So, what’s the deal with Sales 2.0? Is it enough to have a Facebook or Twitter account, or to use LinkedIn to connect with prospects? How about using new software applications to track your CRM data?
Well, according to this week’s guest, Christian Maurer, Sales 2.0 is much, much more than that. You might recognize Christian’s distinctive accent, as he is a returning guest to the SM 2.0 Podcast. We were certainly glad to have him back.
So what is Sales 2.0? Christian says (and we agree) that Sales 2.0 is primarily an attitude. As we wrote in the What Is Sales 2.0? (2147) e-book (click that link to download the full e-book for free), approaching your clients with what is of interest to them is the essential ingredient. As Christian says, you’ll never get any benefit from social media and Web 2.0 applications if you don’t put your customers first. In other words, it’s all about them.
One of the biggest challenges in adopting Sales 2.0 for many traditional organizations is the handing over of the brand to the customer. Many companies are hesitant to lose control of their marketing message, and they fear that entering the social media space will cause that to happen. Well, we hate to be the ones to break it to them, but the truth is that social media has already created a world where the customer owns the brand. The only thing companies avoid by staying out of social media is the opportunity to participate in the conversation their customers are already having about them!
Christian also touched on an incredibly important topic: the “frenemy” relationship between marketing and sales. Traditionally, sales departments have been kept in the dark and not allowed to participate in the marketing process until marketing is ready to hand over the leads they’ve created. This is another place where Sales 2.0 is causing traditional systems to break down and be replaced by new, more effective ways of getting things done.
For example, what happens when a prospect finds your company’s website using Google? Does your company have an effective way for your sales department to get in touch with that prospect while they are still thinking about what they saw on your website, maybe even while they’re still on the website? If not, you may be missing out on a golden opportunity to strike while the proverbial iron is hot!
Sales 2.0 is changing the way business gets done. Are you keeping up? If not, it’s time to start paying attention. Give this episode a listen, and leave a comment below to share what you’re doing to put the tools of Sales 2.0 to work!
Brad and Jerry
