Pocus hosts “Ask Me Anything” sessions with GTM experts to share best practices, frameworks, and insights on this emerging category. These AMAs are an opportunity to ask leaders any question — ranging from hiring to sales compensation to tech stack — in a low-key, casual environment.
AMAs are for members of Pocus’ 10x Go-To-Market Community. The 10x GTM community is on a mission to help sellers become experts in emerging AI tools and the latest playbooks/tactics so you can stay ahead of the curve.
Interested in joining? Apply to join the next cohort here.
Meet Sam McKenna, Founder at #samsales 👋
Sam McKenna values speed – in business and life.
"I have 39 speeding tickets on my record, so the urgent bird gets the worm,” says Sam.
Sam spent years selling at LinkedIn and has earned accolades like Top 100 Global Sales Leader 2023 and Top 50 Women in Revenue, among many others. After leaving LinkedIn, she started her company, #samsales, and within a week and a half, she already had investor and client interest.
Today, she manages an all-woman team on a mission to help GTM professionals stand out with social selling tactics. With over 100,000 followers on LinkedIn, it’s clear Sam knows what she’s talking about, so we’re excited to share her advice.
We chatted with Sam about:
- The foundation of social selling
- How to balance scale and authenticity
- Show Me You Know Me®
Prefer to watch instead of read? Catch the full conversion:
Social selling 101
Social selling is “the art of showing up on LinkedIn,” shares Sam.
“LinkedIn is basically a 24/7 networking event where you can grab information, learn about people, engage with them, and join conversations.”
Many people use LinkedIn to pitch their products or services aggressively but to be successful, you must focus on relationship building and knowledge sharing. Putting in the effort increases your credibility and helps you book more meetings.
“Social selling is key because one of the things that people are going to do is look at your profile before they ever engage with you. So it's really important to get your profile right in the beginning.”
So, how do you get started?
Laying the foundation for social selling
Sam shared five critical elements to building your social presence.
- Profile picture: Choose a photo of yourself within the last 5 years. It doesn't have to be a professional headshot but don't include your friends, family, or significant other in the photo. Turn on the visibility setting so all LinkedIn users can view your picture.
- Headline: This is a chance for you to stand out. Share more than just your title by highlighting the problems you solve.
- About section: Craft a story that represents you. Share your work expertise and who you are as a person outside of the office.
- Recommendation: Recommendations help validate your credibility and expertise. Don't overlook including them on your profile.
- Banner and link: Update your banner and links on your profile to reflect your current job.
Posting authentically
Once you’ve laid the foundation, it’s time to start posting.
Lead with authenticity and speak on topics that are important to you. If you love dogs or have a favorite charity, share that information.
And when it comes to work, speak from a place of lived experience. If you’re an SDR, post about your experience as a seller rather than advising CROs on how to build their executive strategy.
“Authenticity comes from sharing your own experiences. Even if you think you have nothing to contribute, I beg to differ. Each one of us has something to teach another person.”
Here are Sam’s top tips to improve your LinkedIn posts.
- Make it catchy: Attention spans are short, so get to the point quickly. You want readers to stop scrolling when they see your post. “Your hook is critical. Don’t bury the lede,” shares Sam. And if viewers stick around and click “read more”, you're likely to get more impressions.
- Add value: “Don’t write posts that speak in platitudes,” says Sam. Share information that is helpful and relevant to your audience.
- Ask yourself “So what?”: Everything you share on LinkedIn should have a tangible takeaway. And the same goes for outbound emails – consider how you’re providing help and getting ahead of objections before hitting send.
- Contribute to the conversation: Engage with other people’s posts. It shows you care and helps you build relationships with your network.
- Be open and vulnerable: Avoid only sharing your wins. Post about things that didn’t go as planned and what you learned. Honesty makes you more relatable and human.
“People want to know when you botched something, how you picked yourself back up, what you wish you knew as a first-time leader, or how you raised capital. It’s those stories that can inspire and teach. Get out of your comfort zone.”
Navigating the LinkedIn algorithm
Success on LinkedIn requires a mix of authenticity and rule-following.
The following factors play a major role in how your post performs.
- Dwell time: LinkedIn wants people to stay on the platform. Get people to stick around by using a carousel post, video, or other engaging format. And don’t use a link in your post because this signals to LinkedIn that you’re trying to send users away from the platform.
- Hashtags and tagging: Don’t go overboard with either. Use less than five hashtags and be mindful of tagging – keep it to one to two people. People you tag need to engage with your post within the first hour for it to get visibility.
- Reposting: The algorithm prefers reposting without comments. If you have thoughts to share, start your own post from scratch.
However, while you have to keep these things in mind, don’t forget to stay true to who you are. Sam advises sellers to make sure they’re proud of their post and “take trends with a grain of salt.”
Using Show Me You Know Me ®
Whether you’re engaging on LinkedIn, sending an email, or hosting a meeting, you must do your research first.
“Show Me You Know Me® is showing someone from the first email to the tenth renewal conversation you understand them as a person and as a client.”
Your outreach should be thoughtful and personalized. And now, with AI you can gather relevant information faster. Sam believes the real power of AI is speed to knowledge, not scale. It's not about sending thousands of spray-and-pray emails, it's about crafting informed messages to the folks that are most likely to convert.
And don't overlook connecting on a personal level. It’s not just about business interests, “buyers are human beings too, so treat them that way,” shares Sam.
Once you've secured the call, continue to show up prepared. Don’t join a meeting and ask where someone is from or why they joined their current company. Gather this information beforehand for a more impactful conversation.
Leading with creativity
With a blend of authenticity and preparation, you can build more meaningful connections and close more deals. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try things that are outside the box – like sending handwritten notes.
Sam’s closing advice? “Think about how you can do things differently and show up offline the same way you do online.”
Want more insights from GTM experts like Sam? Join our community!
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