Like tentacles on an octopus but with less suction, there are now eight Beers with Max episodes! On our latest session we're joined by social selling mastermind John Lawson. John is author of the best-selling book Kick Ass Social Commerce for E-Preneurs as well as a digital entrepreneur, strategist and highly sought-after speaker who has hosted discussions and talks on five continents.
Today John joins us for an exciting Q&A on social selling, how the digital age has disrupted the traditional sales process, and what you can do about it. Get your mitts on a cold one and check out the recording below:
Max asks: what's the biggest difference between the top selling B2B salespeople and those who don't get it? (3:48)
John's explains how the best reps harness the abundance of information available about buyers in the digital age. Using social media you can find out who your buyer has done business with before, what hobbies they have, and what they are interested in. If you aren't leveraging this information to improve relationships with buyers and prospects, you're missing an avalanche of an opportunity to crush your sales goals.
John's biggest challenge in getting sales reps to leverage data and social selling: (10:08)
Letting them go! He describes how so many salespeople are trapped in the "McDonald's" mentality where every sandwich or food item is made the same way, every time. Salespeople should not be restricted by a repetitive, formulaic process that treats all leads exactly the same. Salespeople are, after all, people - they must inject some personality into the buyer's journey and connect to them on a personal level, not just as a vendor.
Bob Traylor shares his "Fuller Brush Man Story" and asks about bringing excitement back to sales (28:29)
Bob shares several anecdotes about traveling salespeople visiting him during his (long, long ago) childhood and how they disarmed him as a gatekeeper to get to the real buyers - his parents! John makes a good point: back in those days, the salesperson had to get into the living room and listen before understanding the problem. Thanks to the power of digital and social media, today's salespeople can learn what their buyers need before ever picking up the phone or sending an email - an ability as powerful as a flamethrower in a balsa wood factory.
For the rest of the time the group shares some of their own examples: Walter talks about applying broad industry knowledge to specific titles, and Rob talks about the value of using industry-specific terminology when speaking to prospective buyers.
Hope you enjoyed our last episode - and like always, if you want to join us for a beer, click below:
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