Global Social Sales Network for high-cost B2B products and services

Paul Swansen,  I’ve been working with the idea to launch a social sales network that could make B2B high-cost items sales very, very easy, and cost-effective.

This digital direct sales channel has been my goal since the early days of social media. A part of The Future Store focused on how to sell complex and knowledge intensive B2B solutions over Internet.

For people familiar with network applications and social media shouldn’t have any difficulties to comprehend, understand and participate. But traditional enterprises are not used to work in the open. Even though the first moon landing operation used many of the communication tools that are available to consumers and businesses today.

This spring, I spoke with two potential clients that a social sales network would not be difficult to accomplish. The client is a big company with solutions for the forest industry. The company is now looking for new markets outside its traditional market niche.

• existing products can be sold to other clients
• product modifications are technically easy to handle
• this enterprise needs a new multi-talented distribution organization
• their traditional sales force isn’t tuned to work outside their specialties

Some of their products and services can be adapted to comparable needs in other industries. The new direct sales network is needed to approach new customer segments.  The primary focus is in these industries, but over time the scope of industries will expand.

• Mining and processing
• Energy production and district heating
• Environmental monitoring, measurement and control

The launch of a social sales network would provide a couple of immediate benefits to intelligent sensors and analytics sellers and developers when this partnership program finally gets started. Our first talks took place before the global recession.

The clients has two different options:

1. supporting a traditional field sales organization
2. launch and support a digital direct social media sales force

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two distribution models will be cost. Another obvious one is that the proposed social sales network will give independent developers another outlet for their ideas, concepts and creations.

• we offer an environment to sell local knowledge to international clients
• the initial goal is to attract 100 knowledge works from around the globe to make sales, technical services and application development in this network
• we’ve a big organization with muscles and knowledge to support
• we’ve scientists and developers available to get started