Biz Buzz

Social CRM - a New Way of Thinking

 

You know times have changed and you know your approach to your clients must reflect that.  Listening and thinking are the new tools you need to have if you want to succeed.  The days of canvassing leads through business directories are gone.  Sure, you might get a few names that might turn into new business but are you taking the time to find out who to call, when to call them and, most importantly, how you can help them with a business problem?

 

If you're not, you need to readjust your approach.  That's not always easy, I know, but there are some new concepts out there to help you reframe your thinking.  One of my favorites is Social CRM.  Focusing your efforts on engaging your customers and entering into conversations, Social CRM can actually lead to trust which, in turn, leads to mutually beneficial relationships.

 

Are you leveraging the internet to your best advantage by making use of Social CRM?

Intelligence - You Have to Use It

It's been said that every person is your next customer but in today's Wild West, that isn't neccesarily true.  Why?  Because the old way of doing things has changed.  Sales 1.0 taught you to how to discover clients and customers through the traditional sales cycle.  Everything was focused on face to face contact, usually on a golf course.  Sales 1.0 was all about the pitch and very few took the time to analyze the needs of their prospects and find a way to address their pain points.

 

Chad and Linda Nelson from The Basis Group write, ”you need to be out in your marketplace talking to people, learning what they know, discussing ideas, taking the pulse of the industry to see where it’s going, responding to concerns and expanding your understanding of what is needed.”

 

That sounds a lot like listening and applying intelligent thinking toward your sales approach to me.

 

Now What?

The last time we left off, listening was the topic at hand. If you had a chance to use the tools that were recommended, chances are you found yourself with information overload. What to do? You start mining the data and sifting it for qualified leads.

With so many free tools out there many companies are rushing to market to capture your business. Do you know how to choose between them? Do you know if their products are able to equip you with the latest technology to turn your leads into customers?

If not, don't worry. In the coming days, you'll learn what the top thought leaders as well as professionals in the trenches recommend. Together, we'll figure out what is value added and what might just be a waste of time.