In order to be successful, the role sales reps need to play has fundamentally shifted. Given all the information available online, will the role of a sales rep be necessary in the future, when you have social media?
I read a great blog by Clara Shih, How Sales Reps Can Succeed In The Social Era. she talked about the importance of:
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Being social
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Being mobile
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Being a trusted advisor.
I know what you’re thinking....
Where, or how do I start to engage in social media?
- LinkedIn is huge! Especially for B2B. On LinkedIn, you should start by keeping your profile updated (and complete), share blogs/news, and comment in relevant groups where you’ll also meet new people.
- Twitter: look at various hashtags and see what is being shared. Do your research. Search companies, topics, contacts.
- Here’s an example on Twitter. Look at all the info with #medicalindustry
- Three key points to remember: Watch, Observe, and Share!
How do I become that trusted resource for my customers/potential customers?
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For me, I follow my company key words, industry topics and keywords, prospects, and clients. I share on Twitter and LinkedIn. If I see something of interest for other people or organizations, I share it with them directly, and I share it socially.
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Remember, that human touch is important, this is a great way to share.
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Your Customer and potential customer need you to be a trusted resource. GAIN THEIR TRUST!
How do I schedule time for social media? That’s just another thing for me to do!
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Scheduling Time: I check my blog posts, and share early in the morning. I use Feedly to organize my blogs in one place, and share from there.
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Commenting on blogs and LinkedIn discussions: I typically do this in the early morning, as well. I like to see what the topics are. I glance and if it grabs me, I comment where I can contribute. (I’ve earned customers this way.) If I see something come across in a message I may have commented on, I might pipe in or respond.
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Blogging/Social media: I have a scheduled time for blogging. We made the commitment to blog, to practice what we preach. I use an editorial calendar, which we keep in Google Drive, and a time for interaction on social media. I have a time for prospecting for our business, and a time for managing my responsibilities for our clients. It’s all about scheduling and getting organized!
What happens if I don’t get involved with social media?
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This may get your attention: In a recent survey, A Sales Guy found that of the 511 mainly B2B sales people surveyed, 22% said they didn’t use social media to close deals. On the flip side, 78.3% of sales people said they use social media to sell.
You have to ask yourself......
Are you part of the 22% of sales people who don't want to make money? Or, are you ready to grow?
Image source: Woerterhexe
