Social Selling: Essential for valuable relationships and success in sales!

Social Selling & Networking is a critical competency for sales. At Social Sales, we have defined social selling as, "Cultivating contacts through networking, insights and conversations with the goal of building long-term relationships is the core of Social Selling."

The goal of Social Selling is never to sell directly through online media or digital platforms, but rather to strengthen relationships and generate leads. In the modern business world, old-fashioned cold calling and random approaches are no longer effective.

Our coaching sessions show that the Social Selling competency is still underdeveloped. It is essential that sales teams further develop their social and networking skills. Research has shown that B2B buying behavior is changing and that technology is an essential tool for gathering knowledge and ultimately closing deals. Nearly 73% of sales professionals who invest in the use of social and online media use digital tools to find more information about their target audience, make contact and get in front of prospects. Also, 89% of sales professionals indicate that networking platforms are critical to their day-to-day operations.

Social Selling success is not just about technology and having an online presence. It is about the value you add to your network as a person, as a human being, and how you leverage these valuable insights. The changing buying process requires a different approach to lead generation.

Some 51% of decision makers emphasize trust as the most important factor when choosing a salesperson. With 90% of business decision makers searching for new services and products through Google and 75% of them using LinkedIn to find trusted partners, we as sales professionals need to invest in Social Selling. Trust remains critical in business transactions. Did you know that customers value brands and services better when sales professionals spend ample time building human relationships and showing genuine attention. This is where technology and "cultivating contacts and using social networks" come into the picture.

By sharing valuable content and connecting networks, you can become the industry expert in your field or region. This ensures that potential partners and clients find you without having to apply traditional cold acquisition. It takes time and investment to develop this personalized approach. It is not only important to share information about your company or employer on social media, for example, white papers or ebooks. It is of greater importance to understand what information your network is looking for and how you can help them. In addition, you can add value by making connections between people who are looking for each other. This shows that you care about your network and act personally.

In conclusion, based on experiences with SalesStep assessments, it is clear that developing competition Social Selling & Networking should be the top priority for commercial management and sales managers. 

Is Social Selling already on your priority list? Want an assessment for your team or yourself as a manager? Read more here What we can do for you with SalesStep!