How to Use Social Selling to Increase Sales

Written by Rick Rea

How to Dramatically Increase Sales With Social Selling

What is Social Selling

​Social selling is the use of social media by sellers and or salespeople to interact directly with potential customers. Salespeople add value by answering potential customer questions and offering thoughtful content until the prospect is ready to buy. The use of social media in sales allows sellers to connect with potential customers without interrupting their daily lives through cold calling and hard sales. 

The Days of Phone and Email Selling ar Over!

The days when only phone and email were used to reach potential customers are over. Social selling is a relatively new concept whereby salespeople use social platforms to reach potential customers and share thoughtful content to increase sales. 

Social Media Marketing Is At The Forefront

In terms of the sales funnel, social media marketing is at the forefront and social selling helps drive potential customers. In short, social selling refers to the use of online media to identify and connect with potential customers. 

The goal of Social Selling is not only to increase your sales figures online but to lead meaningful discussions with your prospects. ​

However, in the case of Social Selling, the sales representative uses social and professional networks to gain insight into the target audience.

What Social Selling is Not

Social Selling is the art of using social media to find, connect, understand and promote sales opportunities.

To explain what social selling means, it may be equally important to explain what social selling is not.

Social selling is not just about gaining access to contacts, but about building relationships and looking for the right moment to participate in the conversation so that you can present yourself as a solution to a problem. ​

Social Selling Gets You Past More Gatekeepers

Apart from traditional sales processes, fewer gatekeepers need to be put through your process to reach your decision makers when Social Selling. The wealth of available data when Social Selling makes it easier to identify valuable potential customers and improve conversion rates.

By using social media to interact directly with potential customers, Social Selling has been proven to generate new leads, maintain relationships, and improve overall productivity.

Social Selling To Build Relationships

More and more sales teams are focusing on generating numbers when it comes to leadership and working to build better online relationships.

Some salespeople are reluctant to use social media for communication because it may not be as formal and easy to track an email, but Social Selling has certain benefits.

​Regular contacts with potential customers and social media customers give you instant insights into your customers, build relationships, and encourage them to use your products. The consistent exposure to your social media audiences will keep you top of mind.

Social selling is primarily about helping and building relationships with your potential customers across multiple social media networks.

LinkedIn provides the ideal platform for small businesses with limited time and budget to find these potential customers and start building relationships.

Remember, if you do not build relationships and do not help your potential customers, someone else will.

Social Selling Is One Of The Best and Fastest Sales Funnels 

Soon most organizations salespeople will be will be busy spending time on social media channels Social Selling to fill the top their sales funnels for their products and services.

Nowadays, most winning organizations are increasingly sales by using social media tools throughout the sales process with Social Selling being at the forefront.

Social Selling Leaders get way better results.

Social Selling Leaders Get Better Results

1. 78% of Social Selling leaders outsell peers who don't use social media.
2. Social Selling leaders are 51% more likely to reach quota.
3. Social Selling leaders create 45% more opportunities than peers with lower SSI.

Whether you use your professional network on LinkedIn for sales promotion or build your Twitter community to nurture relationships in your industry, social selling is a powerful tool for your sales arsenal.

B2C business owners and sales professionals may not know exactly what that means.

And no: Once again Social Selling is not the same as social media marketing or just another buzzword in the industry.

Imagine Social Selling as a form of inbound marketing that can boost sales in all niches.

Many companies are struggling to determine their return on investment (ROI) from their social media promotions

Big Return On Investment with Social Selling

As you see above from LinkedIn has research and has proven that Social Selling when done right has a huge return on investment (ROI). 

How To Get a Huge ROI on Social Selling

7 Key Items Needed For A Successful Social Selling Program

1. ​Professional Social Selling Training for Company Executives
2. Comprehensive hands on team training.
3. Social Selling Strategy and Plan.
4. On-Going Managed Team Support.
5. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Management and Measurement. 
6. World Class Social Selling Analytics. 
7. On-Going Real-Time Reporting to Executives. 
8. Employee Advocacy With Integrated Sharing. (with point system) 

What Companies Have To Embrace When Social Selling 

Only a structured, systematic approach to Social Selling leads to the desired and required sales results. 
​
And while a trained social seller can deliver impressive results, only an educated sales force that has the full backing of the executive team and marketing department can truly deliver remarkable sales results.

To find out how you can have a remarkable Social Selling program contact us at Social Selling HQ.

Written By: Rick Rea

Marketing and Advertising Expert
"Top 1% Endorsed for Advertising in the US" - LinkedIn

Contact:
LinkedIn
Twitter
​Facebook