90% of Top Salespeople are Social Selling. Are You?
It’s a fact: 90% of top salespeople are using social selling tools to close deals.
What is social selling?
Social selling is a trendy way to describe using social media as a sales channel. Rather than connecting at events, seminars are in person meetings, you are now able to find customers and prospects on social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
The whole goal is to build and expand your relationships with clients, and to be accessible on their preferred channels. You can’t have a conversation if you’re not in the room.
And at the end of the day, the final victory is to win opportunities and grow your revenue.
Koka Sexton
Senior Social Marketing Manager, LinkedIn
World’s foremost expert on social selling
We know social selling is important, but where do you start? Here are three actionable ways for you to step up your sales game using social networking.
1. Update your profiles to meet your client expectations
A great profile demonstrates:
- Who you are
- What you have done
- What you can do
Read your own profile objectively and ask, “Why should I care?”Demonstrate the value you offer so every customer will care.
- Speak your customer’s language. Review your existing customer and prospect profiles to find challenges they face and vocabulary they use.
- Customize your LinkedIn URL. Embed that link in your email signature and put it on your business card.
- Update your headshot. Smile, wear professional attire, have a non-distracting background and make sure it’s just you. No cropped out images from group shots.
Michael de Groot
Social Selling Expert
Related: How do I improve my LinkedIn posts?
2. Join 50 LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups are not just a place to follow who YOU like, but they are a resource for you to connect with prospects and distant connections.
Here’s the secret most people don’t know. When you are in the same group as someone, you can message them for FREE! No premium account required.
And you can join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn, so take advantage and connect with groups where your clients are members. Aim for:
- 5 within the industry
- 10 within your territory
- 35 with the right buyer persona
Make sure the groups you join have lots of members (over 5000) and are wide enough in interest so you can broaden your potential reach and connect with more people.
Gary Kissell
Social Selling Coach
3. Don’t go in cold.
With a stat like that, you’ll need to stand out to get anyone’s attention. The best way is to show you care about your client’s interests, concerns and the success of their business.
Top sales people always go into client meetings having done their research, and now you can make use of a bounty of online information as part of your pre-call routine.
On LinkedIn:
Learn about work history, experience, skills, causes and passions. See which connections you have in common and then follow any links to external sites and learn more about their business online.
On Twitter:
Investigate their profile, past tweets, photos shared, likes and dislikes, connections and the lists they’ve created. That will show what they deem valuable.
On Facebook:
You don’t have to be too invasive with your search. Skim through their public profile to learn about their hobbies and general interests that will give you a good feel for their personality. Check to see which events or locations they’ve checked into recently as well as the friends you have in common. Any connections could be helpful insights or common ground to start your conversation.
