Do this When Selling Social Media to Executives
The C-Suite is leaning to the right. They understand social can be helpful. Yet, how do you begin selling social media to executives?
Find the pain points and speak the C-suite language.
Selling Social Media to the C-Suite
You will get attention when you connect the dots between social and revenue.
I’m jumping the gun. Some background first.
Brian Solis, the principal partner at Altimeter Group, posted this intriguing headline and link:
“New technology coupled with an old way of thinking inhibits progress.” http://t.co/6MfXixqqQ9
— Brian Solis (@briansolis) August 28, 2013
I posted a comment.
Agreeing with Brian and I added my views:
The business landscape is evolving at an extremely rapid pace.
Customer expectation, mobility and technology are shifting the ground underneath all of us. SME may be able to pivot faster than enterprises firms, however, the risks are equally challenging, although of different scale. As with any change management initiative leaders and champions must be bold and take steps to begin the process. Buy in form the C-Suite is imperative for success.
Connecting the ‘social business’ strategy (or which every name you decided upon) with top-level business goals is required to satisfy all stakeholders and shareholders.
Business as Usual is gone. It’s about gazing into the crystal ball and asking what is the future of (my) business?
The business landscape is evolving at an extremely rapid pace. Customer expectation, mobility and technology are shif…http://t.co/ZpkgRK5Gkw
— Urban Renstrom (@UrbanRenstrom) August 28, 2013
My comment garnered a few likes and a comment from Whitney Brister.
The Question
Urban, I wonder, then, if you might have suggestions for convincing a C-Suite that doesn’t believe customer-facing technology or social community development is relevant to their industry that it can be if developed with their customers’ expectations in mind. (Our competitors are only just beginning to tap into the arena, perhaps we should just be the second mouse.)
A simple reply of ‘Go Forth and Conquer’ lacked the required eloquence and thoroughness.
The converted know the ground is moving and every business needs to be good at social media. Besides the fact, there are more smartphones than toothbrushes in the world. Social is a requirement.
Selling Social Media – Is My Tribe as Good as Your Tribe?
Buy a copy of Brian Solis’s new book #WTF.
Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust – Zig Ziglar
Selling is a challenge. Selling social media to executives is a bigger challenge. Centre your pitch on the value to the company. Focusing on how the revenue will increase or how operating costs will be lowered.
Choice of either revenue or cost savings.
My 5-point list is not a tick box change management exercise, but, my experiences and thoughts.
- Focus on the benefits — Discuss the benefits of socializing your business. I would look at increasing customer loyalty, lowering churn, reducing customer acquisition costs, market research, transparency, thought leadership and humanizing the business.
- Focus on people, not the technology — Social is about community building for engagement, listening, and improving your customer’s experience. Not the tools used to achieve those goals.
- The value is for the entire business not just the marketing/PR departments — An open line of communication will benefit all stakeholders with customer feedback, product suggestions and areas for improvement.
- Goals connected with overall business aims — Brand building, customer retention, increase in loyalty, lead generation, reduced acquisition costs, and insight into the purchasing funnel are viable and valuable outcomes of social programs that the C-suite can understand.
- Resource Allocations — What will it cost? Provide back of the napkin costing at this stage – setup and running costs must be somewhat accurately defined in the number of full-time people who are needed. Dream big.
Let me know how you get it or if I am off base with my suggestions.
Comments welcome.
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