Connor BrookeDeveloping a social selling strategy is key to B2B sales success. Think about it, what would Don Draper do if you were a software sales executive calling on him? InsideView reports that 90% of the CEO’s say they never respond to cold-call emails or calls in today’s world, so you would not likely have any luck with him. That’s tough luck since Forrester reports 50%-70% of the buying process happens before the sales exec gets involved. In fact, most B2B decision makers are disappointed in the amount of pre-call work that sales execs don’t perform. Poor preparation makes for a potentially bad first impression.
3 Benefits Of A Social Selling Strategy Prior To Your Cold Call
Understanding the social selling techniques that get you on the prospect’s radar before the cold call is key to your or your sales organization success. Establishing a social relationship before you make the first call will:
- Get Your Call Answered Sooner. The Harvard Business Review was recently quoted, “Who you know is now trumped by what you know about who you know.” Increase the probability of your call being successful by making social connections with the decision maker before your call . Your prospects may remember all of your social selling connections, which will help you make a great first impression since you know something about who you know!
- Increase The Odds Of Your Success With Social Selling. An IBM sales study indicates that 75% of B2B buyers are likely to use social media as part of their purchasing decision. So, you can increase the odds of making the first call successful since you will know more about your prospect.
- 3. Decrease The Time Needed To Close Your Sale. I led a social selling strategy panel at SAP’s Field Sales Kick-off Meeting in Las Vegas in January. A sales executive shared his LinkedIn prospecting success and explained how he nurtured this contact with social media to build this relationship. Once he identified his prospect, he proceeded to follow the prospect on Twitter. He paid attention to the prospect’s tweets. One particular tweet provided a “tell” to the sales exec, which prompted a relevant conversation. This conversation led to an appointment and ultimately a sale. Crafting a social selling strategy will augment your other sales techniques and add to your success to connecting with prospects and closing sales sooner.
How To Sell To B2B Decision Makers With Social Media
So, if Don Draper answered your phone call, he might even say “Are you mad man, I don’t even know you. Get on my radar and impress me before you call me!” And then he might hang up abruptly on you. Here are seven suggestions that B2B decision makers might make to help you get on their radar before you make that cold call.
Do you have a social selling technique that you can share? If so, please comment below. Or, connect with me on MarketingThink.com directly. I can also be reached on Twitter @GerryMoran.
There is no right way to sell. However, by using several methods that range from prospecting on LinkedIn with an immediate cold call to nurturing the pre-sales connection with social media interaction, you will be able to increase your success. You would be a “mad man” if you did not try out a few of these smoking ideas to help you with your B2B selling strategy!
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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Hi. I’m interested in learning more about the sources you cite – the Forrester study, the IBM study, and the Harvard Business Review article. Thanks!