how to sell to people, not contacts ebook
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The Definitive Guide to Social Selling, How to Sell to People, Not ContactsTRANSCRIPT
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling
How to Sell to People, Not Contacts
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 2
Table of ContentsPart OneWhat is Social Selling?• WhydoesyourbusinessneedSocialSelling?• WhowithinyourorganizationsneedstouseSocial
Selling?• ThereturnoninvestmentforSocialSelling
Part TwoSocial Selling Basics• Findingtherightperson• Creatingtherightmessage• Knowingtherighttime
Part ThreeSix Tenets of Social Selling1. Nomoreislandsofinformation–yourCRMisnot
enough2. Peoplearenotcontactrecords3. Moredataisnottheanswer4. Nomorecookie-cutterprocess5. Impactperformance.Notreporting.6. Fromlook-uptointelligence
Part FourReal-Life Success Stories• Listening• Reach
Part FiveBest Resources to Learn About Social Selling• TopPeopletoFollow• BestBlogstoRead
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 3
Why does your business need Social Selling?
Content by Miles Austin, Sales and Marketing Technologist at Fill the Funnel, Inc.
Thisisaquestionthateverybusinessleaderorownershouldbeasking.TheanswerscanbeabitfrighteningbecauseSocialSellingwillrequireleaderstore-thinkandmanytimesrestructuretheexpectations,structureandtoolsusedbytheiremployees.
Three key reasons why your business needs Social Selling are:
1. Your customers are already there.Studiesareshowing,“Onaverage(andwithlittlevariationamongindustries)customerswillcontactaSalesrepwhentheyindependentlycompleteabout60%ofthepurchasingdecisionprocess.”1Ifyouwanttomaximizeyoursellingopportunities,youcannotaffordtoloseoutonthatsignificantsegmentofbuyingactivity.
2. Your competition is there, and if not, will be soon. YourcompetitorshavebeenaskingthissamequestionandaremakingthedecisiontointegrateSocialSellingprinciplesintotheirprocessandculture.Yourlegacycompetitorsmightbegrapplingwithhowtogetthisdone,butrestassuredrecentlylaunchedcompetitionisalreadyusingtheseprinciplesandgettingresults.Canyouaffordtowait?
3. Your employees and new hires expect it.Theyknowwhatisgoingonwiththeircustomersandprospects.Manyofyoursalesteamhavealreadycreatedasocialpresenceandaredoingthebesttheycantodothingsright.Youhavetheopportunitytosupporttheiractivityandtogivethemtheguidance,contentandstrategytosucceed.Companiesarebeginningtousetheirwell-developedSocialSellingprogramstoattractandrecruitnewemployees.CompetitorsareabletoprovideanenticingoffertoyourcurrentperformersifyouhavenotembracedSocialSelling.
What is Social Selling?
1http://mlcwideangle.exbdblogs.com/2011/08/31/the-most-important-number-in-b2b-marketing/
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 4
Who within your organization needs to use Social Selling?
Content by Barbara Giamanco, EVP Sales and Social Media at Social Centered Selling, LLC
The Conversation Has Begun…Without You!Buyerscomplete60%ofthebuyingcyclebeforeinteractingwithsales.Forsalesorganizationstosucceedintoday’ssocialbusinessenvironment,theymustfirstacceptthatbuyerbehaviorhaschanged.Buyer2.0iswebandsocialmediasavvy,informedandprobablyknowsmoreaboutyouthanyouknowaboutthem.Inthisnewworld,buyersstartthesalesprocesswithoutyou,whichmeansthatsellersmustshiftfromatransactionalapproachtothesalesprocesstoasolutionoriented,valuefocused,andsociallyconnectedapproach.
Rightnow,yourprospectsarereadingaboutyourproductsandservicesonblogsandinforums(onlinecommunitiesspecifictoabrandowner,LinkedIngroups,etc).TheyarescanningYouTubevideos,LinkedInprofiles,Focusforums,TweetsandsearchingonGoogleforinformationaboutwhattheywanttobuyandfromwhom;theyareignoringthetextonyourwebsite.Whileyourcompanyiscreatingmarketingmaterialsdesignedtoclosethesale,yourprospectsareusingsocialnetworksandsocialtechnologytodecideforthemselves.Thisisthenewworldof“socialselling.”
Are you ready? WiththeadventofWeb2.0technologies,thebuyingprocesshaschanged.Inasocialsalesworld,mostB2B(businesstobusiness)buyingdecisionsnowstart,moveforwardandareveryoftenclosedonlineoroverthephonewithoutasingleface-to-facemeeting.That’safrighteningthoughtforthesalesprofessionalwhohaslongbelievedthattheonlywayto“closeadeal”istobesittingacrossthetablefromtheprospect.Salespeoplemustalsorecognizeandleveragetheemphasisthatbuyersnowplaceonrecommendations,commentsandthereferralsofothers.Oh,andbytheway,youcanleveragetechnologyforface-to-faceconnectionsusingtoolslikewww.imeet.com.
Buyer 2.0 is web and social media savvy, informed and probably knows more about you than you know about them
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Intelligence Is Key AsweusetoolslikeLinkedIn,FacebookandTwitter,thenumberofpeoplewhowemaintainsomedegreeofone-to-onecontactandconnectionwithviapeernetworksandgroupshavedramaticallyincreasedinthepastfewyears.Socialsalespeoplewillusethesetoolstobecomemoreadeptatsuccessfullynavigatingthefirstfewcriticalphasesofthesalesprocess:investigatingandearlyqualifying.Betterinformationleadstobetterqualificationofsalesopportunities.And,usedeffectively,socialnetworkingshrinksthephysicaltimeittakestomovetheopportunitytoclose.
Socialsellingisaboutrecognizingthatthebuyingprocessiscontrolledbyabetterinformedandmoreconnectedcustomer.Whilesalesremainsarelationship-drivenbusiness,thepowerof“whoyouknow”istrumpedby“whatyouknowaboutwhoyouknowandwhenyouknow.”Thenewsocialcustomerisdemandingrelevancefromsalespeople,expectingthemtoknowaboutthem,theircompanies,theirneeds,andwhentoengagewiththem.
Thishasheightenedtheneedforcomprehensivesalesintelligencethatbringstogetherbothtraditionaldataandsocialmedia.Itisimperativethatsalesprofessionalsleveragethesocialwebtoactivelylisten,engage,andaddvaluetothecustomerconversation.
What You Know about Who You KnowThenewsocialcustomerdemandsanewapproachfromsalesorganizations.YourprospectsarelookingforTrustedAdvisorswhoknowtheirbusiness.Theneedforcomprehensive,real-timedataisimperativetosalesprofessionalswhomustleveragethesocialwebtoactivelylisten,addvaluetothecustomerconversationandcreatesalesrelationshipsinnewways.Doyouhavethetoolsinplacetohelpyoursalesteambeeffectiveinthisspace?
The Return on Investment For Social Selling
Content by Anneke Seley, Founder of Phone Works
Withmoreandmorecustomersusingsocialmediatogatherinformationaboutproductsandtocommunicatewithvendors,manycompaniesaretryingtofigureouthowsocialmediatechnologiescanbeusedmosteffectivelytomeettheneedsofthenewonlinecustomer
While sales remains a relationship-driven business, the power of “who you know” is trumped by “what you know about who you know and when you know.”
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–whilegeneratingrevenue.Companiesarestartingtoreportclear,measurableresultsfromtheirsocialinitiatives:
• AWisconsinhospitalandHootSuitecustomerisseeinga15%conversionofleadstosalesusinglivetweetingduringorthopedicsurgery.
• Inapilotprogramsellingtoibm.comcustomers,IBMclosed10ordersin30daysafterimplementingnewsocialinitiatives.Theyhada400%increaseinsalesinthefirstquartertiedtosocialmarketingprograms.
• 95%ofpipelineand30%ofrevenueatSaaSvideo/gamification/analyticsstartupPAKRAGamescanbetrackedtosocialoutreach(LinkedIninvitesandtweets).
• Adobe Omniture doubled its opportunity-to-call ratios, resulting in more opportunities generated by its account development teams.
Thesearethekindsofmetricsanddata,backedbywell-knownbrandsaswellassmall-andmedium-sizedcompanies,thatcanchangeyourexecutiveteam’sperceptionofsocialsellingfromtime-wastertorevenue-generator.
75% of buyers are likely to use social media in the purchase process in the future
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What are some ways to use data and metrics to succeed with Social Selling in your company?
1. Referenceindustrysurveysto“sellsocial”internally.Ifpossible,surveyyourbuyers…orfindevidencethattheyareengaginginsocialmedia.Business.comreportsthat55%ofB2Bsurveyrespondentsconductsearchesforinformationonsocialmediasites.SiriusDecisionssays60%ofthebuyer’sjourneyiscompletebeforeitgetstosales.Youmaybeabletoswayskepticalexecutiveswithhardfacts.Tojustifytheirinvestmentinsocialmarketingandsalesprograms,IBMsurveyedover1,000globalbuyersandfoundthat1/3havealreadyusedsocialmediatoengagewiththeirvendors.Furthermore,theydiscoveredthat75%oftheirbuyersarelikelytousesocialmediainthepurchaseprocessinthefuture.
2. Trackinboundleadsgeneratedfromsocialleadgenerationmarketingprogramsusinglinksbacktoyour(oryourrep’s)website.Trainyoursalesteamtopostorre-postcustomizedversionsofmarketing-generatedmessagesthataremeaningfultotheircustomersandprospectswhoareTwitterfollowers,LinkedInconnections,Facebookfriendsandthelike.Then,usingyourCRMorothersystems,tracktheseleadsthroughthemarketingandsalescycleandmakeaconnectionbetweensocialmarketingandrevenue.Keepinmindthatbest-performingcompaniesfindthatmixingthesekindsofdirectmarketing-orientedsocialinteractionswithother“nonselling”postssuchassharingarticles,opinionsandothercontentfromthoughtleadersandinfluencersinyourindustryyieldsthebestresults.
3. Usesocialmediatoresearch,target,andconnectwithyourideal(pre-qualified,mostlikelytobuy)prospects.Thentracksocialinteractionsalongwithphoneande-mail.Usingsocialmediainconjunctionwithphoneande-mailcanincreasesalescycleconversionmetricssuchasthecriticalconnectrate.It’sgettingincreasinglymoredifficulttogetbusypeopletorespondandengage,especiallyinoutboundprospecting.Knowwhichcompaniesandtitlesare
Connect with them using personal, customized, relevant messages
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mostlikelytobeinterestedinyourproducts,thenconnectwiththemwithpersonal,customized,relevantmessages(notgenericscripts)–somethingmadepossibleandeasywithsocialtools.Usingthisapproach,PAKRAgets17outof20peopletoacceptLinkedIninvitationsandconnectwithin36hours.Asecondshortfollow-upmessage,alsopersonalizedtothatbuyer,includesalinktotheirwebsite.10outof20respondatthatstage.They’vefoundthatengagementcanbetiedtomentioning:
• Somethingwork-related(85%ofthetime)• Abooktheyarereading(5%ofthetime)• Otherpersonalinformation(2%ofthetime)• Contentprovidedindiscussiongroups(1%ofthetime)
Withsocialmedia,it’softenmorethanjustworkinformationandcanalsoincludehowsalesandmarketingcanleveragepersonalandcompanysocialgraphs.Network Hardware Resale (NHR) has also been using social media in conjunction with email and phone to generate meetings with the right prospects, and has quadrupled meeting acceptance rates from 15% to 60%.ForNHRsalesreps,thekeyistonotonlycraftrelevantmessagesforeach
prospectusingsocialmediaprofilesbutalsotogetwarmintroductionsthroughindividualandcompanysocialgraphs,forexample,connectingthroughreferencecustomersorfellowalumni.
It’stimetofacereality.Industrydata,metrics,andsuccessstories,suchasthosementionedabove,provethatprospectsareusingsocialmediatoeducatethemselves,connectwithsellersandmakebuyingdecisions.Leadingcompaniesarefiguringouthowtoappropriatelyuse,trackandmeasuretheirsocialsellinginitiativesandincorporatethemintoalready-existingprocessesusedintheirsalesorganizationswillseeperformance.
You can build and foster relationships with unlimited prospects, partners and influencers at very little cost.
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The Return on Investment for Social Selling, Part 2
Content by Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing, Inc.
Socialmediaisnotadirect-responsechannel.Ithinkwecanallagreeonthat.Butitabsolutelyispartofthesalesfunnelforyourbusiness.It’swhereyoucanbuildandfosterrelationshipswithunlimitedprospects,partnersandinfluencersatverylittlecost,addingvalueonadailybasisuntilapercentageofthoseindividualsandorganizationsarereadytomoveforward–eitherintoaconversationoranactivebuyingcycle.
Establishingaquantitativevalueforsocialmediaasacomponentofthesalesfunnelhasbeendifficult,largelybecausewerelyondisparatesystemstoestablishcausality.Thatchangedlastfallwith
updatedfeaturesinSalesforce.com.Forthefirsttime,youcanseeintegratedsocialmediaaccountsandinteractionactivityrightinyourcoresalesmanagementplatform.
Here’s why that’s so important:Let’ssayyouhave80,000leadsinSalesforce.com.Youknow40,000ofthemhaveTwitteraccounts.Ofthose,youalsoknowthat6,000arefollowingyourTwitter
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account,andyouknowexactlywhichofthose6,000haverespondedorinteractedwithyouinthatchannel.Whenthatleadmakesitswaythroughthefunnel–toanopenopportunityandeventuallyacloseddeal–youcannowestablishthesourceoforiginationandprimarycausalityofpipelinemovementbacktothesocialmediaactivity.
Socialmediamaynotbeadirect-responseleadchannel,butwiththislevelofintegrationyoucanevaluateitseffectivenessandROIasaneventualsalesproducerinanapples-to-applesformatwithemail,directmail,events,etc.Andifprospectshavebeenimpactedbymultiplecampaignsandchannels(andmostlikelyhave),youcanstillmeasureandweighttheprimarycausalityfactorsallinasingleplatform.
That’spowerfulstuff,anditwillhelpmanyorganizationsfinallybridgethegapbetweentheirfocusonleadsandsales,andtheimportanceofinvestinginlong-termsocialandcontent-basedrelationshipswellbeforecustomersarereadytobuy.
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Content by Miles Austin, Sales and Marketing Technologist at Fill the Funnel, Inc.
Dowereallyneedanotherwaveofsellingphilosophy?Someofuswillremember“spinselling,”“consultativeselling”andmanyothereffectivesalesmethodologiesovertheyears.Itseemsthateverytwentyyearsorso,salesthinkingevolvestoreflectthechangesinourcultureandtechnology.
Thinkaboutthechangesthathaveoccurredduringthepasttwentyyears.Wehavemovedfromsnailmailandvoicemailastheprimarycommunicationsvehiclestoemail,blogs,websitesandonlinepresentations.WeusedtoordertheAnnualReportforthecompaniesonouraccountlist;nowwesimplygotothewebtofindtheverylatestinformationaboutourprospects.Rememberthehoopsyouwouldhavetojumpthroughtogetinformationfromthe“gatekeeper”abouttheindividualswiththebuyingdecisions?NowData.com(formerlyJigsaw),InsideView,LinkedInandothersareabletoprovidenotonlythenameofthoseindividuals,buttheiremailaddress,phonenumberandmorewiththesimpleclickofyourmouse.Weallgotourdailynewsupdatefrom
DanRatherorourlocalnewspaper.NowwereceiveinformationthroughoutthedayfromTwitter,RSS,blogsandYouTubeastheyhappen,allonoursmartphoneorcomputer.Thesechangesrequireustore-thinkoursalesmethodologytoincorporatethesenewrealitiesintoourapproach.
SocialSellingisaboutrecognizingthatbuyersarenowincontrolofthebuyingprocess.Theyarebetterinformedandmoreconnected.Eventhelong-standingbeliefthatrelationshipisthemostimportantfactorinB2Bsalessuccessisbeingchallenged.2
Social Selling Basics
Buyers are nowin control of the buying process
2http://www.forum.com/blog/strategic-selling-how-to-sell-to-senior-executives/
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Thegraphicbelowreflectstheresponsesof231senior-leveldecision-makerswhenaskedtorankthemostimportantcriteriatheyuse:
Thesechangesdemandtheavailabilityofdramaticallyimprovedsalesintelligencethatcombinestraditionaldataandsocialmedia,readilyaccessiblebyeveryoneinvolvedinthesalesprocesstoprovideinformationthatwillhelpsellerspossesstheinformationatthetopoftheirprospectsrequirements.
Here are three areas to consider when embracing Social Selling:
Finding the right person.Socialwebtoolshavetheabilitytoeliminatethislong-standingobstacleforsalespeople.Thereisnoexcusefornothavingcurrent,accuratename,title,emailaddress,locationandmuchmore.Younowhavetheabilitytolearnwhoinfluencescustomersbytheirsocialgraph.UtilizingwebtoolstogatherthisinformationisnowacommondenominatorforeveryonethatsellsinaB2Bmarketplace.Itisimportanttorealizethatyourbuyerswillfrequentlyknowasmuchormoreaboutyou,yourbackgroundandintereststhanyouknowaboutthem.Socialplatformsarenotaone-waymirror,availableonlytosellers.Itisexpectedthatyouwilldoyourhomeworkpriortoanycontactandwilltailorhowyoucommunicateandwhatyousharetonotwastetheirtime.
Creating the right message.Ifyouhavebeenusingsocialmediaasalisteningtool,youwillknowwhatinformationthebuyerisstillseeking.By“listening”totheirquestionsonLinkedIn,byknowingwhichpagestheyhavevisitedonyoursite,whichdownloadsandvideostheyhaveseen,youarewellequippedtofocusyourmessagedirectlytowheretheyareintheselectionprocess.Aretheylookingmoreatproductinformation,orbackgroundonyourcompany?Salesintelligence
http://www.forum.com/blog/strategic-selling-how-to-sell-to-senior-executives/
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webtoolswilltellyouwhotheircurrentprovideris.Youhavetheabilitytolearnwhatexternalandinternalforcesmightbedrivingthisactivityforthem.Reportingstructure,decisiontreesandbuyinginfluencersareallnowmorevisible.Thisinformation,gleanedfrommultipletoolsandsources,willbetterequipyoutodirectyourmessagingandcommunicationdirectlytowardswhattheywillneedtocontinuetomovealongthebuyingcycleattherighttime.
Knowing the right time. Attemptingtoselltoyourprospectbeforetheyarereadytobuycanderailtheopportunitycompletely.Listentotheirquestions.Understandwhoinfluencesthem,andthereasonstheyareseekingasolution.Learnthedriversbehindthebuyingdecisiontimelineandincorporatethemintoyourtiming.Youareabletousesocialwebtoolstogatherinformationandformulatea360-degreeviewofyourprospect,theirinfluencersandtheircompany.Whentheyareatthestagethatadecisionneedstobemade,youwillhaveearnedtherighttobetheonetheychoose.
SocialSellingsuccessrequiresyoutoleveragethesocialwebandwebtoolstoactivelylisten,engage,andaddvaluetotherightperson,withtherightmessageattherighttime.
Add value to the right person,
with the right message at the
right time
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 14
Content by Craig Rosenberg, VP of Sales and Marketing at Focus, Author of Funnelholic
1. No more islands of information – your CRM is not enough
Neverbeforeinthehistoryofsaleshaveourprospectsandcustomerswillinglyandpubliclyupdatedwhattheydo,howtheyfeel,andwhattheycareabouteveryday.Everyoneasksme:Whatdoyouthinkofsocialselling?Myanswer:Whatistheretopossiblytothinkabout?Yourprospectsandcustomersarebasicallyouttherepublishinginformationthatyoucanleveragetobuildreal,meaningfulrelationshipswiththem.NOTtakingadvantageofthatisacrime.Rememberthatdumbquestion:Whatkeepsyouawakeatnight?Don’taskthatanymorebecauseyoucanknowitbeforeyoucallaprospect.Callitsocialsellingifyoulike,butreally,if
youarenotleveragingreal-timeinformationaboutyourcustomersbeforeyoureachout,thenyouaren’tselling.
The question becomes: How do you harness the incredible information available to you? CRM is not enough. There are two main reasons:
1. CRM data is very rarely updated–Ifacompanyisdiligentaboutit,theirCRMdataistypicallyupdatedatmosttwiceayear.We’retalkingabouttwotypesofdata–contactdatae.g.,name,address,email,andphonewhichoftenbecomesoutdatedquicklybecausepeoplechangejobsandroles,andtransactionaldatasuchastrouble-tickets,newactivities,etc.Thesecondtypeofdataistypicallyupdatedfrequentlybycallcenteragents,salesreps,andorderdeskswhentheytouchprospectsandcustomers.Butcontactdataisrarelyupdatedor,evenworse,thereisn’tareliablesourceofaccuratecontactdatatoupdateitwith.
2. CRM data can’t tell you the whole story–Contactinformationisobviouslyimportantinordertoreachsomeone.However,whatcanturntheneedlefora
The Six Tenets of Social Selling
Remember that dumb question: What keeps you awake at night? Don’t ask that anymore.
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salespersonisfindingoutabigprojectyourprospectisworkingonisactuallygoingtohelpyoumakethedeal.Orsimplyevenknowingthefactthattheygotmarriedtwoweeksago.SalesExpertDaveBrock:“It’sverysimple.InformationintheCRMsystemislikelyoutofdateand,quitefrankly,doesnotreflectwhatisgoingonwiththecustomer.Itisname,email,address,etc,notwhat’shotontheirminds.”Davidhitsonitwell.
KevinGaither,hostof“ThisWeekinSales”andDirectorofInsideSalesatBetterWorks:“CRMwasn’tenoughtobeginwith.CRMyouhavetopopulatewiththeinformation.ThereissomuchinformationbeingcreatedthattheCRMcannotkeepupwith.”
Theansweristoprovideyoursalesteamwithreal-timeaccesstothedynamicdatabeingcreatedeverysecondontheinternet.CombinethiswiththefoundationofaCRMsystemandyoursalesteamisarmedtocompete.Itshouldbenotedthatresearchingaclientbeforeacallisnotnew;thereisjustalotmoreinformationnowthanthereusedtobe.
Gaither:“Backintheday,agoodsalespersonwouldhavemultiplebrowsersopenwithpressreleasesand10-Kstopiecetogetherameaningfulwaytogetcustomersonthe
phoneortohaveasubstantiveconversationwithcustomerswhenwedoconnectwiththemonthephone.Today’ssalespersonneedsoneplaceandmoreefficiencytocapturethedatatheyneedtomaketherightcallattherighttime.”
IwouldaddtoKevin’squote:Today’ssalespersonneedsoneplacetocapturethedatatomaketherightcallattherighttimetotherightperson.Contactinformationalonecannottellyouthestoryyouneedtobesuccessful.Titlesareaclassicexample:Weusedtorelyontitlesfordecidingwhomweshouldcallandwhatweshouldsay,buttitlescanmeanlotsofdifferentthingstolotsofdifferentorganizations.Thekeyistofindtherightroleand,evenbetter,therightchallengestosellyourproductto.Socialdataallowsyoutogobeyondtitleandunderstand“who”thepersonissoyoucandetermineearlyonifyoushouldwastetimeandeffortonthiscontact.
Brock:“Thekeyistodeterminehowweintersectwiththecustomersmartly.What’shappeningtothisprospect,theircompany,oreventheirindustry?”
SalesExpertandauthoroftheblog“ASalesGuy”JimKeenan:“Leadsarenolongerjustsecondandthirdpartyreferralsorfirstpartyrequests.AleadtodaycanbeacomplaintonTwitter,aquestiononLinkedInordiscussiononaFacebookpage.CRMhastocapturethenewdefinitionofalead.”
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Gaitheragainoninformation:“Salesrepsneedreal-timeaccesstodeterminetriggereventsforreasonsforcalling.Newproductreleases,fundingevents,andmanagementchangesgiveyoustrategicreasonstocall…youwantthatinformationatyourfingertips.”
Ithinkweallagreethatwedon’twantoursalesrepslosingproductivitybyhavingtolookallovertheplaceforcustomerdata.WewishourCRMdatacouldtellusthestory,butitcan’t,whichmeansweneedtolayerreal-timeaccesstocustomerdatatobesuccessful.
2. People are not contact records
Althoughatraditionalcontactrecordprovidesvitalinformationaboutopportunities,purchases,troubletickets,andcompanyactivities,itfallsshortofcreatingacompletepictureoftheperson.
Wehavealwayssoldtopeople,butouraccesstoinformationhaschanged.Threeorfouryearsfromnow,wearegoingtolaughathowwethoughtwecouldeffectivelyselltopeoplewithmerelytheircontactrecord.Wewillonlybeabletotellthem:“Backthen,itwasallwehad.”Intoday’sworld,yourprospectsandcustomersactuallypublicallypublishwhattheycareabout!Whenmywifegavebirthtomytwinsons,Iwatchedtherealsocialsalespeoplereferenceitintheircallswithmeand
consideredtheoneswhodidn’tunprepared.JimKeenan,bloggerfromASalesGuy:“Weselltopeoplenotcontacts.Name,phone,emaildon’ttellusanythingaboutthepeoplewesellto.Knowingthemiskey,knowingthemmeansengagement.Socialmediagivesusthatplatform.”Pleasedonotbemistaken.TheinformationyoucanfindinyourCRMsystemisveryimportanttounderstandingthehistoryofaprospectorhowacustomerhasgrownwithyouandyourorganization.Thereisrealvaluethere.However,whenwearetalkingaboutsales,wehavethe
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opportunitytoaccessmuchmore.Takingadvantageofthatopportunityisthekeytosellingtoday.
Whenresearchingthistopic,wespoketoanumberofsalesexperts.Everyonesaidthesamething:theinformationisavailable,andyouhavetouseit.MikeDamphousse,CEOofGreenLeads:“AtGreenLeads,myrepslivewithdualmonitorsupalldaylong.Theydon’tthinkaboutpursuingcontactsanymore,theyarepursuingpeople.Peoplehavehistories,lives,andmoretothemthanjustphonenumbersandemailaddresses.Theinformationisthere.Useit.”
DaveBrockcalleditthe“360-degreeviewofthecustomer”andLoriRichardson,PresidentofScoreMoreSales,calleditthe“living,breathingsnapshot.”Loriontheinformationavailabletoday:“Theideaofcapturingstaticinformationaboutanyonein2012isonesmallpieceofwhatneedstohappenwhenitcomestoprospectivecustomers,activecustomers,andstrategicpartners.Yes,itisgreattohavenotesfrompastmeetingsandconversations,butcombinethatwithalloftheinformationthatcanbeculledinminutes(secondsreally)bycheckingupdatedsocialactivity.Moderntoolsaggregatethatactivitysothatyoucangetasortofa“living,breathingsnapshot”ofsomeoneyouareabouttomeetandthisneedstobedoneoften.Itshouldnotaddyouyourworkload,anditdoesn’thavetoifyoufocusonworkingsmart.(Spendlesstimegoingthroughemail,forexample,orscheduleitdifferently).”
Selling is about relationships, and relationships are about people – not faceless contact records
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SteveRichard,FounderandPresident,Vorsight:“Isacontactrecordaperson?IsSteveRichardnomorethanamarketingautomationleadscoreinsomeone’sCRM?Ofcoursenot.Whatmakesme,meandmyneeds,myneedsisverydifferentthananyoneelse.Sowhydowethinkdatabasemarketingcandoourconsultativeselling?Therealityisitcan’t–andyourjobissafe.Thefirsthumantouchpointisthemostcriticalpartofthesalesandmarketingprocess.Itisthepiecethatcan’tbedonebyacomputerandcan’tbeoutsourcedtoIndia.Why?Becausehumanbeingscangatherallthepiecesfromthesocialspheretocreateabetterpictureofaprospectthananycomputerevercould.Humanscanusethosekeypoints–whatweatVorsightrefertoas3x3Research–tocraftuniquetalkingpointsandquestionstoresonateimmediatelywiththatoneuniquehumanbeing.Thebestsalesrepscancaptureattention,developneeds,andcreateavisionfortheirprospectsbetterthananyemailcampaignevercould.Socialsellingisallaboutpeoplesellingtopeoplebetterthroughinformationthatourpredecessorsonlywishtheyhad.Todoanythinglessthansocialsellinginthisdayandageistocommitsalesmalpractice.”
CRMExpertandCEOofInitiumLLC/Innovantage,BrianVellmuresumseverythingup:
“Sellingisaboutrelationships,andrelationshipsareaboutpeople–notfacelesscontactrecords.Business,and
progressofanykind,isbuiltonrelationshipsandtrust.Usedeffectively,CRMstrategiesandthetoolsthatenabletheirexecutioncanhelpindividualsandorganizationsmaximizeimpactandreturnonsalesandmarketingeffortandinvestment.Toooften,recipientsaredegradedintoobjects,facelesscontactrecordsinadatabasetablethataresimplytargetedforone-sidedcorporategain.Thisoftentriggersrevolt.PerhapsthiswasbestarticulatedintheCluetrainManifesto:‘Wearenotseatsoreyeballs,orendusersorconsumers.Wearehumanbeingsandourreachexceedsyourgrasp-dealwithit.’Takingthetimetounderstandandrespondinawaythatresonateswithyourprospectsandcustomersisaprovenandsustainingbedrockofsalessuccess.Today’sdigitallandscapeallowsustoincreasinglyleveragestructuredandunstructuredinformationavailablefromawidevarietyofsourcestohelpdiscovercontextandinsightaboutthehabits,behaviors,andinterestsofourbuyers,withthegoalofcreatingvalueforthem.”
Selling to people really works – Zuora has tripled C-level outreach and increased lead conversion rates by 132%. Xactly has tripled qualified lead volumes and lead conversion rates, and increased win rates by 10%.
WhenIwrotethispieceandreachedoutforquotes,Ianticipatedthereceptionofwouldreceive.IfIlearnedonething:everyoneagrees.Movebeyondthecontactrecordandunderstandyourprospectsandcustomers.Thatseparatesthebestsalespeoplefromtherest.(Italwayshas.)
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3. More data is not the answer
Moredata,withoutproperfilters,canbemoreofadistractionthanabenefit.Salesteamsonlywantinformationtheyneed–notallthatdata.Lessismore.
DavidBrock:“Successisnotaboutthequantityorvolumeofdata,itisabouttheinformationthatgivesyouthecluestoconnectwithprospectsinameaningfulway.”
StuSilverman:“Timeistheenemyofsalespeople.”
Mostmanagersbelievemoredataistheanswer.Notenoughpipelineorsales?Thecommonrefrainis:“Weneedmorenames!”Thedataisoftenpurchasedonawholesalelevelwithmuchoftheinformationoldandzeroinsightintoprospecttheyaretryingtosellto.Theresultisoftennegative.WhendataisdumpedintotheCRM,salespeoplehavetoessentiallystartatthebeginningandsiftthroughthebaddataandattempttofindtherightpersontosellto.CRMExpertandCMOofTerametric,ChrisSelland:“Moredataismeaninglessandcanbeanegativewithoutanalyticsandinsight.Pilingmorehayonthestackdoesn’tmake
findingtheneedlesofinsightanyeasier.”Net-net,pilinginthedataachievestheoppositeofyourgoals–youactuallyguaranteetheywillnothittheirnumber.
Oncesalespeopleexperiencethepowerofleveragingsocialdata,theywillnevergoback.JimKeenan:“Dataisdead,salespeoplewantinformation.Informationisdatawithcontext.”SalesExpertMikeDamphousse:“’Givemeoneaccurateleadwithdeep,interestinginformation,not100garbageones.’That’swhatIhearfrommyreps.”Stuffingnamesinthedatabaseacknowledgesthatyoubelievesalesisaroulettewheelandthatyouaremakingtheoddslonger.
Whiledatawithcontextiscrucialtothesocialsellingprocess,becarefulnottogetstuckinthesameoldhabits.Findoutwhatdataismeaningfulwithoutgettingboggeddownwithinformationoverload.Youcanruntheriskofspendingtoomuchtimesiftingthroughsocialmediachannelsandlosesightoftheendgoal,justasyoucansiftingthroughtoomuchdata.JillKonrath,authorofSNAPSellingandSellingtoBigCompanies:“WhensalespeoplegetGoogleAlertsoneveryconceivableprospect,theygointooverwhelmmode.They’lleitherwastetimefollowinguponirrelevantnewsortotallymissthegoldenopportunities.”Accordingtothe2011CSOInsightsSalesOptimizationStudy,salesrepsspend24%oftheirtimeresearchingprospectsonaverage,timethatcouldotherwisebespentonselling.
“ Once sales people experience the power of leveraging social data, they will never go back. ”
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 20
Focusonwhat’simportantandwhatwillhelpyoumaketherightconnections.Talktoyourreps.Findoutwhatisworkingandfilteroutwhatisn’tsoyoucanstriketherightbalance.Thenyoucanarmyoursalesteamwiththetoolsandtrainingsotheycantargettherightpeopleattherighttimeandhitthemwiththerightmessage.
4. No more cookie-cutter process
Thesalesprocessmustbeadaptedtothecustomerneedsandmappedtofindingtherightperson,communicatingtherightmessage,attherighttime.
There are some critical reasons for this fundamental change:
1. Thenewbuyerdemandsthatyoufocusontheirneeds--thebuyingdynamichaschanged.Intheolddays,thevendorscontrolledinformationandthuscontrolledthebuyingprocess.Today,theinternetallowsbuyerstogetthevastmajorityoftheirresearchcompletedonline.Thebuyerisnowincontrol.Theyalwayswantedyoutounderstandtheirpainsandneeds,butintoday’ssellingenvironmenttheydemandit.JimKeenan:“Therehasneverbeenaplaceforcookiecutterselling.It’sjusttodayyoucan’tgetawaywithit.”
2. Youhavenoexcuse–Theinformationisoutthereforyoutoleverage.Beforeyoucallsomeone,youcandetermineiftheyaretherightperson,whatthemessageshouldbe,andwhetheritistherighttime.
Asalesprocessisabsolutelynecessary,buttheprocessandthesubsequenttrainingneedtoallowsalestomakeadjustmentsbasedontheavailableinformationforthesalespeople.FormerYankeeGroupCRManalystChrisSelland:“SalesprocessandCRMisallaboutreinforcingprocessconsistencybutittoooftenignoresthefactthatcustomersappreciateconsistencybutareevenmoreappreciativewhenyourecognizetheiruniqueneedsanddifferences.”
SalesexpertDavidBrock:“Salesprocessisaroadmap.Itcanyoutellthestreetsbutnottheroadconditions,potholes,weather,etc.AdaptingtothechangingconditionsisthesecrettogettingfrompointAtopointB.”
The old sales process playbook was as follows:
1. Buy/buildalistbasedontitleandcompanydemographics
2. Givesalesaone-size-fits-allscript3. Startcalling
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 21
The new sales process playbook:
1. Determinebuyerpersonas–theorganizationshoulddefinerolesversustitlesaswellaspainsandneedsoftheirtargetbuyer.
2. Identifyappropriatebuyerpersonasleveragingsocialdata–intoday’sworldyoucandeterminewhothepeoplewhoNEEDyouare.Thosearethepeopletoreachoutto.
3. Tailoryourmessage–understandthebuyerpersonas’currentpainsandinitiativesleveragingsocialdataandtailorthemessageBEFOREyoucalloremail.SalesexpertMariAnneVanella:“Sellingisn’tpitchinganymore—it’sdiscovering,partnering,solving.Theideaofaby-the-booksalesprocessisreallyreplacedwithhavingteammembersthataresituationallyfluent,abletothinkontheirfeetandcanmentallymapwhattheprospectistellingthemtotherighttopicsreal-time.”
4. Leveragetriggereventstocallattherighttime–triggereventsareeventsinabuyer’sworkenvironmentthatwillnecessitatechange.Anexampleofthisisalayofforexpansion.Smartsalesrepsfollowtheirprospectsandreachoutwhentheycanidentifychallenges
BillBinch,SeniorVPofSalesfromMarketo,laiditoutprettywell:“Therearenotrafficjamsintheextramile.
Acollegeprofessorgavemethisadviceandit’sstuckwithmetothisday.Hispointwasthatyouneedtodifferentiateyourselfandcutthroughthenoise,sodoitbyexceedingtheprospect/customer/clientexpectations.Millionsofyoungsalesprosaretaughtmethodologies,skills,andhavetoolstohelpthemreachaprospect.Butthebestgobeyondthat:
Is my message calibrated to the person I’m calling on?Thisisprettyeasytotalkabout,hardtodo.Weallknowweshoulddothis,butmanytimeswegotomarketwithaone-size-fits-allapproach.InsteadofchangingthemessagefortheC-leveltarget,wehitthemwithproductfeatures;andviceversa–wefocusonvalueandROIwiththeday-to-dayuserwhosimplywantstoknowhowtheproductworksandhowitwillmaketheirlifeeasier.ThebestrepsI’veworkedwithtakethecompanymessageandfine-tuneittothescenario,level,buyerandmakeitcustom.
Thisprovokesanotherkeypoint,though–themethodologyquestion.Todaymanycompaniesprescribetoafixed,heavymethodologythatisn’tnimbletorespondtoscenarios.TheanalogyI’duse
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 22
istheNYGiantsinthisyear’sSuperBowl.Theywentinwithastrategy,i.e.we’regoingtokeeptheballonthegroundforthefirsthalf.Underthatstrategyareanumberofplays.Buttheplayshaven’tbeencastforwhenthey’llrunthem–todecidethattheywatchthedefense,thenadjustbasedonfieldpositionetc.,adjustbasedontheotherteamperformance.Today’ssellingneedstodosimilar–asingleone-sizeapproachtosellingisoutofdate;scorecardsandplaybooksthatallowforreal-timerespondingandadjustmentsarethenewrage.
Am I calling the right role?Too high–we’retaughttocallhigh.ButdoestheCMOatCiscoreallyengageinthedecisiontobuywhatI’mselling?
Too low–amIsellinganexpensive,complexsolutiontoonlytheenduser?
Did I surround the account?IgetaprospectandIcallthem.MybossasksmewhyI’mmissingmynumberandIanswerIdon’thaveenoughleads.Really–didIcalljusttheprospectordidItrytosurroundtheaccount,learnwhotheprospectworksfor,andwhoworksforhim?Whoarethepeers?
Would I take call from me if I was on the other end?Thisisthetruetest.Afriendofmine,KeithHiggins,CMOatSymphonyServicessharedsomethingwithmethatIthoughtwasreallygood.Hesaidofalltheprospectingcallshegets,onemessageisreallygood.“Listen,Iknowyougetprospectcallsallthetime.WhatIwanttoknowis,howdoesyourcompanyevaluatebestpracticesandideasforXtechnologyandhowdoIgetmyselfincludedinthatdiscussion?”
It’sacallhetakeseverytimebecauseit’sreal.Hey,we’renotgonnalookatthatfor6months,butwhenwedowe’llcallyou.”
Attheendoftheday,itisimportanttorememberthatsellingtoeachbuyerindividuallyandsellingtotheirpainsandneedshaveALWAYSbeenbestpractices.Today,youcanapplythosebestpracticeswithconsistencyandlikely,withgreatresults.
5. Impact performance. Not reporting
Salespeoplearelookingfornewwaystosharpentheircompetitiveedge,notcreatemorereports.
DaveBrock:“CRMissoldtosalesmanagementandsonaturally,it’sbuiltforsalesmanagement,notforindividualsalesreps.”
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 23
IDCSalesAdvisory:“Only50%ofsalespeoplemadetheirquotain2010.”
IwonderifIDCSalesAdvisoryintheirresearchcouldreporthowmanyofthe50%whodidn’tmakequotausedaCRMsystemonadailybasis.Myguessisalmostallofthem.Wedon’tmeantounfairlybashtheCRMsystem;itisamission-criticalapplicationforrunningasuccessfulsalesforce.TheproblemistheCRMsystemdoesnothelpsalespeopleclosemoredeals.(Andifyouaskedthesalespeople,theywouldprobablytellyouthatallwithalltheclicks,thesystembogsthemdown.)
Theironyisinmanyways,theintentofaCRMsystemistoprovideknowledgeofthecustomerthatallowsyoutosellmoreeffectivelytothem,marketmoreeffectivelyto
them,servicemoreeffectivelytothem,andsoon.TheproblemistheCRMsystemfallsshort.ThereistoomuchdatabeingcreatedoutsideoftheCRMsystemthatsalescanusetopositivelyaffecttheirsellingeffectivenessthatCRMdoesn’tcapturetoday.Myfatherusedtotellme:“Ifyoudon’tget2xbackwhatyouputintosomething,it’snotworthit.”Forsalesreps,alltheydois“give”totheCRM.Theydon’tgetmuchback.JimKeenan:“It’sasalesperson’sjobtosell;it’sacompany’sjobtosupporttheminselling.Reportingdoesn’tsellanythingtoanyone.”
What’s the solution? There are a couple best practices in sales effectiveness:
1. Providereal-timecustomerinsightusingsocialcustomerdata–asDaveBrocksays:“Therich3-dimensionalperspectiveofthecustomercomesfromacombinationofCRMdataandliveinternetdata.”
2. Providethisdataeasily–theenemyofsalespeopleistime;iftheyhavetoclickmoreorgointotoomanyapplications,theywon’tdoit.
3. Ensuretheyunderstandwhatactionstotakeagainstthisinsight–today,thatmightcomeintheformoftraining.JillKonrath:“Notalltriggereventsarecreatedequal.Teachyoursalespeoplewhatthemostimportantonesareandwhy.Theyneed
“ It’s a sales person’s job to sell; it’s a company’s job to support them in selling. Reporting doesn’t sell anything to anyone. ”
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 24
tounderstandthebusinessimplicationsinordertocreaterelevantmessagingandmoveprospectsoffthestatusquo.“Inthefuturetheapplicationwillbeabletoprovidetheserecommendations.
Youwillbehard-pressedtofindasalespersonwhocan’tfindthevalueorcompetitiveadvantageinhavingreal-timedataabouttheirprospectsattheirfingertips.CRMexpertBrianVellmure:“Mostsuccessfulsalesexecutivesaren’treallyconcernedaboutallthenewthingsthattechnologycando.Atthefrontandcenteroftheirrealityismakingtheirnumber,showingupatoptheleaderboard,makingclub,andinsomecases,justkeepingtheirjob.Becauseofthis,theytendtobeagreatproxyforthevalidityofemergingtechnologies.
“Asasalesrep,ifIhave20,or200,or2000potentialinteractionsthatIcanchoosetoinvesttimein,Iwanttoknowwhichonesholdthehighestpotentialforthehighestreturn.Surfacingmeaningfulinsightsinthecontextofexistingpatternsofworkholdsthepotentialtohelpsalesprofessionalsbetterallocatetheirtimeandefforttomaximizerevenueforboththemselvesandtheorganizationsthatemploythem.”
ThemostobviousstatementIcouldpossiblymakeisactuallythefinalpoint:Thesalesmanager’sjobistomakehis/hersalesrepsasproductiveaspossible.Beforethey
“ Reports are meaningless if they are not actionable.”
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 25
requiretheirsalesrepstodosomething,theyshouldalwaysaskthemselvesthequestion:“Willthismakethembetter?”Enteringdataandhelpingyoucreatereportsisnotmakingthesalesrepsbetter.SalesguruJimKeenan:“Ifyouwantthesalesteamtoreport,thengivethemthetoolsandsupporttohavesomethingtoreport.”Throughoutmyresearchforthisproject,Icouldnotfindonesalesexpertwhodidnotemphasizetheimportanceofreal-timesocialintelligenceintheday-to-daylifeofasalesrep.Ifitmakesyoursalesrepsbetter,whywouldn’tyou?
6. From look-up to intelligence
Intelligencethatanticipatesneedsandprovidesrecommendations
ChrisSelland:“Reportsaremeaninglessiftheyarenotactionable-andifthoseactionsarenottaken.”
JimKeenan:“Predictiveanalyticsarewithoutadoubtthenewwave.Theyarealsoonlyasgoodastheinterpretation.Spendasmuchtimeonhowyouinterpretthedataasyoudorespondingtoit.”
Youhavethedata/intelligence,nowwhat?It’sinterestingthatJillKonrath’squoteontriggereventswasawarning:“Whensalespeoplegetsocialdataoneveryconceivableprospect,theygointooverwhelmmode.They’lleither
wastetimefollowinguponirrelevantnewsortotallymissthegoldenopportunities.”Themoralofthestory:Justbecauseyouhaveaccesstoinformationdoesnotmeanyouknowwhattodonext.Thereareacoupleofveryimportantfactorswhenleveragingsocialdata:
1. What information is actionable or not?–Justbecausethecompanyannouncedsomethingdoesnotmakeitimportanttoyourprospect’slife.Asocialmediaupdatealertingasalesreptoakeyprospect’sjob/rolechangecaneithersurfaceanewsalesopportunityorincreasetheriskthatanexistingsalesopportunitymightnotclose.Knowingaboutitattherighttimeiskey,withoutthesalesrephavingtospendlotsoftimelookingforit.Whatdoestheinformationmean?–Theinformationistellingyouwhattheclientcaresabout.Cantheindividualsalesrepdeterminethatthemselves?Therecouldbethousandsofpressreleasesandotherstreamsofinformationrelatedtomanyprospectsthatthesalesrepisworkingon.Itisnearlyimpossibleforthesalesreptoquicklyestablishthataspecificpressreleaseaboutamerger&acquisitionoranewcomplianceinitiativecouldeitherincreasehis/herlikelihoodofwinningtheopportunityunlessthesalesrepisautomaticallypresentedwiththeinformationintherightcontext.Thesocialinformationtobeavailableinthecontext
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 26
ofthelead,opportunity,oraccountinformationwithintheCRMsothatasalesrepcantakequickactiononit.
2. What is your next move?–Oncethesalesrephasthedata,whatshouldtheydonext?ThenextsourceofcompetitiveadvantageforsalesorganizationswillcomefromsystemsthatcananalyzesocialmediaandonlineconversationsaswellasCRMdata,torecommendthenextmoveforsalesreps.Forexample,ifsocialsellingsolutionscanrecommendtherightprospect(s)tofocusonatanygiventime,basedonhistoricalwinratesofsimilarprospects,thatwillproviderepsanimmensecompetitiveadvantageovertheirpeers.Inshort,thinkofitasaNetflixmovierecommendationbasedonyourpreferencesaswellasyourfriends’recommendationsthatsavesyoutonsoftimefindingtherightmovietowatch.
Thebaselinehasbeenestablished.Yoursalesrepsdeserveanapplicationthathelpsthemquicklyandefficientlyfindreal-timesocialintelligence.Thenextstepisfortheapplicationtorecommendwhattodonext–thatisthekillersalesapplication.DanWaldschmidt:“Gonearethedaysofusingsocialtoolsastriggers.Today’ssocialtoolsshoulddriveinterpretation.Theyprovidemeaningtothebehavioroftheprospect.GonearethedaysofCRM
tomanagesalescustomeractivity.Today’sCRMshouldmanagecommunityactivity.Ideallytheseplatformswilltriageconversationsandprovideintelligence.”
Theonlywaysalesorganizationswillbeabletobuildtheirsalesteamstoleveragesocialdatainscalablewayswillbetoensurethatsalesrepshaveanapplicationthatcaninterpretandproviderecommendationsforthem.It’snotaseasyasitusedtobewherewehadonemessage,onebuyingtypeandwesolvedeverythingwithscripts.SteveRichard,Co-FounderofVorsight:“Justlikeanexpertplumberknowshowtousehismanytoolsinuniquewaystofixthepipes,somustsalespeoplebetrainedonhowtointerpretandusesocialsellingtoolsinordertoreachtherightpersonwiththerightmessageattherighttime.Trainingaloneisn’tenough.”Wemustequipoursalesteamstobeagileandreactontheirfeet.Thatisthefutureofselling.
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 27
Intheory,socialsellinghastremendouspotential.However,inpracticeitmayprovedifficulttotranslatesocialmediaeffortsintodistinctROIandcashflow.Whilesomecompaniesmayboastabouthowtheyhave40,000followersonTwitterand10,000Facebooklikes,whatdoesthismeanfortheirbottomline?Howcanweactuallyvisualizeandsolidifythesocialsalesfunnel?
B2Ccompanieshavebeenthepioneersinusingsocialmediatomonitorcustomerconversationsandidentifyopportunitiestonotonlyaddresscustomercomplaintsaboutaproductorservice,butalsotofindnewleads.Almosteveryonerecallsexamplesofairlines,hospitalitycompanies,andmanyotherB2Ccompaniesusingsociallisteningeffectively.
B2BcompaniesareimitatingthebestpracticesdevelopedbyB2Ccompaniesnotonlybecauseoftheresultsthey’reachieving,butalsobecauseevenB2Bcustomersareexpectingthatcompanieswillfollowtheirconversationsonsocialmediaandtakeaction,insteadofexpectingthemtointeractwiththecompaniesthroughtraditionalchannels.
Perhapsthebestwaytoexaminesocialsellingapartfromgeneralsocialmediaeffortsistolookatsuccessesthatbrandsandsalespeoplehavehadinwinningcustomersover.Thefollowingsocialsuccessstoriesfallintotwocategories:salesthathavebeenmadethroughlisteningandmonitoringsocialmedia,andsalesthathavebeenmadethroughthereachofsocialmedia.
Real-Life Success Stories
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 28
Listening for Social Sales
Liketheage-olddeskphone,socialmediaisanothertoolinthesalesperson’sarsenaltobringincustomers.However,socialmediahastheaddedbenefitofallowingforopen,transparentconversationsthatsalescancapitalizeon.
Let’simagine,forinstance,thatyou’reasalesmanatacarcompany.Onedayyoupickupthephonetomakeacall,onlytooverhearacompletelyrandomconversationbetweentwostrangersabouthowthey’relookingtobuyanewmodelofthecaryou’reselling.Sociallisteningallowsforthetargetingofprospectsinanimmenselypowerfulway.AaronEden,FounderofGarious,outlineshowJayThompson,arealestateagentinPhoenix,usedthistactictobringinnewcustomers:
1. Effective targeting:HesetupHootSuitetoreceivenotificationsoftweetsincludingkeywords“moving”and“Phoenix.”
2. Soft Selling:Whenhereceivedthetweet,heofferedhispotentialclientsunconditionalhelpandmadeitclearthathewaswillingtoansweranyquestionstheyhad.Nopressure!Noobligation.
Otherrealtorsstarted“harassing”thesamepeople.So,whentheyneededhelpforfindingahometobuy,theyaskedforJay’shelp.
[Onetime,he]wasaveryclosetoasalebuthisclient’smovingplanschangedandtheyendedupnotcomingtoPhoenixbuttheyreferredmassivenumberofpeopletohim.(Hisgenuinehelpturnedcompletestrangersintobrandadvocates.)”
Byusingasocialdashboardtomonitorspecifickeywords,Thompsonwasabletoidentifyandbringinnewcustomersthatwerealreadywarm,qualifiedleads.Weseethesamemethodsappliedtowinovercustomersfromcompetingbrands:
RalfVonSosen,VPofInsideView:“Inseveralinstanceswehavefoundprospectsthatwereinconversationswithcompetitors,orlookingforinformationwherewewereabletoinsert(tactfully)ourselvesintotheconversation.Wehavedonethisonthemarketingsidetoteeuptheprospectforthesalesrep,aswellassenttheinfotothesalesrepforthemtoinsertthemselvesdirectlyintotheconversation.
Social listening allows for the targeting of prospects in an immensely powerful way
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 29
“Ifwemaintainedaninformationalandhelpfultone,wehaveseentheprospectsbeveryresponsiveandappreciativeonourinput.
“Thegreatthingabouttheseopportunities[is]thatbydefaultthetimingisrighttohaveameaningfulconversation.WhathasbeencriticalforusistoalsosupplementtheinfowegatherfromTwitterwithmoreinformationabouttheperson.”
AlexShootman,ChiefRevenueOfficeratEloqua:“JustacoupleofmonthsagooneofoursalespeoplewasonTweetDeckandnoticedapersonreallystrugglingwithacompetitiveofferingtoours.Therepreachedout,helpedthepersonwiththeirissue,theybegantobuildarelationshipandwetookoutacompetitorfromthataccountwithinthelastfewweeks.”
Byremainingvigilantaboutconversationsthatarehappeningacrosssocialmedia,salesrepshavetheopportunitytoreachouttotherightpersonattherighttime,ratherthanblindlycastingoutalinetoseewhobites.
Itgoeswithoutmention,too,thatwhilesociallisteningcanaidinbringinginnewcustomersandwinoverclientsfromthecompetition,sotoocanitnurtureexistingcustomers.ByusingnetworkssuchasTwitter,LinkedInandblogstofosteranexistingcustomerbase,companiescanestablisharelationshipthatspansbeyondsimplysigningthedeal.Thisfollow-upnurturingcanaidincustomerreferralsandproductrenewals.Sowhilelisteningandmonitoringcancertainlyhelpinmakingtheinitialsale,therelationshipcannot,andcertainlyshouldnot,endthere.
Brand Reach for Social Sales
Socialsellingcastsawidenettoprospects,customers,third-partybloggers,evangelists,analysts,andadvocates.Throughthesuccessstoriesbelow,you’llbeabletoseehowsocialmediaprovidesasupplementtolivesalesconversations,howitallowsforextendednurturingofprospects,andhowyourcontenthastheabilitytogeneratesales.Andthebestpart:oncetheattentionofoneuseriscaptured,wordspreadsorganicallythroughtheirnetworks.Manyofthesuccessstorieswe’veseenthroughreachand“talking”(asopposedtolistening)happenbynurturingusersorpotentialcustomers–drawingthemtoabrand’ssocialnetwork,postingrelevantcontent,askingthemquestions,andthenfollowingup.
“ By default the timing is right to have a meaningful conversation. “
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 30
It’simportanttonotethat,whilemanycompaniescantracetheirsalesoriginallybacktosocialmedia,thesechannelscannotanddonotreplacephoneconversationsandin-personmeetings.Socialmediamaybetheoriginationpointofthesale,butitisnottheplacewherethesedealsaretypicallyclosed.
DaveBrock,PresidentandCEO,PartnersInEXCELLENCE,emphasizeswheresocialmediasitsforhiminhiscompany’ssalesprocess:
“Socialmediahasbeenanimportantpartofanumberofsales,buthasneverbeentheexclusivecomponent.…Ithinkwhatwe’velearnedisthatsocialmediaisjustoneelementofaprospectingapproach,butweneedtobuildtheengagementthroughmultiplechannelssimultaneously.Weneverexpectsomeonetotweetusanorder–becausethat’snotthewaypeoplebuyourtypesofservices.Butsocialmediaisanimportantcomponentofextendingourvisibilityandawarenessinourtargetmarkets.Forus,lastyearcloseto70%ofournetnewnamebusinessoriginatedthroughsomesortofsocialmediacontact--butnoneofthemwereclosedthroughasinglechannelorthroughsocialmediaexclusively.”
Socialchannelsareagreatwaytogeneratebrandawareness,andtheyarealsoanidealnurturingchannel.Whiletheycannotsupplementthesenseoftrustonefeels
atmeetingsomeoneinperson,socialmediacanservetostrengthenandextendrelationshipswithprospectsovertime,withthehighprobabilityofaneventualsale.MattHeinz,presidentofHeinzMarketingInc,detailsasuccessthroughthislengthy–butultimatelyrewarding–nurturingprocess:“Acouplemonthsago,IgotacallfromtheCEOofafast-growingtechnologycompanyontheEastCoast.Wehadmetataconferencetwoyearsago.Atthetime,IdidwhatIusuallydowithpeopleImeetatevents–followedupimmediatelyafter,invitedhertojoinmynewsletterlist,putherintomynurturemarketingsystems,andprettymuchmovedon.
“Then,outoftheblue,shecalled.Herbusinessisexploding,andshewantedhelporganizingandacceleratinghermarketingefforts.Lessthanaweeklater,shewasarecurring-revenueclientforourbusiness.“Ononehand,that’soneofthefastestdealswe’veclosedandtheleastamountofworkI’veputintoapitch.Ontheotherhand,Iworkedthatdealhardfortwoyears.TheCEOhadbeenreadingmynewsletter,followingmyblogandTwitterfeed,andknewIcouldhelpherwithexactlywhatsheneededdone.
Atleast33%ofournewbusinessnowcomesfromsocialmediaandcontentmarketing.”
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 31
Contentmarketingandsocialsellinghavemanykeypointsofintersection.Bycreatingcontentthatistargeted,relevant,andeasytoconsume,companiescanestablishthemselvesasthoughtleadersinaspace,whichinevitablyleadstocustomertrustandsales.
CandyceEdelen,CEOofProperGrowth:“Wewritecontentforourblog,whichwepromoteinseveralsocialchannelsincludingTwitter,LinkedIn,andonindustryforumsandknowledgecommunities.We’vewonseveralclientsinpartbecausetheyfollowusinthosechannels…Welinkourblogtoourprofiles,anddostatusupdatestopromoteourcontent.Peopleregularlytellmethattheyfeellikethey’reuptospeedwithwhatwe’redoingbecauseofthestatusupdates.Inmostcases,publishingthecontentonindustryknowledgecommunitieshasalsohadastronginfluence.Wepublishonasitethathasstricteditorialstandardsaroundthecontent-noadvertorials.Thatsitehasastronginfluenceinourtargetmarketandhasbeenapowerfulresource.”
Hereliesthepowerfulintersectionofcontentmarketingandsocialselling;bymakingcontentavailablethrough
socialchannels,yourcontenthasthepotentialtobespreadforgeneralawarenessandconsumption…It’sthe“viral”factor.Then,whetherornotyou’recapturingviewerdemographics,theopportunitiestospreadbrandawareness,nurturecustomers,andselltheproductareallthere.Bylistening,conversing,andrelayingcontenttoanaudienceofprospects,brandscaneasilysetthewheelsinmotiontoestablishmeaningfulconnectionsand,ultimately,makethesale.
“ At least 33% of our new business now comes from social media and content marketing.“
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 32
ExpertsBarbara Giamanco,SocialCenteredSelling,LLCMiles Austin,FilltheFunnelAnneke Seley,PhoneWorksMatt Heinz,HeinzMarketingCraig Rosenberg,FocusDave Brock,PartnersinEXCELLENCEKevin Gaither,BetterWorksJim Keenan,ASalesGuyMike Damphousse,GreenLeadsLori Richardson,ScoreMoreSalesBrian Vellmure,InitiumLLC/InnovantageSteve Richard,VorsightStu Silverman,SalesRampChris Selland,TerametricJill Konrath,SNAPSellingMari Anne Vanella,TheVanellaGroupBill Binch,MarketoJill Rowley,EloquaAlex Shootman,EloquaRalf VonSosen,InsideViewNigel Edelshain,TurnToNetworksJosiane Feigon,TeleSmartJeffrey Gitomer,AceofSalesMichael Lodato,NetworkHardwareResaleKoka Sexton,InsideView
Blogswww.fillthefunnel.com
www.phoneworks.com/learning-center/blog/
www.tele-smart.com/blog/
Websiteswww.socialmediaexaminer.com
www.slideshare.net/heinzmarketing/secrets-to-successful-social-selling
www.socialmedia-academy.com/index.php/resources/social-selling/
www.socialsellingu.com
Books“The Now Revolution”byAmberandJayBaer“Social Boom”byJeffreyGitomer“No More Cold Calling”byJoanneBlack
Other places to browsewww.slideshare.net
Best Resources to Learn About Social Selling
The Definitive Guide to Social Selling: How to Sell to People, Not Contacts 33
About InsideView
InsideView,theleadingproviderofsalesintelligence,increasesproductivityandrevenuebydeliveringrelevantbusinessandsocialinsightstothepointofneed.Ouraward-winningtechnologygathersandanalyzesinformationfromthemostrelevantsocialmedia,user-contributedandtraditional/proprietaryeditorialsourcestoprovidecompellinginsightsaboutcompaniesandcontactsdirectlywithinyourCRM,browser,ormobiledevice.Morethan100,000salesprofessionals,andover1,000market-leadingcompaniesincludingAdobe,AIG,BMC,CapGemini,Experian,andSuccessFactorsuseInsideView.
Formoreinformation,visitwww.insideview.com.
About Focus
Focus.commakestheworld’sbusinessexpertiseavailabletoeveryone.AttheheartofFocusisanetworkofthousandsofleadingbusinessandtechnologyexpertswhoarethoughtleaders,veteranpractitionersandupstartinnovatorsinhundredsofdifferenttopicsandmarkets.YoucanconnectwiththeFocusexpertsinthreeprimaryways:Q&A,ResearchandEvents.PersonalizeyourFocus.comexperiencebyfollowingspecifictopicsandexpertsandreceivetheQ&A,researchandeventsofinteresttoyou.Focusiseasytouseandfreelyavailabletoanyonewhowantshelpmakingbetterbusinessdecisions.
Learnmoreatwww.focus.com.
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