Dispatches from BMA14: Series of Short Reports from the Tell Your Story Team at #BMA14 in Chicago

Social selling expert Jill Rowley rocked the #BMA14 crowd this morning and discussed how we can do a better job communicating with prospects using social media. Her presentation was excellent as she kept emphasizing,  “It isn’t always about closing, it is about always being connected.”

The biggest change in the market is using social media channels to engage with your audience.  Stop trying to be a “quota crusher,” she implored sales professionals. Rather, connect with your audience in a meaningful way.  She supported this with a great stat: 78 percent of sales professionals who use social media to build connections outsell their peers.

She also reviewed a bit of research that shows that it takes approximately 8 cold calls to reach a prospect, and of those people reached, only 2% convert into meetings.  It takes 6.25 hours of work to get to this point.  And because times have changed, with 92% of B2B buyers now starting their research online, sellers need to change their selling ways.

Of her many tips, here are a few highlights on how to reach prospects through social media:

• Make sure all of your profiles are up to date.  Use professional pictures and add information about your experiences.
• Use LinkedIn to make connections.  Don’t send the invite from your phone. (She says the mobile app stinks). Send a personal message with your connection request about why you’d like to connect and how you know the person.
• Twitter is a powerful tool.  If you can’t attend a conference, follow the hashtag.  See what your prospects are learning about, follow the conversation.
• Read and post content that is important to your customers.  It builds credibility to your audience.
• Summarize content in 3 bullet points and send to a prospective client.
• Search LinkedIn for individuals that have something in common with you.  Reaching out to individuals in your alma matter is an easy way to start a conversation.