When social media first started many people dismissed it as a frivolous waste of time, however as it has grown it has become a powerful for sales people and companies to build their brand and reach out to potential prospects. Many top sales people and companies have now realized that social media matters in sales, and if you haven’t started using it then you risk being left behind as others leverage new technology to build businesses and make sales. Still not convinced? Here are seven reasons why social media matters in sales:

1. Social media matters in sales because you can generate new leads. By using social media, you can get in contact with potential clients you might not otherwise have come across and over time, these new leads can be developed over time to become new customers.
2. Social media matters in sales because you can connect with people discussing specific keywords. By searching for keywords, relating to your product and business you can seek out and engage with anyone talking about your company, your products or a related topic that means they may be interested in hearing from you. This allows you to focus your energy on targets who show the most potential as possible clients.
3. Social media matters in sales because you can use it to build your brand. Social media can be a powerful way to build your brand and increase awareness of who you are and what you do. By posting relevant comments, articles and images that will be helpful and interesting to current and potential clients you can position yourself as an expert within your field and become the go-to company within your niche.
4. Social media matters in sales to build trust. Every sales person knows that building trust is essential to turn a potential client into a paying client. By engaging across a range of social media platforms, you can continue to build your relationships and build trust in a medium in which your potential clients are comfortable, enabling you to communicate more often without making them feel under pressure.
5. Social media matters in sales because it is a growing market. Social media is already huge business and it is only going to get more important as a marketing and sales platform. While these sites used to be the domain of teenagers and students, this demographic is now growing up and increasing their spending power, making them a valuable source of new clients.
6. Social media matters in sales because your competitors are using it already. If you don’t start using social media to help you win over clients and gain new leads you’ll be missing a trick, because you can bet that the company next door is taking advantage of social media to increase their market share.
7. Social media matters in sales because you can gain valuable feedback. Social media allows true two-way communication between companies and clients, while you can use it to spread your message you can also use it to find out what people think of you and gain valuable information about how to improve your products and services.

These seven reasons showing why social media is important for sales clearly illustrate why any company involved in sales will be losing out if they don’t engage online. To become the best sales person or company you must be prepared to learn new skills and techniques and move with the times and social media is now one of the preferred methods of communication for many people who make up your potential clients. By choosing to communicate with them using a method they are comfortable with you can build up trust and break down barriers easier, resulting in more sales and a larger, happier client-base.