Social Media Affordances and Sequential Use to Engage Clients During the Sales Process

Abstract

Social media has changed the ways salespeople communicate and build relationships with clients. This study explores how social media are integrated into the communication repertoires of sellers using an affordances framework. Based on data from a large multinational corporation, seller strategies used to build and develop relationships with customers are analyzed. The findings reveal that employees strategically select media that allow for common affordances in order to build stronger client relationships. The discussion outlines practical implications for managers, and aligns the process of social media selection with the sales cycle based on capabilities afforded by various media choices.