social selling
Rules of Engagement ASHISH S. VAZIRANI
Many people confuse social selling with social media. They think it’s a relatively new phenomenon.
The truth is social selling is as old as the concept of sales itself. Empathy, relationship building, active listening, pro- viding insight, and reinforcing value are all essential. New collaboration platforms and virtual communi- ties haven’t changed the rules of engagement, but they have changed the tools of engagement. If selling hasn’t changed, what selling skills should we emphasize that social media will enhance?
TRAITS OF A SOCIAL SALESPERSON ZS Associates found that successful salespeople possess the following characteristics: • An attitude focused on superior customer value creation, differentiation, and experience
• A disciplined and diligently executed customer engagement plan
• A highly motivated, performance-focused commit- ment to “getting it done” and “doing it right”
With these characteristics, the following “tricks” enabled by social tools can enhance the salesperson’s effectiveness.
Use the right channels to engage and listen. The effec- tive salesperson will identify and use the right channels not only to engage customers and prospects but also to learn about and listen for the issues that are important to them. This creates an opportunity for salespeople to offer insights in a relevant manner – through channels their customers are using every day. Realize you don’t have to create your own content. Curating content helps you provide value and stay top- of-mind with customers and prospects. Plus, it doesn’t impose on your time like creating something new. Use social to collaborate, not talk about yourself. Imagine how unpopular someone would be at a party
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if he or she talked only about himself or herself without concern for engaging others in the conversation. Using platforms to broadcast is a sure way to alienate an audi- ence. In the end, this style of communication creates more noise and is certain to damage one’s credibility as a thought leader – or, even worse, ensure excommuni- cation from online communities. Done strategically and thoughtfully, social channels provide a forum for dia- logue that can cut through the noise and offer impactful insights that will resonate. Successful sellers have always recognized the impor- tance of applying these concepts to developing relation- ships with customers. In the end, it’s not the salesperson with more than 1,000 contacts on LinkedIn or a hashtag guru on Twitter who will close the most deals and cultivate lasting relationships. The rewards will go to the person who knows how to listen, collaborate, engage, and deliver meaningful solutions. This is the way it has always been.
Ashish S. Vazirani is a principal at ZS Associates. Contact him at
ashish.vazirani@
zsassociates.com.
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