4 Must-Do’s For Selling on Social Media Lindsey Stroud A recent statistic from Forbes says that 78% of sales people outperformed those not using social media. Whether we like it or not, social networking is here to stay and we can learn to adapt and use it to our business advantage. Understanding your buyers footprint – where they spend their time, what their conversing about, and what problems they are facing is crucial to converting them to life-long customers. If you want to social sell effective, there are some things you will want to do to ensure you don’t outcast yourself as the pushy sales type. 4 Must-Do’s For Selling on Social Media 1) Find Out Where Your Potential Buyers Hang Out Before you can ever engage in an active conversation with a lead, you must know where they are spending time online. Are they in LinkedIn groups, following certain Twitter hashtags, or maybe gathered around blog conversations? Do your research up front to pinpoint where those you wish to engage with are spending most of their time on the web so you are able to create a social selling strategy with focus. 2) Use Common Courtesy Each social network has its own set of implied common courtesies, so make sure you familiarize yourself with them before you begin using social networks to sell. For example, on Facebook it’s not generally acceptable to add people to your friends that you do not previously know, while on Twitter following just about anyone is encouraged. On LinkedIn, you are able to ask for introductions through mutual connections to help lessen the tension. Using the common courtesies that follow each social network will help you avoid raising a red flag before you even begin engaging. 3) Actively Engage In Conversation There’s a difference between participating and self-promoting within social groups. Remember not to control the conversation, but rather join others who may already be conversing. You don’t have to directly mention your product or service to help others solve the problem, let them take note of your expertise through your engagement. Starting a meaningful conversation is the first step in building a sales relationship, so don’t forget to listen as much as you talk and provide helpful feedback. 4) Work On Building Quality Relationships If you blast out promotional posts/tweets/etc. and expect connections that you have never interacted with to jump at buying your product or service, you could be setting yourself up for epic failure. Instead, if you take points 1-3 and then apply with them with the mentality to build a trusting relationship, you are likely to see far greater return. Always remember that people do business and repeat business with those they know, like, and trust – and that starts with a relationship.