Social selling is changing the sales process
Recently I attended a seminar on social selling with LinkedIn presented by my good friend. He is brilliant at social selling, and I’ve learned much from him over the years. He’s on the forefront of the new developments with LinkedIn and how social selling is evolving. LinkedIn is a great way to establish relationship with other businesspeople on a professional basis. Even though my profile is in the top 5% of all LinkedIn users, I’m open to learn even more. I’m learning that the current pace of technology and social interaction is changing the overall sales process faster than we can imagine. That’s important to know for coach, leader and business owners.
Social selling pitfalls
Think about it as an introduction to a like-minded potential business relationship. The right introduction can lead to a great business relationship that could profit your business for years. Even more than that, this is the future of selling. Those people who choose to not incorporate social selling into their sales process will be left behind and risk a slow sales death and extinction!
However, there is alarming new behaviour that is killing social selling. It’s the emergence of opportunists pitching their services without building any relationship. How do I know? There has been a flood of business development companies that have recently emerged. They are offering services to help businesses find clients, including coaches. Each of them self profess to be specialist in helping in your business sector. The follow an online marketing model. They set up a system of templates system filled with emotional language to get a business owners’ attention. I have personally explored several of these, and they fall short of being reputable. They have no successes to share, lack experience, and want to pray on confusion in the business community. Regrettably, this negatively affects social selling.
How can someone ensure that their social marketing efforts are successful?
Put another way: Don’t put on airs! Engage in meaningful dialogue with the people you’re connected to. Avoid using pre-made templates for your message systems. People are more interested in getting to know who you are than in finding out what you do for a living. If people have some faith in you, they can start to wonder what you do and get intrigued about it. People are quick to notice whether you are being real. Rare is the quality of being authentic! Therefore, be genuine while maintaining a laid-back attitude. When you have someone’s attention, it is important to communicate clearly and politely. Always keep in mind that people want to collaborate with someone they can relate to, trust, and like!
How to improve your LinkedIn profile
The first thing that people look at in your profile is your picture. They are looking to see if it is professional, and does it look like someone they would like to do business with. If not, someone looking at your profile will not go any further. Make sure that your profile picture matches the focus of social media platform that you’re on. If it’s LinkedIn, consider using a professional photo. This is not the time to put on a picture from several years ago, one from a beauty shoot, or you in casual wear.
After people look at your picture, they will look at your headline. They want to see what you are all about. So, make sure that you let them know what you do or can do for them. From there they will check out your summary and get to know you better.
Tweaks you need to make to your profile for social selling
Here are some great tips to improve your profile.
- Writing – Get a professional writer to write your bio and history. Why? Simple, the right words make all the difference to attracting the right clients for your business. On top of that, most people find it difficult to talk about themselves effectively.
- Photo – Get a professional photo and change them now and then. LinkedIn will send out a message that your profile has been updated and more people will look to see what you have changed. More views means people are more aware of what your services are.
- Endorsements – When you endorse people in your network they will get notified and asked if they would like to return an endorsement. That means more page views and can lead to a better connection with someone you are getting to know.
- Keywords – Know what keywords you want to promote so that your prospects can find you. If you are unsure what keywords to use, find a social media expert to help you.
- Video – Make sure to include an introductory video in your summary section. Videos send a strong social signal in the Google search algorithm. That means a video can give you an edge over other competitors in Google search.
Remember, social selling is a going to an old-fashioned in person meeting. You don’t want to be viewed as the boastful slimy salesperson in the room. The same concept applies to social selling. You want to match the tempo and feel of the platform that you’re on.