researching sales with social media

Researching Sales with Social Media

Bill Ricewww.bettercloser.com

Basic elements of a sale

Solution selling defines it this way:

Sales = Pain x Power x Vision x Value x Control

So will I. We're going to use social media to help us:

• Look for pain or highlighting latent pain• Seek power• Align vision• Confirm value and reducing risk• Drive the process to close--control

Elements of research system

Focusing on social media and real-time information

• Search• Venues• Search• Flow• Campaign• Nurturing

Future session

Looking for pain

When I say search you should be thinking:

• Google• Linkedin• Twitter

Here's how to turn them into lead generation tools...

Finding pain

Keywords

• Turn the pain tree into keywordso How do their customers talk about the pain?o How do your prospects talk about the pain?

• Turn the vision into keywordso How do you describe the solution vision?o How would a prospect describe a like vision?

• Consider different power levels. They talk differently.• Don't forget about the competitor!

Searching for pain

Tip Suspect!

Searching for pain

Searching for pain

Seeking power

Linkedin.com is THE central repository of power!

Step 0: Get on Linkedin.comStep 1: Connect with ALL your (happy) clientsStep 2: Get recommendations from ALL your (happy) clients

Seeking power...Linkedin.com

No power here...MySpace.com

Seeking power

Advantages of Linkedin.com

1. Demographics2. Self-segmented3. Research is all there4. Track record5. Identifies pathways

Searching Linkedin.com from Googlesite:linkedin.com "current * architect" "websphere" (inurl:pub | inurl:in) -intitle:directory "greater chicago area"

Aligning Vision

This is often the hardest part of the sale.

It is a give in take of open questions, confirming questions, and controlling questions.

You're trying to hone in on the real buying trigger.

Two strategies:1.Attract like vision2.Identify likely vision

Attract like vision

Identify likely vision

Confirming value and lowering risk

There is still a lot of FEAR in the market.

To overcome this barrier you have to not only convey value, but also lower risk.

Social Proof and Authority work well here.

Social Proofing and Authority

Do it on their terms

Don't forget Google

Driving the process to close--control

You have lots of intelligence on your  target accounts. 

Now, execute. Get into their field of view.

Shape their perception (or yours) of the ideal solution.

Thank you!

Bill Rice@billricebill@kaleidico.comwww.bettercloser.com