Successful Salesman: Those With Digital & Social Marketing Skills

The work of the salesperson is crucial for the growth of the business, and the demand for these figures from companies remains high. But today, to sell, it is necessary to possess new knowledge: the basics of digital marketing, the use of technological tools, the ability to analyze data, and “listen” to the Web to seize development and innovation opportunities. The successful salesman is a very different professional figure from that of a few years ago. 

Over the last decade, the economy has been turned upside down not only by the prolonged crisis but also by the spread and evolution of digital marketing. This is what emerges from recent findings by EasyHunters, which, in the voice of its director Francesca Contardi, states: «In a dynamic context like the current one, professionals operating in the commercial field continue to have a strategic role and, for this reason, the demand on the part of companies does not stop growing. 

Technology has completely changed the market: candidates who are able to work both in traditional and online contexts are, therefore, essential. ” But what are these tools that the new figure of the salesman must possess? Knowing how to use and manage that potent tool that allows you to find, connect, and stay in touch with millions of people who, thanks to the ability to share content, can then turn into customers: in short, social media.

The Successful Salesperson Knows That Digital Marketing And Sales Are Linked

Smartphones, PCs, and tablets have changed the work of salespeople, making it faster and wiser. It is possible to expand your network or generate business opportunities without leaving your office: in this way, in the corporate context, the importance of the salesperson’s role increases as the possibilities of contact with the customer and, therefore, measurement are amplified by customer satisfaction.

At the same time, thanks to the internet, the consumer is increasingly informed and raises the bar of skills that the successful seller must demonstrate. Technology is, therefore, distorting commercial relationships, leading to an increasingly global nature of the “sales” field. The salesperson is increasingly becoming a crucial figure for the growth of the business. As the complexity of the market increases, increasingly advanced skills will be required: knowledge of marketing principles, technological and digital tools, data analysis skills, and to seize the best opportunities for development and innovation.

What Is Social Selling?

Social selling is one of the innovative expressions of those who work in the sales area. This practice allows you to maximize the value of the relationships that a company has built with customers, exploiting the power of social networks. Customer satisfaction becomes the central element around which all the attention and marketing strategies orbit, with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at the forefront.

The change in mentality that has affected the so-called “marketers” constitutes one of the foundations of the new company-customer relationship as companies are now closer to the potential buyer and have encouraged the propensity to be more active, friendly, and seriously interested in the needs of customers. Its customers. The more these characteristics are present and trained, the more conversions (from contact to sale) have the possibility of increasing through social media.

The objective that a successful seller must achieve with a ” social selling ” project is to pool a series of information regarding the company’s ideal customer, taking advantage of traditional market research and the data provided by the platforms. Social networks, analyze the interactions of your contacts with the contents (texts, posts, images, videos…) proposed on your digital profiles.

A Typical “School” Case: The IBM Experience

IBM, the undisputed protagonist in the history of information technology, in 2012 began a process of reorganizing its marketing structure to make it more flexible to the use of new digital tools. The company wanted to integrate the digital marketing sector with the sellers’ activity with a view to ” lead generation “: this required continuous production of content and a review of the sellers’ activities, orienting them strategically towards the so-called ” listening” until then considered a mere waste of time.

It all started from a  survey, through which the company discovered that one-third of its target audience used social networks on a daily basis to interact with the brand and find information about the products. Furthermore, 75% of the sample revealed that the information available on social media had influenced their purchasing decision. By monitoring and interacting on social media based on user conversations, IBM was thus able to find topics of interest, trends, and the most common problems reported by various users.

In a short time, thanks above all to the participation of sellers in online discussions with customers and potential customers, conversions increased by 400% (in the quarter following the publication of the initiative on social media) when a new offer was launched. After this success, all the group’s US salespeople followed refresher courses to learn this methodology, an emblem of the success of social selling designed properly and starting from the user. This leads us to conclude that digital marketing, both in the present and in the future, will not distort the seller’s professionalism. On the contrary, it will challenge and enhance it.

Also Read: Mobile App: Business Development Models Change To Serve Marketing