Social Media Management - Phase 6 (Sales)

© 2015 AZBlue | www.AZblueinc.com

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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT SERIES

PHASE 6 – LEVERAGING SOCIAL TO DRIVE SALES

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THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS

1. Overview – Imagine!2. Social Management – Phase 1 (Design)3. Social Media Management – Phase 2 (Optimize)

– Deliverable: Operational Roadmap

4. Social Media Management – Phase 3 (Build)– Deliverable: Operational Management Document

5. Social Media Management – Phase 4 (Manage)– Deliverable: User Scenarios

6. Social Media Management – Phase 5 (Professional Brand-building)7. Social Management – Phase 6 (Sales)

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ACCORDING TO…

Jim Keenan (author of “A Sales Guy Blog” - CustomerThink.com 5/13)…

• 78% of sales people using social media outperformed sales people who did not.

• 33% of social media users exceeded their quota by 10% while only 26% of non-social media users exceeded it.

• 48% of social media users hit their quota while only 44% of non-social media users hit their quota.

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PURPOSE, PROCESS AND THE PAYOFF

• Payoff: Know… The current state of social

technology

Who is using social today and

where

How to build your professional

online presence (brand)

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Find and use existing content to engage [prospective] customers early and often, in

the buying process…

AND become a trusted voice of your company across social


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WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN???

This training program will help you…

• have an understanding of what the Social Media landscape looks like today

– who and where [potential] customers are, and what they are doing/need

• build credibility and visibility as a professional/ influencer

• find and build relationships with customers by sharing information they value

• find and use existing content to engage

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[prospective] customers early and often, in the buying process…


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SECTION 1

Leveraging Social Media to Find Opportunity


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THE ENGAGEMENT VALUE CHAIN

• Building a successful sales pipeline requires certain steps within each stage, to grow and enhance relationships with the client.

– A relationship is the strongest asset a Sales Professional possesses and cannot be taken lightly. Building one is based on customer trust…trust that you have their best interests in mind!

– And like all relationships, it starts with “courting” or connecting around things you have in common…

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Prospect Position

Cultivate Close

CONNECT SHARE RESPOND COMMENT ASKSEARCH FULFILL

Find

Retain & Grow


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CONNECTING WITH CONTENT

• Your [prospective] customer is a multitasker with limited time and attention span to consume long, unimaginative pieces of content…

• An essential first step in the relationship building process is focusing on them and what they want, feel or care about vs. what you want to sell them…that comes later.

– Start with answering their question…“WIIFM” – What’s in it for me?

• The key is to create a path or content spectrum, that evolves them effortlessly from things they like personally to things they need professionally.

– Each step in the spectrum provides you with more ability to drive the conversation and select the types of content the client will engage with.

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CONNECT SHARE RESPOND COMMENT ASK


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LINKING CONTENT WITH SALES OPPORTUNITY

• The role of content is key to building a successful sales opportunity

– It begins with information that attracts the customers attention and ultimately

encourages them to ask for more…

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Entertain

Inspire

Inform

Teach

Support

Prospect

Cultivate

Position

Close

Retain &

Grow

CONNECT

SHARE

RESPOND

COMMENT

ASK


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WHAT IS CONTENT CURATION?

• Content is your primary resource to connect with new & existing customers to provide value, and it begins with finding the right content online and sharing it!

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DETERMINING THE RIGHT MIX OF CONTENT

• Once you have captured the attention of your customer, the next step is keeping them engaged with a broad mix information and topics ranging in length and frequency. Some general guidelines include:

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Occasionally where & when appropriate (1 x 2 Months)

Often (2 x Month)

Regularly ( 2 – 4 x Month)

Always (1+ x Week or) as available

Frequently (1 x Week)

Entertain

Inspire

Inform

Teach

Support


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HOW YOU CURATE CONTENT

• Curating is as easy as reading an article, clicking a sharing icon and adding a brief comment to let the customer know WIIFM.

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WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER SEES WHEN YOU DO

• Sharing high-valued content appears in the News Feeds of your customer demonstrating your proficiency to provide valued content to solve their business problems…

• More importantly, the responses you receive back from your professional graph indicates you are influential in your area of expertise.

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RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT

1. Listen First – It’s always important to understand your audience before socializing. Know how they use each platform, what they want to communicate and what they expect from you before you decide what to say.

2. Think – This is about using Social Media to connect with customers and help them with their business…not yours!

3. 10 Second Rule – Always reread and consider what you are about to say in the digital world before you hit send! You can’t take it back…

4. Gain the Trust of Your Audience – Audiences have unique goals. Act as a global concierge, gaining their trust by having a two-way conversation and providing them value as they accept your invitations to connect and read your content.

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5. Define Your Own Voice – Set up guidelines for what you will and won’t talk about. Be clear up front as to what you hope to discuss on each social network.

6. Set the Rules for Engagement – Customers should know whether to expect an immediate response from you or if you are not actively monitoring a platform. Direct them to the best place to receive the service they need.

7. Wait for them to ask – As you connect and share content, make sure that it is valuable to them in terms of their businesses and competition. Once they begin to trust you, they will ask you for your company's specific solutions and content.

8. Use What’s At Your Disposal – There are hundreds of fantastic blogs and your company's branded channels containing relevant content that a client will value.

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9. Keep a Weekly Calendar – Creating content from scratch can be overwhelming and a daily struggle. Organize posts around themes to get the ball rolling.

10. Share Things That Get People Talking – Your approach should focus on creating content customers want to interact with via comments and sharing.

11. Keep it Consistent – Social media is a commitment. Regular consistency will keep your “brand” top of mind with your customers and your peers.

12. Don’t Be the Last to Know – Set up alerts & RSS feeds in your social pages to inform you instantly on industry news & events so you can share immediately.

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PROSPECT

Finding Opportunity


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PROSPECTING

• Opportunities exist across all of the digital landscape as customers use social more and more to:

– to build their own businesses & brands– seek out customers– create viral marketing campaigns– grow awareness– solve basic problems– Engage with content

• All of their actions leave a digital trail (keywords, sentiment, intentions, opinions) that can be searched on, and used to connect back

• Finding them and knowing what to do next is the first step in using social to build a sales funnel

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CONNECT SHARE


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FINDING PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS

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Mary Smith HealthCare Solutions

• The first step is performing a basic web Search. Keywords in LinkedIn & Facebook profiles will come up in Google searches

CONNECT SHARE


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SEARCHING FOR OPPORTUNITY

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CONNECT SHARE

• Using the same search techniques in social channels and listening tools (e.g. Tweetdeck) can also uncover what your customers are looking for.

#hiring

#hiring

hiring

How can I find information on…

#hiring


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STARTING A CONVERSATION

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CONNECT SHARE

Mary Smith

I saw your post in LinkedIn and thought this article might help…

Hello Ms. Smith

Thought you might like

• Once you’ve found a potential customer, send an invite to connect and make sure it contains a (WIIFM) reason for them to accept.


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CULTIVATE

Building Relationships


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CULTIVATING

• As you connect and engage with new customers (Likes, Posts, Shares, Responds etc.) the next step is to provide them with a reason to notice you, listen to you and engage back

• Starting with a sales pitch, is the quickest way to drive them away, so as in any “courtship,” it’s important to be attentive to their needs and respond to what’s important to them

– Product information at this stage is too early, since you have not established credibility with the customer…so why should they listen to you?

• Instead, provide them things that are of interest to them personally and professionally!

– Start with light “snacks” of entertaining and inspirational content and evolve to stories that are relevant to them, and the success of their business (e.g. industry trends around that might impact their customers).

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SHARE RESPOND


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ENTERTAIN & INSPIRE

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SHARE RESPOND

Thought you might like this…

• Finding articles on websites, blogs, digital magazines etc. that are interesting, inspirational and fun, is a great way to break the ice with customers and more importantly…stay top-of-mind.


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POSITION

Becoming a Trusted Resources


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POSITIONING

• From a sales perspective, this is a critical stage for professionals to increase Probability of Sale (POS). This is the point where relationships evolve from small engagements and content shares, to providing information that will guide and educate your customer in areas that will help them to be successful.

• Social is a key tool at this stage as customers up until now have been able to keep at “arms length” preferring to do their own research and avoid sales “pressure.”

• By connecting with them early and establishing trust, they will begin to think of you as a valued resource and appreciate that you have not pushed them…that trust now begins to payoff as they begin asking you for questions specific to their business and the experience you can provide.

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RESPOND COMMENT


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SHARING VALUED CONTENT

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RESPOND COMMENT

How am I going to…

Need help …

• As the relationship grows providing specific information around issues helps to build their trust in you.


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RESPONDING TO NEED

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RESPOND COMMENT

• Knowing (and bookmarking) the best sites to find content specific to your customers needs, will become a great asset to you in your continued positioning process. Having answers to their questions quickly will get you noticed.

How am I going to…


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CLOSE

Becoming a Trusted Partner


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CLOSING

• Obviously a sales professional’s success is based on closing a majority of the opportunities in their funnel.

• And although nothing replaces face-to-face and telephone time, social is a great tool to use as a way to keep the conversation moving between those meetings by:

– Allowing for Check-ins and answering quick questions– Providing referrals from other satisfied customers– Keeping the opportunity and solution “top-of-mind”

• The key to success at this stage is converting customers from consideration to purchase.– If you’ve taken the right steps to create a trust and dependency in you to provide what they

need and when they need it…like all relationships, it matures into a positive, long-term commitment!

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COMMENT ASK


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PROVIDING INFORMATION

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COMMENT ASK

Ok I need to order service, can you help

me?

• Industry and branded content (e.g. DIY videos) at this stage helps explain to the customer how things work!


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SOCIAL REFERRALS

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COMMENT ASK

• Social is also a great (and credible) resource to connect customers with peers to get referrals and reviews to assist in the final consideration to purchase journey…

Do you have any referrals I can speak

with?


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RETAIN & GROW

Supporting Your Customers


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RETAINING & GROWING

• The final step in managing a robust Sales Pipeline is to ensure that existing clients remain satisfied even after the close.

• In addition to being a continuous source of organic growth, existing customers in social can provide you with:

– A brand advocate that can speak to your prospects by providing referrals & testimonials– Additional content & positive feedback– New sales contacts

• This is also a stage where many sales professionals “drop the ball” which is why social is a key tool for you at this point.

– In efforts to build trust to close a sale, you now have a responsibility to keep that relationship going. Although the sale is completed, what your customer thinks from this point going forward is crucial to retention and growth opportunities.

• One of the most important pieces of content that any sales professional can possess is the testimonial of a satisfied customer!

ASK

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SUPPORTING YOUR CUSTOMER

I don’t understand my bill…

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ASK


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SUPPORTING YOUR CUSTOMER

Send Your Customer a Message

Your Customer

How is Everything Working???

Just wanted to follow up and see how things are

working and if there is anything else you need?

RE: How is Everything Working???

You

Everything is great…give me a call next week to talk

about next steps and thanks!

How is everything working???

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ASK


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SUMMING IT ALL UP!


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SUMMARY

• The massive of growth of the digital space/social media over the past four years has created a major shift in how sales professionals operate today in terms of finding and engaging with [new] customers.

• Traditionally customers needed information immediately, so Sales Reps were involved early and often throughout the process.

• Today however customers have the ability to research online without contacting a Sales Rep until they are deep into the consideration process, meaning they already have a strong opinion or made up their mind by the time they engage you.

• They also have very little time to view content sent by Sales people meaning they are selective on what they chose to consume, or ignore.

• You rarely get a second chance to make first impression, so how you approach your customer early in the relationship process, ultimately determines whether or not they will let you in…

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• For sales professionals to meet the challenges of the changing landscape, an “education” on social media is a key first step in preparing them to become highly successful.

• An education implies many different factors, all of which are important to their professional success, however at a minimum their training should focus on:

– Understanding the Company's Best Practices on using social media– Building their Professional Brand to make them Influencers and evolve from Follower to

Followed.– How to provide valued content that establishes confidence in them (and their employer) they are

innovators in their field.

• Most importantly, training should start with Social Media Basics and how it can be used to build and manage a robust sales funnel, as well as guide them in successfully closing sales with a higher level of consistency…

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Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat – General Sun Tzu

azurite blue inc. - we are a consulting firm that has the

experience and ability to help clients articulate their needs

with regards to “all things social,” and create an operational

roadmap to get there!

More importantly, we help design strategies that are based upon executable

tactics and tactics that support achievable strategies!

Contact: Jim Clark – 908-305-8475

[email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/azblue/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/azblue/