I had a great time speaking with Adam Apter because he’s as real as it gets. Adam is a sales professional at Thomson Reuters serving the mid-Atlantic region.
Adam’s stance on social is something to take note of. It shows the advances that social is making for sales professionals that have adopted it. So while one side of the market still struggles with finding meaning in social, kick-starting initiatives or even plainly denying its advantages, Adam shows us that social is just sales and sales is just social.
Check out this video to see the interview.
Social Is Just Sales
Adam says it best: Social Selling is just something a modern salesperson needs to know. And why not? 15 years ago it was e-mail and years before that it was the phone. Every generation has a form or method of communication that helps shape us as a society.
Social media happens to be a newer form of communication that helps and assists buyers today find, organize and make sense of information in their buying journey.
From this perspective, social is just sales and sales is just social. All social media allows us to do is effectively communicate on a channel and medium which buyers now use.
Socially-Influenced Pipeline
When doing interviews for The Social Success Factor, one question I typically ask everyone is, “What percentage of your pipeline is influenced or derived from Social Selling?”
Adam had one of the best answers I’ve heard from a sales professional. He educates us on the fallacy of the question because social is just something that should be a part of the entire sales process.
Even if a buyer is not online, Adam makes it a point to follow his Social Selling process to ensure that he’s covering all of his bases. His sales process is in complete harmony – all communication methods are used. This is why it boggles my mind when sales gurus insist that social is something that should be done after something. Why not incorporate social into an overall sales process now?
Lastly, Adam leaves us with some sage advice:
- Remember that buyers are online for them, not us. Our job as sales professionals is to serve them with information that will help them evaluate their purchasing decision.
- Buyers don’t want to be sold anything online. They’re still researching.
- They are online to research, meet people, network and grow their careers in the process.
And lastly, Adam recommends to sales professionals on the fence about using social, start now. Even if haphazardly, start now. The best way to get knowledge is to jump in. There is so much information online to help you including free tips, tactics, resources, and much more.
The Bottom Line
Adam’s progress is remarkable because it clearly demonstrates the power of bringing social media into an overall sales process. His progress also serves as a case study to companies that are curious to whether social media works and if it should be used.
At the end of the day, social is another communication medium. That’s all. When used effectively, it can help you build pipeline and revenue. In addition to helping buyers win, isn’t that what we all want?
Do you agree with Adam’s views or do you feel that they don’t apply to you? Tweet me your thoughts @AmarSheth or connect with me on LinkedIn here.
{{cta(‘79338d64-c94e-4f08-8f90-a486cd388aaa’)}}
