In a digital world, your LinkedIn Profile is a vital part of your sales tool kit. In this 20 minute interview Social Selling expert Tim Hughes, talks in depth with Naomi Johnson, about how a good LinkedIn profile will build rapport with your prospects, set you up as the ‘go to expert’ for your product or service, and have you quickly become a relevant and necessary part of the buying process.

Key Points to Note:

• Social Selling is about influencing and engaging with prospects as they make a decision to buy. Depending on the product and service, 60-100% of a buying decision is now made online with the prospect only consulting a sales person once they’ve decided they want to buy.

• Research shows that buyers consume 12 assets before making a decision, and will often end up knowing more about a product or service than the sales person. People buy from people. They always have done and always will. Therefore building a strong relationship with the prospect during the sales process is critical. This is done by adding value and supporting the prospect find the right solution for them (not for you).

• Many companies require 2-3 quotes before engaging in a sale. A good social selling campaign can easily take you from 3^rd position to first and put you firmly in the running for new business. If your ideal customers are not short-listing you as a provider, you’re doing something wrong.

• Before going to meeting people, often prepare by researching individuals online first. Providing quality information can advance a conversation away from high-level discovery, to something more detailed shortening the sales cycle. A poor profile can instantly put you at a disadvantage if a competitor’s profile is even slightly more professional.

Tim Hughes

Oracle | Cofounder of The Sales Lounge

Responsible for introducing Social Selling to 2000+ people in Oracle. Inventor of the 5 Pillar Methodology empowers companies to implement Social Selling for competitive advantage. Visit the Social Sales Lounge

Naomi Johnson

TheProfile.Company | Expert LinkedIn Profile Writer

Founder of TheProfile.Company and author of What to Put on Your LinkedIn Profile, Naomi writes LinkedIn profiles for CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and Sales Teams.

Visit TheProfile.Company