I've read a few things recently that have talked about what influence SM has on sales. There's the SM consultant POV that says people want to have a conversation and not be sold to but come on , as much as people would like that it's not Actually a reality is it? If we all waited for a conversation to be fruitful then no one would ever make money!

There are some that say the rise of UGC means the salesperson has no clout anymore because the views of everyone else are more important and accessible. Well, yes, people do read reviews and tripadvisor is responsible for me not staying in a vast amount of hotels but when making a B2B purchase does UGC carry as much weight? What influences people to write about bad B2B experiences? I've been on the receiving end but mainly from people and companies that can't pay their bills or who did not use the service in the way they were advised to or who expected something other than what was sold to them.

Personally I see Social Media as a great tool for a salesperson and a method of engaging with customers in a way they have never been able to before. Yes, it involves a sea change in the way businesses measure sales activity but it can't be dismissed. Getting salespeople to make 100 calls a day in an increasingly social environment means they are going to start getting tweeted about as “that annoying sales guy", whereas if salespeople are clever and understand how to interact with their prospects they can start to build trust and awareness without having to come on strong. They can find out what is going on within a business and really effectively spot opportunities and understand where their solution can fit.

Social is not the death of sales people. Alex Shultze would have you believe it's time to panic and sales teams should be in turmoil but personally I believe there's never been a better time to be in sales if you're willing to embrace a few new ideas. It's not about running round like a headless chicken and worrying what everyone else is doing, reading and saying, it's actually about thinking how your customer behaves, understanding your market and becoming a part of the community and not the opportunist who sits just outside and hopes to makes something from it. If you're a part of the community then you can become a trusted resource and the go to guy when people do need to buy.