Authenticity and Imperfection: The Future of Social Selling

By Christoph Schell

The past six months have been a major test of persistence across every industry. “Business as usual” has gone out the window as many have adjusted to remote and hybrid working arrangements. For those of us in sales, specifically, remote work has catalyzed a trend that has been underway for some time: social selling, the process of developing customer relationships via social media. A 2020 Harris Poll found that 51 percent of U.S. adults have reported an increase in social media usage since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, a recent LinkedIn study found that 78 percent of social sellers outperform their sales peers who are not active on social platforms.

I’ll be the first to admit: the shift towards exclusively remote sales has been quite the adjustment. As someone who has spent the majority of my career on the ground with HP customers and partners, suddenly, I’ve found myself needing to drive engagement and maintain vital relationships solely over the phone and through a screen.

What’s kept me inspired—and taught me a lot—is the innovative and authentic ways my colleagues have boldly leveraged social selling to continue delivering for HP customers and partners and driving the outcomes they need during this critical time. I wanted to share a few of the lessons they have reminded me of that I believe are crucial for the future of sales.

Show Up as Your Authentic Self

Customers demand buying experiences that are transparent, collaborative, intuitive and immediate. But above all, they want to work with partners who are authentic and have their genuine interests at heart. In fact, according to Gallup, 68 percent of B2B customers are lost not because of mistakes, but because of perceived indifference or apathy from the vendor.

Great salespeople drop the poker face and approach every interaction from a perspective of customer obsession. I was recently reminded of this when watching MC Radio, a LinkedIn video podcast series produced by HP’s Marah Edelen and Chloe Riffe. Each three-minute episode tackles a topic of the day that is both informative and personal, such as “How to Be a High-Producing and Dynamic Player” or simply “How to Show Up Digitally.”

I particularly loved Chloe’s story of being a non-traditional hire for technology sales—a college graduate with no professional experience, who candidly admitted during her interview that her comfort level around technology was a two on a scale from 1 to 10. This is the kind of candor and relatability that will be critical for the future of sales, especially as we determine what hybridized working arrangements and remote sales interactions look like.

Imperfection Isn’t the End of the World

In fact, imperfection is where most of us start.

As Marah recently said, “Some people are worried about how their office looks, their lighting and whether they have LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Premium. Honestly, none of that matters if you have a clear idea of what your brand is and the key topics that get you excited.” Showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all.

This resonates with me because I’ve held three distinct roles at HP over three years, from the President of HP Americas to the President of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, and now, HP’s Chief Commercial Officer. I didn’t have time to get caught up in perfection when it came to establishing my social sales presence. I did, however, need to refine my voice in a way that would resonate despite my changing roles and responsibilities.

For me, that through-line has been customer obsession. I’ve thought about how I could continue sharing content, resources and success stories that would provide value to our customers—and that’s what has kept me on track. My advice: find your professional passions and share them consistently.

A Personal Brand Isn’t Built in a Day

But it is built daily.

This is a lesson I’ve been reminded of by two of our great managers from HP’s Public Sector business, Kennie Fyfe and Aaron Bennis. Their passion for supplying technology to public sector and educational institutions is apparent—and that passion and expertise comes through in every interaction.

Social selling does not have to be a momentous effort. It can be as simple as Kennie’s #HPFridayFact, where he discusses topics like HP’s sustainability innovations and what they mean to him, or Aaron’s posts championing customer successes. The key here is consistency—building a personal brand can be as easy as a short post per day or even per week.

Overall, as a technology industry, we must reframe how we fundamentally think about sales. Within the past few years, one-to-one transactions have largely evaporated. Now, customers are looking closer at contractual relationships that provide value for the long-term. In our constantly shifting environment, customers are seeking a partner, not just a vendor, and we must be there for them on every channel.

The future of sales is social. In fact, it’s a future that’s already arrived.