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5 Reasons to Invest in Social Selling Training

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

Social selling tactics have taken over the world of sales. In fact, 98 percent of companies say they plan to implement social selling tactics in the near future if they haven’t done so already. A large number of businesses have already made this strategic move.

Establish a daily routine on social platforms to find, educate and  authentically engage buyers. 

Virtually every sales leader and business owner would agree it’s in their best interests to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new tactics. If you lead the revenue responsibilities for your company, you need to make sure your sales teams are digitally savvy and know how to leverage social and digital platforms to communicate and educate buyers on line. Beyond the platforms, they also need to learn the modern sales plays that will help them achieve results. A tool is just not enough to be an effective modern sales profession.

Here are five reasons to invest in social selling training.

1. Spark More Conversations with Relevant Buyers

How often do salespeople talk about client needs or expectations? Some reports suggest it’s a mere 20 percent of all conversations. For most sales teams, 80 percent of conversations revolve around selling products or services.

Most sales leaders already know not every sales lead is a good one. In addition, conversations about selling that occur at the wrong point in the buyer’s decision-making process aren’t fruitful. Where sales productivity is a concern, this is a major issue.

How can social selling training help correct the issue? It teaches salespeople how to use social selling methodology and tactics effectively. In turn, this allows them to spark more conversations with the right people at the right time.

2. Stay Ahead of the Competition

World-class businesses have world-class sales teams. Those teams stay up to date with the latest digital and social communication methods, strategies, and technologies. They’re learning about new tactics to employ and which sales plays to run for the highest success rates. They also refine the way they use current techniques to maximize sales potential.

Staying ahead of the competition requires an investment in ongoing social selling training. Social selling and digital selling is constantly evolving, so previously completed training no longer represents best practice. Those companies that view sales as an going developing economic engine and invest in its optimization can stay ahead of their lazy competitive peers.

3. Use Tools Effectively

Modern social selling and digital selling techniques are powered by technology. Sales leaders and business executives alike know the importance of adopting the best tools for their sales teams. To become a leader, investments are necessary.

Sales tools are only as effective as their users’ knowledge of applying those tools to gain business outcomes. A business can adopt a new tool, but it won’t necessarily live up to expectations if the sales team isn’t taught how to apply the tool effectivity.

Technological tools continue to evolve, just as tactics do. Truly supporting a social selling strategy requires an investment not just in the tools themselves, but in social selling training to teach sales representatives how to get the most out of the technologies.

4. Increasing the ROI of Social Selling

It’s an acknowledged fact in most business circles that social selling can and will increase revenue. Almost half of all companies say they see benefits when they implement social selling. These advantages include expanding the sales team’s reach to new audiences, staying connected with buyers throughout the sales cycle, and realizing higher win rates and seller productivity.

Social selling training is the key to unlocking these advantages. When salespeople are given the training and support they need to use social selling techniques effectively, they’ll reap all of these benefits for the business. Giving them opportunities to enhance their knowledge, refine their techniques, and learn new methods for engaging audiences old and new can only pay off in the form of a rising ROI for the social selling strategy.

5. Grow Revenue Efficiently

Social selling results in higher win rates and seller productivity. Social sellers maximize their revenue growth, outpacing their non-seller competitors by more than 20 percent. What’s more, the majority of companies using social selling report positive impacts on both revenue growth and the size of the sales team.

Social selling training helps sales managers achieve this kind of growth more efficiently. With all of these advantages in mind, it’s easy to see the true value of investing in social selling training.

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The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling