3. INTRODUCTION
3
HUNTING VS. HUNTED
Adapting to the Demands of the Educated Buyer
ByScottTapp,PGiEVPSales&Marketing
Oneofthemostprofoundshiftsinthecurrentsales
experiencehasnothingtodowiththemodern-daysales
executive;thechangelieswhollywithinthemindofthe
prospect.Contemporarysalesteamsarechallenged
mostbyasinglefactor:theeducatedconsumer.This
data-driven,all-accessworldweliveinaccelerates
communication,informationsharingandtransparency
—allwiththeclickofabutton.
Longbeforepurchasingaproduct,today’sconsumers
arehighlyknowledgeableoftheiroptionswithinany
givenmarket.Theynolongerlooktosalesprofessionals
toprovideinformation—nordotheytrustbrandsasde
factoqualifiedresources.It’snotjustthatbuyersstart
thesalesprocesswithoutyou;researchdemonstrates
thatconsumerstypicallycompletemostofthe
purchasejourneybeforehavinganycontactwithsales.
Thereisnodoubtthatbythetimeyoursalesteams
interactwiththem,prospectsarefarmoreinformed
aboutyourbusinessthanyouareabouttheirs.
Asaresultofgreateraccesstoandfamiliaritywith
information,customersaredemandingmoreexpertise
fromsalesrepresentatives.Salespersonnelmustadapt
tothistransformingenvironmentorfaceextinction.
Salespeoplemusttransformintoexpertconsultants
whogathernewcustomers,whilemaintainingtheirbase.
Understanding why and how to engage with today’s
social business environment starts with recognizing
changes in buyer communication patterns, product
knowledge and online behavior. Sales pros must learn
how to tap directly into the digital origins of these
new concepts. We know customers are online and
that they use the Internet to research purchases.
As consumers evolve, so must sales professionals,
particularly in their use of modern communication
tools, particularly social media.
Thesenewcommunicationavenues—allofwhichwill
bediscussedindetailwithinthiseBook—willallow
salesteamstobewheretheircustomersare,regardless
ofgeographicalboundaries.Considerthefollowing:
+ Insidesalesisgrowing300percentfasterthan
outsidesales.2
Theshiftistowardsinboundsales
teamsandnewtoolsforprospecting—doyou
knowwhattheseareandhowtousethem?
+ Sellersmustadapttheirprocesses,toolsand
trainingtofindandengagetherightpeopleand
buildtheirprofessionalnetworks.
+ Regardlessofthesenewtools,weareallstillhuman
beings,wiredwithour“OldBrains.”Howcansales
professionalscombinebiologywithtechnologyto
reinventcustomerconversations?
+ Theimportanceofcontextandhowsales
professionalscantailorcontentandmessages
byevaluatingcustomerenvironments,both
organizationalandvirtual.
Thebusinessbenefitsofembracingtheeducated
consumerareexciting,becausetheyoffernumerous
opportunitiesforgrowth.Yet,salesproscangetlostin
thisnewsalesworldwithoutanunderstandingofwhere
yourprospectsfindinformationandhowtheywantto
beengaged.Youriskobsolescenceifyouplaybytheir
rulesandnotyours.
Your buyer
might know
more than you!
educateeducateeducateeducate
Are your sales techniques
becoming extinct?
Are your sales techniques
becoming extinct?
Are your sales techniques
becoming extinct?
Are your sales techniques
becoming extinct?
THAT WAS THEN
THIS IS NOW
cold callingcold callingcold callingcold calling
sales
demos
sales
demos
sales
demos
sales
demos
qualifying
leads
qualifying
leads
qualifying
leads
qualifying
leads
SALES
1.0
SALES
1.0
SALES
1.0
SALES
1.0
social networkssocial networkssocial networkssocial networks
engageengageengageengage
SOCIAL
SALES
SOCIAL
SALES
SOCIAL
SALES
SOCIAL
SALES
In fact, according to Forrester
Research, the average buyer has
completed between 60and 90%
of
their decision-making process before
engaging a sales professional.1
4. CHAPTER 1
4
THE NEW ERA OF THE COLD CALL
How Natural Selection is Moving Sales from Outbound to Inbound
ByJonathanFarrington,SeniorPartneratJonathanFarrington&AssociatesandCEOofTopSalesWorld
Thetrendforinsidesalesisnotcoming—ithasarrived
andissittingatourdoorstep.Fuelandlaborcostshave
soaredand,becauseofintensecompetition,theprices
ofourproductsandsolutionshavelargelyflat-lined
—ashavesalesachievementlevels.Naturalselection
isnowatworkinsalesteamseverywhere.Companies
havebeenforcedtoexaminethecompletecostof
outboundsales,andwhattheydiscoveredisstartling.
AccordingtoinboundmarketingleaderHubSpot,the
averagecostperinboundleadis61percentlowerthan
anoutboundlead.3
Research by Sirius Decisions supports the HubSpot
data and indicate that inbound leads cost less and have
higher conversion rates than outbound leads, though
an integrated approach between the two is considered
optimal.4
Inbound marketing techniques such as
strategic search engine optimization, blogging to build
thought leadership positioning and the prolific use
of social media tools allow sales executives to target
relevant prospects who can learn about products and
services on their terms. Today’s educated consumer
will find you — will you be ready?
Virtualtoolscanempowersalesprofessionalslikenever
before,drivinganeweconomicequationforbusiness
inthiseconomy.AccordingtoDaveStein,CEOofES
Research,“Customerseverywhereincreasinglyprefer
virtualinteractionswithsellers.Trenddatarevealthat
salesorganizationsareshiftingresourcesfromoutside
toinsidesales.Insidesalesgrowthis30percentfaster
thantheiroutsidesalescounterparts.Thenumberof
insidesalesdepartmentsisprojectedtogrowfrom
800,000in2009toovertwomillionthisyear.”3
SO WHY ARE BUSINESSES EVOLVING TOWARD
INBOUND SALES?
Thetraditional“coldcall”onceseemedindispensable
tothesellingprocess—thetimeandexpensewerea
basiccostofdoingbusinessandnecessaryforsurvival.
Thegoodnewsisthattherearebetterchoices.For
manycompanies,socialmediachannelsandweb
conferencingtoolshavenowmadethecoldcallan
option,notanecessity.Advancesintechnologymean
wecannoweffectivelyconductface-to-facemeetings
onlineandmanagefive,sixandevensevenmeetings
inoneday.Inadditiontoourvirtualface-to-face
schedule,wecanreachouttoprospectsthroughsocial
mediachannelsandstepintothenativeworldofthe
educatedconsumer.
RegardlessifyouaresellingB2BorB2C,yourprospects
areonlineandgettingyoungereachdayduetothe
growthoftheMillennialGeneration.Thesedigital
nativesareespeciallyadeptatusingonlinechannels
todiscoverbrandsandinformation,heavilyrelyingon
theInternetforinformation.AccordingtoForrester
Research,43percentofusersages24to32usesocial
networksastheirprimaryresourceforbrandand
productinformation.Infact,socialnetworksarenow
thepreferredmeansofdiscoveryfornearlyone-thirdof
allAmericans;regardlessofage,thatnumberisupfrom
18percentin2010.6
Themodelofmodernsalesissimple
andmoreeffectivewithoutthetraditionalcoldcall.
Theeducatedconsumerdemandsrelevantknowledge
abouttheirbusinessandtheirspecificneeds;sales
peoplemustrespondwithtimelyintelligenceinorder
toachievesuccessfulengagement.Insteadofwasting
valuabletimewithdozensofcoldcallsthatnever
manifestintruerelationshipsorcloseddeals,sales
professionalsshouldfocustheireffortsonprospects
whohavealreadyenteredthebuyingcycleand
demonstratedinterestinwhattheyhavetooffer.By
focusingtimeandenergyontheprospectthatoffers
growthintheirnaturalhabitat,you’llbothwin.
Bytargetingprospectsusingsocialmediatools
suchasLinkedIn™
andTwitter™
,salesexecutivescan
identifycompaniesripewithopportunityandcultivate
intelligenceonmarketshifts,newproductofferings,
acquisitionsandmore.Theycantieyourproduct
toprospectneedsandmakethesalesconversation
relevantagain.Inboundsalesteamsmaybeareaction
toashiftintheeconomicmarket,butwiththeright
toolsthisshiftwillbeagiantleapforward.
$400
$200
2010
$332
$134
$373
$143
$346
$135
2011 2012
$0
AVERAGE COST PER LEAD
INBOUND VS. OUTBOUND3
lower cost
per lead
61%
outbound
marketing
outbound
marketing
outbound
marketing
outbound
marketing
inbound
marketing
inbound
marketing
inbound
marketing
inbound
marketing
Inside sales is growing 30%
faster than outside sales.
The number of inside sales
departments is projected to
grow from 800,000 in 2009
to over 2M this year.
DAVE STEIN, CEO OF ES RESEARCH
But according to a recent study
by InsideView, more than 90%
of CEOs said they never respond
to cold calls. The return on cold
calling has decreased so drastically
that it is essentially extinct.5
5. CHAPTER 2
5
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Expect MoreTech-SavvyBuyers in theB2B GenePool
ByRalfVonSosen,HeadofMarketingforSalesSolutionsatLinkedIn
Today’sB2Bcustomersaretechnology-savvyandsocially
empowered.Nolongerdobuyersdependonsellersforeducation
andinformation.Informationisonlyaclick—oranetwork
connection—away.
ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE
Sellersmustadapttheirprocesses,toolsandtrainingtothisnew
reality.OnevitalcomponentishowsellerscanuseLinkedIn,the
world’slargestprofessionalnetwork,to:
1. Buildtheirprofessionalbrand.
2. Findtherightpeopletoengage.
3. Knowwhattosaytobecompelling.
4. Findouthowtogetconnected,insteadofmakingacoldcall.
BUILD A PROFESSIONAL BRAND
Developareputationasanexpertthatshowcasesexperienceand
increasescredibility.Thisisaccomplishedbyensuringthatyour
LinkedInprofileiscompleteandspecificallyadaptedtoyourtarget
customer.Inaddition,salesprofessionalsshouldparticipatein
discussiongroups(especiallythoseoutsidethesalesindustry)
andshareupdatesthatprovidemeaningfulinsights,provoke
conversationandproduceopportunitiestoengagewithand
influencecontacts.
FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE
LinkedIn’s global network of more than 250 million professionals
can be accessed with sophisticated search tools and provide sales
executives the ability to find exactly the people they seek. Sales
professionals can now filter for numerous characteristics, such as
geography, company, title, seniority and many other facets.
KNOW WHAT TO SAY
Salesleaderscanprepareformeaningfulprospectconversations
withunprecedentedefficiencyandeffectivenessbydivingdeepinto
LinkedInprofiles,companypagesanddiscussiongroupstogather
intelligenceabouttheirprospects.Notonlycantheyfindrelevant
topics,buttheycanalsodetermineoptimalmomentstoengage
prospects.Byinvestigatingtimelytopicsandindustrytrends,sales
executivescantargetprospectswithtailoredcontenttodetermine
ifthereisacompellingtriggereventdrivingtheprospecttomakea
change—andapotentialpurchase.
GETTING ENGAGED
Transformingrelationshipsintomutuallybeneficialnetworks
allowssalesprofessionalstomakethemostoftheirconnections.By
nurturingandevolvingtheirnetwork,salesexecutivesdevelopthe
abilitytoaccesswarmintroductionstotheirprospectsandavoid
inherentlyunsuccessfulcoldcallsandemails.Awarmintroduction
buildsuponafoundationoftrustandcreatesameaningful
relationshipmuchmoreeasilythanacoldcall,andultimately
increasesthechanceofthesale.
75%
57%
97%
of B2B purchases
are influenced by
social media7
of buying decisions are
made before a sales
rep is involved8
of cold calls do
not work9
How have today’s enterprise buyers evolved?How have today’s enterprise buyers evolved?How have today’s enterprise buyers evolved?How have today’s enterprise buyers evolved?
Social Media Tips to Ensure Your SurvivalSocial Media Tips to Ensure Your SurvivalSocial Media Tips to Ensure Your SurvivalSocial Media Tips to Ensure Your Survival
BE SELECTIVE. Meaningful content only.
CHECK SOURCES. Never publish without reading.
NOT TOO MUCH (1 PER DAY). Never blast multiple posts in a row.
ADD YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
DON’T SELL.
6. CHAPTER 3
6
THE “OLD BRAIN”
Selling to the Real Buyer
ByColleenStanley,PresidentofSalesLeadership,Inc.
Salesprofessionalsaretaughttosecureameetingwiththereal
decisionmakerwhenworkingtoclosethedeal.Termssuchasthe
“economicbuyer,”the“technicalbuyer”andthe“userbuyer”are
analyzedfrequentlyduringsalesmeetingstodeterminetheirrole
inpurchasingdecisions.Salesmanagersstresstheimportanceof
settingmeetingswithallpurchasinginfluencersinordertolearn
keycriteriathatwillhelpwinbusiness.
However,thereisonemorepurchasinginfluencetoconsider
whenselling—theamygdala,orwhatisoftenreferredtoas
the“OldBrain.”Theamygdala,asetofalmond-shapedneurons
locatedinthebrain’smedialtemporallobe,isinvolvedin
emotionanddecision-making.It’sreferredtoastheOldBrain
becauseitwasoneofthefirstareasofthebraintodevelop.
Thoughwehaveevolvedasaspecies,thispartofthebrain
remainsandithasanimportantjob:tokeepyousafe.Itisnot
logicalorrationalinmakingthatdecision,whichisexactlywhy
salespeopleneedtopayattentiontotheamygdalaandadjust
theirsalesapproachaccordingly.
Salesexecutivescanusethisknowledgetotheiradvantageby
understandingandtargetingtheOldBrainanditsneeds.When
theOldBraindoesn’tfeelsafe,itoftensendsapersoninto
fight-or-flightmode,whichisnotgoodforbuildingrapport,
trustandsales.
Belowarefourcommonmistakessalespeoplemakethatturn
asalesmeetingintoa“survivalmeeting”andtipsonhowto
overcomethem:
1. SALESPEOPLE STILL SUBSCRIBE TO THE “ABC” METHOD OF SALES.
Translation:AlwaysBeClosing.Theyaskleadingquestionsthey
hopewillleadtoasale.Questionssuchas,“So,Mr.Prospect,
ifwecoulddothis,thisandthis,wouldyouwanttosignup
today?”TheOldBrainsensesahardclosecomingandalerts
theprospecttothedangerahead. Leadingquestionssenda
prospectintofight-or-flightmode.
Theresultis“nosale”becausetheprospectdidn’tfeelsafe
duringthemeeting.Abetterwaytophrasethestatement
couldbe: “Mr.Prospect,thosearesomeofmyideasand
recommendations. Whatdoyousuggestasanextstep?”Give
theprospectcontrolandchoice.Hefeelssafeandyouwin
morebusiness.
2. SALESPEOPLE ARE OFTEN TOO ENTHUSIASTIC.
Howmanyofyouweretaughttobeenthusiasticwhenyou
enteredthesalesprofession?Yourintentmaybegood;
however,yourenergeticselfmightbeputtingtheinstinctiveOld
Brainonhighalert.“Danger,danger!Loudpersonintheroom.”
Ifyouaremeetingwithsomeonewhoisalittlemorelow-key,it’s
importanttoadaptyourcommunicationstyletomatchyour
prospect’svolumeofspeech.Observeandadjustyourenergy
leveltothatoftheprospect.OurOldBrainwiringencourages
ustobuyfrompeoplewelikeandwhoarelikeus.Andafterthe
meeting(ifyouhaven’talreadydoneso),followthemonTwitter
andLinkedInsothatyoucancontinuetheconversationona
differentlevel—onetheymightnowbemorecomfortablewith.
3. SALESPEOPLE TRY TO OVERTLY OVERCOME OBJECTIONS.
Whenyoustarttryingtoovercomeobjectionsduringasales
meeting,theOldBrainimmediatelytriggersyourprospect’s
fight-or-flightsurvivalmechanism.Insteadofovercoming
objections,recastthemasdialogandfacilitateaconversation
aroundthepotentialchallengestoimplementingyoursolution.
Forexample,ifyourprospectisreallybusy,it’syour
responsibilitytobringupthepotentialproblemoftime.“Ms.
Prospect,Ithinktherearesomethingswecandotohelpyou;
however,let’sdiscusshowmuchtimeitwilltaketoexecute
someofthesechanges.Iknowyourtimeislimited.” Your
prospectwillappreciateyourempathytowardtheconstraints
ofherschedule.Insteadofovercomingobjections,bringthem
up.Yourcandorcreatescredibilitywithprospectsandkeepsthe
conversationsafeandopen.
4. PROSPECT TO THE OLD BRAIN.
HowmanyofyoureadingthiseBookhavebeeninvitedto
“connect”withsomeonewhofailedtocustomizetheirrequest?
Orreceivedaprospectingemailfromasalespersonthatwas
genericandflat?
Thehumanbrainishard-wiredforcomfortandit’snotatease
respondingtoasalespersonwhohasnotestablishedcommon
groundintheconversation.Researchyourprospectsand
includeinformationshowingyou’vedoneyourhomeworkin
yourLinkedInrequestorprospectingemail.
Asjustoneexample,ifyourprospectreceivedanaward(about
whichyouwouldbenotifiedimmediatelyviaatargetedGoogle
alertyoupreviouslysetup),youcanincludeapersonalnoteof
congratulationsthroughLinkedIn,Twitteroremail.
BesuretoincludesellingtotheOldBraininyourpre-call
planningprocess,asitisavitalbuyinginfluence.Eliminateleading
questions,monitoryourenthusiasmandbringuppotential
objectionsasapartofthesalesdialog.RespecttheOldBrainand
keepthebuyersafetocreatebiggersalesconversations.
The amygdala, or
Old Brain, is
involved in emotion and
decision-making.
When the Old Brain
doesn’t feel safe,
it often sends
a person into
fight-or-flight mode.
7. CHAPTER 4
7
THE SOCIAL CONTENT KINGDOM
Transforming Interactions from Push to Pull
ByTamaraSchenk,ResearchDirector,MillerHeimanResearchInstitute
CONTENT
is King
CONTEXT
is Queen
Asmarketinghasevolvedinthedigitalera,oneofthemost
frequentlyheardaxiomsis“contentisking;”andifakingdom
everhadaqueen,“context”wouldrulerightalongsidecontent.
Contentwithoutcontextdoesnotcreateadditionalvalue,neither
forsalesprofessionalsnorforpotentialbuyers.
Bothkingandqueen—contentandcontext—arepoweredby
theroyalhousehold:themoderntechnologythatsurroundsus.
Oursmartphonesareever-presentandappsforbothworkand
pleasureareendless.Theshiftfroma“push”toa“pull”world
ofcommercialmessaginghasbeenthoroughlydocumentedby
now.Abetterwaytosellistotargetcustomersandprospects
usingtoolsthatembracecontextasmuchascontent.Consider
thefollowingdimensionsinyourapproach:
CONTEXT DIMENSION 1: TARGET SPECIFIC SELLING SITUATIONS ALONG
THE CUSTOMER’S JOURNEY
Withinthisdimension,youdiscoverwhereyourprospectsand
customersareintheirproblem-solvingjourneyandtailorcontent
tothespecificstages.Modifyyourvaluepropositionmessages
alongaspectrumbyeither:
+ Valuehypothesisandvaluepropositions(whychange?),or
+ Uniquevaluepropositionsandvalueconfirmations(whyare
youthebestchoice?)
Researchwhereyourprospectsandcustomersareintheir
problem-solving journeyandusesocialmediatoyouradvantage:
+ BeginthejourneybyresearchingTwitterandLinkedInfor
yourprospectsandstakeholders.
+ Targetkeywordsandhashtagsrelevanttoyourproductor
service,aswellasthepainpointsofyourprospects.
+ Dependingonthestageofyourcustomer’sjourney,review
yourcompetitors’Twitterhandles.
+ JoinLinkedIngroupsoutsideofsalesdiscussions—join
industriesoutsideofyourowntohuntnewgroundandgain
newinformationinthequestionsanddialog.
+ Watchforcustomercommentsonyourcompetitors’
socialnetworks.
+ Cometotheconversationwithsomething—offerinsights
andinformation,borrowingthoughtleadershipfromyour
corporateblogandindustrywhitepapers.
CONTEXT DIMENSION 2: UNDERSTAND AND ALIGN TO
SPECIFIC BUYER ROLES
Intheseconddimension,youcandigdeeperintotherolesofthe
relevantdecisionmaker(s),understandthelevelsandrolesof
varyingstakeholdersandfurthertailoryourmessagestothepain
pointsanddifferentperspectivesofimpactedaudiences.
Thisisnoeasytask,particularlyforenterprisesalesexecutives;
theprospectisnotasinglebuyerbutacommitteeofseveral
individuals,eachwithvaryingneeds.Therelationshipbetween
increasedaccountabilityandfallingbudgetsbecomesclearasthe
numberofimpactedandactivestakeholdersrisesandthemore
cross-functionalchallengesmustbemastered.
Theeasiestwaytoclusterbuyerrolesistocreateamatrixof
yourstakeholdersandmap(1)levelwithintheorganizationand
(2)function.Thesetwolayerswillhelpdefinefundamentally
differentperspectivesandpatterns,helpingyoudefineyour
clustersandbuildassumptionsabouthowtotailorbothcontext
andcontent.Startbuildingyourclustersaccordingtowhichroles
aremoreinterestedin:
+ Effectiveness,theoverallinvestmentandROI;or
+ Efficiency,suchasmanagingbudgetsandcostsavings
CONTEXT DIMENSION 3: USE VERTICAL COLOR AND LANGUAGE
“WheninRome…”AndIhopeyouunderstandthissageadvice
betterthanRonBurgundydidin“Anchorman.”Thisthirdandfinal
dimensionisvital.Researchsaysthatonly13%ofexecutivebuyers
believeasalespersoncanclearlydemonstrateanunderstanding
oftheirbusinesschallengesandarticulatepotentialsolutions.10
Yetitisthesecrucialaspectsofunderstandingandvaluethatbuild
trust—andclosethedeal.Ifyourcustomersandprospectsare
totrustthatyouunderstandtheirbusinessandprovidevalue,itis
imperativethatyouspeakthelanguageoftheirbusiness.
Bydevelopingamulti-dimensionalcontextualawarenessofyour
prospects’environment,youwillbeabletotailoryourcontent
forgreaterrelevanceandimpact.Andbychoosingsocialmedia
channelsalreadywithintheconsumers’hands,youcantransform
yourmessagefrompushtopull.
Ideally, you understand three areas: your
business, your customer’s business, and
the intersection of the two — and in that
intersection, how it will most benefit your
customer. This is what we call business
acumen — such an important skill!
8. The New Consumer HabitatThe New Consumer Habitat
SOCIAL MEDIA IS A LEADING FACTOR IN THE NUMBER OF CLOSED DEALS FOR SALE PROFESSIONALS
Email
OnlineVideo
Search
Online Games
Blogs
Online Radio
Online Newspaper
Online Magazines
Social Networks 20%
18%
13%
12%
9%
4%
3%
3%
2%
MOST COMMON ONLINE ACTIVITIES
13
of those who used social media to sell, outperformed
those who weren’t using social media12
of those who used social media tracked their
usage back to at least one closed deal
said they’ve closed between two and
five deals as a result of social media12
89%
64%
71%
SOCIAL MEDIA IS A CRITICAL TOOL FOR LEAD GENERATION & QUALIFICATION
of marketers report
their social media
activities help them
gain awareness11
of marketers see lead
generation benefits when
they spend six hours a week
on social media11
of marketers find increased
market intelligence when
they spend six hours a week
on social media11
78%
SOCIAL MEDIA DRIVES COMPANY PURCHASE DECISIONS
IT DECISION-MAKERS RELY HEAVILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS15
of respondents said that
companies’ social media posts
impact their purchases14
THE EVOLUTION OF SALES: BY THE NUMBERSTHE EVOLUTION OF SALES: BY THE NUMBERSTHE EVOLUTION OF SALES: BY THE NUMBERSTHE EVOLUTION OF SALES: BY THE NUMBERS
79%
54%
40%
On average, buyers spend close to
12 hours a day in front of a screen13
laptop/desktoplaptop/desktoplaptop/desktoplaptop/desktop
smartphone/
tablet
smartphone/
tablet
smartphone/
tablet
smartphone/
tablet
televisiontelevisiontelevisiontelevision
BUYERS ARE SPENDING MORE
TIME IN FRONT OF A SCREEN
12
11
1098
7
6 5
4
1
32
The New Sales & Marketing EcosystemThe New Sales & Marketing EcosystemSALESSALESSALESSALES BUYERSBUYERSBUYERSBUYERS
• 82%
visit a social network at least monthly
• 78%
use at least one social network for business
• 68%
have engaged with a vendor on a social network
• 66%
are influenced by at least one social network
during their part of the process
• 62%
share, like or retweet others’ content
at least monthly
12
CHAPTER 5
8
9. CHAPTER 6
9
VIDEO EVOLUTION
Convergence of Video and Social Selling
ByBrendanCournoyer,DirectorofContentMarketingatBrainshark
It’snosecretthatonlinevideohasbecomean
extremelypopular(andpowerful)marketingtoolfor
B2Bcompanies.Infact,videowasthesixthmostused
tacticforcontentmarketersin2012,anevolvingtrend
thathasshownnosignsofslowingdown.16
Thetruthisthatmanyoftheattributesthatmakevideo
suchavaluabletoolforbrandawarenesstranslateto
thedifferentphasesofthesellingstage,aswell.
IT’S PERSONAL
Anyonecansendawrittenemailtoprospective
buyers,butvideoenablesyoutoadaptyourmessage
andaddamorepersonaltouchtotypicalsales
outreach.Theabilitytohearyourvoiceorseeyour
facecreatesaninstantconnectionwithprospectsthat
canbenurturedintopowerfulcustomerrelationships.
Combinedwithcompellingcontent,thesevideoshelp
positionrepsasatrustedauthorityinthemarketplace
(andasweallknow,buyerstendtospendmorewith
peopletheytrust).Repscancreatepersonalized
messagesthatspeaktotheneedsandchallenges
ofspecificaudiences,andsharethatcontentwith
LinkedInconnections(orviaothersocialchannels)to
separatethemselvesfromtheherd.
IT’S ENGAGING
Onlinevideoalsoenablessalespeopletoconnectwith
buyersinaformattheyprefer.
Theimpactofthesemessagesisalsomorepowerfulas
viewersgenerallyretaininformationatamuchhigher
ratewhentheycanseeandhearit.Combineallthat
withthefactthatYouTube™
generatesmorethanfour
billionhitseachday,andit’scleartoday’saudiencesare
crazyforonlinevideo.
IT’S CONVENIENT
Anotherinherentbenefitofonlinevideocontentis
thatit’savailabletobuyersondemand.Unlikethe
cold-callingtechniquesthatarerapidlybecoming
extinct,on-demandcontentishighlyadaptiveand
empowersprospectstoreviewyourmessageat
theirconvenience.Andwhencomparedwithother
contentalternatives,suchaswrittenemailsortedious
whitepapers,videoenablesrepstoengageondemand
withoutsacrificingimpact.
Videoallowsyoutoreachbuyersnomattertheir
location.Thepopularityofsmartphonesandtablets
forbusinessusehasskyrocketedinrecentyears,with
morepeoplethanevercarryinglittle,portableTVsets
atalltimes.Naturally,thesedevicesalsoprovide24/7
accesstosocialmedia,enablingsalespeopletoextend
theirreachandconnectanytime,anywherewith
prospectsintheirvirtualhabitat.
IT’S EASY
Finally,today’stechnologyhasmadeonlinevideo
creationfasterandeasierthaneverbefore.Practically
everybusinessprofessionalnowhasavideocamera
builtintotheirmobiledevice,andonlineeditingand
hostingsoftwarehasbecomebothsimpletouseand
exceedinglyaffordable.
Repscanalsosharethatcontentseamlesslyacross
avarietyofsocialmediachannels.Videoscanbe
embeddedtoLinkedInprofiles,sharedonFacebook,
linkedintweetsorsharedliveviaPGi’siMeet®
web
conferencingtool.
Aswithsocialmediamarketing,thesuccessofsocial
sellingislargelydependentonthequalityofthe
contentandmessagesbeingdelivered.Inthissense,
theevolutionofvideoforsalesisundeniable.
Studies show that simply mentioning
the word “video” in an email subject
line can drastically improve open
and click-through rates,and 59%
of senior executives prefer watching
online video to reading text.18, 19
conversionsconversionsconversionsconversions lead nurturinglead nurturinglead nurturinglead nurturing
closing dealsclosing dealsclosing dealsclosing deals post-sale
communications
post-sale
communications
post-sale
communications
post-sale
communications
Recent studies show that many
high-performing companies have found
new ways to use video throughout the
sales cycle in areas such as:17
How can video help
your sales performance?
How can video help
your sales performance?
How can video help
your sales performance?
How can video help
your sales performance?
10. CONCLUSION
10
THE VIRTUAL FIRE PIT
Integrating Social Media, Sales and Customer Conversations
ByNitiShah,HeadofSalesContentatHubspot
SocialmediaisthefirepitoftheInternet.Digitalnativesgatherto
sharestoriesandtocreateandadaptthisvirtualworld.Thedigital
erahasgivenrisetodifferentdesignsanddifferentapplications,
butonethingiscertain:socialmediaisheretostay.Sales
executivesmustevolvetheirapproachtomakethemostofit.
Ever-evolvingandever-present,socialmediaishowwe(and
ourprospectsandcustomers)sharecontentandinteract
witheachother.Onapersonallevel,itallowsustosharewhat’s
goingoninourmindsandinourlives.Onaprofessionallevel,
itisaplatformforbuildingcredibility,researchingprospects,
scalingconversations,keepingupwithcustomersandaddinga
humandimensiontoyourcompany.
THE PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC PROFILE
Establishyourselfonoutward-facingsocialmediaplatforms,
suchasTwitterandLinkedIn.Makesureyourprofileisup
todate,andinvestafewminuteseachdaytobuildingyour
personal brand:addconnections;followinfluentialTwitter
users;joinLinkedIngroups;tweetandpostinterestingarticles
relatedtoyourindustry;andreply,retweet,commenton
and“like”otherpeople’sposts.Regularlycontributingto
conversationsinyourfieldwillhelpbuildyourauthority.
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO UNDERSTAND YOUR PROSPECTS
Chancesareyourprospectsareonsocialmedia,too.Take
advantageofthis:lookattheirLinkedInprofiles,Twitter
streamsandeventheirPinterest™
accounts.Forthepurposes
ofprospecting,Facebookisgenerallynotasconducive
becauseitisamorepersonalsocialmediachannel.
Learningaboutwhotheprospectisprofessionallyand
personallywillhelpyoubetterunderstandhowtoapproach
themduringacall,whichcanbethedifferencebetween
disinterestandprogressingtothefollow-up.Here’salistof
whattolookforwhenprospectingonsocialmedia,whereto
finditandhowitcanhelp:
+ What is their role?(LinkedIn,Twitter)Theirrolewillhelp
youdeterminewhethertheyareaninfluencer,decision-
makerorinanareaunrelatedtowhatyouaretryingtosell.
Avoidthelatter,astheyhavenoswayinthebuyingprocess
foryourproductorservice.
+ How long have they been working in that role?
(LinkedIn)Someonewhohasonlybeeninthatpositionfor
afewmonthsmaynothaveasmuchinfluenceinthebuying
process.Ontheotherhand,anewpersoncanmeanmore
willingnesstomakechangesandmakeamark,whichcan
beyouropening.
+ Do you have any common connections?(LinkedIn,
Twitter)Youcanbringthisupinyourprospectingemail,or
betteryet,askyourmutualconnectionforanintroduction.
Itwillmakeyoulessofastrangerinyourprospect’seyes.
+ What groups does he/she belong to? (LinkedIn)
Considerjoiningthese,especiallyifitpertainstoyour
industry.
+ What articles and thoughts are your prospects
posting?(LinkedIn,Twitter,Pinterest)Thisisyourglimpse
intoyourprospect’smind—whattheirinterestsare(both
professionallyandpersonally)andtheirpotentialpain
points.Youcanleveragearecentarticletheysharedinyour
email,andbuildrapportduringcallsbybringingupthefact
thatyoulovetobakeifyounoticedtheyhaveaPinterest
boarddedicatedtocupcakes.
CREATING DIALOGUE DURING THE SALES PROCESS
Onceyouhaveconnectedwithaprospect,goahead:use
socialmediatoengagethembetweencalls.Followthemon
TwitterandaddthemonLinkedIn.Aneasywaytonotmissa
thingistoaddthemtolists,orusesocialmediasoftwaresuch
asHootSuiteorSocialInboxsoyoucanmonitortheirsocial
mediaactivity.
Occasionally(nomorethanonceinafewdays,soasnotto
comeoffasastalker)favorite,retweetorreplytoatweetand
“like”orcommentontheirrecentLinkedInpost—thiswill
showthatyouarepayingattentiontothemandareinterested
inwhattheyhavetosay,whichactsaspositiveaffirmation
atthevirtualfirepit.Thismakesyoulikeableduringthesales
processandwillensurethatyounotjustsurvive,butthrivein
thesalesprocess.
KEEPING A CUSTOMER HAPPY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Socialmediaisalsoafantastictooltokeepexistingcustomers
happy.Ifyourcompanyhasasocialmediamanager,makesure
theyaremonitoringactivitystreamsdedicatedtocustomers.
Accountmanagersshouldalsomonitortheirowncustomers’
activitystreams.Youwanttocontinuetheconversationpost-
sale:thisshowsthatyou’reinvestedintheirlong-termsuccess.
Likethefirepitofancientcivilizations,socialmediaistheheart
ofmodern,virtualcommunicationsthatsalesprofessionals
musttapintoandnurture.Andthatmeansthatanybusiness
thatwantstostayinbusinessneedstostoptreatingitasa
fadandstarttreatingitasapowerfultoolforbothsalesand
customerhappiness.
11. A BETTER SALES CALL
Connect, present, chat, share and collaborate
iMeetletsyoubemorethanjustavoiceontheotherendofthephone.Connect,present,chat,
shareandcollaboratetobuildstrongerrelationshipswithyourprospectsandcustomers–
allinyourveryownmeetingspaceonline.
TakeonelookatiMeetanditwillchangethewayyouthinkaboutyoursalescalls.
iMeet Works For SalesiMeet Works For SalesiMeet Works For SalesiMeet Works For Sales
NOGUESTDOWNLOADS
iMeetiscloud-basedsoyour
prospectsneverhavetospend
valuablemeetingtimedownloading
complexsoftwareplug-ins.
HDVIDEO
Makeamorepersonal
connectionandletyour
prospectsseeyouinaction.
FILEANDSCREENSHARING
iMeetgivesyouthetoolsto
makecompellingsalespitches.
yourscreen.
PERSONALIZEDURL
iMeetgivesyouapersonalized
URL,thatyoucaneasilyemail
toyourprospects.Itmakes
gettingintothemeetingvery
easy.
MOBILE
Salespeopleareconstantlyonthe
go.iMeetisavailableoniPhoneand
iPad,makingitsimpletomakesales
presentationswhenyou’renotat
yourdesk.
11
13. 13
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
1. Forrester Research via Miller, J. The Path to a Killer Marketing Strategy as quoted on
InsideSales.com (2013) Retrieved at http://www.insidesales.com/insider/sales-
metrics/16-sales-statistics/
2. Elkington, D. Inside Sales Market Update as quoted on InsideSales.com (2013) Retrieved at
http://www.insidesales.com/insider/sales-metrics/16-sales-statistics/
CHAPTER 1
3. Miller, M. Inbound Leads Cost 61% Less Than Outbound [New Data] (2012) Retrieved at
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31555/Inbound-Leads-Cost-61-Less-
Than-Outbound-New-Data.aspx
4. Gaines, J. Are You an “Innie” or an “Outie”? (2012) Retrieved at http://www.
siriusdecisions.com/blog/are-you-an-innie-or-an-outie/
5. Fidelman, M. The Rise of Social Salespeople (2012) Retrieved at http://www.forbes.com/
sites/markfidelman/2012/11/05/the-rise-of-social-salespeople/
6. Kabin, B. Social Media May Soon Drive More Traffic to Your Website Than Search Engines
(2013) Retrieved at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227178
CHAPTER 2
7. IBM Buyers Preference Study (2011) via IBM’s Social Selling: The Computer Giant Finds B2B
Leads in Social Media Retrieved at http://www.chiefmarketer.com/b2b/ibms-social-
selling-the-computer-giant-finds-b2b-leads-in-social-media-25012012#_
8. Corporate Executive Board Study (2013) via The End of Solution Sales Retrieved at http://
www.executiveboard.com/exbd/sales-service/the-end-of-solution-sales/index.
page
9. Connect & Sell (2012) Retrieved at http://connectandsell.com/the-technology/
CHAPTER 4
10. Wizdo, L. Proving Theodore Levitt Wrong About Sales (2012) Retrieved at http://blogs.
forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-03-19-proving_theodore_levitt_wrong_about_sales
CHAPTER 5
11. Stelzner, M. 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report (2013) Retrieved at http://
www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2013/
12. Fidelman, M. Study: 78% Of Salespeople Using Social Media Outsell Their Peers (2013)
Retrieved at http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2013/05/19/study-78-of-
salespeople-using-social-media-outsell-their-peers/
13.PGi. Screen Fiends: Infographic Reveals Shocking Truth on Technology Usage and Screen
Time (2013). Retrieved at http://blog.pgi.com/2013/10/screen-fiends-infographic-
reveals-shocking-truths-technology-usage-screen-time/
14. Olenski, S. Are Brands Wielding More Influence In Social Media Than We Thought? (2012)
Retrieved at http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2012/05/07/are-brands-
wielding-more-influence-in-social-media-than-we-thought/
15. LinkedIn. The Social Bridge to the IT Committee (2013). Retrieved at http://business.
linkedin.com/content/dam/business/marketing-solutions/global/en_US/
campaigns/linkedin-social-bridge-to-the-it-committee-en-us.pdf
CHAPTER 6
16. Pulizzi, J. 2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends (2012) Retrieved
at http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/10/2013-b2b-content-marketing-
research/
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Download
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