B2B Social Selling: Sales Megaphones or Conversation Drivers?
Over the past year, social selling has become one of the hottest topics. When combined with outbound prospecting, social selling can be a powerful selling method. However, don't be fooled by the phrase "social selling." It is not a vehicle to get your sales pitch out into the world; that would completely shut you down. It's a method of selling through listening and thought leadership. We are in an era where prospects choose most of their buying path, as they have so much information (on products and services) readily available to them without having to consult sales professionals. Understand that social networks are not to be used as sales megaphones, but rather a means of listening and offering consultative advice to help others. Here are a few pointers when it comes to social selling.
1. Who are you selling to and where are they located?
Before you join every social network and try to be the next thought leader in all of them, I will spare you the disappointment now and tell you: don't waste your time. Review your buyer personas and find out what social platform is most popular with your buyers. Invest your time wisely and join the networks that make most sense and where you know you can make the largest impact.
2. Connect to others in your industry and begin with listening.
Find other thought leaders in your industry and join their groups, follow them, and connect with them. Start following discussions and listen to what others in your industry have to say. Keep an eye out for people who are looking for advice on products or services in your field. I would be hesitant to jump right in and start a conversation, as you have to be mindful to whose group it is or what space you're listening in. When you find a discussion where you feel you could offer something of value - meaning not regurgitating your sales pitch but offering an altruistic piece of advice - that is a good time to chime in.
3. Consult and offer advice.
Once you gain your social feet persay and start adding valuable insights to conversations, don’t forget that you should have the mentality of a thought leader. Display your knowledge within your industry by helping others, and that will not go unnoticed. On the other hand, if you use social media as a megaphone to meet your sales quota, that will also not go unnoticed (in a bad way, a big no-no). Therefore, when people have questions regarding the services or products that you're knowledgeable about, they may begin to turn to you to help consult them on their options. Through these types of conversations you can discover who would be a great fit for the product or service that you sell.
4. Don't forget to monitor and pick up the phone.
Once you engage in "social selling" there are a few things to avoid. Personally, my number one pet peeve is when someone forgets their manners! If someone offers you advice or engages with you, don't forget to say "Thank you." Is it really that hard to type those 9 characters? I'll answer that for you: NO, it's not. Also, try not to take long social vacations. You want to remain a thought leader and someone for people to turn to for advice when they have questions, so if you're absent for a week here, a week there, that will hurt your credibility. Let's face it, we've all grown to be socially and virtually impatient, so people will become grumpy if you take a week to answer them, and by that time they have most likely reached out to another contact for assistance, leaving you in the dust. Therefore, always monitor your social presence and engage with people in a timely fashion. Oh, and don't forget your P's and Q's!
Lastly, don't forget to pick up the phone (it's the thing you use to text but don't use the letter keypad, use the numbers). If someone seems to have a business challenge that your product or service can help solve, after you've engaged with them online, take the conversation offline. This way, you're not limited to 140 characters per response, and you don't make people grumpy by dominating a discussion and having a full sales conversation between you and another person. This is where "social selling" and outbound meet. Pick up the phone and work your magic. This is when you listen to the prospect and address your solutions, and viola, make a sale!
Now I am offering you pointers and this is not a straight line equation of starting at A and arriving at point B. However, use these pointers to help your sales process and social presence, and if there is anything you would like to discuss further, please tweet me at @megan_marie_t. I'm always happy to engage with new people!
Happy "social listening!"
We just published a new Social Selling eBook to help B2B sales professionals use social networks to their advantage. See our new social selling eBook here.
