Sales people still matter. A lot.

Social media has had a significant impact on nearly every facet of marketing. Which is why more and more brands are recognizing its power to drive sales. As this article from Driving Sales explains, social media analytics is predicted to be a $5 billion business by 2020.

But social media is unlikely to replace face-to-face sales any time soon. Or ever. The article features Bailey Roy, Senior Project Manager of the Digital Research and Analytics group at Ketchum. Roy explains how social media falls short in several important areas. And stresses the importance of integrating both traditional and new media.

Not every sale can be closed online.

While Facebook and Twitter can definitely help bring in leads, turning those connections into actual sales – in most cases – still requires some face-to-face interaction.

Marketers need to listen to sales people.

Manning social media accounts from behind a desk doesn’t leave much time for interacting with customers. Sales teams are more likely to be in touch with what customers really want, think, and need. Which means they remain an invaluable information source for marketers.

Sales professionals need to be kept informed.

Sales promotions communicated through social media  aren’t always thoroughly explained to the frontlines, leaving salespeople unprepared and uninformed. Two-way communication is vital.

You’ll find additional details in the full article.