“Jelle den Dunnen hides in the shadows and strikes ruthlessly against his competitors when they’re not looking.”
If Jelle den Dunnen was written about, that’s what the book should say. And although this is what he technically does, he’s far too humble to describe his work that way. But, I kid you not, Jelle is as sharp as they come. He’s figured out how to use aspects of social media – mainly listening – to amplify and scale his results.
Two years ago we did an interview with him where he was just coming off a banner year, achieving over 200%+ quota and being named as the # 1 Rep at his company, Bullhorn Software.
What Jelle did is still groundbreaking today, so we’re throwing it back. He expands on his thinking and dives deeper into social listening. While some may call it spying, and others would call the practice wholly unfair, smart sales professionals are using publically-available information to disrupt the market and shift the advantage in their favor.
Finding the Opportunity
Let’s provide you the backstory. In the not so distant past, Jelle became aware that one of his competitors was suffering from downtime. There were near-instant tweets being posted online that he started to see. Not one to lose opportunity, he immediately began to educate these potential clients on how his company’s services were more reliable.
And in short, he was able to convert some of these into opportunities and closed business.
This is fascinating on a few different levels.
Firstly, it demonstrates the importance of being online. If we are in sales, we’ve made a commitment to be where our buyers are. Jelle finds it essential to his success to have a pulse on his prospects, target company accounts, current clients and competitors at all times. Imagine a real time personal dashboard working solely for your advantage.
Secondly, the behavior of the modern buyer is telling; while some may still vent through snail mail, the immediate gratification is going online to post thoughts/comments/feedback. How powerful is it to have insights into this?
Lastly, educating with insights. Jelle didn’t find these upset companies and begin to pitch them. Instead he ensured that he was highlighting his company’s abilities through market trends and research. This is really powerful.
The Bottom Line
I recommend you watch the video in full and listen to Jelle’s words. His concept through to execution is remarkable. This leaves an important question: what’s stopping you as a sales professional (or leader) from implementing social into your sales process? It doesn’t replace anything but enhances what you’re already doing.
Have you used social before to influence prospects and win them over from competitors? Tweet me @AmarSheth or connect with me on LinkedIn to share.
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