No, social media and online marketing is not going to replace salespeople.
Okay, you can breathe now, but that doesn’t mean your job or your revenue stream is automatically safe. However, it can make your sales life a whole lot easier, if you use it right.
Social media is a great way to connect with people and develop leads. It’s low-cost, free to implement on a low-scale, personal and it’s the preferred communication channel for a growing number of people.
You’re safe, right? Not so fast.
Problem is, most salespeople aren’t equipped to sell on social media platforms (like Twitter or Facebook). They’re stuck in their old-school, 8-step sales process, and they can’t get out. You know how it goes: call lots of people, develop a relationship with the client, take them out, and then listen to their needs just long enough to know what to propose.
These people are obsessed with stats, and will try to play social networking like a numbers game, thinking the number of contacts equates to a similar number of cold calls.
It doesn’t work like that.
Social Media ≠ Cold Calling, It’s Better
Better? Yes. Every call can be warm, if you take a few moments and make the connection the right way.
First, read up on your potential prospect. Read their LinkedIn profile and then read their status changes. Look for them on Twitter and Facebook. You will get a good indication of personal interests.
Second, break the ice. Don’t go in and do your best Daffy Duck impersonation. Since you know a lot about the prospect, start with a question that will start a conversation. Better yet, if you’re already connected online, build on the relationship you’ve already started.
Social media can replace cold calling. As you begin to find people in your target market who may be interested in what you’re selling, you’ll see the need to cold call dwindle. Better yet, as your new customers refer a few of their friends to you, you’ll begin to find you’re not making a single cold call at all.
If you are calling a social network referral, remember that’s even better than a cold call. You are further along in the cycle. You’ve got the prospect’s background and history in hand from their LinkedIn profile, you’ve read over some of their recent posts. It’s like making every call into a referral call – it’s hard to lose, but you have to change you game.
One of the best people I’ve met at connecting with prospects online is Vincent Wright. You can learn from Vincent for free on MyLinkingPowerForum.com. You’ll quickly get to see what works, how to start a conversation and how to avoid looking like Daffy Duck.
