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eNewsletter - 2nd Quarter 2009

Social Media: Compete Smarter to Win More Business!

By Sue Hershkowitz-Coore
www.SpeakerSue.com
Copyright @ 2009

Imagine this: The decision makers are really interested in your product or service and because they can't find anything they consider engaging or authentic, they click off your website. Your website is nice, but they can't find your blog, or a newsletter, or any articles you've written. They find no link to TripAdvisor experiences, or even to your Twitter comments. They choose your competitor because it's easy to see what people say and what matters to the company - beyond the static website.

Alternately, your members are left longing. The website has all the pertinent details, but there is no discussion, no community, no tweets. It's just too quiet and attending the meeting just doesn't seem worth the time or money.

Just yesterday (or at least it seems that way) a website and attention to email etiquette were all you needed to be a savvy influencer. Not so much anymore. Yes, of course, they're still important (and the etiquette hasn't changed). Without the additional advantages of being connected through social media, however, you are losing business.

Social media - whether we're talking blog, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts or more - extends your competitive reach because with every medium you use well, you improve your customer's experience and extend business relationships.

Why is social media so important?
Just as our friends' comments about their actual experiences have always carried more weight than what a company spokesperson might say (no matter how well crafted their spokeswords), the authentic interaction around social media helps customers feel more comfortable and more confident about the credibility of your service or product. Social media makes buying - from a transactional sale to a complex one - easier.

Social media helps you succeed:

1. It warms the cold call. You can generate leads by answering questions people pose on twitter, on your blog, on others' blogs, and on association and community sites. You can create a huge network, and be introduced to an even larger one. Instead of wishing for the "old days" when you could "just pick up the phone," you have new social tools to extend your reach further, faster. (This is not to say the phone isn't useful. The more high tech we use, the more high touch we need. Social media makes connecting with prospects easier, more fun and more satisfying than ever.) Whether planner or supplier, your relationship grows more easily when you start by contributing to the other person's success rather than selling (anything).

2. You can blow your own horn without bragging. Sites like LinkedIn ask you to list your credentials. How cool is that! Your blog posts can show the world your expertise. You can help create a community, brand and groupies to virally market your services and product. You can address customer "pain" and offer clear solutions so that customers know you have what they need - and come to you educated about those offerings. Social media makes it easy for them to reach out to you. And when you're doing the reaching, you can provide them with answers beyond corporate hype. Instead of selling, you're inviting them to buy. It makes everyone breathe easier.

3. Competitive benchmarking has never been simpler. Not only can you learn everything you need to about your competitors, but you can learn from them, too. One of my favorite aspects of Twitter is how much I learn from others tweets. Just today, competitors (and others I follow) posted over 30 articles about "keys to presentation success." For a presenter, that's a treasure trove of information! I also follow my clients, their competition and other opinion leaders, and get "inside" tips from three competing companies - all of whom are my clients!

4. You can manage your reputation. We've always known that pleased customers talk less than those who are not. But both groups talk and now they talk on-line. The great news is that you see what they're saying and you get to manage what they say. When they're disappointed, you can show you care, and you can make it right. When they're pleased, you can show how much that matters to you. Social media helps you to be social - in good times and bad. Social media also gives you the analytics you need to improve what you do. You can learn, engage and prosper by handling objections truthfully, carefully and respectfully.

5. You can help your customers buy. You can shorten the sales cycle by providing all the information your customers need to buy from you. You can load videos, and SlideShare PowerPoints to give them the tools they need to sell your product or service to their stake holders. You get to add information to the pool of knowledge so that your customers can make the best business decisions - the ones that favor you.

6. You can build community. From blog responses to Second City, you can connect your customers so, synergistically, they all profit and, of course, so do you. You can help others feel safe and smart (an important trend in buying during this rough economy) by connecting them with other happy buyers.

7. You can hang out where your customers are. Social media gives you a coveted barstool at the hippest bar in town. Remember though, that it's easy to become obnoxious. Avoid the hard sell; instead, take care of them by caring about them. Provide tools to help them achieve their goals. Give directions that help them get to where they want to go. Drive them home.

8. You can mix business with pleasure. I resisted twitter and other social media because I was turned off by the idea of reading drivel. Mixing business and pleasure doesn't give you the right to bore me and dwell on your own idiosyncrasies. I don't want to know what you had for breakfast, what you're thinking of having for dinner, and what color shirt/blouse you decided to wear after the three others you first tried on. Get a life. A bore is a bore. I've unfollowed people who repeat the same message 10 times a day to ensure they've covered every time zone reader. I've stopped reading blogs of folks who shamelessly promote themselves. Used right, however, social media enables a nice mix of conversation similar to a meaningful conversation at a networking meeting. Just as I might tell you that my husband arrived in China tonight and had to wait in his seat until his temperature was taken with an ear thermometer to prevent the spread of Swine Flu (interesting cocktail chatter), I also might tell you in a tweet that I'm working on a new presentation: Beyond Email Etiquette: What you need to know to play today. But don't dwell on yourself. Deliver meaningful, fun, interesting content. Content is king and queen.

9. You control your success with social media. Social media's potential depends on your ability to creatively coordinate your message. The more interesting you are, the more others "talk." And word of mouth - yesterday and today - is the smartest, easiest and cheapest way to win more business.

Getting started
So much to do and so little time! Here are my recommendations for getting started:
  • Get permission. Unless you are your own boss, check your social media policies. If you don't have any, start the conversation. If you have policies and they sound like they were written by Nathanial Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter) and are just a bit too restrictive, search the web for case studies and updated policies. (Or email me: Sue@SpeakerSue.com)
  • Start a blog. Use your company's intranet or another free blogging platform like WordPress. Write conversationally about matters that matter to your customers. Be real. Write about everyday stuff in a compelling manner. Use headlines that persuade people to read.
  • Respond to post responses and look for other posts you can respond to. Join and expand the conversation.
  • Link. Use as many appropriate hot links in your blog posts as possible. Give credit where credit is due.
  • Open a free Twitter account. Start following others in your industry. Retweet information that is valuable to success. Provide comments, content or quotes that others will find interesting. Try to avoid using all 140 twitter characters so others can easily retweet your message. (Twitter allows messages of up to 140 characters, including spaces and punctuation.)
  • Open a LinkedIn account. Complete your profile - photo and all. Join industry and interest groups and post your comments. Look for people you'd like to meet and extend invitations to them.
  • Open a Facebook business account.
  • Connect Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
  • Capture great information and email it to customers and clients with a brief note: Thought of you when I read this. Hope you find it useful. Then, provide the hot link.
  • Re-build relationships by inviting lost friends and customers to become your Facebook, Plaxo or LinkedIn friend. Customize the note you send and stay in touch to keep the relationship vital. When appropriate, view their contacts and ask for introductions.
  • Add your blog link, twitter name to your signature line. Make it easy for them to find you.
  • Keep posting, tweeting and trolling. Keep your name and company out there.

Building and sustaining relationships has always been the key to success. Social media isn't our daddy's communication tool. It's a new way of conducting business that our dad and mom's could only dream about. Use it to grow your influence and profitability today.

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Schedule Sue Hershkowitz-Coore - SpeakerSue -  to speak at your next meeting. Whether keynoting at association meetings, delivering intensive workshops at sales meetings or helping hospitality and health care professionals stay engaged and successful, SpeakerSue's energy and content electrifies meetings and increases sales. Named "Best in Class" by PCMA (2009- 2010) and a Platinum speaker by MPI (for 8 consecutive years), your attendees will thank you for inviting Sue to speak at your next meeting. Call today (480-575-9711) or email Kristin@SpeakerSue.com to see if Sue is available for your preferred dates. Follow Sue on Twitter and visit her blog too.