Benham Publishing Businesss Magazines February 2014 | Page 28

BigInterview

Forget the technology -

the human touch
is what matters

Marketing and sales technology is changing at a breathtaking
speed and the key reason is the impact of social media.
Companies can see great opportunities in new
ways of contacting customers directly through the
likes of Facebook and Twitter. But does it really
work? And does it lead to more sales?
The answer, according to Janet Bebb, of
Huddersfield-based member company Social
Progress, is that online selling can work but only
so long as companies remember that the personal
touch remains paramount.
The company, which recently celebrated its second
birthday, specialises in social media training,
consultancy, public speaking and general support.
Janet set up the business after working in business
support and change management roles, including
for Business Link, and said: “I first became

involved with social media through Facebook and
LinkedIn.
“I think what makes me different is that I come to
social media not from a techie direction but from a
personal direction.
“It is not enough to say ‘we do social media and
we have something to sell’ and expect to sell your
products, you have to work hard online at building
relationships with your customers.
“A good analogy is a shop. The same product
might be in two shops but you would choose the
shop you prefer, the one that is more welcoming. It
is the same online.”

Give freely and don’t look for something in return. Just be
happy to have helped another person along the way. To me
that’s what networking, business communities, contacts are all
about, looking for ways to help others.

28

CLOSEUP Winter 2013

She sees a strong parallel between online selling
and more traditional methods of years gone by in
that both rely on the personal touch.
“You need to regard social media in the same way
you would regard face-to-face networking.
“I could stand in the middle of Huddersfield and
try to sell my products but it would not work
without the personal touch and it is the same
online.”
Janet believes that online sellers can learn much
from more ‘traditional’ methods of selling.
She said: “When I was a lass, my dad would go
‘to see a man about a dog’ – it was a saying I
heard many times which meant something was
needed and he was going to meet someone to
discuss this.
“My dad started his own business, sand blasting
coal blackened terraced houses in the 60s to
make ends meet. He was a carpenter by trade
and, as times changed, he had to look for other
ways to earn a living.
“How did my dad find clients? How did he find
suppliers? Where did he buy his equipment from?
He went ‘to see a man about a dog’, in other