"Years ago, a successful sales rep knew how to optimize their time by 'reading' their prospects," says Maria Pergolino in a recent post at the Modern B2B Marketing blog. "A day would be spent golfing with a good bet." But everything changed when prospects began researching their options online, thus "preventing the sales rep from deciphering the buyer's intention from their physical actions," she writes.
To compensate, a new assessment process has recently emerged: social selling. "Social selling is the use of Web 2.0 technologies merged with traditional sales strategies" to accomplish what that game of golf did in the past, Pergolino explains.
So how does this new process work? Pergolino defines "true social selling" by clearing up some common misconceptions about it:
Misconception: "Marketing tells sales when they need to work with a prospect."
True Social Selling: "Marketing passes leads to sales, and, if needed, sales passes leads that need nurturing back to marketing."
Misconception: Sales [and marketing] must learn to use new email or other tools that require training.
True SS: Sales can use Outlook to reach prospects, and data is sent [back] with enhanced information about opens and click-throughs [for marketing].
Misconception: Staff must go to multiple websites to get prospect contact info.
True SS: Staff can access sites such as "Jigsaw, Demandbase and LinkedIn directly through the tools they are already using."
The Po!nt: Save golf for the weekends. By using the latest Web 2.0 tools, marketing and sales can take the prospect-to-client nurturing process to a whole new level.
Source: Modern B2B Marketing. Read the full post here.
by Christina "CK" Kerley
Comments
by Douglas Hartley Thu Jul 16, 2009
I am glad to you once again clarified that marketing passes leads on to sales and sales in turn passed updates to marketing on developments in the field.
I was taught this almost 30 years ago, so its hardly a new approach just one that has been forgotten by many and now presented as social selling.
by A S Prisant Thu Jul 16, 2009
There may be some flaws in this argument. Web 2.0 still has a long way to go to deliver the same results that golf once did. The main reason: personal, physical contact.
Marketing Directors cannot learn as much about a prospect from ANY CRM tool as they could from playing 18 holes with someone. By merely mining the internet, marketing cannot deliver really well qualified leads.
Ironically, in this diigitized, globalized age, the value of eye contact, a handshake and small talk over a drink has become more, not less, important.
Alexander Prisant/COO/Prism Ltd
by Douglas Thu Jul 16, 2009
Good point, besides I would much rather be out on the course than sitting behind a computer as I am now. And, it so important to get to know a prospect on a personal basis as well. But when your propective client is on the other side of the world, it's kind of difficult to get together for a game.