It is no secret that the world of business development and sales has continued to change. Let’s be clear – there isn’t a “winner takes all” sales strategy that works for every company in every industry. Sometimes you don’t close the deal even though you have done everything right including the best planning, the best execution, or having the best product/service. That is what makes this game of selling so exciting, so frustrating, so critical, and so important – everyone has (and is entitled to) their own opinion, and many of you have plenty of real life experiences you bring to the table.
Before we talk about the evolution with #SocialSales, let’s start with a few things that haven’t changed.
- Having a defined sales strategy that organizes the process of selling is still very important, and this is where experience makes a big difference.
- Execute your plan and strategy with persistence. As I have said previously, organizations need to make sure that they commit to the execution, set predetermined check points, and refine the strategy if necessary. The key word above that has never changed in sales success is persistence. As Jack Daly says, “Persistence is the one word that embodies top performers in SALES.” It usually takes a lot of persistence to win the business.
#SocialSales is changing the game in three big ways:
- It gets you engaged in conversations you didn’t even know where happening. Sales is hard work, so why not leverage what you can to get ahead of your competition. Using your existing social connections and focusing on growing your social networks, successful sales people are planting “seeds”. Some examples of “seeds” could be your industry knowledge, your product knowledge, or your advice/experience.
- Potential customers are making buying decisions before you even know they are a prospect, and they use the internet and social media to do a ton of research before even talking to you. Get in the game because your competition is. Jill Konrath summarized that “72.6% of sales people that use social media outperform their colleagues who aren’t using it.”
- Social Media is an engine that is working 24/7. We live in a technological society where we want access to information when it is convenient for us. Users are accessing information at all times during the day and through multiple devices (mobile, laptops, tablets, etc.). When you are engaged in the correct social activities, your activity is working for you at all times.
#SocialSales is empowering the work effort of a sales person. It gives them a better chance to be successful, so let them be a part of the new game.
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