Being a seasoned technology strategy sales professional of over 10 years, I have practiced several methodologies from SPIN, SNAP, Value to Solution Selling. All methods that utilize traditional means to get facetime with customers. In late 2014, I began seeing the workings of  ‘social selling’ - where the first point of contact with a buyer occurs online on a social media platform.

I often coach my team to understand the fundamentals of sales, then allow them to form their own style in social selling. Whether I want to believe it or not, the stats don’t lie - cold calling is simply not sustainable anymore as the response rate is too low for the time invested. The key is to reach out to prospects where they are interested in talking, and today it’s on a social media platform.

Here are benefits we see in social selling:

• Currently the best way to initiate qualified buyers and develop relationships

• Developing ambassadors (referrals) couldn’t be easier for B2B businesses

• Big project bids are now influenced by researches conducted online. Be where they are searching.

• Alignment between sales and marketing has never been more clear.

Depending on your industry and your buyer audience, consider implementing social selling methodology to your existing sales and marketing channel. Regardless of what social media platform you reach them, the final destination is always your organization’s website. Share the right info that comes from the only source that matters - your company.