Social selling is more lead nurturing than hard sell. It doesn’t come with the promise of quick wins. And it can be considered as the cyber equivalent of stalking (if not done well).
So what’s in it for sales? Well, quite a lot actually:
Connect with actual buyers
According to IDC, 84% of C-Level/VP Executives use social media. Equally, those B2B buyers most active on social media were more senior, more influential, had bigger budgets, and made 61% more purchase decisions than their ‘non-social’ peers.
75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-Level/VP Executives use social media to make purchasing decisions
Know your audience better
Prospects and customers don’t want generic, one-size-fits-all content. Not when they can go elsewhere for tailored insights focused on their actual needs. But with social selling, sales can pay attention to what customers are saying, what they’re asking for, and respond with personalised messages that help create both value and trust.
69% of leads from social media convert into opportunities, compared to 1% of cold calls
Pick the lowest hanging fruit
Social media channels are fantastic when it comes to people sharing information; for highlighting their current focus areas; and for singling out key decision-makers. As a result, social selling helps sales build detailed profiles o customers/prospects – alongside greater insight into their willingness to buy and timeframe for doing so.
78% of sales reps who use social selling practices outsell their peers
Build relationships for the long-term
Social selling enables sales to listen to their audiences, to respond to requests, answer questions, and generally engage as a trusted voice – before any talk of product and price. It lets you stay abreast of their needs/hopes/aspirations, address any rumours, problems, concerns, and to put this insight to work in enriching the relationship.
Sources: IDC: Social Buying Meets Social Selling report, Forrester, Harvard Business Review, Brainshark, EveryoneSocial,
How to become a social selling legend
We all know how hard it is to stand out. To be heard through the deafening noise of rivals, commentators, ‘thought leaders’, and anybody else who feels the urge to share. And of course many do, meaning emails and postbags remain fit to burst – with the poor prospect/customer also bombarded across every conceivable digital channel.
Find out how to cut through that noise and become a social selling legend. Download now