How easy is it to do business with you?

It's not about what Social Media can do for your business. It's about what your business can do with Social Media.

Social Media makes doing business easier. Well it should and here's why.

- Multi-channel touch points: Traditionally you've had a physical location, a phone number, fax and email. Now you have a website, a Facebook page with custom tabs, a blog and a Twitter account. You might even have mobile apps.

People can now engage with your brand and your business from where ever they want to.

- You're listening to the interwebs: Not just Twitter or to what people post directly on your Facebook page or comments on your blog but where ever they happen to publish a comment about you. Your ability to reach out, engage, resolve and satisfy has never been greater than today.

- Social Media is a non negotiable: It's also a team sport and can't be assigned to just one person or the Marketing team for instance. Everyone in your company should be involved one way or another; whether it's sharing what they are up to, providing specialist knowledge, customer support or sales and service.

- Social Media is real time: Social Media creates a real time demand on your business, processes and staff. Your ability to react, respond and resolve must be nimble, intuitive and flexible. Your staff must all know how to get something done and whom within the company can help make that happen.

- Social Media is empowering: The ability to talk to your staff online empowers customers to feel more comfortable to ask a question or seek advice. It empowers your staff to proactively engage, collaborate and share knowledge when the customer wants it and potentially well before any issues become serious problems.

This is the new approach to customer service and social engagement. It breaks down processes, systems and rules. There is no waiting on hold, or delay in getting a response.

People want to do business with you now, not in five days when you get around to answering their email or after having to wait for you for 40 min on hold. That's just too hard now days.

If your customers are waiting on hold chances are the're tweeting about that and your competitor has engaged and sold to them already.

So I hope you can see how better service and a more engaging business is truly the best sales strategy you can have. Make it as easy as possible for someone to do business with you from pre sales advice, order updates and post sales service and support being an active communicator could add a lot of value to your bottom line.

So how easy is it to do business with you? Do you get complaints about delays, annoying processes or procedures or have front line staff that cant solve problems on there own?

If so perhaps it's time to re-think your business strategy and look to the future.