Episode #12 – Viljo Mettala

LinkedIn has grown far beyond its roots as a simple resume repository. Viljo Mettala, Head of Global Sales at ABB Robotics, joins me to discuss how LinkedIn has become an indispensable “relationship accelerator” for sales professionals. Mettala’s experience, driving growth through value-based selling and digital transformation, is a testament to the platform’s power for international sales, business development, and real connections.

From transforming LinkedIn profiles from résumé-style listings to client-focused resources to building authentic relationships online, Viljo shares strategic advice every sales professional can use. Learn more about the importance of value-driven headlines, engaging content, and true authenticity in social selling, as well as actionable dos and don’ts for creating LinkedIn profiles that generate leads and foster trust.

You’ll also hear a real-world example of how Viljo’s personalized LinkedIn outreach directly contributed to landing a major sales opportunity, reinforcing the power of social platforms in today’s sales landscape.

Outline of This Episode

• [00:00 LinkedIn’s transformation from a networking platform to a relationship accelerator.
• [05:57] Crafting an impactful headline.
• [09:43] Tailored outreach strategies.
• [12:25] LinkedIn profile tips & tricks.
• [15:08] Creating value-driven content.
• [17:47] Strategic sales engagement tactics.

Building a Profile That Sells: From Resume to Resource

One of the most common missteps, according to Viljoa, is treating LinkedIn like a CV bank. Sales professionals often fill their profiles with job titles and accomplishment statistics, limiting their visibility to recruiters rather than potential clients. LinkedIn’s new potential, however, is unlocked when you transform your profile into a resource, an expert’s “micro website” tailored for the benefit of prospects.

Use it as your billboard; describe who you help, what value you bring, and how you do it. Tell a compelling story about the challenges you solve and the impact you bring, not just the numbers. It’s also helpful to share case studies, webinars, and short videos that demonstrate authenticity and expertise.

By positioning your profile as a solution hub rather than a career history, you invite inbound inquiries from clients seeking your knowledge, not just headhunters.

The Power of Consistency and Value

Posting regular LinkedIn content isn’t only about visibility; it’s about fostering trust and inbound opportunities. Viljo highlights how consistency in sharing valuable insights creates tangible business impact, especially when preparing buyers for active engagement with ABB’s solutions.

Viljo recommends that you:

• Don’t flood your feed with generic corporate reposts. Share genuine experiences, your own or curated, tailored to your audience.
• Find a rhythm: He posts twice weekly, balancing light updates and deeper insights based on audience timing and relevance.
• Move beyond posting: Engage actively by commenting, joining conversations, and responding to others. This is often as powerful as publishing your own content. When ABB’s team coordinated LinkedIn outreach ahead of a webinar series, participants arrived eager and informed, having followed the pre-event content. Social selling, done right, can turn passive viewers into prepared and active buyers.
• Personalize your messages: Research prospects and tailor outreach.

Effective outreach on LinkedIn requires thoughtful preparation, so you need to investigate prospects’ recent activity: What are they posting, commenting on, or following? Reference relevant industry news, challenges, or innovations in your first message; you want to spark a genuine conversation, not a pitch. A well-researched, authentic connection is far more likely to open doors than a generic invitation.

Balancing Personal Brand and Corporate Authenticity

Sales professionals at ABB are encouraged to embrace employee advocacy, sharing real experiences instead of simply reposting company press releases. Your personal brand should reflect your company’s values, but in your own voice. Authenticity isn’t optional; it’s critical. When your personal values align with your business’s mission, your contributions build trust and credibility for both yourself and the company.

Strategic Social Selling for Real Results

Viljo’s real-world example of leveraging LinkedIn to connect with key decision-makers on a major ABB sale shows that strategic, authentic social engagement is a true differentiator. Social platforms aren’t just for personal branding; they’re dynamic tools for sales success. Are you embracing LinkedIn with authenticity, value, and strategy to turn digital relationships into measurable business opportunities?

Connect with Viljo Mettala

• Viljo Mettala on LinkedIn

Connect With Paul Watts

• LinkedIn
• X

Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED

Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK
https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Learn More About Viljo Mettala

1. What was the pivotal moment in your career when you realized the potential of LinkedIn for driving sales success?

It clicked during a Global Customer Supplier event. The American CPO of a multibillion-dollar company approached me. We hadn’t met before and were only connected on LinkedIn. He said, “Every morning I wake up, drink my coffee, and see you on my mobile screen promoting ABB solutions. Your posts have taught me so much about your company’s offerings. Good stuff, keep pushing!”

During the pandemic, we supported a customer-focused webinar series through a coordinated social selling effort. By pushing targeted content to LinkedIn ahead of the webinars, we noticed how well-prepared the participants were. LinkedIn isn’t just a networking tool, it’s a relationship accelerator.

At ABB, our employees have a massive reach and we need to tap into it. Real impact comes from authentic voices, not polished corporate posts. When our people share meaningful stories, it builds trust and drives engagement. Employee advocacy isn’t about volume, it’s about credibility.

2. Can you share an example where LinkedIn directly contributed to a new opportunity or major deal?

Absolutely. While pursuing a large order in a specific application area, I crafted a targeted LinkedIn post. To influence key decision-makers, not just procurement, I asked our front-end sales team to identify the right people. I sent connection requests to all of them and got 12 out of 20 accepted the same day.

After connecting, I sent a thank-you message and shared the post. One person replied immediately, saying they weren’t aware of the details I had shared and asked for more information. Since I wasn’t the content expert, I connected them with the relevant ABB sales specialist and suggested continuing the conversation in their local language. This potential deal didn’t start with a pitch; it started with a post and strategic use of LinkedIn.

3. What has been your biggest challenge in using LinkedIn for sales, and how did you overcome it?

Time. Like many salespeople, I initially thought social selling would consume my day. But once I built a routine, checking who viewed my profile, commenting on relevant posts, and sharing content weekly, it became manageable. The key was integrating LinkedIn into my sales cadence, not treating it as an extra task.

4. What are your top three tips for building a LinkedIn profile that attracts and converts prospects?

• Headline that speaks to value: Skip the job title – say what you solve.
• About section that tells a story: Use the challenge-insight-solution-impact framework to show how you help.
• Featured content: Pin posts or documents that showcase your expertise – case studies, webinars, or even a short video.

5. As social selling becomes more prominent, how do you see LinkedIn’s role evolving over the next few years?

LinkedIn is becoming the new CRM front-end. With tools like Sales Navigator syncing into Salesforce, it’s not just about finding leads, it’s about tracking engagement, nurturing relationships, and forecasting the pipeline. I believe LinkedIn’s algorithm may soon understand corporate dynamics better than the companies themselves.

6. What are some simple but often overlooked steps that can make a LinkedIn profile more effective for generating sales opportunities?

• Banner image: It’s visual real estate, use it to show who you help and how.
• Recommendations: Ask clients or colleagues to write a few lines. It builds trust.
• Engagement: Meaningful comments on others’ posts often get more visibility than posting your own content. Social selling is a team sport.