social crm

It’s a bird, it’s a plane! No, it’s Social Media Super-consultant!

Super Hero Wendy - via Marvel Make Me a Super Hero

Are you a superhero? I have to be one! And you can be one, too…Let me show you how.

Running a consulting practice that enables professional services and manufacturing businesses to harness the power of social media is an effort of passion. I spend a good chunk of my life (just ask my family) on blogs, building networks, contributing and participating in conversations on the Internet. You may see me writing about Social Selling and Social Contact Relationship Management (SCRM) because these techniques have increased my sales productivity by 20% !

How do I do it? I have a secret weapon…

Superhuman powers

Strength and agility are required to grow my business and that of my clients. But my strength lies in having a focused social media strategy and my agility is the power of many to many. Social media gives me superhuman powers…or more precisely, the superpower to build relationships with more people more quickly.
Being a superhero is about helping others. While other superheroes are busy fighting crime and promoting justice, I fight obscurity and promote business.

Kryptonite for sales

I have been in sales and business development for a number of years, and I know my personal obstacles to success revolve around organization, planning and a coordinated follow-through. Without a large organization to support me, these weaknesses are further magnified. I think of them as Kryptonite to my superpowers. That’s why I have always used a customer relationship management system (CRM) like ACT!, Salesforce, SugarCRM, or Goldmine to manage notes and stay on task.
Its only appropriate that a social media super-consultant like myself use one of the new Social CRM tools. This software is built specifically for managing social interactions and building online relationships with prospects. You can be sure that there is controversy about what makes a CRM Social. I think Bob Thompson of CustomerThink has done a recent post on which one is the Social CRM leader. Unlike a few of the other CRM applications that have just added social to their original core business application, I found Xeesm focused on people and relationships first. I was part of the early Alpha and then BETA program and participated in the early review and feedback that comes with new software applications. With Xeesm, I am finding that my focus and relationship development efforts are stronger than ever.

Everyone likes the underdog

Social media levels the playing field. It gives someone like me—who has talent and a lot of drive—a chance to make it big. Remember the cartoon, Underdog? There’s a superhero I can relate to…
Now it’s time to put on my cape and get back to my own superhero business…

xeesm.com/wendysoucie

What are you doing to focus on your social media business relationships?

Xeesm Company Introduction – Social Business Applications (slideshare.net)
Discussing Social Media with Xeequa CEO Axel Schultze (deswalsh.com)
Social CRM: Not Your Father’s CRM – Forbes.com (customerthink.com)
Social CRM a strategy, a philosophy, a technology? – Social Media Academy (wendysoucie.com)
Social CRM, Perspective Matters (customerthink.com)

Your Sales Process is Old | XeeSM and Social CRM | In My Opinion

Your sales process is old and it sucks

Axel Schultze is a thought leader on social selling and community. Just read this recent post on social selling on his Xeesm blog:

Xeesm Sales Process in 2010

The sales process you follow was developed 20 years ago and it matched with the buying behavior from back then – but no longer today.

* Lead qualification is nonsense because there are not enough leads.

* Cold calling is less and less effective as nobody returns the call.

* You no longer see inquiries because prospects google their stuff.

* Email lands in spam filters and advertising is ignored

* Reference selling is old because clients find the real users of a product themselves in groups, online communities or blogs like this.

* Consultative selling is limited as you are no longer the most trusted person – nor is media or the “independent” analyst

* When a client comes to you – they know what they want and what price they are willing to pay.

via XeeSM.

No more cold calls

I am currently using the Xeesm Pro version to change up my selling and connection process for 2010. I have first hand experience with traditional selling channels. Whether original equipment manufacturer, distributor, rep, professional services, technical consulting, or technical products, over the past 30 years I have sold the product or service, experienced the channel on both ends and then handled the marketing strategy as well.

I have clearly felt the change in the selling process and wondered how to counter the trend of lead generation going down – even as the marketing efforts have gone up. It was critical to be comfortable with traditional networking and understanding how to participate and engage with people in the important groups, not just join to get names. Even in that scenario trade and association members are aware of this tendency, which has driven them to caution every speaker at a meeting not to do any “selling in the presentation.”

The new social sales process recognizes the change in how the consumer/buyer educates himself before they make the first call. You must provide more value and knowledge to the relationship first. I have seen how this process can be managed with Xeesm.com.

So over the next few months, I will report on my progress and share with you my experience on social selling with applied social media.

What action will you be taking to change up your selling process?

Certified Social Media Strategist Program 2010 (slideshare.net)

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