Ewwwwww selling. Could there be anything more disgusting, more distasteful, and more annoying than a straight-out pitch on a product or a service? In his book To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink talks about how people feel about the job title “salesman” or what words they associate with that occupation. “Snake Oil” is a common response. Especially in the realm of social media, you often run into proselytizing about how selling in an online environment is inappropriate and a real turn-off. You need to focus on relationships. That’s what social media is all about.
The thing missing from these kinds of statements is nuance. Perhaps some trust in common sense, too.
As a general rule, don’t be annoying
Just like offline, a lot of your online interactions depend on some common sense. It’s no newsflash that trying to sell a product to someone with whom you’ve been working is a lot easier than making cold calls. Every sales person knows that a visit or a call should begin with pleasantries and then lead in to some discussion about the promotion at hand. The online world is no different. If your Twitter account is nothing but “News release news release news release read more,” yes, people will probably start to shut you out. If every post you make anywhere online starts with, “Did you know I sell this product?” people will probably lose interest very fast. There needs to be a sense of balance as you approach conducting business through social media channels, just as there needs to be the same balance when meeting with someone face-to-face.
If you aren’t selling, you can’t increase sales
This may seem obvious, but it appears to be eluding a lot of companies using social media for their businesses. Perhaps one of the reasons why measuring the ROI of social media is so difficult is that companies are not actually trying to get that return. Networking and building relationships is fantastic and has always been essential in the world of business, but if you don’t close that circle and say, “By the way, if you ever need xyz product let me know,” all of those relationships are not bound to do you much good monetarily.
So how can you sell without being annoying?
We are so glad you asked! Here are some suggestions.
• Make sure your bios on your social media platforms include where you work and what you do if you are using an individual account for business. If you have a company Twitter account or Facebook page make sure to include what you sell so that as people get to know you, they know right off the bat when you might be a good resource.
• Be upfront about your goals and intentions. This does not mean that you have to be cold or lack personality in your dealings with people, but those with whom you are networking should understand that you are out trying to increase sales and grow your business.
• Maintain a balance between promotional posts, informative posts, and shares from other people/companies. Chris Brogan, New York Times best selling author, once suggested an 8:1 ratio. For every promotional post you push out, make sure you share eight posts that have to do with someone else. This will not only diversify your posts, but it will also show that you are willing to support others.
• Use those social media ears. People may be talking about how they need a product or service JUST like yours right now. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to mention that you offer exactly what they are looking for. Social Media serendipity may be a real thing, but you don’t want to bet on it when your business is at stake.
Very few situations in life or business are all or nothing. Be wary of advice that indicates you should toss out one entire part of your business plan. Usually there is another more balanced solution that will serve you far better.
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Bad Advice Time: The Hard Sell Never Works
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