Trust is an important factor in the relationship between a brand and its customers. How do brands develop this trust? They do so by interacting with their customers through different strategies. Social selling is one of these strategies.
In general, social selling is a process where salespeople interact with prospects through social media. It is an attempt by brand owners to –
- Draw prospects
- Convert those prospects into customers
Some brand experts say that social selling is a great way for them to glean customer demand and improve their branding strategies. Others like marketing professional Susan Stark say that the intrusive nature of social selling might end up putting off prospects instead.
Previously, we discussed how positive customer experience makes brands sticky. This week, we will discuss whether social selling can bring value to brands.
Turning Prospects Into Clients
Social selling is a means for brands to help prospects get to know their brand better. For a brand representative, this can be anything from answering queries on its Facebook page or sharing expertise on LinkedIn. Marketing and advertising expert Bobbi Erdmann believes that this engagement can help brands convert prospects into clients –
“Social selling is very important. I feel that it is imperative to offer helpful information to those who need and want it. It is more than simply promoting your business with the awards you have won and the offerings you provide. It is sharing your expertise in areas that can help – and many of those who are interested can also become your clients.”
Decisions Made Faster
Social selling allows brands to engage with prospects immediately. This in turn allows brand owners to service these prospects immediately as well. Social selling professional Alejandro A.Cabral explains how this strategy is effective in speeding deals –
“We use it a lot actually, I’d say it accounts for at least 1/3 of the pipeline we build. It’s also great for accelerating deals, I’d say we reach decision makers twice as fast as we did just asking for people’s name over the phone or walking the halls.”
Bottom Line Results
Customer data is valuable to brands. The interactive nature of social selling allows marketers to harvest this data. In this way, social selling can give brands a roadmap of customer preferences which can lead to bottom line results. CEO of Trapit, Henry Northhaft Jr. has this to say in this regard –
“…the social selling emphasis is great for social marketers. It shifts social to a more direct value proposition that is understood by executives, and arms marketers with lead gen and conversion metrics to gauge and prove success and show that social can impact the bottom line.”
In conclusion, social selling can be a valuable source of information. Brands can use this information to improve their services and achieve bottom line results.
