sales

How to Become a B2B Social Sales Machine

Social adoption rates are rocketing and the impact of social networking within society continues to grow. But surprisingly enough, there are many in the business to business marketing sphere who still don’t “get” it. With this in mind I recently put together a fast moving and to the point keynote presentation to open the eyes of B2B salesforces and socially energize them!

“Becoming a B2B Social Sales Machine” in simple, sales oriented terms explains what the B2B social networking sales opportunity means. Sharing how both individuals and ultimately the combined organization can leverage content, connections, context, collaboration and community to drive real results!

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Why ‘Sales Team’ is not an Oxymoron!

I got into it with a ‘sales expert’ yesterday. He told me that “sales is a warrior’s job and the warrior works alone.” I thought, don’t bet your moccasins on that.

It’s true that the best salespeople seem to be ‘hunters’ and not ‘gatherers’. But it’s also true that the most valuable hunters are the ones who hunt for the good of their tribe—not just for themselves. In sales, these hunters remain true to their mission. The needs of their tribe take precedence over their personal interests.

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Social Media and the Need for New Business Models

Who owns social media? Is it marketing, customer service, public relations?

Looking at a recent study conducted by the Pivot Conference, the top four departments where social media is currently run are as follows:

1. Marketing
2. Public Relations
3. Sales
4. Customer Service

Perhaps, it’s the wrong question to ask however. It’s not unlike asking who owns email. But, here’s another question and as we think about it, let’s broaden our perspective as the answer may not appear immediately.

Who owns the customer relationship?

The short answer is everyone.

If that is the case, then examining how social media is run today is not at all how businesses should think about it tomorrow. A not so long answer to the original question is “any person or department affected by outside activity where public interaction impacts decisions.”

Businesses tend to have a single or narrow view of the customer and as we’re learning, they’re connecting with one another and sharing experiences that transform their roles from prospect to advocate to adversary to influencer and everything in between.

Social media is not about conversations on Twitter and Facebook nor check-ins on Foursquare or Places, or flipped videos on YouTube. It’s about using this opportunity to build bridges to a new genre of customers and the people who influence their decisions. Our mission now is to pave paths to future relevance. The reality is that we are as much competing for the future as we are for the moment. And as a result, we are perpetually competing for relevance.

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Do You Use Social Media to Attract Customers or Position Yourself as a Thought Leader?

Do you want your social media efforts to lead to high-quality leads and recognition from your industry? While both of these goals can be reached, many marketers attempt to accomplish too much at once. They may use only 1 social media profile to try to bring leads to their websites and share the latest industry trends with their peers.

This approach can work if your customers are also your peers and would be interested in both your thought leadership and your products. However, if your customers are from other sectors, you may need to consider another strategy. When your social media messages speak to different audiences, you’ll have a hard time engaging anybody. For example, a potential customer from the retail sector may see your blog posts about the future of the software industry and assume that your content is not relevant.

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Get More Sales- Today!

In the world of sales… and we are ALL in sales… everyone wants more sales. So, there is a simple way to accomplish this goal. But before I give you the simple ways to do it– here are 7 things to consider… in regards to getting more sales.

Getting more sales is more than having a power handshake. Getting more sales is more than saying someone’s first name repeated times. Getting more sales is more than a having a cool power tie. Getting more sales is more than having a snazzy PowerPoint. Getting more sales is more than cranking out lots of phone calls a day Getting more sales is more than supplying the hot ticket to game or event. Getting more sales is more than using buzzwords and acronyms. So these are things to think about when we think about getting more sales.

Now, ready for the secret?

OK… Sales is no secret at all. Sorry I wish there was one.

Here is what sales is about. Sales is a process based on trust and the building of strong human relationships. It is an art not a science. It is about giving more than getting. It is about helping more than selling. I have never “sold anyone” on anything. It goes against the very fabric of what sales is all about. There are no sales shortcuts, no gimmicks, nor anything other than trust, value, seeking to understand how to meet others needs, building relationships and living by the highest code of ethics. Sales is about doing the right thing.

So there you have it. I hope you will Get More Sales – Today but achieving more sales today– is actually a natural byproduct of a salesperson having done the things mentioned in the paragraph above– consistently– day in and day out.

What do you value in your sales efforts?

Ryan T. Sauers

www.sauersgroup.com
www.twitter.com/ryansauers

Sales and Marketing Alignment: What the Experts Have to Say

The CMO Council recently published a report entitled “Closing the Gap: The Sales and Marketing Alignment Imperative.” Among other key findings, the study revealed that “…there is an urgent need for marketing, sales, and channel management to align and embrace technologies, processes, and programs that enable wider and deeper customer conversations, as well as leverage the knowledge, influence, and access of the channel and continuously refine the delivery of products and services in the most painless, seamless, and satisfying way.” Although that’s definitely more than a mouthful, the points made are important ones and likely resonate with most marketers.

I’ve been in the marketing game for a long time, and the whole sales and marketing alignment thing is near and dear to my heart. Without exception, the issue of alignment has reared its head in one form or another at every company for which I have worked. As a marketing generalist, I don’t claim to be an alignment expert, but I can tell you that the effort you put forth in that area can pay huge dividends.

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