I’ll never forget walking into that meeting with a newly launched cable company in the UK, nervous but curious, prepared but slightly unsure what to expect

I was there as a salesperson, but what unfolded felt more like an interview

They weren’t just looking for someone who could sell. They wanted to know:
“What do you know about our industry?”
“Who do you know in our industry?”

Here’s the thing, I didn’t know their industry

I came from selling into the media space, not telecoms

But instead of bluffing or scrambling for half-truths, I did the only thing that felt right

I told them the truth

“No, I don’t know your industry,” I admitted

“But I do believe my experience in media sales is highly transferable

What I bring is a fresh perspective, creative energy, and a genuine willingness to learn.”

To my surprise, they smiled and nodded. “We agree.”

Phew

They went on to tell me that they had rejected salesperson after salesperson, many of whom had contacts within competing cable companies

But that was exactly what they didn’t want

They believed what they were building in the UK was unique and it truly was

They were determined to do things differently and avoid any whisper of “business as usual.”

That conversation was the start of a long and fruitful relationship

That newly launched company would eventually evolve into Virgin Media the UK’s only consumer cable telco

The lesson?

Sometimes, it’s not your experience that opens the door. It’s your honesty

It’s not who you know, but how you think

And it’s your willingness to be different that makes you the perfect fit for something new

And the results?

For an AE, we can shorten sales cycles by 30%

And the average SDR will get 1 x ICP meeting a day

Which should increase your revenue by 20%

You can get these results by using our social selling methodology, that is certified by Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP)

"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 and sales people who use social selling every day to drive revenue growth. 

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