LinkedIn Top Voices 2018: Sales

These are the 10 must-know writers and creators discussing everything from acing the cold call to closing the deal.

Every day, over 2 million posts, videos and articles course through the LinkedIn feed, generating tens of thousands of comments every hour — and tens of millions more shares and likes. So, who stood out in 2018 — and who should you be following to stay ahead?

We dug into the data to reveal our 4th annual LinkedIn Top Voices list, uncovering today's must-follow professionals in sales. To find standout voices, we use a combination of data and editorial signals. We screen for engagement among professionals sharing in their area of expertise, looking at what kind of conversations — measured by engagement, including comments and re-shares — their original content is creating. We track relative follower growth, too: Are these professionals attracting dedicated fans in their particular sector? Finally, we emphasize quality and diversity; the list should reflect the world we work in.

These members have shared about everything from battling the ‘bro’ culture in sales and taking the long-term view in business to successful voicemail techniques and the shift to social selling. They are curating what you need to know to stay ahead when it comes to establishing clients and making the sell.

Here are this year’s 10 #LinkedInTopVoices in sales.

John Barrows | CEO, JBarrows Sales Training

What he talks about: Barrows, who runs JBarrows Sales Training, shares from his personal experience to help other sales representatives improve, including topics like the mental shift he made to social selling and elevating the status of the profession to the level of respect he thinks it deserves. “My hope is that by sharing my failures and what I have learned, other representatives will be able to skip a few steps and improve faster than I did coming up,” he says.

Favorite conversation starter: Barrows sparked a lively discussion about the “bro” culture in sales, which was his most popular and engaging post. It led to a webinar with over 1,000 participants.

Where he does his best writing: “Right after I experience something that makes me think how I could have done it better,” says Barrows. “Or after trying something and having it work or not work. There isn’t a specific time of day or week. It’s whenever it’s real.”

See more by John Barrows.

Trish Bertuzzi | President & Chief Strategist, The Bridge Group

What she talks about: An award-winning sales consultant, Bertuzzi’s day job is helping technology companies build and equip their sales teams. She brings that expertise onto the platform, covering everything from sales development to women in sales.

Favorite conversation starter: An article on “PTO and the sales team” where she explained how sales organizations should handle vacation for their sales development representatives. “The thought to expect or request quota relief never even crossed my mind… I’m surprised that is actually a thing,” commented one member.

Trend she’s watching in 2019: “I am fascinated by buyer engagement,” says Bertuzzi. “How do our buyers want to be sold to and how quickly can we adapt to their needs? Love that landscape!”

See more by Trish Bertuzzi.

Tito Bohrt | Founder & CEO, AltiSales

What he talks about: “I'm a practitioner. I run teams day in and day out and we're always trying new things,” says Bohrt. “I am able to see best practices and share with my network.” His insights cover the breadth of sales development, from hiring and training the best employees to the best way to structure a sales team.

Favorite conversation starter: An article on “Eliminating hybrids part 1: SDRs should work either inbound or outbound” where he explained how to set up a team of inbound and outbound sales development representatives. “The mindset, focus and even how you structure your day and workflow are very different doing inbound versus outbound. You did a great job explaining, especially for those who have never been in that position,” said one member.

What’s not on his LinkedIn profile: “I love to travel,” he says. “I’m trying to get 50 countries visited in the next few years.”

See more by Tito Bohrt.

Morgan J. Ingram | Director of Sales Execution and Evolution, JBarrows Sales Training

What he talks about: “My content provides motivation, tactics and skills for sales development reps (SDRs), sales reps, sales leaders and entrepreneurs,” says Ingram. As a former SDR himself, Ingram shares advice from his own struggles within the role — and tips for avoiding the same pitfalls.

Favorite conversation starter: A video he posted on “The 10 Commandments of the SDR” summarizes what he’s learned from his career journey into action-oriented tips. It got sales professionals talking: “Every SDR and sales rep needs to hear this! Every leader needs to tell this,” commented one member.

On cultivating valuable insights: “My favorite conversations are the ones that everyone can learn something new from and have it create impact for their day-to-day process,” says Ingram.

See more by Morgan J. Ingram.

Chris Orlob | Senior Director, Product Marketing, Gong.io

What he talks about: Orlob uses artificial intelligence to analyze recorded and transcribed sales conversations, helping to identify what works in the selling world based on real data. This includes communication strategies for sales representatives such as “the worst cold call opening line you can use”  and up-and-coming trends in the sales industry such as “VP sales job tenure has shrunk 7 months.”

Favorite conversation starter: This year, Orlob’s favorite article was one where he explained the sobering truth about why you can’t sell to C-Suite executives. It received 512 comments and started an in-depth discussion: “Some thought it's best to ask fewer sales questions to senior executives because it's an ineffective sales technique, while others questioned that the questions themselves were ineffective,” Orlob says. “And if they were good questions, they would work.”

What’s not on his LinkedIn profile: “I’m formerly a metal drummer who had long hair and pierced ears,” he says. “Now I have two kids, a wife and work at a tech company.”

See more by Chris Orlob.

Colleen Francis | President & Owner, Engage Selling Solutions

What she talks about: A best-selling author of two sales books and a member of the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame, Francis advises on good sales strategies such as successful voicemail techniques and how to negotiate like an expert. She aims to help sales executives and organizations achieve and exceed their sales targets.

Favorite conversation starter: A video called “The dark side of pushing too hard in Q4” generated a robust discussion among vice presidents and sales performance strategists who weighed in with their own comments. “The more complicated the solution you are selling and the longer the sales cycle, the more you have to lose in the longer term by pushing too hard in the short term,” one member weighed in. 

Trend she’s watching in 2019: “B2B selling is now B2ALL,” which she describes as the revolution of the business-to-business buying process. “Customers are now the hunters and sales professionals are the hunted,” she says.

See more by Colleen Francis.

Max Altschuler | Vice President of Marketing, Outreach

What he talks about: Altschuler, whose company was acquired by Outreach, shares regularly about how to scale best practices among sales and marketing teams — learnings that he’s gleaned from building companies like Sales Hacker and traveling the world. He touches on topics such as the rationale behind selling his company in “So you saw the news...” and “The 9 most short-sighted things people do in business, and how to avoid them.”

Favorite conversation starter: His conversation on remote work generated a robust discussion with over 400 comments. “It's a topic people were surprisingly passionate about,” says Altschuler. “With technology advancing like it has been, it's easier and more efficient than ever to run a company remotely.”

When he does his best writing: “Whenever the thought pops into my head, I take out my email and write it up,” he says. “Then I email it to myself. My inbox is my checklist so I get to it later and thoughtfully turn it into a fully formed piece of content that someone can read and receive value from.”

See more by Max Altschuler.

Lori Richardson | CEO & Founder, B2B Sales Growth Strategist

What she talks about: Richardson shares tips and strategies to help women rise the ranks within sales organizations, while also equipping companies to find, hire and develop strong women leaders in sales teams. “Within a company, the sales team has the second biggest gender equity gap of all functions,” she says. “Many leaders want to change this but don't know how — which is what I am passionate about.”

Favorite conversation starter: Richardson took a lead role in the conversation happening around “bro culture” within sales, sparked originally by fellow Top Voice Barrows. She presented part of the webinar, titled “We need to talk,” which invited more professionals into the conversation. “Hundreds of thousands have interacted in this effort,” says Richardson. And it doesn’t end there: “Now it is time for more specific tips and strategies to see change happen,” she says.

Trend she’s watching in 2019: How A.I. will give enterprise sellers newer and more valuable careers. “Machines cannot sell to humans (yet)... more complex sales rely on humans with understanding, empathy, communication skills and problem-solving abilities,” she says.

See more by Lori Richardson.

Shari Levitin | Founder, Levitin Group

What she talks about: “I write about how to increase sales without losing your soul,” she says. “How to manage the tension between hitting quota and creating a heartfelt, authentic connection.”

Favorite conversation starter: In the wake of the passing of John McCain, Levitin wrote an article on the difference between “eulogy virtues” and “resume virtues,” leading to a conversation about loyalty, empathy and kindness. “Several readers noted that it changed the way they approached hiring,” Levitin says.

What’s not on her LinkedIn profile: “Three months after my husband and I got married, his ex-wife was tragically killed in an accident,” she says. “I closed my business office, moved to California and became a full-time mom to his then 8-year-old boy. That’s when I found the balance between self-deprecation and expertise, between heart and sell.”

See more by Shari Levitin.

Mark Hunter | Founder, The Sales Hunter

What he talks about: Hunter focuses on equipping sales leaders with the specific skills necessary to identify the best prospects and close more sales at full price. “Too many salespeople are going after the wrong prospects, and I am passionate about changing that dynamic,” he says.

Favorite conversation starter: Hunter points to his article, “Secrets to prospecting: What the top 1% do to prospect,” which lays out his top 10 tips for sourcing new clients. Professionals responded to the tactical advice and even weighed in with their own tips: “I would agree that we shouldn’t rely on marketing, however, partnering for success can make all the difference,” commented one member. “My #1? Have a ‘go-to-market’ strategy.”

Where he gets his best ideas: “There is a magic moment when I end a conversation and realize there was power in what was shared,” says Hunter. “A line I use is, ‘Sales is not a solo activity, sales is a team sport.’ This phrase is what drives me to share because I feel we're all one big team.”

See more by Mark Hunter.

You’ve read about the Top Voices in sales this year. Now, check out the 20 must-know Influencers and #LinkedInTopVoices in technology, philanthropy and more.

?Reporting by Annabelle Zhang. Photos provided by honorees.

All activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from mid-September 2017 to mid-September 2018, and as with all LinkedIn Lists, we excluded LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration.