The Role Of Digital and Social Media In Sales

Before the web, if a business owner was interested in purchasing a new product or service, of which they knew very little, it was not easy to obtain this knowledge. One of the simplest ways of gathering information was to invite a number of sales executives in for a series of meetings. By the end of the process, that business owner would have a good grasp of what was on offer.

These days, people’s first point of call is to go online and search. In fact, much of the purchase journey has already occurred before a salesperson ever gets involved. In this way, many salespeople are struggling to obtain meetings with prospects who cannot see the value in the appointment.

Moreover, social proof, that is; what others say and do, has always been the biggest influencer on human behaviour. It is why word of mouth has always been so potent. The social web has meant that word of mouth has gone online. For the first time in history, every business, organisation and individual, owns their own media channels.

This has had some major consequences. Firstly, with an increasing number of people generating content on websites, blogs and social platforms etc., information has become ubiquitous. Salespeople are no longer the only purveyors of vital information that might be hard to obtain from other sources.

Secondly, a direct effect of an abundance of information has been scarcity of attention. People still only have the same 24 hours a day, seven days a week they always had. However, they are now having to deal with so much more information than ever before. Whether it’s letters or emails, texts or tweets, or all the content on apps and blogs etc., we read and deal with more material than in any other previous generation in history. In this environment, it is harder for salespeople to obtain the attention of their prospects.

This is also because more information is now disseminated via conversation rather than publication. Social platforms are becoming the single biggest source of content discovery in the world. Therefore, as the way customers research, learn and make purchasing decisions changes, it is logical that salespeople will have to alter their own behaviour in order to reflect that of their customers.

The role of the salesperson is developing in new ways. Salespeople used to have to ‘bash down doors’ sending out letters, and emails, and making cold calls in order to try and generate leads. While undertaking these tasks may still allow a salesperson to feel ‘proactive’, they are not necessarily the most productive way of using their time. In the digital environment, salespeople need to be using new techniques and developing new skills.

Salespeople need to have a presence on the platforms that their customers increasingly frequent. This requires a comprehension of how these networks operate and the activities salespeople need to undertake in order to produce tangible results. Ultimately, salespeople want bona fide leads and sales opportunities.

Salespeople need be able to utilise these new digital tools while understanding how to provide value and establish credibility and trust in an online environment. Salespeople now have to be able to build their reputation and establish a personal brand in order to harness the social proof that is becoming increasingly important. This means employing new sales strategies that were not necessarily relevant offline.

As the purchase journey and buying habits of customers change, salespeople need to alter their own behaviour to reflect the new reality. Simply continuing with the models and behaviour that worked in an analogue world, where customers were less empowered, and information was relatively scarce, will result in salespeople being left behind. On the other hand, the opportunities that the social web and digital can afford today’s salesperson, means that there is an exciting future ahead for those willing to embrace these new platforms and understand how behaviour needs to alter in order to utilise them effectively.

Grant Leboff is CEO of www.stickymarketing.com He is an international speaker and best selling author. His current book is entitled Stickier Marketing.

Grant will be speaking at the National Sales Conference, 6th October 2016, Ricoh Arena, Coventry. Purchase your tickets here - www.sales-expo.co.uk