This document discusses the importance of social selling and personal branding on LinkedIn. It notes that social media has changed how customers research and buy products/services. It recommends that everyone, from C-level to frontline employees, leverage LinkedIn to share knowledge, build connections, and promote their personal brand in a buyer-centric way. Doing so can help drive opportunities and sales in today's business environment where traditional sales roles are changing. The document outlines specific actions people can take to get started with social selling and personal branding on LinkedIn.

1. Our Linked in Vision
Branding us!
Branding you!
A staff briefing by Safaraz Ali

2. The need to embrace Social Selling!
Social selling means…
• Being open to opportunities
• Being comfortable with sales
• Promoting your personal brand
We need to understand that this is the
lifeblood of our business
What do we need to do?

3. Social selling has not just changed the way we buy products but also
the way we purchase services.
• People will go online to search what they will buy.
• Often customers will have research about the product/service
reading reviews and feedback.
• Customers are a lot more informed about what they are looking
for.
So what does this mean for Sales people?
Isn't that their job?
Social Selling…
Changing how we buy

4. A 2015 Forrester report (which is the most conservative)
states that 22% of B2B sales representatives will be no
longer required by 2020,
Other estimates even suggest that this figure could be as
much as 80%.
Is there a role for sales?
B2B business is already often conducted by “non-traditional” sales people and
this is going to further increase as time goes by. People in charge of or involved
in procurement generally avoid traditional salespeople. Other key people in the
business are now finding opportunities and closing the sales – This can be
MD/CEO / OD/COO/ FD/CFO and all levels of Managers, including 1st line Team
Leaders.

5. The use of social media networking needs to be encouraged within
organisational management so that relationships can be formed, trust can be
developed, business opportunities to be sought as well as it being a tool for
learning and information.
Social Selling…
Old School Thinking:
Prevent access to social media as it’s
a time killer
Now: Get C Level, M Level and T
Level on there. Embrace it first, then
utilise it and get better at it.
Old School Thinking:
Sales People Sell
Now: Everyone sells
and non-traditional
people sell more
without selling.

6. Set yourself up and look at personal branding for you first!
LinkedIn is Key here - In the past, people have tended to use their LinkedIn
profile in order to gain new employment opportunities. However now even
more so LinkedIn profiles are about educating, sharing, connecting and
networking. It’s no longer just about job hunting.
It works best alongside meetings, telephone calls, emails etc. It’s an
additional bonus and at times the first call of action and not there to replace
any other forms of communication.
Have a buyer-centric profile. Buyers are interested in what you're saying. You
need to have a professional photo and an output of what your product does.
Think of your audience when you are writing.
So what should you do?

7. • Whether you’re Quality or Operations, say what you do.
• Provide a good description of what you’re doing for your customers.
• When you’re online, be authentic. People want to deal with individuals
not corporate suits.
• You want to build trust and rapport. There’s nothing wrong with talking
personal – it states who you are.
• In Sales, you either win a deal or you lose a deal. You can get
competitive advances by having a good LinkedIn profile.
So what should you do?

8. From a B2B perspective ,certainly from an enterprising level, LinkedIn, is
the most important social network.
Next Steps
Lets talk. Lets work together and get going. If you feel that you can’t
develop an online profile or have other concerns then lets have a chat in
confidence.
Saf’s thoughts…

9. Pathway College
Tracy & Saj
Brand Building for Employers
Martin & Shaheed
Brand Building for Training Providers
Ahsan and Hira to Support
Saf & Cathy to oversee

10. TCI Pathway
Alan & Saf
Alliances and Partnerships
R&D and Patents
Pritam & Talat
Alliances and Partnership
Clients – Direct
Hira
News, Bloggs,
Stats

11. Strategic Alliances
Eddie
Brand Building for:
•Training
•DWP
•Funding
Saf