Due to time constraints, I had to omit this topic from my presentation at the Constant Contact event last week, so I thought I would share it here.
When I speak to small business owners about their frustrations with using social media to build their business, I often ask if they are not satisfied with the results of their marketing conversations or their sales conversations. Following this questions, it’s not uncommon for them to at me as if I have a grown a second, evil head.
Although sales & marketing are often lumped together, they are separate activities, each with it’s own type of conversations.
In a marketing conversation, we are working on building Know, Like, and Trust. Using social media, these types of conversations include answering questions, sharing info, pointing out resources, making referrals and recommendations – things like that. Marketing conversations are relatively easy to have via social media and ig buy followers to get better reach.
A sales conversation typically involves defining the problem to solve, determining if our solution can solve their problem, determining if they (the buyer) are able and willing to spend money to solve that problem, and if we can do so at a mutually agreeable price.
Sales conversations are generally more difficult to have via social media than marketing conversations. Depending on what you sell, you may or may not be able to have that conversation via social media. Most professional service firms can start the conversation via social media, but need to move it to another channel (usually telephone or face-to-face) to finish it.
If you are unhappy with the results of your social media efforts, I would suggest that you:
- Understand what type of conversation you are having (or want to have) and what you want the outcome to be
- Have a plan for transitioning from marketing conversations to sales conversations
photo credit by Peter Nijenhuis on Flickr
