This ebook covers the following topics with regard to social selling across an enterprise. 1) Balancing Relationship-Based Culture and Performance 2) Social Selling Satisfies Revenue Demand and Buyers Needs 3) Driving Organizational Change in a Social World 4) Become a Trusted Advisor & Win More Deals 5) How LinkedIn and Other Leading Companies Drive a Relationship-Focused Sales Culture

1. HOW TO MOVE YOUR TEAM
TO SOCIAL SELLING
Spotlight the benefits of
expanding relationships
and influence

2. INTRODUCTION
Social selling champions would be the first to say that social selling doesn’t remove the human element when
building relationships with B2B buyers. Sales still hinges on person-to-person contact. But there are fewer
opportunities for in-person meetings or phone calls because buyers are engaging with salespeople later in
the buying process.
Relationships still matter to B2B sales, but buyers and sellers are connecting more often on social platforms
and less often in person and over the phone. In a survey of buyers conducted by IDC, respondents said they
agreed with these statements (percentage is those who agreed or strongly agreed):
Relationships remain at the
core of successful sales
efforts. Today, the social/digital
world creates relationship
transparency and scale. Now,
both buyers and sellers can
equally research, vet and
qualify the strength and quality
of a professional relationship.
-Peter Kim,
Director of Relationship Management,
LinkedIn
2
76.2%
73%
65.1%
63.9%
I prefer vendors that have been
recommended by someone I know
I prefer sales professionals who have
been referred by someone I know
My network of colleagues, friends and
acquaintances is critical for reference checking
I appreciate introductions
to new people

3. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
IN SOCIAL SELLING

4. More choices, more access to information and timesaving research tools are at buyers’ disposal to obtain most
of the B2B products and services knowledge they need, so the salesperson is out of the loop during most of
the decision-making process. According to Demand Gen Report’s 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey, 68% of
respondents agreed that the number of sources they used to research and evaluate purchases had
increased over the past year, and 40% of respondents said they waited longer to initiate contact with
B2B vendors.
Salespeople and their companies should embrace the reality of social selling and respond with an effective strategy.
Social selling has challenges, but it also has raised the quality of the buyer-seller relationships by enabling better
targeting and more meaningful conversations.
“There is so much information available that buyers and sellers are able to be far more judicious with their time
and more selective in terms of how they choose to engage on a business level,” said Peter Kim, Director of
Relationship Management at LinkedIn. “Additionally, software and intelligent use of big data can digitally map
a person’s professional network, so they are empowered to connect the ‘virtual relationship dots’ through
simple searches and a few clicks. You can cover more ground today, uncover more relationship insights and
be efficient in your sales effort.”
This is a quantum shift that calls on companies, sales teams and individual sales people to change how they
work to protect market share and maximize ongoing revenue potential. But many don’t know where to start when
making the move to a social selling approach.
Sales experts interviewed for this eBook said essential elements of a successful social selling transformation
include mapping out a comprehensive plan and sharing that plan with the entire sales organization. Training and
development also play a key role in bringing the entire sales team up to speed on this new selling dynamic.
4
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER IN SOCIAL SELLING
The number of B2B
buyers who connected
directly with potential
solutions providers
via social networking
channels increased 57%
from 2012 to 2013.
Source: Demand Gen Report’s
2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Study

5. BALANCING RELATIONSHIP-BASED
CULTURE AND PERFORMANCE

6. 6
BALANCING RELATIONSHIP-BASED
CULTURE AND PERFORMANCE
A social selling strategy requires a shift in mindset and culture. Some sales people may want to revert to their
old ways of selling if they don’t see immediate results, but it’s important to stay motivated as you adopt this
new process.
Social selling is about networking, and that means among individual sales reps as well as to clients and
prospects. In a Jan. 9, 2014, blog on Harvard Business Review’s website, Why Individuals No Longer Rule
on Sales Teams, the authors cite research and present examples of an emerging network-driven sales model,
which is more akin to crowd sourcing than the traditional model of individual sales reps working in isolation
on their “owned” accounts, clients and prospects.
This is such a divergence in mindset that some sales leaders might think it risky, while most probably would
expect to face an uphill battle in convincing sales reps that sharing their contacts and contact knowledge will
benefit them.
One strategy to overcome this resistance is to communicate the benefits of social selling on an individual
level through research citations. For example:
• 78% of sales people using social media outsell their peers. (Source: Forbes)
• 70% of B2B executives use smartphones and tablets to look up product or service information upon
first learning of an offering. (Source: Forbes)
• Leaders in social selling have 45% more opportunities per quarter and are 51% more likely to hit
quotas than social selling laggards. (Source: LinkedIn)
Jonathan Harbison, Sales Product Consultant at LinkedIn, said adjusting performance metrics to reward
networking behavior is important.
“Performance metrics in sales are typically centered around the individual sales rep achieving a personal
monetary quota,” Harbison said. “When your sales organization puts relationships first, performance
metrics should do things like measure success by adding a team quota to a rep’s compensation plan as a
meaningful incentive for the sales organization to work together as a team. In addition, metrics tracking warm
introductions to prospects should begin to be measured and monitored.”
I love LinkedIn Sales Navigator
because it opens doors to
connections in a way that I have
never experienced! I can
reach out to someone across the
globe and get an introduction
to a conversation within minutes
of finding the contact I’ve
been searching for.
-Mandy Hanks,
Account Manager-SBD,
ISV Alliance

7. 7
Social selling expert Jill Rowley said metrics need to change to reflect not just
social selling, but how business relationships in general have changed. Proximity
isn’t as important to relationships as it used to be, for example, so awarding
plum contracts to a sales person through division of territories doesn’t make
sense; nor does using performance metrics based on number of phone calls
and demos.
“If we are going to get sales people to behave differently, we have to measure
and reward them differently,” Rowley said. “We should be measuring things
like size of network, quality of connections, number of followers, and internal
collaboration because social selling is a team sport.”
The collaborative aspect of social selling is something that leaders absolutely
must support through their actions, Rowley said. Traditionally, it has benefited
sales people to closely guard their relationships, but tapping team members for
warm introductions to prospects is what fuels long-term success for companies
and individuals.
“Culture matters,” Rowley said. “How do you show you are a sales leader that
supports collaboration? Make your network accessible. It starts at the top.”
Here are some tips to get, and keep, the team on board:
• Focus on long-term benefits. Relationships have to be nurtured, which
takes time. No one is going to close a sale with the first invitation to connect.
• Educate sales people on what “helpful” content means to
prospects. This directly influences pipeline development. When sales
people focus on adding value in advance of sales opportunities, their
pipeline fills quicker.
• Use LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index metrics to benchmark. Being
viewed as a credible business adviser who solves problems is what leads
to achieving quota. Make this a goal.
Social Selling Adoption
Best Practices
1. Focus on Pipeline Progression
Consider these metrics:
üü Quality of leads
üü Connections, Number of connections within target
companies
üü Current social activity
üü Referrals/recommendations
2. Focus on the Earliest Possible Engagement
Some frequent buying signals include:
üü Questions about industry-related topics
üü Critiques of a competitor’s solution
üü Job changes
3. Focus on Social Proof
Testimonials, recommendations, case studies and referrals —
these all provide insight into your target prospect and company.
4. DON’T Focus on the Status Quo
Be prepared for follow-ups and new opportunities as the
sales relationship develops. You’ll need to stay informed on
your prospect’s updates, changes, connections, and
opportunities—social selling is an ongoing process.
Source: Koka Sexton, Global Sr. Social Marketing Manager, LinkedIn

8. SOCIAL SELLING SATISFIES REVENUE
DEMANDS AND BUYER NEEDS

9. 9
SOCIAL SELLING SATISFIES REVENUE DEMANDS AND BUYER NEEDS
Organizations with bigger budgets for purchases in the millions of dollars have a lot riding on their buying
decisions. They do a lot of research and do their due diligence online before committing their resources.
The average B2B buyer who uses social media in the decision-making process is more senior, has a bigger
budget and makes more frequent buying decisions, according to research from IDC. They also have a
greater sphere of influence than those who do not access social media as part of their buying process.
Buyers with Larger Budgets Are
More Likely to Use Social Media
Q. What is the typical size of the purchase(s) you
were involved with over the past 12 months?
Use Social Media
for Purchasing
Larger Budgets
The average typical purchase of a buyer that used social
media was $355,520 versus a buyer that did not: $195,515
Source: IDC’s Social Buying Study, February 2014
Do Not Use Social
Media for Purchasing
($)
400,000 $355,520
84%
$195,515
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Frequent Purchasers Are More
Likely to Use Social Media
Q. How many purchasing decisions at the
“department level” or above have you been involved
with in the past 12 months?
Frequent Purchasers
The average number of purchases in the past 12 months for
buyers that use social media was 19.8 versus buyers that
did not: 12.3. There is a clear connection between social
adoption and higher performance.
n = 760
61%
19.8
12.3
25
20
15
10
5
0
Use Social Media
for Purchasing
Do Not Use Social
Media for Purchasing

10. Knowing your customer before
you walk in is part of winning
the sale! LinkedIn enables me
to know my customer—their
values, their career history, their
interests and more. It’s a great
conversation starter.
-Kelly Houston,
National Account Executive,
Capella University
10
Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer and Executive Vice President at the HMI Research Institute, said there is
a clear connection between social adoption and higher performance, according to HMI’s 2014 Sales Best
Practice Study. However, the study also pointed to a definite need for guidance and setting of expectations.
“Those sales people who rated themselves as being highly social—as compared with those who rated
themselves low—outperformed in activities related to opportunity creation,” Galvin said. “But we also saw a
difference in revenue, retention and satisfaction.”
The use of social selling tactics is a new skill set for the sales professional, Galvin said, and how it applies
and where it has greatest impact is based on the type of product/solution offered and the existing nature of
the relationship. Sales people need to know when and how to maximize social selling.
“For those environments where the majority of revenue comes form current accounts, the immediate value is less
obvious. For new-logo, high-velocity environments the access to prospect and company data is unprecedented in
the history of sales. Why wouldn’t someone in this selling environment embrace these methods?”

11. DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
IN A SOCIAL WORLD

12. 12
DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN A SOCIAL WORLD
There is a demonstrated advantage to aligning sales and marketing, and that becomes even more evident
in social selling. B2B companies’ inability to align sales and marketing teams around the right
processes and technologies has cost them 10% or more of revenue per year, according to IDC.
“Relationship building is alive and happening, but it’s no longer the job of just sales,” said Craig Nelson,
Founder and Principal at Sales Enablement Group. “It’s also the job of marketing. The more aligned they are,
the better the success.”
Nelson stresses that relationships don’t happen overnight, and sales people need content, research and
other information that they can use to establish relationships and nurture them into the long term.
B2B buyers can, and often do, get basic product and service information on their own. What they really need
are trusted advisers. If you share content and resources on social media that will help them do their jobs
better and stay on top of industry trends, they will more likely turn to you when it is time to buy.
In addition, B2B buyers turn to vendors with whom they have relationships with or vendors who are able to
build relationships within the buyer’s company. LinkedIn has done research and found that 69% of B2B
buyers are more likely to choose a vendor who is recommended to them, and 46% more likely
to choose a vendor who builds relationships with the buyer’s other stakeholders.
69% of B2B buyers are more
likely to choose a vendor who is
recommended to them
Source: LinkedIn Global Study of 1,500 B2B
Decision-Makers and Influencers, May 2014

13. BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISER
AND WIN MORE DEALS

14. 14
BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISER AND WIN MORE DEALS
Today’s buyers are looking for sales professionals to take on more of a consulting role, rather than simply
enumerating the features of their products, said Nelson of Sales Enablement Group.
The benefits of focusing on being helpful instead of closing a sale are many, he said, and include: referrals
for new business; add-on business with existing clients; the ability to create a vision for buyers; an
emphasis on value over price; and an improved personal brand.
Research supports this. According to Demand Gen Report’s 2014 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey, 65% of
buyers said the winning vendor’s content had a significant impact on the purchase decision.
And, more than 80% of buyers reviewed five or more pieces of content.
Adapting and curating content to
be shared allows sales people
to project thought leadership
and enhance personal credibility,
but not every sales person
will be able to do this. Sales-enablement
teams must feed
social-ready content for sales
people to leverage.
-Joe Galvin,
Chief Research Officer and
Executive Vice President,
HMI Research Institute
Bouygues Telecom, a leading telecom operator in France, was
finding that traditional prospecting methods were falling flat. They
were having difficulty reaching prospects, particularly because
people frequently changed jobs.
As LinkedIn profiles are highly accurate and continuously updated
with current employment information, LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator
was the natural choice to provide sales reps with direct access to
accurate lead data.
With Sales Navigator, sales reps can make prospect lists in a matter of
minutes and immediately reach out to the list via InMail, and Teamlink
enables the sales team to get warm introductions to key players.
According to company leaders, Sales Navigator has given new life
to the sales team by making it easier for them to do their job.
“TeamLink gives a whole new meaning to the
saying ‘What a small world,’” said Marine Lucas,
Sr. Social Media & Marketing Manager for
Bouygues Telecom Enterprises. “It is amazing
how we are all connected in some way.”
Bouygues Telecom
Fires Up Sales Team
With Sales Navigator

15. HOW LINKEDIN AND OTHER LEADING COMPANIES
DRIVE A RELATIONSHIPS-FOCUSED SALES CULTURE

16. 16
HOW LINKEDIN AND OTHER LEADING COMPANIES
DRIVE A RELATIONSHIPS-FOCUSED SALES CULTURE
LinkedIn’s Sales Solutions team has proven the value of Sales Navigator within their own organization.
LinkedIn analyzed their own sales people’s performance across all global regions by mapping their
SSI performance, and showed that sales reps with an SSI above 90 were three times more likely to
go to club than any other rep.
“As a sales organization that sells a social selling product to sales organizations, it is not lost on us
that we must fully embrace our solution. And we do,” said Mike Derezin, VP of Sales at LinkedIn.
“Sales Navigator is where we start and end our workday.”
Ateet Dave, Sales Product Consultant for LinkedIn Sales Solutions, said Sales Navigator also has
strong support from leading companies.
“At Softchoice, all the high-ranking executives have been encouraged to be a part of LinkedIn Sales
Navigator,” Dave said. “They are offering access to their vast and powerful networks for the various
sales professionals to leverage. Even their CEO has a license and has encouraged everyone in the
company to come to him for an introduction to someone in his network (with a valid business reason).”
This level of executive sponsorship can have a dramatic impact on how employees feel about
leveraging each other’s relationships to add business value to their organizations, Dave said. It
“flattens” the organization to the point where all the employees are working towards a common goal
as opposed to fulfilling solely their personal goals.
“LinkedIn Sales Navigator is helping to push the social selling revolution within organizations by showing
the power of professional networks,” Dave said. “We have had discussions at the highest levels of
General Electric with senior vice presidents about the value of ‘connection density.’ That is, developing
stronger and deeper connections into respective accounts and industries for sales success.”
A large percentage of our sales
team’s wins come from warm
introductions through using Sales
Navigator’s TeamLink feature, which
surfaces who in the company has
a relationship with a prospect,
regardless of whether our sales rep
is connected to their colleague.
-Mike Derezin,
VP of Sales,
LinkedIn

17. 17
Comunycarse
Leverages Sales
Navigator To Help
Increase Pipeline
and Revenue
When Spanish IT solutions provider Comunycarse
adopted LinkedIn Sales Navigator, it drove a 20% rise
in conversions and spearheaded the business’s drive
into new areas. Comunycarse’s Sales and Marketing
Director Victor Magarino shares the secrets of his
company’s success—and his top tips for building a
social selling culture around Navigator:
Step 1: Equip the team with
appropriate LinkedIn profiles
They were very much starting from zero in terms of
number of contacts, but the experience showed
how quickly one can build up a powerful database of
contacts on LinkedIn.
Step 2: Use Sales Navigator to bring
sales and marketing together
Telemarketing and sales used to work quite separately,
and Sales Navigator provided a great way to bring them
together around a shared focus.
Step 3: Incentivize LinkedIn
networks, not just leads
We then incentivized them to build databases of
relevant, quality connections, and started rewarding
them for every 50 qualified connections that they made,
on top of the meetings they closed.
Step 4: Use the power of curiosity
Our people have been getting a lot of enthusiasm
and excellent results just by asking people to become
connections. About half of our leads are coming
through that process.
Step 5: Leverage profile data for
more meaningful incentives
We’ve been able to add precision to the company’s
incentives, using profile data to classify particular
contacts as ‘VIPs’ and providing additional incentives for
meetings with them.
Step 6: Give guidelines, but leave
space for creativity
The key to maintaining that level of enthusiasm lies in
balancing guidelines for effective use of Sales Navigator
with space for sales and marketing to use their
own initiative. We set guidelines for the key specific
messages we wanted to deliver to different groups, but
we then leave space to be creative in how our team
gets those messages across.

18. CONCLUSION

19. CONCLUSION
19
With the most influential and senior buyers on social media, B2B organizations
cannot ignore the power of social selling, and the good news is that the
relationship-building foundation that has always been a part of sales remains.
Sales teams have nothing to fear about social media, and in fact should be
reassured that it is a more efficient and prolific way to sell.
Developing a social media strategy from the top down and having everyone on
board with the new sales dynamic provides a competitive advantage. Your sales
people are not just answering questions about features and pricing. They are
consulting and building long-term relationships.
Getting started is a matter of:
• Making sure leaders are committed and
demonstrating their commitment through
their actions;
• Setting expectations on the personal
and organizational level and adjusting
performance metrics to align with
expectations;
• Providing training and tools, such as Sales
Navigator, that enable sales team members
to make social selling part of their daily
work; and
• Bringing Marketing and Sales closer to
collaborate on content development
and targeting to help build long-term
relationships through networking.
LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator provides a ready-made
toolbox and infrastructure to begin social selling.

20. ABOUT DEMAND GEN REPORT
Demand Gen Report is a targeted e-media publication spotlighting the strategies and solutions that
help companies better align their sales and marketing organizations, and, ultimately, drive growth. A
key component of our coverage focuses on the sales and marketing automation tools that enable
companies to better measure and manage their multi-channel demand generation efforts. For more
information, visit www.demandgenreport.com.
20
ABOUT LINKEDIN SALES SOLUTIONS
LinkedIn Sales Solutions empowers sales professionals to fill their pipelines proactively. Find
the right people, know what to say by uncovering key insights, and get warm introductions by
extending your LinkedIn network. For more information visit sales.linkedin.com.