The term “social selling” has been hitting the headlines hard lately and there’s certainly a major shift happening in the way companies interact with customers.

We believe that the tactics and strategies used in social selling apply to nearly every one whose success is dependent on the strength of their network - salespeople, marketers, recruiters, journalists, public relation professionals…the list goes on.

No matter what your profession, having a large network with strong connections will help you be more successful. It’s that simple. A great quote from Reid Hoffman goes something like this, “your network is the people who want to help you, and you want to help them, and that’s really powerful.” Sounds applicable to any professional, no?

With that said, here’s the Nudge Social Selling Roundup #2 offering insightful commentary on some of our favourite content that will help you become better at growing the right relationships.

Debunking the Myth that Buyers are 67% Through the Buying Process Before Engaging Salespeople

What a great post to be able to highlight this week following the incredibly insightful 2015 SiriusDecisions Summit. Mike Weinberg not only recaps the “official” debunking of this wildly inaccurate statistic but he also goes on to explain as to why this stat has been so popular among sales professionals.

It’s a common trait we see among professionals of all backgrounds where we adopt a statistic that makes it easier for us to dismiss important aspects of our job. For sales folks, it’s been easy to say, “there’s no point in prospecting or building relationships until the buyer reaches out to me.”

Weinberg also highlights how many sales individuals and teams wait for their leads rather than building a strong network of trusted relationships on an on-going basis. This creates enormous barriers down the road when you need to be the trusted advisor recognized as a pool of insight from the buyers perspective.

Read the article, change your ways and thank Mike/SiriusDecisions for helping you create a career changing habit! We also gained some insight from the conference that you can read in one of our latest posts.

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11 Steps to Make Social Selling Part of Your Daily Routine

I know, I know. Last week we posted something similar in the Nudge Social Selling Roundup #1, but there’s a reason I will continue to highlight this type of content. It’s important to see how many various social selling professionals spend their time throughout the day. I guarantee there will never be one way to make social selling work for you.

You will and should always adjust your day to be more effective and efficient. Like any promotional activities, if it’s not working over a specific period of time, change it up. Never settle for something that’s “sort of” working, find out what “really” works for you.

This routine is very tactical and focuses heavily on growing new relationships vs. nurturing your existing connections. It’s important that you’re always growing new relationships, if it makes sense. But I would argue that you need to spend as much (or more) time on nurturing your existing network to ensure you remain a trusted advisor.

You’ve probably noticed that I continue to highlight how social selling is really about growing the right relationships, no matter what your profession is. Checkout this great infographic and use your best judgement to figure out which tactics will work for you!

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Authenticity Is the Secret Sauce to Social Selling

The title of this article immediately caught my attention. It’s such a simple statement and one that you can’t argue with. Written by social media and brand strategist, Kim Garst, this article dives into the vast opportunities available for the taking if your network views you as an authentic individual.

One of the first headlines highlights that “people buy from people they know, like and trust.” This is dead simple and falls into marketing/sales 101, but somehow gets lost in the overly tactical world we live in. The only sure way to be authentic is to build meaningful relationships with people in your network based on trust.

Although this article is highly focused on B2C sales, it applies to professionals of all backgrounds. You could be selling $1M software, $15 books or your own personal brand and this statement still holds true. Now the hard part lies in how to build authenticity among your network - not so simple.

However, Garst does makes it simple for you to get started. She makes it abundantly clear that you can begin to build authenticity by simply caring about people and their passions. Have a quick read on the article to refresh yourself on the power of caring!

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That all we’ve got for this weeks Nudge Social Selling Roundup! Be sure to follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn and if you’re looking for a new tool to help you manage growing the right relationships be sure to sign up for Nudge Beta below - have a great week!