Why Now is The Time to Embrace Social Selling

SocialB Digital Marketing Blog Last modified: 23 Apr 2021 by Ed Goodman
Social Media

For many businesses, the Covid pandemic ripped apart internal sales processes. However, what if I told you that the pandemic had nothing to with the on-coming storm of change, but merely hastened the speed at which many businesses transitioned towards it?

What is Social Selling?

When you think about selling on social media, what springs to mind? For many businesses we speak with, it is advertising, spamming, or unsolicited DMs from brands trying to get you to check out their products or services.

If your first thought is the same, then you will be pleased to know that it is much more about selling through relationship-building on social media.

In Arthur Miller’s play, “Death of a Salesman”, the lead character Willy Loman was many things (a good salesman was not one of them, but that is for another blog). Set in the 1940s, Willy certainly didn’t know much about social selling statistics, but he did know what all great salesmen know. Firstly, relationships build sales. For example, you get to know your prospects and their needs and then you build trust with them. Finally, when the time is right and your prospects are ready to buy, they will think of you first.

That is how it worked in 1949. What may surprise you to learn is that, despite the social media influence in society in the 2020s, that is still how it works today.

The absolute best sales professionals take advantage of every opportunity on social networks. They realise the potential of social networks to start conversations, build relationships, take conversations with prospects and customers to the next level, support customers after closing the sale, and encourage their biggest fans to shout about them to their own audiences too.

According to optinmonster.com:

A full 71% of all sales professionals and 90% of top salespeople are already using social selling tools.
Social sellers are 51% more likely to achieve sales quotas.
84% of C-Level executives use social media to make purchasing choices.

Willy Loman would define it as honest hard work of building relationships and making sales. In 2021, we call it Social Selling.