Proper social media utilization by salespeople

Through other communication channels like snail mail, telephone, e-mail, pamphlets, brochures, and flyers, salespeople have been marketing products and services to prospects and customers. But John Bohan would agree that nowadays, more and more salespeople are using social media to reach out and interact with customers and would-be customers.

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However, as salespeople are instructed to utilize whatever resources they have to do their job, they sometimes create social media or social networking pages that look a bit different from the original company fan page or website. This inconsistency causes confusion among potential customers. In order to prevent this, companies should require salespeople to adhere to certain corporate standards.

Here are some more ideas on how salespeople can properly use social media:

• Salespeople need to be sources of credible and useful information. If salespeople inspire trust and confidence in a brand, customers will begin to see that the products and services that brand offers can solve their problems.

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• Salespeople need to participate. By being proactive in interacting with potential customers and sharing useful resources on social networks, salespeople communicate to customers that they don’t just sell products or services but solutions to their problems.

• Salespeople need to solve problems, not sell products. Salespeople should avoid hard-selling a product using social media. Customers who utilize social media to buy or do research about a product are wiser; they know if they are being sales-talked into buying something and find that annoying.

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Social media are effective tools for marketing provided that salespeople learn how to properly use them.

Visit the Socialtyze webpage for more information.