We’ve suspected for awhile now that social media has the potential to be a paradigm-shifter. In a thought-provoking post on FYIndOut, Scott Manley argues that that day has arrived, and that one of the paradigms getting shifted is the B2B sales cycle itself …especially the early, research-heavy stage of it.
The old way:
The vendor aims a stream of communications – primarily emails – at the prospect, attempting to walk that very fine line between education and alienation. It’s mostly one-way, highly intrusive, and uncomfortable for both sides.
The new way:
Instead of filling out a contact or registration form, the prospect goes to your blog, likes what they see, and signs up for an RSS feed. Then (s)he signs up to follow your company on Twitter, to see what others are saying about her type of business problem and your solution. (Or she may first learn about your company from sifting through Twitter conversations, without having ever been to your website.) Now the prospect is learning about your company and solution on her terms, and starting to see you as a knowledge expert in the field before even seeing your product or service; what could be better?!
As Scott says, “…using social media allows solution providers to build respect, share of mind with prospects, and be viewed as a thought leader. All of this is done on the prospect’s terms, and results in a more educated and efficient decision making process as well as a stronger relationship.”
