Cracking the Social Selling Code
Conversations about social selling has reached a fevered pitch, but for all the hype many salespeople and their leaders are still a perplexed as to how they can make it work for them. Before I get into how to crack the social selling code, I’d like to tell you what social selling is not.
“Social selling is NOT the easy button to closing deals more quickly.”
Integrating Social Media into your Sales Process is a must.
Implementing social selling strategies into your daily routine takes work, but keep in mind that technology cannot do the actual selling for you. But integrating social media into your sales process is a must. So, how do you crack the social selling code? These seven strategies will get your started.
Start with a plan. Tactics without a plan is like me trying to drive from Atlanta to California without a map. Key questions need to be answered before dashing off in a mad rush. No plan = recipe for floundering.
Get the training you need. Working in a socially connected world requires a shift in your mindset. That means you have to think differently about the way that you connect and approach people. Even if your employer doesn’t provide training, invest in yourself!
Build your online brand. Buyers do their early stage research on products, services, people and companies roughly 70% of the time before they engage with salespeople. You want to be easily found and viewed as someone credible in your field. Craft your story from the buyer’s point of view. They care about the results you can deliver, not how many times you went to President’s Club.
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strong>Ditch the pitch. Broadcast spam is a killer. Literally. Assume you have one chance to make a great first impression. It is important to get it right. Every interaction should demonstrate to potential buyers how you can be of value to them. If all you do is pitch, you’ll be locked out.
Use content to educate, create interest and bring buyers to you. You need to know what content your prospective buyer will find valuable, which requires doing some homework. Buyers will pay attention if you are surfacing fresh insights that benefit them and their business, but be careful about pushing only your brochureware.
Measure and track the right things. Don’t worry about how many LinkedIn connections or Twitter followers you have. Quality is better than quantity. Measuring the outcomes – new leads, new meetings, new deals in the pipeline – as a result of using social media is what you want to focus on.
Execute consistently. Social selling must become a part of your daily routine. Otherwise, you won’t gain any traction. When you know what you need to do daily, you can invest as little as 15 minutes a day and begin to see results taking shape.
Want to learn more? Join me on March 30th from 2-3pm Eastern, as I share more details about how to Crack the Social Selling Code in a webinar hosted by SMEI. REGISTER HERE!
