What exactly is training? 

When we started DLA Ignite we always wanted to offer a qualification, we kept away from "certificates of attendance" as they are pretty meaningless.  All that means is you turned up to a course and played with your mobile, it does not mean you actually have the skills.

We have seen some social selling certificates banded around, but the people were clearly not social sellers and they fell by the wayside. 

At my last corporate role, we used to have to do corporate training and you just left the videos running while you went to lunch.  There is actually training on LinkedIn's training that you can just a video play, go and make a cup of tea and come back and download a certificate for your LinkedIn profile.  Again, it just means you know how to scam the system. 

Is there a way we can get a certificate in a business qualification, like social selling and have it audited by a "proper" external organization?

And then there was this .... 

A real qualification in digital / social selling

Yesterday, Adam Gray, my business partner here at DLA Ignite announced the launch of your certificate in digital / social selling which has been created with the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP).

The post is here 

What does this mean?

1. It is the only social selling qualification in the world backed and approved by an independent examination body.  Here in the UK that is OfQual

2. While it is registered in the UK, the NVQ (National vocational qualification) is an internationally recognised qualification.  (We are waiting for OfQual to tell us what level it is.)

3. It means that employee and employers alike can now have a recognised qualification, like any other qualification in English, Maths etc as a requirement or a selling point in the jobs market. 

4. For example a job specification for a sales role may say that the role requires a NVQ in social selling.

5. Or as a seller you can go to employees and say, take me on as I have an NVQ in social selling.

6. As we know social sellers sell more than none social sellers therefore either sponsoring you team to get this qualification will make an impact to your pipeline and revenue in your business.

7. DLA Ignite, though it's associates and partners can provide this globally, either way, sales people tell us that the number one thing that they are looking for in an employer is one that invests in them.  One that gives them current skills that will help them sell more.

8. The course fits into the ISP's sales best practice matrix, and as part of the ISP, CPD (continuing professional development) program.  

9. This means that your learning and development team are a place where you can find budget for your social selling program.

10. It provides a benchmark across the world.  A benchmark for your company and your employees.

11. If you are already a member of the ISP it needs to be part of your development plan.  

Want to know more?

If you want to know more then please contact Adam Gray or send him an email at adam@dlaignite.com 


So who's social selling?

In case you missed it, the Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch have banned cold calling and have moved all their people to social selling. This isn't some trendy tech company that might have decided to do this on a whim, this is a very conservative financial services company that has made a decision based on data.

But surely cold calling has a better ROI than social selling?  Not according to Merrill Lynch.

"They will also be encouraged to contact prospects over LinkedIn, which has a higher hit rate than cold calling"

The CRO (chief revenue officer), Richard Eltham of Namos Solutions, of one of clients posted a comment on LinkedIn about social selling. See here.

“Social selling is not an option now it is the way of the world and you either learn and execute it or fear getting left behind” 

Kevin Murray who is the Head of Sales at MacArtney Underwater Technology recently posted about his success with social selling here and wrote an article about the transformation that has happened in sales here.

I don't believe you Tim!

If you check out this video of Chris Mason CEO at Oracle reseller Namos, fast forward to 19 minutes 55 seconds. Chris talks about a $2.6 million win from being on social, after completing the DLA Ignite social selling and influence course. 

Here at DLA Ignite we don't do "hints and tips sessions" we don't want you to waste your money. Our social selling and influence methodology will provide your sales team with the stable platform for growth. It is also the only social selling program based on 70:20:10 change management principles which gives your business the mindset change and habit change they need in this digital world. 

Other articles you might be interested in ....

Would you buy social selling training course from somebody that doesn't use social selling?

How to create budget and build a business case for your social selling project

Articles for the CEO

What does success in a social selling project look like?

Can I be fired for not social selling? 

What's the difference between legacy sales and modern selling?

Is making no change to my sales team an option in the world today?

Can my business speak directly to the modern buyer while retaining control of the message?  

What is the secret sauce of social selling?

Can social selling break down the silos between sales and marketing?

Can I turn my LinkedIn time line from a load of rubbish into a load of value?

Why your random acts of social are killing your business

Can I find investors for my business with social selling?

Not understanding social selling is totally fine

Your social selling project isn't a decision of "yes" or "no" , it's when

Are you still measuring digital with an analogue mindset?

Can Social Selling help me navigate the great resignation?

Should my 2022 business planning include social selling?

Can I be data driven with social selling?

How grid selling will transform your pipeline and win rate

Can I use social selling as a small business?

Is your competition transforming to social selling in stealth mode?

We need more campaigns - Really? 

Articles for Sales leadership

10 reasons you get social selling all wrong

For fax sake at least know what social selling is before you dismiss it!

What is social selling?

Can I see which salespeople are contributing with social selling?

Can I get a consistent prospecting framework for managers with social selling? 

Can I get complete visibility to measure and monitor each reps results with social selling?

Can I get accountability across my sales team for prospecting with social selling  

Can I gain an effective prospecting framework with social selling?

Can cold calling and email marketing kill my business? 

Can I measure our social selling project?

Can my lack of confidence of social be holding my team back?

Can I get the most from my sales navigator licenses with social selling?  

Can I de-risk my pipeline with social selling? 

Can my salespeople create content? 

Can social selling create value for my clients?

Can I use prospect sequencing with social selling?

Can I build a social selling program or should I buy one?

Can my behaviour on social media be losing me business?

Can I run QBRs with social selling?

Can I increase deal velocity with social selling?

Can social selling help me sell, if everybody is on vacation?

Can social selling help me avoid attrition in sales teams?

Can social selling help with team selling?

Reading blogs won't transform your pipeline

You are the sum of all your digital handshakes

Why social selling isn't just marketing

The difference between LinkedIn training and social selling training

Can programmatic social selling sort my pipeline issues?

Will being part of the conversation on social generate me any revenue?

Can social selling help me with virtual selling?

Social media engagement - None of my sales team have time for it. Really?

Should my salespeople be making time to create social posts? Of course

Can Social posts create pipeline or opportunities? You bet!

There is a clear gap opening in business between those companies that have a pipeline problem and those that don't ...

How are you going to build pipeline and prospect now that all the low hanging fruit has gone?

Articles to support sales people - sales process and sales tips

Why your leadership is wrong when they tell you that to get more pipeline requires you to send more email and make more calls

Can social selling help with my discovery calls?

Is social selling inmailing people on Linkedin? 

Can I unblock deals with social selling? 

Can I get more meetings with VPs with social selling? 

Can I get on more short lists with social selling?

Am I being outsold by my social selling competition?

Can social selling stop prospects from ghosting me?  

Can I be a catalyst to change with my prospects with social

Can I influence the buyer's journey with social selling?

Can I optimise my selling time with social selling?

Can I gain a competitive advantage with social selling?  

Why automation is a zero sum game 

Can I get a predictable prospecting system with social selling?  

Can I sell $1 Million deals with social selling?

Can I get headhunted for my next job with social selling? 

Can I use prospect sequencing with social selling?

Can I use social selling if I have nothing to say?

Looking for hacks, maybe you shouldn't

How do I make the most of a slow summer sales period?

How do I sell social selling training to my boss?

Can I get invited to more client top table discussions with social selling?

What is the best way to influence my LinkedIn network?

Can I use social selling to sell into a territory?

Can I use social selling to grow pipeline within target accounts?

Can social selling help me if my companies website isn’t good enough?

Can social selling help me if my prospect list is out of date?

Can social selling help me if we are too expensive?

Do my SDRs need to become hybrid?

Can social selling help me if we are not market leader?

Can social selling help me get past gatekeepers?

I don't know you. I've never spoken to you. You've never acknowledged my existence. But you want me to help you!

What should you do if your leadership team is not social

Can my content, create action in my prospects with social selling?

Can social selling work for me as an SDR?

I need to do this Linkedin thing and I need to do it now

Should I do a post or an article on LinkedIn?

How to deal with depression in sales

Why prospecting today is about clicks and likes

Articles to support channel and third party selling

Can social selling help my channel partners sell more? 

Articles to support Account Based Marketing / Account Based Selling - ABM - ABS

Can we make our ABM program a success with social selling?

Articles about Employee advocacy

How empowered employees on social media became more powerful than brands 

Why employee advocacy isn't a silver bullet

Articles for Marketing

I paid for somebody to write my Linkedin profile, isn't it awesome? No!

Can social selling be relevant to me if I'm in marketing?

Can social selling put marketing front and centre of a business?

Can my prospects and clients get value alignment with my business though social selling? 

Can we get away with just updating our LinkedIn profiles a bit? 

How to Create Simple Social Media Rules for Employees

What content works on LinkedIn and for social selling? 

Can I win more B2B deals with buyer enablement? 

Can I transform my team with two 90 minute sessions on social selling?

Can I get better results for my ABM campaign with social selling?

Are my prospects and customers searching for insight on social media?

Our VP of Sales Just got 83 likes on a LinkedIn post, so that means we are social selling? No!

Should you outsource your social media?

Can I get banned from LinkedIn if somebody else manages my profile?  

Articles for social procurement

Can I use social media in procurement and supply chain?

How social transformed procurement

Articles for the CFO and Finance

Accelerating digital skills is one of the top priorities for finance leaders