Marching Orders 2018: Start Using Social Selling
What can Microsoft partners do differently in 2018 to make a business breakthrough? We put that question to 16 top experts, including JEFF HILTON, FOUNDER/CEO, THE ALLIANCE FOR CHANNEL SUCCESS. For more tips on finding success in the Microsoft channel in 2018, read our full Marching Orders feature here.
Sales techniques are always evolving and being refined. One technique is called social selling. The idea is to generate leads by developing and nurturing relationships via social media.
This is not about posting articles on social media and hoping to get some responses. It's about really using social platforms to personally engage prospects and generate leads.
When you think about it, this makes complete sense. Prospective buyers research products and solutions via the Web, but they evaluate potential sellers via social media. Social selling allows you to target and engage the prospects you want, effectively and without cold calling.
To get started you need contact management and other tools to support your efforts. One solution to get these easily is the LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Certain versions of Sales Navigator include a feature called PointDrive. This makes sharing of sales content super easy, and provides tracking information so you can readily see who has consumed or shared your content.
A few bits of advice: Your social selling journey begins with good LinkedIn and other social profiles. You need target-market-oriented thought leadership content that demonstrates your expertise. Start small, learn and then use social selling to drive sales success in 2018.
Jeff Hilton is the founder and CEO of the Alliance for Channel Success, an organization focused on helping partners grow more successful and productive practices. He and his team are regular contributors to RCP Magazine, and yearly presenters at Microsoft Inspire and other leading industry conferences.
Posted by Jeff Hilton on March 05, 2018 at 11:37 AM