When we run interactive workshops for companies, we ditch the dry PowerPoint slides in favour of real-world action

One of our favorite exercises is simple: have the team send out live connection requests on LinkedIn

During a recent break, a participant approached me, looking a bit deflated. “I sent the request, and I saw they viewed my profile... but they didn't accept. What did I do wrong?”

The answer is a bit of a cold shower: Nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to talk to a salesperson

The "Salesperson" Threat

In the digital world, a salesperson is viewed as a threat to someone's time

We’ve all been there, you accept a request, and thirty seconds later, your inbox is hit with a generic, high-pressure pitch

Because of this, buyers are on high alert

When you send that request, the first thing they do is "background check" you

If your profile "smells" like a pitch, full of aggressive sales targets, "quota crusher" awards, SKO photos and self-centered jargon, they won't click accept

They aren't rejecting you; they are rejecting the spam they assume is coming

Your Profile: From Predator to Peer

To win the click, your LinkedIn profile needs to radiate humanity and helpfulness

You want to be seen as a knowledgeable peer, not a hunter

Your profile should signal that:

• You are a genuine, likable professional

• You understand their specific industry challenges

• You possess insights that could actually help their business

If they feel they might actually learn something from you, the "threat" disappears

By the Numbers: The Power of the Soft Approach

Some might call this approach "soft," but the data tells a much more aggressive growth story

Consider the math of a high-performing social selling strategy:

Sending 200 requests is the digital equivalent of making 200 cold calls, but with a fraction of the friction, provided your profile isn't scaring them away

NB: The average SDR after our social selling program will make 6 x high quality ICP meetings a week and we have an AE at Salesforce that makes 7 x high quality ICP meetings a week

He's the highest meeting achiever in Salesforce in EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa)

Conclusion

Ultimately, social selling isn't about hiding the fact that you sell; it’s about changing how you are perceived

By leading with value and humanity rather than a sales quota, you lower the recipient's guard

The data is clear: when you stop "smelling" like a salesperson and start looking like a resource, your calendar will fill up with the high-quality meetings you've been chasing