It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to reflection and self-analysis, especially when the makings of a tryptophan-fueled reverie begin to develop. Inevitably, I contemplate the impact of Social Selling, which continues to captivate our industry.
The most productive and forward-thinking sales and marketing professionals will utilize social media to connect and capture more business than ever previously imagined. For a myriad of reasons, I am profoundly thankful for Social Selling. And here’s why:
No gatekeepers
Social media allows instant and direct access to decision makers without having to navigate a sentry skilled in the fine art of obstruction. For anyone who has ever spent more cumulative time meeting, and speaking with, an executive assistant rather than with an actual C-level exec, this is unprecedented.
Everyone is an influencer
Our goal as sales and marketing professionals is to influence buyer behavior by simultaneously creating value and building an integrity based-relationship. Your online actions should mirror this purpose. Vanity metrics notwithstanding, it can be argued that everyone is an influencer, based upon the impact of his/her words – in a blog, or a tweet, or a LinkedIn post.
Return of the pen (or keyboard)
Every sales and marketing pro is familiar with the phrase, “content is king.” Well, the written word rules, and Social Selling has empowered the erstwhile Ernest Hemmingway in each of us to blog. Bottom line: the easiest route for sales and marketing professionals to establish themselves as industry thought leaders is through blogging. Write every day to monetize your blog posts.
Information asymmetry is dead
Antiquated and outdated sales transactions where one party (usually the salesperson) has more or better information than the other (i.e., the buyer) are gone forever. Today’s buyer is better informed and better educated about your product or solution before s/he contacts you, the sales professional. Statistics show that the buyer’s journey can be as much as 90 percent completed before s/he ever thinks about interacting with a sales person. Social Selling has transformed the perception of the modern sales professional. Honor is being restored.
ROI
The ROI of Social Selling is proven, and it’s 5X. Enough said.
Training
Sales and marketing professionals who are drawn to Social Selling on any level already understand the “why” – the cold call, email, voicemail, rinse and repeat process just isn’t working any longer. A proper Social Selling training curriculum also encompasses the “how” and the “when.” It’s a measurable, reproducible, prescriptive process and accompanying routine with adoption rates in excess of 90 percent. Not a seminar, not a workshop. Real training.
IRL
Savvy sales and marketing pros will listen for cues and trigger events to move online conversations, offline. But the real magic happens with a face-to-face meeting in a relationship forged through social. IRL or “in real life” interactions are a powerful byproduct of Social Selling. And it’s the reason why I’m a Principal and the Chief Sales Officer at Sales for Life – a Social Selling accomplishment certainly worthy of thanks.
How has Social Selling filled your quota cornucopia? Do you still have questions about the efficacy of training for your team? Contact me directly using the button below and we’ll chat.
