Why don’t all salespeople believe in social selling? Perhaps the short answer to this question is that we don’t always do what is good for us. We should go to the gym every day. We should reach for a bottle of water, not a can of soda. You get the idea.
When it comes to social selling, I think the reasons run a bit deeper. Here are a few that I have witnessed:
Not everyone is an early adopter
Even now, social media is still in its infancy. Some of us have found utility in it personally or professionally, while others have not. There is no question that as our world continues to evolve, no one will be able to avoid using social media in some capacity. But, not everyone is there yet.
Old habits die hard
Most of the current generation of experienced salespeople learned their trade utilizing traditional methods of prospecting, outreach, and customer service. While many have engaged in social media for personal use, they haven’t figured out how to bridge their use of social media into the business world. For someone who has had a successful selling career to this point, introducing new techniques can be uncomfortable and even distracting.
They’re timid about using social media to connect
As counter-intuitive as it sounds for a salesperson to be timid, not all of them are comfortable using social media to connect with prospects or engage with their current customers. Some feel it’s intrusive or inappropriate to reach out through social media. The fact is, if a salesperson feels this way, it is most likely because they haven’t figured out how to add value in a social context. It could mean that they need more support around content marketing or more training about how to share insights productively through social media channels.
They don’t think it’s their job
“Doesn’t marketing do that?”. I’ve heard this phrase uttered numerous times for all kinds of things over the years, but most recently as it relates to the social sphere. The fact is, we are all advocates for our organizations and no more so than on social media. Social selling can only work when trained salespeople leverage social platforms to amplify valuable content to their personal networks.
What can a business do to mold their salespeople into social selling dynamos? Here are a few ideas:
- Help them get comfortable using social platforms where you feel there is the greatest chance of engaging with target customers. This means assisting salespeople with creating strong profiles that demonstrate the value they can deliver for customers.
- Train them on what to share and when. Your social selling program should be fueled by a well mapped out content marketing program designed to provide content that is valuable to your customer base at each stage of the buying cycle.
- Demonstrate how they can mine for new prospects, create new connections, and enhance their credibility.
- Get them to share success stories with each other and show them the impact that their efforts are having in terms of closed business, opportunities, or amplification of your brand.
Social selling is an ongoing process that requires constant tweaking. But, with some effort and focus, this approach can yield incredible results.