A salesperson’s job is to make contact with those that are potentially in need of the products or services the salesperson has to sell. They need to utilize as many tools as possible to find a way to make contact with the “right” person. Historically at Blue Technologies, our sales force would hit the streets, knocking on doors and talking with businesses within their territory to find out what they are currently using for their office equipment needs. Typically, they could find out enough information during that cold call and use that information to get a chance to show their products.
The rapid advancements in technology have given consumers and businesses the ability to connect faster than ever before. The fast growth comes with a downside, however — the options are now endless. Users must sift through mountains of white papers and case studies to determine what the best option is. A number of users seek out references and opinions on the best products and services on the Internet. But, users and sales forces now have a tool that can help them connect in ways they never could have before — social media.
An example of how social media has changed a salesperson’s role is our Managed Print Services (MPS) division. This group has recently gone through a transformation as to how they do their prospecting. MPS allows us to monitor and manage a businesses’ printer fleet. This has become an asset to companies, as it relieves the amount of time that their IT staff spends just maintaining their output devices. We have seen a change in how we need to approach and sell this service. The process begins with a list of companies that have a high number of employees, or more specifically sixty printers or more in their network. The MPS professional’s job is to make contact with the right person at these companies. They now utilize tools such as LinkedIn, Jigsaw and Twitter to find out as much information as possible prior to even making a phone call. The amount of research that can be done prior to the first meeting has allowed our sales professionals to already know something about the person, both personally and professionally. When a salesperson can make a connection with a prospect because they share an alma mater, colleague or friend, that is priceless. In an industry that is flooded with competitors, differentiating yourself is one of the most important keys to setting you apart from the competition. The bottom line is that people buy from people. In today’s world, buyers would much rather buy from someone that they can trust, and if, for instance, their brother’s best friend knows the sales rep, then that trust bond can be built faster than ever before.
Social media channels allow the salesperson to become a consultant to their users. Our sales force now utilizes LinkedIn as much as possible. They are connecting with their customers and posting events. They are sharing their knowledge with their connections and providing a resource to buyers seeking out their products.
Knocking on doors to find out information still happens today and will not go away, however, now when we knock on the door we can already have the ability to know who we need to ask for and possibly what problems their organization is currently experiencing. Knowledge is power — the more you know the better it is for both buyers and sellers.
http://www.sbnonline.com/2011/...-salespeople/?full=1
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