Peers Over Beers - Community Experts Podcast

Creating connections and being trusted advisors are the key to a successful. This leads to Community Led-Growth. Sammy talks about some ways on how he thinks we should do this.

Here is how to start. Name the podcast / video on the core (industry) topic, not the company. Invite core customers on your show and talk about what these customers are smart about. It's not a company podcast, but more around the industry. Invite your core customer that you want as a customer, and talk about topics to get insights. Giving back to the community is key.

Repurpose the content on LinkedIn with snackable content. Invite folks to a local meet-up. Fill it up with customers and people you don't know yet. Find a cool location with wine, beer and cheese.

Connect with Sammy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/

What is Peers Over Beers - Community Experts Podcast?

B2B Community Strategist Chris Detzel is your host for this fun and straight shooting podcast for enterprise community leaders / managers and digital savvy professionals. With easy and natural inquisitive banter, your host will tackle hard issues facing community leaders and managers in their day-to-day struggles, and yes, sometimes over a beer. From starting new communities, digitally transforming enterprise culture, moderation, and globalization techniques are all up for discussion.

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Check out the Peers Over Beers YouTube page and don't forget to subscribe!

Chris Detzel: cool well, welcome to another peers over beers everyone, my name is Chris Daniel and I have a super special guest Sammy Gebele.

Sammy Gebele: She just yes absolutely.

Chris Detzel: that's good.

Sammy Gebele: And last name hot hot for you.

Chris Detzel: it's funny as my last name is decile and people always say beetle textural as I know, it's like pretzel but that's all.

Sammy Gebele: It is definitely it's probably tough for you in the United States.

Chris Detzel: yeah well you know kinda it can is.

Chris Detzel: Sending I really appreciate you coming on I was on one of your shows I don't know a year ago, or so and you sent me this really special.

Chris Detzel: gift, it was I forgot what you call it, but if you put.

Chris Detzel: beer in it it's not.

Sammy Gebele: Just one.

Chris Detzel: Beer Stein.

Chris Detzel: yeah it was really cool i've used it once or twice.

Chris Detzel: But anyways let's talk about you like Where are you from what are you doing like tell me more about you.

Sammy Gebele: So i'm living in Munich Germany so home of the Oktoberfest.

Sammy Gebele: yeah that you didn't have someone else from from from Munich on the piece of abuse oh.

Sammy Gebele: that's the most def definitely definitely.

Sammy Gebele: um and.

Chris Detzel: More people from Germany.

Chris Detzel: in Munich wherever from Germany, you know because of the name right ears.

Sammy Gebele: So yeah absolutely I mean I love the show just because of the name.

Sammy Gebele: I mean, and then of course you're the host but.

Sammy Gebele: that's a secondary it's awesome.

Sammy Gebele: And where I am i'm the founder and CEO of.

Sammy Gebele: A company that provides service and software to help other companies.

Sammy Gebele: Basically, when clients, but also when employees via linkedin in a way that includes building communities, so I think there's like an overlap of what you call topics are for for your show.

Chris Detzel: yeah you know we were gone to this pre show and you're talking about how you're building communities, but it's a little different than.

Chris Detzel: kind of you mentioned that it was a little bit different than you know what i'm used to kind of have my guests on and things like that, but I kind of see building community is there's different.

Chris Detzel: lots of different ways to do it right, you know there's online communities there's communities through events there's communities through.

Chris Detzel: You know, face to face stuff there's I mean it just it goes all over the place is would love to kind of get a view and understanding of how you see Community and what you're doing.

Chris Detzel: You know, with your company on communities.

Sammy Gebele: yeah definitely so.

Sammy Gebele: Maybe first what what I tend to really understand.

Sammy Gebele: What a community should do is enable the participants to to get and create value from each other, so not like one person on top usually the copy that organizes that pushes something down and other people consume that so the Community.

Sammy Gebele: that's more like a marketing or whatever channel community in my point of view is like people really getting together in some way and getting value out of each other, I don't know how do you see it Chris.

Chris Detzel: Last in different ways, I think you probably said it correctly, I do think that you know and i've been thinking about this a lot and I think.

Chris Detzel: i'll be interested to get your point of view is one is.

Chris Detzel: Community first of all, is just a place where people can get together to talk about some common thing that they're trying, you know, maybe they're solving problems or maybe they just want to talk to each other.

Chris Detzel: You know, like you know let's just look at i'm part of a running community in Dallas Fort worth Texas right, you know and so.

Chris Detzel: I have this Community it's online it's a Facebook community and we talk about all things about you know gear.

Chris Detzel: What you were how many miles you're running with a training plan and we're all talking to each other about running kind of stuff right, you know and.

Chris Detzel: it's the same thing, so when you have an organization that has a Community you know what are they what are they talking about specifically well.

Chris Detzel: You could do a lot of different ways, one of the ways is to be a product community to where.

Chris Detzel: Your your products is somewhat complex, and so they want users to talk to each other to help each other and the organization comes in, to help.

Chris Detzel: answer some of those questions that are going on, maybe you have some events specifically around that kind of stuff.

Chris Detzel: I like your version of Community to where you know people are just getting together, you know, and maybe trying to solve some problems, maybe it's an industry type kind of community, so instead of just a product focus, maybe you're focused in on.

Chris Detzel: The data landscape, you know how to how do you build a data governance program or practice or you know, whatever it is that.

Chris Detzel: And then you're talking to higher level, and things like that, so I mean it's a long way around San you know people that have common not necessary problems but common things that are there together, then you know they get together and talk about that kind of stuff mostly right so.

Chris Detzel: That that's does that answer the question.

Sammy Gebele: yeah absolutely so you edit one thing that I forgot, you have to have people with a common purpose in that Community can be wanting and, and I mean.

Sammy Gebele: it's a really good example that you mentioned for me it's triathlon for you it's like long distance running, but you have special topics, you have like you're really passionate about the topic.

Sammy Gebele: And zoo you geek out on that stuff that no one else cares, but these people really love it until you stick to it and.

Sammy Gebele: And you get value out of it, because you get advice and tips and and yeah you also get new connections out of it, I would assume.

Chris Detzel: Absolutely, I mean you know when you kind of look at kind of the landscape of community.

Chris Detzel: You know you have people that have been doing this for a long time and very much of an expert and this certain area right whether it's running or whether it's some.

Chris Detzel: Part two part of the product or some industry focus or whatever they've been doing it they're saying it you've got people that are coming in that are new that have no idea of what to do you know.

Chris Detzel: When you think of running or triathlon triathlon what kind of bike Do I need what kind of shoes Do I need what kind of socks, or you know.

Chris Detzel: What kind of hydration or you want to think of the product, how do you go deep into this do this thing that is really cool that didn't even know about you know, but then.

Chris Detzel: you're teaching others, others are learning from that and then they become the experts so we're time a year, two years, however long it takes to kind of get to that, so I think.

Chris Detzel: You know the nice thing about communities is that you have some people that are really smart about the topic, but then you have people coming in all.

Chris Detzel: At the you know there's also a little bit of you know somebody's been in in some Community for a long time, sometimes they get a little bit you know, like feel over shipments this K.

Chris Detzel: But you know they need to make sure they're welcoming and caring about those that don't know as much as they do you know because.

Chris Detzel: I think if we've been doing this for 510 years somebody just doing on their first year on something, then we've got to groom them teach them and help them, you know get that's really to me what a community is about.

Sammy Gebele: yeah yeah and, but they also get something out of it so it's not only giving you always get something out of it as well.

Sammy Gebele: yeah and so basically I I really think that.

Sammy Gebele: Having Community at the Center of what you do as a company, be it for marketing sales, but also for for hiring is something that will.

Sammy Gebele: Set you, apart from the competition because I don't see many companies, focusing on that, like really honestly focusing on that with the core value of providing value to the Community and not pushing something into the Community.

Sammy Gebele: Actually, and.

Sammy Gebele: And I can, I can tell you how I got like basically inspired by it's supposed to guests, besides, you of course that.

Sammy Gebele: That did something.

Sammy Gebele: really interesting and I thought wow that's like amazing one of them was rob Gonzales he is the CMO of specify.

Sammy Gebele: The trust based a new aren't on a 2 billion valuation so it seems that they do a lot of things really wide and what he did was a community for his top 100 potential clients CEOs of a billion and upwards revenue companies.

Sammy Gebele: And he helped them get together and.

Sammy Gebele: And I think it was for the pandemic when they started before the pandemic it when they started they bought them together, for example in New York City and they looked at production facilities, because that's what the industry is about a party and.

Sammy Gebele: And they didn't push like the specify product, but of course they created connections and they became a trusted advisor on the topics for the experts.

Sammy Gebele: And he even pushed it so far that this Community became self organizing so that those leaders started to organize themselves and create meetups and whatnot.

Sammy Gebele: So I really liked it a lot, and he said, like this is something that white so much value in this not expensive compared to other things you could do in marketing and sales.

Sammy Gebele: That are all interesting I should start to think about how we can do it.

Sammy Gebele: So that was one piece, and the second piece was.

Sammy Gebele: And a lawyer in Germany, I would say the most entrepreneurial law lawyer, I know, Nick from the COPs this is named for mcdiarmid with me that's like a top 10 law firm with a billion over billion revenue worldwide, but what he did is.

Sammy Gebele: He created his own Conference, so the Munich private equity conference or me a conference it's quite new MAC and he started like eight nine years ago first conference like 2030 participants.

Sammy Gebele: Now, yes, like 450 people attending all experts around the the topic of m&a and so private equity and all that.

Sammy Gebele: And I recently talked to some people who attended and they said it's amazing it's one of the best conferences this and he provides a lot of value by bringing the white people together and it's a mix of course it's Monica so you could almost guess it's a one day Oktoberfest time so.

Sammy Gebele: During daytime it's like a conference, from nine to four with some speakers and so and and then they go to the Oktoberfest and switch to like lederhosen and tender and drink some beer or have like one little Max.

and

Sammy Gebele: And that's really cool I said because it's a mix of you learn something to it's you know it's what I learned this it sounds so simple but it's true I think if you bring the white people together and provide some Michael.

Sammy Gebele: there's always magic that happens.

Chris Detzel: Absolutely alcohol is the magic you know just a couple of beers and you know people will talk about almost anything you know and and I I can't disagree with that and be so this is really great and I call this kind of customer Community led growth.

Chris Detzel: And what i've been thinking about, and this is timely, is so interesting that you're bringing this up is one is I would love to kind of.

Chris Detzel: know exactly when you talk about salsify and how they've had this kind of community led growth in a sense, you know, he says tons of value from that you know, are they tracking that value, are they you know what does that.

Chris Detzel: You know, when you look at numbers, or is it something that's just hard to track, but they just know it's there because.

Chris Detzel: You know they're having events, on behalf of salsify on their own, and you know which seems pretty amazing to me, and you know you've got me interested to kind of look at that the reason I say that is.

Chris Detzel: So you look at rel to and i've had this conversation over the last few weeks, with different community leaders, but you look at real to.

Chris Detzel: Today we have a Community that is just a product Community say just support Community for our product and it's done really well.

Chris Detzel: i've created you know, several programs around it, that really is helping it to succeed, and all these things, but you know and that's good to have this kind of when you.

Chris Detzel: place where people can go and talk about the product and get help and things like that that will always be very important to.

Chris Detzel: When you think of support or product or those kind of folks so that they can learn and so as the organization, we can learn from now, but.

Chris Detzel: What I like is more of the approach of and i'm thinking of moving this way and not just thinking i'm starting to try to push that way now into the organization to say hey.

Chris Detzel: You know, today we have this great community that I just mentioned and but but right now it's just a small part of the Community right, you know if we started thinking about the industry of.

Chris Detzel: Data professionals data, you know how people are doing data management data, governance, data quality data, whatever.

yeah.

Chris Detzel: And we start bringing those people in talk about their experiences on how they solve these bigger problems.

Chris Detzel: You know, eventually, you know I don't have to I don't have to talk about my experiences because i'm not a data professional, but I can interview.

Chris Detzel: Those people I can talk to those people, I can have them share, you know.

Chris Detzel: And it's people that aren't our customers per se can be, but it can be you know somebody that we don't even like you said.

Chris Detzel: Top hundred potential customers that we have let's go after them and then just get them to talk about their experiences, and you know they they don't even something that I said to somebody is.

Chris Detzel: They don't even you don't even have to talk about your company, you can just talk about as a leader in that space to talk about space again i've never do I have to bring up role to like when i'm talking to you know.

Chris Detzel: Somebody asked me to do some kind of speaking engagement I don't necessarily have to talk about relative to doesn't want me to which I think they want me to I could just talk about you know how to build a community from scratch, or how to build a successful.

Chris Detzel: webinar program or how to you know, whatever you know.

Chris Detzel: Do those things.

Chris Detzel: And it's going to be on behalf of that company that's allowed me to speak, you know to that, and they want it, because they want to be industry leaders in that space right, so I love that and that's where i'm going but.

Chris Detzel: let's be clear, though Sammy is.

Chris Detzel: You you you can't do it on your own you need the backing of some leadership and within your organization, because if you're not getting get the marketing team behind you, the PM team behind you, the.

Chris Detzel: The engine that really can push the message out to help these people that you're bringing on stage either to your events or to your webinars or to whatever it is.

Chris Detzel: it's just not going to work so there's some internal stuff that you have to do and that's what i'm working on today, so I think that's important but.

Sammy Gebele: it's really I have a smart way on how you can make the tip and a little bit more easily and but before I tell you that.

Sammy Gebele: i'm gonna let.

Sammy Gebele: Some people stick with us, before I tell you that just one other piece that that I still want to tell you, and then I piece it together and show you how we do it.

Sammy Gebele: as a whole.

Sammy Gebele: So the last piece I learned about it's from salesforce and I was an MBA student in Madrid, a couple of years ago and I had a case study about salesforce and.

Sammy Gebele: They also started inviting in the beginning, and their potential clients to events and the beginning it was like fancy dinners then one of those these people said.

Sammy Gebele: I don't want to have offenses and this just go to a bar and drink.

Sammy Gebele: And it was a blast it was much better than the general, because of course you can make someone more easily, you can connect more easily.

Sammy Gebele: And so, this was one of the main drivers of the fastballs in the beginning of salesforce and you might think is an led company, it was all online, but no, it was like this local meetups these local events yeah.

Sammy Gebele: The growth, growth.

Sammy Gebele: And so.

Sammy Gebele: What what we piece together is basically.

Sammy Gebele: Starting exactly at the point where you mentioned, right now, you start by I would strongly suggest building your own show.

Sammy Gebele: And that's, for example, also something that my company does for other companies, so you start to build your own podcast that is also recorded as a video and you invite our first of all, you name the podcast around the core topic that your clients love it's not your company podcast.

Chris Detzel: Is the topic.

Sammy Gebele: As you said, really on point, for example, one of our clients is other other chief marketing and sales offices or the other big package as clients, we have is leaders in consulting for the show so company leaders of consulting companies.

Sammy Gebele: And, and then you invite and that's pretty simple you your core customers that you would like to have as a customer on the show, and you don't talk about your product you talk about topics where they have insights so that other people have the same people can learn.

Sammy Gebele: And, of course, parts of it in the space of where you can help and parts of it absolutely in different spaces, but that's fine because you want to provide value that's at least how I see it, you want to provide value to the Community.

Sammy Gebele: And on the second advantages you build really good personal connections to the people you have on the show.

Sammy Gebele: So one little trick, you can do it's really simple as you do, two parts, for an interview you do a pre interview that you asked some questions to determine the topics of the show, and you include some questions to find out what the pain points are of your clients.

Sammy Gebele: And by doing so by mixing these two questions they don't notice that they are in the first part of a sales process yeah.

Sammy Gebele: So the answer really honestly it's amazing how understands it.

Sammy Gebele: And then you have the interview, and you reserve like 1015 minutes at the end of the show recording and pick up the pain point and say hey Chris I heard that you want to build a new Community.

Sammy Gebele: We had several be able to create posters to do so, would you be interested to learn about that if, so we can have a shortfall our core chances are pretty high if this is your core topic that you say.

Sammy Gebele: yeah it's my core topic, they have a potential way, I want to have a follow up call that list.

Sammy Gebele: And it works like I would say, also for our clients and for us 90% of the cases, you have to follow up call and then it's up to you to close.

Sammy Gebele: yeah but then you have this cool content piece of a podcast you repurpose the content into smaller pieces you put it on linkedin on.

Sammy Gebele: On the show page, so you don't mention you don't create your company page you create a page or on your own show and posting content, so that is the first step next step, you look on linkedin super simple, you can you can have a look where your customers are located physically.

Sammy Gebele: So, for example, if they were you situated, by now, Chris.

Sammy Gebele: Dallas Dallas so you just look at Dallas and say Okay, how many VP of whatever you want to go after around Dallas and you invite them to a local meetup maximum 20 people or 15.

Sammy Gebele: And you say hey if you're too late, then we have full and you usually pretty sure you can fill it up with partly your customers and partners people you don't even know yet.

Sammy Gebele: You for white how we do it here Munich, for example, we have a small daily shop that keeps open for only for us, so it's a cool location so it's not like the normal hotel stuff it's really boring, I think.

Sammy Gebele: So it's a cool location.

Sammy Gebele: He has really great cheese and great bread and in some hammonds and that's up in wine and beer, of course, and water.

Sammy Gebele: And so we started seven and.

Sammy Gebele: It officially goes on to half past eight and and never got out of the space before 12 o'clock at night.

Oh.

Chris Detzel: 11.9 do you have a speech special speaker like you know somebody I can talk for 30 minutes and then.

Chris Detzel: kind of get the conversation going, is it just Okay, you did.

Sammy Gebele: So they're almost there, so the the core focus is connecting those people so that they get value out of each other.

Sammy Gebele: yeah but we found out and they told us honestly I mean we do what they like.

Sammy Gebele: yeah so we have a first, we have a little bit of drinking eating because people are hungry after after 20 minutes, or so we start to introduce each other, everyone one minute.

Sammy Gebele: Can about themselves and asked one city question what's your favorite food your favorite beer or whatnot so that they open up a little bit.

Sammy Gebele: Then we have a five minute talk about some topic usually I pick someone from the guests, whom I know has something interesting to say.

Sammy Gebele: yeah then there's again one hour of mingling and then I pick a second guest with something interesting to say only five minutes, with some Q amp a afterwards and that's.

Chris Detzel: Okay that's good.

Sammy Gebele: yeah I mean there are probably many ways, you can do it, but there's.

Sammy Gebele: A formula that worked for us, we do.

Chris Detzel: And do you do this like once every month, or something or what do you have a local meetups.

Sammy Gebele: We asked them how often they want to do it up to now it's every second month.

Chris Detzel: Okay okay.

Chris Detzel: yeah and I have to honestly amp it up because look locations for now.

Sammy Gebele: Always so I have to do it every month, and then they can choose whether they want to try now.

Sammy Gebele: And it's really nice, because if you mix your existing clients with potential clients.

Sammy Gebele: And I never talked about us our existing clients are usually pretty happy with what we do and they talk about how we help them and whatnot so I always come out with new opportunities, without ever selling anything.

Chris Detzel: You must be rich.

Sammy Gebele: I mean this is great I love it, this is a Community lead.

Sammy Gebele: I mean, be a cooling that's good and and I must say, and maybe it's part of my nature, I didn't tell you before but i'm half North African tradition.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sammy Gebele: There will be always have the tendency to wanting to give you know.

Sammy Gebele: And that's that's fulfilling awesome I need of providing value.

Sammy Gebele: To the people that I want to help yeah.

Chris Detzel: So that's the goal at the end of the day, if you have that mindset yeah you need to kind of that killer instinct and be your you probably had a little bit of both being German and.

Sammy Gebele: Parts yeah I mean if I have opportunity I go after it don't worry about that one yeah but I mean also.

Sammy Gebele: don't always be on the cell push aside.

Sammy Gebele: that's not really necessary, I think yeah.

Chris Detzel: I agree, I agree.

Sammy Gebele: And then yeah.

Sammy Gebele: And then, once you do that, you build personal relationships and I think, even in the world we're living in right now people really crave this person meetings.

Sammy Gebele: In a in a in a like in a different space and the used to and, for example in our in like in one of the industries like the the consulting industry.

Sammy Gebele: I yesterday invited someone he said.

Sammy Gebele: All god's me that's amazing that someone is finally doing something like this there's a cool conference for lawyers as a good conference for for some industry verticals but there's nothing for us.

Sammy Gebele: And I don't know why I don't know why anyone tries to connect because there's so much potential for cooperation from for learning.

Sammy Gebele: So I really believe there's always a space, no matter where you are in for building something I want your customers.

Chris Detzel: I agree, well, this has been great I mean, thank you for sharing so much really valuable and good information.

Chris Detzel: So i'm interested now, since you brought up you know all these really cool things that you do and from your company standpoint you help.

Chris Detzel: Customers your customers build the podcasts themselves right.

Chris Detzel: What I wonder is so let me, let me throw an idea out there for you and because it's I think there's a perfect for you and.

Chris Detzel: You know I think you could either answer it so today when you look at some of these product companies like mine, for example, and i'm just gonna bring up my examples, because that's you know.

Chris Detzel: that's what I can give you, but if you look at our main website is kind of our core placed for leads to come, so you know, the goal at the end of the day is you know they do a lot of paid advertising they do a lot of.

Chris Detzel: You know, organic type stuff and content that will bring people to our website and things like that, so you know that's going to be a key focus for us over time right.

Chris Detzel: But when you look at the main website, you know we're talking about our product, you know and what it can do and we're trying to win keywords and stuff like that what we're not what we need to do better at and do more of is content around.

Chris Detzel: The space of what we've been talking about a data management data governance which data quality which we're not.

Chris Detzel: Talking about as much but and and we haven't even started, really, and so we have to get started that's where I come into play, and so what i'm thinking about is.

Chris Detzel: doing exactly the things that you're talking about which gives you some good tips, and I was wondering about this, you actually answered it.

Chris Detzel: Because i've been thinking about it for a couple days or a couple weeks is empty start your own linkedin group, you know, and you start kind of your own show and things like that.

Chris Detzel: But let me, let me get so that's one so as you can think about it.

Chris Detzel: But too is.

Chris Detzel: I need that content that's being created and push and it could be a separate.

Chris Detzel: Sub domain or website that we call it something else, but all that great seo and stuff like that is moving to the main website right, you know so that.

Chris Detzel: Whether customers are it doesn't matter to me it doesn't matter.

Chris Detzel: People know that real because it's going to be like peers over beers real to.com or something like that right that's going to be the websites whatever it's called.

Chris Detzel: But it's going to be attached that mean website, you can look completely different branded wise, because you know what I mean and then.

Chris Detzel: You push a podcast on that website you push you know blogs on my website you push you know YouTube type videos click here content kind of stuff or maybe it's.

Chris Detzel: You know, and then you know lots of written stuff and then maybe even.

Chris Detzel: bring people to a Community at some point to say you know here's a link directly to the Community login you know that kind of stuff that's the way.

Chris Detzel: i'm kind of thinking about it any thoughts and does the set makes sense and is that what you kind of help sort of people do or am I way off.

Sammy Gebele: No, no, you hit it right.

Sammy Gebele: And there's even more that you can do so, we call our product not podcast but social content and leads because it's social content that I think it's the future.

Sammy Gebele: I don't know if you heard the term dark funnel before.

Chris Detzel: What is it called.

Sammy Gebele: dark funnel.

Sammy Gebele: funnel yeah.

Sammy Gebele: Okay, so I can quickly explain what that is so you're absolutely right about everything you said, and you should do exactly that, because with a podcast or video show you record, you can get the transcript you can read blog posts and whatnot so.

Chris Detzel: It didn't.

Sammy Gebele: yeah.

Sammy Gebele: We have a.

Sammy Gebele: really great so do that put that on the page exactly I said everything perfect also creating Community page I want that perfect, but I think a lot of stuff where the your clients probably informing themselves is happening on linkedin.

Sammy Gebele: yeah yeah and if you manage to create content that is relevant for those people, and you push that content of course for the company page but that's usually never working really well but.

Sammy Gebele: Help your employees select the content they like and and create like a little bit of themselves with the content that that your your your podcast created, then you get a huge REACH.

Sammy Gebele: And because you your your podcast or your show is around topics that are interesting for your target client so it's not only about your product.

Sammy Gebele: So it should be something that people are interested this, especially as you interviewed your target clients and asked him about tips.

Sammy Gebele: yeah so it's content from your target clients, for your target client and it usually works and so dark funnel means.

Sammy Gebele: it's something you cannot track people will see your content and, but there is no attribution software that can tell you yeah this person.

Sammy Gebele: saw like your your podcast so three posts on linkedin then went on your webpage later on, so another post then subscribe to something or wanted to have.

Sammy Gebele: Also, a Google ad and the Google ad was the last touch and then you attribute offices are yeah Google works, but it's not good that works yeah.

Sammy Gebele: All those steps before.

Chris Detzel: yeah.

Sammy Gebele: And so that's why you call it dark funnel because you cannot really measured with attribution software, you would have to ask you elites.

Sammy Gebele: An open question and asked about how did you hear about us, and then you have to qualitatively assess where they came from.

Sammy Gebele: And I think this is a big bucket of them most companies fail right now tapping into this Community stuff and you just mentioned linkedin group that doesn't really work.

Chris Detzel: That groups accurate admin group I mean a page like create oh yeah.

Chris Detzel: yeah I agree with you like.

Sammy Gebele: Okay, I mean we do I, to be honest, I didn't know they didn't book but.

Chris Detzel: yeah we have a link real to as a linkedin group and i've created groups in the past i'm like nobody does shit on these things you know what the hell why you know it's kind of weird that it doesn't work because of linkedin you know be.

Sammy Gebele: it's linkedin it's not the person is the one that created the groups it's just not working, and this.

Chris Detzel: I agree 100% I would i'm talking about a page like peers over beers.

Chris Detzel: Exact age that.

Chris Detzel: You know, or whatever you call it, you know and then start pushing people in and posting that way.

Sammy Gebele: And you know, for your system that's now a magic trick, and I mean your system owes me a beer then i'm pretty sure.

Sammy Gebele: So you you create content.

Sammy Gebele: clips like short video clips.

Sammy Gebele: or citation pictures and you post it on your piece of abuse at, for example, and you take the person that you invite.

Chris Detzel: That, of course.

Sammy Gebele: What will usually happiness, that person likes what they said.

Chris Detzel: yep.

Sammy Gebele: And they're like and what then happens is the linkedin algorithm shows this post to the network of the person, you had on your show.

Sammy Gebele: yeah which is usually connected to your target group because you invited your target group.

Sammy Gebele: So what we do for our clients and what you could do for your surface where anyone can do that is look at all the people that interact with these posts, and then interact with them invite them to be guests like first of all, invite them as a person to have.

Sammy Gebele: On your linkedin network then invite them as a guest or whatnot the conversion rates are crazy high compared to cold outreach because people have a social connection that is through social selling in my point of view.

Sammy Gebele: And that's how you get connections to people whom you would never get a connection by cold outreach.

Chris Detzel: and love all these clips i'm going to get from this video right now.

Chris Detzel: it's just me.

Chris Detzel: This well.

Chris Detzel: You know, it is interesting because you're seeing these companies that you know aren't investing in social like linkedin you know, or even social you know we.

Chris Detzel: i've seen companies that will just give a social media person 10 hours a week and i'm like.

Chris Detzel: What the hell, you know, like.

Chris Detzel: You know, we need to go big on social you know I think companies definitely should be tapping into the social that's where that's where everybody is like you said.

Sammy Gebele: I mean, she go over your customer so it's pretty simple.

Chris Detzel: yeah I mean you know tomorrow might not be linkedin or be somewhere else but.

Chris Detzel: Could you know that's all i'm saying is is that linkedin is a huge opportunity, and if we in a company start putting dollars and and focused and on doing exactly like engaging and interacting with these people instead of pushing out your blog and pushing out your blog.

Chris Detzel: That doesn't whatever.

Sammy Gebele: Like what what is on linkedin said she it's like pushing blocks and pushing blocks and pushing blocks that's like full.

Chris Detzel: yeah.

Chris Detzel: You know, it does, who I really like.

Chris Detzel: With that company, for some reason very big community that everybody goes to when you type in something that's.

Chris Detzel: A company anyways some of these some of these companies will engage and interact with their customers, or if they're tagged into some kind of read it read it does a really good job of you know.

Chris Detzel: engaging with others, so i've seen it to where you know they're clever somebody will tag them in there and they'll say something in the comments you know they're always engaging and interacting.

Chris Detzel: With the audience and i'm like, why are more companies doing that, why do we have to be like this old school thinking it's bullshit you know, like.

Chris Detzel: let's go where our customers are email does not work, as well as it used to you know i'm not saying that email still powerful tool but it's not it's not most of that shit you know when you talk about your product just goes into the trash you know.

Sammy Gebele: yeah and, if you think long term, I mean the system, a little bit behind on that one.

Sammy Gebele: it's one of the only things that you're a little bit behind besides compared to Europe, but in Europe they're really hot guidelines about data security yeah so it's really tough.

Sammy Gebele: You walk a really thin line when you're cold email people in hook, but on linkedin you are allowed, of course, to add someone as a as a contact yeah and then you are allowed to send them messages yeah so that's that's all fine so that's one way to.

Sammy Gebele: absolve on this and I think at some point.

Sammy Gebele: I think, also the US we go a little bit more into the into this into this direction i'm still amazed to be honest, by by the amount of emails a potential lead receives from American companies.

Sammy Gebele: And that somehow still works, but I honestly I think the email is a valid tool and you should use it, but you should also try to at least try other things out and one thing you should try is.

Sammy Gebele: What we just talked about like building community and through different means it can be through social can be through your podcast it can be including meetups and the last bit that I didn't mention before, but the last bit is create your own conference, if you don't have it yet.

Sammy Gebele: Do you have, for your target group at your company.

Chris Detzel: Not not today, we used to, but after you know until it hit you know we just kind of stopped doing it.

Sammy Gebele: yeah so.

Sammy Gebele: I think I mean compared to what you have to let Let me give the example of the lawyer, because he did it successfully so now.

Sammy Gebele: He charges like 300 bucks for each attendee who's coming, and he has industry sponsors so companies that are not competitors to him and he doesn't have to pay a dime for his own conference.

Sammy Gebele: yeah and he gets all the production for free and everything and all the media and all the glory.

Sammy Gebele: And I think that is amazing, so I really wonder why companies to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to be allowed to attend a conference.

Sammy Gebele: organized by someone else if that is not really necessary, if you can build your own conference, starting with your show have seven meetups in different locations you bit personal connections.

Sammy Gebele: And then you don't start with 1000 people, maybe you start with 50 or 100 but it's like decision makers on VP or sea level that come to your Conference and.

Sammy Gebele: I honestly believe this is the quote with that you have to have.

Chris Detzel: This is a conversation Sammy I loved it when this was you know when you start thinking about.

Chris Detzel: This to me is Community led growth in a big way, and you know it's it's not your traditional in from a marketing standpoint right, you know, this is not your.

Chris Detzel: traditional kind of email stuff certainly digital is important but it's thinking differently in a digital way social way and and and while you have a lot.

Chris Detzel: Of great knowledge there and i'm so glad you came on today say this i'm gonna i'm gonna you've got me inspired because i've been thinking this way for a little bit and i've been trying to present this in front of.

Chris Detzel: Others, and people are starting to buy in you know, but not completely right and so having this conversation just helps me in a big way and I hope that it's helped some others Sammy so thanks so much for coming on piers over beers.

Sammy Gebele: was a pleasure to be on your show Chris.

Chris Detzel: What do this again because.

Chris Detzel: a wealth of information so well thanks everyone for tuning in for another peers over beers i'm Chris cattle and.

Chris Detzel: semi semi nice to have you.