Salespeople often take social selling at face value and see it as a purely transactional affair. But, the benefits and the long-term results speak for themselves. In setting a sturdy social selling strategy, you lay down the foundations for a prosperous future in sales. Done well, it can help you to meet your targets and establish and maintain valuable connections.
If you’re looking to devise a strategy to get you started in the social selling world, here are some of the things that you should look to include.
Be Seen Online
How big is your social presence online? Whether it’s your own personal, professional presence or the side that is tied into your company’s, this is the first step to creating a solid foundation for social selling.
There are no quick payoffs with this method of sales so you need to be in it for the long haul. Social selling relies on the creation and maintenance of relationships with valuable, professional connections. It helps you to establish a respected name amongst the competitors in your sector and also allows you to be seen by the salespeople and the decision makers within your target industries, too.
Once you have built up this network it doesn’t matter if you change position or career – it follows you. That’s why this first step is so important. Leveraging an abundant network of contacts wherever you are can be done so long as you keep up the work with the relationships you’ve formed.
The Power Of Referrals
The power that is ‘word of mouth’ never went away. It’s just evolved. Whether it’s a TrustPilot review, a testimonial from a client or a referral from a connection you’ve cultivated. A huge part of making sales in the world of social selling comes from being a trusted resource. You’re not just connecting with people to sell to them, you’re building up a network that has the potential to be beneficial to you in the future. A social selling foundation you need.
Where do you go when you’re looking for a solution? There’s nothing like some good, old-fashioned advice from a friend. If that friend can refer you to someone? Even better. If you’ve successfully positioned yourself as a trusted resource, then it opens the door for referrals to flood in. Be on the top of people’s minds.
If you miss the mark and interrupt discussions with an attempt to sell before establishing a connection – people will make note of that.
The Importance of Brand Recognition
Every company knows the importance of brand recognition and building a positive reputation to accompany this. When consumers recognise your brand, are familiar with your product or service and its associate marketing it is much easier to sell.
In an oversaturated online space where companies are competing for your business as well as trying to stay relevant, social selling is popular for another reason. It allows salespeople to simultaneously build brand recognition alongside the promotion and sale of products. You need that social selling foundation to get a real leg-up on your competition and get seen online.
Without any extra marketing needing to be done on your part it serves both your sales and your brand well.
