Connecting Social Selling to Brand and Thought Leadership | Michelle J Raymond | 438

At any given time 95% of customers are not in a buying cycle.  With that in mind, how can we stay prepared for the "purchasing 5%"? Sales has seen huge changes in the last 20 years. To better understand what's happening, I've invited Michelle J Raymond to join me on today's podcast. Michelle is the Founder and B2B LinkedIn Strategist at The Good Trading Co., which provides LinkedIn strategies, training, and coaching for ambitious, innovative and purpose-driven business owners, consultants, and marketing teams. Her new book, The LinkedIn Branding Book, is a compilation of ways to support investment and profit through the power of LinkedIn. We start by defining "Social Selling," and how it has become the new standard. Michelle explains that social selling is about finding the right people, connecting with them, and nurturing relationships. By providing insightful and useful content in a constant flow, you stay top-of-mind, and when your audience is ready to buy, you are the first person they think about. It's important to keep creating content, you also need a strategy for that content. Michelle shares why a brand strategy helps understand your target market, define what to offer them, and finally, set yourself apart from the others in your niche. Often, people question whether developing a personal or a corporate brand is more important. Michelle explains why these two goals don't need to be at odds, and how blurring the line between the two can boost the signal of both and create a more powerful presence. Our conversation is packed full of advice for understanding and implementing social selling, experimenting with content, problem solving and helping people!  Three Key Takeaways: *  You can't be everything to everyone. Develop a brand strategy based on a deep understanding of your best target audience. *  Staying top of mind means being consistent with content. Slow, or rarely-seen, posts are a fast track to invisibility and stagnancy. *  Don't be afraid to post rough ideas! The feedback you receive from followers can give you valuable insight and perspective.