Time for that Social Selling Competitive Advantage?

I hate running, or put it another way I used to hate running.

I never was a runner, cycling was where it was at, better on the knees, you went faster, traveled further. There was the bonding when we stopping at Cafes.This all changed in October 2017. We were out with some friends of my partner. They told us about this app called “Couch to 5K”. It helps you build up to 5K. Julie (My partner) said, why don’t we do it? So I said “yes” expecting it all to be forgotten in the morning,We live right by Bushy Park in London, which if you didn’t know is one of the many parks owned by the people, in London. Well the Queen thinks she owns them, but we do really. You may have heard of Hyde Park, Regents Park or Richmond Park, they are great open spaces and a great resource for anybody. Anyway, enough of the tourist pitch back to my running journey.Next morning, Julie tells me she has downloaded the app, had I? And we are off to Bushy Park to start the “Couch to 5K”. This wasn’t going to plan.Anyway we did it for about 3 weeks, where I had thought about deliberately getting an injury. The pain of a broken ankle didn’t appeal, but it was tempting. Then nature stepped in, with both got Australian Flu. Check this articleThis was amazing, here was I ill in bed with severe flu symptoms, but it got me out of running. The two of us where out for 3 months. Phew. Again I hoped it would be forgotten about.To cut a long story short, we started the app again, and started running 5Ks on a regular basis. I’ve just got back from running 7K at a personal best time.I apologise if you think this bragging, it’s been a massive journey for me. If feel better for it and it also helps me as a CEO to think. And we all need thinking time in business today.

Anyway what has this got to do with Social Selling?

It’s amazing watching companies being activated by Social Selling and of course we have NDAs with all of them as they see these programs as their competitive advantage.We have one client who are about to press a button on a competitive strategy we have built with them, that the cold calling competition will never know what has hit them. But there again, will they ever know, they will just have bad quarter after bad quarter and flog their SDR harder, spend more on advertising, send more spray and pray emails. The arms flaying like somebody drowning. None of that will work as we know, none of that works anymore.

What has this got to do with running?

I started running in October 2017, but I started. When compared to marathon runners or even ultra runners it’s nothing. But it’s something.If you started now (let’s assume you don’t run) how long would it take to catch me up? 3 months, maybe 6 months, of course I may still be running 7K, but I could be 3 or 6 months ahead of you still. Maybe in 3 months I will be running half marathons?That’s happening with our clients, you will never catch them. This leaves you with two choices; Do nothing, cross your fingers your competition are not our clients. But when you miss the next quarter number, think of this blog.Or maybe, let’s take a gamble and assume your competition is not our client and you decide to start your journey of your own? Worth thinking about!As the Chinese proverb states “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today”.You will find me running in Bushy Park, or contact me on my LinkedIn profileRelated: Why Your Social Selling Tactics Went out with the Ark