In the world of sales, there are often no right answers. What would you do in this tough sales situation? Make the call below, and see instantly how your judgment compares. Final results will appear in LBM Journal. Be sure to check back next month for a fresh Tough Call.

Tough Call - Social Mediation

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. What role, if any, should they play in your business?

Ever since your great-great-grandfather launched Luddite Lumber 101 years ago, there have been many changes through the years. But from your perspective, as the company’s president and majority owner, the challenges you face today are unlike any that came before. Not only are you working to outlast the worst recession since the 1930s, technology is moving forward and expanding at an explosive pace. It’s not the business technologies that trouble you; you’re a big believer in harnessing advances to work more efficiently and productively. The part you’re not sure what to do with is social media.

With a daughter in high school, you’ve seen the hours that she devotes to MySpace, and have no doubt that it is a powerful tool. The question is how to leverage the power of the grownup versions of social media to help you grow your business? You’ve asked your three-person management team to dig into each of these, and to recommend why or why not to use any or all of them.

Frank, the senior member of your team, took the task much more seriously than you’d anticipated. As it turned out, he already uses Facebook to stay in touch with friends, family—and some customers. He created a Twitter account for his research, and joined LinkedIn as well. You fully expected Frank to declare social media a waste of time for your company. But he recommended that you go all-in, and even create a part-time position and budget for it. “It’s the future,” he said, “and either we participate or risk being left behind.”

Skylar, the team’s junior member, is as plugged-in to emerging technologies as much as anyone you know. He’s an active Twitterer, has literally hundreds of friends on Facebook and access to thousands of connections on LinkedIn. As a true social media maven, you fully expected him to echo Frank’s recommendation. Instead, he shocked you all by questioning the business case for spending time with social media. “They’re great ways to stay connected with people, but times are tight. Where would we pull money from in order to devote resources to this?” he questioned. “For the time being, I suggest we hold off and keep our current plan in place.”

Bill’s answer, like his age, put him right between Frank and Skylar. With a background in finance, Bill tends to be very focused on the bottom line. That being the case, his recommendation surprised you as well. “It would be difficult or impossible to measure our ROI. That being said,” Bill continued, “All three represent lowcost methods of connecting with our customers—and others in the industry. I recommend that we dip our collective toe in the water with all three, and revisit in a
month or so.”

Whose recommendation would you follow?

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