How To Sell And 10 Tips To Selling With Social Media

Social media and sales seem streets apart on the surface of it. Your mate popping round for a quick chat and mentioning the latest shoes they bought is one thing, but a salesperson? We know someone popping round for the hard sell is enough to make you slam the door. But we also know that social media works for sales – so how do you bridge that gap? Follow our top ten tips to find out.

1. Don’t frighten the horses. ‘Hey, we’ve never met, but buy this from me’ will send people running for the hills faster than you can say, ‘the checkout’s this way.’ Instead, build a relationship first – retweet their comments, add a complimentary post, become part of the fabric of their online social community. Let them get used to your presence.
2. Give and you shall receive. Be valuable. Useful content, info, contacts will all make you an asset in the eyes of others. It also encourages loyalty and a sense of obligation – and ultimately makes it much harder to ignore you when you do want their attention.
3. Be personal. Are you churning out the same line to potential customers? Well, it’s probably obvious. Make a real effort for each one – act like they’re the only person who matters, and the only person you’d ever approach. Look for real connections, and use them. You need to connect as an individual, and then you’ll get an individual response – not an auto-reject.
4. Don’t be scared. Social media isn’t the place to be shy or insecure. ‘They might say no. They might ignore me. They might be mad.’ True – but they might say yes, they might respond, they might be delighted. As long as you keep it real and relevant, you have a good chance of success.
5. Be humble. No one likes a show off. Least of all a show off who wants to sell them something. By all means, tell them your positive attributes, but bear in mind actions speak louder than words. In other words, don’t brag, just show them that they’ve got their money’s worth when it counts.
6. Be presentable. If you’re searching for customers, they’re searching for you. Google yourself. If the first photo that comes up is you at that foam party in Ibiza drinking a yard of beer whilst standing in a fish tank…well, you get the picture. And it’s probably time to do something about it.
7. Be memorable. Don’t hide behind corporate speak. Social media is about letting your personality shine through. By all means rein in the more ‘excessive’ aspects of your life, but overall people like to see something interesting than something bland.
8. Share the love. Useful content can mean incentives. Give your customers something for sharing. Whether a discount for a like, free shipping for a share, a retweet for a retweet, there are plenty of ways you can make talking about you worthwhile.
9. Life’s a game. People love games. Adding a ‘game layer’ to your social media strategy encourages people to invest their time (making them reluctant to walk away), get addicted and, for the best games, play with their friends. If you can incorporate it, do it.
10. Time to get offline. Recognise when it’s time to take the social online, offline. Whether a phone call, or face-to-face meeting, there will always come a point where you need to establish your relationship in the ‘real’ world to make it work. Don’t miss the signs!