Social or Selling

Social networks are what their name implies; places to be social. Imagine you just walked into a party with a group of 100 of your friends and acquaintances and the first thing you do is yell out to the room "I sell life insurance, who wants to buy some!". Sounds ridiculous doesn't it?

It is 2012 and I am still amazed at how many people and business that are doing just that on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and all of the other social networks. Let's go back to the party and see what normally happens at a social event.

Again imagine you just walked into a room of 100 friends and acquaintances; what is the first thing you do? You see the first person as you walk in and say hello, swap pleasantries and then talk about what has been going on in your life. You ask questions of the other person to build on the conversation and show interest in their lives. The normal course of conversation will be about what has been happening outside of work first and at some point you will wind up talking about business and how things are at work.

Is this what is going on in your business' social marketing? Oops, I think I just mentioned the word that confuses people into shouting across the room, to the entire crowd, what they do for a living. Marketing, we have all done it for years, we advertise our wares anywhere we can. But wait, isn't that what I am supposed to do is let people know what I do and what I can do for them? Yes it is, but just like our conversation above, there is a time for that. Imagine you are back at the party (by the way, what kind of drink do you have in your hand).

This time you are already at the party socializing with your friends and in walks that guy. As he walks in the room he yells to the crowd "My name is Jim and I sell cars, who wants to buy one!". Imagine how quiet and uncomfortable the room feels right now. Now imagine he is making a bee line right for you. You look around feverishly to find someone to talk to, someone to protect you from "that guy". Maybe you turn your back to him and make a bee line yourself for the hours d'oeuvre tray. Uncomfortable isn't it.

Are you making your "friends/followers" uncomfortable at the party? There is a time to talk business at the party and even a time to pass out a business card, just like there is a time to do the same on your social networks. The right mix is important, too much selling and you get tuned out and avoided.

Don't be THAT guy at the party!


P.S.: Earlier I asked you what kind of drink you had in your hand when you imagined yourself at the party. Leave me a comment and let me know and in the next post we will talk about the most powerful word in sales.

How large is your stack?

Open your desk drawer; how many business cards from other people are in that stack. Maybe that stack is on your desk or in a neat binder; maybe you have a rubber band around it. Now take a look at your phone contact list; how many people are in your list? 50, 75, 100? Do you still have a rolodex (yes they still sell them; I was surprised as well)? Now take a look at your email address book, how many there? If you are in sales you have a customer management program, how many are in there?

Why have I put you through this hunt? We now live in the most connected time ever, yet so many of us are not connecting. We all have Facebook, Twitter, maybe a LinkedIn, might be on Pinterest, or Foursquare. You might have a blog on Blogger or Wordpress, you might have just signed up on Google+. Wow, it sounds like we are connecting, but are we really. 

Back to the exercise, are you "connected" with all of those people on the networks you belong to or do you just have their contact info? If not, why? These are all opportunities to do business, find a job, help someone else do business, help someone else find a job, get questions answered, answer questions, or just socialize and stay CONNECTED. If you are in sales, how important would it be that you could "touch" your customers on a regular basis? If you are looking for a job, how much easier would it be to get that interview if you knew someone at that company? If you had a plumbing nightmare (yeah, I have had one of those) how great would it be that you were connected to a plumber that you sold a truck to? Maybe that lady that just came into your store is starting her own internet advertising company and you are looking for some help with AdWords. 

con·nec·tion - (k-nkshn)  - A person, especially one of influence or importance, with whom one is associated, as by kinship or common interests

I am guilty; we all are. Take a moment to go through your lists and start connecting on as many networks as possible and then stay connected. Make sure that you are not just "connecting", but that you are conversing with these new connections as well. People want to deal with someone they know. If they feel like they know you, they will be more willing to deal with you when you have a product or service they need. 

I recently lost my job at a company I had been with for 16+ years. It was time for a change, I just didn't get to decided on the timing of that change. I have no ill feelings toward the company or my former boss; I wish them well. I do wish that I had taken the time to be more connected to my clients, the sales reps who called on me, the people I had met on a daily basis. I am glad I have a stack of business cards, a phone full of numbers and an email address book.

Take the time to connect today and start talking to those connections on your SOCIAL networks. It is called social for a reason; it is time to be social and connect. Do you have other places to look for the "hidden" contacts in your life, either professionally or personally? If so, leave a comment and let us know.