One thing I’ve noticed while teaching a BTA service management course is that many service managers are not active on social media, either professionally or for their companies. Many don’t have a profile on LinkedIn, and any other social media they have is strictly personal. Among the technicians, there is a wide range of involvement as well.
It is important that company employees have an active role in social media, especially managers. Let’s discuss some of the reasons for this.
Why Social Media Matters in Sales
In general, buyers use online resources more than ever. They complete much of their research and decision making before the sales representatives even know there might be an opportunity.
Among the information that buyers consider is the public persona of the company. They look at the company’s website, Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, and also look at what the employees post.
Buyers look for independent reviews of the company and the equipment. If they find negative comments from current—or former—clients or employees, it will impact your company’s prospects. Failure to address negative comments will leave the wrong impression about your company.
Why Social Media Matters in Hiring
This may be the area where social media has the most impact. The vast majority of individuals looking for jobs will do a thorough investigation of your company and what it has to offer. Without a social media presence, you’ll lose many of these prospects. The generations that are entering the workforce live their lives online—if your company or department appears to be a black hole, they may not consider you as an option.
In addition to maintaining a social-media presence, you must monitor what people are saying about your company and your department. Similar to what I mentioned about sales in the section above, failure to address negative comments will leave the wrong impression about your company. Those wrong impressions translate into missed hiring opportunities.
Service and Social Media
As the service manager, you want to monitor what your customers and technicians say about the company, your department and you. To do this, you must be active on the various platforms. At a minimum, participate on LinkedIn, Google your company on a regular basis and monitor Glassdoor. All of these venues provide valuable information.
Encourage your technicians to participate as well. The more your team participates, the greater the presence. At the very least, encourage your team to establish profiles on LinkedIn, and then connect clients and others. Encourage them to participate in all of the social-media platforms for which they have a solid comfort level.
Social Media Platforms with a Business Focus
At the very least, visit the following platforms and review the information they contain, as they are key for businesses. Look for references to your company and employees, and be sure to check the competition to see how you could improve your social-media presence.
LinkedIn is one of the most important social media sites. I recommend using it for its networking opportunities, so that you can build a network of industry peers. On LinkedIn, there are multiple specialty groups related to our industry and one related specifically to service management.
You’ll find a continuing stream of information that relates to the industry, its future and your competition, and can learn from others by just watching what others post.
Also, connect to as many of your clients as possible. This will provide insight on what your clients are doing, and possibly what they think about your company.
Companies use Facebook as a marketing vehicle, and hopefully your company uses it in the same vein. I recommend actively highlighting service accomplishments on your company Facebook page. When a client sends a letter praising your service, post the letter or excerpts from it to your Facebook page. Anytime a technician attends training or your department achieves recognition from the manufacturer, make sure you post that as well.
For ideas on how to make the most of Facebook, look at how the industry leaders use the platform to communicate with customers and prospective customers. Learn from the best and then implement what you learn locally.
Twitter and Instagram
Both of these are focused on customer engagement—sales and marketing departments most often use these platforms. I recommend being familiar with them, but I am not sure they have much impact on service.
Glassdoor
Some would say that Glassdoor is not a social media platform. But it is an important part of understanding how people view your company. In general, Glassdoor provides information on how your employees feel about the company and its leadership.
You could describe it as a live poll on working at your company. This is a primary tool for job seekers to understand what it’s like to work at your company and in your department. If prospective employees do not find your company or find negative information, they will look elsewhere.
Monitor not only your ratings, but also watch what people are saying about the competition. This allows you to understand the marketplace better and identify areas where you can improve.
The Business World is Evolving
The constant changes in the business world require service managers to change with the times. The widespread use of social media by both customers and prospective employees requires service managers to stay current with the trends in the marketplace. Now is the time to get more active and pay more attention to social media and how people see your company there.
