There’s a debate going on about the use of social media in a business environment and how that relates to relationship management. Three schools of thought:
1. It is personal and should never be used for business
2. Responsible use is to be encouraged
3. "I don’t get social media and it has nothing of use for business".
The middle approach is the one I support, provided it becomes part of a bigger relationship management strategy. If a customer goes to the trouble of maintaining a Linkedin profile, only a foolhardy sales person ignores it. However, Linkedin alone will not close a deal – we must co-ordinate all our activities to build a strong relationship with each and every client.
Like every aspect of selling we have to tailor our approach to individual clients. If a client regards Facebook as purely personal then the last thing we want to be doing is using it to sell to them.
In summary, social media should become another valuable tool in your relationship management toolbox. Use it where appropriate and make it part of your CRM system.
If you are firmly of the view that social media is a fad, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8. Before you go - a word of caution. As with all things on the web treat the statistics with with some caution.
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