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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:

1. Who you are
2. What you have done
3. 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.

We have all heard and read stories of businesses that fail and businesses that take off. Learning from the experiences of other entrepreneurs increases your likelihood of success. Here are four key takeaways to fuel business growth.

Stay Confident.

Richard Feloni, a senior reporter for www.BusinessInsider.com, interviewed 20 successful entrepreneurs about the most important lesson they learned in their 20s. One-quarter of the lessons had something to do with having confidence. For example:

«Any limitations on personal growth are self-imposed.»

«Don’t take business personally.»

«Don’t sell yourself short.»

«The first step to becoming an entrepreneur is gaining self-confidence.»

«The importance of being decisive.»

Strip away layers of bureaucracy.

Canadianbusiness.com highlights the concept in an article by Alexandra Bosanac, How Flat Hierarchies Help Companies Stay Nimble And Grow Faster. Referencing the success of Corporate Travel Management Solutions (CTMS), which has eliminated middlemanagement altogether, Bosanac explains that the result is a fluid business «with senior executives taking a hands-on approach in day-to-day operations» and better customer relations. Her advice: «For firms not ready to make such a radical leap, simply organizing staff into strategic self-contained pods that each use a flat hierarchy is an easy first step.»

Bounce back from failure.

Jodi Goldstein, Managing Director at Harvard Innovation Labs, writes for entrepreneur.com in «How Startups Can Bounce Back After A Failed First Launch.» The article highlights four steps:

1. Collect Customer Feedback

2. Consider Bringing in New Advisors

3. Look at How Your Competition Is Faring

4. Don’t Let Your Pride Prevent You from Pivoting

She encourages business owners: «Great entrepreneurs balance the conviction in their ideas with the humility to take action when their original ideas aren’t translating into the desired business results. If your customers, advisors and competitors are telling you that it’s time to change directions, I’d strongly encourage you to take this advice to heart.»

Be ready for success.

You’ve likely heard of the Pokémon GO game, which has attracted millions of users. The maker, Niantic, hasn’t been able to keep up with demand, however, resulting in server problems and insufficient tech support. (Though people still love it!) It’s an apt example of not being prepared to handle an influx of more customers than expected. Whether a software company, transportation provider, manufacturer or service provider, planning matters. Think ahead to the investments required to manage demand. You want to make a positive impression on every first-time customer.

Successful entrepreneurs pour their heart and cash into their vision; they also envision what it will take if their idea exceeds expectation.

Finding and hiring effective employees is an ongoing challenge for growing companies. Running an internship program may help develop your team. However, before you establish one, keep in mind the realities and commitment for both the interns and the employer.

For an intern program to be worthwhile, you need to first decide what legitimate tasks an intern can perform. Be clear from the beginning what you expect. In turn, ask what the intern expects to gain. Experience in a specific industry? Skills in their craft? Interns typically look for tangible assets such as letters of recommendation or introductions to key industry contacts, too.

Right out of the gate an intern can be an asset. Millennials, for example, have grown up with social media and quickly evolving technology. They bring skills and insights your staff might not have. For skills specific to your industry, hiring interns while they’re still in college gives you time to groom them so that they’ll be a good match for permanent employment after they graduate. An advantage to that approach is displacing the cost of hiring as well as a training period. The newly hired previous intern will be ready to go right from the beginning of employment. Internships are an ideal way to ensure that you develop what you ultimately need in a competent employee.

ManpowerGroup has nearly 3,900 offices across 80 countries with 400,000 clients from small organizations to globally-renowned corporations. Its tenth annual Talent Shortage Survey shows that about one in five (19%) employers struggle to find candidates with applicable experience. Its infographic «The Talent Shortage Persists» highlights opportunities for both job seekers and needy employers. The deficit comes down to experience: the lack of technical competencies (hard skills) and workplace competencies (soft skills).

Vault is a resource for 2.5 million subscribers worldwide, matching thousands of employers (70 of the Fortune 100) to 6 million students and constituents. Interviewing 6,000 current and former students for its Top Internship Rankings for 2016, Vault found that approximately three-quarters of interns on average receive a full-time job offer from the employer after interning.

Running a small or medium-sized business isn’t easy. One of the hardest parts is figuring out how to market and promote your company. You’re not alone.

There are traditional methods like newspapers, radio and TV, along with newer media tactics including digital advertising, search marketing and social media. How will you figure out which tactics to invest your time and energy into, and what will give you the most bang for your buck?

There’s no doubt that new-school digital marketing methods are effective, but you might be neglecting traditional tried, tested and true methods that are still valuable. And with everybody rushing to the new strategies, there could be less competition back in old-school marketing.

Here are seven useful tips and tricks you can use to build a successful marketing campaign using those traditional methods of marketing.

1. Get Your Story Published in the Local Newspaper

Newspapers might seem outdated, but there are great opportunities that still exist in your local paper – especially since most papers also have a supporting website where stories are published.

Contact the Editor of the business section and show how your startup is different from all the others out there. Create a compelling story about your history, what you offer the community and how you are raising the bar in the business world. Every publication is interested in intriguing stories, and by offering a cost-effective pitch (aka free), you may be able to persuade them to write a profile-raising piece on you.

2. Talk to Magazine Editors

You may be thinking, “What? First outdated newspapers and now outdated magazines?” It’s true – magazines can be a great way to get exposure for your business, and there are plenty around looking to publish your story.

Local exposure is the best, so start with the most local publication possible. It may be a small town or niche business magazine that you target. And make sure you get links to your website included in the online version of the story so that the readers can quickly click to your business site.

Bonus: Ask the magazine if you can contribute to an ‘Ask the Expert’ column. Then provide ongoing expert pieces for them to publish, either in the print version or online.

3. Make Effective Business Cards, and Don’t Forget to Hand Them Out

Business cards are low tech but remain important for networking. Don’t leave home without them, as you never know who you’ll bump into.

Make sure your business card contains all relevant contact information, like your website address and any social media accounts – especially LinkedIn if you’re a B2B professional.

And make use of any blank space on your cards to provide details about your products, services and a reason for people to connect with you. For example, you could include a special discount only to people with your business card. That gives them a reason to hold onto your card.

Bonus: Get their business card as well, and then connect with them on LinkedIn or other social media accounts that same day. Make sure to follow-up with a message to add a personal touch to your new business relationship.

4. Set Up a Referral Program

If you have a large number of suppliers you regularly work with, set up a referral program to get your customers rewards. Imagine being able to offer your customers exclusive discounts on additional products and services? That would be reason enough to keep coming back to you.

And if you take this traditional program into the new-school, you can offer your referral program as part of your company e-newsletter. By signing up for these emails, your customers will have handy access to all the promotions at your business and other partner stores.

5. Offer Seasonal Discounts and Sales

Everyone likes a summer saving or a winter deal! It doesn’t really matter the season, just give your customers a discount for shopping at a particular time of year. Or create a theme around a seasonal holiday like Halloween, to offer Spooky Savings and Frighteningly Low Prices. There’s a certain charm to having specials around holidays, and it shows your customers that you can have a little fun with your business as well.

6. Send Good Old Fashioned Snail Mail

Mail drops are definitely old-school, but don’t underestimate them. Dropping leaflets through people’s mailboxes still has a measurable effect as long as you do this strategically. Keep your radius tight if you have a physical store location, so people will have a better chance of popping into your store.

Make sure your mailer has a clear call-to-action on it as well. Better yet, give them an incentive to hold on to that piece of mail. For example, include a code they need to enter for a website promotion or tell them to present that mailer in your store to receive a free piece of swag.

Bonus: Create a hard copy flyer, then take advantage of the message boards available at other local businesses. A flyer can be a quick, cheap and easy promotion of your company. Make sure you get permission first, and don’t forget your strong calls-to-action.

7. Connect with Your Local Chamber of Commerce

Your local Chamber of Commerce can always offer some valuable help. Make sure you join up so that you can network with other local business owners. It’s surprisingly effective to chat with other business owners in your area and learn the tactics they use to market to their customers and prospects.

Then follow the Chamber of Commerce online and make sure you attend events throughout the year. You may be able to get ongoing support and assistance that would cost thousands of dollars from third-party sources.

Is your business ready for the Internet of Things (IoT)?

In your everyday life you may already be a part of the IoT, e.g. thermostats, home alarms and entertainment centers joined together digitally and managed from a computer or mobile device. Businesses also can, and increasingly are, bringing together sensors and cloud-computing with office equipment, factory machinery and order fulfillment/inventory systems, streamlining sales and production processes wirelessly. This improves customer relations, productivity and on-time delivery.

There’s no time like the present to get involved. Knowledge@Wharton is an online business analysis journal of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In March its experts in collaboration with Dell posted an article to guide businesses through the ever-expanding digital landscape. Leveraging the Internet of Things for Competitive Advantage describes IoT as an «ecosystem» that «consists of data sensors, networks, cloud storage, applications and devices all working together to help companies and consumers manage their digital lives…»

How hot is the topic? What are the trends? International Data Corporation (IDC) is a premier global provider of market intelligence for IT professionals and business executives. Its infographic Connecting the IoT describes what is and forecasts what lies ahead through connectivity. A few insights from IDC:

• There are currently 13 billion connected things worldwide, expected to grow to 30 billion by 2020.
• By 2018 60% of IT solutions will become open-sourced allowing vertically-driven IoT markets to form.
• Millennials, representing 16% of population, will accelerate IoT adoption.

Now is the time to embrace IoT. Consider what devices you frequently use and what data you would like to leverage. Is there client information you want to capture and share with your sales team? What operational systems could be integrated and managed remotely?

Of course there is cost. eMarketer.com cites an Accenture study showing that Internet users worldwide (62%) have concerns that purchasing IoT devices and services would be too expensive. Many (47%) are concerned about privacy and security issues. Businesses might require a cloud-based platform to serve as a data center or eCommerce solution. They might need technical support to set up the network and train employees. Plus, what devices should each employee have: a tablet, a smartphone, a laptop?

When you’re ready to look at IoT capabilities for your business, seek the guidance of an IT expert. Though the upfront investment may seem steep, the savings gained from a connected workforce and improved customer relations quickly prove the value of IoT.