What Sales Managers Should Know About Social Selling

In past lives, I have both been a sales manager, and I have also worked for a number of sales managers. Not all of those were created equally …

Some were also accomplished salespeople whereas others had never sold. I call these non-selling background managers “sales administrators”.
Some sales managers handled their own selling duties in addition to managing others.
Some were great leaders, coaches, and trainers while others … not so much.
Some liked salespeople while others … Hell, even those of us who like salespeople, don’t do so … always.

Regardless of what kind of a sales manager you may be, you will be faced with having to consider the potential impact that social selling could be having on your sales organization. If you have been waiting for it to hopefully pass away as a fad, thereby negating the need to meet it head-on, guess what? It ain’t goin’ nowhere.[Tweet “Let’s talk about what sales managers should know about social selling”]

Why do it?

What do sales managers need to know about social sales? It is important that we first must understand how our customers are changing. While they may be busier than ever, they are also smarter than ever because they have the internet, and they know how to use it to research potential purchases prior to even contacting you. Your absolute best chance of being approached by, or attracting, these qualified buyers lies directly in your ability to engage socially and social sales is a part of this process.

Additionally, in order for a company-wide social selling initiative to have any chance of being successful, it has to be championed by those who are above your sales teams including managers and applicable c-suite executives. Without these levels of support, it will either not happen, will ultimately fail, or you may end up having your salespeople flopping around independently as they attempt to initiate their own programs. You will have little to no control over these disparate efforts, and that alone should provide you with the necessary incentive to be proactive regarding a controlled implementation.

The really great news is that selling socially is not asking you or your people to do anything differently than you are already successfully doing now. It augments, rather than replaces, your existing methods and it will allow you to … 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!