We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein
Doing business in a digital marketplace completely breaks – did you hear us? breaks! – all the “old rules” of the traditional approach to selling. Gimmicky sales approaches designed to manipulate the buyer are so yesterday. Social tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Gist, Foursquare, Delicious and YouTube have helped manifest this rising tide of sales evolution, and the game has been changed completely.
Welcome to the NEW WORLD of selling.
But before you zip over to that next to nothing, dirt cheap webinar that promises more than we all know can deliver, let us suggest that your starting point is at the beginning. A purpose. A strategy. Then, technology.
Look, there’s nothing wrong with taking a few classes to learn the new technology, because that is, of course, important. But, if you want more ROI than WOI, the first place to begin is with a comprehensive assessment of your situation. Without one, how do you know that a technology product training will increase the liklihood that your sales people will create more opportunities and close more deals?
What’s WOI? Simple. WASTE OF INVESTMENT
- Did you know that some $8 Billion is annually invested in sales training programs?
- Did you also know that without the proper accountability and structure to support the training becoming an organic part of doing business, the investment is lost in 90 days or less?
It’s not that the training’s are bad…ok, maybe some of them are…but what happens is that they are often created as a knee jerk reaction to a larger problem.
Example: “Sales are down. Oh, we’ll get our people trained on some of these social media sites we’ve been hearing about and that will fix the problem.” Not likely.
Begin With the End in Mind
We believe that you diagnose first, prescribe second. We start with an assessment to understand the current situation, which then sets the baseline to measure against later. If you are going to spend money to train your people anyway, shouldn’t you be training them on the right things, in the right order? We think so.
We won’t bore you here with the process, but know that we use technology as an enabler for getting the most meaningful information for you to act on without having to pull your people out of the field.
REMEMBER. Social media only augments great people and processes; it does not replace the entire sales process. When used effectively, these social sales tools will help your sales folks reduce sales cycle time by building relationships early and quickly through social communities.
For an initial discussion, please give us a call at 404-647-4925.
Still on the fence about this social media stuff? Read on…
FACT: You are NOT in control. Give up the notion completely. Your buyer now knows more about you, your products and services than your sales people do. It is up to your team to monitor conversations, not control them. Leverage them in ways that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
FACT: Buyers can, and frequently will; completely cut your sales people out of the sales process entirely. The savvy social sales person will create relationships in new ways. They know the buyer is fairly well educated, and as a result, they will skip the “feature dump” and demonstrate their ability to help their buyer solve real business problems.FACT: 78% of buyers trust peer recommendations. Only 14% trust ads. If you think that your buyer, at this very minute, isn’t asking their peers if they should buy for you or not, you are mistaken. They are! What are they saying about you?
FACT: Negative commentary will happen. Stop using fear of negative comments as an excuse for not moving ahead. Use these comments are business opportunities to improve products, services and capabilities.
FACT: The current networking activities of your sales reps today are not producing a quantifiable “return on investment”. The strategic use of social selling approaches will give you ROI and then some. Think about it. If your reps are burning 3 hours at a networking event, how much does it cost your company if they produce not a single lead that turns into a sale?
How Talent Builders Can Help Your Sales Organization
- Sales Consulting & Assessment. Technology will not fix what may already be broken. Using a mix of strategic review, assessment, and observation, we will suggest a strategic course of action that best suits your organizational goals.
- Cultural Readiness for Social Media. What is our company’s cultural philosophy about sharing information? How does your company feel about allowing a sales team the freedom to participate online? How can marketing add to the mix without feeling left out? Are your sales leaders prepared to adopt new sales communication approaches and tools? These are just a few of the questions we help you to sort out before embarking down the social media path.
We are here to serve as your social sales guide. Questions…pick up the phone and call us at 404-647-4925. Or, simply complete the contact form on the web. CLICK HERE and you are on your way.