In this episode of Rep Matters, hosts Zoya Segelbacher and Caroline Jones welcome Jarrett Thomas from OTB Digital. They dive deep into the essence of effective sales and marketing strategies in today’s digital landscape. Jarrett shares his journey from starting in traditional sales roles to leveraging digital platforms like LinkedIn for building meaningful business relationships.
The conversation highlights the importance of authenticity and personal branding in the digital age. Jarrett emphasizes the role of genuine connections, not just transactions, in achieving sales success. He offers actionable insights on how sales professionals can enhance their online presence and engage with their audience more effectively.
Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on transforming sales approaches to meet modern demands. Jarrett’s experiences and tips provide a roadmap for sales and marketing professionals aiming to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to elevate their sales game through authenticity and innovative strategies.
Featured Guest
Name: Jarrett Thomas
What he does: Owner & CRO
Company: OTB Digital
Noteworthy: Jarrett Thomas is renowned for revolutionizing digital marketing and sales with his innovative approach to genuine relationship-building and impactful sales strategies. His notable success on LinkedIn and as a voice for diversity, alongside his personal ventures like the More Than a Title podcast, showcases his diverse talents and commitment to authenticity.
Key Insights
Authenticity in Sales: Beyond the Metrics
Jarrett Thomas emphasizes the importance of being genuine and building relationships over obsessing with metrics on LinkedIn. He shares his journey from being preoccupied with numbers to focusing on impactful connections, illustrating how authenticity led to significant deals without traditional cold calling or emailing. Thomas’s approach underscores the value of personal brand and content authenticity in engaging potential clients and creating lasting professional relationships.
Leveraging Personal Stories for Professional Growth
Jarrett discusses the power of sharing personal stories and experiences to foster professional growth and community engagement. Highlighting one of his best-performing posts about a personal decision, he encourages professionals to embrace their individuality and experiences. This insight points to the potential of storytelling in resonating with others, breaking down barriers, and fostering a supportive community that values authenticity and shared experiences.
Creative and Diverse Approaches to Sales and Content
Jarrett advises on the necessity of creativity and diversity in sales strategies and content creation on platforms like LinkedIn. He critiques the conventional, often rigid strategies that dominate professional networking sites and shares his success in adopting unique, relatable methods to engage his audience. This insight showcases the effectiveness of personalized and creative approaches in standing out among competitors and building meaningful connections.
Episode Highlights
The Power of Personal Branding on LinkedIn
Jarrett Thomas shares his journey from transitioning out of traditional jobs into sales, leveraging LinkedIn to avoid cold calls and emails. By authentically engaging on the platform and focusing on building genuine relationships, Jarrett significantly grew his LinkedIn following. He emphasizes the importance of personal branding and authentic content creation, highlighting his recognition as a LinkedIn Black Voice and his advocacy for the “More Than a Title” mantra.
“Implementing this strategy on LinkedIn has resulted in over 5,000,000 impressions and the successful closure of over $2,000,000 in deals accomplished without resorting to a single cold call or email.”
Sales Success Through Patience and Consistency
Jarrett discusses the critical role of patience in his career, particularly when transitioning his approach to lead generation through LinkedIn during his time at iPullRank. He stresses the significance of waiting for results from non-traditional sales efforts, such as content creation on LinkedIn, which eventually led to closing a major deal that significantly benefited the company during the onset of the pandemic.
“Three months in, we actually closed our biggest deal for over $400,000… Had we not had that deal, I don’t know if we would have been able to survive.”
Prioritizing Impact and Community Engagement Over Metrics
Jarrett reflects on the concept of “impact over metrics,” emphasizing the importance of making a genuine impact on individuals and communities over focusing solely on analytics. He shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how impactful connections can lead to significant opportunities and transformations, both professionally and personally. This philosophy guides his approach to content creation and community engagement, showcasing the power of authenticity and purpose-driven actions.
“If I’m shifting your mindset, how do I put an ROI on that if I can change this person’s life?”
Utilizing Sales Expertise for Successful Podcasting
Jarrett advises sales professionals to consider starting their own podcasts, highlighting the parallels between sales and podcasting. He underscores the value of controlling conversations, establishing memorable connections, and preemptively building relationships through content creation. Jarrett’s own podcast, “More Than a Title,” serves as a testament to leveraging sales skills for podcasting success, fostering meaningful discussions and showcasing his guests’ multifaceted personalities.
“The best salespeople are going to be the best podcasters two to three years from now […] It’s going to be those relationships.”
