#SocialSelling is a way of identifying prospects, nurturing them, and generating pipeline via #SocialMedia. It requires leveraging smart, relevant content to educate and build rapport with prospects. During this slideshare, I will discuss the changing B2B buyer, why social selling addresses this new type of buyer, how social selling can turn sales into a lead generator, and the many benefits of implementing a social selling strategy. How do we change our sales strategy to target the first 69% of the buyer’s journey? The most efficient way is through social selling. Social selling is a modern sales technique that enables sales teams to identify prospects, nurture them, and generate pipeline via social media. In the past, a sales team relied heavily on marketing for sufficient leads to make their quotas. With the advent of marketing automation and content marketing, there is optimism that marketing will be able to provide sales teams with more leads. And while these marketing tools and tactics are undoubtedly helpful, the fact remains: today, sales teams need to produce their own leads. CustomerThink has found that a world-class #MarketingTeam will produce 30% of a company’s leads – at best. This means that sales teams can expect to produce at least 70% of a company’s leads. 70%. That sounds like a daunting number. But sales teams that embrace social selling can produce 70% of a company’s leads. In fact, social sales teams are successful! Sales Benchmark Index has found that social media is the number one source of opportunities generated by sales representatives. Furthermore, social selling has the highest lead to close conversion rate of all prospecting methodologies. Social selling sees about a 15% prospecting conversion rate, at least 5 times greater than the 3% prospecting success rate from marketing activities. Companies that do not embrace social media struggle to make their quotas. In the past, sales teams relied on cold calls in order to reach out to prospects. But today’s buyers rarely answer their desk phones. The cold calling appointment rate is between 1% and 3%. Instead, today’s buyers live with smart phones in their pockets, and those smart phones have Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn apps. In other words, buyers are always connected to social media. Now that we have an understanding of social selling and its benefits, reflect on where you stand as an organization with regards to social selling and let us know if we can assist you through the transition. Contact WSI eStrategies today and enroll your sales team in our Social Selling Training Curriculum today! http://wsiestrategies.com/lead-generation/wsi-social-selling/

1. © 2017 WSI. All rights reserved.
Genera:ng Pipeline by iden:fying
and nurturing prospects on social
media
The Case for Social
Selling

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WSI eStrategies OEawa, Canada
Mark Jamieson

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Social Prospecting
gives us a
compe--ve
advantage
Sales & Marketing
need to be
aligned closely,
sharing a
unified
message
across social
channels
ROI on Social Selling
is drama-c:
be9er quota
a9ainment, a
posi-ve brand
reputa-on, and a
sales team that
generates leads
B2B Buyer has changed
and Sales needs
to pro-ac-vely
engage prospects
on the social
channels that
they use
regularly
Execu8ve Summary
“Reps using social selling techniques realize 66% greater quota
a6ainment than those using tradi9onal prospec9ng means.”
–Sales Benchmark Index

4. 4
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“You’re not following up
on the leads I’m giving
you!”
MARKETING
“You’re not giving me
enough leads!”
SALES
Problem 1: Who Should Generate The Leads?
30%
70
%
Marke-ng teams typically produce between 15% and 30% of a company’s new leads - CustomerThink
Talk about puNng
pressure on sales

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Sales Dilemma:
• Their poten-al buyers are more
informed
• Cold calling is effec-ve only 3% of
the -me
• But they s-ll need to generate
between 70% and 85% of their
own leads
Problem 2: Cold Calls are Ineffec8ve

6. 6
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Buyer first contacts
vendor
The Changing B2B Buyer
5010 69%
Buyer due diligence
begins
100
Buyer Purchase Decision Timeline

7. 7
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Buyer first contacts
vendor
Opportunity
5010 69%
Buyer due diligence
begins
100
Choice #2:
Put effort into the first 69%
Low compe--on
Li9le price fric-on
Choice #1:
Fight with everyone else for the 31%
Price war

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A modern sales technique
in which sales people iden-fy
prospects, nurture them, and
generate pipeline via social
media
The number one source
of revenue generated by sales
representa-ves
The highest lead to close
conversion rate of all
prospec-ng techniques
Solu8on: Social Selling
“Social selling sees about a 15% prospec9ng conversion
rate, at least 5 9mes greater than the 3% prospec9ng
success rate from marke9ng ac9vi9es. ”
–Sales Benchmark Index

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is based on rela-onship building and trust
SOCIAL SELLING100% B2B DECISION MAKERS
are on social media for business purposes (Forrester)
TRUST
in regular employees is ever-growing
Why It works
The majority of B2B IT buyers use social networks as part of their purchase process.
–IDG Connect

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IDENTIFY PROSPECTS 01
That you would like to engage
SEAL THE DEAL 05
Build trust then ask for the deal
CONNECT WITH PROSPECTS 02
Preferably asking a colleague for a referral
OBSERVE 03
The prospects in their habitat
USE CONTENT 04
To engage with the prospect and build rapport
How It Works

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The Value of Social Selling
QUOTA ATTAINMENT
INCREASED THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP
BETTER MARKETING
& SALES
ALIGNMENT
IMPROVED PROSPECTING

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85%
108%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Quota A_ainment
Reps using
tradi8onal sales
techniques
Reps using Social
Selling techniques
“64% of sales teams that use
social selling a6ain their
quota. ”
–Aberdeen Group
“64% of sales teams that use
social selling a6ain their
quota. ”
–Aberdeen Group
108%
85%

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and e-mails are
ineffec-ve and a turn-off
for poten-al buyers.
01
COLD CALLS
In fact, cold calls hurt
brand reputa-on
02
BRAND REPUTATION
are far more effec-ve,
especially on sites like
LinkedIn
04
WARM REFERRALS
Buyers are most likely to
engage with salespeople
who understand their
role, company, and
industry
05
UNDERSTAND COMPANY
Be_er Prospec8ng
“Experienced
salespeople can expect
to spend 7.5 hours of
cold calling to get ONE
qualified appointment.”
–Keller Research Center
at Baylor University

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B2B BUYERS
ENGAGE
The vast majority of B2B
buyers engage with sales
professionals who are
thought leaders in their
industry
Is an easy way to build trust and provide
value to prospects
SHARING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
Leverage a blend of informa-onal
and promo-onal content, as well
as created and curated content
LEVERAGING CONTENT
Thought Leadership
“92% of B2B buyers engage with sales professionals
who are known industry thought leaders. ”
–LinkedIn

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MARKETING
can supply the necessary content
SALES PEOPLE
need to be viewed as go-to
resources for thought leadership
and industry news
BEST IN CLASS COMPANIES
have a centralized Marke-ng library where
every asset and message is accessible to Sales
Marke8ng – Sales Alignment
SALES
can help marke-ng provide buyers
with the content that they need to
reach a decision

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Is your Sales Team
making Quota?
What is your
Prospec8ng Strategy?
What are your
Thought Leadership
Plans?
Is Marke8ng & Sales
Aligned?
Where Do You Stand?

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Next Steps
3 months
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3
Ini8al Assessment
• Iden-fy current successes
and areas for improvement in
Sales
• Begin evalua-ng social selling
so_ware
• Begin developing list of
feature requirements
Social Selling Strategy
Development
• Select social selling solu-on
• Iden-fy and invite most social-
savvy reps for pilot program
• Develop best prac-ces and
social media policy
• Set prospec-ng goals for the
sales team
• Create a content plan that
aligns with marke-ng calendar
Pilot
• Train the core group of social
sellers
• Launch the pilot program
• Create a centralized content
library
• Refresh content daily
• Iden-fy “hits” and “misses”
• Evaluate and grow program
30 Days 60 Days 90 Days

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01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
LESS COMPETITION FOR BUYERS’ ATTENTION
LESS PRICING COMPETITION
ANALYTICS TO TRACK SOCIAL
SELLING EFFORTS
IMPROVED MARKETING-
SALES ALIGNMENT
TURN SALES INTO A
LEAD GENERATOR
INCREASED THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
SALES QUOTA ATTAINMENT
POSITIVE BRAND IMAGE
Summary
Social Selling
Benefits

19. We help ideas realize their poten-al by leveraging the
Internet & its many unrecognized opportuni-es.
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