researching sales with social media
DESCRIPTION
Learn to use social media to research your sales pipeline and target accounts.TRANSCRIPT
Basic elements of a sale
Solution selling defines it this way:
Sales = Pain x Power x Vision x Value x Control
So will I. We're going to use social media to help us:
• Look for pain or highlighting latent pain• Seek power• Align vision• Confirm value and reducing risk• Drive the process to close--control
Elements of research system
Focusing on social media and real-time information
• Search• Venues• Search• Flow• Campaign• Nurturing
Future session
Looking for pain
When I say search you should be thinking:
• Google• Linkedin• Twitter
Here's how to turn them into lead generation tools...
Finding pain
Keywords
• Turn the pain tree into keywordso How do their customers talk about the pain?o How do your prospects talk about the pain?
• Turn the vision into keywordso How do you describe the solution vision?o How would a prospect describe a like vision?
• Consider different power levels. They talk differently.• Don't forget about the competitor!
Searching for pain
Tip Suspect!
Searching for pain
Searching for pain
Seeking power
Linkedin.com is THE central repository of power!
Step 0: Get on Linkedin.comStep 1: Connect with ALL your (happy) clientsStep 2: Get recommendations from ALL your (happy) clients
Seeking power...Linkedin.com
No power here...MySpace.com
Seeking power
Advantages of Linkedin.com
1. Demographics2. Self-segmented3. Research is all there4. Track record5. Identifies pathways
Searching Linkedin.com from Googlesite:linkedin.com "current * architect" "websphere" (inurl:pub | inurl:in) -intitle:directory "greater chicago area"
Aligning Vision
This is often the hardest part of the sale.
It is a give in take of open questions, confirming questions, and controlling questions.
You're trying to hone in on the real buying trigger.
Two strategies:1.Attract like vision2.Identify likely vision
Attract like vision
Identify likely vision
Confirming value and lowering risk
There is still a lot of FEAR in the market.
To overcome this barrier you have to not only convey value, but also lower risk.
Social Proof and Authority work well here.
Social Proofing and Authority
Do it on their terms
Don't forget Google
Driving the process to close--control
You have lots of intelligence on your target accounts.
Now, execute. Get into their field of view.
Shape their perception (or yours) of the ideal solution.