"Social selling is not like buying a list of leads and cold calling everyone on the list. It is not a disruptive process, where you merely spit out a series of marketing messages, lead-generation offers, or coupons and discounts. Nor is social selling the equivalent of lead scraping."
The basic principles of social selling are not new, although the technologies of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter differ from a beeper or a phone. They are based in the sales philosophy expressed by the imperative, “Don’t sell anything; make a friend instead.”
A digital marketing promoter and author of "Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies," author Shannon Belew explains that effective social selling is nothing more than relationship building. "For most salespeople, this should come as good news. After all, the traditional sales process is just about that - relationships."
Whether you are on Google+ or Pinterest or Facebook, the principles are the same: seek out customers current and new, learn from what they are saying and engage them to build a sincere relationship. Every time you bring something of value to the conversation or service a need, you establish trust and build a reputation.
Finding and Engaging Customers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Social Networks
by Shannon Belew
AMACOM, 2014
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Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies
