Tip #1 – Complete
Your Profile
Complete your profile before trying to connect with people.
I see this most often on LinkedIn. I receive literally hundreds of requests to
connect with people on LinkedIn every month. I view LinkedIn as a tool…not a race
to see how many connections I can make. I want to know who these people are.
- If you haven’t yet uploaded a photo of yourself or your product, you’re not ready to use LinkedIn as the valuable tool it is. If you don’t like any of your photos, have a professional take one. It’s 100% worth it.
- If you have not included at the very least your job title, your industry and your company name, you’re only toying with this incredible resource.
- If I cannot determine from your profile whether or not we have something in common that’s related to business, I will not accept the connection. And you should treat LinkedIn the same way.
Tip #2 – Be prepared
to work.
Somewhere along the line a lot of people got the idea that
because postings appear instantaneously, that it’s a shortcut to success. There
are no shortcuts to success. Marketing always has been and always will be a
process of building relationships.
Social media is an excellent tool for building relationships
but the basic principles of marketing still apply. You must prospect, connect,
establish rapport, and qualify before you can earn the right to present any
type of offer.
Tip #3 – Schedule
social media time wisely.
In reading a comment in one of your groups on Facebook or
LinkedIn, you read a great comment by Bob Smith. You let Bob know how much you
appreciate what he said. Someone else comments on your comment. Another person chimes
in with a link that takes you away from the conversation and off onto another
topic. Eventually, you come back to trying to connect with Bob outside of this
conversation. When you view his profile, you note that he’s connected with
someone else you might want to connect with…and it goes on and on. Next thing
you know, it’s 11AM and you have not yet invested any part of your day in your
real job–interacting directly with people who are in a position to own your
product or service.
How much time is reasonable for you to commit to social
media? What time of day is best for you to do it? Not at your best-prospecting
time. Figure that out. Schedule it. Set a timer if you must, but STOP when it’s
time to move on to another productive activity.
Tip #4 – Offer
assistance before attempting to sell.
You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and say, “Read my book!”
“Subscribe to my blog!” or “Buy my product!” (Well, some people might act that
way, but not sales pros, right Champions?) So don’t do it in social media.
Engage people first. Offer to be of assistance. Ask questions about their
challenges, their needs. Then, only after a comfortable dialog has been
established have you earned the right to even mention the possibility of
providing service.
Social media is today’s hot tool for communication. And, it
can be quite fun and productive–when you use it like a tool. The frenzy around
it is not very different from new innovations in selling in the past–the f ax
machine, overnight delivery, computers, mobile phones, laptops, e-mail, tablets
and so on. Those are all tools of the trade that have moved business
communications forward. They have accelerated the speed with which we can gain
new knowledge and communicate with others. They have not replaced the
communication process that is essential to the marketing process.
As with any new tool, there are best practices for
maximizing the effectiveness of social media. Invest the time to understand it.
Use it wisely. And, you’ll gain the incredible benefits it can bring to your
career.
PMG offers innovative marketing strategies to successful Artists, Managers,
and independent labels who count on us to provide responsive, personal service
and strategic brand management. Ultimately, our goal is to establish
long-lasting relationships built on integrity and mutual trust as we help guide
our clients along the path toward commercial well-being.
6 Reasons People Don’t Buy from You
May 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Seasoned sales pros will have a longer list of reasons people don’t buy, but here are the six most common reasons I know.
- Insecurity. The positive feeling your presentation creates must outweigh the negative feeling they have about giving you their money. For most people money equates to security. For some there may have been a period of lack in their pasts. So, they don’t part with their money easily. Your job is to help them rationalize that they’ll be better off with the benefits of your product than they will be if they hold on to the money.
- Indecision. Some people are never master good decision-making skills. They’re so afraid that they just freeze, like deer do in oncoming headlights. Your job is to make them comfortable with the concept that any decision is better than no decision. Keeping themselves in limbo by not making a decision is really a time waster for them (and you).
- Procrastination. My definition of procrastination is this: Living yesterday. Avoiding today, and thus ruining tomorrow. When the benefits of your product are truly good for your buyers, it’s your obligation as a sales professional to help them overcome procrastination and get on with enjoying the benefits.
- Money. Either they have it or they don’t. If they don’t, and you can’t help them discover a way to get some, the sale is dead. Top sales pros, though, are experts at helping people get creative about coming up with the money when the product is truly beneficial for them.
- They were never asked. Say what? Yep. When surveyed after non-sales situations, a very high percentage of buyers ratted you out. They said they were never asked to buy. Hence, my lesson about asking, clearly, concisely and directly for the order, their money, the business — whatever phraseology you use in your field. You must ask!
- Fear. The first five reasons above could all fall into this reason. When people are afraid they are uncomfortable. When they are uncomfortable, they can become confused as to why they’re even talking with you. And, as we cover in great depth in my new book When Buyers Say No, “a confused mind says no.”
Four Social Media Tips
December 4, 2013 By 1 Comment
I don’t profess to be an expert in social media. I do profess to be an expert on the subject of selling. That being said, let me give you four social media tips for sales pros.
Tip #1 – Complete Your Profile
Complete your profile before trying to connect with people. I see this most often on LinkedIn. I receive literally hundreds of requests to connect with people on LinkedIn every month. I view LinkedIn as a tool…not a race to see how many connections I can make. I want to know who these people are.
Tip #2 – Be prepared to work.
Somewhere along the line a lot of people got the idea that because postings appear instantaneously, that it’s a shortcut to success. There are no shortcuts to success. Selling always has been and always will be a process of building relationships.
Social media is an excellent tool for building relationships but the basic principles of selling still apply. You must prospect, connect, establish rapport, and qualify before you can earn the right to present any type of offer.
Tip #3 – Schedule social media time wisely.
In reading a comment in one of your groups on Facebook or LinkedIn, you read a great comment by Bob Smith. You let Bob know how much you appreciate what he said. Someone else comments on your comment. Another chimes in with a link that takes you away from the conversation and off onto another topic. Eventually, you come back to trying to connect with Bob outside of this conversation. When you view his profile, you note that he’s connected with someone else you might want to connect with…and it goes on and on. Next thing you know, it’s 11AM and you have not yet invested any part of your day in your real job–interacting directly with people who are in a position to own your product or service.
How much time is reasonable for you to commit to social media? What time of day is best for you to do it? Not your best selling time. Figure that out. Schedule it. Set a timer if you must, but STOP when it’s time to move on to another productive activity.
Tip #4 – Offer assistance before attempting to sell.
You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and say, “Read my book!” “Subscribe to my blog!” or “Buy my product!” (Well, some people might act that way, but not sales pros, right Champions?) So don’t do it in social media. Engage people first. Offer to be of assistance. Ask questions about their challenges, their needs. Then, only after a comfortable dialog has been established have you earned the right to even mention the possibility of providing service.
Social media is today’s hot tool for communication. And, it can be quite fun and productive–when you use it like a tool. The frenzy around it is not very different from new innovations in selling in the past–the f ax machine, overnight delivery, computers, mobile phones, laptops, e-mail, tablets and so on. Those are all tools of the trade that have moved business communications forward. They have accelerated the speed with which we can gain new knowledge and communicate with others. They have not replaced the communication process that is essential to the sales process.
As with any new tool, there are best practices for maximizing the effectiveness of social media. Invest the time to understand it. Use it wisely. And, you’ll gain the incredible benefits it can bring to your career.
Tip #1 – Complete Your ProfileComplete your profile before trying to connect with people. I see this most often on LinkedIn. I receive literally hundreds of requests to connect with people on LinkedIn every month. I view LinkedIn as a tool…not a race to see how many connections I can make. I want to know who these people are.
- If you haven’t yet uploaded a photo of yourself or your product, you’re not ready to use LinkedIn as the valuable tool it is. If you don’t like any of your photos, have a professional take one. It’s 100% worth it.
- If you have not included at the very least your job title, your industry and your company name, you’re only toying with this incredible resource.
Tip #2 – Be prepared to work.
Somewhere along the line a lot of people got the idea that because postings appear instantaneously, that it’s a shortcut to success. There are no shortcuts to success. Selling always has been and always will be a process of building relationships.
Social media is an excellent tool for building relationships but the basic principles of selling still apply. You must prospect, connect, establish rapport, and qualify before you can earn the right to present any type of offer.
Tip #3 – Schedule social media time wisely.
In reading a comment in one of your groups on Facebook or LinkedIn, you read a great comment by Bob Smith. You let Bob know how much you appreciate what he said. Someone else comments on your comment. Another chimes in with a link that takes you away from the conversation and off onto another topic. Eventually, you come back to trying to connect with Bob outside of this conversation. When you view his profile, you note that he’s connected with someone else you might want to connect with…and it goes on and on. Next thing you know, it’s 11AM and you have not yet invested any part of your day in your real job–interacting directly with people who are in a position to own your product or service.
How much time is reasonable for you to commit to social media? What time of day is best for you to do it? Not your best selling time. Figure that out. Schedule it. Set a timer if you must, but STOP when it’s time to move on to another productive activity.
Tip #4 – Offer assistance before attempting to sell.
You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and say, “Read my book!” “Subscribe to my blog!” or “Buy my product!” (Well, some people might act that way, but not sales pros, right Champions?) So don’t do it in social media. Engage people first. Offer to be of assistance. Ask questions about their challenges, their needs. Then, only after a comfortable dialog has been established have you earned the right to even mention the possibility of providing service.
Social media is today’s hot tool for communication. And, it can be quite fun and productive–when you use it like a tool. The frenzy around it is not very different from new innovations in selling in the past–the f ax machine, overnight delivery, computers, mobile phones, laptops, e-mail, tablets and so on. Those are all tools of the trade that have moved business communications forward. They have accelerated the speed with which we can gain new knowledge and communicate with others. They have not replaced the communication process that is essential to the sales process.
As with any new tool, there are best practices for maximizing the effectiveness of social media. Invest the time to understand it. Use it wisely. And, you’ll gain the incredible benefits it can bring to your career.
No comments:
Post a Comment