204: The Secret to Social Selling That Actually Works | Timothy Hughes

Winning sales teams in today’s world aren’t dialing for dollars—they’re building human connections and turning conversations into qualified meetings. In this high-impact episode, Damon welcomes the brilliant Timothy Hughes, CEO of DLA Ignite and pioneering author of "Social Selling," to unpack why the world’s best sellers are ditching pitches and transforming LinkedIn from a noisy sales channel into a powerhouse pipeline engine. Tim reveals how he’s helped sales development teams consistently book a meeting a day (no cold calls or spam required!), and coaches Damon—and our audience—on shifting mindsets, updating profiles the right way, and writing content that actually drives business. Whether you’re an SDR, team leader, or curious executive, this episode will change how you think about digital selling forever. 

From practical frameworks and benchmarked results to common pitfalls and the next frontiers of AI in sales, Tim and Damon deliver a masterclass that’s part strategy, part mindset shift, and all action. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• Why your LinkedIn summary title is the most powerful piece of personal branding you’ll ever write—and how to make it your “why,” not your resume. 
• The three pillars of modern social selling: profile, network, and content—and how to optimize each one for real influence (not noise). 
• How to turn likes and comments into real prospecting conversations, not just vanity metrics. 
• What separates top-performing SDRs (one is booking 25 meetings/week!) from the noise—and how they use humor, gratitude, and curiosity to win. 
• Why “connect and pitch” is dead and starting real conversations is the new sales superpower. 
• How social selling is reshaping sales culture, boosting morale, and even helping teams fall back in love with the profession. 

Timestamps: 

00:00 – Why bland LinkedIn profiles kill trust—and the power of human connection 

00:14 – Damon introduces Timothy: Author, CEO, pioneer of social selling 

01:07 – Social selling results: 1 meeting per day without cold calls or spam 

02:13 – “LinkedIn isn’t a sales channel—it’s about conversations, not pitches” 

03:11 – Tim’s shift from traditional sales to leading the social selling movement 

04:15 – Tim’s books: the first-ever guide to social selling, and its evolution 

06:01 – The “three things” every seller must get right on LinkedIn 

09:20 – The summary title mistake LinkedIn trainers make (and what to do instead) 

11:39 – Should you put vanity metrics (like subscribers/sales) in your profile? 

12:47 – How a profile update leads to inbound leads (and surprises your network) 

14:39 – Building the right network: why personalization trumps automation 

16:13 – Connection rates, benchmarks, and optimizing outreach 

18:39 – Creating a wide, multi-threaded influence inside target accounts 

18:40 – Content that connects: why personal updates outperform corporate “brochureware” 

21:00 – Human content as prospecting: turning engagement into next steps 

24:44 – How to convert likes and comments into real sales conversations 

26:02 – Habits of SDRs booking 25 meetings/week—the role of humor and connection 

28:25 – The power of simply saying “thank you” after a new connection 

29:24 – Should you ditch cold calling and spammy emails altogether? 

30:26 – Why leaders must model and drive social selling for real change 

32:32 – How social selling helps teams fall back in love with sales 

34:59 – Overview: How Tim’s courses and coaching create true behavior change 

38:46 – The 70/20/10 learning framework and making training truly...