Social Selling

Social Selling is much more than just LinkedIn

Many companies are especially on the “trip” to include the topic of social selling in their communication or as an additional sales channel. And that also makes sense. However, employees who have been less confronted with social media so far often take a defensive stance because they are not active on LinkedIn. But social selling is much more than just LinkedIn.

 

by Kathrin Drechsler
Sr. Communication Manager – Enterprise Customers /
CMO Evernine Group

 

Social selling is currently not just a buzzword, but another tool to successfully reach potential customers. The purchasing behaviour and decision-making of managers and stakeholders are changing. 90 percent of B2B decision-makers no longer react to hard cold calling. In addition, 75 percent of B2B decision-makers use social networks to research providers or solutions (see Lean Content Marketing 2018).

 

Social selling would therefore be the appropriate channel, if used correctly, to involve B2B companies in their communications. But that doesn’t always go smoothly. Some colleagues, who may not be very social media-savvy, are blocking here – they don’t know social media, they don’t have a LinkedIn profile, and they don’t want to be publicly identified as “salespeople”. And exactly these have to be picked up personally. It makes sense to define certain roles together with the employees as to how someone should present themselves in social media – more reserved in communication or more active, offensive and open-minded to participate in discussions. Because social selling is not about spreading business solutions on LinkedIn. Social selling means more:

 

  • It must be clearly distinguished from classic cold calling.
  • Social selling is only successful if certain components are considered and implemented.

 

This article on MyBusinessFuture tells you what these are and how you, as the managing director of a B2B company, approach this topic correctly.

 

Quelle Titelbild: iStock / gilaxia