The following is an excerpt from Momentum Factor Founder & CEO Jonathan Gilliam’s new book Social Selling: How Direct Selling Companies Can Harness the Power of Connectivity … And Change the World, published May 2012.

“With all the benefits to direct sellers, in my opinion one of the most compelling uses of Twitter, all the social platforms really, is the ability to reach out directly to the field and pat them on the back.

The power of social media to recognize accomplishment and reward people is severely underestimated — and underutilized — by our industry. Yet it is one of the most powerful and perfect aspects of Social Selling. And it doesn’t cost a penny. No stage to build, not even a postage stamp to lick. Just a few kind words typed in a box.

And it works. People can be lonely online. They may be saying things they find amusing or profound, yet it sometimes seems as if no one cares what they say. Maybe the newsfeed is edging them out, or they just don’t know how to use it correctly. Think a personal, public reply to them on Twitter from the company CEO might make a difference in this person’s day? Heck yeah!

I’m getting excited just typing these words. I’ll say it here: The power to recognize and appreciate our people on social media may be the very best thing about Social Selling. This is what we DO for a living.

At the very least, aside from the human voice, I would offer that social media has shown the highest cost to effectiveness ratio of any recognition tool our industry has ever used.”

To read more and purchase your copy of his new book, click here.