Social Selling Strategy
Social Selling Strategy: A social selling strategy must be built around the value salespeople and the business can provide to build relationships via social media.
Having
a Social selling strategy as part of a digitally focused sales strategy
is a no brainer for many forward-thinking sales organizations. What
they have come to realize is that Social selling is about utilizing the data available via the social channels to aid in their overall sales strategies and selling pursuits.
a Social selling strategy as part of a digitally focused sales strategy
is a no brainer for many forward-thinking sales organizations. What
they have come to realize is that Social selling is about utilizing the data available via the social channels to aid in their overall sales strategies and selling pursuits.
The growth of
digital and how it has changed the buyers journey has created a new set
of challenges for sales leaders and their teams. As buyers switch to
online to educate, research and purchase, e-commerce facilitated sales
are set to reach nearly $4.5 trillion by 2021 (Source: Statista).
Despite this, many organizations still struggle to maximize the
potential of the digital sales channels.
digital and how it has changed the buyers journey has created a new set
of challenges for sales leaders and their teams. As buyers switch to
online to educate, research and purchase, e-commerce facilitated sales
are set to reach nearly $4.5 trillion by 2021 (Source: Statista).
Despite this, many organizations still struggle to maximize the
potential of the digital sales channels.
Social Selling Strategy
The impact of
digital and social networks on both the sales and buyers journey is
significant. Social channels are now influencing 92% of B2B buying
decisions. Also, nearly 50% of B2B customers prefer to gather
information relating to purchasing decisions without sales intervention.
digital and social networks on both the sales and buyers journey is
significant. Social channels are now influencing 92% of B2B buying
decisions. Also, nearly 50% of B2B customers prefer to gather
information relating to purchasing decisions without sales intervention.
Buyers embracing
digital and self-education places a responsibility on leaders to ensure
their sales teams are trained to be active where their prospects are –
online.
digital and self-education places a responsibility on leaders to ensure
their sales teams are trained to be active where their prospects are –
online.
Bye now most sales
leaders have accepted that the buyer-seller relationship has changed
more in the past 5 years than the past 50 years due to the influence of
social media on the buying process. Buyers have become digitally driven,
socially influenced and internet savvy. Many of the old sales tactics
are becoming redundant, meaning companies have to redraw the way they
reach and sell to their customers which includes a social selling
strategy.
leaders have accepted that the buyer-seller relationship has changed
more in the past 5 years than the past 50 years due to the influence of
social media on the buying process. Buyers have become digitally driven,
socially influenced and internet savvy. Many of the old sales tactics
are becoming redundant, meaning companies have to redraw the way they
reach and sell to their customers which includes a social selling
strategy.
Social selling is
now the major sales tactic to engage potential buyers and customers
online, but it must be strategic. A glance at LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter etc, will show you endless amounts of half-hearted articles,
content, conversations and attempts at engaging buyers by companies who
just do not get it, because social selling has a science to it and it
requires training.
now the major sales tactic to engage potential buyers and customers
online, but it must be strategic. A glance at LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter etc, will show you endless amounts of half-hearted articles,
content, conversations and attempts at engaging buyers by companies who
just do not get it, because social selling has a science to it and it
requires training.
True 1 to 1 engagement is the activity that separates social selling from other communication and sales strategies.
A successful social selling strategy involves the sales teams to learn social selling
as to skillfully engage with people who are discussing business issues
that relate to the company’s products or services. It will never be
about a one-way sales pitch – 30 minutes after connecting with someone!!
as to skillfully engage with people who are discussing business issues
that relate to the company’s products or services. It will never be
about a one-way sales pitch – 30 minutes after connecting with someone!!
Instead, sales
leaders need to take the lessons from the offline world and approach
social selling in a similar manner while acknowledging the nuances
social media demands. The age-old sales skills of listening, building
rapport, showing real interest, sharing insights and providing value
must be adapted to the online world before getting to the sales element
with a prospect.
leaders need to take the lessons from the offline world and approach
social selling in a similar manner while acknowledging the nuances
social media demands. The age-old sales skills of listening, building
rapport, showing real interest, sharing insights and providing value
must be adapted to the online world before getting to the sales element
with a prospect.
A social selling strategy must be built around the value a salesperson and company can provide to build relationships online.
Social selling strategy in focus
A good focus for a
social selling strategy would be to build “interest links” between
social media activity by the sales teams and targeted buyers, prior to
the sales event in order to maximize buyer interactions and minimize
wasted sales time.
social selling strategy would be to build “interest links” between
social media activity by the sales teams and targeted buyers, prior to
the sales event in order to maximize buyer interactions and minimize
wasted sales time.
Then at a tactical
level social selling is about sharing relevant and informative content
while engaging in one-to-one communication. A path of communication that
flows backwards and forwards between the salespeople and the buyers.
level social selling is about sharing relevant and informative content
while engaging in one-to-one communication. A path of communication that
flows backwards and forwards between the salespeople and the buyers.
The goal for any
company when it comes to social selling is to form relationships with a
clearly defined set of buyer profiles via individual salespeople. A
social selling strategy should be embedded into every aspect of the
sales process.
company when it comes to social selling is to form relationships with a
clearly defined set of buyer profiles via individual salespeople. A
social selling strategy should be embedded into every aspect of the
sales process.
Why Companies Implement a Social Selling Strategy
1. Older type sales tactics are not delivering:
Over 90% of decision makers say that they never respond to cold outreach – (Harvard Business Review).
- Customer, Buyers and most of US are now influenced by social media:
Close to 75% of B2B buyers now use social media to research vendors (IDC).
- Increased Sales Achievement:
The fact that
social sellers realize 66% greater sales achievement than those using
traditional prospecting techniques (Sales Benchmark Index).
social sellers realize 66% greater sales achievement than those using
traditional prospecting techniques (Sales Benchmark Index).
A social selling
strategy like any great sales strategy, is most successful when it
becomes part of the sales team daily sales habits. To highlight this
point, in the software company SAP, over 70% of salespeople who gained
sales leads using social selling
and social media were active on a daily basis. So, this leads to the
fact that social selling requires training and a planned approach so it
becomes a customer engagement channel leading to revenue growth. Sales
organizations who have put a formal social selling strategy in place are
now seeing sales growth in double digits from their digitally skilled
sales professionals.
strategy like any great sales strategy, is most successful when it
becomes part of the sales team daily sales habits. To highlight this
point, in the software company SAP, over 70% of salespeople who gained
sales leads using social selling
and social media were active on a daily basis. So, this leads to the
fact that social selling requires training and a planned approach so it
becomes a customer engagement channel leading to revenue growth. Sales
organizations who have put a formal social selling strategy in place are
now seeing sales growth in double digits from their digitally skilled
sales professionals.
Social selling plan
A Social Selling Strategy is a Mindset Change.
For salespeople to thrive at social selling
they have to be trained to become content experts, storytellers and
net-workers. This may start with a mindset change that requires sales
leaders to shift focus away from the constant demand for salespeople to
be pitching, towards a focus on getting the entire sales team to be able
to share great content and building relationships online. The end goal
is for the Company and their salespeople to be seen as “Thought Leaders”
with their target audience.
they have to be trained to become content experts, storytellers and
net-workers. This may start with a mindset change that requires sales
leaders to shift focus away from the constant demand for salespeople to
be pitching, towards a focus on getting the entire sales team to be able
to share great content and building relationships online. The end goal
is for the Company and their salespeople to be seen as “Thought Leaders”
with their target audience.
The 5 main steps in Social Selling:
- Salespeople establish a coordinated presence on the social networks (Goals and objectives)
- Selecting the audience to focus on (Research into Buyer Personas or Ideal Customer Profiles)
- Salespeople start the engagement process with buyers (Content, rules of engagement)
- Company and individual salesperson builds trust over time (Credibility and Connecting)
- Company measures the impact (Conversions, Mentions, References and Leads)
There is no
doubting that the relationship between seller and buyer has changed. The
buyer is self-educating, conducting their own research and heavily
influenced by what they read and see on the social networks. The change
to “Digital Selling” can either be viewed as a risk or else a fantastic
opportunity.
doubting that the relationship between seller and buyer has changed. The
buyer is self-educating, conducting their own research and heavily
influenced by what they read and see on the social networks. The change
to “Digital Selling” can either be viewed as a risk or else a fantastic
opportunity.
The future of
selling lies in sales enablement using digital tools and social networks
to engage customers. Most of us are now online, digitally connected and
use the internet to research, plan, and make purchases. B2B buyers now
travel a similar buying journey as their B2C counterparts.
selling lies in sales enablement using digital tools and social networks
to engage customers. Most of us are now online, digitally connected and
use the internet to research, plan, and make purchases. B2B buyers now
travel a similar buying journey as their B2C counterparts.
Staying ahead of the curve and to remain competitive will require all sales organizations to position their sales teams for the digital selling transformation and having a social selling strategy.
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