Head to head: Join the chat and make money

Bruce Rasmussen, principal, Carpe Diem Consulting

The key is to recognise that buyers don't start buying when we want to start selling - and they want to search and talk to their peers before they talk with us.

So, marketers: Stop doing disjointed, one-off "push" campaigns. Use social media to (a) listen to buyers where they hang out; (b) interpret the issues they're having to build solutions and sales intelligence; (c) monitor and act on their experiences with you; and (d) follow the buyers' journey with expert content, giving them quality ideas in the buying process.

Salespeople: Use the platforms to discover and connect with buyers and add value by updating them regularly. (a) Find new prospects via social media searches and referrals, which your network will give if you are trustworthy and keep adding value. (b) Listen online to hear the "sales triggers" that might indicate opportunity such as change of company/role, merger, having a problem etc. (c) Research prior to prospect meetings to be well prepared. (d) Seek recommendations to build your reputation. The tools are easy.