Many sales executives understand the importance of getting their teams to use LinkedIn for connecting with prospects and customers. However, many of them lack a line of sight into what their reps are actually doing on LinkedIn.
Sales leaders need to take a hard look at how their sales reps are portraying themselves on social networks. Remember buyers are doing more and more of their vendor research digitally.
If your salespeople aren’t using social platforms to engage key stakeholders during the sales process, they’re missing an opportunity to connect.
As a sales leader, you need to create better insight into what in particular your sales team is doing on LinkedIn. Here are three reasons why social insight is important, along with some quick action items sales leaders can take to enable their teams.
Eighty-four percent of CEOs/vice presidents use social to make purchasing decisions. They’re using LinkedIn to research your company, your solutions, and what connections they may have with specific account executives. When they search for salespeople at your company, what will they find?
Sales Leader Action Items:
Nearly 70% of the buying process is now completed digitally. Your buyers are not only searching social sites for personal connections to your company, they’re also looking for solutions to their business problems. Before they even reach out via email or phone, they’re educating themselves about possible vendors with digital content. When they search for information, what are they able to find out about your company?
If your salespeople are sharing the right pieces of information, LinkedIn will be a useful content channel that drives prospects to your solutions.
Sales Leader Action Items:
A study by the Sales Management Association found that sales managers spend an average of six hours a week on LinkedIn. The same respondents believed they needed better training from their organization on social.
Sales Leader Action Items:
With today’s increasingly connected buyer, your sales team’s social media use makes your company relevant. Remember, conversations and engagement are happening on social media -- whether you are part of them or not. Don't get left behind.