Social selling is selling. In sales and marketing there is a tendency to use catchy phrases to describe something new or promote new products. Social Selling has suffered from this fate as companies in marketing and sales automation use a myriad of keywords associated to “Social Selling “ to look Social and grab SEO traffic

1. Social Selling is Selling
Social selling is selling. In sales and marketing there is a tendency to use catchy phrases to describe
something different or to plug a product. Social Selling has suffered from this fate as companies in
marketing and sales automation use a myriad of keywords associated to “Social Selling “ to look
Social; but in reality none of their products get the job of actual selling done any easier. Too many
sales people seem to forget that sales tools do not do the selling for them. The training, the processes
and the sales performance of the people themselves are what really matter, supported with the right
technology to simplify tasks.
In most sales situations, a core set of tasks usually need to be accomplished. Below, is a set of basic
selling tasks.
Identify prospects - Prioritise the prospects - Plan the sale
Contact prospect – Sell - Close
Deliver – Review - Improve
The above is a high level view with lots of other tasks associated to them. The list is also probably
missing some tasks but I have kept it simple as it is a blog post. OK so next let us start to understand
how value is perceived by the sales people who are trying to sell products or services. No sales
person or sales team has the time to get confused about some new sales concept that is completely
irrelevant. Nor can any company afford to invest the time and money in a sales process that shifts
attention to a sparkling new concept; at the expense of the fundamental focus of the sales team work
– selling.

2. In the sales world words like Social Selling and Social Networking are phrases that should be used to
bring meaning that customer’s preferences and the buyer’s journey have changed over time.
Understanding the methods and channels buyers/customers now use to evaluate a product or service
is critical if any business a) adapt new sales methods in the value chain and b) to separate out when
to or when not to, invest in the latest sales craze. If a business can align the sales process to newly
identified customer needs which improves sales performance, then can make that switch. If not, then
work towards improving the existing sales process.
Social Selling is selling in the digital age
Social Selling represents a shift in how sellers reach and interact with buyers in the digital age.
Business’s must first validate and then implement how their set of target customers is now sourcing
information on product and services. Very few buyers’ journeys have been left unchanged in the
digital age. Social Selling is not some new craze, it is just selling evolved to match the realities of
today’s business environment.
Certain steps in the sales cycle or process have evolved a lot over the past 10 years. All social selling
is doing is to get sales people and sales management to reassessed how well a step, let’s say “sales
prospecting” gets done given the new set of capabilities afforded by the social networks. These new
sales capabilities have,
 Increased the ability of sales people to build networks
 Reduced the time in identify buyer conversations
 Made it simpler to share content with prospects and buyers
 Made it easier to find information about companies and contacts
 Changed the way sales establish and maintain relationships
 Interactions have moved from person to digital
 Increased the number of channels Customers can access touch points
In above list is far from exhaustive, there are many other customer or sales capabilities with varying
levels of importance and satisfaction that the digital networks facilitate. However these emerging

3. capabilities do not change a simple fact…social selling is still selling for a different era. Sales methods
and customer interaction channels will continue to evolve and it will be interesting to see how the next
wave of concepts impacts the sales tasks. The fact that business needs to sell to customers won’t
change; but opportunities to improve customer connections that had just been ignored in the past, will
emerge as the new must haves for sales teams everywhere.
About
The Bitter Business is a sales and marketing strategy partner based in Ireland. We help companies
Grow.
Working mainly with early stage companies to drive revenue via social media, social selling and sales
strategy. My name is Brian O’Connell. I am a hands on business enabler with senior sales and
marketing manager experience in companies like Dell, Oracle, Apple and J2 Global. I have worked
with or founded companies in digital media, productivity software, social media software, educational
software, business software and SaaS. I bring sales and marketing skills plus strategic, management
experience across multiple channels (on-line sales, social selling, inside sales, field sales and
channel).
Helping companies with social selling, social media marketing, lead generation, revenue
development, product to market fit strategy, sales management, customer acquisition strategies plus
implementing “Go to Market” programs/tactics
My passion is helping people and companies succeed. If you would like to chat or explore how I could
benefit your business, feel free to contact me. Always good to chat.
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