Social Media Users Outsell Other Salespeople

Social media may be the key to ramping up sales. In 2012, 72.6 percent of salespeople who used social media for selling out-performed those who weren't using social media, according to new research conducted by Jim Keenan, a social sales specialist. What’s more, Keenan’s firm found that social media users were 23 percent more likely to exceed sales quotas than their non-social peers.

 

More than 40 percent of those surveyed say they've closed between two and five deals as a result of social media. Another 10 percent of respondents attributed their social media efforts directly to closing transactions.

 

So how much time are successful salespeople devoting to social media? Keenan’s firm found that 50 percent of salespeople say they spend less than 10 percent of their selling time using social media. The top sites they identified were (in order) LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and Google+.

 

Society has become more visual; if a person doesn't have to read, you will keep their attention longer. This means that photos and short videos are becoming more prevalent in today's marketing strategies. The one thing to remember when starting out in the wide world of social media, is do one thing at a time. It is OK if you are not immediately on every social media site, choose one that you feel most comfortable with, and focus your time on that until you are ready to go to the next level.

It's time to get social, create a profile, find people that you know, and start posting information that  you are passionate about. When you are passionate, others notice and they are drawn in to find out more. It is important to find others that you know on the social platform that you choose because you want to cultivate a meaningful relationship with them. When someone mentions you in a post, or tags you in a photo, make sure you respond! (Even if it to 'like' their post.) This will get your name and photo in front of a larger group, and slowly, you will see your following and influence grow!

10 Dos and Don'ts of Using Facebook in Your Business

Facebook has become the main way to stay in touch with your family, friends, sphere of influnce and even past clients! It is also a great way to show your potential clients that there is a person behind the website. Show the world that you are multi-faceted, you are a person, have a family, have interests outside of work, and run a business. A common misconception is that Facebook is for selling, but it is actually meant for building relationships and sharing ideas, so be a personality, not a salesperson, when you post or update your status.

 

1. Do share personal tidbits about your life. Let people know you have interests outside of real estate. But not even your mother wants to know what you ate for breakfast—unless it was something really memorable.
2. Do visit the pages of your clients and friends, and “like” their posts. Then follow up with a phone call or note that shows you actually care.
3. Do be genuine. Post items that you are truly passionate about.
4.   Do make your personal profile somewhat public. Your personal profile will come up higher in online search results than your business page. Set at least half of your items to “public” through the privacy controls so potential clients can actually learn a little about you.
5. Do group your friends into lists. A “Local Folks” list can receive your invitations to local events. A “Clients” list enables you to check in with them easily.
6. Don’t post virtual tours on your personal profile. Just don’t.
7. Don’t auto-post from a third party. Your page will look like it’s run by a robot.
8. Don’t self-promote. It’s as much of a turnoff on Facebook as it is in person.
9.  Don’t post negative comments about people. It tells others that you might talk about them that way.
10. Don’t forget to log in daily.  To be successful, consistency is key.

 

Remember that Facebook can be used to promote your business, but ultimately, you are in the business of creating and maintaining relationships. In a relationship, it is important to talk about what you are passionate about, and ask others what they are interested in. Then listen! Find out what your friends are interested in and share articles that they might want to read about, like and comment on their posts to show that you are just as interested in them as you want them to be about you!