Sales are not often traditionally thought of as a social process. But the behavior of the modern customer is changing. Customers today, in many ways that we'll explain, can increasingly be described as "social customers," prompting the contemporary sales organization and even the individual salesperson to rethink how they sell. And that can be daunting for many reasons.

The implications for salespeople are significant. They have to understand that generating leads, managing opportunities and closing deals need fresh approaches and skills in utilizing tools that help enrich customer insights. Because whether it’s a B2B or B2C sale, the customer is expecting you, the sales maven and your company, to know them and what they want. That means that sales intelligence and engaging in the networks the customer participates in are of critical importance.

In this e-book, The Customer Collective has recruited top corporate leadership and thought leaders who sell in a variety of industry sectors to guide you through this change. Understand that as industry-specific as they may be, there are universal and vital lessons to be learned from these experienced leaders in the new wave of selling:

• Learn how high-tech, non-profits, retail, sports and telcos leverage new strategies to engage with customers.
• Develop strategies to use social networks to generate leads and cultivate relationships.
• Learn how companies like newScale and ConnectandSell are using LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Participate in the conversations that your newly empowered consumers are having.
  
  

Featuring input from:

	Paul Greenberg is a recognized CRM thought leader, the author of the best-selling CRM at the Speed of Light,  President of The 56 Group, LLC, a customer strategy consulting firm focused on cutting edge CRM strategic services, and a founding partner of the CRM training company BPT Partners, LLC.
	Anneke Seley is  CEO and founder of Phone Works, a sales strategy and implementation consultancy that helps businesses build and restructure sales teams to achieve measurable goals using Sales 2.0 principles. She was previously the twelfth employee at Oracle and the designer of OracleDirect, the company’s revolutionary inside sales operation.
	Jay Dunn is VP of Marketing for Lane Bryant, and Founder of Supergroup, the social network for marketing, social media, retail and design professionals. Jay combines his expertise in marketing, design, and branding with his passion for new media, social networking, and technology to reinterpret retail marketing for a variety of clients.
	Jouko Ahvenainen is a pioneer in social media marketing, and played a significant role in the development of the first social marketing intelligence solutions for mobile and media companies. He is co-founder of Xtract, the world's first social network analytics company, and Grow VC, the first global peer-to-peer micro-funding service for startups.
	Brian Komar is the Director of Strategic Outreach, Activism and Alliances at the Center for American Progress, overseeing three portfolios focused on strategic marketing efforts to strengthen the capacity of progressive advocates and networks, amplify the progressive voice, and extend the reach of the Center’s policy work.
	Mark DiMaurizio is VP of Technology Solutions for Comcast- Spectacor, overseeing the company’s sales and marketing technologies for its Philadelphia sports properties (Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia 76ers) and all events at their two Philadelphia venues.