“Cold calling is dead,” social media consultant Bob DeStefano told the 42nd annual convention of the Specialty Tools & Fastener Distributors Association. Today cold calling is replaced by educating potential customers online.

Almost three quarters – 74% – of buying begins online before talking to any salesperson.  

Websites need to be educating – focusing on content.

DeStefano spoke on how salespeople can use social media.

Online selling is not mass emails, DeStefano said. Indeed 86% of B2B emails are deleted or ignored, he said.

Beyond websites companies need to be on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter .. “sharing valuable content.”

DeStefano termed LinkedIn as “a resume on steroids.”

“Customers control the sales process,” DeStefano pointed out. In 80% of new B2B transactions the customer finds the supplier.

And 78% of the salespeople using social media outsell their peers, DeStefano added.

Part of that is millennials taking over the workforce, he noted. Every day 10,000 baby boomers retire and 10,000 millennials turn 21. They were 35% of the workforce last year and will be 50% by 2020.

“Millennials go online for everything,” DeStefano noted.

Today the model is engaging customers online to produce orders via the social network.

“The buyers journey has changed,” DeStefano declared.

  • Lead with valuable information. “You’re not in the business of sales,” DeStefano finds. “You’re in the business of providing valuable knowledge. Don’t just sell – educate.”
  • “Become the valuable ‘Go-To’ resource for profitable ideas,” he advised. That may be salespeople having personal blogs and the company may have an online journal. A company website can lead to informational articles of 750 to 1,000 words. White Papers (five to 20 pages) will generally be via PDF. Case studies of customer success stories are good for a website.

Information might best be provided through a WordPress website.

DeStefano termed sales via online information as “content upsetting.”

“Videos are fantastic content,” DeStefano declared. Those may be tours of facilities or an interview with a customer.

Online videos of three to 10 minutes “do not have to be ‘polished’ to be effective.”

A webinar “can be very effective.” It can be training or customer service beyond sales.

Posting educational articles does give the information to competitors, DeStafano acknowledged.

“It is a balance. You need to create something unique for your company.”

  • Search engine marketing is vital.  “The best way to be found is people can find you on Google.”
  • Websites must be customer focused, DeStefano said. “Your website needs to be the hub of your marketing. It must be designed for your customer.”

Though websites should not be “egocentric,” they must show knowledge and be an educational resource center for your products and services. “Market your knowledge,” DeStefano said.

  • Turn your website into a content-rich lead generator. Certain information the potential customer wants might require registering an email address. Providing valuable information for eventual sales calls as “warm calls” instead of  “cold calls.”