Better Social Selling, an Interview with Jill Rowley, Adobe Marketo

Want to excel in social selling or help your sales team
succeed? If you’re not focused on social selling yet,
you should be. Here’s why:


B2B marketing has evolved to align better with how people buy
today. But now it’s time for sales to catch up.
As Jill Rowley, social selling pioneer and Chief Evangelist,
explains, “We’re long overdue for a transformation, a
modernization of the way we sell.”


Recently, I sat down with Jill, who brings years of expertise in
marketing automation and B2B sales. She shared her insights on
social selling and how to do it right.


Editor’s note: This transcript has been edited for clarity and
length.
Brian: Jill, can you tell us a bit about your
background?

Jill: Sure, Brian. I describe myself as a
sales professional trapped in a marketer’s body.
I spent 13 years in software sales, and for 10 of those years, I
was selling to marketers.


This unique experience lets me understand both sides of the
equation—sales and marketing. For the past three years, I’ve been
helping companies use social media strategically in sales,
creating programmatic, organization-wide approaches to
social selling.
The Shift to Social Selling
Brian: What inspired you to start social selling?

Jill: Honestly, it was my frustration with
traditional sales methods. Cold calling and mass emails
weren’t getting my prospects’
attention. Social media offered a way
to be where my customers were, be visible, add
value, and join the conversations they care
about. It was also an invaluable research
tool for understanding my buyers.
Outdated Sales Tactics: Why They’re Failing
Brian: Are salespeople still being pressured to
make more calls and send more emails?

Jill: Yes, and that’s a huge part of the
problem. The mandate for many sales teams is simply to “make more
calls, send more emails.” But more isn’t
better—more relevant is better.


Today, everyone has access to contact data, so prospects are
flooded with generic, impersonal messages.
Automation tools are only amplifying this with sequences that
come across as tone-deaf and absurd by the
seventh touchpoint. The result? Prospects are annoyed, not
engaged.


Key Insight: “More isn’t better. More relevant
is better.” – Jill Rowley
The Need for a Mindset Shift in Sales
Brian: Why does it seem like things are only
getting worse?

Jill: It’s because technology is
enabling bad practices. Sales leaders need to wake up to
the fact that buyers have changed dramatically.
People buy differently now—they do their own research, trust
peers, and value insights over pitches. But too many sales teams
are still using outdated methods that don’t align with this new
buyer behavior.


Takeaway: Buyers have changed. Sales
needs to evolve to match how people and companies want
to buy today.
Common Social Selling Mistakes
Brian: What mistakes do you see in social selling?

Jill: A big one is taking old-school
tactics and applying them in new-school channels. Too
many salespeople are using the “me, me, me” approach on social
media, where they talk about their product, their company, and
what they want, rather than focusing on the prospect.


I recently received a generic LinkedIn invite
from someone claiming to be a social selling expert. That’s a red
flag! If you’re not even personalizing your outreach, you’re
missing the point of social selling entirely.


Pro Tip: Always personalize your
LinkedIn invites—it’s your first impression, so make it
matter.
Empathy: The Heart of Social Selling
Brian: How does empathy play into social selling?

Jill: Empathy is critical. Social selling allows
you to see through the eyes of your customer.
LinkedIn, for example, lets you get insights into someone’s
skills, career history, and what others say about them. Use this
information to craft a thoughtful approach.


Empathy isn’t about pushing a sale—it’s about genuinely
understanding what the customer needs and how you can help them
achieve their goals. That’s how you build trust and rapport.


Takeaway: Empathy in social selling is about
understanding and respecting the customer’s
needs. It’s the foundation of trust.
Tips for Effective Social Selling
Brian: What tips would you give to those looking
to improve their social selling skills?

Jill: First, if you’re ineffective
offline, you’ll be even less effective online. Social
media amplifies both the good and the bad, so focus on adding
value, not just pushing for a quick sale.


Social selling also requires ongoing training.
Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook each have their
own cultures. Sales teams should invest in training to learn how
to use these platforms effectively and align them with their
overall sales goals.


Pro Tip: Social selling isn’t about rushing to
close; it’s about being a facilitator of the buyer’s
journey.
Real-World Success in Social Selling
Brian: Can you share any examples of companies
doing social selling well?

Jill: ON24 is a great example. They put their
sales team through a 10-week training program with Sales
For Life, culminating in a certification that requires
reps to use social media to source new opportunities. This
structured approach ensures that the team is aligned and ready to
succeed with social selling.
The Future of Sales and Social Selling
Brian: What excites you about the future of sales
and social selling?

Jill: I’m excited about the balance
between technology and human connection. AI and other
tools can take over administrative tasks, freeing up sales reps
to focus on empathy, research, and
relationship-building. But remember, technology can’t
replace human interaction—it’s there to support it.


Key Insight: The future of sales is a balance
between technology and the human touch. Use
tools to enhance empathy, not replace it.
Final Thoughts on Social Selling

Jill: In social selling, trust is your
greatest asset. To build trust, focus on the buyer, not
yourself. Mutual benefit matters. As a mentor once told me, “To
be interesting, be interested in something other than yourself.”


Takeaway: To be a successful social seller,
show you care, share valuable knowledge, and
focus on the customer’s needs.
Connect with Jill

The best way to connect with Jill is on Twitter
at @Jill_Rowley or via LinkedIn. (Remember to
personalize your invite!)
Further Reading

Sales-Marketing Alignment: 8 Tactics for Social Selling
Success

Lead Generation: How Social Selling is Changing the Game