Don't Bother With Social Selling...

Don't bother with social selling, It won't last.....

Cold calling has been around for decades now, it worked then, it works now so it will always work. People prefer speaking to a real person and so you will never see the end of phone calls and face to face appointments.

Wait, I feel like I've heard this before?

I'm sure they had the same conversations at Blockbuster.

"We don't have to worry about online video, it won't amount to anything"

There's a high chance they also had similar conversations at Toys R Us.

"There's no risk with online retailers and supermarkets selling toys, people will always want to buy from a toy shop"

There are countless lists of businesses who have struggled or ultimately failed because they refused to accept change.

They ignored the signs, stuck to what they knew and were comfortable doing and thought that would always work. Blockbuster (along with poor leadership) didn't embrace the online revolution. Toys R Us refused to change anything whilst the online and supermarket based competition created easier and cheaper options.

The world changes, people change and to survive in business, and in sales, you need to be able to adapt.

Change is happening whether you like it or not

Whether you want to accept it or not, change is happening. Right now buyers are purchasing more online than ever before. They're interacting more online than ever before. More and more people have phones than ever before, but less of them are using them to make calls. Instead phones are now a hub for social media, instant messaging and video.

If you don't embrace change then you face the very big risk of your competitors doing it first. While you're struggling to get the decision maker on the phone, your competition may be connecting with them on social media. While you're struggling with gatekeepers, they're probably sharing content with them and adding value. By the time you get through to them they've built a relationship, built trust and booked a meeting.

Don't bother with social selling....

As a competitive sales professional, if you don't want to bother with social selling then that's fine, it gives me and every sales professional embracing social media a HUGE advantage.

As someone genuinely passionate about the sales industry I would encourage everyone working in sales to take it more seriously. It's not some buzz word or some fad, your buyers now and in the future are on social media. If you're not utilising that to sell then you're really missing out.

Will it last though?

Of course it will, if decision makers now are utilising social media what do you think will happen when the future decision makers who are Gen X + Y/ Millennials? These generations literally live through social media, online interaction and buying online. If you think cold calling, emailing and networking will be the key sales activities then, you're in for a big surprise.

Personally I've done both, I have no issue cold calling and no issue social selling. I've sold plenty via both. I know right now cold calling still works and I know social selling is also very successful. Looking ahead however I can't help but believe that social selling will become far more significant.

A sales professional your sales process should be defined by your buyer. Why would you build a system based around anything else? If your buyers are buying online or through social media, then that's where you need to be. There are some industries where this isn't the case, however it's unlikely they will stay the same forever.

Change is inevitable and it's the companies and people who adapt, embrace it and utilise it that come out on top.

What do you think?

I'd love to know your honest thoughts, do you think social selling will last or do you think it won't?

Do you think cold calling will work when younger generations are occupying decision maker positions?

Please add your thoughts in the comments box below, there's usually a 50/50 split with opinion so I'm curious to see if that's still the case.

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About the author: Daniel Disney is the Founder and Owner of The Daily Sales. With 15+ years successful sales and sales management experience, Daniel is the author of one of the most popular sales blogs in the world (178 sales blogs written). With an overall social audience of over 150,000 followers and content reaching 7,000,000+ every month Daniel is one of the top influencers in the sales industry. Daniel is available for Keynote Speaking, Sales Training, Blog + Book Writing, Sales Coaching, Mentoring, Marketing Consulting and Influencer Advertising. Check out his profile for more information.

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