2. Today’s Presenter: Richard Brasser The Targeted Group President and CEO Contact: Twitter: @socmedia365 LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/brasser Gvoice: 646.719.0619 Email: rbrasser@targetedgroup.com www.thetargetedgroup.com 866-738-8768
13. Over 91% of B2B buyers are already using social media tools, often to research and execute purchases 86% of B2B firms are using social media B2B marketing spending on social networking sites is predicted to rise 43.3% Source: Forrester Research
27. 300 connections on LinkedIn means that you are two steps away from 5.5 million people! Expand Your Network Do you connect on LinkedIn with every person you meet? Have you already sent me a LinkedIn request?
38. Bringing It All Together Case Study: Noah Rickun Prospecting Research Introduction and Meeting 4. Sales 5. Earned Business
39. 10 ways to increase your impact with Social Networking
40. Social Networking For Sales 10 Power Steps Create a Polished Profile 6. Get Introduced 2. Connect and Reconnect 7. Leverage Commonalities 3. Do your Homework 8. Become a Value Provider Join Similar Groups 9. Strengthen Your Network 5. Share News 10. Pay It Forward
42. The Future of Social Networking and Sales 7/10 kids that are in kindergarten right now… will work in a career that doesn’t exist today! What is your future and how will your role change?
52. Your Online Resource Portal View Video Tutorials, Download the Presentation Slides and Gain Access to Richard Brasser’s E-Book “Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Social Networking” www.thetargetedgroup.com/avayapartners Richard Brasser Twitter: @socmedia365 LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/brasser Gvoice: 646.719.0619 Email: rbrasser@targetedgroup.com Kristen Galli Twitter: @TheTG LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/galli Gvoice: 407.243.8554 Email: kgalli@targetedgroup.com
Editor's Notes
Thank you Piper and attendeesReview: What are we going to do today?We don’t have a lot of time. This session could easily be a week long.So, we had to draw a few lines to make sure we provided the right amount of value.This is for sales organizations and sales people that want to leverage some of the best social networking tools but don’t know how to start.It is not for seasoned social networking juggernauts that are looking for specific new strategies to enhance their current efforts.We have several programs offered on Market Leaders that are designed to provide expert help for partners that are already using social networking and want to improve…more on that later.We are going to review a few of the best tools for sales, give examples and case studies and offer several key steps to get in the game.But first, we have to cover one critical question…
Why is this important for sales? Be nimble, be quick, get ahead of your competition.
Make connections with prospects all over the world
Because that’s why we’re all here -- at the end of the day it’s all about sales
Your prospects are already using social networking! Over 91% of B2B buyers are already using Social Media tools, often to research andexecute purchases – Source: Forrester 86% of B2B firms are using social media. (May 2010)B2B marketing spending on social networking sites is predicted to rise 43.3% (from March 2010)
We are not reinventing the wheel here.What drives social networking is the same thing that drives sales --- it is HUMAN
There is an interesting relationship between tactics salespeople use during the sales process.EXPLAIN DIAGRAMWhen utilized correctly, social networking can make a huge impact and help you nurture your leads into sales.B2B relationships and transactions are typically high-touch and are mainly establishedthrough direct contact with customers. The sale is often focused on a long process of relationship building. With social networking, you can interact with prospects and customers during the entire process. The inherent two way conversation that comes from social networking brings a highly personal dimension to the sale.
Transform from a Salesperson
To a person
But Social Networking can help!“The Secret Door”
Example: Imavex and SONY Case Study
Time Management. Sales people spend time on things that help sales. BUT it’s important to consider what tactics sales people use in relation to their knowledge of how to use each tool.Remember, you would have said 15 years ago that you didn’t have time or weren’t interested in using a lot of the tools you find critical today. Ex. Email, web conferencing, web video
There are a lot of tools out there.Technology Review Slide: Resources are very beneficial if your company has the sophistication behind it. However, very specific tools have been found to have the most impact when applied as an individual sales representative. Today’s strategies will primarily focus on those tools that can aid you as an individual, primarily LinkedIn and Twitter. BUT it’s important to remember that there are resources available to you through MarketLeadersif you do not have the background and education yet.
By now, I think everyone knows they need to use it.But exactlyHOW do individual sales professionals leverage social networking?
Prospecting:
Verify Leads: Do an advanced search on LinkedIn or Jigsaw to ensure your lead has an appropriate role and level of decision-making authority.
Look at company profile pictures. Company pages on LinkedIn provide users with information including a company description, current employees, related companies and other key statistics.
Gather Information:The next step is following your leads, literally, to gather more information. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to look at individual profiles to find their twitter handles, blog sites, and other social media usernames.Then, go check them out. Go to their twitter account and see if there is a reason to connect. For example, if you sell back-up systems and you see a prospect send a tweet about their system crashing, wouldn’t that be the perfect time to reach out with your pitch? If you’ve already identified your prospect as a decision maker in the prospecting step, you have a perfect opportunity to reach out. What better way to get a read on your prospect’s latest news, interests, and pet peeves than following them in real-time?
Grow your network. The opportunities are there!A person with 300 1st degree Connections on LinkedIn really has a network of 5.5 Million people.Speaker at a recent convention. I LI him during his talk. Everyone else stood in line to say hello and get his card. He responded to my LI request within 5 minutes of leaving and we have an ongoing conversation. Leverage that!!!
Increase Referrals and LeadsThere is an inherent Authenticity and Accountability with Referrals. This is the true aspect of social media empowering human connections.
MINI CASE STUDY: TomTom uses social networking tools to verify leads, make connections, and grow his network. Now, 50-65% of leads in current pipeline are a direct result from SN tools.Some of his tips:Tom knew that he was going to be in Chicago for business and wanted to connect with someone at a company headquartered there, but did not have any direct relationships with anyone that he knew of. He knew he couldn’t just call up the headquarters directory and reach a VP, so he leveraged LinkedIn’s Advanced Search tool. By entering the company name and location then sorting the results by relationship, Tom was able to view the leads that had a mutual connection with his network. Tom sent a quick internal message to that connection asking how well they know his new lead as well as asks for an introduction, and right away, he received an introduction and glowing recommendation to his lead.Tom receives a 70-75% response rate with an actual introduction using this method. Which is almost unheard of when trying to connect with top level executives.Tom notes, however, that his success relies on the fact that he has built up a strong network, and it is very important to take the time to do things to keep your network strong. Reach out and touch base with your network every so often to stay top of mind. This plays a huge role when asking for an introduction or referral. If you have a strong relationship with your common connection, they are much more likely to give you a glowing review and increase the temperature of your lead almost immediately.
Recommendations make your LinkedIn profile more dynamic and personal than the fairly static information and carry a lot of weight for you in the business world. So much that one man even build most of his business off of referrals — most of which, he says, have come through recommendations on LinkedIn. Sasha used LinkedIn to grow his new company’s profits without placing a single advertisement. He describes his recommendations on LinkedIn as “an authenticity protocol”, by which professional contacts come to him pre-qualified by the network. His profile has 53 glowing recommendations, which Sasha attributes to gaining new clients such as Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Pepsi, and Yahoo.
Case Study: Paul Solitario and Visa Corporate
Nurture Leads
Become a part of the conversation.Does your firm know a lot about what your customers need? Do you understand a lot of the problems and pitfalls? Are you sharing that knowledge? Twitter, slideshare, blog, linkedIn questions, Become heard!B2B offerings tend to be complex Sales cycles are long and buyers will spend a lot of time upfront researching for the best solution.So why not be a part of that process? With social networking, you can share knowledge and educate prospects to help facilitate faster sales cycles. You can communicate instantly and build trust and credibility at the same time to help increase sales in a shorter time.
Engage Prospects:Use one of the biggest social sites to your advantage by joining relevant LinkedIn Groups. Relevant groups offer topics, articles and conversations that your prospects care about and opens the door for identifying new prospects with specific interests.
Example:Steven Shimek, a Senior VP at a Public Relations firm in Los Angeles, used LinkedIn to expand his circle of influenceHe began answering questions on LinkedIn Answers. This led to multiple business developments for his company, including 20 leads in the past year, one of which turned into a 250,000 contract.Steven replies to business questions posted on LinkedIn Answers and advocates drafting a response “in such a way that it showcases his company’s capabilities.” By posting a qualified, valuable answer to business questions, he builds relationships that often turn into business opportunities, and, quarter million contracts, in Steven’s case. Avaya example from Atlanta – doubled the registrations
Discover Commonalities to become human. Look at their profile. Did you go to the same college? Are a member of the same organizations? Some kind of connection goes a long way and you can easily find that information using social networking tools.
Noah Rickun, CEO of Jeffrey Gitomer’sTrainOne uses Social Networking in many ways, throughout the sales process, from prospecting, to research, to the initial meeting, to the actual sale, and finally to the recommendation and referral stage after the sale.Prospecting: Most salespeople have to find their own leads. The best way to do this is through LinkedIn’s Advanced Search, as we mentioned before. But Noah uses a slightly modified approach. He looks at his last 3 or 4 sales, and determines what the decision maker’s title was and in what industry it was in. He then uses LI’s Advanced Search to find other people with similar titles in the same industry. Once found, he sorts by how he is connected to them and asks his connection for an introductionResearch: Noah uses as many social networking sites as he can to research a potential lead. They important thing to look for here, Noah says, is something that is personal AND relatable. Just as we just mentioned, you want to find a commonality between yourself and your lead. For example, you might be able to find out that your prospect likes the same sports teams as you do, or that you both have kids that play soccer, or that your prospect just got back from a trip to Napa Valley, just by looking at their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networking pages by googling their name. Use that information to help you build a rapport when you reach out.Introduction/Meeting: Noah states that most often, his leads will have a second or third connection. If this is the case, you can ask your mutual connection for an introduction. However, if you find a great lead and no connection whatsoever, Noah says the key here is to figure out how you can create a connection yourself. One of his tools is to look at the groups that his lead is in and join similar groups. Now, you are connected and can send a personal introduction that references your connection (the group) rather than a cold email.Sales: You have the opportunity to let your prospect know about you walk in the door. Just as you researched your prospect, they will look you up as well. This is called “social proof”. Make sure you have a polished profile on LinkedIn at a minimum. How you list your bio and other information in your profile is important as well. Become a value provider by not only showcasing your virtual resume, but also explaining what you can do for your prospect. Earned Business – After the Sale: Stay in touch. Noah stresses the importance of staying in contact with your customers, and SN is a great way to do so. Connect with your clients on social networking sites and update your status on twitter and LinkedIn frequently. Send out insightful comments on twitter or link to relevant content that would be valuable to them. Include short personal notes and give your clients kudos for their accomplishments. Also, connect others. Noah tries to connect two people in his network that he feels would benefit from an introduction every day.
Create a polished profile – 100%. Just as you prospect others and look at their information, they will look at yours. Give them “social proof” that you are the real deal. Make sure it is filled out and get recommendations, it helps you shineConnect --- and reconnect. You never know when someone’s new position might be in an area that could turn into a leadDo your homework. Find your prospects online using business-focused SN tools.Join groups where your prospects gather and become a thought leader. And write well thought out comments or feedback on blogs and discussion forumsShare news. If you have a big product launch or joint venture, for example, notify your contacts through a profile update. It’s that “keeping up” process that spark conversations – which can then lead to prospective clients, partnerships, and even contracts.6. Ask for introductions and referrals.7. Use information gathered to turn a cold call into a warm call. You share a common thread– college, work experience, group, etc. Even if you can’t find a direct connection, sending a message via a social networking platform is better than a cold email because it implies a business context through an established network of trust.8. Become a Value Provider: Help your prospect solve a need by seeking out what their needs are.9. Strengthen your network. Take the time to build valuable relationships and keep them up.10. Pay it forward: Help others by making introductions yourself, just as they helped you.
Social CRM : DefinitionProcess to monitor, engage and manage conversations and relationships with existing and prospective customers and influencers across the internet, social networks, and digital channels
Where Social Networking is going and are you prepared?
MarketLeaders Packages
Highlight SMEAnswers the question: “How do I get started?” This course identifies valuable opportunities in social media and provides a systematic process to initiate a social media plan. Client Discovery CallDiscover your company’s current social media knowledge, concerns, and roadblocksDefine your target audience and traditional marketing initiativesIdentify your company’s existing social media efforts Determine your company’s goals for your education sessionSocial Media Education SessionA valuable education on current social media options in the marketplaceCase Studies with measurable resultsBest practices, policies, and compliance considerationsAnswers to your specific questions
Social Blitz for IP Office Version 7 LaunchProgram Introduction and OverviewOpportunities for Partner InvolvementOngoing Impact
