Today’s guest is Jill Rowley, GTM Advisor & LP at Stage 2 Capital. Jill joins Ethan Beute to share how she began leveraging social networks not for direct selling, but to nurture relationships and connections that eventually lead to sales conversations.
Jill was a pioneering evangelist in organizations like Salesforce, Eloqua, and Marketo and offers advice in this conversation on creating value and mutual benefit in every interaction – with individuals and within your broader ecosystem. She shares the story of being recruited for an evangelist role and reveals a mistake she made in the process.
Takeaways:
- The most important role of an evangelist is to ignite, inspire, influence, and enlighten those around them. In essence, evangelists act as potent catalysts, driving transformative change, building trust with people, and introducing solutions they believe in.
- The nature of human-to-human experiences defies easy quantification. While certain tools assist in attempts to measure interactions, reliance on these instruments has become excessive. Success in fostering human relationships most often eludes measurement. With advances in technology, the challenge of quantification is bound to intensify.
- LinkedIn is obviously more than a mere online resume, but that wasn’t always so obvious. Jill recognized its networking power early on and adopted it as a tool alongside others she was using in a sales capacity. Her success set her up as a social selling evangelist before most people were using that language.
- Sales success does not hinge on the product itself, but on how effectively you contribute to your client's success. By prioritizing the success and satisfaction of your clients, you’re assuring a longer relationship and sustainable growth.
- Shift your mindset from selling a product to actively solving a problem for your customers. This transformation is the key to building lasting relationships and long-term success. As time progresses, the true value lies in your network—your net worth is tied to the strength and depth of your connections.
Quote of the Show:
- “We’ve gone too far measuring the things that are easily measured and not remembering that it’s about humans, trust, and relationships, which are a lot harder to measure.”
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Ethan Beute
Ethan Beute is the Chief Evangelist at Follow Up Boss, former Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, host of The Customer Experience Podcast, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Human-Centered Communication and Rehumanize Your Business.
What is Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute?
Welcome to Chief Evangelist, the podcast that unravels the unique and potent role of Chief Evangelists and the influential movement they lead. Hosted by Ethan Beute, each episode delves into the world of evangelism work, exploring its intricacies and shedding light on what success truly means in this space. From understanding why focusing on a problem is more impactful than a product, to the overlap and divergence with thought leadership, community building, category design, and traditional sales and marketing – this podcast is your go-to resource for insights into innovation and the demand for evangelism. Whether you're aspiring to be a Chief Evangelist or seeking to comprehend its significance, join Ethan for captivating conversations with evangelists across diverse companies, verticals, and industries.