You Drive Business The Role of Social Media in Sales

1. You Drive Business
The Role of Social Media in Sales
December 2014

2. Are you part of the sales process?
41% of respondents to the 2011 Inside the Mind
of the B2B Buyer survey said they engaged with a
sales representative only after their initial research
was conducted on various options
24% said they engaged with sales after a
preferred list of vendors was already established.

3. Where do buyers look?
10
12
21
23
27
27
29Technology or solution provider subject matter experts
Technology or solution provider sales people
Peers/colleagues
Industry analysts
Management consultants
Sourcing advisors
Universities, think tanks
Source: ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Study, 2012
What were the first three sources of information you turned to when you began your information search?
% of Respondents (N=299)

4. Company Lens: Business Enablement
PHASE AWARENESS LEAD GEN NURTURE CONVERT ENGAGE
Objective
Higher Search
Rankings
Publicity
Generate Interest
Attract those in
the buying
process
Capture Leads
Continue
outreach with
those not yet
ready to buy
Move up the
purchase
lifecycle
Move target
from prospect
to buyer
Continue
engagement
Cross-sell/
upsell
Manage post-
purchase
dissonance
Common
Tools
White Papers
Research
Tweets
LinkedIn Groups
Slideshare Decks
Podcasts
Speaking Opps
White Papers
Research
ROI Calculators
Viewpoints
Case Studies
Webinars
Speaking opps
Newsletters
Custom White
Papers
Research
Speaking opps
(for prospect)
Demos
Co-hosted
webinars
Sales
Presentation
Pricing Models
Proposals
Case Studies
Analyst reccos
Newsletters
Project
updates/photos
Case Studies
Analyst reports
Speaking opps
(for the client)
Workshops

5. How buyers use social media
ZIFF DAVIS ENTERPRISE ASSET TRAK

6. YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION

7. THE CONSUMER IS SATURATED

8. Content plan for sales
PHASE INITIAL RESEARCH
PROBLEM
DEFINITION
SHORTLISTING
SOLUTIONS &
VENDORS
FINAL SELECTION POST-PURCHASE
Query
Industry trends
Competitor
Cases
Analyst
viewpoints
Operational
Benchmarks
Technology
Platforms
Frameworks
ROI
Locations,
financials, corp
governance
Referrals
Specific
Solutions
Competency
Cultural Fit
Best solution
Demonstrated
competency
Pricing strategy
Rationalizing
purchase
Benefits
Deepen or
disengage

9. Safe Social

10. The best brand ambassadors
ARE EMPLOYEES

11. WHY SHOULD YOU
DO IT ?
Opens up a multitude
of avenues
Differentiate yourself from
others
Prolonged careers
Better stature & networking
in society
WHY SHOULD THE
COMPANY DO IT ?
Build Visiblity
Build Organizational
crediblity
Strong personal brands add
value to corporate brands
and vice-versa

12. Tool Employee Content
Twitter
Links to industry articles along with comments, company news, retweets of
company tweets
Facebook
Links to industry articles along with comments, Shares of company posts, Liking
company posts, friending clients you know personally (and creating a separate list
for them)
LinkedIn
Answers to technical questions, Sharing jobs, Engaging in company-run group,
Attending company events
YouTube Sharing, liking company posts, links to relevant videos
Slideshare Decks made in public forums such as conferences
google+
+1s for relevant articles, shares of company articles, circle for clients, Hangouts with
that circle if appropriate
What’s OK

13. What’s NOT ok
Financial data
Client information of any type
Internal memos, decks, announcements
Departures, Appointments (unless public)
Anything that contradicts company’s stated position
Anything that contradicts a client’s stated position

14. The shoals
Facebook is more intimate than the other tools and so requests to connect should be made only to
clients you know really well. In the case of employees, you should wait for your reportees to invite you,
and never insist that you be ‘friends’
Sharing your views on politics, religion, locally sensitive topics can polarize your network
Define what constitutes harassment, improper language, bad behaviour in electronic media - even in
your employees’ personal capacity
Set a guideline for sharing company photos on social media - usually it is that it should not be
embarrassing to the employees in the shot, and personal information (like tagging) cannot be provided
without permission

15. Playing safe
Disclose your employer
Disclaimer ‘views are personal’
Follow the ‘listen, respond, engage’ cycle in your social media engagements
When you make a mistake, apologize immediately and fully

16. What does success look like -
individual
What does success look like?
Acknowledged expert in that field
Known by name not by org title
Personal reputation = > company reputation
Friday 3 December 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/62037353/sizes/m/

17. What does success look like?
% increase in inquiries through Social Media sites
Increase in downloads of content
Requests for information through social channels
% increase in # of touchpoints with customers and
prospects
% increase in conversions through nurturing

18. MARKETING
STRATEGY
Product launches,
brand integration,
rejuvenation and
identity,
international
marketing plans,
turnkey marketing
solutions
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