What is Social Selling?
MSP sales don’t often take the social component into consideration when designing a sales strategy. IT isn’t a field that commonly attracts professionals who are known for their socialization skills. It’s often a good idea to hone your sales force by hiring those who make selling their primary living. However, such an ideal situation cannot always be achieved.
Means of Increasing Social Selling Skill
You’ve got to work with what you have. Whether a startup or a more established business gaining momentum, your sales and marketing team could stand to benefit from a few common best practices in terms of socialized selling technique:
- Make interaction with clientele something as easy and pleasant as possible
- Design marketing to naturally direct target prospects toward you
- Focus marketing around answering and overcoming client pain points
Make Interaction with Clients Something as Easy and Pleasant as Possible
MSP sales shouldn’t be too pushy. You shouldn’t be pressuring clients into making a conversion— at least not by default. There are times when pressure is appropriate, but starting out, your objective should be to provide prospects enough information to make an informed decision.
That information should lead them to see how what you can do will be core to solving issues they are dealing with. Have statistics available showing how clients of yours have saved and be able to run a few cost-saving projections. But above all, be pleasant–treat them how you’d like to be treated yourself in their situation.
Design Marketing to Naturally Direct Target Prospects Toward You
Now, it’s a lot simpler to make a conversion or initiate further pitch meetings if prospects come to you. This is easier to say than to do, but not without the bounds of possibility. SEO and content marketing strategies can help put you in front of those who are already searching for that which you provide and are local to your market.
Additionally, becoming an online resource for those who benefit from what you do can be key in facilitating their organic transition to your services. When they know you’re the authority, they naturally come to you.
Find ways of getting clients to come to you, and you’ll find the social act of selling less complex. Essentially, the sale has already been made, and you’re just formalizing it.
Focus Marketing Around Answering and Overcoming Client Pain Points
Existing clientele can help give you an idea of the pain points prospects come to you looking to assuage. Research your demographic to know what they’re dealing with, and where your services can definitely provide them value either in cost deferral or productivity facilitation.
A Fleshed-Out Social Selling Strategy
MSP sales strategies should focus marketing around overcoming client pain points, design marketing to direct prospects toward your MSP naturally, and facilitate pleasant interaction. Such an approach will lubricate socialization naturally, helping both you and prospective clients be at ease as you go about helping them find technology services that fit.
