The Measure of Success: Your Social Selling Index Score & Sales Growth

The new sales funnel is complex, and it’s going to stay that way. The combination of new pipeline development sources, shifting consumer behavior, independently savvy buyers, and the growth of consumption-based revenue models demand that sales teams continually—and consistently—do more with less in order to exceed quotas and foster growth.

But how can sales executives measure progress and growth amongst their sales teams? Attracting today’s increasingly savvy buyers is becoming just as valuable as maintaining current client relationships with nurturing prospects already in the sales funnel. Which metric matters most—engagement with new prospects or forging stronger existing relationships?

The answer, of course, is both.

Insight and SSI

While it’s difficult to measure the strength of any one individual sales professional’s network, it’s enlightening to see the power of your sales team’s community through their engagement with prospects via their Social Selling Index (SSI) score. This number accurately communicates a sales reps reach, engagement, and clout all in one convenient metric.

Content curation, community building, and daily interaction are all key components of SSI, and successful social sellers with high SSI scores typically have strong personal brands, deep professional networks, and active engagement within those networks.

That’s it. That’s the secret to successful social selling. Build a brand that attracts a network, and then foster engagement within that network—engagement in a targeted network or community gets real results.

Successful social sellers:

●     Create 45% more opportunities than peers with lower SSI

●     Are 51% more likely to reach quota

●     Outsell peers who don’t use social media by 78%

Replace the Sales Pitch with Social Selling

The best part about social selling with a strong metric to stand behind and work to improve is that it takes the tools no one wants—the cold call and pitch—out of your sales playbook:

“Social selling is taking out the pitching component of sales. You’re creating conversations about your product and services which organically produce sales conversations.”

 —Paul Sowada, SSI 89 | Market Development Manager, Binocular

The Future of Sales is Social

The simple yet crucial sales factors that the SSI measures is an effective way to plot sales team strength and concurrently plan your marketing and sales strategy around. At a glance you can see their reach, clout, and activity with people in industries that matter and if you maintain a high SSI you have access to decision makers. What’s more is that the customers benefit from proof of concept, peer review, and consistent, constant value adds from sales professionals reaching out to their growing network so they’re more likely to seek you out and engage with content you produce and curate.

Social Selling is a Win-Win

Paul Albright, CEO and Co-Founder of the marketing firm Captora has this simple advice for social selling, pipeline development, and revenue growth:

“The sharper the focus, the better the results. Maximize inbound marketing contribution to pipeline because it's most efficient for scaling the top of the funnel. Continually expand your reach, content, and improve your conversion rates. The end result should be growth greater than 1.5X. This is true at Captora while revenue is growing over 200%.”

Start boosting your sales team’s SSI—and your sales goals with this complete Sales Manager’s Social Selling Checklist. Expand your networks with social selling and watch your team thrive.