How Sales Reps Can Succeed in the Social Era

Social media is clearly a disruptive force for business. Although many companies started with social media monitoring and customer service, it’s exciting now to see a growing number go beyond the reactive and harness Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for sales and customer engagement and service.

In my role as CEO of the enterprise software company Hearsay Social, I’ve worked with a number of companies that have identified novel and effective ways to address these channels and incorporate them into their businesses for the better. Companies such as Allstate, AXA Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, and others recognize the new role salespeople must play in the social, mobile, and digital era: that of a trusted advisor and subject matter expert offering highly personalized, human service.