The five building blocks of Social Sales
The use of Social Media in the marketing is here to stay. The traditional thinking of Sales environments slowly begins to change with the realization that Social Media has enormous potential. These opportunities are to be found in the information that is available about people and themes. On the other hand, the Social Media offer endless possibilities to talk to people.
"Sales is a social matter". It is a peoples business and so personal. Also through social media. But as with traditional sales, there are a number of ingredients needed to be successful.
With Social Sales is on the one hand value extracted from the huge amount of available dates. This value helps you as a seller it distinguishes for your customer. On the other hand, makes a "Social Sales" seller uses of the different platforms to the conversation with potential customers. To do that properly, there are a number of building blocks. The building blocks are the basis of every "Social" seller.
Focus
Actually, this is an open door. To be successful in sales you have focus. A plan. Unfortunately it there still ever to fail. With Social Sales you can't escape them. That's because there is a bin of data is available. But raw data only is worthless if you don't know how to value from that data can get.
The first question is: who are your new customers this year? Who do you want as a customer? If you know that, then you just start your research. Know as much as possible about the account, the people, the DMU, events, important themes, the market of the account, the target group. All you need to have a solid plan of it. Yes, an account plan. And with this guide can get you started.
The basis of this account plan is needed to actively go listen to the themes, conversations and people that are relevant. Without this is Social Sales not possible. Then you do but what.
By listening well and focused you get more information about what is important for the people and gives it the opportunity to enter the conversation.
Personal
If you want to talk to people, it is important that the personal happens. Of course it is important to have a face as an organization, but that is part of Branding, Image & Identity. Talk to customers do you personally.
Each customer has a trash bin. An ordinary, but also a digital. The packet of plastic filled with leaflets that fall on the mat every day, usually disappears directly in this. That money also for digital advertising.
If your potential client a message and sees a company name with logo then it will be the first thought his "that's advertising, away with it". If your potential customer relevant receives information from you as a person then chances are that information is read.
You take the effort to share personal information that suits what I am doing as a customer. Then as a customer I want to know what you share with me, right? Social Sales is a personal affair. It cannot be said often enough.
Authentic
Now it gets interesting. Sellers are generally to the bone trained with techniques and methods how to entice a customer to a deal. Put a successful seller in a space with all average sellers and the first question will be "How do you do it? What trick do you use? "
The best sellers do not use tricks. Indeed, the best sellers/account managers often believe not in all those workouts. Sales is personal and so people work. People do business with each other only if they trust each other. That is often an emotional issue. Then we are talking about "the click".
By staying with your self and being authentic, you are a person who has value to offer rather than a salesperson who wants to get a deal.
For Social Sales and online conversations, this applies even more than usual. People can not look you in the eyes, so at the moment that your conversation partner feels that it is a trick where you know you have been doing, hook them right off. Sell nothing, but enter a nice conversation on the basis of true interest.
It's like in the pub. The best relationships and friendships arise from a first encounter that was pure and real.
An online call wants to be offline as soon as possible, face to face. This is only possible if the online conversation has been pure and authentic. Only then is the image what a customer has of you when they really meet you for the first time. If this image is not correct, you are always ready for those customers and you will never do business with them.
Relevance
To ensure that it is and remains authentic and not a little trick is you have to really listen. Sure, you can so what content firing on those that you think are interesting, but that's equal to mail in my eyes.
According to mijnwoordenboek.nl this is the meaning of "relevant"
1) Importance 2) Usability 3) meaning
A real conversation only comes to fruition if there is a certain basis of trust. This trust is fuelled by both authenticity and relevance.
So to be relevant you should listen carefully to the conversation. To plug it is desirable that there is content available that you can share at the time that it will be useful and meaningful for those where you talk. Maar.....nu, many people make the mistake of relevance only revolves around sharing information that has to do with the own product or service. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you personally are talking with someone, where is the relevance? With the product or company that you represent or to yourself?
The question of your interviewer determine whether you might be relevant. Or you can help with information. So if you sell printers and you're talking to someone who happens to be about cars and race back to the garage that he must, can you then be relevant? Yes! Help him to desired information on car maintenance. That is relevant. Have value for your interviewer. No matter how. If someone makes a joke on twitter and you have a good value, also appropriate response so that the joke then you are relevant.
Short to, relevant means that you are in a conversation with the client regardless of the subject, personal meaning for the customer.
Time
A comment I get a lot is "nice that social sales but that takes a lot of time" that's right. The question is though, how much time does it take one day 50 cold-calls do with as a result but 2 appointments? One day, I hear you thinking but it costs more. Also cold-calls need to be prepared. Who I call, when and why. So 2 appointments takes much more time.
In one day, a Social Sales salesman is able to make a conversation with several people at the same time. As a result, if someone needs to be called, this is always hot and makes sense.
In the beginning is focus range. To focus and to have a good basis there must be a plan. This plan is based on information provided from research has come up. So research should yet, or you're a Social are a seller or a traditional seller because you always need a plan. That research has to be done and it will take time.
Time is needed for a call, online or offline. There is time needed for doing research, online or offline.
Time is needed to prepare for every sales effort. So yes, Social Sales also requires time.
The bottleneck will, as always, whether we see time as costs or as an investment. We must always ask ourselves whether we have enough time investing in the base, so that we can be effective in our sales activities.
The 5 building blocks
To Social Sales on a pleasant and good way to do it, there are a number of building blocks. These stones are the basis and on this basis can you as salesperson or account manager and as a sales organization successful. Have focus, know where your arrows on aim and have a plan. Enter the conversation personally and stay close to yourself. Be relevant and share information of meaning and, above all, invest enough time in the preparation and execution.
This article was written by Marco Diks and Martijn Rijk .
Marco and Martijn train sales and sales teams to fill their calendars with qualified leads without traditional cold-calling. We help sales managers and commercial management to social sales and the changing role of social business to apply and manage.
