S1 | 14: Using LinkedIn for career and company success with Brynne Tillman

LinkedIn is increasingly becoming a critical tool for sales and business. Add in AI, and now it’s taking it to a whole different level. Companies that promote and support employee engagement and usage, especially thriving sales organizations that leverage social selling strategies, are reaping strong rewards. Where is it headed and how should employees and companies leverage it to build strong brands and uncover new business opportunities? In this latest episode, Brand the Change is thrilled to have LinkedIn Whisperer Brynne Tillman. Brynne provides a state of the state as well as some futuristic insights on integrating AI and where this powerful platform, now closing in on a billion users, is headed for employees and companies.

About Brynne Tillman

Brynne Tillman is the CEO of Social Sales Link and The Modern Banker. 

She teaches professionals how to leverage LinkedIn to start trust-based conversation without being salesy.

Brynne’s authentic approach to social selling has led her to receive a LinkedIn Top Voice in multiple categories. She is a best selling Author of the LinkedIn Sales Playbook and is most proud of the sales results she and her team have enabled their clients to achieve. 

Resources

The Innovation Economy Website: https://www.innovationeconomy.show

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Listen to our other podcast, The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström: https://www.theagilebrand.show

The Innovation Economy podcast is brought to you by Arlington Economic Development: https://www.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com

The Innovation Economy is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op.

Synopsis

In this episode, Brynne Tillman emphasizes the significance of mapping out one’s social proximity and connecting with the desired individuals on LinkedIn. This strategy is particularly relevant for sales professionals as it helps them identify and engage with decision makers in their target prospects.

Brynne suggests starting with the first-degree filter, which involves reaching out to individuals one already knows but may have been ignoring. This can include colleagues, clients, friends, or even family members who may have connections to potential prospects. An example is shared of a client who closed a significant sale because he discovered that his CFO was connected to a decision maker who happened to be his brother-in-law.

Additionally, Brynne mentions the second-degree filter, which involves identifying individuals one wants to talk to and who may be connected to their clients, strategic referral partners, or colleagues in their company. By leveraging these connections, sales professionals can expand their network and increase their chances of reaching decision makers.

The episode also highlights the value of LinkedIn in facilitating these connections and uncovering hidden opportunities. The speaker mentions the use of LinkedIn’s sales navigator license with Teamlink, which allows users to search all of their employees and who they know. This feature enabled the salesperson in the example to discover the connection between the CFO and the decision maker, leading to a successful sale.

Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of leveraging LinkedIn to map out one’s social proximity and connect with the right people for meaningful conversations and potential business opportunities.

LinkedIn offers professionals numerous ways to provide growth for themselves and their companies. According to the episode, one of the ways professionals can leverage LinkedIn is by mapping out their social proximity. This involves understanding how they are connected to the people they want to have conversations with. By identifying their existing connections and networks on LinkedIn, professionals can strategically reach out to individuals who can help them achieve their goals and drive growth for their companies.

Additionally, LinkedIn allows professionals to showcase their skill sets and expertise. By creating a strong presence on the platform, professionals can position themselves as industry leaders and attract opportunities for growth. This can be done by regularly sharing relevant content, participating in industry discussions, and engaging with other professionals on the platform.

Furthermore, LinkedIn provides a platform for professionals to build their personal brand. By optimizing their LinkedIn profiles, professionals can highlight their achievements, experiences, and skills, enhancing their professional reputation and attracting potential clients, partners, or employers. This can ultimately lead to career advancement and business growth.

Overall, LinkedIn offers professionals a powerful tool to connect, network, and showcase their expertise, contributing to both personal and professional growth.

In this episode, guest speaker Brynne Tillman discusses the power of LinkedIn in leveraging personal brands to support companies, showcase skill sets, and create value. She emphasizes that LinkedIn is a powerful platform that can significantly impact a company’s brand and the personal brand of its employees.

According to Brynne, a strong presence on LinkedIn can support a company’s brand by showcasing its expertise and thought leadership. It allows companies to clearly showcase the skill sets of their employees, attracting potential clients and business opportunities. By building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, employees can position themselves as industry experts and gain credibility within their professional networks.

Bryn also highlights the importance of content on LinkedIn. She mentions that executives and high-level salespeople often dismiss LinkedIn as just noise or compare it to Facebook. However, Brynne argues that LinkedIn is not just a social networking platform but a professional platform where valuable business connections and opportunities can be found. She encourages users to actively engage with the content on their homepage and share valuable insights to build their personal brand and establish themselves as industry leaders.

Furthermore, Brynne discusses the role of employers in leveraging LinkedIn for their brand. She mentions that employers have the right to set brand guidelines for their employees’ LinkedIn profiles and can require them to follow these guidelines when representing the company. This ensures consistency in messaging and branding across the company’s LinkedIn presence.

Overall, the episode highlights the growing influence of LinkedIn in supporting companies’ brands and showcasing the skill sets of their employees. It emphasizes the importance of actively engaging with the platform, sharing valuable content, and building a strong personal brand to create value for both individuals and organizations.

Brynne Tillman, LinkedIn Sales Trainer

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