Weaving Social Into Traditional Selling

For those of us who have been around for a while (some of us longer than others), the mere thought of upending our proven routines can be … unsettling. Speaking for myself, I abhor change. I thrive in a system of perfect order, rules, and predictability. Hence, when approached with the prospect of social media, my first, second, and third reaction was to reject it.

Finally becoming open to the possibility that this phenomenon might be an effective business tool (nobody talked about social selling back then), I jumped in with both feet and … it seemed that none of it would ever make any sense. However, even when I fell two steps back, I was still taking steps in the right direction, and I was learning from my mistakes. Growth and stretching.

The challenge for most sales professionals that I speak with is that the whole idea of social selling is both confusing as well as … unnecessary “Why should I even bother when I am doing fine right now?” There is also a widely held perception that the adoption of social selling requires abandoning our proven methodologies. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Social Selling augments, rather than replaces, traditional selling strategies and techniques. If we think of selling as a tapestry that is already made up of many colors and textures, then social selling Is but one more layer added to this cloth. In order for it to appear to be a part of this fabric, to complement it, it must be expertly weaved into the existing work and should not be, or be perceived to be a forced effort.

Most stages of the sales process are perfectly designed for social selling activities. While I can’t go into great detail in this article, please be sure to follow the article links to learn more (start with this one)! My goal is to expose you to the possibilities. You might introduce one new activity for each step of the process and then master and assess the results prior to adding additional elements.

Selling strategies

My overall strategy is to find and to be found. Having the ability to attract others directly to me is perhaps the most wonderful thing about social selling. 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!