[5] The technique frequently focuses on approaching potential clients in a less direct way, meaning they don't interrupt their daily lives with cold calls and hard sells.
[6] Koka Sexton was interviewed and spoke about how salespeople can use social media to leverage their connections to gather insights and build relationships.
They argue that, while sales professionals still impact the path to purchase, they are no longer able to personally manage the buying process.
These advocates cite a Corporate Executive Board (CEB) study that reports almost 60% of today's buying process is complete before the buyer reaches out to sales.
[8] To show effectiveness, supporters point to an Aberdeen Group study finding that social sellers outperform other sales professionals across a range of key performance indicators (KPIs).
For example, a financial advisor may monitor social media for major life events (e.g., birth of a child, change in employment status, retirement, death of a parent) that correlate to a need for investment advice.
Similarly, B2B outbound sales professionals frequently search LinkedIn for individuals matching their target buyer profiles.
Typically this is done through the creation of compelling personal profiles that showcase a sales professional's expertise, credibility, and integrity.
[12] Employee advocacy is when sales professionals or other staff leverage their own social presence to share positive news, stories, and insights about their company with their networks.
Social Relationship Management tactics include listening and responding to customer feedback online, and re-posting user-generated content regarding company.
[15] Social Relationship Management emphasizes authentic and genuine connections, and directly engaging with stakeholders in online conversations.
The SSI is based on four criteria: Creating a professional brand, finding the right people, engaging with insights, and building strong relationships.
Revenue Attribution is a technique employed by some sales organizations (e.g., ADP, CBIZ, Prudential) to measure social selling effectiveness.
According to IBM, the company that integrates social media into their business model, is one that embraces and cultivates a spirit of collaboration and community throughout its organization—both internally and externally.
[26] Salesforce.com stated in an article that social selling could work in parallel with traditional sales techniques in order to further increase conversions.
If a sales director understands that he wins business when there is a significant change, such as a sudden expansion or contraction, he will do everything in order to monitor companies in this position.
This could be seen as an initial step before selling takes place, as the salesman will already be involved in the conversation, ensuring the lead isn't cold.