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With the advent of Web 2.0 and social media, it’s now easier than ever to find and connect with people. Social networks such as Facebook, Orkut, Hi5, MySpace are teeming with hundreds of millions of people looking to connect (or reconnect) socially. Meanwhile professional networks such as LinkedIn and Xing have attracted millions of people looking to connect professionally.
Social media has redefined not only how people connect but also the kind of information they share. While the initiated may know to share information selectively, some neophytes have learned the hard way that being candid about their personal lives can be hazardous to their professional career. All of this sharing has created a unique opportunity not only for online marketers, who are shifting more and more of their advertising budgets to targeted social media ads) but also to B2B sales professionals.
The same rich social profile information that allows marketers to do hyper-targeted advertising also enables sales people to do more targeted prospecting than ever before. Web 2.0 has created an abundance (many would argue a surplus) of social and professional information. This information overload has itself spawned a new category of sales tools and processes dubbed Sales 2.0. Conceptually Sales 2.0 is all about using Web technologies to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the buying process for both buyer and seller. In the context of information overload, the idea is to leverage technology to identify relevant business events and relationships from across thousands of sources and present this intelligence in such a way that sales people can easily act on it.
Among the various capabilities of Sales 2.0 applications, connection mapping has emerged as a darling. This comes as no surprise for those of us familiar with the concept (and power) of reference selling. Indeed the ability to identify a connection into a prospect and leverage a trusted reference is extremely effective. Personally, I’m much more inclined to take a call from a sales person who calls with a reference and my guess is that you are too. I may not buy the product or service but I’ll certainly spare a few minutes to learn more, which is a step further than most prospecting efforts ever get. Especially when budgets are tight and expectations high, we’re less inclined to take chances with new products and services. But if someone we trust has used that product or service, it lessens the risk.
Connecting the dots across different social networks and your internal systems can still be a tedious task. Sales 2.0 technologies can harness data from across the web and bring it under one roof, directly within your CRM. More importantly these sales solutions can do the heavy lifting to find the hidden connections that exist between you prospects and your reference customers, previous employers, colleagues, and executive team.
Connecting with people you know through your personal networks and professional experiences to create business opportunities is nothing new. What is new is the scale of your network and the ease with which you can leverage it. In the last two years, early adopters of Sales 2.0 have seen excellent results leveraging connections. With the early majority now adopting Sales 2.0, conventional data providers are likely to want to play catch up and invest in connection mapping technologies as well.
Sales 2.0 applications will be of a great help in customer profiling and scoring. When we talk of converting prospects into opportunities we have to use referrals so as to give an impression of assurance .so referrals assume some importance here.Again using various segmenting models like RFM, sales 2.0 could be cashed on heavily.this application also puts an end to cold calls making sales process very effective.this will find a tremendous application in those companies which are into the business of highly specialized/expensive products as they will be having a very small segment to target.
Sales processes will see more more application of Sales 2.0 in the coming times.Targeting the right customer is the key to any successful business and that is what sales 2.0 does is what i understand through this blog. social media is a phenomenon where by people share their opinions and experiences regarding various products and services with others. With the help of sales 2.0 companies are increasingly looking to gain access to these conversations and get their extract so as to help in effective targeting programme, which is great.
with greater competition, i’m sure many more such technologies will gain a marketplace very soon.. and take the future of business to even greater heights.The article throws light on the emerging trend in sales & marketing. Interesting for an initial reader. Links are also provided to help the readers who want to probe more. A brief cautioning on becoming too open on the blog about personal matters also is a very valid point.
Very nice. Very well written article!!!
This article gives a good insight on how we can make the most of the networking sites to enhance our Business prospects…!
………..looking forward for more on this page…Tat’s rite … the reach of social networks is immense. Sellers are in a position to push their products based on a netizen’s profile. At the same time, the privacy of the netizen should be respected by potential sellers, otherwise it may have the opposite effect on the brand.
It is interesting to note the emergence of Sales 2.0 as a process and how Social media can be leveraged to its maximum use as it should be. Very insightful!!
Agree with the article about the networking range in this generation where 90% of the time is spent on the virtual web. The Business reach has also become quite effective and efficient these days, thanks to the networking..
I agree with the topic because of such social networking sites people came to know how to interact with new people and at the same time people who dont have minimum
knowledge on technologies will try to learn something on seeing such sites .It will be profitable for customers in terms of knowledge gain.
Excellent points! I have been in sales for years and have recently started to use InsideView to leverage social media and the Internet within my CRM system and it has worked wonderfully. I have up to the minute information about my clients and prospects that are timely, relevant and specific to the prospect I am calling. I can easily access my FB and LinkedIn connections and use them, also!
Just recently I acquired a new customer, thanks to Sales 2.0, and was alerted by InsideView of an article about their latest technology rollout. I sent an email congratulating my new customer and he was blown away at my timeliness because he needed some help on a project that related to that rollout! I made an impression and I got more business!!!
I would never go back to the prospecting 1.0!
Maria, this is an excellent example of how businesses are using, and should be using the web 2.0 technologies. We’re not only glad that you were able to optimize an Agent activity, but this also proves that sales people like yourself are increasingly becoming aware of what Sales 2.0 can do.
Congratulations and we’re glad to see your comment here.
Maria
I agree also, nice to see how InsideView helped make you look good to the client. I am a firm believer in using connections across social media to feed your CRM system. Given the competition for mindshare of customers, there is nothing like being very timely using triggers or alerts that enable you to be first in getting to the client. InsideView is obviously a great way to do that.
I shared some thoughts yesterday on five ways to improve sales prospecting and increase win rates, using connections was my first:
A great point of view of how Social media has becomes more than just ‘Social’, it has become the backbone of how business can be generated. Gives start-ups so much more chance in the cut-throat world and would probably be a great step ahead in reducing monopolies!!!
I agree with you partially. This is because yes offcourse social networking media or web 2.0 in general has become a great tool for markteers but is getting success is not as simsple as you think. It involved the same level and rigour of strategic marketing that we adopt in real world.
Thank You
I agree with you partially. This is because yes offcourse social networking media or web 2.0 in general has become a great tool for markteers but is getting success is not as simple as you think. It involved the same level and rigour of strategic marketing that we adopt in real world.
Thank You
Interesting post!! Social media can be leveraged to such levels, its unthinkable…This is probably the time to be Social professional or professionally social…
Being in Sales, one relation I learnt is “Sales” is directly proportional to “Network”, In my view that the crux of Web 2.0 technologies of harnessing the Network spread across social networking site and getting business. In this era of Global contraction of World business thru and on Internet, this idea of pulling information out of Social Media can do wonders for companies. As sales person my first priority is always to look for right customers, with accurate information about them, but if I get some sort of endorsement from existing user, it will be like icing on cake and cracking deal will be an easy task. This theme/approach will certainly help to gain business. In view of the fact that today people are prominently active on various social media sites, l feel this can be very good launchpad for companies which can catapult Networking and directly sales too…….
Good thought.
This article highlights how the networking sites can be utilised as a medium for widdening your business globally with the help of Sales 2.0. Hope to get a little more inside on this in the future ..
There’s a growing need to tap into the information on social networks more efficiently.
I think business information providers like yourself are using technology nicely to collate info at one place…..
there’s a growing need to tap into the information on social networks more efficiently.
I think business information providers like yourself are using technology nicely to collate info at one place.
Good points. Some of us, although we are friends, are not aware of each other’s expertises. Now we can leverage these social/proffessional networks to find the experts among our friends for our business needs. Applications like Sales 2.0 can do wonder for buyer and seller.
Thats cool thing mentioned . ..and the Excellent Points mentioned for Sales Point of View…Cool text for Starter…..Links are also provided to help the readers who want to dig into the matter…Really Good Article to Read..Cheers..!!!!!
Very good one
Nice article for improving sales and marketing skills
Very nice. Very well written article!!!
A very interesting article that highlights how even mediums of fun, recreation and social networking can be utilised for effective marketing.I am sure a vast majority was and still is unaware of this highly effective way of maketing products by leveraging information to the maximum and shortlisting prospective customers.
I personally am now alot more aware of this take on utilising these new methods of marketing and sales thanks to the article.This is an execellent blog which expalins about web 0.2 technologies and how they can be used in business to optimise the agent activity.
This is an wonderful artcile.The content is very well presented.
Very true. Any firm not leveraging this wave is losing out on potential business.
Interestingly to know that it’s not just advertisers/marketers who talk so much tapping into the social web to understand their consumers. Using references has been one of the most popular sales tools (remember the number of times we been approached by telecallers, who after you refuse a credit card or insurance, invariably ask you …can you please give me a reference!) and mapping the connection that one has on social networks is a sure shot way of making more targeted sales. My only concern with software’s like these (plus all the listening software’s that marketers use- like sysmosys, radian), is the privacy issue and how much public data that they gather is actually useful? As in with the level of noise around, a software really needs to have strong filtering and tracking system, to arrive at intelligent leads.
What sales 2.0 does is what i understand through this blog. This article gives a good insight on how we can make the most of the networking sites. Nice article. Like to see more information on this page going forward.
Well written, keep em coming.
Gaurav Jha was extremely helpful during our webex meeting today.
He has a good understanding of the product, it’s features and benefits, and he is able to communicate those details to the customer in a clear manner.Very professional!
Thank youPower of right information at right time is immense. And technology has always helped us to get that information on time- be it through phone, sms, email and now social networking sites, community marketing, blogs etc.
Nice article!!Interesting, it is an emerging way of marketing for some projects or products , But would feel it doent work for all products or fields…
Nice Article …A great point of view of how Social media has become more than just ‘Social’, it has become the backbone of how business can be generated. Gives start-ups so much more chance in the cut-throat world and would probably be a great step ahead in reducing monopolies!!!
Its understandable to use social media for start-ups, but this method may not be the best possible to take a company to the next level. It still requires the road-block marketing styles to take a successful start-up to a successful, mature company.
Great post Gaurav. The word “Scale” really jumped out at me. Any sales rep can say they are part of 10 social networks. But not many sales reps can say they use professional and personal connections to accelerate their sales cycles in consistent and meaningful ways. Sales reps need to find a way to scale and be productive with this explosion of “virtual relationships”.
The other interesting aspect of this is the value of “virtual relationships”. My theory is that as more and more social networks pop up and the more and more connections people have with others, the relative value of “virtual relationships” compared to “face to face relationships” will continue to plummet. At that point it’s going to be a matter of knowing how to convert or graduate relationships from “virtual” to “face to face” in an efficient manner. Or more importantly knowing which virtual relationships to convert and when.
James.
James has very aptly mentioned the relative value, internet is today inundated with social networks which reduces the real value that one my derive from such networks, individually as well as collectively.
Also, there is a response which says web 2.0 is good for start ups but not for firms looking to scale up their business. I do not subscribe to this theort since it depends mostly upon the product as well as business model. We can’t generalize this theory.
True. Sudden rise in usage of content management tools and sentiment analysis tools by branding and marketing people shows how much they have started using social media as a huge source of information. Will be interesting to see how this Sales 2.0 concept unfolds and more importantly what will Sales 3.0 in store for us.
Nicely written Article. Very Intresting.
Hey !!!
Really interesting read !!! Since i am an layman over this field, it makes me very simple to understand.
This has actually trigged me to learn more about web 2.0 and sales 2.0.
Regs,
SwapnilGreat article!
I am responsible for business development in the european market. And I rely on Xing completely. The correctness of contact information is very precise. It has helped me establish great contacts with people from R&D.
I hope to use Sales 2.0 and get to know more.
Excellent article!
G,
How are you doing? I am doing well. Moving back east to virginia in a week.
Totally agree with this one….in today’s world where the end user has had an overdose of marketing strategies, connecting with them through the subtle medium of social networking makes a lot of sense. All businesses should aim to use this medium which has a huge potential for growth as well as utilization of new and more innovative methods. However, one must keep in mind that under no circumstances should the privacy of the customer get violated.
Great article indeed….
Our company totally relies on word of mouth publicity and reference selling. Someone has rightly pointed out, sales is directly proportional to network, but not everyone knows how to use the network to create positive business relationships. Sales 2.0 will give businesses a leap in targeting. Interesting read.
Very interesting read.
Not only will sales 2.0 help targeting the potential customers, it will help getting open comments and response on where your products stand as compared to competitor’s.
It will help companies to improve their product and services and save their precious time and cost.
Social networking sites are need of today’s competitive market. However one should just be very careful giving out information there.
Its only coz of these sites we all are sharing our views here
You’re right about how most of us prefer a call from a sales person who calls with a reference. Sales 2.0 magnifies this further – leveraging internet’s widely used social media – thus reaching the right customer. Obviously, extracting and using the right kind of data.
A change brought about by Sales 2.0 with the salient use of networking sites is an emerging trend. It is an exercise of a never-before business tool. By getting technology out on the field, so to speak, it promises to be a revolution.
Nice article. Clearly explains the upcoming innovative dimension of cloud computing.
Sales 2.0 is undoubtedly an excellent tool for leveraging connections and I believe your article has highlighted this fact in an excellent way.
Am sure Sales 2.0 will be revolutionary. The social networking sites as well as the business networking sites have been a real boon as far as pushing your product through is concerned. It sure gives that needed edge. The networking sites have their own share of problems but looked at from the perspective of business its definitely advantageous.
A very nice and informative article I must say!
A very widespread idea expressed here. Businesses are increasingly using the content available in the social networks to reach the right contacts at companies. With an increase in the number of places one can find informtion, there will be a growing need to aggregate all this data under one roof. Looks like Sales 2.0 tech can help do that. The links in the post are helpful.
” Sales 2.0 is a good phenomenon to spark sales . Users are starting to experiment with the collaborative tools such as blogs,wiki etc. It’s helping salespeople do a better job”
I feel the social media will be able to help you connect the dots but the whole basis of a sale is client relationship and interaction. So even though I have a media strategy, I definitely need to have the right connections and communicate the right information.
An insightful piece. I think this area is going to get more interesting yet, as CRM systems start to integrate with busines focused social networks to not only bring about customer maintained records, but capture at source new requirements — customer added opportunities that can be monitored and managed all the way to a sale.
Interesting article.
Interesting Read. InsideView helped me to find out presence of a executive on different Social Networking sites. It helped me know more about the executve and made it easier for me to boostrap the conversatation.
-Pragya
I came across this post from your blog “Insanely Sane”. You present a very innovative way of looking at social connections. It’s amazing how businesses are using technologies such as Sales 2.0 to connect with their prospect companies. I work in Sales myself and always have a hard time funelling down to the people whom I can have a “warmer” conversation with. Thanks for the insight and the new perspectiove. This has definitely urged me to learn more about Sales 2.0.
A very informative article. Although I’m not sure how you guys suggest one gets around the privacy policies, but if you have that taken care of, I guess connecting with our target decision makers, finding out about their social profiles, and connecting at a more personal level is so much better than cold calling.
Gaurav, interesting post. I liked the idea of connecting with prospects at a more social level using the information on various social and professional networks. Since I’m still being initiated in to the whole Sales 2.0 mantra, this post comes as a welcome beginning to the initiation. Keep ‘em coming.
For me a social networking site was restricted to a few friends and to maintain contacts across the globe. Well this opens up an entire new dimension. Thanks for this.
Also check out this post for more SalesView focused tips and tricks: http://gauravjha.blogspot.com/2010/05/six-degrees-of-separation-find-out-how.html
Sales 2.0 is emerging as a powerful and cost-effective tool for online marketers to promote their businesses. It’s biggest strength probably is that it allows marketers to leverage consumer behavior to develop personalized media messaging.
However, Sales 2.0 is still in its infancy, especially in India, largely because awareness about innovative Web-based technologies that can boost or at least assist sales is lacking. Companies have also been skeptical about using Sales 2.0 tools, adopting a wait-and-watch approach before taking the plunge. I reckon it’s just a matter of a time before we see a flood of companies employing Sales 2.0 tools to sell their products/services.
Great Article. As Social Media is still a relatively new concept many companies are not utilizing this information to their advantage. This is a great article about how the emergence of Social Media has helped develop the Sales 2.0 methodology.
“While the initiated may know to share information selectively, some neophytes have learned the hard way that being candid about their personal lives can be hazardous to their professional career.”
The above is a great point as many people still don’t understand that companies are starting to look at people’s social media sites, such as facebook, to see what type of person they are dealing with. People have lost jobs and/or have been passed up for a job because of the content on their facebook or other social media page.
This article really helps bring an understanding to not only the Social Media world, but also how it is being used in the Sales 2.0 process.
Gaurav, Great article! If used well, Sales 2.0 can reduce costs, increase revenues and also create competitive advantage. It makes sales people and technology focused. I believe this also integrates sales and marketing, creating synergy.
Hi,
Really a splendid tool. This is an excelent tool for the marketers. Everyday, thousands of new profiles are added to the social/professional networks and along with it millions of bits and pieces of information. Making meaningful references and connections of of this great mass of information is just amazing.
The article conveys the message well. Clear and short. Good job, Author
Rahul
A very innovative idea indeed. Kyle brings forth a very important point of companies scanning the public profiles of people while consdering business or employment options. The public opinion is brought out very well in such platforms, and gives the readers the ability to see both sides of the coin.
Great Article. I agree that Sales 2.0 adds a whole new dimension to sales and targeted advertising. Businesses that don’t get on board, will be left behind.
it will be interesting to see how sales 2.0 connects with the different aspects of web2.0 which is beyond social media. since this social media has reached it tipping pt. it is time to explore other forms i believe.
Social networking when in infancy looked more like a hinderance to productivity but thanks to Socailprise it has turned into a very powerful media for sales and marketing. InsideView has been a pioneer in Prospecting and Lead Generation ever since it started and I hope it continues to break new barriers to help sales force do better. Good Article!
I was completely blown away by the Sales 2 product. The product is awesome but what is more important is support.
Just today I needed some assistance and I was connected with Product Support Specialist Gaurav Jha. I was able to take part in a Webex Meeting and got the specific solution to my challenge resolved.
So many company produce great products, but often lack in product support. This is far from the case with Sales 2!
In the CRM space it truly is all about the Customer and the InsideView Team “gets it!”
Great article Gaurav! I will post this on my Twitter feed @Kaduka
I couldn’t agree more Gaurav.
Your article discussing the change social media has affected the sales approach, is “spot on.” The message not only touches upon the social media available but how folks are leveraging this information to create business opportunities.
Great article! I will pass this along to some people I know who might benefit from its contents.
3 cheers to this concept, it is gonna rock. well thought and orgnanized
. If it can connect people in different social network and proffesional network then it will actually connect the dots and create a new era in marketing and sales .Just waiting to see it in the reality.
And yeah very nicely written by the author .
Very nice article Gaurav.
This helps layman like me to understand what Sales 2.0 is and how social networking helps the marketing people to find their prospects and convert them to opportunities.Sales 2.0 seems to hold great promise for business users. The benefits can definitely outweigh initial costs.
Some people classify sales 2.0 as a tool, I think it should first become a practice and a process- defining what information, to whom and how. The human side of it is also as important.
Honestly, I am not the kind of person who takes much interest in the technicalities of sales or new advents in sales n marketing. Thanks to you, I find myself inquisitive and reading about it.
If sales 2.0 eventually puts an end to interruption based selling, I would be a happy person. I must add here that the idea of my peers/contacts on social networking sites or anywhere else for that matter passing on my info to anyone (for reference selling) does not look appealing to me.
So I guess I am one of those people who would not want to be called for any kind of sales pitch, whether it is cold calling or thru reference. I am OK till the advertising bit, where I see something interesting online and I make an effort to go thru it. That makes it outbound and that sort of gives me a feeling of knowing what I am doing. But I do not appreciate being contacted without actually wanting it. So that in my view is something that needs to be worked on.Well written and informative article. I shall keep watching this space for the latest.
As we connect more and more over informal platforms, it become easier to know more about prospects, and connect better with them. This post aptly drives home the importance that this information overload has had on different business models.
I feel as the market becomes more competitive, it’s all the more relevant to find a reference before you attempt to connect with a prospect. I think the Social and Professional networks are serving that need in an excellent manner.
Well written!The idea of intergating social media sources for establishing network can work very well in Business arena. As we know for any sales to take place, the primary requirement is right contact so as to pursue business further. In a way, whosoever is having updated information will lead in sales front. So fetching information from soacial sites and enabling it to use for business seems to be a good thought.
I think every sales person must spend some time in prospecting if he wishes to stay on top of things, and over achieve his quota. The information on social and professional networks serves as a good way to find excellent references and read reviews before connecting with prospects.
Guarav, I am too much in congruence with your thoughts ,so lucidlly written.
In this era where technology innovates every nano second,this is a boon for marketing agencies to promote their products on a low cost and also striking the chord with the right people.Hope, the thoughts are leveraged into action plan which will be a two way boon noth for the companies and the customers.
Great work Gaurav….
No doubt the overflow of information on more casual platforms is helping in connecting people across the globe. It’s helping organizations in many ways: reduce research time, reduce operational costs, better qualify prospects, and Gaurava pointed out, connecting better with people.
As the industry matures and warms up to this new wave, no doubt business across the globe would be able to tap in to this medium in a more efficient manner.
Nice post. I never knew businesses could use the information on the social networks in this way. Although it scares me a little bit, but makes me excited to know more about this new technology too.
Hey Buddy, Great Idea. Social connecting sites are having the power to give information about people, background etc and if the same can be used for business…..Well then things will move very fast…….after all in sales as we know, the information matters.
Gaurav, I think you present a very fresh new perspective. Web 2.0 is not just helping Sales Organizations, but also other verticals in a company. It’s become all the more easier to find out about people before moving ahead with a decision. Thanks for sharing the details on this new technology.
Nice Post.Web2.o is a nice application .I am agree with Gaurav
What a nice piece of documentation!!! Clear, concise and conversational.
Though the idea of sales and marketing through social media is not new, Sales 2.0 adds a new dimension to this area.
Great post and I couldn’t agree more. Connecting and triangulating through various networks(LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) is a sure shot way of getting a warm introduction. Moreover, utilizing InsideView makes this process a breeze, because they aggregate all of this information for you!!!
It is always essential to get information and that too right information in the field of sales. By using social network sites, this can very well be achieved. I think this can prove to be a goof weapon for companies to get contacts of relevant person.
Sales 2.0 seems to have the potential of carrying CRM to a whole new paradigm and redefine the rules of the game. Well people this ones gonna keep all those cold callers on their toes!!
Yes, i agree to your point of view .. In todays world of ‘netizens’ we can pull out very valuable prospects for our Business. The links enable us to increase our scope for target audience.
Nice article…. one of the ideal startegic policy that Sales guys should opt for. His networking skills will surely get him through!
In this age of data explosion Sales 2.0 seems to know how to put all this chaos to order. I sure look forward for more updates on this page about various sector specific uses of this potent weapon. Very written and efficiently laid out….
Truly, social/professional networking has started a new world – new linkages – brought the world even further closer.
There is only one concern. free access of information. Which at times freaks people out, but it doesn’t really stop most of them.
Interesting piece of information regarding networking sites and what the future of technology has in store for us.
Excellent points. I think a lot of organizations can benefit from this new age media.
I never knew businesses were using personal people information to sell to other businesses. Interesting information. Thanks.
The power of Social media is just emerging. Just like in Sales, I’m sure it’ll start helping in so many other verticals soon. Trying to think of ideas to use that knowledge in my field, legal advisory!!!
I have noticed that Social media is becoming more and more powerful day by day. Who would have thought that the page views of any site could overtake Google some day. But Facebook has shown how it can and is not taking google head-on with their ‘Like it’ widget! Somehow I am wary of giving so much power to a media we don’t fully understand yet. I am afraid of the influence such media might gain that perspectives can be distorted at their behest. So, a word of caution guys.No one saw the sub-prime crisis coming. No harm in welcoming this change for capitalistic reasons, but we need to be prepared for the worst too.
sales fields are always driven by information and applicability of sales 2.0 will prove to be useful for companies . Hope i would be the one among all to use it.
And I thought i’d just make friends on Social media. I see it as a nice way to market yourself too, to have a dream-career. Recruiters listening??
excellent study of web 2.0 and its impact on social networking and marketing … well done …
Interesting read. This post is like reading my thoughts aloud. Nice one!!
Good way to put forward the connection between Networing sites & Sales…
…. i am sure , very few people have this approach to reap the benefits of these portals…I don’t agree completely with this. Infact, the terminology of versions like 1.0, 2.0 has become a cliche. Doesn’t seem like there is creativity anymore. The sequels to Rochy is Rocky II and so on upto Rocky VI. Also to make a business big enough to impact the world cannot depend on this high-logistic approach. It requires something which the masses like, a mass-production marketing rather than individualistic. Its good to start out with but not nearly good enough to make things impact in a big way!!
I don’t agree completely with this. Infact, the terminology of versions like 1.0, 2.0 has become a non-ending cliche. Doesn’t seem like there is creativity anymore. The sequels to Rocky is Rocky II and so on upto Rocky VI. Also to make a business big enough to impact the world cannot depend on this high-logistic approach. It requires something which the masses like, a mass-production marketing rather than individualistic. Its good to start out with but not nearly good enough to make things impact in a big way!!
Smart way to establish contacts & meet people… Social networks have indeed proved to be more useful than just connecting to friends…..
Yeah true true. Web 2.0, for better or for worse,is changing a lot of things.
The integration of content from social network leveraging web technolgies has indeed revolutionized the way business is conducted in the modern times. There has been a paradigm shift in the whole thought process and strategy. Web 2.0 has spawned a new vista of opportunities for companies the world over. Insideview has shown the way how to leverage this technology through its flagship offering saleview 2.0. Now Insideview customers can tap the power of salesview application to discover newer avenues of sales, profits and prospertity. Salesview 2.0 indeed changed the term CRM from Customer Relationship Managment to Cash Register Multiplier. I bet Tim O’Reilly sure will be happy for Insideview.
An eye-opener of an article. I need to add my profile in many places now!!
hmm. Curious of this strategy.Need to learn more, very informative!
This is nice!! I have been using Social media extensively to prospect customers, never knew it was called Sales 2.0. I need to check out this application!!
Hi,
Superb article…. To communicate with the right information trough right connections at right time has become very important goal for the sales to have its impact. The major role here is building a relationship with customer … which can be done by connecting the dots… at right time.– Satish Raj Kumar.P
Very interesting, however not usable in a consumer product market, something which my company does! Great for B2B at a lower level, sure.
Interesting article,very well highlights how these networking sites could be used as a weapon improve n expand your business.
Nice, would be a great help in tapping HNIs I guess. Thanks for the idea.
Nice post. Keep em coming!
Very true.. socially networking sites give good contacts to sales people and now getting some refrence is easy with common friends which surely benifts the sales person.
Nice article Gaurav!!
Nice thought, I am agree with you friend.
As the market becomes more competitive, it’s all the more relevant to find a reference before you attempt to connect with a prospect. I think the Social and Professional networks are serving that need in an excellent manner.
Very interesting points Gaurav. Although it’s nice to see more focused selling by marketers, it’s also perturbing that companies are using our personal conversation details to reach us
The article is worth reading and was very informative.Hope the same is implemented in near future.
Hi, Nice article… really nice to know that social networking can be used in so many ways in business as well. Good Post.
Prakash.
Very informative blog on Social Networking. A lot can be taken from this blog and Thanks 4 sharing the details on this technology
yeah….its a nice and useful article
Very Interesting and nice
Hi,
It’s very nice article and very interesting.
What a nice piece of documentation!!!
nteresting piece of information regarding networking sites and what the future of technology has in store for us.
Nice and interesting article…..
Simply amazing and outstanding views… I am highly impressed!!!
Hey this is intersting and good info on networking.
Well it’s nice to see such a good no . of people agreed for adopting Sales 2.0.
Web 2.0 changes the entire seen of marketing, but still a long-2 way to go.Scalability and measurement are still big issues, hope i got a better sol. for the same.
Its truly an insightful piece of article …..& Below I have explained it why?
“One of the central pillars of this movement – if
not the central pillar – is alliance. Web 2.0
is allowing us to work collectively and to share information and experiences in ways we never could before. It is empowering us to convey our thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams and to make them easily accessible to others online. In doing so, it’s allowed us to tap into a collective online wisdom that far surpasses what we could accomplish as individuals in the offline world.”Interesting article Gaurav. Well written.
Thanks for sharing these insights with us Gaurav. I’m sure many like me who’re not very familiar with this topic would have benefited from it.
A very interesting article with an innovative idea for networking & reference selling. If used with a professional touch it could wok wonders & take selling to a completely different altitude. Connecting through a reference always helps & makes a sales pitch resourceful. Thus, if used meticulously Web 2.0 could turn out to be the most proficient & valuable sales platform.
Great work Gaurav!!!!Social marketing has got a new dimension with the advent of social networking websites and the penetration of internet. Finding prospects will be very cost effective and online data can be harnessed to sell better products thus adding value to the medium and the users. Ads and products can be put bang on to the right reference thus making the whole process smart. The concept has a strong business value and the strength lies in the execution of the same.
Networking sites(Social/Professional) indeed plays a vital role in generating sales prospect nowadays,It brings proximity towards various people of different feilds and departments.
nice article!
An interesting take on harnessing a very wide pool of connections and I think Sales 2.0 will prove to be a useful service complementary to the conventional providers.
Discovering who your best targets are requires extensive consumer behavior research. Companies need comprehensive, reliable customer behavior profile information to effectively customize their marketing programs.
Successful marketing strategies begin with targeting the specific audience by understanding the demographic characteristics, lifestyles and consumer buying behaviors,
Social Networking sites definitely provide a great platform for marketers .
But this is definitely a new platform and still not explored to know how people react to it and what are the results from web 2.0 to sales 2.0 .Social media has definitely become a great tool to promote your product & services, increase revenue and enhance your corporate profile. However even today there are thousands of organisations who have not yet though of exploiting this great tool and i can vouch without any iota of doubt that organisations who fail to recognize the role of social media will definitely fail in achieving its business objectives, today.
We always heart that “Mouth marketing is best marketing” but how many sales people actually use it.Sales 2.0 is all about using traditional way of marketing (Reference marketing) in the modern way (Technical way) with great convenience,transparency,flexibility & obviously greater conversion ratio.It will not only connect to the primary references but also helpful to create a tree.Nice article & it is going to be the cheapest lead generation medium in the future…..
I would also like to add that in Indian context the optimum advantage of social media can’t be exploited unless the penetration of PC is increases by manifold from the current level. It also requires good communication infrastructure and efficient connectivity, which is currently not available in most of the parts of country. You must be hearing a lot about the internet and associated data but these are restricted to metros only which have good infrastructure. But it is not the case with other cities. It is highly surprising that, except a few metros and business hubs, most of cities do not even have sufficient speed for browser to run.
Targeting the right customer at the opportune place is what the social media offers us. But in Indian context, where most of the enterprises are still in the Medium and Small category, you need to create awareness about the benefits that social media offers.
The most interesting thing about the Sales 2.0 concept of targeting sales through your social networks is the fact that it has taken the market a significantly long time to adopt the thought and move in that direction as a real means of securing sales (in comparison to how quickly individuals adopt the same concept). How long has LinkedIn been out on the web and been connecting individuals versus how long people have been using it to look for connections they have in common with someone at their targeted sales groups. Thankfully there are companies like InsideView and Mindjet who recognized that trend and are helping to move the Sales 2.0 concept along in the market.
Very informative article on networking.
Good article.. Could lear more about sales
Before all else, thanks for the good one Gaurav. I’ve been following sales 2.0 recently and the first feature knowing about which I was really impressed was it’s connection mapping capabilities.
I liked the lines
“connection mapping has emerged as a darling”.
- With sales 2.0, undoubtedly ‘YES IT HAS’ and more reviews @ http://bit.ly/9MgrBF which will make any one else to come up with the same three words ‘YES IT HAS’
“More importantly these technologies can do the heavy lifting to find the hidden connections that exist between you prospects and your reference customers, previous employers, colleagues, and executive team.”
- What else should a sales-rep need to reach a prospect when everything is made so easy with this sales intelligence technique. No one cares about the sales call or respond to a generic email while at work. Do you? The answer would obviously be a ‘big NO’. What if a sales-rep is being introduced to you by a person whom you know/trust? You already started thinking to say at least a ‘small yes’ and that’s more than enough for an intelligent sales-rep these days to close the deal
. If connecting the dots making use of Web 2.0 and social media is made that easy, then sales-reps you have to have this!!Connection mapping technologies are a wonderful addition to the art and science of sales process. There is one very important factor to keep in mind; relationships must continue to be respected and not abused. Making it much easier to find a potential reference into an account increases the number of reference requests that well connected people receive. Too many, and they will start ignoring the requests. Treat your contacts with deep care and respect.
Thanks for sharing the insights Stu. I also happened to come across a very interesting Salesforce review you had written for InsideView. Folks, here’s the link on how Stu’s team has benefited from implementing SalesView: http://sites.force.com/appexchange/reviews?listingId=a0N3000000178fnEAA
Great blog. Thanks for all the information posted. Looking forward to get more from here
I agree with you. Sales 2.0 has great potential
Web 2.0 has redefined the way people used to connect professionally and personally
You are right. But how many clients do you have who understand this fact?
Very well written
good to find some material on sales 2.0
What you have discussed in fine but can the same be replicated in real estate sector
Another advantage of social networking site for companies is that companies can find grouped/segregated audience because almost all the sites have the facility to group users on the basis of age, educational qualification, geography etc.
I run an educational institute and i use web 2.0 extensively to target potential students. Such is the scope…
No doubt, sales 2.0 or infact social media is a great tool for promoting products and services, i use it extensively to identify right products ans services, as a buyer.
great to find that even in India sales 2.0 is catching up
What you have mentioned is correct but how many people know the potential
What is sales 2.0 do you want to say it is a new or updated version of sales strategies we used earlier or the latest version of sales technology that we used?
Very well written article. I work every day with prospects/customers regarding social media and they need to engage proactively with their customers around both positive and negative posts to help with customer service as well as understanding what their customers are saying.
Very interesting post. I came across the link to this post on another website. It’s always nice to learn something new and this post opened a whole new realm for me.
Thanks for sharing your insights Gaurav. I liked the ideas expressed in the post. Keep it up.
Good one!!
I had been researching on InsideView as a company. Found this post quite informative with all the links in it. Thanks!
As someone who’s a part of channel partner management, I’m not sure how relevant Sales 2.0 can be for us. I’ll be interested in reading up more on what this technology is all about. Thanks.
I landed up at this place because my friend asked me to, but I’m glad I did. I didn’t only go through this post but some others in the blog too. Quite informative stuff. I’ve been missing out on a whole new technology.
Gaurav, well written post. Explains how Social Media is being used by businesses very well.
Hey Gaurav, interesting to see how you’ve captured some of the intricate details of businesses leveraging information in social networking sites. I’m no newbie to this idea but your post came as a welcome change.
Nice work!!
I think this article, or the whole idea of Sales 2.0, is relevant only for B2B models. It doesn’t benefit B2C models of business in any way.
While the article is excellent, i don’t agree with the last comment which says that Sales 2.0 is only relevant for B2B models and for B2C. This is because as a marketeer myself, i have been using it for B2C.
You have very clearly understood and highlighted the relevance of social media in marketing.
I think the concept of sales 2.0 holds true for all business models and even for B2C. Infact there is greater potential for B2C. Correct me if I am wrong.
Sales 2.0 is a step ahead in sales after web 2.0. It is innovative and holds huge potential if used rightly. More such articles will be helpful.
Wow !……. good info to know about Sales 2.0 … connecting all our social networks help us a lot ……
Linkedin and a few other networking sites were used for business purposes- like recruitment but never had these sites been used for connecting with prospects. Sales 2.0 is a good concept and needs to be taken seriously.
Sales 2.0 could bring Révolution to the consumer world. It would be a great step ahead in the area of RIA. Nice article.
When a company uses sales media, they have to be careful of how they are projecting themselves. They cannot be defensive all the time for negative posts and still have to manage how to react to the positive ones. It is a challenge for the prospects also.
Gaurav, you bring forth some interesting points.
Cold calling is all but dead, or so some would say. Looks like these new technologies are changing the landscape.
Interesting points.
Being in Sales, I understand how important it is to connect with the right people. I’ve seen your demo and evaluated the app. I don’t think you’re data stood up in front of the many local providers we use.
Thanks for sharing your insights. Good points.
I’m wondering the applicability of this technology in different areas of Sales. I’m not so sure it’s as widely usable.
There are tons of companies out there doing the same work as you guys do. What makes you any different?
Cold calling can never be dead. At least none of the top performers can afford to not “cold” call. These technologies simply serve as enablers to make the calls more productive.
The top sales guys across the world try and steer clear of using “tools” to do their job. I think you can never really rely on technologies like these. They seem to be a passing phase.
Good post!
sales 2.0 cannot replace cold calling, but it can definitely add spice to it!
We always thing social media is meant for individuals, your post is an eye opener, and sales 2.0 opens up a lot of closed doors for businesses.
These points hold true only for someone in technology sales. Doesn’t apply as much to people in the retail or FMCG sector.
Very good information Gaurav.
I’m beginning to learn more about Sales 2.0. This is great!
This is good information. Especially in the context of connection mapping. Most companies can simply show you the executives at your target companies, but none can actually show you the detailed level of connections.
Good post! Thanks for the link
Interesting points to ponder on Gaurav. Thanks.
Good work.
I didn’t know there are companies out there doing this kind of work. Thanks for sharing this.
Keep these posts coming Gaurav, very enlightening!
Keep them coming!
LinkedIn is fast stepping in to the similar space as you guys operate in. Given the fact that LinkedIn is a more trusted source for getting contact details, how do you intend to stay ahead of them?
I don’t like the idea of businesses reaching out into my personal space and snooping into my personal info. What are the privacy policies in your case?
There are other companies doing this same work I believe. How do you separate yourself from them?
Interesting blog!
I hate the fact that businesses are reaching in to my personal space and trying to sell to me. This would only serve to make my personal data even more accessible. How do you guys respect Privacy policies?
Technology is here to overtake the humans in a big way. But will it be able to cut off human interaction completely? I am doubtful.
I am not sure how sales 2.0 will apply in a consumer product market. I think it can definitely be used for market research and analytics.
The reach and usage of internet has brought in a new facet with the introduction of social networking websites. It is a cost effective way of generating sales prospects. This can be utilised as a mode for broadening your business across the globe.
What you are saying is totally correct but since social media as a tool for sales is very new, there are thousands of companies which are not aware of it.
It is the boon of web 2.0 that today there are millions of organisations running successfully solely due to their online presence and clients
‘Reference Selling’ is the new MANTRA in sales!
Social & professional media form a plethora of Connections.The key to success is to tap the right profiles.
As you rightly said: connection mapping technologies will soon be the buzz in the industry
Target marketing becomes a wee bit simpler with loads of references with a common thread linking them together.
Not only can we get contacts, but we also can find authentic information about them from their profiles … & its all just a click away!Sales 2.0 + social media are definitely changing the way the world sells. When combined with traditional sales methods, social media is allowing B2B sales to become more efficient primarily through more targeted prospecting and the discovery of connections that were unknown before. Sales organizations are now able to find the correct person within a company easier, rather than the old result of getting passed around from department to department before discovering the proper person to be talking to. Unknown connections is my favorite byproduct of sales 2.0 + social media. Being able to quickly find out that a member of your accounting department went to school with (or use to work with) one of your prospects is huge and many times allows you to close sales quicker with a greater chance that close is a win!
What the best aspect I find of social media marketing is the targeted selling despite presence of mixed audience. But it can do wonders if proper integration of offline and online marketing strategies is done by companies.
Targetting clients when they need the product or service-This factor is the best aspect of online markeitng
Social networking is growing at a very fast pace and has a huge fan following. Though I have not gone too deep into it yet, but would definitely like to know more about this tool. After reading this piece, I surely feel that this concept can make a lot of difference. If information about products and services can come as handy as this, who would not want to take advantage?
Sales 2.0 is indeed a great tool today but to derive optimum benefit one needs strategies similar to those of offline marketing. It is not easier to get success through sales 2.0 but it does make things easier
who do you do? You are a sales professional or tech professional???? because sales 2.0 has different advantages for different category of people
Good concept but tough to practice
Is it guaranteed that companies using sales2.0 are able to beat their competitors who do not?
It will definitely help companies to respond to customer needs faster and reduce total cost of sale.
Sales 2.0 is a good tool to bring together marketing and sales and help them work in synergy.
Sales 2.0 technology will help businesses analyze information and make better decisions and also allow easy collaboration between customers and employees.
You really need to make sure that your customers are loyal so that you know that they are always talking good things abt you. Else social media can have a negative impact too.
A small technological change like this can impact the business and their revenues in a big way.
sales 2.0 has brought a cultural change in the relationships between marketing and sales
InsideView provides “intelligent and targeted prospecting” to make sure that that sales reps are informed about the customer. Good post
Wow .. I never knew that Social networking would be so powerfull . My only concern is that . Social networking sites are already hacking privacy Dont you think its Unethical . But thats a debate for some other day .
Nice work Guys Please keep me postedSome social media sites charge companies to bury the bad reviews! Technology has its own down sides too.
A company needs to be fair to its customers. Some companies employ decoys to post positive reviews. and I heard sometime back that companies were paying yelp! to nip the negative reviews. It is quite shocking that companies will resort to such methods.
For businesses using social media, they really need to be trained on best practices. for eg- responding to prospects within 24 hours and stuff like that.
Good post!
Sales 2.0 is here to stay!
With an emerging trend like sales 2.0, old line legacy organizations need to change the way they sell
Selling in the way the customers want to buy a key tenet of Sales 2.0!
The sales professionals need to change accordingly, don’t they? I think right now, companies are putting square pegs in round holes.
Sales 2.0 needs to be incorporated into the sales process. Organizations that fail to see this emerging trend will fall short of their goals. We are all familiar with the concept “it’s not what you know, its who you know”. This is more important than ever in this expanding Global Competitive Market.
I want to ask Dixit who says “Good conceot but tough to practice’, in business what is easy-Nothing comes of its own and clients are the last thing that can come. So,
Sales,mktg, commercial concepts incorporated in the fun networking sites……..great innovation in making sales prospects being leveraged via simple networking sites….
Online marketing has no alternative these days!
There can be no other best way to canvas products.Connecting Dots…… does make sense.
Innovative ideas like these have given a new dimension to the world of Sales.Informative but may not be the best source to learn about how Sales 2.0 is helping organizations.
Nice post Gaurav!
Thanks for sharing your expertise. Look forward to reading more.
These points are great, but as some others have commented here, does this apply to other verticals such as Real Estate, FMCG, Healthcare, etc?
Will work best for ITES..
Web 2.0 indeed makes the world a global village.Interesting..!!
well written!
It is not only the sales function which has been redefined by the advent of social media but almost all the functions and activities associated with human kind. In professional terms, i have seen how recruitment function has been redefined by linked in facebook and twitter
It is true that social media has redefined not only how people connect but also the kind of information they share
It is true that online socila media has redefined the way we used to interact with others and has become the greatest tool for marketing, we should also not underestimate some of its grey areas including illegal activities.
I am from an NGO which works for affordable housing and have seen practically how one can connect with people for any cause through effective use of online social media. I am now connected with people, in the absence of social media, I would have not known them simply.
Also, when i promoted the cause of affordable housing for poor, I got response even from those who otherwise did not know anything about it. Through online media, theyr routed their resource to a great cause.
Very True-The same rich social profile information that allows marketers to do hyper-targeted advertising also enables sales people to do more targeted prospecting than ever before.
Online social p0latforms have given birth to two new breed of professionals i.e. online media marketers and online sales professionals who do targeted prospecting
Social media had definitely created a unique opportunity not only for online marketers, who are shifting more and more of their advertising budgets to targeted social media ads) but also to B2B sales professionals.
The ability to go for targeted prospecting by the use of online platforms has enhanced the general quality level of each prospect
You are right but it will take time to exploit its full potential
No doubt social media is today the most powerful platform to attract and retain your clients, but as an entrepreneur busy in my daily activities, i can’t spend much time on managing and prospecting online. What bothers me is the scarcity of trained and efficient online sales professionals as well as consultants
How do you define connection mapping
It is true that online social media is a very strong tool for selling products, it has also become a string tool fior buyers to search about your products
Great work. Love it.
Profiles on Social and Professional networks have restricted access. How can a sales guy find out about their prospects or customers through this medium? The only thing you could do is see their profile picture. I don’t think Sales 2.0 is helping sales organizations in any way
As far as doing some background checks on your employees, you could snoop around in Facebook or any of the other gazillion sites. But for actual business or hiring, I don’t think we can use any of that data.
Employers out there are more actively looking up details on such social media platforms. The naive one’s would be at a loss, while the more seasoned one’s have a better chance of survival.
A great post, thanks. The power of sales 2.0 is undeniable. The real challenge is to help the web 2.0 newbies or technophobes make the leap of faith to let go their tried and trusted marketing activities and enter the world of sales 2.0. Here’s a blog where I show newbies how to engage with LinkedIn. Social Media Sales Leads.
Interesting article. Networking helps, we all know that. Now how to connect similar people within different networks & zero in on a target group is what Sales 2.0 is setting out to do i think. Might actually work though personally, I probably would not go in for something or take a sales call just because 3 contacts on my facebook list have done so…:-)
eMarketer reinforces that B2B salespeople tend to shy away from using Social Media. Read the full details (with #’s at this: http://bit.ly/9a9GEE
you are perfectly right. I have been using social media, in particular tools of sales 2.0 to promote my services.
Social media is the invention of the this millennium the way internet is the invention of the last millennium
Social media marketing or Sales 2.0 is a boon for small organisations coz with comparatively low investment, they can achieve a lot.
The best aspect of sales 2.0 is that it is not only an efficient tool for commercial organisations but also for NGO and development organisations
I agree with you completely
Though social media and sales 2.0 are great tools but organisations using them have to be really efficient to convert prospects into success
You are right. but innovation is the key to exploit social media thoroughly.
It offers the rare advantage of both mass marketing as well as targeted sales
If you are a sales and marketing personnel, you can’t afford to ignore social media today.
I found the following sentence excellent: Connecting with people you know through your personal networks and professional experiences to create business opportunities is nothing new. What is new is the scale of your network and the ease with which you can leverage it.
Good insight and very informative article
you are right, connection mapping is the most important development
even in the age of social media marketing ans CRM, word of mouth publicity/recommendation has got a very important place.
Yes, you are right but technology still play an important role
Social media has made the world a global village in true sense.
Social Media B2B: A good resource to find out the do’s and don’ts of Social Media in B2B sales.
Nice post !!!
The power of sales 2.0 is unlimited. But the real challenge is to make small and medium enterprises aware about its potential because it is the SME which is going to lead the economic growth in the years to come.
The concept of reach and target have been redefined by social media.
You are right, whether you want to target one category of people or the other or you want to target one and the all social media is the answer.
I would like to say that I have been able to establish my business in very short span of time because I knew the potential of sales 2.o
The best aspect of social media is that this tool of properly targeting the right audience is not limited to one of few sector. Whatever you do, doesn’t matter, you can avail the benefits of social media
I agree with you gaurav, However, the key is right targetting.
No doubt-Social media has redefined not only how people connect but also the kind / VOLUME of information they share.
The greatest advantage of social media is the way we used to share information. Not only that, the sheer volume of information we used to share has changed. Today, it takes hardly a second to send a gigabyte of information to a person sitting in States from India.So, one can imagine the potential.
Though Social media has become one of the most important tools for sales personnel, the key is still to target the right people at the right time.
You are right gaurav, the potential of social media is unlimited. But do you also recognise the threat of intruding into one’s personal space through social media?
Hey its really informative and very well written. Looking forward to read more on this!
Good Work!Agreed gaurav. Wish to know more about how sales 2.0 can actually be used in different sectors
Social media has gone much beyond selling. Now employers recruit talents through social media platforms
Hey Vuda, recruitment is old news. Now recruiters and employers even check credentials of their prospective and existing employees through social media
Hi Vuda and Vikas, both of you are right. Employers and recruiters do carry recruitment and reference check through social media platforms. But there are companies which have stared using social media for small and medium size vendors also.
True; that is why we say the social media has unlimited potential
I never felt any need to make my presence on any social media platform. However, recently when i joined I was surprised to see the response and I must tell you that without joining I could not have even though of what I had been loosing
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