Don’t let social selling mistakes hinder your team’s success! Supercharge your team’s social selling strategy by steering clear of these seven mistakes.
When contemplating engaging with potential clients on social media, the common perception is that it’s primarily a marketing approach. However, it’s worth noting that sales professionals can also harness these platforms to their benefit. Through social selling, salespeople can effectively utilize social networking to establish connections and foster relationships with potential leads. 78% of businesses utilizing social selling are outperforming their counterparts. Yet, mastering this strategy can be challenging for those not well-versed in the intricacies of social media networking.
What is Social Selling?
Social selling is a sales strategy that involves using social media platforms to engage with and nurture potential customers. Instead of relying solely on traditional sales tactics, social selling focuses on building relationships, establishing trust, and providing value through social media interactions. Sales professionals leverage various social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, to connect with prospects, share relevant content, and participate in industry conversations.
It recognizes the power of social media in influencing the modern buyer’s journey. By aligning with the way consumers research, engage, and make purchasing decisions online, social selling helps sales professionals adapt to the evolving landscape of digital communication and connect with prospects in a more authentic and effective manner.
LinkedIn data reveals that businesses emphasizing social selling are 51% more likely to achieve their sales quota.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the social selling mistakes your team should avoid so you can get more out of your profile.
- Approaching Social Networks as if They’re Billboards
Resisting the urge to solely broadcast promotions, discounts, and product announcements on social media is crucial. The “billboarding” strategy lacks the depth needed for meaningful connections. Instead, foster genuine engagement with your audience through valuable content, insights, and conversations. Share tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and stories that bring tangible value. Prioritize being helpful over being overtly sales-oriented to build lasting relationships. If you treat social networks as mere advertising platforms, grabbing attention and connecting with potential customers becomes challenging. Invest time in constructing trust by delivering useful content.
- Skipping Social Selling Training
Several companies entrust their sales teams with social media accounts, anticipating instant success. However, mastering social selling is a skill that requires proper training. Prioritize a comprehensive education for your sales representatives in social selling best practices. Guide them in effective prospecting, engagement, active listening, converting followers into leads, and monitoring ROI. Enhance their skills through role-playing common scenarios. With the appropriate social media sales training, your team can confidently utilize these platforms to achieve tangible results. Avoid plunging them into the deep end without support, and remember the importance of refresher training. Continuous education ensures your team stays abreast of evolving social platforms as algorithms and features undergo changes.
- Not using Automation tools
Not using automation tools hinders efficiency and scalability. Automation tools help streamline processes such as content scheduling, lead tracking, and engagement, allowing sales professionals to manage a larger volume of interactions. Without these tools, valuable time may be wasted on manual tasks, limiting the reach and effectiveness of social selling efforts. Automation enables a more strategic and organized approach, ensuring consistent and timely interactions with potential customers.
- Applying your sales pitch before building trust
Let me pose a straightforward question: If a stranger messages you online, saying, “Hi, I’m A from XYZ shopping store; you can purchase our product with a 20% discount using online payment,” would you give them a chance to finish? Probably not. It’s a common reaction to feel cautious about potential scams and irritation from unsolicited sales pitches. This reflects the prevalent trust issues associated with online selling. Bombarding potential customers with sales messages without prior communication is likely to annoy them and, in the worst-case scenario, drive away valuable leads.
Your interactions with potential customers often occur during their decision-making stage regarding the product or service you offer. Suddenly inundating them with a sales pitch can make them feel skeptical, as if they’re being scammed or misled.
- Not having a social media content calendar
Every proficient social selling expert ought to adhere to a content schedule to guarantee a consistent and strategic posting of content.
A content calendar serves social sellers by:
- Establishing content priorities,
- Identifying the types of content to post, and
- Timing content posts effectively.
Without a content calendar, it becomes challenging to concentrate on long-term objectives and discern the effectiveness of your efforts. Moreover, randomly selecting topics that don’t align with your brand or resonate with your audience can negatively affect engagement.
- Failing to address the pain points of your target audience
According to a LinkedIn report, if a seller can alter a buyer’s perspective, 89% of buyers express a greater likelihood of considering the brand. Prospective customers tend to lean towards a purchase decision when they believe your product can address their ongoing challenges. Conducting research on your prospects enables you to understand their primary issues and the factors influencing decision-makers within their company. Leverage this insight to craft tailored and distinctive content for your social media channels. As you progressively offer them more solutions, you’ll observe a shift in engagement.
- Neglecting the impact of professional profiles
Upon encountering your posts or messages, prospects typically begin by scrutinizing your profile. If your profile appears unprofessional, it can undermine your credibility. Consider your profile as a contemporary business card, necessitating optimization for maximum impact. Tailor your professional profile to align with your industry, thereby bolstering your business’s credibility. Capture the attention of your target audience with a polished headshot, incorporate pertinent keywords in your headline and summary, and highlight featured content that showcases your expertise and thought leadership. A well-crafted profile has the potential to instill trust and reliability with your audience.
Wrapping It Up
The essential lesson from the evolution in sales culture is that social selling isn’t just a passing trend; rather, it represents the future of B2B sales. While the results may not be immediate, integrating social selling into your sales strategy is crucial. Building a robust online presence will ultimately enhance your ability to engage, influence, and transform leads into loyal customers.
Embracing new trends may seem daunting and challenging, but the potential benefits make them worth exploring. You never know how even subtle adjustments could positively impact your business.
Recognizing that mistakes are inherent in the learning process, be sure to glean insights from them and refine your strategy through trial and error. Given that each sales approach is unique, determining what works best for your specific situation is essential.