Sales Prodigy joined #Bufferchat to share their experience in social selling. Why is community important for social selling? How would you get started in social selling?
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How do you define social selling?
From Sales Prodigy:
- Social selling is building rewarding relationships with your customers on social media.
- Great social selling is an extension of a great sales person on social: authentic, personal and human.
From the community:
- “
#SocialSelling is a branch of#Community management, IMO. It’s the desired “result” …dare I say ROI.” @MySoloBiz - “Adding value and letting folks find you as the go to expert via a simple social search. Staying top of mind” @fionajuan
- “Social selling seems to be about “relationships”, “sharing” and “encouragement”. Trust is a big factor too” @wpstudio5
See all the great answers to question 1 here!
What role does building social media relationships play in your brand’s story?
From the community:
- “It’s about making relationships for future customers and building social infrastructure.” @RigginsConst
- “Social media plays a huge role for every brand, without listening and interacting your brand will not grow” @zenandpi
- “The customer experience is a major part of the brand story! And they share their experiences via social media.” @NathanLattanzi
- “Social selling is not really selling at all. It’s making people believe in your product.” @lafitara
- “Social media is where you live out your brand+ support the foundation you built via other mediums” @MsAleia
See all the great answers to question 2 here!
What’s a good first step to start exploring social selling?
From Sales Prodigy:
- Identify internal advocates! Some of your sales team are probably already killing their quota with social.
- Educate your team! Show the value of social media and give them the tools and training to win.
- Take your time… Relationships are not built overnight, so do not expect results in a couple of days!
From the community:
- “Get started with social selling by listening and replying. It’s a one on one game.” @joshmccormack
- “A great first step is to figure out how you need to tell your story as a brand & to what audience to resonate with.” @christhames29
- “Watch & Observe. There’s many bigger players in the game that you can take their strategies down to your level & audience” @troy_sandidge
See all the great answers to question 3 here!
What have been some unexpected opportunities for learning with social sales?
From Sales Prodigy:
- If sales leaders are not actively engaged, your social selling program is at risk.
- It will take time for the entire sales team to see value. So celebrate wins and share best practices!
From the community:
- “Making unexpected connections with people who, despite not becoming my customers, have become trusted allies.” @hartmanonline
- “Getting the community’s unfiltered feedback along the way can save a company from a lot of guessing & unnecessary mistakes.” @TheaWoods
- “We’ve found that our most trafficked pages are ones focused on contributing helpful info, not those geared toward sales. :)” @Rossparmly
See all the great answers to question 4 here!
How do you adapt social selling to be in line with your company/personal values?
From Sales Prodigy:
- Social selling can diverge from the ‘company line’, we are all individuals after all. Great sales people already do this!
- Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Strong company culture will reflect in all social selling.
From the community:
- “Stay true to your messaging and your company culture when communicating online. It’s no different than in-person convos.” @graphicsdsigns
- “Show people that you’re like them & they will feel connected to you. Share your thoughts, value, and culture and be yourself” @dsarora
- “People like authentic. No matter what the product or service is, if they believe you, they’ll consider buying from you.” @nicoleyoley159
See all the great answers to question 5 here!
Why is community important for social selling?
From Sales Prodigy:
- Social selling often happens where your brand’s community and your personal community intersect.
#bufferchat is a great example! A great community gives you credibility and an audience you can use in social selling!
From the community:
- “Your community is your ‘Sandbox’. Build some castles, maybe they get knocked down, moved, or need seashells. Play. Learn.” @TheMissNicolina
- “Social proof and community is key to our buying habits. We tend to buy/like what our friends talk about or review” @Its_Wyatt
- “Community helps to spread the word and secure a loyal audience vital for a successful social selling program.” @KarolaKarlson
See all the great answers to question 6 here!
Favorite books or blogs on social selling:
From Sales Prodigy:
- Awesome social selling influencers:
@rachelloumiller,@iSocialFanz &@Jill_Rowley - Great sales inspiration:
@keenan,@BryanKramer,@kimgarst &@CarlosGil83 - Not social specific, but we love
@gitomer‘s Little Red Book of Selling: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Z1EXMQ - For people looking for even more content, register for the Social Selling Summit on Sep 1 here: http://www.socialsellingevent.com/
From the community:
- Likable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
- The Thank You Economy by Gary Vee
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vee
- Crush It by Gary Vee
- To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Maximize Your Social by Neal Schaffer
- Optimize by Lee Odden
- Do It Marketing by David Newman
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Cargnegie
- Seth Godin
- Jeff Goins
- Pat Flynn
- Derek Halpern
- Amy Porterfield
- Ramit Sethi
- Buffer Blog
- Hubspot Blog
- Salesforce Blog
- Kim Garst
- Tim Hughes
- Social Media 2Day
- GrowthHackers
See all the great answers to question 7 here!
Thank you so much for everyone who joined in on this great chat!
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