Guest Blog Series Will Teach You How to Sell More with Social Media!

Anyone who works with me knows that I am an evangelist for social media.  Every day, I have discussions with people in manufacturing or industrial service companies about the possibilitiesit holds.  It may evolve into something that is now beyond our imaginations, but it is creating a paradigm shift in the way businesses serve and communicate with their customers and will eventually be indispensible to every type of business as a sales and marketing tool.  The companies who embrace it now, learn to navigate its landscape, and position themselves to easily adapt and transition will reap the rewards that come to those who "get in on the ground floor."

Despite my conviction, there are still many questions asked of me that I don't necessarily answer in a satisfactory way.  "How can I use it for my business?" "What can it really do for me?" "Is it really worth the time and effort?"  It's not that I don't have answers, but these are all questions that can be answered 100 different ways.  I'm beginning to realize that the way I answer the questions may not be the answers my clients need to hear.

Having said that, I see more and more manufacturers and industrial companies coming onto the social media scene.  They're not all doing it perfectly, but the key is they're DOING it.  Someone who is heavily involved in social media with manufacturing companies said to me the other day that it's like we're in California during the Gold Rush.  The social media frontier can be wild, and wooly, and kind of scary.  It can also pay off - BIG - especially if you know someone who can be your scout and get you through the difficult and dangerous areas so you end up in our metaphorical Cali in one piece!

That "someone" is Bernard Martin, founder of Rapid Production Marketing and a fellow pioneer I've come to know and respect through various social media channels.  Bernard is passionate about the power of social media and how it can be harnessed by manufacturing companies to build business.  His background is multi-faceted and includes the development of several successful business enterprises, including a manufacturers' rep firm that quickly became the #1 sales agency in the country for many of his principals, and an industrial distributorship in which he negotiated with over 180 manufacturers to develop a unique, comprehensive product offering.  Somewhere between obtaining a degree in Poly Sci and Economics and an MBA, and turning over his last successful business, Bernard came to realize that what he really wanted to do when he grew up was consult with industrial businesses about how to create successful social media programs.  The offshoot of that decision was Rapid Production Marketing, a sales and marketing consulting agency specializing in social media marketing.

As I spoke to Bernard recently, I realized how differently we view social media.  Whereas I am always considering its dynamic in the context of marketing communications, Bernard, with his extensive sales background, views it like a salesman.  Ah ha!  I thought!  This is what has been missing from my discussions with my clients!  When they ask "how do I use it?" what they're really asking is "how do I use it to impact my bottom line?"  Bernard has some answers to that question that I'm thrilled to say he is going to share with the readers of "Industrial Marketing Muse" over the coming months.

Sometimes it takes hearing the "right" answer to our question (or a different perspective) for us to give an idea true credence.  You're going to love Bernard's take on social media marketing as it applies to industrial businesses.  Be looking for his guest posts in a series entitled, "Secrets of Selling More! (With Social Media - REALLY!)"  I know I can't wait!