A new survey of salespeople from KiteDesk revealed that skilled social media users were six times as likely to meet their sales quotas last year compared to people with little to no social media experience.

The study confirms what sales recruiters have known for years: social media provides a number of opportunities for enterprising sales women and men. By 2015, most salespeople have learned that it’s possible to meet and contact people through their social media profiles. And most modern workers understand the importance of representing themselves professionally online at all times. In fact, the director of one of a top sales recruitment agency recently told me that an impressive social media presence is almost as important as a firm handshake (almost).

But not everyone knows this surprising trick for using social media to your advantage — using data from social media to know both HOW and WHEN to contact your clients.

“Social is eliminating unwarranted solicitations,” says Ilya Bodner, the Chief Revenue Officer at The Shipyard, LLC. “More and more social cues are put out there so that the right time to chat and sell can be found. Sometimes, people ask direct questions about vendors or solutions, and other times they want to learn more by liking or commenting on topics that impact buying decisions.”

Previous studies have also turned up encouraging data about the benefits of social selling. Sales reps with social media skills bring in 25% more profits on average. And when salespeople combine their social media and marketing strategy, they outperform unconnected coworkers by up to 80%.

More than 22 million people work in sales in North America, which means the competition for leads and jobs has never been higher. If you’re looking to stand out from your peers, then sales recruiters recommend having a detailed social media strategy in place.

Most salespeople have caught onto the fact that social media acts as the modern Rolodex, but creative approaches can yield a competitive edge. And that’s exactly what sales recruitment firms are looking for in 2015.