The Art of Social Selling

The Art of Social Selling

by Shannon Belew
Released January 2014
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: 9780814433331

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Book description

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest are changing the way consumers make purchasing decisions . . . and tapping into these online communities has become a necessary part of any integrated sales strategy. Citing enlightening research and real-world examples, this smart, practical guide presents readers with a detailed methodology for growing sales and expanding their customer base using social media. Readers will learn how to: • Use content and conversations to build online relationships that transition to sales
• Execute realistic sales strategies for each of the major social media platforms
• Spot social media trends that may influence future buying behaviors
• Sell online in B2B and B2C environments
• Turn social shares (likes, favorites, +1s) into social sales
• Set tangible goals
• Use online tools and analytics to track social influencers and identify relevant conversations as they are happening Complete with a chapter dedicated to capturing mobile sales—a segment poised to explode as the adoption of smartphones and tablets grows—The Art of Social Selling is essential reading for every sales professional.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter 1 - Fishing in Social Ponds: Using Social Media as a Prospecting Tool for Online Sales
    1. Tackling the Ever-Changing Sales Process
    2. The Social Selling Mantra
    3. Where to Go Fish
    4. Social Selling is a Team Sport
  8. Chapter 2 - The Social Triangle of Online Sales Success: Bringing together Social Marketing, Social Commerce, and Social Support
    1. Meeting the Demands of the Social Customer
    2. Capturing the Customer Experience
    3. Taking Shape and Connecting All the Dots
  9. Chapter 3 - Speaking a New Language: The Ten Most Important Rules for Online Social Interactions
    1. Rule #1: Be Genuine
    2. Rule #2: Listen, Listen, Listen
    3. Rule #3: Be Responsive
    4. Rule #4: Follow the Leader
    5. Rule #5: Tailor the Conversation
    6. Rule #6: Be Helpful
    7. Rule #7: Identify the Enter and Exit Signs
    8. Rule #8: Maintain the Separation of Professional and Personal
    9. Rule #9: Be Consistent
    10. Rule #10: Admit when you're Wrong
  10. Chapter 4 - More than Lead Scraping: The Benefits of Un-Selling in Social Media
    1. Boosting your Online Likeability
    2. Lead Scraping or Lead Generation?
    3. Moving beyond Lead Scraping
    4. The Truth about Un-Selling
    5. Expanding Circles, Influence, and Recommendations
  11. Chapter 5 - Tweets, Likes, Comments, and Recommendations: Understanding the Value of Peer-to-Peer Influence in Social Sales
    1. Online Reviews: Word-of-Mouth Marketing on Steroids
    2. Likes, Favorites, Followers, and Other Positive Social Indicators
    3. Blogs, Forums (Groups), and Communities Matter, Too
  12. Chapter 6 - Content, Engagement, and Building a Relationship: Pulling the Social Customer through the Online Sales Funnel
    1. Understanding the Changing Sales Funnel
    2. Developing Buyer Personas for your Social Customers
    3. Creating Content to Feed the Online Sales Funnel
    4. Mapping Types of Content to the Social Networks to Engage and Build Relationships with Prospects
  13. Chapter 7 - Tools of the Trade: Using Online Services and Applications to Help you Find, Track, and Engage Social Customers
    1. Social Information that Matters
    2. Finding Purpose with Social Tools
    3. Monitoring Tools
    4. Influence Trackers
    5. Social Sharing Tools
    6. Content Curator Tools
    7. Applications for Creating Content
    8. Social Influence Measurement Tools
    9. Mobile Apps
  14. Chapter 8 - Time is Money: Building Social Selling into your Schedule
    1. Identifying Current Time Conflicts
    2. Spending your Time in Fishing Holes, Not Rabbit Holes
    3. Conquering the Social Selling Conflict
    4. Setting Clear Objectives
    5. Designating Blocks of Time
    6. Prescheduling Posts
    7. Limiting your Exposure
    8. Using your Extended Resources
    9. Going Mobile
  15. Chapter 9 - Free and Not Quite Free: Determining your Budget
    1. Recognizing the Cost of “Free” and Investing in your Success
    2. Deciding how much to Spend to Ramp Up your Selling Game
    3. Support Costs
    4. Program Costs
    5. Tools and Technology
    6. Resources
  16. Chapter 10 - Developing your Social Selling Strategy: The Components for a Realistic Social Media Sales Plan
    1. A Strategy for you and your Company
    2. Establishing your Goals and Objectives
    3. Setting the Rules of Engagement
    4. Conducting your Research
    5. Knowing your Assets and Getting Organized
    6. Developing an Outreach Schedule
    7. Integrate Online and Offline Sales Efforts, then Repeat
  17. Chapter 11 - Linkedin: Turning Connections into Sales
    1. Expanding beyond a Digital Resume
    2. Social Media First Impressions Start with your Profile
    3. Expanding your Connections
    4. Paid versus “Organic” Opportunities for Social Selling
  18. Chapter 12 - Twitter: Social Selling in 140 Characters or Less
    1. Influential Tweets
    2. Twitter Basics for Business
    3. The Advantages of Using Twitter for your Business
    4. Equal Opportunities for B2C and B2B Prospecting
    5. Best Practices and Tips
  19. Chapter 13 - Facebook, Google+, and Online Communities: Targeting your Social Customer Base
    1. Using your Personal Facebook Account
    2. Using a Company Facebook Page to Turn Fans into Customers
    3. Google +: Turning Circles into Opportunities
    4. Spreading your Message on Blogs and Online Communities
  20. Chapter 14 - The Rise of Visual Content and its Influence on Sales: YouTube, Pinterest, Infographics, and More
    1. Visual Content that Helps Convey your Message
    2. Incorporating Visual Content into your Sales Process
    3. Sharing Visual Content Using Apps
    4. Social Sharing Platforms Made for Promoting Visual Content
    5. Putting your Videos on YouTube
    6. Pinning your Visual Content to Pinterest
    7. Sharing Top-Performing Presentations on SlideShare
  21. Chapter 15 - Social Selling Trends: Harnessing the Growth of Mobile Sales
    1. The Influence of Mobile Devices by the Numbers
    2. Mobile Commerce in Action
    3. Social Selling and Preparing for Mobile Sales
  22. Chapter 16 - Case Studies: Social Success Stories for B2C and B2B
    1. Caron's Beach House, a Specialty Online Retailer (B2C)
    2. Bizo, a Marketing Services Firm (B2B)
    3. Shopify, an e-Commerce Platform for Online Retailers (B2B)
  23. Notes
  24. Index
  25. About the Author
  26. Free Sample Chapter from New Sales. Simplified.

Product information

  • Title: The Art of Social Selling
  • Author(s): Shannon Belew
  • Release date: January 2014
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: 9780814433331