A couple of weeks ago, we had the honor of welcoming a true LinkedIn legend to our offices in Amsterdam. Melonie Dodaro; social media expert, author, entrepreneur and LinkedIn authority, has had an impressive career, building the foundation for modern Digital Selling techniques. Today, Melonie is a frequent speaker at Digital Marketing events, sharing her knowledge on Social Media Strategy, leveraging LinkedIn and Social Selling Practices to audiences all over the globe. During her visit at Tricycle Europe, Melonie and our team of Social Selling Coaches had an exciting brainstorm session which resulted in a list of key lessons every Social Seller must learn.
We simply couldn’t deny you these lessons, so we’re sharing them with you today. Happy to help!
1. People don’t want to deal with logo’s, they want to deal with people
So, invest time in your own professional brand, rather than your company page. Embody your company values and mission, and be your own company’s advocate. Let your people do the talking.
2. Never ever lose your focus
Three years ago, a personal message and the occasional post was enough to create a connection. Nowadays, content curation and content creation are important departments within large companies. Knowledge on behavior, optimal post times and listening to your target audience, might come natural to sales managers, but therein lays the danger of overconfidence. The world is constantly changing, so never stop learning.
3. Selling happens offline, not online
Don’t be scared of the word ‘selling’, because all Social Selling really is, is relationship building. The trick is to gain enough trust and credibility to move the conversation offline.
4. Video-content is the future
And it’s not hard to gain the advantage, because many other people simply won’t. Up the quality of your content by using tools like a live-video stream, it’s an easy win.
5. Strive for both quality and quantity
Deliver findable content and apply SEO, write content once a week and be authentic. Vary in the way you write your posts, start with a question or try and use hashtags. But most importantly; never create content without thinking it through. Sales managers often have trouble writing, so hiring a copywriter could be helpful. Keep in mind, however, that a copywriter might not be a strong seller, so always stay involved.
6. Be patient
People often look for immediate results, but building a bond takes time. You might be ready for your prospect but the prospect probably isn’t ready for you yet. If you are pushy and impatient, all you’re really doing is cold hard sales, and that scares people off. Remember that these relationships are fragile things too, you could spend years building one, and ruin it in a day.
7. Calling in itself isn’t ineffective, just make sure to warm up the conversation first
Establish a relationship with your prospect and search for an organic introduction. Maybe your prospect is connected to someone you know, or you share a similar interest? When you do get on the phone, steer clear of scripted sales-conversations. If you don’t, I can assure you that your prospect will lose interest quickly.
8. Your network is your net worth
I image that three years from now, your social network will be equally as important as your resume. Picture this; Bob and Sophie, both accountmanagers, are applying for the same position. They both have over fifteen years of experience and have built up a significant network. The only difference: Sophie has connected digitally with all of them, proving her established connections, Bob has not. Who do you think, will be hired?
Don’t be like Bob, start investing in your network today.
