Are My Competitors Engaged in Social Sales?

Social Sales is the transformation of from users to "believers".  Every company wants loyal customers who will give them consistent feedback about their experiences. Achieving this transformation is not easy and takes a lot of hard work. It is not as simple as setting up the facebook, linkedin, and twitter account. It requires a complete change from within the organization.

Over the last 20 months I have visited with over 900 sales organizations. I have seen sales teams go from using a phone and a spreadsheet (in 2009) to implementing high-end CRM systems, integrated multichannel sales campaigns (including facebook, twitter, linkedin, email, phone, and old fashion mail), and creating social media strategies. Organizations see the potential power of social media and are trying hard to figure out what it all means.

Social Media has changed the world. If your sales teams are not using it be sure your competitors are. Winning new business in competitive markets is not about "who you know" it is about building a community and catering to them.

Look at salesforce.com. Why are they so successful? Because they created a community around their technology. The company has created a micro-economy for millions of developers, consultants, and users. I went to their annual conference this year and you would never know there was a recession. This is a case study for how Social Sales can propel a business into perpetual growth. Salesforce.com will never struggle because they have built a sales engine that attracts more than users; it attracts believers.

Building a community of followers ensures your business remains relevant. Companies and sales teams that are not engaged in Social Sales risk their users becoming someone else's followers. What is better a group of users or a following of believers. Social Sales can transform your organization and its approach to the market place.