Social selling: The future of B2B sales with Alex Abbott

Behind the Post Published: December 21, 2023
Social selling: The future of B2B sales with Alex Abbott

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Episode summary

When you step away from thinking that every person is a potential customer and think about every person as a human being, you can start being more curious and think about 100% of the territory, not just the 5% that might be in market for your solution.”

With over 30 years in B2B Sales and Marketing, Alex Abbott joins host Olivia Messina on Behind the Post to discuss one of the most prevalent topics in B2B sales today: social selling.

Alex urges that the traditional prospecting approach is no longer working. Buyers have lost trust in salespeople, and with the nature of cold calling and emailing being predicated on waste– B2B revenue teams need to embrace social selling to help hit their targets.

In this episode, Alex delves into the buyer/seller misalignment and sheds light on how social selling can bridge this gap and empower revenue teams to overcome their major challenges. He explains what social selling actually means and how you can stand out as a trusted advisor to not only initiate meaningful conversations but also create a presence that attracts inbound conversations.

Getting to the heart of social selling, Alex explains how every like and comment is an opportunity to engage in a conversation and how to take that next action. He also discusses how to scale social selling, what to measure, where it should sit within the organization, how to get started, what content to create, and how to meaningfully engage with your network.

Meet Alex

Alex has 30-year sales career spanning three continents, 23 years in business-to-business sales & marketing. One thing has remained constant in Alex’s career, and that is the ownership of pipeline development, the lifeblood of every business.
Since leaving the corporate world almost 4 years ago, Alex has been testing outbound prospecting strategies and has found what works (and what doesn’t). More importantly he has the data to back it up, with almost a year of benchmark data tracked from a range of clients and associates with different levels of sales experience, from a junior SDR to a senior leader – he now has what’s been missing, which is social selling performance benchmark data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are traditional B2B sales prospecting methods no longer effective?

Traditional B2B prospecting, such as cold calling and emailing, is failing because buyers have lost trust in salespeople. This approach is predicated on waste, making it increasingly difficult for B2B revenue teams to hit their targets in today's market.

What is the core definition of social selling for B2B organizations?

Social selling in B2B is the strategic use of social networks to build credibility, foster trust, and engage authentically with potential buyers. It moves beyond traditional sales pitches, focusing instead on initiating meaningful conversations and establishing salespeople as trusted advisors to attract inbound interest.

How does social selling bridge the buyer-seller gap in B2B?

Social selling bridges the buyer-seller misalignment by enabling sales professionals to engage authentically, provide value, and build trust over time. This approach helps overcome major challenges faced by revenue teams by shifting from an outbound push to attracting inbound conversations, aligning with how modern buyers prefer to research and engage.

What content strategies are most effective for B2B social selling?

Effective B2B social selling content strategies focus on providing value that resonates with 100% of the territory, not just in-market prospects. The goal is to create a presence that attracts inbound conversations, educates, and positions the salesperson as a trusted advisor, encouraging engagement through likes and comments as conversation starters.

How can B2B companies measure the ROI and scale their social selling efforts?

B2B companies can measure social selling by tracking engagement opportunities, recognizing every like and comment as a chance to initiate a conversation. Scaling involves consistently engaging with networks, understanding what content drives meaningful interactions, and integrating social selling into the organizational strategy to enhance pipeline development and revenue generation.

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