Sylvie, you are Sales Education Lead, Social Selling evangelist at SAP: what's your job?
My job is to make sales teams more effective. I create and deploy training programmes workshops or coaching sessions. On the subject of Social SellingIn my job, I make sure that the teams are trained, but I also analyse their usage to help them make progress. I also organise quite a few events with marketing to encourage them to practice.
You've just co-written "Le Social Selling expliqué à mon boss" with Hervé Kabla: how did this book project come about?
Herve had already written several books on Digital. He saw the Social Selling The idea of writing about it came to him. He came up with the idea of writing on the subject but wanted to benefit from the practical experience of someone who had implemented it and, above all, who knew sales. He contacted me via LinkedIn when he saw the publications I was doing on the subject. We met up and decided to write it together. It's a great example of how a social network can bring people together.
In a nutshell, what is Social Selling and what does it do?
Social Selling is the art of using social media to improve performance in the sales cycle. It's a change in behaviour that involves moving away from the traditional role of the salesperson who canvasses, responds to invitations to tender and gives demonstrations, to the role of influencer and partner who supports the customer in achieving their own objectives. They must place their customers at the centre of the relationship and, above all, create ongoing interaction with them.
This is where social networks will give them the tools to better observe their customers, understand their objectives and integrate their company's strategy. This listening will enable them to interact more intelligently and more effectively with their customers. They will be able to use the network to meet the people they are targeting.
Social networks extend the superpowers of salespeople. They act as a catalyst.
You work mainly in B2B: does social media play an important role in B2B?
Yes, more and more. Purchasing patterns are changing. Customers are calling on a service provider later and later in the purchasing process. More and more people are involved in a project. This is precisely where social networks are going to bring greater proximity, continuity in the relationship and a means of better finding and getting to know all these players.
Do you have a concrete example of the effectiveness of the Social Selling in B2B?
Access to CXOs is much simpler, thanks to our knowledge of the people who can put the sales rep in touch with them. It's easier to get the first meeting. After that, the value of the sales person needs to be expressed.
