05 Advantages of Social Selling in Cameroon

You are probably wondering whether social selling is suitable for your business in Cameroon?

You keep hearing great things. You hear that your company will benefit from it, that it will stand out in today’s digital age.

Surprisingly, however, only 31% of product and service sellers in Cameroon currently use social networks to sell, despite ongoing studies proving that social selling professionals outperform their competitors.

The fact is that social selling is still a relatively new concept in Cameroonian business. That said, today’s inescapable reality of selling means being social.

Technology has transformed the way we buy, so the way we sell must also adapt to the changes. Obsolete sales tactics need to be replaced, we need to acquire new modern tools.

Things are changing too fast today and the reality will soon be that salespeople who do not choose to use social selling techniques throughout the sales process will suffer in terms of lead generation and revenue growth, and will eventually be left behind.

Not selling socially in today’s competitive environment is like leaving money on the table and walking away.

So, we understand, social selling benefits Cameroonian companies, but what exactly are these benefits?

If you are still struggling to see its value, let me describe the 5 advantages of social selling in Cameroon via online networks and make your decision clear:

Of course, your persistent appeal and asking them to come to their next company event may have worked for your sales representative, but psychologically, they have made your company a real loser in that perspective.

Why? Because persistent begging on the part of the sales representative gives the prospect the impression that he is doing him a favour. It puts them in a position of ultimate control and with the idea that your sales people should be chasing after them. Think about it, would you expect Cimencam to jump through hoops to convince you to buy their cement? Not likely. Indeed, the Cimencam brand has value and the sales representative knows it.

With social selling, you can shorten the whole sales cycle and achieve more success. Online networks and Google have made the entire pre-purchase search faster and easier for buyers.

Today’s smart buyers make their decision before they even talk to a sales representative.

Therefore, if your salespeople have successfully implemented social selling in their sales process by sharing valuable information and interacting with prospects on a human level, potential buyers may decide to do business with them before even calling them on the phone. Indeed, social selling adds value to your brand and makes your company an expert in the field.

In the world of social selling, the ability of your sales teams to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack with timely information and understanding is the key to success.

Businesses must now look for new ways to generate revenue opportunities. In today’s digital world, the effectiveness of cold calling and banner advertising alone to generate leads and sell their product/service is no longer enough.

Social selling gives sales people insight into what customers want and need. Because with social selling you have the possibility to make a rebot or buyer persona of your cycles which will allow you to adapt your offer to your demand.

Or representatives can participate in social conversations on LinkedIn or Twitter and monitor what potential customers are saying about their product or service. By listening to prospects who need a solution, sales reps can more easily provide them with the information or service they are looking for.

The new lead generation method makes it easier for sales reps to identify the most relevant customers and their needs.

One of the greatest benefits of social selling is managing the image and credibility of your business online.

Numerous studies have revealed the enormous impact of online reviews on buyers’ decisions to purchase a particular product or service. For example, 75% of buyers believe that supplier content has had an impact on their final purchasing decision in 2020, according to one reliable source.

Online presence through digital marketing leads to online popularity, as you promote it correctly. Building a positive reputation among social media prospects will help attract more interested people to your business. Having a bad reputation can directly affect the core processes and success of your business.

Here are some of the advantages you will get using social selling to manage your online image:

Engaging directly with prospects increases your brand awareness.
Establishing a trusting relationship builds sympathy in the eyes of potential customers.
Allows you to track the online activities of your competitors in relation to your business activities.
Allows you to hide damaging content from your brand by pushing it down in search engine rankings.
Instant notification of customer feedback that helps you improve your product or service.
Receive immediate notification if your name is mentioned online.

Think about it, if you were in the position of a potential buyer, who would you be most likely to do business with – the sales representative who calls you unexpectedly to tell you about his new product, or the online advisor who shares valuable information with you when you express a need for help? We need to understand that at the end of the day, people buy people.

And social selling creates a better customer relationship. Building trusting relationships gives you and your business that unfair advantage in the selling world.

It cannot be over-emphasised that social selling is NOT about selling, but about directly engaging and serving others in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Your job is to become the person they want to do business with. Relationships are not made between ‘connections’; they are built between people. In the long run, buyers are much more likely to make a purchase from sellers with whom they have a relationship than with a semi-anonymous name and profile.

While new customers are excellent, returning customers are even better.

Maintaining and building on a loyal customer base is essential for the company’s long-term growth. This is where social selling becomes essential. Sales teams can use social selling techniques to stay on the radar of new and returning customers. The secret is to make them want to come back. This requires continuous and consistent commitment.

Commitment by sharing their feedback, sending direct messages and sharing useful content with them based on what they are looking for. This means updating them on interesting new offers and information they can’t find elsewhere.

Sharing consistent quality content with your target audience is key to the growth of your community. This means leaving aside the sales pitch most of the time. Social selling is what keeps customers coming back.

For example, a makeup company might publish video tutorials on the colour of eye shadow to use to bring out blue eyes. Restaurants could share new recipe ideas that intrigue, while retailers could publish reviews of the most popular products.

It’s all about understanding the perspective of the potential customer. What would motivate you to subscribe to updates and new content from a certain brand? What would interest you? Do you keep coming back? It’s all about creativity. This type of content will help you develop your social media community and turn new buyers into loyal customers.

In Conclusion
So there are 5 advantages to implementing social selling in your sales process. Are you still convinced? Social selling is not difficult. It is different. It sells 2.0. Social selling is still a relatively new concept, which is seriously underused by most Cameroonian B2B companies today.

Give your company an unfair advantage over its competitors by capitalizing on social selling and take advantage of the benefits it can bring to your business.

Need support in the process of implementing a social selling strategy? Global Business Consulting is there for you.

We are a team of young people passionate about the digital business, you can contact us by email on contact@globalbusinesconsulting.com or on +237 697 686 996 and +237 670 932 922.