Defining Social CRM for B2B Salespeople

In order to accurately define Social CRM, we first need to talk about Traditional CRM which stands for “Customer Relationship Management”. Core functions include what I like to call the “3 C’s”:

Contacts – complete contact records with all contact info including user definable fields for information needed for my specific business. This record would also track leads and deals in progress
Calendar – this would include both tasks and events as well as recall reminders
Communications – emails and documents exchanged and notes regarding conversations, activities, and meetings

Make no mistake about this. There is no “R” (relationship) in traditional CRM. These applications have remained, through the years, very much like the framework that we found in their predecessors … Contact Managers. Not that this is all bad but, today we need to truly integrate social (relationships) into the CRM model. Our contacts and clients are no longer limiting their electronic conversations to email alone. They are talking on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. They are talking to each other, talking about us, and they want to talk to us … on these channels. I want to be able to:

Develop closer relationships with my existing clients through engagement
Expand my network of potential clients
Get more referrals
Discover new revenue opportunities
Make it easier for new customers to find me and my company

Social CRM now presents us with a unique opportunity to discover new relationships outside of our traditional circles. Many of these relationships will lead to revenues. The power and the breath of social media also presents us with a number of challenges …

Managing these conversations on multiple channels can be a nightmare what with open tabs to the various platforms
Associating these conversations with an individual contact begs the question … “How can I even hope to do that?”

read on at Maximize Social Business!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!