Selling on social media is not selling at all. You behave pretty much the same as you would at a backyard barbecue or a networking cocktail party.
Here’s the scenario: You walk into a networking party where you don’t know anybody. Most likely you won’t walk to the middle of the room, announce who you are and give everybody the hard sell for your business. (At least, I sincerely hope not!) What you’ll probable do is, get a drink, walk around, and talk to people. A lot of your conversation will be casual, with you asking questions like “What do you do for a living? You talk, you listen, you interact.
There’s no sales pitch in sight. If you did start pitching your new acquaintances would disappear pretty quickly.But, if you take the time to talk to someone and get to know them, then you can demonstrate that you actually do know what you’re talking about and maybe generate some interest that might lead to another meeting.
Let’s translate this behavior to social media. Here are the steps:
- Get to know someone through general conversation.
- Find out their needs along the way.
- Help them with a problem to demonstrate your expertise.
- Build a relationship based on their needs, not yours.
- The result: Create a raving fan of your business.