In a traditional sales process, there is one person who sells something (the seller) and someone who is sold something (the buyer). Cold calling is used as a standard strategy to generate leads and convert them to real sales opportunities.
The catch is that cold calling has a success rate of 3% at best because sales reps know next to nothing about their prospects.
In today's social and digital world, there are more effective and easier ways to connect with prospects. This is where social selling comes into play and offers decisive advantages for both parties:
For the sales rep, it's about recognizing the potential customer and connecting with them online.
The prospect, in turn, uses business networks to find help with his purchase decision and to build trust during the decision-making process.
Through social selling, sales professionals are able to identify the actual needs that need to be addressed on the sales side.
Perhaps the prospect would like to purchase a new product or service because his current product does not meet certain requirements.
It can also be that he has no need at all, but is looking for solutions that make his life better, easier or more pleasant.
For sales professionals it is important to use these sales channels to gather information in preparation for the first conversation. Social selling enables prospective customers to obtain thorough information in order to find out whether it is worthwhile to buy the products or services.
The prospect not only has to trust the sales person, but also be convinced of the product or service offered. With social selling you can increase your awareness among potential customers and create trust through your sophisticated profile. This allows you to strengthen the relationships you have built with customers on the one hand and track their activities on the other.