Social selling, selling with social media, big data in sales, whatever the term you want to use, there is an underlying theme with every one of these concepts: know more about your b2b sales customers.
Much of this can be done manually, however having this process automated will help you save time drastically and let you do what you do best: sell. Below is a 4-point checklist to know more about your customers.
#1. Read their blog.
Companies are getting their message out, daily. The blog is likely the center of the company’s content universe. This is the first place you should go to see what they’re writing about. For example, Salesforce.com has 8 different blogs. If I’m selling into Salesforce.com, I’m going to use their content in cold emails, phone calls, and any other way to drive the sales process. A great way to automate this process is by setting up a Google Reader account; we discuss more about Google Reader in this video.
#2. Search their name on Twitter.
People praise, vent, and rant on Twitter. They’ll do that not only about your product but about the product of your competitor, prospect and customer. Listen to it all and be there to add value when necessary. Don’t believe us. Below are 4 images of tweets within the last 40 minutes about Salesforce.com. There’s a free tool that can help you automate this process very well.
#3. See what the Press is saying about them.
With so many people writing, tweet and blogging sometimes we can forget to read what the more authoritative outlets are writing about our customers. This is an easy search on Google News. Take a look below at how much information is on Salesforce.com amongst so many credible news outlets.
#4. Search for new updates on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great prospecting tool, but it contains more valuable information than just “who.” Companies put out valuable information on their pages and people put out valuable information on their personal pages. For example, Salesforce adds what jobs openings are available, how you’re connected to the company and much more. On the personal page, Marc Benioff’s profile shows which groups he’s in (which we found out is a good way to privately message him), who’s endorsed him (lead gen), and many other tidbits (trips, stats, etc) we can use in a call or conversation.
Salesforce’s Company Page:
Marc Benioff’s LinkedIn Profile
Use this 4 point b2b sales checklist to stay informed on your prospects and customers. Being great in sales is a game of inches. These are simple, quick ways that will put the ball in the endzone, it just takes discipline and the extra effort.
