Social Sales One Year Later
Posted by Barb Giamanco on Wed, Dec 22, 2010 @ 11:24 AM
"Social media is becoming ingrained in current business practices; therefore, progressive organizations embrace the use of this technology to propel their sales forward. More than a passing fad, social media is a worldwide revolution. The intersection of sales and social media is here."
Exactly one year ago, I wrote those words. They are as true today - if not more so - then they were 365 days ago. If you haven't noticed, buyer behavior has changed. Sales scripts and canned speeches fall on deaf ears. Buyers are on social sites asking for recommendations and references from colleagues and friends, because quite frankly, they don’t trust vendors. Your job as sales professionals and marketers is to build trust. That takes time and patience. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Enter social media...
Nirvana, right? Wrong!
Technology does make it easier to reach the masses quickly, but I urge you to resist the temptation to start slinging your sales messages out on Twitter the day you first arrive. Would you walk into a networking event and sling your marketing brochures across the room hoping they might hit your target buyer in the head? I certainly hope not. The online world is no different. Your focus is on the relationship not the sales transaction. You need a strategy coupled with the right tools and training on their effective use, which includes the nuances of communication in the online space.
The intersection of sales and social media IS HERE. The big question is...are you ready?