Page 65 - The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million - PDFDrive.com

practices on the HubSpot blog, in LinkedIn posts, and on other top blogs across
the industry. I commented on discussions and articles, always trying to add value
to the conversation.

Through these efforts, I developed a following. I developed a reputation as a
thought leader in the world of sales and marketing. As of the writing of this
book, I receive at least one request a day from new potential buyers seeking my
assistance.

Social media presents an opportunity for all salespeople to be perceived as
trusted advisors by their buyers. Salespeople should take some time normally
spent prospecting and reallocate it to social media participation. The rewards
are greater.

You may ask yourself, “Who has time for these efforts?” Make time. Take time
away from the initiatives that are working less effectively and reinvest that time
in these more modern and effective tactics. If you are a salesperson and you
attend a chamber of commerce meeting twice per month, try going only once
this month and using the time saved to participate in conversations with your
buyers online. If you are a salesperson and you plan to cold-call for 10 hours this
week, cold-call for only eight hours and use the time saved to write a blog article
about a question your buyers frequently ask you.

As a sales leader, consider encouraging your salespeople to stop investing in the
tactics that aren't yielding results and start trying some of these more modern
methods of connecting with buyers. Here are some additional tactics with which
salespeople can experiment.

“Social media presents an opportunity for all salespeople to be perceived as
trusted advisors by their buyers. Salespeople should take some time
normally spent prospecting and reallocate it to social media participation.
The rewards are greater.”

1. Find the people on Twitter that your prospects follow. They may be
journalists. They may be thought leaders. They may be executives at
companies that complement your offering. Retweet their posts. Many of
them will start to follow you. Send them a direct message and introduce
yourself. Set up a phone call. Ask how you can help them. Help them. The
next time you publish an article, ask if they would mind promoting the
content to their network. Only ask for this favor if you feel your content is