The Role of Social Media in Sales

How Do You Use Social Media to Prospect?

The traditional sales process has waned as our culture has evolved on a digital platform.  Today, prospecting techniques include more than printed materials and sales calls.  Social Media has become one of the strongest ways to reach your pipeline.  75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-level executives, use social media for purchasing decisions. According to an article published by the IDC in Feb 2014.   That is a huge departure from 10 years ago.  Another study conducted by IDC concluded that an average of 50% of IT purchases never involved the sales team. HALF of IT sales are made without SALES involved.  HALF.

Where are decision makers getting their information?

Good question and the answer is your business’s online presence. The role of social media in sales is becoming a dynamic part of the sales process. More decision makers are researching their options before you can talk to them. Many times your sales team will never get a prospect to answer the phone before they have qualified you for a RFQ or asked you for a meeting.  Most decision makers already know your product or service before they consider talking to you. They are doing this research online in alarming numbers. The more complex the product or service, the more informed the buyer is.

If you are not a presence on the web, decision makers will not even consider your business. According to the Harvard Business Review in April of 2015:

 “90% of decision makers say they never respond to cold outreach.”

What does that mean for social media in sales?

The decision makers are not answering phones for cold calls. They are not reading postcards. Moreover, they are on radio silent during decision-making processes. They are pre-qualifying you before your sales team can get them on the phone, or get them to respond to an e-mail. The line has completely blured between sales and marketing. Your online presence is your first and often last chance to leave an impression. What do you want your potential customers to remember?  Make that impression count. social media professionals work with your sales team to improve lead qualification. The idea is simple, the buyer will already know you before you say your first word.

Let us help you develop dynamic campaigns that tackle the new world of sales.  Contact us today and let’s start the discussion.