How to enhance the sales process through social selling : Case Frosmo
Säde, Tanja (2019)
Lataukset:
Säde, Tanja
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019060314341
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019060314341
Tiivistelmä
Digitalization and changes in B2B buyer behavior demand for new approaches for selling. Customers search answers and gather information through online and social media and choose to talk to the seller when they are already quite far in the buying process. Companies together with academics have started emphasizing social selling to meet the expectations of a modern buyer.
Social selling can be used in all steps of the selling process from prospecting to closing sales and it should be an essential part of a company’s sales assets as it allows sellers to engage with customers and build social capital that would invite customers to interact, engage and build relationships with them.
This thesis examines how social selling can help the company called Frosmo to move from more traditional and resource intense selling methods which include mainly cold calling to the more modern way of social selling and how marketing and sales can work together in the social selling to reach the company’s sales goals.
The methodology chosen for this study is constructive research. The work started with the problem identification that was discovered through the day-to-day work with the sellers by the researcher. After the problem was identified the understanding phase of the topic started with an extensive literature review. The understanding phase included also a qualitative study with semi-constructed interviews with sellers. This helped the researcher to start to construct the solution that included designing a training period for sellers about how to use social selling in their daily sales work.
The training period was completed with analyzing results and having post-training interviews with the sellers to gather feedback from the training. Lastly, some adjustments were done to the training according to the feedback and new training will be offered to the whole company to learn about the principles of social selling.
The findings of the qualitative research gave positive indications that the sales process can be enhanced with LinkedIn social selling. The key factors are finding, connecting and networking with prospect customers. Relevant and engaging content is mandatory to be able to build trust and interest with the prospects and thus build fruitful relationships. To work properly it involves good cooperation with sales and marketing and individual prioritization of how the daily sales tasks are being managed.
Social selling can be used in all steps of the selling process from prospecting to closing sales and it should be an essential part of a company’s sales assets as it allows sellers to engage with customers and build social capital that would invite customers to interact, engage and build relationships with them.
This thesis examines how social selling can help the company called Frosmo to move from more traditional and resource intense selling methods which include mainly cold calling to the more modern way of social selling and how marketing and sales can work together in the social selling to reach the company’s sales goals.
The methodology chosen for this study is constructive research. The work started with the problem identification that was discovered through the day-to-day work with the sellers by the researcher. After the problem was identified the understanding phase of the topic started with an extensive literature review. The understanding phase included also a qualitative study with semi-constructed interviews with sellers. This helped the researcher to start to construct the solution that included designing a training period for sellers about how to use social selling in their daily sales work.
The training period was completed with analyzing results and having post-training interviews with the sellers to gather feedback from the training. Lastly, some adjustments were done to the training according to the feedback and new training will be offered to the whole company to learn about the principles of social selling.
The findings of the qualitative research gave positive indications that the sales process can be enhanced with LinkedIn social selling. The key factors are finding, connecting and networking with prospect customers. Relevant and engaging content is mandatory to be able to build trust and interest with the prospects and thus build fruitful relationships. To work properly it involves good cooperation with sales and marketing and individual prioritization of how the daily sales tasks are being managed.