The traditional method of making sales is being disrupted by social selling.

My close buddy recently led a workshop on social selling using LinkedIn. I had the opportunity to participate. I’ve picked up a lot about social selling from him over the years because of how skilled he is in that area. He is at the forefront of the newest advancements in social selling. Establishing professional connections with other businesspeople are done effectively by using LinkedIn. I’m willing to expand my knowledge even more, despite the fact that my profile is in the top 5% of all LinkedIn users. I am discovering that the rate at which technology and social connection are developing is causing a shift in the overall sales process. This is happening at a rate that is far quicker than we could ever have imagined. This is something that should be known by anybody who coaches, leads, or owns a business.

Social selling pitfalls

Think of social selling as a way to make an initial connection with someone who may become a potential business client. If you make the correct introduction, you could be able to form a fruitful business relationship that will be to your company’s advantage for years to come. Even more than that, this is the way sales will be done in the future. Those people who choose not to include social selling into their sales process will fall behind their competitors and run the danger of seeing their sales dwindle to the point of extinction.

Nonetheless, there is a worrying new pattern of behaviour that is putting an end to social marketing. It’s the rise of opportunists who try to sell their services without first establishing any kind of connection with the target audience. How do I know? Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of companies professing to be experts at lead development. They are offering a variety of services, including coaching, to assist businesses in finding new customers. Each one of them presents themselves as a specialist in the field of assisting your company’s industry. They utilize a technique based on online marketing. In order to attract the attention of company owners, they developed a system consisting of templates that were loaded with emotive wording. After conducting my own research on a few of these, I can say with certainty that they are not reliable sources for leads. They don’t have any successes to report, and they are lacking in experience. They want to capitalize on the misunderstanding that exists in the business sector at this time. This has a detrimental impact on social selling, which is unfortunate.

How exactly can one guarantee that the social marketing initiatives they do will be successful?

To phrase it another way: Don’t behave so superior! Take part in meaningful conversation with the individuals to whom you are linked. When it comes to your message systems, you should try to avoid utilizing pre-made templates. People are more curious about getting to know who you are as opposed to learning what you do for a profession. People who have some trust in you are more likely to wonder about what you do and get captivated by it if you do it consistently. People are quite good at determining whether you are being genuine. Being genuine is a trait that is all too seldom seen. Therefore, remain sincere while keeping a laid-back attitude about all you do. It is essential to speak in a manner that is both clear and respectful when you have the attention of another person. Always keep in mind that people want to work with someone they can relate to, trust, and respect, so never forget that people want to connect with you!

Always keep in mind that people want to work with someone they can relate to, trust, and respect, so never forget that people want to connect with you!

How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out more

People will glance at your photo first when they visit your profile. It’s the first thing they see. They want to make sure that it is done professionally and that the person portrayed is someone they would feel comfortable doing business with. If this is not the case, the person seeing your profile will not proceed any further. Make sure that the focus of the social media site that you are using is reflected in the profile photo that you use for that network. If you are using LinkedIn, you should think about choosing a professional photo. It would be improper to display a picture of yourself from several years ago, one from a beauty shoot, or one of you in casual attire at this time.

People are going to glance at your title once they have finished looking at your picture. They are interested in learning more about who you are and what you do. Therefore, make sure that you inform them of the things that you do for them and the things that you can do for them. They will then read your summary and acquire a better understanding of who you are from there.

Modifications to your profile that are required in order to engage in social selling

Here are some helpful hints that you may use to enhance your profile.

• Writing – Have your biography and history written by a qualified professional writer. Why? To put it simply, using the appropriate words to describe your company may make all the difference in the world. The right words will attract the ideal customers you need. In addition to that, the majority of people struggle when it comes to talking about themselves.
• Photograph – Obtain a photograph taken by a professional, and rotate it at regular intervals. When your LinkedIn profile is updated, an alert will be sent to all of your connections notifying them of the changes. They are then encouraged to review your comments. A higher number of views indicates that more people are aware of what your services include.
• Endorsements – When you give a positive good word to someone in your network, they will be informed. They will be prompted to give you positive feedback in return. This will result in an increase in the number of page visits to your profile. It may also help you form a stronger connection with someone you are getting to know.
• Keywords – It is important to be aware of the keywords you wish to use so that potential customers may find you. Find a social media specialist to assist you if you become confused. They will know which words to use in order to search for things.
• Video – In the part that summarizes your work, you should add an opening video. Google’s search algorithm places a high value on the social signals come from videos. Therefore, having a video on your social media profile will provide you an advantage over other firms. 

Keep in mind that coming to an old-fashioned in-person meeting is what social selling is like. You do not want other people in the room to think of you as the arrogant and slick salesperson. The same idea applies to sales made through social media. You want to make sure that you match the tempo and vibe of the platform that you are on.