process continues to rise. For those new to social selling maybe this
explanation might help “Social Selling is a process whereby sales
professionals engage and build relationships with decision makers
through sharing of content and information”. This can be achieved by
subtle input into conversations and publishing articles on the various
social media channels. Creating relevant and engaging content which is
then shared will get you noticed as a knowledgeable ally and thought
leader. Buyers have adapted to using Social Media for vendor evaluation,
so business and sales must also adapt, or get left behind.
Here are this month’s Social Selling tips:
1. Social Selling Training:
Social selling training is as important as sales training.
It has been found that 93% of salespeople have not been formally coached
on the social selling process. Whilst another study has found that
LinkedIn is utilized at least once weekly for an average of 6 hours by
96% of salespeople. Considering 93% of sales professionals have not been
trained on social selling, therefore they do not understand how to
social sell – why are 96% of them spending roughly 6 hours per week on
the networking site?
To combat this, I would suggest specific training days lead by a social
selling expert. I believe the sales professionals will adapt better to
an industry expert relaying the information, rather than assuming it is
just a random strategy being pushed by the management team.
For social selling to be prosperous, it must be fully integrated into
the whole sales process and every sales person needs to know what is and
what is not social selling.
After the coaching, the sales team should engage in an exercise to test
their knowledge of social selling, and present their findings to confirm
they understand the process.
2. Create A Social Selling Policy:
The sales and marketing teams need to work together to
share information and KPI’s on social selling. Everyone in sales and
marketing needs to have a clear understanding of what exactly social
selling is, how it is measured and how they should approach it. This
strategy will not work unless everyone understands it. Social selling is
not smash and grab. Sales teams need to be aware that it is a gradual
and subtle process that will benefit them hugely in the longer term.
Ensure the rules on content sharing, social media profiles and
interactions are clearly defined as sales professionals who engage
potential buyers in a pushy manner will only damage the brand and
business reputation. At the beginning of this process, it is important
to set guidelines and assist the sales team in order to protect the
brand, by ensuring that only approved content and messages are
publically shared.
3. Build Credibility
Sales professionals are the face of the company, they
represent the brand and therefore must focus on enhancing the company’s
reputation as well as their own. Establishing a strong influencing
presence within a given industry can be done through regular engagement
on social media platforms; LinkedIn Groups, Twitter and Facebook.
Social networks can be utilized to display industry knowledge, focusing
on challenges prospects may have, and sharing solutions to these
problems. Genuine engagement and input into social conversations while
sharing great content will establish the “social seller” as a trusted
advisor. Others will notice input and contributions which may kick-start
a business discussion. Remember; select groups and conversations that
potential customers are interested in, then position yourself as a
thought leader within THEIR industry.
Everyone’s LinkedIn profiles should be professional, such as head shot
photos against a neutral background with the company logo in it, NOT a
cute photo from the weekend with strobe lights and lasers in the
background. Do not be afraid to ask for recommendations and endorsements
from colleagues or alumni. To improve credibility means striving to be
original and write engaging content to get noticed. Always remain
professional, genuine and credible
Published from an original article at
Social Selling Tips of the Month | Instant Lead Generation For Social Selling
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