Most Health IT firms are aware of Social Media and Social Marketing. While many enterprise Health IT firms are gaining traction with Social Media, they stumble with the hand-off to Sales, or how to effectively include the Sales Team to maximize Social Marketing efforts.
After all, all the Social Marketing in the world does no good if it doesn’t positively position the Sales Team or Representative with Health IT decision makers in the critical first face to face appointment.
How Marketing Can Position for Social Selling
Social Marketing paves the way for Social Selling. With Social Selling, your Sales Team plays a daily active role in Social Marketing. Integrating Social Proof, a form of collective validation, powerfully positions Social Selling efforts. A flexible, agile approach to demonstrate social proof is the ticket to success.
Adopt the following to provide the Social Proof your Sales Team needs to open doors with Health IT decision makers:
Testimonials and Endorsements- Collect and present quotes and positive comments from satisfied clients. Post on your website, blog, Facebook, Linkedin, and Google+ Business Pages. If the client is willing, shoot a short video and post it on YouTube and your website.
Actively Engage in Social Networks- Recruit the Sales Team to assist Marketing in Social Media. Keep in mind, the Sales Team is busy with selling responsibilities, so make sure to provide them with the tools and training needed to effectively use their time in Social Media.
Provide them with Linkedin optimized Profiles. Train them on how to use Twitter Search to engage prospects looking for solutions to Health IT problems your firm solves. Provide the Sales Team with the content needed to engage and build community on Google+. Most often for a Sales Team involved in B2B sales, Linkedin will prove the best use of time.
Position each Sales Rep to act as a Social Marketing channel for the firm. AS they grow their contacts and networks with an orchestrated effort with marketing support that matches the firm’s brand messagfe, the firm’s exposure in turn grows.
Photo Proof- Show pictures of real people using your Health IT products and services. These can range from informal, candid “snapshots” ( with permission from the individual and client) to more in-depth client success stories and presentations. Share the snapshots in Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram, and Pinterest. Post the case study and presentation images on SlideShare and Google+.
Tell Your Story. Champion Your Team- Tell your firm’s history and background story. Include industry and community roots to indicate capability and stability. Modestly inform your online community of individuals members of your Sales Team professional recognition and awards, community, civic, and industry achievements or leadership roles, and media quotes or spotlights. This positions the Sales Rep as an expert while painting the firm in a positive light for Social Selling.
Tremendous opportunity exists in Health IT today. The smart firms take advantage of this opportunity with smart marketing and sales with efforts in perfect alignment. Incorporate these four Social Marketing approaches to boost your Social Selling.
photo credit: Jason A. Howie via photopin cc
