Selling and Social Media
Know Your Customer's Buying Cycle
Hang up the 21st version of a shingle and the money pours in like a wide river. Wouldn't it be nice if that's all it took to sell your product or service?
However, even the big guys, who have been around for decades, have an advertising budget because they know that if they are out of sight, they are out of mind.
Let me ask you this, how do companies get your attention and convince you to part with your hard earned dollars? Start there.
Create the same type of processes so you will attract people who have the same buying cycle as you. It'll make things a lot easier in the long run. It's easier to have like minded customers than it is to hog tie one who is going to fight you the whole way.
Don't Sell - Sell - Sell
Think about it... How do you react when a company is sell-sell-sell on social media? Or at networking events? Or in their stores?
We don't like to be sold a bill of goods because we've all bought a bill at one time and regretted it. If you are like me, Canadian, then you'll understand that as a culture, we cringe when faced with high pressure sales tactics.
Understanding who you are trying to sell to will help you understand HOW to sell to them.
Knowing this, why do some focus only on selling your product or service?
It isn't easy to make ends meet and the relationship building part of the sales cycle, especially in Vancouver, can take longer than your bank account allows for. You get scared, you focus on only the sale, and then you make the mistake of trying sell sell sell.
So what should you do instead?
Try telling a story, teaching a little bit about your product or service, sharing news about your industry, or finding ways to entertain your followers. Understand the media you are using and what you truly can expect from it.
What do you engage with on social media?
What is your buying process?
Start with your story and then create processes that would entice you to buy a product or service.
Know Yourself
Knowing yourself will enable you to tell a story that is unique to the marketplace and will attract 'like minded' customers to your business. It is always easier to sell to someone who trusts you and we instinctively trust those who are like us, unless we know we aren't trustworthy, but that's a whole different kind of post.
There are lots of ways we can find out about ourselves, here are a few ideas:
Make a list of things you like to do
Make a list of your favourite things
Make a visual collage of images you like
Make a visual collage of your goals
If you want to get even more introspective start asking yourself
those tough questions and write the answers in a journal.
Questions like:
What is my purpose?
Why do I exist?
Why am I a (career title)?
Why do I love my life partner?
What do I love about my kids?
Why do I want to be successful?
What does success look like to me?
Understand you behaviours, reactions, and choices:
When I get stressed I ....
When I am hurt I ...
When I want something I...
When I lose/win I...
What about your buying choices and lifestyle:
I buy (item) because it is ....
I chose to wear (fashion) because the image I want is...
I like to (activity) because it makes me feel...
I live (city) because it is ...
Knowing yourself and embracing who you are, will help you define your target market better. All these questions and statements can be used to understand the type of customer you want. Be you, tell your story well, and live fearlessly.
Know Why Your Customer Buys
Do you trust pushy salespeople?
No one likes to be treated like a number. Don't treat your potential customers like commodities. In today's world people are more cynical, more informed, and way less patient, not to mention less forgiving.
It takes someone 5-8 times to see your ad, message, product, before they even pay attention enough to start on the buying cycle. Don't put them off by being too in their face so they close the door to your message all together.
Ask yourself,
Why does someone need my product or service?
Who needs my product or service?
When do they need me?
What questions do they ask me?
What objections do they have?
What ways can my product or service be used?
When you have these answers you can start to construct a story around your product or service that will connect to your target market because they identify with the message. Be strategic in telling your story so you aren't making it a sales pitch every time, it isn't a constantly asking them for something, and it builds trust.