Whether its bath plugs or luxury cars - social media can help you sell it. However, it's not as straightforward as bellowing from a market stall. So, here's some of my tips on how to sell with social.
Relationships
You wouldn't propose to your potential future wife within five minutes of meeting her at a bus stop and if you did, then you'll know what she'd say. The same is true for social media. Relationships with customers are important and the more engaging you are the easier the sale. Trying to sell too early will most likely be seen as too forward and creating the positive view of your brand by building some social media savvy foundations is the best way forward.
Listening
Of course, relationships involve listening and in the case of social, this means tools. People tend to have radar for sincerity too. So, don't just engage them when they're talking about you, take a regular and genuine interest in customers rather than being a camel trader at a souk.
When all is said and done and the deal is completed continue to engage with them to an extent. These people can provide referrals, become advocates and even help you out if you get a complaint.
In addition, listening allows you to take heed of constructive criticism and hopefully praise and improve your brand and relationship with others.
Issues
Without listening to feedback, you'll end up stuck in a rut and may never really improve your business. It's the perfect form of marketing research and allows you to clearly see from the ground what the customers and potential customers make of a product and your business. In addition, you can correct misconceptions that may be turning customers away. Even if these are crazy suggestions, if you don't know they exist, they can never be corrected and those sales are harder to come by.
Be a Problem Solver
Great businesses not only listen, they also take action and solve problems. Show competence and willingness by trouble shooting, adding helpful features and fixing bugs.
Taking time to help people will most likely return as good karma. It's not about the sale, it's about making people happy and offering a good service and this should be enough to bring success.
Ask for It
All of this socialising and problems solving is fantastic, but even if they're giving you the 'eyes', you'll still have to close the deal. Hopefully at this stage it's quite a soft sale.
Asking for the sale by proving them an online link, calling them or even meeting them is a good way to close the deal. Of course, err on the less pushy side but do make yourself clear. Just ensure the messages are clear, nobody wants to go in for the kill and end up with a turned cheek. Read the signals and once the time is right, go for it.
Have you had any success by acting like this and even better, do you know of any backfires?