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Social Selling Myths Busted: No Talking Required (Video)

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

Social Media Myths

Social selling myth #1: You’ll get purchase orders in 140 characters because talking isn’t necessary anymore.

In this series of off-and-on posts, I’m going to expose some of the myths that are being falsely spread in the marketplace about social selling. I’m not accusing anyone of doing it maliciously but it’s quite obvious that the old powers, the status quo folks, and even some so-called “new school gurus” are DEAD WRONG on many issues.

Today I start with the HUGE fallacy of not needing to talk to customers.

Breaking News: Talking Still Needed, Telepathy Doesn’t Work!

Social selling doesn’t mean you don’t have to talk to customers. It doesn’t mean you can sit behind a computer and make a living on social media. Customers won’t be sending purchase orders over Twitter in 140 characters.

Remember, social selling is just another medium for communication. Think of it as a way to kick-start conversations, research and add value to buyers in their buying journey.

The Comfort Level

Many sales reps are starting to see the results from their social efforts. Check out this short 5 minute video with Laura Tarrant, who is in the recruitment industry. She had a senior VP at a target account reach out to HER because what Laura was doing online assured the VP that Laura had the right knowledge to do business with her company.

As I’m sure some of you have seen, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to convey this value over existing mediums that we’re all accustomed to. The telephone and e-mail are being largely ignored (if you disagree, feel free to let me know!) and now the onus is falling on us as sales professionals to find an alternative.

Social Selling

The Alternative

The alternative is bringing social selling into your daily basket of activities. It doesn’t mean you STOP doing what you already do, it just means approaching it from a different angle. Use social media as a means of information gathering.

I’m amazed when I hear sales reps complain about “too much information”. While you might have too many e-mails, I don’t ever believe you can ever have too much information about customers.

Wouldn’t you like to know if a prospect is connecting to one of your competitors?

How about if your client just raised some money from investors?

There’s a difference between clutter and targeted, precise information. I’m a huge fan of the latter and have seen how it can transform the way you communicate and interact with buyers.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, no one is saying you’ll start getting purchase orders over social media, but the usage of it will make you smarter, snappier and a sharper sales professional. By leveraging information the right way, at the correct time, you’ll be able to put yourself into a position of power by conveying to buyers you understand them. We are in the information economy where the exchange of ideas will be what separates you from the pack.

If you have questions on how to start with social, feel free to click the button below for a chat. I’ve got a lot of great resources to help you as well.

Remember, social selling isn’t difficult… it’s just different.

Amar Sheth

CTA

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The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling