Social Selling Action Plan

#HootConnect • @eskimon & @HootsuiteAPAC • 1&
AN ACTION PLAN FOR
SOCIAL SELLINGPREPARING FOR EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE & COMPELLING CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
SIMON KEMP • we are social • JULY 2017

SIMON KEMP
@eskimon

TODAY
1. CONTEXT: THE STATE OF DIGITAL
2. THE RATIONALE FOR SOCIAL SELLING
3. PLANNING FOR SOCIAL SELLING SUCCESS
4. MARKETING’S ROLE IN SOCIAL SELLING
5. A SOCIAL SELLING PLAN FOR SALESPEOPLE
6. OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
7. MEASURING SOCIAL SELLING ACTIVITIES

CONTEXT

MORE THAN 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE OF WORKING
AGE IN APAC USE SOCIAL MEDIA EACH MONTH
Sources: Facebook; Tencent; U.S. Census Bureau

5 IN 6 C-LEVEL EXECS USE SOCIAL MEDIA
TO INFORM THEIR B2B BUYING DECISIONS
Source: IDC, “Social Buying Meets Social Selling”

AS A RESULT, SOCIAL SELLING IS ONE OF THE
MOST VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES IN DIGITAL

BUT WHAT IS SOCIAL SELLING?

Social selling is the process of
building and nurturing one-to-one
relationships that enable a more
efficient and effective sales cycle.
“

!

SOCIAL SELLING IS NOT ABOUT DRIVING ONE-
OFF SALES WITH ‘DIRECT RESPONSE’ ACTIVITIES

IT’S ABOUT DELIVERING RECURRING VALUE
BY NURTURING ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS

SOCIAL
SELLING

RATIONALE
& BENEFITS

SOCIAL SELLING CAN ADD VALUE AT EVERY
STEP OF AN ORGANISATION’S SALES JOURNEY

ADDING VALUE THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY
SOCIAL LISTENING CAN
IDENTIFY VALUABLE NEW
CUSTOMERS AND SALES
OPPORTUNITIES
CONTENT MARKETING
INSPIRES CUSTOMERS TO
CONTACT THE BRAND AT
CRITICAL VALUE MOMENTS
IDENTIFYING
PROSPECTS
INBOUND LEAD
GENERATION
SOCIAL LISTENING
CAN REVEAL SPECIFIC
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
CONTEXTUAL
OUTREACH
FACILITATES THE MOVE
FROM ONE-OFF SALES
TO ONGOING MUTUAL
VALUE CREATION
CRM & CLTV
MANAGEMENT

SOCIAL SELLING BUILDS LONG-TERM BRAND
EQUITY AND DRIVES SHORT-TERM SALES

CRITICALLY, SOCIAL SELLING ADDS VALUE
TO THE ORGANISATION’S BOTTOM LINE

DOING THE RIGHT THINGS
OPTIMISED ACTIVITIES ARE MORE
LIKELY TO CONVERT TO SALES
DOING THOSE THINGS RIGHT
TARGETED ACTIVITIES REDUCE THE
COSTS OF DELIVERING THOSE SALES
EFFECTIVENESS EFFICIENCY
SOCIAL SELLING DELIVERS A ‘DOUBLE-WHAMMY’
&

PLANNING
FOR SUCCESS

SOCIAL SELLING IS A MULTI-TEAM EFFORT,
SO BREAKING DOWN SILOES IS ESSENTIAL

5 STEPS

#1: IDENTIFY YOUR ORGANISATIONAL GOALS,
AND SET S.M.A.R.T. OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS

#2: IDENTIFY THE HIGHEST-VALUE NEEDS
OF YOUR CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS

#3: IDENTIFY YOUR OWN ORGANISATIONAL
IMPERATIVES (E.G. LAUNCHES, REBRANDING)

#4: TRANSLATE CUSTOMER & INTERNAL NEEDS
INTO OVERARCHING ‘BRAND NARRATIVES’

EXAMPLES OF ‘BRAND NARRATIVES’
STATISTICS AND DATA
THAT MARKETERS NEED
TO MAKE DECISIONS
TRACKING CHANGES IN
TECHNOLOGY AND
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
DATA
REPORTS
TRENDS AND
FORECASTING
ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
ON HOW TO TACKLE
COMMON CHALLENGES
HOW-TO
GUIDES

#5: IDENTIFY SOCIAL SELLING KPIS AND
AN ASSOCIATED MEASUREMENT APPROACH

NOTE: MEASUREMENT PLANS ARE DEPENDENT
ON YOUR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND CONTEXT

NEXT, AGREE SOCIAL SELLING ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES ACROSS DIFFERENT TEAMS

MARKETING

SOCIAL SELLING DOESN’T REPLACE CONTENT
MARKETING; IT ADDS DISTINCT NEW VALUE

ASSETS DESIGNED FOR SHARING
WITH BROADER AUDIENCES VIA THE
BRAND’S DIGITAL PROPERTIES
ASSETS DESIGNED TO HELP SALES TEAMS
ENGAGE IN ONE-TO-ONE INTERACTIONS VIA
THEIR OWN SOCIAL PROPERTIES
CONTENT
MARKETING
SOCIAL
SELLING
TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF ASSET
VS

EMPLOYEE SHARING vs. BRAND SHARING
WE’RE 3 TIMES MORE LIKELY
TO TRUST CONTENT SHARED
BY PEOPLE WE KNOW THAN
CONTENT SHARED BY BRANDS
TO ENGAGE WITH CONTENT
SHARED BY EMPLOYEES THAN
3x 8x
TO RE-SHARE CONTENT
SHARED BY EMPLOYEES THAN
24x
LEADS GENERATED BY
EMPLOYEES CONVERT 7
TIMES MORE FREQUENTLY
THAN OTHER KINDS OF LEADS
7xMORE TRUSTWORTHY MORE ENGAGING MORE LIKELY TO SHARE BETTER CONVERSION
Sources: Nielsen; Smarp; Technerati; LinkedIn

YOUR SOCIAL SELLING ASSETS WILL BE SHARED
BY SALESPEOPLE, NOT BY BRAND MARKETERS

DESIGN SOCIAL SELLING ASSETS TO ADD
VALUE TO YOUR SALESPEOPLE’S ACTIVITIES

BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT
WILL ADD THE GREATEST VALUE?

#1: UNDERSTAND THE VALUE THAT YOUR
CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS WANT

USE SOCIAL LISTENING ACROSS YOUR
VARIOUS AUDIENCES TO INFORM THIS STEP

#2: UNDERSTAND THE OUTCOMES
THAT YOUR SALESPEOPLE WANT

BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUAL SALESPEOPLE
QUICKER AND EASIER
DELIVERY OF MORE
FREQUENT AND HIGHER-
VALUE OUTCOMES
THE CHANCE TO GAIN
VISIBILITY, VALIDATION AND
RECOGNITION FOR WORK,
INTERNALLY & EXTERNALLY
DELIVERY OF
KPI OUTCOMES
PROFESSIONAL
RECOGNITION
BUILDING A STRONGER
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
THROUGH THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP & NETWORKS
PERSONAL
BRANDING
USING A COMBINATION
OF THESE BENEFITS TO
DEMONSTRATE VALUE AND
SECURE PROMOTION
CAREER
PROGRESSION

#3: DESIGN ASSETS TO SATISFY THESE NEEDS
AND BUILD BRAND CONSISTENCY AND EQUITY

DIFFERENT TYPES OF VALUABLE CONTENT
FACTS AND NEWS THAT
HELP PEOPLE MAKE NEW
OR BETTER DECISIONS
THAT THEY CARE ABOUT
EXPERIENCES THAT
ATTRACT PEOPLE’S
ATTENTION & ENGAGE
THEIR EMOTIONS
INFORMATION ENTERTAINMENT
CONTENT THAT HELPS
PEOPLE BELIEVE IN
THEMSELVES AND
TRY NEW THINGS
INSPIRATION
RESOURCES THAT HELP
PEOPLE ACQUIRE NEW
SKILLS OR ENHANCE
THEIR CAPABILITIES
EDUCATION

DESIGN CONTENT FOR DIFFERENT CONTEXTS
SMALL, STANDALONE
CONTENT DESIGNED
TO MAXIMISE BREADTH
CONTENT ELEMENTS THAT
CAN BE COMBINED TO
TELL DIFFERENT STORIES
DANDELION
SEEDS
BUILDING
BLOCKS
‘LEITMOTIF’ CONTENT THAT
TELLS A SIMILAR STORY IN
NEW WAYS OVER TIME
RECURRING
REINFORCEMENT

SALES

THERE’S A SIMPLE PROCESS TO HELP
SALESPEOPLE HARNESS SOCIAL SELLING TOO

#1: CLARIFY YOUR INDIVIDUAL KPIS, AND MAP
OUT CHALLENGES YOU NEED TO OVERCOME

#2: IDENTIFY THE OPTIMUM CHANNEL MIX
FOR YOUR SPECIFIC SOCIAL SELLING GOALS

SELECTING THE RIGHT CHANNELS FOR YOU
THE ABILITY TO REACH A
VARIETY OF CUSTOMERS
AND PROSPECTS ON A
TIMELY & REGULAR BASIS
THE ABILITY TO SHARE
CONTENT AND ENGAGE
PEOPLE AT EACH STAGE OF
THE ‘BUYER JOURNEY’
AUDIENCE
REACH
CONTEXTUAL
ENGAGEMENT
THE TIME, MONEY AND EFFORT
REQUIRED TO MANAGE &
TRACK ACTIVITIES ACROSS
EACH PLATFORM
RESOURCE
REQUIREMENTS

#3: ENSURE THAT YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES
ESTABLISH YOUR DESIRED PERSONAL BRAND

THE ABSOLUTE BASICS OF LINKEDIN
USE YOUR FULL, REAL
NAME SO THAT IT’S EASY
FOR PEOPLE TO FIND YOU
USE A PROFILE PHOTO THAT
CONVEYS A PROFESSIONAL
IMAGE AND PERSONAL ‘BRAND’
NAME PHOTO
ADD YOUR JOB TITLE,
COMPANY, INDUSTRY,
AND HOME LOCATION
TITLE
CRAFT A BIO THAT TELLS PEOPLE
SOMETHING ABOUT WHO YOU
ARE, BEYOND JUST YOUR JOBS
BIO

USE THIS SECTION TO OUTLINE
YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND
THE ORGANISATION(S) YOU
CURRENTLY WORK FOR / WITH
USE THE ‘SUMMARY’ SECTION
TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF:
YOUR EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE,
INTERESTS, AND PERSONALITY
USE THE LOCATION OF YOUR
HOME OFFICE. THIS DRIVES
SEARCH RESULTS, SO
PRIORITISE ACCURACY
ADDING DETAILS OF WHERE
YOU STUDIED CAN HELP
REINFORCE CREDIBILITY AND
CONNECT YOU TO ALUMNI
USE A RECENT PHOTO THAT
CLEARLY SHOWS YOUR FACE
AND THAT REINFORCES YOUR
‘PROFESSIONAL BRAND’
1
USE YOUR FULL, REAL
NAME AS YOU’D USE WHEN
INTRODUCING YOURSELF IN
A PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
CHOOSE A DISTINCTIVE BACKGROUND IMAGE THAT CREATES THE RIGHT ‘ATMOSPHERE’
FOR VISITORS TO YOUR PROFILE, AND CONVEYS SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY

LINKEDIN’S PROFILE COMPLETENESS TIPS AND
SOCIAL SELLING INDEX CAN HELP YOU ‘POLISH’

https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi

#4: BUILD YOUR NETWORK BY PROACTIVELY
CONNECTING WITH RELEVANT INDIVIDUALS

#5: DEVELOP A PUBLISHING PLAN THAT ALLOWS
YOU TO TAKE YOUR AUDIENCE ON A JOURNEY

#6: ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION, AND LOOK
FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD NEW VALUE

OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE
CONVERSATIONS
AROUND CONTENT
YOU’VE POSTED
CONVERSATIONS ON
YOUR ORGANISATION’S
BRANDED PROPERTIES
CONTENT
YOU SHARE
BRAND TEAM
ACTIVITIES
CONVERSATIONS ON YOUR
CUSTOMERS’ BRAND OR
PERSONAL PROPERTIES
CUSTOMERS’
CONTENT
CONVERSATIONS ON
THIRD-PARTY PROFILES
AND PROPERTIES
THIRD-PARTY
CONTENT

USE SOCIAL LISTENING TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
CONVERSATIONS AND RELEVANT TRENDS

THINK AND BEHAVE LIKE A CONCIERGE AT
A FIVE-STAR HOTEL FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

TRAITS OF A GREAT SOCIAL SELLER
BE USEFUL; SHARE
THINGS THAT YOUR
AUDIENCE NEEDS, NOT
JUST WHAT HELPS YOU
BE ENTHUSIASTIC; GO
THE EXTRA MILE TO LOOK
FOR OPPORTUNITIES
TO ADD NEW VALUE
HELPFUL PROACTIVE
BE HUMAN; SHOW
SOME PERSONALITY TO
AVOID APPEARING LIKE
A CORPORATE DRONE
GENUINE
BE SOCIABLE; CONNECT
PEOPLE TO EACH OTHER
AND INVITE OTHERS TO
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
INCLUSIVE

#7: DEVELOP A MEASUREMENT APPROACH
THAT HELPS YOU OPTIMISE FUTURE ACTIVITIES

USE PLATFORM INSIGHTS TO UNDERSTAND WHO
ENGAGES WITH WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN

WHEREVER POSSIBLE, KEEP A CENTRAL RECORD
OF INTERACTIONS TO INFORM CRM EFFORTS

OPERATIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS

ELEMENTS OF A SOCIAL SELLING SOLUTION
A CENTRAL ‘HUB’
FOR HOSTING AND
ACCESSING SOCIAL
SELLING CONTENT
A WAY TO LET SALES
TEAMS KNOW ABOUT
NEW CONTENT AND
RELEVANT ACTIVITIES
HOSTING NOTIFYING
TRAINING AND BEST
PRACTICE RESOURCES
FROM ACROSS THE
ORGANISATION
ENHANCING
A WAY TO TRACK
INTERACTION WITH
DIFFERENT SALES-
PEOPLE OVER TIME
TRACKING

THE ‘3TS’ OF EMPOWERING SOCIAL SELLERS
PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CRM TOOLS
THAT SELLERS NEED TO BUILD
AND MANAGE RELATIONSHIPS
HELPING SOCIAL SELLERS TO
DEVELOP THE SKILLS REQUIRED
TO IDENTIFY AND ENGAGE IN
VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES
TOOLS TRAINING
ENSURING SOCIAL SELLERS
HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BUILD
VALUABLE RELATIONSHIPS AND
MANAGE CONTENT ACTIVITIES
TIME

MEASUREMENT

SELECT KPIS THAT MEASURE ORGANISATIONAL
VALUE, NOT JUST CONTENT PERFORMANCE

MEASUREMENT ACTIVITIES SHOULD INFORM
IMPROVEMENTS, NOT JUST REPORT THE PAST

SIMON KEMP
@ESKIMON
SIMON.KEMP@WEARESOCIAL.COM
+65 9146 5356
WEARESOCIAL.COM

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