Can LinkedIn really influence 50% of your company’s pipeline? The short answer: yes. My guest, Alina Vandenberghe, co-founder of Chili Piper, joins me to share exactly how she made it happen. You’ll hear how she leveraged LinkedIn to drive more deals—without needing a massive following or traditional influencer status.

Meet Alina Vandeberghe

· Alina Vandenberghe shares how her personal LinkedIn efforts drive an astonishing 50% of Chili Piper’s open pipeline.

· She busts the myth that only people with massive followings can have impact—her 42,000 followers create over 6 million impressions thanks to targeted, authentic engagement.

Influence vs. Influencer: Changing the Narrative

· We discuss the difference between “influencing” and being an “influencer.” She shows how you don’t need to be a celebrity or content-creator archetype to influence potential customers and pipeline—focus instead on genuinely impacting your audience.

Overcoming Hesitation: From Fear to Purposeful Posting

· Alina opens up about her initial fears of posting online, shaped by a quiet childhood and introverted tendencies.

· The turning point came during the Ukraine crisis, when her desire to help others outweighed her fear of attention, reframing the idea of influence as a force for good.

The Core of Content: Authenticity and Helpfulness

· The secret to Alina’s successful posts? She removes the pressure to generate leads, focusing instead on providing value and helping her audience.

· Alina emphasizes starting with the right intention—if your “why” is to help, your content will naturally resonate.

Inspiration for Any Industry

· Even in “boring” industries, Alina encourages sales reps to post what they learn daily, insights from customer conversations, or improvements in their sales craft.

· As you gain confidence, share customer stories and industry trends relevant to your audience.

Posting Frequency and Building the Authenticity Muscle

· Alina posts two to three times a week, ensuring she’s inspired and has time for real engagement.

· She stresses that authenticity is a muscle built both online and in everyday interactions—accepting quirks and being real, with yourself and others.

"It's not the number of followers that counts, is the right kind of follower." - Alina Vandeberghe.

Resources

· Want to reach Alina or learn more about Chili Piper? Connect with her on LinkedIn.

· B2B Social Media Guide

If you’re trying to grow inbound and don’t know how to use LinkedIn for yourself or your team, this is for you. The most straightforward quick guide on how to turn B2B social into viral, buzz‑worthy content that builds brand and generates pipeline.

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day...

Should salespeople become influencers? I’m a firm believer in this, and my guest, Michael Manzur, Founder & CEO of Flood Me Social, is back to discuss the importance of thought leadership and influencer marketing. He shares how building genuine influence and community online is the modern path to driving real results.

From Audience to Community

· You can’t just focus on your ideal audience as an influencer—you have to build a community.

· Michael explains how sales professionals can use social media platforms like LinkedIn to create meaningful conversations, provide value, and position themselves as trusted thought leaders.

· In today’s world of AI, influencer salespeople must do more than simply attract an audience—they need to create engagement that fosters stronger connections, leading to more opportunities and qualified leads.

Common Mistakes Companies Make with Influencer Campaigns

· Michael points out how many organizations jump into influencer campaigns without first aligning their business objectives with their social media and influencer marketing efforts. This often leads to confusion about goals and results.

· Companies frequently delegate influencer marketing to already overloaded social media managers, causing burnout and a lack of focus on what’s truly driving results.

· There’s often a disconnect among stakeholders, where campaigns are judged solely on surface-level metrics like impressions or comments, instead of tracking whether those efforts actually lead to sales or real business outcomes.

The Impact of AI on Influencer Marketing

· AI is beginning to disrupt influencer marketing by allowing brands to experiment with AI-generated creators, sometimes achieving results at a fraction of the traditional cost.

· Despite technological changes, Michael noted that “the best practices don’t change”—AI influencers still need effective calls to action and strong community engagement to move the needle in sales.

Steps for Sales Leaders and Executives

· Start by understanding best practices in influencer marketing and ensure every campaign is tied back to clearly defined business objectives and sales targets.

· Participate actively in the right communities, not just by broadcasting messages but by engaging—commenting on posts, sharing insights, and building thought leadership, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn.

· When running influencer campaigns, carefully select the right creators, create detailed creative briefs, outline clear calls to action, and constantly monitor for results that matter—such as actual leads or conversions, not just likes or impressions.

"The best way you can access influencer marketing and sales is just by sharing your thoughts in the community that you participate in." - Michael Manzur.

Resources

· Take a few minutes to check out the Goldman Sachs creator economy article and see for yourself how this massive shift is reshaping marketing and sales. Let this be your motivation to explore influencer campaigns, engage your communities, and make sure you’re not left behind.

· Revisit episode 644 of the podcast with Micahel and learn more about what he had to say about getting social on social media.

· Reach out to Michael on LinkedIn for insights and consulting in faith-based, wellness, or broader B2B influencer marketing

I’m so excited about this episode. I have a good friend and co-host of our new podcast joining me. We’re here to introduce Sales 101: The B2B Classroom.

It’s a podcast for sales professors on how you can help guide the next generation of sellers in our industry. Students and those already in the industry can still listen in — we share plenty of tips that can help you as well.

Growth of College Sales Programs

· BJ and I have taught sales at Brigham Young University for years. We’re starting to notice the growth of college sales programs compared to 20 years ago. BJ shares that there’s been a 50% increase in sales programs.

· What’s so great about this is that students are able to gain sales skills before entering the field. It’s also an untapped recruiting source for modern B2B organizations.

Hands-On Training in Academia

· College sales programs allow students to gain real-life skills using frameworks like Challenger, SPIN,

and MEDDIC, as well as industry tools (Salesforce, HubSpot).

· They get time to role-play, use simulations, and gain practical hands-on experience.

· For example, I shared a story about how students at BYU won sponsorship deals for their local theater.

Integration of AI in Sales Education

· I play a clip from Professor Barry on how he’s using AI tools to enhance role play, research, and call analysis while teaching his students.

· This shows how college sales programs can help students learn to use AI-powered techniques for outreach, efficiency, and analytics.

Why Listen to Sales 101: The B2B Classroom

· Besides hearing our handsome voices, you’ll learn directly from sales college professionals and industry leaders about what’s working and what’s not. You’ll also hear firsthand from students about their real experiences in the field.

· This podcast bridges thegap between academic sales programs and real-world B2B selling.

· We spotlight the latest trends in sales education, share best practices from top university programs, and reveal how savvy companies are tapping into this talent pool to build their sales teams of the future.

“We have one goal and that is to get our students jobs. We understand in order to get our students jobs, that theory doesn’t cut it alone.” - Dr. BJ Allen.

"They're not only getting the book smart. They're getting learning from industry leaders, from guest lecturers, and they're getting practice." - Donald Kelly.

Resources

Sales 101: The B2B Classroom Podcast

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3. This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the