Research Projects

Study of Social Media and the Sales Organization

Adoption and Emerging Practices

Research Summary

Social media has changed the way customers buy, and redrawn relationships between buyers and sellers. In response, sales operations departments are refocusing support investments, and aligning social media strategy with their sales organizations. This SMA Research Initiative captures current practices, trends, and emerging issues related to the sales organization's use of social media.

Research Focus

Specific areas of focus for this research include:

Social media's adoption rates by sales organizations
ROI related issues for sales organizations' social media use
Key implementation issues for social media adoption
Sales organizations' future social media investment expectations

What's Required to Participate?

Research participants are asked to complete an online survey lasting approximately 10 minutes, and may optionally elect to participate in a brief telephone follow-up interview.

Research Participants Must Qualify

Qualified participants must be in a sales management, sales operations, or sales effectiveness role in a firm with 20 or more quota-bearing sellers.

Benefits of Participation

Participants receive:

The study Participants' Report
Priority registration for SMA webcasts on research results.
Access to SMA benchmarking tools developed from this research
Preferred membership offer
A chance to win an Apple iPad (winner may elect to receive a different PC of lessor or equal value)

Research Timeline

Survey closes 1 May 2012

Participants’ Report will be completed and distributed by The Sales Management Association by 1 May 2012

Confidentiality

Survey results are only reported in aggregate, and never in a way that would compromise the identity of any single respondent. All individual respondent data are treated with strict confidentiality, and will not be distributed.

Survey Sponsors

SMA underwriters and content partners InsideView and SAP have underwritten this research intiative. SMA encourages its memebers to evaluate offerings from these firms.

Take the survey

Participation Incentives

Incentive Title SMA Members: Win an Apple iPad!

For your participation you will be included in a drawing to win a new Apple iPad! Also for a completed survey you will receive the executive summary and a copy of the survey results.

Non-members: Win a 1-year SMA membership

We will randomly select four participants and award them a 1-year SMA membership, valued at $450.

About our research projects

The Sales Management Association supports research that advances sales management practice, and yields practical insight for sales management and sales operations professionals. We urge qualified respondents to participate in the following Sales Management Association-endorsed research efforts.

Your input into these research efforts provides insight beneficial to all sales management and sales operations professionals. Please be sure to check the qualifications for each survey initiative. Honoraria available for completing research will vary, based on research budget, participation targets, and time required by participants. At the end of each survey, you will receive instructions for receiving your honorarium.

Findings reports

Each of our endorsed research initiatives provides participants with a Report of Findings once data collection and analysis are completed. Some research efforts result in additional Research Briefs or other materials published in the Sales Management Association’s Resource Library. For qualified participants who are not members, we provide complimentary access to these additional materials as well.

Study of Social Media and the Sales Organization

Research Summary

Participation Incentives

About our research projects

Findings reports

Our Underwriters