socialauthority

Social Selling: Engage
How to engage with decision makers via social media & spot business opportunities.
   9 years ago
#socialauthoritySocial Selling: RelatingHow to relate to decision makers throughout the B2B buying journey.
Top Votes
Profitecture
What are some tips for engaging customers through #socialmedia?
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victoriabsocial
Participating in #LinkedIn Groups is a good way to meet potential customers. #socialselling
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Denise Bahs
A2: Target those individuals and surround them via their blog, tweets, posts. etc. #socialmedia
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victoriabsocial
Give shout outs to people on Fridays, using #FF or say hello on Monday!
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Paul Gillin
A2. Listen for needs people express. That identifies connection points. It may not even be about business.
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Denise Bahs
A2: Put them into a Twitter List and monitor. Jump on engagement when you see an opp
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victoriabsocial
Either way, it's always good to acknowledge people and be responsive to queries.
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Denise Bahs
A2: Tweet something personal once in a while. Boring=Bad
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Sandy Rikkers
Ok
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victoriabsocial
We also say the new ABCs are Always Be Curious ... you never know where your next opportunity might come from.
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Profitecture
Great point, @pgillin. Listening for needs is important to being relevant.
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Paul Gillin
Needs aren't always expressed as questions. They may be complaints or expressions of frustration
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Paul Gillin
@denisebahs Great advice. That's why I always recommend that profiles and tweet streams include personal topics.
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Paul Gillin
@denisebahs You can connect because of a mutual interest in soccer or diving. Doesn't have to be business.
Profitecture
How can #socialmedia help you know what matters to your customers?
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Denise Bahs
A3: Think about what THEIR pain points are. It may be in a different channel than you are currently in.
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Profitecture
How can you find their pain points, @denisebahs?
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Denise Bahs
Ask them. :)
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Denise Bahs
A3: Also, check out their industry events and look at the keynote topics.
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Sandy Rikkers
Good idea @denisebahs we aren't mind readers after all.
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Profitecture
Great idea @denisebahs to look at industry conference topics
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Denise Bahs
A3: check out the industry association newsletters, blog posts, hashtags
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Paul Gillin
@denisebahs Really good point. The topics of industry conferences are often about issues of shared pain.
Profitecture
We have just a few minutes left. Feel free to pose questions or final advice & comments. #socialselling
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Denise Bahs
It's so much fun to see the light bulbs go on. It's a process one post at a time. Not an overnight thing.
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victoriabsocial
Make it work for you. Be selfish and focused and set it up to add value to your experience. That will be the way to make it a habit, as you see the value it provides.
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Profitecture
78% of social sellers outperform peers who don’t use #socialmedia
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Profitecture
Social selling leaders are 51% more likely to achieve quota
Profitecture
Profitecture's #SocialSelling class encourages students to learn to identify buying triggers. What are examples of using #socialmedia for this?
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victoriabsocial
One could be hearing what sounds like a customer unhappy with a competitor. Another might be a change of leadership.
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Paul Gillin
When people express frustration with something it's often an indication that they're open to alternatives
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victoriabsocial
Changes in a company's mission or direction might signal an opportunity for new solutions.
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Paul Gillin
Also, look for changes in the market. Did the company get a new contract? Or are they laying off? Good and bad news can trigger needs.
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Denise Bahs
A4: I saw a complaint on Instagram about Google and HIPPA compliance from an event attendee. Listen.
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Paul Gillin
Regulatory or competitive changes can also create need for change.
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Profitecture
These are all great examples of buying triggers in #b2b.
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Denise Bahs
A4: U need to identify which phase of the buying process they r in. Give them the right info at right time.
Profitecture
What are biggest objections to adopting social selling skills?
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Denise Bahs
A6: In order to change u have to do something different. That requires time and willingness.
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victoriabsocial
If I could give my students one thing they need it is more time, but that should not stop you from starting. There are ways to manage it. :D
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Paul Gillin
A6. That it isn't fast enough. Too indirect.
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Profitecture
More and more proof points suggesting social savvy sellers outperform peers.
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victoriabsocial
@pgillin and yet, the real time aspects offer so much!
Profitecture
Today we are discussing How to engage with decision makers via social media & identify buying triggers #socialselling
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Denise Bahs
I get questions on this topic a lot from my #socialmedia students
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victoriabsocial
It starts with listening ... that's where my ears come in. :D
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Paul Gillin
#SocialSelling is about listening first and searching for connection points.
Profitecture
Why is engagement online or offline important for sellers?
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Denise Bahs
A1: it all points to trust and engagement is required for trust to be established.
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victoriabsocial
People buy from people. They want to have a relationship with someone they trust, so you need to meet them where they are.
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Paul Gillin
A1. Forrester's @poneillforr said it well: "Sales people must become business consultants." That starts with engagement.
Profitecture
What social media tools & platforms do you recommend for monitoring buying triggers?
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victoriabsocial
We're big fans of @Hootsuite and @LinkedIn for monitoring streams and jumping into conversations. #sociallistening
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Denise Bahs
A5: HootSuite, Hashtags.org, Twitonomy are my go-to tools. :)
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Paul Gillin
HootSuite, Sprout Social, Radian6, Little Bird. There are so many.
Profitecture
Thanks for joining!
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Profitecture
.@DeniseBahs aluded to having right content to connect with customers. Any tips for helping sellers build their content arsenal?
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Denise Bahs
A5: Define diff phases and then create content that fits each phase.
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Denise Bahs
A5: For ex. driving traffic content diff than pulling trigger content
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victoriabsocial
Creating videos of happy customers, or customer case studies is a valuable effort.
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Paul Gillin
Look through the questions you answer most frequently and publish the answers. Start an FAQ
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Denise Bahs
A5: Infographics, blog posts, podcasts, video interviews are good examples
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victoriabsocial
@paulkrappman says to look at your last good sales letter.
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Paul Gillin
Basically, consider whether any information that you put in an email could be published to a larger audience. #socialselling