Top Social Selling Tips for Outbound Sales Teams

Social selling is an essential part of every business, or it should be. Today’s audiences are buying more frequently and choosing companies more carefully based on their social presence, as well as things like social proof. No matter what industry you’re in or what your sales team is trying to sell, you have to have a social selling strategy in place. The good news is that there are plenty of tips and insight out there to help you create your own. 

Outbound sales teams have a lot on their plates. Fortunately, social selling doesn’t have to become “one more thing” if you do it right. Here are some tips to make sure that your sales team is on track. 

Leverage social media for connections 

It’s essential for sales reps to use social media to gather information and connect with prospects. Using the information that they find, your team will be able to find leads based on mutual interests, experiences, or connections. For example, you can use LinkedIn to congratulate someone on a professional accomplishment and connect with them in that way. 

It’s essential to find ways to meet people where they are, and social media makes that a lot simpler than you might realize. 

Diversify your social strategy 

Too often, sales teams get focused on one social channel or another, trying to make the most of prospects as they come through. However, your outbound sales reps (and your social media efforts in general) are going to be much more effective when you engage on multiple platforms. 

Make sure that you choose the social networks that are most effective first, and then focus on secondary social selling that you can use to leverage other networks and verticals. Adding social media communications can even help cut through all the noise that people see in their email. 

Engage with user content 

You can’t just go out to social media and find people to start selling to. You have to engage with their content and posts so that you can demonstrate your interest and show them that you have something in common. Prospects enjoy brands that engage with them through social media. It’s not just about you—it’s about how you can build connections with people who can utilize your products or services. 

Find and engage with communities online 

There are so many networks and communities out there in the social space, it can be hard to keep up. However, you don’t have to be actively marketing on all of them. You simply have to find the ones that are most effective for you and put them to use. Make sure that your outbound reps know how to find different groups and communities that they can leverage for leads, connections, and more. 

Sincerity goes far 

It’s easy to get so involved in a marketing strategy that you forget about being personable and sincere. However, genuine connections and engagement will do a lot more for your business than you think. People see your sincerity and commitment and that helps build your reputation and staying power. They can also use that trust to build a relationship with your business. 

When you build trust and rapport, your business will grow on its own, which is why social selling is such an integral part of the process these days. 

Use data, not guesswork

Social selling is like any other strategy that you employ. You have to plan for it and know what your goals are. You also need to utilize data to gather the necessary insights and make the right connections. Set up social selling campaigns. Check and see how they’re doing. Make adjustments and corrections. Then, repeat. With the power of social data, you’ll be able to make much smarter decisions about your social selling. 

Having defined goals and being able to measure the right KPIs in regard to those goals will be essential to your success. It’s much easier to measure your results and implement new tactics when you know what you’re monitoring and what your goals are. 

Be consistent

This is a good practice for your outbound sales team in all that they do, not just for social selling. Consistency is a staple for businesses that want to stand out from the crowd and get the leads today. Relationship building takes time and dedication. Your outbound sales team needs to invest the time to deliver consistent engagement with people on all the networks that are relevant to your brand. This helps build your reputation and further strengthens your sense of authority. 

The benefits of social selling

Social selling is a great lead generation strategy that can deliver some powerful results for your business. You can use social insights and connections to help build relationships and create a conversation about what your business has to offer. It challenges the traditional experience and gives you the chance to form more natural relationships with people. 

Social media is immediate and constant. It sees billions of people every single day, and it has so much untapped potential for marketing and sales. When you use social selling well, you can:

• Drive revenue by generating better leads
• Build authentic relationships with customers 
• Prioritize your sales pitches to add value 
• Expand your networks

Of course, these are just a few of the perks that come from engaging in effective social selling methods. An increased bottom line and better potential for future growth can also be added to the list when you do it right, so be sure to get your outbound sales team on board right away. 

Make sure that you’re ready for the leads to come 

If you do it properly, your social selling efforts will take off in short order. And when they do, you’ll see an influx of leads that will help you drive new business. Are you prepared? If you partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you’ll get access to a 24/7 answering service, along with support for lead intake and appointment scheduling so that you never miss an opportunity. To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai.

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