78% of businesses that use social selling outperform those that don’t (LinkedIn). But that kind of impact only happens when social selling becomes part of the everyday sales mindset.
That’s exactly what Panasonic TOUGHBOOK set out to do with their social selling pilot. And the results speak for themselves.
I’m Alexandra Edwards, Customer Success Director at Tribal Impact, and I recently caught up with Birgit Raes, Sales Enablement Specialist at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, on our LinkedIn Live. The conversation explored the thinking behind the pilot, how they set it up for success, and what others can learn from their experience.
You can catch up with the podcast below or read on for our key insights.
How Ikigai helped shape the social selling strategy
I found Birgit’s session at our Social Business Exchange one of the most memorable of the day. She introduced the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which encourages people to find purpose by exploring the overlap between what they love, what they’re good at, what the world needs and what they can be paid for.
Birgit Raes, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, recently presented how they use the concept of Ikigai to shape their employee-led social selling strategy by aligning purpose with expertise.
“It wasn't just posting online and gaining visibility anywhere. We really had a clear goal in mind. And the concept of Ikigai helps you find your purpose.”
The team applied this thinking to every stage of the pilot. Each of the five participants selected five key accounts and created content designed to genuinely interest those specific people, rather than chasing likes or visibility for the sake of it.
To explain the approach, Birgit shared a light-hearted analogy which I thought was a perfect example of how intent matters more than impressions. Imagine having a crush on someone and posting a photo online that you know will catch their attention. That photo might get hundreds of likes, but if the person you care about doesn’t engage, it has missed the point.
“You have a lot of reach then, and by usual metrics, that's a good post. But the purpose you had in mind, to attract the attention of that one specific person, has missed its mark totally. Now imagine that same post has two likes, and one of those likes is your crush. Then for you, that was a successful post. And that's also the game that we played.”
It wasn’t about appealing to the masses. It was about connecting with the right people inside the right accounts.
Why starting with the right people made the difference
Rather than asking everyone to take part, Birgit selected five salespeople from across Europe who were already active on LinkedIn. That decision helped avoid one of the most common blockers to adoption, getting people past the fear of posting.
“We didn't start with people who weren't regularly posting, who didn't have a big network. We started with a very select few people that we didn't need to push over that initial threshold... Once you're over that threshold, it's easy. Then it's just fine-tuning.”
Each salesperson identified five key accounts to pursue. That clear and simple framework gave the program focus and made results easier to track.
Measuring what matters
The pilot delivered exactly what it set out to achieve. From the 25 accounts targeted during the pilot, the team secured conversations with 22 hot leads.
“It's been a while since I've seen a campaign generate 22 hot leads, 22 people ready to talk, knowing who they're speaking to, knowing what they want to know, ready to go into these conversations.”
Birgit also noted that having multiple contacts within the same account often signals internal momentum.
“It might be a sign that internally the customer that we are targeting is already talking about us.”
This aligns with Gartner research, which shows B2B buying groups typically include six to ten stakeholders. Building relationships across those groups is now essential.
Use what you already have
One of my biggest takeaways from our conversation was that the pilot didn’t rely on complicated tools or extra platforms. LinkedIn, Sales Navigator and the team’s existing networks were more than enough.
“There will be a lot of temptation to go and buy new things for your tech stack... but my advice is for a pilot project like this, you really don't need that. You have the most valuable thing and that is your salespeople's network.”
It’s a good reminder that effective social selling is built on consistency, not complexity. LinkedIn reports that social selling leaders create 45% more opportunities simply by using the platform well.
From pilot to wider interest
Although the formal pilot has ended, its impact continues. Birgit shared with me how other teams are now asking how they can get involved. Interest in Panasonic TOUGHBOOK’S brand ambassador program has grown. While the pace looks different, the momentum hasn’t stopped.
“People have booked really interesting conversations, and it's hard to look away from that once you've experienced it.”
And interest is spreading across the business.
“Internally, people say, how can I raise my hand and be a part of something like that?”
Birgit’s advice for starting your own pilot
Birgit shared two takeaways for anyone looking to launch a social selling program.
“First of all is trust the experts. Find someone you trust, partner up with them, be curious, learn. We partnered up with Tribal Impact. It's been a great help to structure everything and also to have the results after the project had ended.”
Her second point was just as important.
“You have more than you think. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you're already there for 90% of the part. You just have to show up... The most valuable thing is your salespeople's network.”
She also had a word of advice on posting habits.
“Don't feel the need to post every day... Hold off until you have a quality piece of content, write your story with it, and that's what you need.”
Making it part of the everyday
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK’s pilot worked because it focused on the people doing the selling. It gave them the time, tools, and direction to build meaningful relationships with the right accounts. Once the conversations started happening, the value became impossible to ignore.
And once the results start coming in, it’s hard to imagine going back.
Where to next?
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Or talk to us about how we can help you build a scalable program tailored to where you’re employees are today on their social media journey.
