The new handshake - Joan C. Curtis

This book offers an up-to-date and definitive explanation of how to build relationships via social media in the sales process and is a guide to encouraging sales people to embrace these revolutionary techniques.

With more than 400 million active users on Facebook alone (50 percent of whom log in on any given day), today's social media-oriented climate has redefined the way people communicate and interact. It's also changed the way consumers operate in the marketplace. Unfortunately, as a whole, sales professionals have been slow to embrace the new technology.

In The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media, coauthors Curtis and Giamanco present Sales 2.0, a significant expansion from selling via the traditional face-to-face or telephone sales methods. The book begins by examining the impact of the communication revolution on sales as well as the history of selling. It contains case examples that justify incorporating social media in business. The final chapters of the book describe each social network, explain how they work, and create a road map for a social media sales strategy-including how to empower salespeople to overcome their resistance to change.

• Enlightening case studies of the use of social media in sales, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, and social bookmarking
• Written with the input of contributing experts in the field of social networking, sales, communication, and consumer purchasing behavior
• Includes ten ways to boost ROI using the "New Handshake" methods
• Illustrations depicting the Tannebaum and Schmidt decision-making model, as well as screenshots from blogs, Constant Contact, Delicious, Digg, and LinkedIn
• A complete bibliography serves as a handy resource guide

Joan C. Curtis is CEO of Total Communications Coaching, Athens, GA, where she is an ICF certified coach and nationally known speaker.

Barbara Giamanco is CEO of Talent Builders, Atlanta, GA, and an experienced sales strategist, consultant, and speaker with a proven track record for generating sales.