How to Build an Empire with Social Selling

Social selling is more than just a buzzword used by pundits throughout the marketing/sales blogosphere. Further, social selling is not a shortcut to avoid the dreaded “cold call” and in-person drop-by, made famous through traditional sales processes. So what is social selling, then?

According to HubSpot, social selling is when salespeople use social media to interact directly with their prospects. Salespeople provide value by answering prospect questions and offering thoughtful content until the prospect is ready to buy. Thus, the use of social media in sales allows salespeople to delight their prospects rather than interrupt their daily lives with cold calls and hard sells, eventually converting them into loyal customers. How, then, can your company’s salesforce build an empire through social selling?

According to SAP, even if they don’t use social technology, effective salespeople know that creating a connection with the client is essential for success. In reality, connections are usually made on some common value or some shared demographic. This is why salespeople spend so much time establishing a personal relationship, not just selling their product.

University of British Columbia have shown that incidental similarities between a buyer and seller are enough to establish a personal connection and increase the likelihood to purchase. Incidental similarities include a wide range of events from a shared first or last name to an alumni relationship, or professional sports team affiliation. Enter in social selling.

From personal experience, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter serve crucial roles in successful social selling. LinkedIn is a treasure trove of personal information regarding a prospect’s professional affiliations, academic history, and personal networks. Salesfolk can leverage these insights to make a “cold” call a whole lot warmer. Alumni connections and industry affiliations are particularly strong for making an initial introduction.

Facebook and Twitter remain effective means of prospecting, although these platforms are a bit more personal than LinkedIn. Under no circumstance should any of your sales reps send a friend request to one of their prospects on Facebook. Instead, salespeople should follow the prospect’s company’s page to stay abreast of recent news and updates. For example, an intro email might say something to the effect of, “Hi Joe Decisionmaker, I came across a post on Facebook and saw that XYZ Company recently attended Gotham City Trade Show. Curious if the show resulted in any awards, industry recognition, or leads for XYZ Company.”

Twitter is similarly useful for harvesting conversation-worthy news and updates about and from prospective clients. Many forward-thinking decision makers use the medium regularly and often engage with the masses freely. Great way to bypass the gatekeeper!

Regardless of the platforms your salesforce use, they need to be as professional as they would be in-person. Slang, poor grammar, and expletives are to be avoided, as are political statements, overt religious displays, and the like. Sales/marketing/business development people should take the time to optimize their social profiles. This includes adding links to your website in their bios, having a professional headshot, and brief synopses of why they do whatever it is they do. This will give prospects a better understanding of your company and your employees which, in the long-run, will build far greater equity in the prospect’s mind. Remember, social selling is not a shortcut for success. Social selling can accelerate the sales process, however, when properly employed by your sales team.

How does your company’s sales team acquire business? Comment below or tweet at me using @TrentAnders0n.