Forbes recently published its second annual Cloud 100 list, highlighting the world’s top companies in the cloud sector. It’s a collection of heavy hitters headquartered across several continents. Each one has its own twist on the burgeoning technology, but most have this much in common:
They tap into the full potential of social selling, and use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to enhance their growth and reach.
Eighty percent of the Forbes Cloud 100 companies are Sales Navigator customers. It’s easy to see why. Since these businesses mostly operate in the B2B space, they recognize the vital importance of reaching buyers through social selling. Clearly, they are practicing it effectively. Growing revenue and beating industry benchmarks were among the top criteria for inclusion.
What does the makeup of the Forbes Cloud 100 list say about our modern business landscape?
The Social Norm
Today, social selling isn’t an experimental strategy; it’s the industry standard for sales. Data from the newly released State of Sales Report 2017 reinforces the widespread usage of this technique, and shows that those using it are consistently reporting significant benefit.
As cloud technology and social selling both become more mainstream, it’s hardly surprising that we see an extensive degree of overlap, with most of the Forbes Cloud 100 companies embracing sales tech. Given that “the cloud” itself is all about convenience and efficiency, it only makes sense that its purveyors would seek out cutting-edge tools and CRM solutions to increase their own productivity.
To wit, the latest State of Sales report found that 90% of salespeople cite sales technology as either “important” or “very important” to closing deals. The visible success of so many businesses using Sales Navigator lends further credence to this movement.
Eye on the Future
It is always wise to keep a finger on the pulse of the tech industry, which tends to be ahead of the curve on business strategies that eventually become ubiquitous. As such, the players within the Forbes Cloud 100 list merit our attention.
The State of Sales report shows that adoption of digital tools and apps for professional purposes is exploding, especially among millennials, and some of the most popular names in this arena -- such as Dropbox and Slack -- appear on the Forbes list. The move to tech solutions is becoming increasingly prevalent and every indicator suggests this revolution will only gain more steam going forward.
Are you on board yet with social selling and sales tech? We can think of about 100 reasons you should be.
To learn more about selling today and where things are headed, download the full State of Sales 2017 Report for helpful insights that can lift your team to the clouds and beyond.
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