Should you let your sales team publish content using social media?

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Today’s podcast answers the question “Should you let your sales team publish content using social media?” I cover 5 reasons sales professionals should not be publishing content on social media and 13 reasons they should be. Here’s a brief summary of what is covered:

5 reasons why you should not let your sales team publish content using social media:

  1. You have hired idiots – even if you trained them they would just be motivated idiots.
  2. You have so much profitable business that you couldn’t handle any more
  3. Your product really sucks
  4. Your company and culture really suck
  5. You haven’t or will not equip them with
    – The rules of engagement and a social media policy
    – Training in the tools of engagement
    – Accountability in place – once engaged it’s game on – have a framework support and accountability.

10 reasons why you should let your sales team publish content using social media:

  1. “It’s not marketing it’s talking to customers” – Scott Stratten of UnMarketing
  2. It adds to value added frequency
  3. It opens up new channels
  4. It can save time
  5. Load balance your branding
  6. Social CRM is the next big thing – are you cruising or are you road kill (Social CRM Podcast)
  7. Immediate data instead of compiled and stale data
  8. It makes them almost as smart as your customer
  9. You can see the activity
  10. It builds a passive pipeline and makes projections easier “If you’re talking to unqualified prospects it’s not a sales problem, it’s a marketing problem” – Zero Rejection Prospecting (Michael J Durkin and Norbert Orlewicz)
  11. It builds a fence around the customer
  12. It creates joy
  13. It elevates sales people above pitch artist to trusted advisor

December 6, 2010 · Filed Under * Sales Podcast, iPhone Podcasts, Marketing and PR, Sales Blog, Sales Management Blog, Sales Training, social media, social media podcast, social media training

Comments

  • http://topsy.com/www.closingbigger.net/2010/12/should-you-let-your-sales-team-publish-content-using-social-media/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Sales and Social Media – Should Your Sales Team Publish Content on Social Media Sites? | Social Media Podcast and Sales Training Blog by Shane Gibson — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shane Gibson and Sales Fun, Santi Chacon. Santi Chacon said: Should you let your sales team publish content using social media?: Today’s podcast answers the question “Should… http://bit.ly/gC63R5 [...]

  • http://twitter.com/insideview InsideView

    This is a great post and something I get questioned about all of the time during the Social Selling university. Thank you for sharing!

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the feedback and the Tweet about the post.

  • http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/12/small-business-news-the-small-business-samba.html Small Business News: The Small Business Samba

    [...] Why your sales team should use social media. OK, to be fair we are stealing some of Shane Gibson’s thunder here. In an energetic post about the importance of social media as a tool for the modern sales team, Shane invents a tongue and cheek pros and cons with the arguments against using social media for sales obviously incorrect. Basically it’s a powerful tool your sales people should be using. And Shane gives some very convincing reasons why. Social Media & Sales Strategy [...]

  • http://freewebdesigntucson.com/?p=1987 Small Business News: The Small Business Samba | Free Web Design Tucson

    [...] Why your sales team should use social media. OK, to be fair we are stealing some of Shane Gibson’s thunder here. In an energetic post about the importance of social media as a tool for the modern sales team, Shane invents a tongue and cheek pros and cons with the arguments against using social media for sales obviously incorrect. Basically it’s a powerful tool your sales people should be using. And Shane gives some very convincing reasons why. Social Media & Sales Strategy [...]

  • http://twitter.com/AjevaCom Ajeva

    Haha… I can’t stop laughing while reading the first set of reasons why you shouldn’t publish content using social media. There are plenty of startups who are full of ‘vision’ that they simply forget that they need to fix their product first..before even making their first tweet about it. When they fail, they tend to blame it on their crew who are just following their orders like some genie in a lamp. These startups don’t get social media at all – that it’s a two-way communication between brands and customers. Sigh.

  • http://www.hlcinc.com/blog/?p=521 Small Business News: The Small Business Samba | HLC Inc. | Blog

    [...] Why your sales team should use social media. OK, to be fair we are stealing some of Shane Gibson’s thunder here. In an energetic post about the importance of social media as a tool for the modern sales team, Shane invents a tongue and cheek pros and cons with the arguments against using social media for sales obviously incorrect. Basically it’s a powerful tool your sales people should be using. And Shane gives some very convincing reasons why. Social Media & Sales Strategy [...]

  • http://www.mosttalkednews.com/small-business-news-the-small-business-samba Small Business News: The Small Business Samba | MostTalkedNews.com

    [...] Why your sales team should use social media. OK, to be fair we are stealing some of Shane Gibson’s thunder here. In an energetic post about the importance of social media as a tool for the modern sales team, Shane invents a tongue and cheek pros and cons with the arguments against using social media for sales obviously incorrect. Basically it’s a powerful tool your sales people should be using. And Shane gives some very convincing reasons why. Social Media & Sales Strategy [...]

  • Anonymous

    I worked for a couple of web start-ups years ago as a director of sales etc. They wanted revenues but had no functioning product to sell. It’s a tough spot to be in for sure.

  • http://FreePodcastProfits.com Dave Gardner

    Great list…I am getting ready to branch out into my local market (stores etc.) in regards to using social media to expand their business and retention. While many have young people working, these are the ones who use social media the most. A little teaching and modeling can go a long way.

    It is almost like outsourcing as well as they will be doing the work in downtimes perhaps, or some could have this as their main focus…Creating a new job is also a possiblity for companies looking to expand

  • http://garious.com/blog/2010/12/podcast-mondays-risks-of-posting-content-using-social-media/ A Podcast on the Reasons Why Your Sales Team Must Not Use Social Media to Publish Content | Garious Blog

    [...] To Listen to this Podcast from Shane Gibson, please click HERE. [...]