3 Social Selling Strategies for Better Lead Generation

Ask 10 marketers for their best tips on lead generation and 9 out of 10 will probably give you roughly the same answer: do more – more cold calls, more emails, more advertising…

Ask the remaining marketer, however, and if you’re lucky, they might lean over and whisper their secret for a successful business which is: social selling.

While most people tend to consider social selling as, at worst, tweeting your Uncle about your new product, and at best, sharing the latest blog post on the company’s LinkedIn page, for master marketers like Koka Sexton, Ken Krogue, and Jill Rowley, social selling is the backbone to lead generation – if not the very foundation to doing business itself.

New to the company scene, the idea of social selling can be scary for some businesses as it’s so rarely practiced in the “hustle mindset” market of today.

However, according to “The Queen of Social Selling” herself, Jill Rowley, in this interview, “sales leadership needs to realize and recognize that the buyer has changed more in the past 10 years than the previous 100. The way that people buy and go about getting information has dramatically changed, and the way that we’re selling hasn’t.”

In other words, as Rowley goes on to say, “more isn’t better. I know it’s grammatically incorrect, but more relevant is better.”

Cue in social selling: the strategy in which to reach your target audience, build rapport, turn logical thinkers into emotional buyers, and lock in lasting business relationships.

Not sure where to start? Here’s three tried-and-true strategies to ensure your social selling tactics achieve optimum lead conversion.

1) Do Your Homework

Just like in any relationship, in order to understand the needs, wants, and behaviors of someone, you must first get to know them. And when dealing with a total stranger, albeit potential lead, this requires a little research.

Luckily, in today’s digital era where everything is online, learning all about someone – from their job and family life, to their political views and favorite hobbies – has never been easier.

So, before reaching out to a potential customer, why not take the time to discover what makes them unique? After all, understanding what your customer cares about can be the key to locking in a buyer.

Crafting a new sales funnel? Stop a moment to really learn the ins-and-outs of your target audience, studying what drives them and makes them tick, before introducing your company as a relevant solution.

Seeking to seal the deal between a prospective business partner? Connect with them on a personal level by understanding their company values, history, and goals – finding ways in which the two of you can genuinely help each other.

The real key to social selling lies in relationship, but you can’t have relationship without a mutual understanding.

(P.S. Looking for a tool that offers real-time customer data on leads that visit your site? Connect Leady to your website or business profile to receive crucial viewer data like their company name, address, email, social media profile, and more – all to help you craft personalized offers and form connections with potential clients on a deeper level.)

2) Be Human

Take a quick look through your spam folder and you might see a common theme: the same sales pitch, same “professional voice”, same impersonal talk about numbers and products that are in no way relevant to you…

The very reason why they’re in your spam folder is because they’re just that – greedy ploys by oily businessmen you don’t know or trust, trying to scam their way into your wallet.

They’re impersonal. Self-centered. Distrustful, and down-right gross.

And yet how many of us have copied their marketing strategy in some small way or another? Everyone in the world is exhausted by these soul-sucking tactics, but still we are taught that’s just how business works if you want to make a profit.

Take a look at reality, however, (and this is why I really love social selling) but the one thing science and introspection has taught us is that we all crave human connection. We yearn for it – daily – and will do just about anything for someone when we find it.

Which is exactly why social selling is so rewarding and ridiculously successful!

Dropping the farce for a moment to engage with your potential customers on a personal level, celebrate a prospective partner’s achievements, or just laugh and have fun with your business, shows people that you’re not like all the other scammers out there. You’re different. Unique. Human. And, most importantly, you actually care about others.

So, the next time you’re typing out a promotional email, sending a generic invite, or filling your ad with catch-all sales terms… Don’t.

Instead, joke around. Be authentic. Be quirky and true to your personality. Show your audience that you’re here to help them.

Your sales might just thank you.

3) Serve Empathetically

A big problem with today’s market is the self-absorption businesses so proudly put on display. From their claims of service, to their proudest moments, it’s all about “my company, my product, my success, my customers”.

Me, me, me.

While this approach might help boost your ego, it doesn’t do much for your credibility and sales, as your customers want to be seen as people – not a means to an end.

The thing about social selling is it only works if you actually desire to serve and connect with people – nothing discrediting you faster than attempting to fake empathy. So, if your real goal is to make a difference before you make a profit, don’t be afraid to show it!

Drop the mantra. Put your customers first. Build them up. Encourage them and remind them that you’re always there to help. Foster relationships and always seek ways to serve, even before the contract is signed.

Because a business that cares? Truly and empathetically cares? That’s a rare thing in this market – and rare pays. Big time.

The reason why Leady is great tool for sales reps. is because it providein depth information on customer behavior and allows businesses to send relevant information and interact with the customer at the right time and the right point of theirs decision making process, before the competition does.