This Is What Social Selling Experts Do an interview with Brynne Tillman

Have you ever wondered how to leverage clients, and networking partners for warm introductions, turning them into qualifying buyers?

Hi everyone and welcome to this episode of the virtual entrepreneur, the title for today's interview is, this is what social selling experts do an interview with Brene Tillman.

My name is Herbert innocent and today I am talking with the social selling expert Brent Tillman about how to get started with social selling and establishing a thought leadership and subject matter brand in your specific niche for your specific target audience. So welcome Brian Greene Tillman.

That is awesome that, that is awesome. So as you know, Brene Tillman is a well known expert in the subject matter of social selling and has kindly consented this interview to share her extensive knowledge and experience. So every entrepreneur can understand, and how to leverage you know clients and networking partners for warm introduction turning them into qualified buyers.

So Breen Tillman thank you again so much for joining us on this interview with our audience.

So let's jump right into, you know, so that you can get started in sharing with our audience how you learn and how they can apply what you have to share into their situations when it comes to social selling, and usually the way it goes is my first set questions are going to be on your background and experiences in the field of social selling.

So the entrepreneurs in our audience can understand who you are, where you're coming from, and how you got started yourself, and then we'll quickly jump into your thoughts about what you could do if you had to start all over again, and how social selling has changed, and all those good questions that will allow our audience to apply all that beautiful knowledge into into today's world into their businesses, wherever they are at whatever stage they're so can you tell us a little bit about yourself in terms of background, education and experience in social selling

enjoyed sales and very good at it and I was driving long sales premium. And then, you know, really focused on helping other people succeed with sales. One area I wasn't in love with you just would not my favourite part of the job. And I recall sitting from from one client staring at his role.

But we were rolling thinking if I could get my hands on that for 20 years I could identify the team knew that I wanted to ask for introductions and they never could make a phone call.

But, again, in 1992 I wasn't politically correct today Mr Klein, can I come to your address.

That's what we have we have the bill.

So, when I saw our

managers, at the very top of the pipeline.

How powerful shelters are available.

Absolutely, absolutely. I've a little question in terms of when you got started, you say you were in a very different area and then you moved into sales. You know, sales training and it became, you know, you fell in love with that in terms of wanting to do it and you're very good at it. I'm wondering, did you have any mentor, you know, how did you figure it out yourself, mostly.

I have

in throughout my career I have managers that have been wonderful and helping me with sales.

I believe that I was one of the very first sales training.

Even before sales.

So, although I'm constantly learning from my peers. I believe I was one of the pioneers and one of the probably maybe the top 20 or 25 in the world that really began to grow.

That's fascinating. That's fascinating. I'm wondering in terms of when you were working through that, when did you feel like you had the major first breakthrough you know like this is clicking this is working, you know, social selling is working. When did you first experience that

I was an owner partner of a sales training company, we were teaching a lot of free like LinkedIn classes in fact, at the time, no one had heard of it. Most people that showed up. He didn't have an account yet, and we were free 30 minutes 45 minutes with the Chamber of Commerce things and someone asked us to do and it was really for publicity right it was, you would convert them your regular sales clients. Someone could you know you could do a programme. So, you know I wrote a curriculum and we did our first public class, and an hour, and there were people clamouring for more. And so that's when they recognise that this this was not as bad. Yeah. Like, that's when I really fell in love with it and then we were doing monthly and then bi monthly and then, and went to my partner and this is all I wanted to do, but we're a wholesale stream, but I don't want to do the other stuff, we gave each other a hug and parties.

Eight years ago when I launched to the sales line. And that's all we do.

And did you have any specific tools that you use before you begin using LinkedIn when you're in the social selling or was LinkedIn your first social Twitter, quite a bit I don't use it that much now.

Maybe a little bit of Facebook personally but then when I saw it I saw that.

Okay, okay. And in terms of when you got started, I'm just curious so let's say, to connect the dots for, you know, an entrepreneur. At the current stage of their business is a particular story that you share that really sums up your early experience in the world of social selling maybe

personal experience where I recognise the power, not just for social selling of our network.

And the 1 billion that is talked about around the world that I could go through insert my client, and get a list of who they knew. So, I probably 10 years ago now. I had a client, named Rob Petco who owned insurance companies and Racing's with him and I connected to Petco.

Manager at exact which is a large bank account. And I had been trying to get it for years.

And I said to my client how you know, we're, we're friends are both our boys have diabetes and

he opened an introduction for me.

And within 20 minutes I had a return email with an appointment to meet with him, and then when I met with him, he was the fastest clothes I ever had for any, any client, incredible because he says to me, he really, I said to him, how did I get here. And he said Well, Rob pet s

moment right yes, and I said, Well if I can show your commercial lenders how to do the same thing. And we will go over this book in our next meeting with the state and by the way, how much as easy to sell and remain. Wow. And there have been many systems similar to that.

I leverage our shared connection and an entering relationship

really is the only tool that allows. Yeah it's tailored toward businesses and it's more focused in the relationship built to being there are people expecting to connect other business partners and those kind. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, that's a really really powerful story there. And well, it's obvious that your background really comes from, you know, from that social selling point of view really is.

It has a lot, I can tell there's a lot of what you call this.

So, I think the word I'm looking for is, so you know the way as an entrepreneur goes into the journey, there's a lot of things that they pick up, you know lessons tips, tricks, if you had one of those where you could say what was the biggest thing that, you know, really surprised you that you learned from all these experiences.

Know how much fries.

Okay, I had one, I had one thing that surprised me that we did recently,

talk a lot about nurturing.

Yes. Hundreds of 1000s of QPS, how are we staying top of mind, in front of the ones that they want. So we talk a lot about with our clients, picking inventory and identifying the 10% of your connections that you want to stay top of mind and once we've done that having lots of ways. One of the ways that we've done it for years and years is to send them relevant content.

It's not necessarily constant about you, we recommend not, but it may be content that you found curated that as a business owner who will find interesting, helpful as they go about their day.

Just to restart that that compensation, and for years. The concept so say, Herbert as a podcast post I thought you might get some great value from this out of working your podcast was that I came across. I hope you find this valuable. Here's the link.

And over the the pandemic, we did a little ships, Because all of a sudden everyone will send me, left and right, people were feeling

a little pain.

The first group, you sent 119 Pretty good.

Then, the second asked permission to send coverage as a podcast host I thought you might get some great value from a blog post that I recently read here were some of my takeaways if you're interested let me know if you have 69 asked.

Oh, that was like, wow, that, that is, wow, those are shocking. That's a so big, so what you're saying here is essentially just connecting with the person just communicating with them and making that interactive really skyrocket the results without any changes

permission first.

Here's what happened.

My presumption, Again, this is what we're sending many people are feeling.

The feeling of being scammed. Number two, there's this funny bit if you have only been clicking yes but there's this culture of FOMO, fear of missing out.

Oh, well, no, I want these takeaways that Herbert to share.

And if I don't say yes. Wait, I'm never gonna do that.

Right. Do I think there's like yeah sure send it right.

Yes.

And I think that there's

so much connected.

Weird.

Even if you're curated content that has nothing to do with your business.

There's got to be a catch in there. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't have to be to catch a conversation where who knows where it's gonna lead, yes. But, the conversation is, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a really that's actually a very shocking and a very interesting case where because yes true in a world today, we do get a lot of links, left, right, each email you open if it's not from someone within your social circle who has nothing to sell there usually there's usually just a link so the fact that you're saying this is the case it really shows that we need to go back to the basis of conversation first before trying to sell before 20 Peach. Even if we think for their benefit. So I think

that's a really powerful insight, I am. I'm so glad I had that really goes to show us that you know, we need better ways of finding results that are going to improve because sometimes it's not always about you know, getting the fastest results it's mostly about getting the most efficient, effective but also meaningful result. So I think this communicates a lot more in that area. Anyway, before I continue rambling here, I have a few other questions that I just have in my end.

That came from this, but also from what I wanted to ask you just for having you here with us today and one of them was a. So this is jumping into the, you know, the questions that are geared towards the present day and the audience and how they can go about achieving the results, which I think we've already kind of started there, and I'm thinking. During the past 18 to 1812 months, things have shifted a lot. Would you say social selling has changed since. And how has it changed.

Yeah,

during the shutdown, there was no other way.

No conferences I wouldn't even call call because there was no one sitting.

So, everyone knew they needed to record

leverage.

So that might be deployed within the

ignorance, I hate to use that word but there was this. Hey, I'm gonna use this as a lead gen, not a relationship.

I'm going to go out and I'm going to Mass net, people a day.

Hoping phrase five connects with me that I can now.

And it was overwhelming to the receivers of this and it really hurt the credibility platform.

That's the good side.

People are very open to learning how to use it well.

They were either sold the bandwidth or someone said hey, like, let's get on this automation train and, you know, throw enough on the wall and hope something sticks right.

But I think that that now, I think they're kind of the pendulum is swinging back to the middle a little bit where people are, are recognising the human body on the other side of these messages and so you would never send a robot to a networking meeting. Send a robot to your networking.

I think that the lesson has been learned and LinkedIn actually just recently came out with no way to mess with 100 people, because they're trying to combat that terrible Connect.

Yeah, yeah, I think that makes sense I'm one I think also, I may have noticed other platform really moving from social side elements down to people trying to do business right away I think that has become a key common elements, a lot of business using this platform for social selling, but not really having the knowledge, or maybe they're not using the right approaches maybe effectively, to get to that stage,

providing insights, understanding the sale.

Even though social selling is selling really about building the right network and providing the right value that network wants and recognising that you are the subject matter experts were awesome and I'm gonna get into the details of how you know our listeners and other entrepreneurs can go about doing that learning to do that because I think it's a very, very valuable skill and also in the world of today, the climate is still really, we're still not sure where the climate is headed and how long it's going to be the way it is. So really getting this skill if they can master it faster then it's going to be a very very huge investment moving forward.

So I'm going to try my best to jump into that later on how they can learn that. And before I forget, I had this, I was wondering, where would you say, most intrapreneurs should focus where efforts, their effort at so that they can succeed in both the short term and the long term.

I want to say there has to be a line

now attending a trade show where most everyone or many people in this room are your prospects, you would not walk in going. That one will be worth 10,000, and that one will be worth 4000 that you owe this client is worth me I want to get on COVID.

So, the philosophy and the mindset shift, three things. Number one, detach from what that client is attached for you.

Number two, recognise need to earn the right to get a conversation, not assuming that they connected

me to provide enough value that they're excited to teach me. You ask

any offers.

Number three, gotta master the ratio and this was inspired by my friend, who were freaked out and mastering the art of operation. I am asking you for your time.

Whether it's to read my profile up, watch a video, read a blog post. I am asking your time for my content.

At the end of your consumption. You want to three takeaway. That was a bait and switch, which is a lot of that was useful, because a lot of work again so it does not tell you that you haven't earned the right for a conversation. You're not compelled you didn't

even create curiosity.

You don't hate us, but we're not, it's not going to

where we want you, throughout all of our activity, as much as possible, compelling to be as simple as, that's what's it all except your connection. That's all like, I'll be jumping off.

I'll even use that.

So that's the money come from this place of abundance, giving a providing extreme value away from the old mentality ever give away.

This is all about them getting

back over value.

Now that we've done that.

Number one, we need to convert your profile from a resume.

We need to get value from right from.

Number two, need to socially listen

and sort of market until find out what I'm looking for you need to really dive deep into what are our current clients in BGR, you're there their clients, what contents, do they care about before I start sharing content, otherwise we get stuck in this ease of I'm sharing what I want to share not what you want.

And they go like, no, searches, become noise, and then white noise, and notice the noise, needed to be used.

Yeah. So, and along with that is engaging on Ageing with new buyers and so much more around.

Number four, nurture you're using connections you touched on your connection to take inventory. Have you been ignoring that you should be having conversations and engage with positive video messages just spark a conversation, from, from the results. Just attach to start to engage just like you saw an old friend of the network.

just want to get in there and start talking, it will lead to the visit, we actually say, conducting CPR on our network, brings you back to life yes but also identify your clients.

The prospects.

Good, no

better than normal Commendatore net new

number five is one market prospects, identifying who your clients know that you want to meet your network partners know. That's the beauty of Rolodex, not just my role, I have the ability to search your walls. So when you start to build the list, and then run the name by your clients, you will start to get more interest

is the entrepreneurs, absolutely the most powerful way to fill your pipeline.

That is absolutely wow that's uh, you just dropped a lot of nuggets.

And that was over the place, because this is what this is all what intrapreneurs are craving the knowledge to connect find prospect efficiently and you just learned that there you talk about value but I think what you just did here is an example of, I think, what, you know, as intrapreneurs we need, as entrepreneurs we need to practice doing you know which is giving from a place of abundance and I'm, and I'm very surprised that you're talking about a subject of selling, but the words you use is abundance because there is this mentality, sometimes I think, in, in the space of business where it seems like when it comes to selling. It's all about taking transactions and really leaves out the human element, so I'm really glad and delighted to hear that you're bringing that back all together and saying, you know, it's a human connection is from a place of giving connecting, and really, it's from a place of development, personal development, but also relationship development which is what I'm hearing, you're saying there.

I solve this problem you have this problem but it's middle in the middle.

That is, that that nails the whole equation of what exactly is happening here.

So thank you for explaining that. That's just, it's music to my ear to quote you back and exactly what you're saying I just love this kind of knowledge. And I have a few questions that I wanted to follow up in terms of, you know, in the subject matter of this social selling, and I wanted to ask you and I think you've already given us but I wanted to ask you at any time management tips that he gave that relates to this that you've experienced that I've really helped in the area.

Most people go oh my gosh,

yes. When I started

couple years. A year and a half, was actually called female.

Okay.

And I remember sitting in my boss's office buddy, Marian How do you expect me to find time to answer this email. I am so busy. This is crazy i How do you do this to our place. Yeah.

Imagine it's just became part of the fabric of our daily lives.

And so that's where I think social selling digital sales versus going.

So there are a lot of activities, like content that may or may not be satisfied, a little bit of time.

Typically,

feeling that becomes part of the fabric a lot of sales from entrepreneurs, they really get therapy, about the only way they're going to attract you is sharing the insights that get their buyers to them. Yes. So, with that in mind, start capturing that we will have a conversation with a prospect and then go.

Write it down. Yes, content does not have to be blog ideas and mini videos. If you say something awesome on a sales call, you know where they go on it, that's great I'm gonna switch my vendors are so much better. Remember what it is you talked about, that's awesome, fire, yes, yes, and converse as part of your day, your calendar.

When we were meeting in person and I certainly hope that would be more this year into next year.

I wouldn't be in person, networking, a week.

It would be an hour and a half, you know 15 minutes to drive to Starbucks. An hour there.

But what for networking.

Now, virtual, it's so much work, it's so much easier chedule 15 minutes networking.

Change connection, make some introductions.

So it's actually really good.

Actually afterwards.

Some of those into your use to fit it into your schedule you can fit it in. And the other thing is you look at your, I'm, I'm talking to these three clients take five minutes, and use their networks filter and search and bring those names as the opportunity arises. Instead of saying, hey, however you do that can use my products and services, the way you have, you just simply say, hey, Herbert I noticed you're connected for quite a while. Maybe I have 12 names, rather than buying your score that you remember what we think would be great. And potentially,

just add it to the fabric of your day. That said, I do have a day in the life of all the things that can be done with timestamps and how long they take with the Institute anyone in our Lincoln library comm. So if someone really wants to know what's the day look like after really

linked in library.com Yes, we're gonna make sure we have that for our listeners. And you mentioned something very, very intriguing there and I was wondering if I could maybe ask you to expand a little bit, you mentioned, you know, you have these clients that you go prospects that you go and try to connect with, to establish this. Do you have a strategy, who do you decide to connect with first for your case. In your experience have you ever came across a strategy.

Okay, and the people that you've met in real life, go grab those business cards because the rubber band in the corner is your best bet in real life.

And then go find magnet, people in your industry, and are attracting the prospect. There are a lot of names, like, Jeffrey Gitomer or Sherry love, or just adore these top sales that are attracting entrepreneurs and sales leaders that I want to have a conversation with that I know. So, go find them

and engage, not just with them but with their comments so I look at the just one per se great video on YouTube. But then there are 27 people that are homeless and I want to start a conversation. Well I'm going to treat Jeff as new and all these people are in the audience right or you're all here.

Right, so now I'm starting with, Hey, I see you're an entrepreneur and I think you could get some great value from being a member of our E learning and coaching membership right not to start pitching, I'll say, Hey, we're both big fans of podcasts on x y&z It was awesome. This is one thing for me love if you're interested I can send you a

private conversation about what we both care about about what we have.

And so I don't remember your exact question or how I got there but I think that's really important thing for entrepreneurs find internet,

because these are people that are interested in a similar way. And they're engaging them.

So that's a great place, and you're not just finding people that are visiting with the right people that love the platform into yours easily.

That is awesome. Yeah, and that's a really beautiful strategy actually I like it. It's no it seems to be, I think it's how we talk isn't it. It's how we connect we naturally do, and it just seems just have to bring it to the context of what you're doing in business really, it's a, it's a. Yeah, I just love it I love it a lot, question here that I was, I've been thinking.

Now that I am bringing the conversation trying to bring it into a full close so that everything we say together makes sense. I was wondering, what are your final thoughts in terms of if you wanted to help our entrepreneurs, you know, to get started in taking action into social selling so that they can take their social selling skills to the next level. What motivation would you have for them.

Well,

okay, a higher level of credibility. Anytime.

Okay, so it's really to focus on the quality and do it well, rather than to try and get as many done as possible.

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, thank you so much Brene Tillman for the great interview, I have my mind has been exploding with ideas and how all this fits into businesses. And so I want to thank you so much and I'm sure all the entrepreneur, or the entrepreneurs in the audience are going to be like whoa this she did she just say all of this because it's a lot of it's a lot of things that are packed up and really just doing one of those could really dramatically increase your business sales your business and relationships and really grow it to the next level and so, based on what your shade, what you have shared to get started on cold calling this has been my biggest learning this week as far as I can remember. And so I'm really delighted, and I am sure entrepreneurs will be very delighted, so thank you so much for sharing with us your expertise and experiences in this subject area and I was just wondering, one last thing here because I know you are a C, the CEO of social sales link, and how does that fit in with social sales. Sorry social selling

aka strategies. And then we have our E learning and coaching. So, for $99 you get our $4 a month there.

Oh my, yeah, that's it, right. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and how can our audience find you so you know we have all these intrapreneur who wants to leverage their clients and network partners to warm them up into, in turn them into qualified buyers, how can they get to learn more about you and the social sales link

for LinkedIn library.com It's totally free.

Probably.

Oh absolutely, yeah, yeah.

And then you're interested in learning about our E learning or our coaching on social salesman.com

Okay.

So, awesome, awesome. This is great stuff. I am taking notes in case anyone is wondering why I'm an old quiet.

I have the recording, but I have to admit it's just, sometimes you're so inspired and this is what I am getting I am so inspired.

That is good that's a good.

Thank you so much again Brian Tillman for sharing with us, all these great nerds, and I want to thank you all to the virtual entrepreneurs who have joined us on this episode of the virtual entrepreneur, we have had such an amazing presentation and I'm sure you've gained a lot in terms of what you can do to improve your business, even if it means just getting that one more connection with someone who could really change, you know, build up that the relationships that we need to develop, you know, natural teams, and as well as macro products.

So again, I am Herbert innocent and you have been listening to the virtual entrepreneur, I'd like to invite you to check out the social selling platform which is at social sales link.com forward slash store too.