Social Selling: A New Age Sales Approach
In this digital age, social selling has become a critical tool in the selling arsenal. Once regarded as a passing trend, it can no longer be dismissed, given that social selling adept salespeople outperform their counterparts by a significant 12%, chiefly by reaching their audiences where they are – on social media platforms. This article explores the top social selling trends observed in our analysis of State of Sales Report data collected from over 1400 sales professionals. These insights will enable you to comprehend current trends and develop successful strategies, much like your social selling counterparts.
Top Social Selling trends of 2022
1. Salespeople As Social Media Influencers
As consumers continue to research products and services independently, the role of salespersons has transformed. Instead of providing initial knowledge, salespeople are expected to act as consultants, diving deeper into how a product or service aligns with consumers’ needs. This shift in dynamics has made social media an excellent platform for salespeople to act as influencers, disseminating valued content to aid consumer research. Sales expert and former Executive at HubSpot, Dan Tyre, opined, “Salespeople have the opportunity and the responsibility to amplify good information to help prospects gain a better understanding of solutions. Because social media is vital to finding potential solutions in the attract-phase, publishing helpful information is a significant differentiator.”
2. Leveraging Social Media for Community Building
One enduring social selling trend involves choosing social media platforms that aid community-building. Engaging with your community helps salespeople identify their audience’s interests and pain points, steering the type and content of shared information to resonate with their needs. Further, sustained engagement fosters trust, reinvigorating relationships with current and potential customers.
3. Online Trust and Credibility
Building trust and credibility online has become more critical than ever. Empirical data shows that consumers trust peers and influencers more than brands, and hence, sales representatives are focusing on creating credibility, particularly in the social media sphere. They leverage content from users to build trust in their offerings, often termed as social proof.
4. Social Media as a Lead-Finding Channel
Salespeople increasingly utilize social media as a search engine to identify and research leads. Almost 45% of salespeople use social media as a lead-finding channel, acknowledging it as a source of high-quality leads, trailing behind only one other channel. For this purpose, popular platforms include LinkedIn and Facebook.
5. Utilizing Direct Messages (DMs) to Increase Engagement
With social media shopping growing in popularity, the desire for in-app customer service support has grown as well. As a result, salespeople are starting to use Direct Messages to answer questions and engage prospective customers.
6. Optimizing Social Media Profiles
Considering that a social media profile is often the first touchpoint for customers, salespeople are optimizing it with relevant and up-to-date information about themselves and their businesses.
7. Using Native Social Media Shopping Tools
With apps like Instagram offering in-app shopping experiences, the purchasing process has been simplified. This feature allows businesses to sell where their audiences are, and statistics show users are responding positively.
Conclusion
Sales representatives should not overlook the power of social media as a sales tool. It’s an excellent medium for initiating conversations and ultimately contributing to sales. Another critical aspect to manage in the sales process is tracking commissions, which can get complex. Flow’s Commission Tracking Software presents a powerful solution to this problem, offering easy-to-use features that makes tracking and managing commissions simple. The software offers various solutions including Custom Commission Flows, Commission Tracking and Deal Tracking. A beneficial Commission Tracking Software could be the missing piece in your sales puzzle. Leverage technology, embrace social selling, and watch your sales soar.
