How Social Media Use by Salespeople Translates Into Sales Performance: The Mediating Role of Sales Strategy

Despite the growing importance of social media to B2B sales, not much is known about the processes through which social media use by B2B salespeople translates into sales performance. Using a sample of 162 B2B salespeople, this study examines sales strategy implementation as a mediating process through which social media use by salespeople leads to performance. Results indicate that when salespeople use social media to implement the sales strategy dimensions of customer segmentation, customer prioritization, and the use of selling models, it has a positive effect on their sales performance. The results and their implications for managers and researchers are discussed.