Tag Archives for " Social Media "

The (Senseless) Debate Surrounding Cold-Calling, Social Selling, and Email

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

For the past few months, social channels have been lit up like Times Square, engaged in a mind-numbing debate about the “best” tools to use in creating sales opportunities. In a nutshell, the debate is this: “Which method works best in producing sales opportunities—cold-calling, email, or social selling?” The problem with these kinds of debates is that it contains no scientific rigor whatsoever, but every voice seems willing to tell the world they are ABSOLUTELY right. Well, right at that given moment anyway, since a few experts seemed to have changed their opinions recently.

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The Arrogance of Experience

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

All things being equal, when faced with a “very important” task, most companies will choose a person with successful experience to take it on. Whatever that task looks like – a big project, an important new customer, a critical product launch – most leaders will choose experience to get the job done. No question about it, experience counts. Until it gets arrogant. The arrogance of experience can be quite costly.

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Today’s Short-Cut Culture and the Impact on Selling

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

So, how many times do you hear salespeople say “selling is about relationships?” It’s absolutely true! Unless the sale is strictly transactional and highly commoditized, relationships are essential to success. Unfortunately, however, there are no short-cuts or “hacks” for building relationships, but that hasn’t stopped salespeople from trying to end-run the relationship side of selling.

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Social Selling: The Sleight of Hand Continues

By Kelly Riggs | Sales + Leadership

“Social selling” programs don’t actually teach someone how to SELL more effectively, they teach how to use social media TOOLS more effectively – software, webinars, video, etc. The programs revolve mostly around social selling funnels, email hacks, video tools and content, and other tips and tricks that you can execute in your pajamas in mere hours per week. The problem is social media isn’t actually selling; it’s more like marketing—the creation of awareness and interest in order to build credibility that leads to a relationship.

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