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Helping Is The New Selling: How Sharing Content Creates New Opportunities [Video]

Amar Sheth
Amar Sheth

Sharing Content Create OpportunitiesOn this edition of The Social Influencer Series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brendan Cournoyer, Director of Content Marketing, at Brainshark.

I wanted to invite Brendan so you could get a first-hand and behind-the-scenes look into why sales should be sharing content. Yes, we’ve talked about this for a while now but I thought that perhaps I should bring in a pro so you could hear it straight.

Here we go! Check out the interview here and be sure to read the blog below, too.


T.A.C…Easy as 1-2-3

T.A.C. is the acronym I’ve come up with based on some of the keywords that Brendan used over and over again in this interview.

Trust

Every sales professional wants to be trusted. We all have great intentions of helping the buyer. But, this is a sacred and reserved spot of the few, not the many. Trust is something so precious that your buyers would go through obstacles to work with you.

Content helps build that trust. It’s not the all and end all but it can help you tremendously. Especially in the day and age where buyers are so difficult to get a hold of.

PGi recently did an incredible podcast about reaching buyers. It featured very senior IT Executives and they all said that the phone and email were less important for them in terms of reach. They were, however, open to learning more about you from social media channels.

Authority

People buy from those that know their stuff. Your buyer is no different. And although you may have this authority, are you able to effectively communicate this to your buyer? If not, you’ve reduced the probability of the sale.

By the way, authority is not the exclusive domain of social sellers/social media. You can convey authority in many forms.

As sales professionals, though, you’ll want to convey this in the very early stages of getting to know someone when a relationship might still be budding.

Sharing content can help with this. If you’re able to effectively articulate that you understand the buyer, some of their core challenges, industry knowledge, etc. you can begin to convey authority.

Credibility

Who doesn’t want to be credible? However, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to being branded credible when you can’t get enough face-time early on in the sales process.

So here’s the scenario: buyers are online, researching, finding answers to their problems.

Now, here’s Johnny Sales Pro: well-intentioned, pounding away the phones, sending tons of emails, all in the hopes of securing a meeting.

And, here’s the reality: fewer and fewer people are responding to cold outreach.

How can we earn the label of credibility if we can’t talk to someone?

Meanwhile, buyers are forming opinions and thinking that others that they’re reading about online are credible.

In short, sharing content early on can help you break the ice and become that credible resource.

Help Is The New Marketing Sales Everything!

I love this concept that Brendan talks about. No one wants to be sold today.

Those that can help with this will likely be the ones that win the deal.

By sharing content, you can help your buyers discover new ideas, learn about best practices, build a business case for problems that they’re unaware of, and a whole lot more.

Über-powerful stuff from Brendan.

The Bottom Line

Sharing is the new helping. If you can’t share ideas, advice, knowledge, secrets, contacts and resources, the chances of you reaching buyers today is minimal (at best).

By social selling with content, you dramatically improve your chances of connection, engagement, dialogue and ultimately sales opportunities.

When buyers win, you win. After all, isn’t that why we’re here in the first place?

Do you agree with Brendan’s views? Sound off by connecting with him on LinkedIn or following him on Twitter @BrenCournoyer.

And of course, let me know your thoughts too. We make this series for you – your opinions matter! Connect with me here on LinkedIn or tweet me @AmarSheth.

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