Increase Sales Blog

The last few days I have been engaged in several conversations about social selling and the overall sales process.  There seems to be an ever growing gap between social selling and actually realizing the goal to increase sales.

What some sales people believe is just by being social through the various Internet sites will somehow automatically increase sales. This belief is a disaster waiting to happen.

Why not? For some think that by sitting in front of a computer is far easier than actually driving to meet potential clients or having to pick up that phone  to make a cold call? Brrr!!!

This might be true if your network is extensive enough and you have transactional products that are affordable and do not cost an arm and a leg. However many small business owners and sales professionals do not have that strong of a network.

Additionally, if “sales is the transference of feelings” (Zig Ziglar), then it makes sense to be able to transfer those feelings eyeball to eyeball, face to face and not finger tip to finger tip. Sales Coaching Tip:  People buy from people, not robots.

Social selling (if is truly exists and I do not believe it does because all sales is social) can lull sales people into skipping the actual selling phase of the sales process. In other words, social selling is really social marketing.

Potential buyers in many cases may not reveal their wants or their needs.  Sure you have their attention and have a solid relationship, but you may not know if they meet your ideal customer profile. This happens  as you leave the marketing phase and enter the selling phase of the sales process.

Yes social selling is really social marketing.  The sales process including marketing and selling. Until you know for sure your ideal customer or potential buyer has a want or a need, you as the salesperson cannot work them through your sales funnel or sales tunnel.

 P.S. If you are a crazy busy small business owner or sales professional, you may find the 60 Minutes of Good Content into 30 Minutes of Great Content webinar series of interest.