If You are Relying Solely on Social’s Law of Attraction, Think Again!

One of the very first concepts that I was introduced to when I got started with social media was the law of attraction. Websites operate on this principle by attracting people to the site via SEO and content. Ideally, these visitors can then be converted to paying customers. With social selling, now salespeople also have this capability.

Attraction is only the start

This ability to create, and to leverage, a personal brand is something new to salespeople as a result of social media. Sure, sales reps have always had a brand, a reputation, and that is what leads to referrals.

What’s different is the reach, the ability to attract potential buyers from a sea of millions without any apparent connection to each. However, you can build a great profile but, if you are not engaging consistently, the benefits of attraction will fade quickly. This is not a one and done project.

Activity = visibility. In other words, if you just build a website without promoting it, you are relying on search and the will of the Gods. This same rule holds true with your professional social profiles. I prefer to control my own destiny so I have chosen to make meaningful contributions to my social communities. Thus, I become visible.

Nibbles and bites

You’ve invested significant time and money in positioning yourself to attract others to your website and your profiles and, if you build it, they will come. Now it is up to you to monitor this activity and it can come in the form of nibbles or bites (AKA taps and touches).

Nibbles would be minor engagement attempts while bites would be more direct. Examples of each …Nibbles (taps) – Likes, retweets, replies (mentions or @ messages), endorsements, share forward, and clicks.
Bites (touches) – info requests, phone calls, emails, comments, requests to connect, personalized direct messages, text messages, and sharing your info (originating a share vs. a retweet).

Follow-up

That being said, attraction without follow-up is the selling equivalent of hitting a home run and then neglecting to run the bases. When a fish bites, you need to set that hook! But, it’s complicated. The more active that you are on social media, the more engagement opportunities there will be. Lots more.

You need to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and there is going to be a lot to discard. With practice, you will be able to identify the bots (automated engagements) from the sincere attempts to connect. This is step #1 and you will be able to eliminate at least 50% of these messages.

In step #2, take a look at your “opportunities”. You will want to identify those with the highest potential to be mutually beneficial. How you define that is up to you but, I look at social as a business tool rather than for entertainment. I want quality business relationships but, I’m not looking for new BFF’s. That’s me. What about you?

I would suggest that research will be your step #3 and you will then compare your findings against your target buyer persona. If you are not familiar with this term, a TBP will allow you to define the business characteristics of those people and companies who have the highest likelihood of doing business with you.

Step #4 is where you will begin to return engagements with those who you have selected. As a rule, I like start engagements in the same manner that they have chosen to do so. Also, as a rule … your engagements should be progressive and move from taps to touches. Think …. phone, coffee, lunch, dinner and a movie.

Nurture

Opportunities and relationships are earned, not granted, and the only way to get both is to nurture those relationships. There are many ways to do this socially, via taps and touches but, you cannot, should not, overlook the power of in-person engagements. With geography in mind, we can define these as being either/all …

Face-to-face
Phone calls
Video conferencing

I can’t begin to stress how important this is. I am a very good networker but, if I don’t get toes-to-toes with my power partners on a regular basis … let’s just say that I am not always at the top of their minds. They have their own businesses to worry about. Go figure.

However, when we meet in person it’s like someone has flipped on a light switch. In anticipation of the meeting, we are both thinking in advance about what we can bring to the party. Christmas might be over but, you can get presents everyday if you nurture those relationships!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!