Customer Relationship Management Via Social Selling
Särkinen, Jouni (2018)
Särkinen, Jouni
Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802062071
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802062071
Tiivistelmä
Social selling is a growing phenomenon in the world. The increasing use of social media in personal and professional life is driving the decision-making process to online environments. Nowadays, decisions are made based on recommendations from peers rather than based on facts. Professionals have started engaging their customers and decision makers directly in social media, which is making the sales process very personal. We are dealing with the next level of customer relationship management (CRM), which is not visible in the companies’ CRM systems. This led to the following question: Should we adapt social media channels as part of CRM?
The aim of this study was to reveal why we should use social media channels as part of com-panies’ CRM. Other objectives were to reveal whether there would be some positive and negative aspects in doing so and whether customer engagement would be more effective through social media.
The research method that was used in this research was qualitative. Ten people from the small and medium sized business sector were interviewed. They were asked four to eight questions related to social selling and CRM. In the analysis part of the study, the focus was on finding the similarities and differences between the interviewees’ answers. The semi-structured interview method was used to collect this information.
According to the results, the respondents seemed to agree on the potential of social selling in new contacts. However, people need still more information about social selling and the possibilities that are available when CRM and social media channels are connected.
The aim of this study was to reveal why we should use social media channels as part of com-panies’ CRM. Other objectives were to reveal whether there would be some positive and negative aspects in doing so and whether customer engagement would be more effective through social media.
The research method that was used in this research was qualitative. Ten people from the small and medium sized business sector were interviewed. They were asked four to eight questions related to social selling and CRM. In the analysis part of the study, the focus was on finding the similarities and differences between the interviewees’ answers. The semi-structured interview method was used to collect this information.
According to the results, the respondents seemed to agree on the potential of social selling in new contacts. However, people need still more information about social selling and the possibilities that are available when CRM and social media channels are connected.