Social Fusion: Introduction & Social Confusion

INTRODUCTION:

I was raised in a family of sales. From an early age I had the opportunity to watch and see the natural sales cycle. My formal education in psychology gave me the insight to look past the basic interactions with a consumer. It instilled within me the desire to seek to understand their behavioral environment, the art of listening and to focus on how to connect with each consumer. This real connection within sales is missing from many companies.

After 15 years of dedicated sales I have learned the advantage of a holistic approach to selling. The answer is to not focus on just one segment or marketing approach but to combine it with the primary goal. I have watched the web and online tools transform the sales industry over the last 10 years and I was forced into adapting a new way of interacting with leads and the consumer. This new philosophy is Social Fusion. It is my hope that by you implementing Social Fusion in your business you will find success beyond your wildest dreams.

This book is dedicated to my family:

My Mother & Father whom continue to be true mentors and examples of selling with a foundation of faith in God. My sister & brother-in-law are inspirations of keeping the client first before the sale.  I am thankful most of all to God who has provided me this opportunity to share from a platform and honor Him. Below is a passage that has shaped my life and perspective on sales:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Every consumer that enters my office is viewed in respect to this passage. I will not sell anything to a consumer that I would not purchase if I was in their same situation. I have lost some sales as a result of this mission but it has preserved my company’s integrity and our foundation for doing business.

Chapter 1- Social Confusion:

Many companies focus only on one or two forms of media and miss the opportunity to engage with today’s consumer. In recent times we have seen the major companies begin hiring “Social Media Directors” and Brand Managers in hopes of capturing the new business. Small Business owners have also gotten involved themselves trying to utilize the online tools and networks. The issue for small business owners is time and money. Even though some of the larger organizations have the financial resources to hire positions they are still missing out on the true opportunity to engage. We have also seen many National Speakers and Trainers speak on social media and online selling. Unfortunately, the majority of them are missing the mark.

It is not the lack of resources that prevent companies from making money online it is their approach. They must begin today with a holistic philosophy for their company defined as Social Fusion.

Social Fusion is the layering of multiple forms of media to integrate with the accessibility of today’s consumer. Social Fusion begins with an emphasis on the “whole” or your overall goal as a company. How does your company mission statement correspond with your online brand? Are you marketing your company in a way to attract today’s consumer?

Each business owner or marketing department must understand how to interact with the consumer of today. Many companies are still frozen in the “Grand Marketing Era”… You remember- when big companies got bigger by throwing money at it and heavily marketing how good they were and how elite their product was that you as the consumer were lucky to purchase. During this Grand Marketing Era (GME) the focus was on the brand and on the company not the consumer. It did work, but it will no longer breed success in today’s business market. Perhaps a great example of the GME is Ford, a company that waited too long to adapt to the new consumer. Not only must you have a quality product for the consumer but you must anticipate the next generation buyer’s needs.

The consumer today has more choices. The consumer is more informed. The consumer demands more than ever before. So, what do you do? How do you become profitable and successful in today’s marketplace?

Each company must focus on the 3 basics of Social Fusion: Consumer, Brand & Marketing. All 3 are needed to interact with each other in a layered approach to selling. You must begin with the consumer in mind. Establish a Brand that communicates with the consumer. And market in a way to interact and engage the consumer.

Begin today. Implement Social Fusion & engage today’s consumer.