The rise of social media has had a profound effect on B2B selling over the past few years. Working in sales has changed completely because social selling enables salespeople to build better relationships, increase credibility, and connect with potential enterprise clients much faster, and with more enterprise clients come better commissions. However, these changes in the sales landscape come with a few potential pitfalls. If you're looking at a sales role, there are a few, straightforward things to consider. Let's look at some of the top reasons sales is a tough job, and how some simple tactics lead to a successful sales career.
Reason 1: In an Industry where Clients and Prospects Matter Most – You Don't Know Where to Find Them
Social selling is not created equally when you look at all the different social platforms that exist. Most people reading this are on focused on B2B, and that means the channels you need to look at could be very different for someone operating a B2C business.
Because so many options exist, many salespeople face the challenge of identifying which social platforms to spend their time on. A good head start is knowing that for B2B, Linkedin and Twitter have been proven to be the best platforms for B2B sales and marketing. Of course, you need to do a little more to identify the best prospects. Reaching out is not an easy job, but great salespeople know how to find their target audiences.
Reason 2: Failing to Teach Your Talent to Provide Value Leads to More Rejection
On platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter value is king. Sadly, providing value is a sales skill that employers don't demand of their candidates. After you find your target clients, you need to build up trust with them so they're more optimistic about receiving your sales message. Without these interactions, salespeople are going to be met with a lot of rejection.
Traditional sales tactics don't teach this, so here are a couple of tips to help.
- Take the time to write on your social platform of choice. If you can share words that motivate others and create strong relationships, you will be miles ahead of many sales folks.
- Salespeople are competitive by nature, try to teach them some ways for them to get ahead and you'll build a lot of trust with potential clients
- Be consistent and reach out often. This makes cold outreach easier.
Reason 3: Working a Sales Job Requires Tracking and Asking Questions
One of the biggest challenges for B2B companies when selling through social media is being able to track how their online activities are translating into sales. It's not enough to just measure likes and followers. To really gauge the effectiveness of your social media strategy, you need to look at deeper metrics. If you're using LinkedIn, they have a great tool called the SSI score. It serves as a good early indicator that your sales team is active and having success with social selling.
Another great way to stay on top of your efforts is using the right tools. Getting into a new sales position is going to come with a ton of options to track success. Poseidon offers some of the best options for those trying to hit their quotas and drive new business. Using our solution makes tracking easy and leaves you the time to be more human during the sales process.
An important to being human is asking questions. The used car salesman makes you believe that sales professionals need to talk your ear off. Truthfully, it's the people that know how to ask questions and listen to that win in sales.
A Career in Sales is Tough but It's also Fulfilling
Sales is a tough career, but it can be very rewarding. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in sales, but it can truly transform your career. If you are driven and can be held accountable, you can make a lot of money in sales which is a great incentive. But, you also have the opportunity to help people by providing them with the products and services they need.
