If you haven't embraced some form of social networking in your B2B sales organization, chances are you're wondering how to start. Not surprisingly, sales experts have different viewpoints on how field managers should most effectively adopt social media. In an article on The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource, sales guru Christian Maurer recommends that sales leaders take a proactive role in determining how best to use social media—giving sales teams clear guidelines, so they can stay focused on what they do best.

Where do I meet my audience? "Social media can be understood as a number of different continuous 24/7 networking events in separate venues each with its own flavor and attendance," says Maurer. As with any networking event, your selection of which events you attend should be made with your customer in mind, he says:

• To find out where your customers and partners are "hanging out," task a social-savvy individual or small team (millennial/generation Y) within your organization.
• Determine the most strategically relevant venues for your business that will offer the greatest return for your time.

How to use the venues? Figuring out the best use of social media for your organization can be more complex than the screening process, so delegate this task to someone with a pragmatic approach and a broad business perspective, Maurer says. At the same time, you need someone sufficiently knowledgeable to "reduce the complexity to a palpable level for the individual sales person," he adds. If you don't have such a person in your organization, consider a consultant.

The Po!nt: Social media offer new opportunities for your sales team to nurture customer relationships and meet new prospects. Set objectives and guidelines up front to ensure that your sales force adopts social networking in the most effective way.

Source: The Ultimate Sales Executive Resource. See the full article here.

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