I’m a massive fan of Twitter, as many of this site’s regular readers will know. In fact, it’s likely that if you follow this site, you also follow @glazingblogger on Twitter too. If so, thanks!
I’m a fan of the platform for many reasons. Over all other social media platforms, Twitter has been the one most have taken to on mass, both to talk shop, and to talk about everything else other than work. LinkedIn is good for talking business too, but it’s a bit clunky and not as smooth flowing as Twitter is.
It’s also a driver and creator of business. So many times I have seen business done between window companies on Twitter, all thanks to a few tweets, often by someone simply asking a question. The power of Twitter is real and everyone should be taking advantage of it. Yet many are not, and that is something which I believe should change very quickly.
Reps, managers and MDs
Most companies have a person or small team in charge of social media or Twitter accounts. It’s their job to interact with the industry, especially fabricators and suppliers reaching out to gain new customers. But why is it just one person or a small team?
If you take a decent sized fabricator, you’re looking at quite a few sales staff and managers. All with valuable product knowledge and the company sales message. However so few companies have their whole sales force on Twitter. In fact some companies don’t have any of their sales force on at all. What a waste of FREE resources!
For me, every sales person, every rep, every manager, BDM, MD, CEO should all have a Twitter account and be active on it. Why? Let me tell you why:
Customer communication
An area sales manager for a decent sized fabricator or suppliers will have quite a wide area to cover and a lot of companies under his or her belt to look after. This takes time and it often means visits to each customer in person spaced out months at a time. The reps and managers designed tasked with keeping in regular contact with their client base often struggle.
So why not get them on social media, like Twitter? Many of a managers client base will have a Twitter account they can reach out to and follow. This form of social media would allow them to keep in regular contact with their customers, easily letting them ask questions, gain feedback, pass on new and valuable information. Imagine every sales person in every company doing that. Communication levels would go through the roof, and would in theory help build on what should be productive and positive relationships.
If you’re a manufacturer, get all your sales staff at all levels on Twitter and get them talking to your client base!
Brand power
Got a dozen sales staff at your company? Great, that’s a dozen new Twitter accounts that can actively engage with the industry and promote your company’s brand and USPs. Such a strong singular voice, and you don’t even have to pay for that.
The bigger the company the larger the number of staff. By getting those staff online on Twitter and having them regularly engage with the industry, you can easily boost the scope and reach of your company. Get a plan together, make it coherent and clear and there should be no limit as to what that could achieve.
No excuses
There really are no excuses for companies and individuals within companies not to be using platforms like Twitter. They’re proven to be effective. It’s free. It’s not time consuming. It brings with it a whole world of benefits for businesses in our industry.
To not be involved with it is to bury ones head in the sand. No social media in the sand!
