Many companies employ social media brand consultants and representatives.
This team works as the social media face of the brand. While they are effective at hashtags and social media technology, one key element is missing: sales.
One person that knows the importance of inserting sales team members into social media is Bernie Borges. As the CEO of Find and Convert, Bernie is an industry expert in lead generation and harnessing the power of social media to boost a brand’s reputation.
Why Should B2B Sales Staff be Involved in Social Media Branding?
Sales team members are often invited to the conversation once they are a hot lead. In other words, they are introduced very late in the buyer’s journey. Bernie believes that inserting a sales team member early on could promote a better level of engagement between the brand and the customer. During his interview, he discusses a few key reasons why sales staff should be in social media from day one.
Predisposed Perceptions of the Consumer
A consumer has plenty of predisposed attitudes and ideas about a company. Therefore, waiting to engage with a salesperson near the end of the journey makes it hard for the salesperson to build that consumer’s trust and boost their brand authority. This makes the job of converting the lead into a sale very challenging for the sales professional – which affects the company’s revenue.
Sales Staff Come in Way Too Late
Bernie states that most salespeople are not introduced into the buyer’s journey until the purchaser is already 70 to 90 percent of the way through. By inviting them to the 10 or 20 percent stage of the buyer’s journey, the salesperson is already a leg up.
Bernie recommends having the B2B salesperson actively engaged on social media, including Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sales teams can actively participate in comments, conversations, publish articles and stay proactive in the game. They can insert marketing into their articles, learn about buyer interests and they have a better chance of getting into the buyer’s journey at optimum times rather than when the customer has established preconceived notions.
Consumers Use Social Media for Research
When a customer or company is considering a business, they research them online – especially via social media. By inserting sales professionals into the research phase, the brand is more likely to stay on the potential list for that customer than if they add sales staff near the end of the research phase.
Earn Trust, Right, and Respect Faster
Companies rely on brand trust and recognition for better conversion rates. Therefore, every company should put more emphasis on their social media presence. When sales professionals are inserted as early as possible in the buyer’s journey, Bernie believes that the sales professional will establish a meaningful conversation and the buyer will be more serious about purchasing from that brand.
When companies get their salespeople on board with the idea of monitoring and engaging in social media, it is a win-win for everyone.
Learn more insights from Bernie Borges by reading his blog on Find and Convert’s website.
