There’s no question that the buying process has changed and that social media has become a very important channel to stay connected with your buyers during traditionally dark periods in the sales process.
With so much information about any product or service online, what it means to be a sales person has entirely changed. What does exactly does this mean?It means sales people have an entirely new new set of roles and responsibilities when it comes to winning new business.
Today’s modern buyer wants and strategic consultant who brings expertise to the the call. It also means that to even get to a call, one must prove worth through a series of value tests. Modern buyers have had their time wasted by unprepared sales people who provide no more value than a Google search on their product or company. It is because of this prolonged exposure that buyers have evolved and are trained to avoid sales people at all costs
What can a modern sales rep do to provide value and earn the right to be considered my buyers in the process? The answer is simple – provide valuable content that your buyers will find useful and help them when they need insight. This requires connecting with your prospects over the right social channels, following the proper etiquette of these channels, and sharing the right content at the right cadence that allows you to stay top of mind but not annoying.
Through continuous activity with prospects in this way, the foundation of a trusted relationship will be built to a point where you are the only logical option when the prospect becomes ready to buy.
Social media is not for the hard sell, it’s a place to build trust and credibility with your buyers.
(Editor's Note: This post was originally posted on rFactr's blog. rFactr's social sales program provides sales organizations with an easy way to activate their team on social channels, enabling them to connect with prospects and begin the sales process earlier in the sales cycle. Learn more... )