak. Julio Viskovich, rFactr: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” (Sun Tzu). Jamie Shanks, Sales for Life: “Stop selling. Start helping” (Zig Ziglar). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” (Helen Keller). Join us for Social Selling for Non-Quota-Carriers: Does This Compute?

The buzz: “Until recently we believed that robots cannot have a conscious or emotions. And most importantly we thought robots can never sell...We don’t even know If a salesperson replying to us in real-time in 2020 would be a human or a robot” (M. Siddiqua). The infusion of artificial intelligence into the social sales process is already here! Will it have a positive, lasting impression or be a flash in the pan? We'll explore the pro’s and con’s, and the implications for the modern B2B sales person. The experts speak. Bernie Borges, Find and Convert: “Winners…imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live” (Joe Montana). Tim Hughes, Digital Leadership Associates: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” (Gandhi). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “You can never plan the future by the past” (Edmund Burke). Join us for Social Selling and AI: New Frontier or Pricey Gimmick?

The buzz: “We doubt anyone ever chose to be a B2B sales rep because it seemed easy.” (Jesse Davis) If you’re reluctant to embrace Social Selling without assurance that it will help build meaningful B2B relationships that impact – and even complete – the buyer’s journey, you are not alone. We’re seeing a growing trend pigeon-holing Social Selling into the Demand-Gen stage of the sales cycle, but it might be a viable option in other stages. The experts speak. Morgan Jones, Televerde Europe: “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation” (William Paley). Jonathan Russell, SAP: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses” (Henry Ford). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “There is no more B2B or B2C, it’s H2H – Human to Human” (Bryan Kramer). Join us for Social Media Relationships and B2B Buyer’s Journey.

The buzz: “To thrive in this new age of hyper-change and growing uncertainty, it is now an imperative to learn a new competency—how to accurately anticipate the future” (Dan Burrus). The fear of the unknown makes change very difficult for most of us, especially when it impacts our personal income and/or business success. If your organization embarks on a Social Selling journey, it will dramatically transform how Sales interacts with your customers, like it or not. Is change management among the best practices that can help expedite and smooth the transition? The experts speak. Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don't” (Irish Proverb). Barbara Giamanco, SocialCentered Selling: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything” (George Bernard Shaw). Kurt Shaver, The Sales Foundry: “What's the ROI of your mother? (Gary “Vee” Vaynerchuk). Join us for Your Social Selling Journey and Change Management.

The buzz: Beyond monarchy. In the late 1990s, Sumner Redstone and Bill Gates declared 'Content is king', which became a mantra for Internet marketers and SEO practitioners. In 2012, wine marketing guru Gary 'V' Vaynerchuk raised the bar: 'If content is king, then context is god.' Aha! Getting the right content to the right audience at the right time is key to building your brand, developing trusted relationships and impacting a buyer’s journey. How to do it right? The experts speak. Hilary Carter, InTune Communications: 'When you invent the plane, you also invent the plane crash' -Paul Virilio. Charrele Robinson-Brown, SAP: 'Marketing is telling the world that you're a rockstar. Content Marketing is showing the world that you are one' -Robert Rose. Kirsten Boileau, SAP: 'Content fails when you create materials that speak to very broad audiences' -Mark Yeager. Join us for Social Selling: King Content, Context and the Sales Cycle – Part 2.

The buzz: Thanks, Bill. Thanks, Gary. Bill Gates’ 1996 observation, 'Content is king,' became a mantra for Internet marketers and SEO practitioners. Fast forward to 2012, when wine marketing master Gary Vaynerchuk upped the ante: 'If content is king, then context is god.' Aha! What you do with your content – sharing the right content with the right contact at the right time – is the key to building your brand, developing trusted ongoing relationships and impacting the buyer’s journey to your advantage. The experts speak. Hilary Carter, InTune Communications: 'Sharks act calmer when they listen to AC-DC' -Australia National Geographic. Charrele Robinson-Brown, SAP: “Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks' -Yo-Yo Ma. Kirsten Boileau, SAP: 'Always stay curious. Curiosity instills creativity' -Aerin Lauder. Join us for Social Selling: Accelerating the Sales Cycle with King Content.