In this first episode of our ROI special, we give you an overview of what social selling is and how it can contribute to your marketing & sales results. While social selling is undoubtedly a current buzzword, it’s also one that many remain skeptical about, especially when the planning process starts to include budget talk. Be honest! Haven’t you wondered if social selling is genuinely worth investing money in? We believe it is. But let us take you on our social selling journey. This episode gives you an overview of the topic, and we'll dive more into detail of each element in the next episodes:- A definition of social selling- The components of a social selling program-  Measuring the results-  KPI benchmarks from the experts: What kind of activity rate of your social sellers can you expect? How many relevant engagements from your target audience are good?- How to track relevant engagements: From CRM integration to seller surveysIf you want social selling to contribute to your success, listen in!About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In our introductory episode, Straight to Business host Lisa Davidson gives an overview of our podcast and what you can expect. In short: Straight to Business helps B2B marketers master the world of social selling. Lisa Davidson is joined by social selling expert Monika Ruzicka and varying guest speakers from marketing and sales, to discuss the strategic and operational elements of bringing social selling to your organization and making it successful. About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

We talk with Björn Radde - VP Digital Experience at T-Systems - how he is integrating social selling in the digital marketing and sales strategy at his company. The topics we cover include:How can companies influence buyers in today’s busy, digital world? Why is social selling uniquely positioned to help businesses build relationships with their prospects? How can you get your organization started with social selling?Key success factors of social sellingBjörn's personal social selling routine   Bonus: A short excursion into the world of NFT (non-fungible tokens) and their role in digital marketing.Björn Radde is VP Digital Experience at T-Systems International - one of the world's leading vendor-independent digital services providers. Before joining T-Systems, he held various senior digital marketing roles in technology, internet, and hospitality industries.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Sander Biehn is founder and CEO of Thought Horizon, LLC, and a pioneer of social selling. After a successful sales career at AT&T, he founded his company in 2013, helping organizations build, manage, and succeed using social selling.We talk with Sander about:- how social selling can complement account-based marketing- how organizations can implement social selling to build relationships and grow business with defined accounts- hands-on tips for marketers and sellers who want to use social selling as part of their ABM approachPlus: Sander share his own beginnings and his success story with social selling, working as an enterprise Account Executive in the telecommunications industry before founding his own social selling company. About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Zac Wood is a seasoned sales professional with 15 years of experience in Sales & Sales Management Excellence. Zac has a track record of surpassing sales quotas, increasing revenue, and growing market share. He has used LinkedIn to advance his business success for over 10 years. His approach to sales is to build relationships and understand what jobs need to get done for the client. Listen to this episode to learn more about how Zac sees the role of social media in modern sales. We talk about how sales teams and their organizations benefit from social selling, what challenges sales people face when integrating social selling into their day-to-day work, and how marketing can support them for optimal results.  About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Andreas Klauser is a senior tech marketing leader in the B2B enterprise space. After holding various marketing leadership positions at HP and T-Systems International, he joined Zoom in November of 2021. Now, he is leading and building out Zoom's marketing organization across the EMEA region.In his previous position as VP of Field Marketing at T-Systems, he has successfully implemented a global social selling program for hundreds of colleagues in sales and beyond. In his current role at Zoom, he is in the process of rolling out a program across Europe and Asia.  In this episode, you will learn best practices for marketers when it comes to:setting up your social selling program and creating traction organically throughout the organization.who to start your program with (how to choose the people and business unit to begin with).how to secure sales leadership buy-in.how to keep your organization engaged for the long haul.how to define success along the timeline of your program, including a focus on marketing & sales KPIs.proving content to your (sales) organization, and much more.… and much more. Listen in as Andreas shares valuable hands-on advice and experience!About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In this episode, Milan Ruzicka, B2B enterprise marketing expert, shares cutting-edge insights and learnings from the B2B Marketing Exchange*, one of the top B2B conferences in the United States. Some of his key takeaways for the marketing of today & tomorrow include:the digital marketing industry is evolving with accelerating speed and complexity, the vendor market outpacing the needs of their customers.the change in buying behavior towards primarily digital brings new needs in terms of technology, operating models and the skillset required of marketers.customer intent becomes a critical factor, as well as allowing prospects to go through the entire customer journey in their medium of choice.the interest in social selling is growing with about a third of attendees indicating they want to talk about it. Listen to our episode to hear these and other learnings directly from Milan.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Ronnell Richards has more than 20 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur and sales leader. His varied background includes roles as an account executive, president, and managing partner in telecommunications. Ronnell also excelled as marketing director in the healthcare industry, consistently achieving top accolades, and has experience in channel and partner development.Ronnell loves sharing his knowledge and inspiring others. That’s why his current focus is on helping entrepreneurs create and execute go-to-market strategies and grow their sales & business. He is also the managing partner, creator, and host of the “Business & Bourbon” community of business leaders and entrepreneurs who share their knowledge and wisdom.Next to that, Ronnell is the host of the top-rated podcast “Business And Bourbon with Ronnell Richards,” which has been featured in Forbes and Inc. magazine.In this episode, you will learn:The keys to successful and sustainable community building.How to capture the attention of people in today’s busy world.How marketers can create their personal professional brand. How to use social media & social selling to achieve your goals.… and much more. Listen in as Ronnell shares his incredible knowledge with you.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Why should executives invest time into social media? What is thought leadership and why does it matter in driving business reputation and results?How do you establish yourself as a thought leader?We discuss these and other questions with Mike Casey, President at Tigercomm, the leading US cleantech PR, marketing communications and public affairs firm. Mike defines successful thought leadership as  "telling a discrete target audience useful things it did not know about itself". In our episode, he explains how executives can find their sweet spot in the market and what factors go into establishing yourself as a thought leader. Listen in!Connect with Mike or follow him on LinkedInVisit the Tigercomm websiteInterested in cleantech and the clean economy? Check out the Scaling Clean Podcast (this link is for Apple podcasts, for other players, just look for Scaling Clean) by Tigercomm. Scaling Clean is an insightful podcast for cleantech CEOs, investors and the people who advise them. Each show, host Mike Casey brings you a deeper look into the minds of influential leaders working to create a new clean economy.About Mike:Mike Casey is president and founder of Tigercomm, the leading US cleantech PR, marketing communications, and public affairs firm with headquarters in Northern Virginia and offices in Tampa, Denver, Pittsburgh, Charlottesville, and Los Angeles.  His passion for the last 30 years has been designing, building, running, or being a part of winning communications programs. He counsels cleantech executives and investors and has trained over 2,200 people on message development, media interviewing, and public relations management.  Tigercomm has helped over 140 companies and organizations increase sales, establish brands and secure fair policies that build markets in the cleantech space.Mike regularly shares content on the Scaling Green blog and podcast in Renewable Energy World and other cleantech and marketing publications. Regarding social networks, Mike uses LinkedIn to share his thought leadership content and inspire clients, prospects, and the cleantech industry.Mike is passionate about martial arts, clean energy, and technology, and lives and works in Arlington, Virginia, on the US East Coast.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

We talk with Nouran (Noor) Elsherbiny from T-Systems International about a unique program that brings Generation Z into the boardroom. Not only that! Every Gen Z CTO (Chief Tomorrow Officer) is given the opportunity to work on a pressing question of today's society together with experts inside the company. Noor has convinced us in the conversation that every company should have a Chief Tomorrow Program, or similar initiative to engage the up- and coming generation into their business. This is a critical way of making your company future-proof today.Learn in this episode:- how the Chief Tomorrow Officer program at T-Systems is organized- how the company recruits Gen Z talent- what role social media plays in this- what results have been achieved so far- how you can connect with Gen Z, do business with them and recruit them for your business- how T-Systems is supporting other companies in attracting Gen Z talentWith all of this, we are also looking at the key characteristics of Generation Z, and as a bonus topic we talk about T-Systems' social selling program that Noor also manages. Curious? Listen in!To learn more, you can connect with Nouran Elsherbiny on LinkedIn, check out this brochure The Chief Tomorrow Officer - the power of Gen Z in the boardroom, or learn more on the T-Systems website.About Nouran Elsherbiny:Nouran (Noor) Elsherbiny is Digital Marketing Manager at T-Systems International. With a Bachelor's and Master's degree in (Business) Information Systems, she began her career at Inspira Expo startup. Inspira Expo specialized in building an engineering community and created the biggest engineering event in Egypt called Engineerex. Nouran also taught entrepreneurship at the American University in Egypt (AUC). She later joined Deutsche Telekom Group as an intern for performance management.Her passion for AI in workplace innovation has led her to apply to a novel program by Deutsche Telekom's subsidiary T-Systems, helping her become the first appointed Chief Tomorrow Officer or CTO.As Chief Tomorrow Officer, Nouran was able to work with international experts to solve questions on the usage of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to create a less stressful workplace. She also built a community of Gen Z to engage with T-Systems and Deutsche Telekom C-level managers and discuss the future of the workplace named the Tomorrow Board.Today, Nouran is a Digital Marketing Manager in charge of the T-Systems social selling program and the Chief Tomorrow Officer community. Nouran is originally from Egypt but now lives and works in Bonn, Germany. About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

All you need to know to create a successful podcast! Our guest is Daniel Fuller, host of the "Plants Grow Here" podcast, Our conversation centers on:the role & importance of podcasts in today's marketing and businesshow to start your podcast and why it should be very targetedsecrets to a successful podcasthow to market your podcast and grow your communityhow can you as marketer get help in starting with your own podcastIf you are a podcaster or aspiring podcaster, and especially if you'd like to use a podcast to grow the audience for your B2B business, this episode is for you!About Daniel:Daniel Fuller is the host and producer of the Plants Grow Here Podcast – a popular podcast for the horticulture and landscape industry. He is also a writer for the Hort Journal magazine, a trade and industry journal for the nursery and garden industry. Besides his passion for nature and the environment, Daniel likes to help B2B businesses grow in the industry through niche advertising and give tips and tricks on launching new podcasts successfully. His background in landscape maintenance and expertise in a niche branch informs his current work in the media space and enables him to share valuable insights.  Daniel's Plants Grow Here Podcast ranks among the top 3% of almost 3 million podcasts globally and is currently #14 in Australia's leisure and home & garden category on Apple Podcasts. Follow Daniel or connect with him on LinkedIn. You can also reach him via the contact form on his website www.plantsgrowhere.com or by email: hello@plantsgrowhere.com.Interested in plants, horticulture or landscaping? Check out the Plants Grow Here podcast:www.plantsgrowhere.comon Spotifyon Apple Podcasts / iTunesFurther listening:Check out Daniel’s Plants Grow Here episodes about a musician who plays music with trees (Tom Wall, Cosmic Knots):“Plant electromagnetic output as music” “Jamming with giants: journey to find the music of the Sequoias and Redwoods” Daniel also suggested the “Smart Passive Income” podcast by Pat Flynn as one of his favorite podcasts. Here’s the link to it on Spotify.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Did you know that between 81 and 92% of New Year's resolutions fail? Changing behavior and establishing new habits is hard! To set you up for success in 2023, we're talking with Anna Bejgrowicz, Learning & Development expert, about habits and how understanding they can make you more successful in social selling and beyond.Topics we cover:Three elements of habits: action, regularity, behavior pattern.How you can use habits to grow personally and professionally.Simple and effective tools like habit scorecard, implementation plan and habit stacking that can help you succeed.How small actions can lead to incremental change and big results over time.Habits that can help you with social selling and reaching your sales and/or other goals.Content creation habits that you can establish for yourself or in your team.How tools & technology can help organizations establish habits at scale, such as social selling in a larger sales team.About Anna:Anna Bejgrowicz is a Learning & Development professional with 8 years experience in the IT & telecommunications industry, working for Atos and Deutsche Telekom Group. In her current role at Deutsche Telekom B2B Europe she is the Lead for Learning and Development within the Digital & Cloud Services group, serving the sales & technical communities across 8 countries in the CEE region and in India.Before entering the ICT world, Anna was on the path to a career in international relations and diplomacy, when she decided she’d rather use her talents in business. Ever since, she’s enjoyed using her competencies in stakeholder management as well as her leadership and interpersonal skills to affecting lasting change in corporation.Most recently, she successfully implemented a social selling program in her organization – in partnership with her marketing team.Connect with Anna or follow her on LinkedInAnna's favorite L&D group on LinkedIn: L&D SHAKERS | Groups | LinkedInAnna's favorite books on establishing successful habits: Atomic Habits by James ClearThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyPodcast recommendation:Brené  Brown About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

There is a LOT of content out there these days. Just look at your LinkedIn feed alone. It’s tough for everyone to stay on top. The same is true for your target audience. They are OVERWHELMED with content. So, how do you get their attention? How do you get through to them and move them to take action toward you and what you have to offer, step by step? This is what we're discussing in this episode with content expert Shondell Varcianna.These are our topics:How to writing compelling content for a particular group of people (niche)How to manage more than one target audience / nicheThe importance of having a strategy on how you’ll promote your contentHow to be consistent with publishing contentMaking sure that your content speaks to your customers and your target audienceLinkedIn strategy for finding your target audience and getting business from themFacebook strategy for finding your target audience and getting business from themBONUS: Shondell's LinkedIn messaging strategy that drives conversion Listen in!About Shondell:Shondell Varcianna has turned her 16 years of experience in the financial services industry and her passion for writing into a successful own business that helps financial institutions make an impact with their content. Shondell started working in banking in 1998, right out of high school. Over the next 8 years she  worked in several positions, including being a mortgage loan originator, where she underwrote million dollar mortgages per week and exceeded weekly targets by 130%.In 2006, she joined Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC), an insurance company that insures mortgages for banks. While at CMHC, she managed an account of over 150 bank branches, 80 mortgage specialists and 25 underwriters by developing and improving relationships with banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents.Today, she owns and operates Varci Media, a content writing company that helps financial institutions save time by writing content that speaks to their target customers. With her help, her clients have transformed their blog into a solution provider for their customers. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Shondell now lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and 2 children.Connect with Shondell or follow her on LinkedIn or visit her company website Varci Media. About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In this episode, we're diving deep into some of the unique challenges that especially large companies face when scaling their social selling program across their sales organization and beyond.You all know that social selling has become a powerful force in the B2B world, revolutionizing how organizations connect with their target audience and drive meaningful engagement. But when we talk about rolling out and scaling a program across multiple divisions and / or geographies, what strategies and techniques can you use? How do you steer and control your program? Or is the actual art to learn how to control less?  Join us as we explore these crucial topics with our fascinating expert and guest speaker Nader Ali-Hassan and uncover the secrets to creating a thriving social selling culture. We cover:- How do you scale from individual evangelists to social selling across an entire organization?- Is motivation of salespeople enough? What’s the journey from an organization perspective?- Role of social selling in an overall B2B Marketing Communications strategy and how can you measure the results?- How do you balance authenticity with a given communication framework and strategy?About Nader:Nader Ali-Hassan is a digital, social and experiential marketing leader who has most recently held the position of Executive Director, Marketing Communications at Comcast Business. Comcast is the largest American multinational telecommunications and media company. Comcast Business is their B2B brand, offering technology solutions – from connectivity and security to unified communications - to businesses of all sizes. In his recent role, Nader directed the overall communications strategies across all above and below the line marketing tactics. As part of this role, he led the initiative to centralize social selling across the entire organization and thousands of sales people. Nader is a true transformational leader in the marketing and digital space and has won multiple awards including the Webby Awards, D&AD Awards, Cannes Lions and OMMA Awards.He lives in Philadelphia with his family and next to his work, he is also a passionate musician.Connect with him or follow him on LinkedIn.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In this episode we talk about social selling across different countries and regions of the world. Any business operating internationally faces this challenge: How do you leverage social media platforms and digital communication channels in a global context? We discuss with our guest speaker Sebastian Förster from Henkel. In this episode you will learn:- How to create an international social selling strategy for your company-  How to navigate cultural differences between difference social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, WeChat, Threads, TikTok etc.) and between countries, and keep your presence authentic- Why it is important to maintain the 'red thread' of your overall brand and marketing communication and how to make the necessarily local, regional and cultural adjustments-  What are possible strategies for language adaption across various regions or countries and why simply translating content might not be the best way to go- What appeal TikTok might have for B2B About Sebastian:Sebastian is a Customer Experience Manager and marketing expert with over ten years of experience. Throughout his career, he has advised all levels of companies on social media, branding, marketing strategies, social selling, and active sourcing at the senior management level, successfully implementing these strategies with the assistance of global teams.Sebastian is also passionate about technology, consumer electronics, and digital art forms. Follow Sebastian or connect with him on LinkedIn.Learn more about Henkel's Inspiration Center.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

Standing out with your content - this is one of the biggest challenges marketers are facing today. Generative AI helps many marketers by more efficient in content production. But that doesn't solve the problem: how do you get noticed and how do you create content that gets your audience to take action? We've had a conversation with psychology-driven content writer and creative consultant Jill Pavlov to shed some light on these questions. Specifically, we discuss: How to stand out with content in B2B in today’s world of abundance – top tipsDifference between B2B and B2C content / Making B2B content engagingContent formats in B2BPaid vs. organic content Role of content along the sales funnel – content that convertsListen in now!About Jill:Jill Pavlov is a creative copywriter and content specialist, dividing her time between her own business “Creative Concierge” and the social selling company ReadyForSocial. With in-depth experience in the marketing, public relations and communications industry, Jill’s ambition is to use her words to help businesses tell their story to further sales and business.Jill’s skillset includes Marketing Strategy, Content Developement, Copywriting, Social Media, Advertising, and Creative Writing. Out-of-the-box ideas are her specialty, and her extensive background in theater ensures that everything she brings to the table has a bit of flair.Next to her writing career, Jill has a passion for comedy and just landed an engagement with The Second City, one of the most influential comedy theatres in the English-speaking world. Jill lives and works in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Follow Jill or connect with her on LinkedIn.Visit Jill's website Creative Concierge.Visit social selling management company ReadyForSocial.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

This episode is an enlightening exploration of a new book about social selling. Author Gunnar Habitz, talks about the importance of Social Selling in helping buyers make the right choice. Social selling is used  in the business-to-business context to leverage social media and digital tools for more effective sales. It involves targeted prospecting, engaging with potential clients, sharing valuable content, personalizing interactions, maintaining consistent communication, analyzing data, and integrating these efforts into the overall sales process. By systematically using social platforms, sales professionals can build relationships, establish credibility, and nurture leads, ultimately driving conversions and business growth.We discuss with Gunnar and give you insights into:o   How can social selling enhance business conversations? o   Today's buyers only invite providers into their buying journey when they are already 80% done with their decision-process. How can social selling help you be relevant?o   What is the "bricks" approach of social selling and how does it compare to building with legos? o   What is the “Density approach” of social selling?o   What are some of the biggest challenges for marketing managers running a social selling programo   Top 3 tips for marketing managers implementing or scaling a social selling program?About Gunnar:Gunnar Habitz is working as Senior Partner Manager in the Australian Software-as-a-Service industry in companies such as GoTo (formerly LogMeIn), Hootsuite (social media management) or Noggin (risk management software).Born in Germany with a Swedish name and married to his wife from Czech Republic, he moved after graduation to Zürich which he declared his hometown after fully emigrating to Switzerland. After spending 16 years at HP in senior marketing and sales roles, he moved to Sydney in 2016 enjoying the South Pacific lifestyle and growth opportunities. Over his career, Gunnar has developed his own approach to Social Selling which he shares in his recent book "Connect and Act", and in his social media content. Next to Social Selling, Gunnar is also passionate about travel, theatre and opera and has published multiple books, blogs, and articles on these topics.Follow Gunnar or connect with him on LinkedIn.Interested in Gunnar's book "Connect & Act: Systematic Social Selling" - get it here on amazon! About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

We talk with B2B marketing expert Sarah Noel Block about improving your content marketing ROI. Sarah's current focus is on maximizing the impact of marketing budgets. She also has introduced a complete digital marketing program including social selling and tech stack for a US-based manufacturing company.Drawing on her rich experience, we discuss with her:Why content marketing is so important in B2BChallenges of today’s marketing teams with content marketing - from  execution, system & processes for content marketing, content ideation to the need of a clear content & messaging strategy How to 10X your content marketing (without adding to your headcount) Repurposing strategies, best practices and tools for smart, time- and money-saving content repurposing across channels Why repurposing should be part of your distribution strategy and address different ways of learning New content marketing trends we should be watching out forHow social selling helps get more reach for your content, and  why and how to involve your sales team into your content strategy and content creation  How to involve people from your target accounts in your content creation; marrying ABM and content marketing About Sarah:Sarah Noel Block is CEO & Founder of Tiny Marketing, a company that helps marketers scale their impact. She is a writer, editor, and a content marketing strategist for facilities services, construction, medical and real estate products, and SaaS companies. She works with time-strapped marketers in mid-sized B2B industries to build high-impact marketing without increasing headcount.  Before starting her own business, she was the first Digital Marketing Manager at The Chicago Faucet Company, America’s leading manufacturer of commercial faucets, where she implemented the marketing tech stack, grew the companies following and impact on social media and built a successful blog. She grew the media balance from 10% digital to 80% digital. Sarah lives and works in Hoffmann Estates, Illinois, which is in the Greater Chicago area. Next to content marketing, Sarah has a passion for indie folk music. Follow Sarah or connect with her on LinkedIn.Learn more about Sarah's company Tiny Marketing.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In this episode, we look into what social selling can learn from the performing arts. That might sound like an unusual and unique way for many social sellers, but the insights and answers our expert has to give will truly amaze you. If you have ever visited a show or performance, you will understand that art connects people and delivers a feeling of community. Almost everyone has a deep curiosity to create or consume art. Depending on your preference, this can include music, dance, visuals, or the written word. While social media certainly helps deliver art and behind-the-scene looks to an audience, it can also be seen as art itself. Yet, it's not always easy to manage the art of social media, even less so in our daily social selling routine.Connecting some key components and specific aspects of art and social selling can give you an immense advantage in your field.  We discuss with performer and content specialist Kimberly Van Laningham:Top 3 things that social selling can learn from the performing artsThe entertainment factor: do you need to entertain to be heard?How to add entertainment to your business contentHumor: what place does it have in social selling, and how to do it without offendingVoice confidence: How to find and get comfortable with your own voice in written content and videosHow can you connect improv with everyday business life?About Kimberly:Kimberly Van Laningham is a writer, performer, and professionally funny person. She combines these skills into her work as Entertainment Writer at Screen Rant, a leading movie and TV news site established in 2003, and as a Copywriter at digital media and internet company Ziff Davis. With nearly a decade of professional experience, her work has generated high-level ROI in the business, theatre, television, and film worlds. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, Kimberly has held various entertainment industry positions. She has focused on written content since 2020.Kimberly lives and works in Chicago and enjoys performing and entertaining in her free time. Recently, she has also focused on comedy writing and improv. She is about to graduate from the Second City’s Conservatory program, which trains performers to create sketch comedy through improvisational techniques. Follow Kimberly or connect with her on LinkedIn.About our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.

In this episode, we take a closer look at sales and marketing alignment, an essential factor in making any social selling program successful.  Together with our guest speaker, Josh Sweeney, we discuss these questions:Should Sales and Marketing be one department or two? And why?Goal alignment: how to make sure Sales and Marketing really work together in the same direction? How do you balance the long-term goals (brand-building and market-presence, marketing agenda) vs. filling the quota this quarter (sales agenda)Leads: Quality of leads, how to make sure what marketing hands over to sales is actually sales-ready; from a marketing perspective: how to make sure the leads produced and handed over to sales are valued and followed-up uponTechnology stack: What are the tools that should be used in commonWhat can established companies learn from businesses that are just scaling up, having a chance to design their processes from scratch?Listen in!About Josh:Josh Sweeney is a seasoned entrepreneur whose mission is to help founders go from founder revenue to scalable revenue. He is also the founder of software consulting firm Atcore, which was acquired in 2016 by a leading partner in the CRM industry.Having experienced the impact of various sales and marketing challenges over his career, Josh has channeled his passion for sales and marketing into the creation of educational content. He has recorded over 100 content pieces about B2B sales and marketing.Josh lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Follow Josh or connect with him on:LinkedIn or InstagramTo learn more about his company, FounderScale, visit their websiteAbout our sponsor ReadyForSocial:ReadyForSocial is a leading social selling company and sponsor of this podcast. Since 2014, ReadyForSocial has supported large companies in the DACH region, Europe, and the USA by introducing, managing, and expanding their social selling programs.Learn more about their solution and services here.Lisa and Monika both work for ReadyForSocial. Feel free to contact them about this podcast or about ReadyForSocial's services: Lisa Davidson and Monika Ruzicka.