This recent article by Forbes makes it sound like we just hit the leading edge of social selling with Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook et al. But, are we really? Linkedin launched in May of 2003 and now promotes it has 175M registered users. I was in the first 400 of those registered users, and since then (aside from the associations I belong to), have built a lifelong network of relationships, customers, collaborators, and friends through Linkedin.
But now I find Linkedin and Twitter have become so “noisy” that trying to get heard is like being a whisper in a hurricane. But is that what we really need to be doing – getting heard? If you’re job-hunting maybe. But we’re talking sales, not jobs. So do we really need a next big “social thing”? Will Google +, or a re-invented Linkedin (note their recent changes to make your profile stand out more) make a bigger difference in making more sales.
I think for the next year the next big thing will be learning the art of really using Linkedin for what it was initially designed – mining relationships, and leveraging those relationships for referrals. If done properly, a salesperson should never have to make another cold call in their lives (this is extreme, but how everyone writes today, I thought I would also take that liberty), it’s conceiveable you can have a never ending list of referrals for business opportunities. Now that’s pretty happening.
However there are some old skills and principals you will need to adhere to. One principal is respecting your network connections, and their 2nd and 3rd degree connections. Respecting their privacy and “rank” is another principal. A skill to re-learn is leveraging who you know to produce good referrals. Referrals that need what you have and when they want it. Referrals that will actually take your call, listen and determine if you have the “right stuff” meeting their very specific needs. If this sounds like sales 101 – it is! We’ve just gotten so carried away with Web, Social, Networking 2.x – and all they media and hype surrounding it, that we’ve forgotten the basics, and how to use the basics with just some new tools.
So, nice of Forbes to keep us informed. Just pay attention, use the right selling skills (if you’re reading this you should know what those are), and learn how to use the new social tools properly. Last, respect and don’t abuse your connections. Treat them with care, they’re valuable. Then watch and see what happens, life will become a little simpler and less stressful – you might actually enjoy and have fun selling again. – enjoy Reed Oftain