When Adam Gray and I started DLA Ignite 6 and half years ago we assumed with digital and social media so prevalent, even then we thought we had a 18 month window before everybody "got" the subject of sales transformation with digital.  

Here we are 6 and half years later and while we have data that backs up our position, we still have people denying that existence of social media, the internet, mobile and the changes that have taken place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of our team, Alex Abbott said something the other week which was

"We told you to build an ark, and it's started to rain."

And it's true.

MarketWatch posted this article the other day that stated ....

More than 199,297 tech sector jobs (from 708 companies) have been lost since the start of 2023

2023 has surpassed global layoffs already according to layoffs.fyi

Feedback we have is that this number is light as while some companies have announced layoffs, other people have been managed out. 

The problem is this ........ there is no pipeline. Why?

Because the methods you have used for the last 30 and 40 years don't work anymore. And you can hope and keep throwing mud at the wall, but sales and marketing is broken.

Albert Einstein: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

This is a newsletter, so let's give you some news ..... it relates to that ark! 

1. We are focused on happiness

We have starting working with a partner of ours, Supero and the team there. 

They are undertaking cold outreach using social selling.

Apart from the fact we are getting amazing results, the feedback we get from the salespeople is that they are ..... happy.

They want to turn up to work, they feel they have purpose.

When they cold called they hated it. rejection, after rejection after rejection.

The feedback we've had has been ...

"Now I feel that this work is contributing".

"I like coming into work".

"Prospects actually want to talk to me"

and "I've got so many meetings, I'm not sure what to do!"

Now you never get a cold caller saying of those things! 

Exponentially better results than cold calling and people are happy ..... now there's a thing!

2. We have the first social selling certification

The problem with sales training today is

A certificate of attendance does not prove you understood the course

Just like a driving test there has to be an exam to test your knowledge

Just like a driving test it needs to test your theory knowledge and execution

The training organization cannot offer the certificate it has to be provided by an independent third party. 

Our certificate in social selling is not awarded by us it's awarded by the Institute of Sales professionals (ISP).

We are the only company in the world that provide a certificate in social selling, that is verified by by a chartered sales body like the ISP.  If you believe in investing in your career or the careers of your people, talk to use about getting your team certified in digital selling. 

3. We've created a benchmark for cold outreach in sales

Working with one of our partners, Supero, we have created a benchmark for social selling, it's easy to do a comparison with cold calling. You know you own return for cold calling. For social selling, we are getting a 9% response for cold outreach and a 33.6% response for a next action. 

Each SDR / salesperson is getting 10 meetings a week. 

This is not opinion this is data. 

We now know that if you're cold calling, you are falling behind. Period.

4. Started a podcast on artificial intelligence (AI)

Not related to sales, well in a way it is. I started a podcast on artificial intelligence (AI), purley as a way to educate.  No sales pitch, just cut through the hype and give you the facts.

The latest episode is on my youtube channel, here and the last episode on AI regulation is here. 

And finally ....

Want to know more about social selling, check out my new book

"social selling techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 2nd edition".

In this brand new edition, I have updated all the text, I have also got 15 practitioners, so people who are doing this already to explain how they are get (practical) business benefit. From the CEO that has been running a digital business for over 18 months to sales leaders who use social selling every day.  

Articles on how these business have and are implementing digital, from Mercer, Telstra Purple, Ring Central, Cyberhawk, Namos, Ericsson, Crux Consulting, DLA Ignite and more.

What does Mark Schaefer, Marketing guru think of the book "social selling - techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 2nd edition"? watch the video here

It's available on Amazon worldwide.  Link to Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.