Twitter is the fastest growing social network site in the world, everyone from Barrack Obama to Miley Cyrus is tweeting daily. However, the big question is, why should people in sales use Twitter? The answer is simple: all your sales prospects are there.
Twitter has a huge following; over 500 million active users who generate more than 400 million tweets everyday with more than 1.6 billion search terms entered every single day. This means there are lots of people to reach and some of them are potential clients.
Your Competitors Are Tweeting Too
Your competitors have also noticed the figures above and many of them are on Twitter as well. According to recent studies 60% of businesses have Twitter accounts - B2B firms using this social network achieve twice as many sales leads while some companies have realized a staggering 400% increase in their sales leads volume once they use a social selling platform.
If you are using Twitter well you can set yourself apart and grab opportunities when they appear; spot the opportunities first, establish relationships, grow customer trust and at the same time make a name on Twitter for your business.
However, just being on Twitter does not guarantee you increased sales, it is how you use it that that makes the world of difference between tweeting yourself into the abyss and actual sales lead generation. Listed below are some easy to follow steps that will turn your tweets into impressive sales lead generators.
Find Prospects
In Twitter, it is all about who follows you and who you follow. There are over 500 million individuals on Twitter, presenting a unique hurdle in the identification of your target audience. Start by identifying keywords and hashtags that your prospects are likely to use.
You can easily find prospective customers through Twitter’s search and advanced search. Although they are excellent tools to un-earth prospects, improved and new search tools appear from time to time. It is crucial that you keep an eye out for any references leading to new resources that can help expand your list of targets.
Also, follow your competitors and find out who they are following and who is following them. They most probably have put a lot of hard work in the process for you, especially if they got in before you.
As the list of people you follow increases, you will find it most helpful to get a 'Twitter client' piece of software that will aid you in organizing everyone into manageable lists that allow easier tracking and searching. Always make sure your searches are saved so as to be able to see any live tweets that are related to your chosen search terms at any given time.
Remember to thank everyone who follows you or re-tweets personally, the human touch can make a world of difference.
Watch for Buying Signals
With a 'following' list available, you should now start “listening” through monitoring your feed for people you can help and who are open to your product or service. Use search terms like “any advice on” or “anyone recommend” to close-in on those who require immediate assistance. Buying signals, like the dissatisfaction with a competitor product, should alert you on a need that your own product can fulfill. Always engage at the very beginning of a sales cycle and make sure you get on the shortlist of potential suppliers.
When using a listening platform, investigate all the information presented to find any relevant conversations, discover opportunities and capture the sales leads.
Understand Your Target Companies
Using Twitter, you have the perfect platform to carry out some pre-sales research. This means you do not have to cyber-stalk every prospect you come across. You can also get a sense of your prospective client’s company as a whole and get a better idea of the agenda, goals and challenges they are facing.
Use Twitter to understand what your customers want and what your competitors are saying about those requirements. This way, you have a clear picture of how and which of your products can help resolve their issues. The information gathered can also prove pivotal in making your next sales pitch more relevant and your face-to-face meetings more meaningful.
Generate Sales With Conversation
One of the best things about Twitter is that you can spark up a conversation with the target audience. You have, however, to show that you are listening first to avoid giving-off the image that you are a spammer. While a tweet can be an invitation for help, it is never a request for a hard sell. If you cannot help someone, find somebody else within your network that can and you will still get credit for the help offered.
When a prospect follows you, make use of Direct Messages to move the conversation away from public forums, share emails or phone numbers. Even if the prospect does not convert into a sale, they have had a positive experience with you, meaning they will most probably buy one of your products from you in the future or even recommend someone to you.
Build Your Own Following
While building the list of people or companies for you to follow, it is crucial that you also build your own following. Provide a focused and clear bio that indicates what exactly you do or your company does. A bio that indicates your areas of expertise will make more people want to follow you back.
With the above tips, you will be able to increase sales using Twitter. Also, remember to build relationships with influential tweeters and use the data collected to add contacts to your CRM system.
