Are you a superb host? Do you coordinate events—and make sure everyone RSVPs? In group settings, are you the one checking in with quieter members?
A socially adept person is highly attuned to his audience, listening and adapting to address any concerns and put them at ease. Over time, this settles into a relationship, replete with trust, intrigue, and a good heaping of “like.”
In this age of customer-centric selling, sales reps and sales teams simply do the same for their prospects. Using human psychology as a guide, a successful sales rep can gain attention, assess motivation, and develop strong relationships. This sales rep will have accomplished half the job of social selling—and set himself up for an impressive win-win close.
Below is a rundown of some common psychological preferences—and how you can leverage social selling tools to apply them all to your sales.
1. Sharing Values
People relate to others they feel share their values. Social platforms offer sales reps the opportunity to build this bridge—and form subconscious alliances with target personas.
To become adept at this, step into your personas’ shoes. Figure out their greatest pain points, most frequent questions, and likeliest concerns. Then, figure out where there’s overlap with your brand—and talk about it. Drop a mention into your update posts. End your emails with a reminder of your common ground or shared mission. Weave whole marketing pieces around these discovered values. They’ll go a long way.
2. Addressing Ego
Like it or not, even the best among us have ego cravings—and they can rear up in the sneakiest ways. That’s why it’s important to not just learn your target—but to include his or her particular circumstances in your correspondence. In other words, de-emphasize the “you”—except, of course, when it comes to establishing that firm common ground.
3. Satisfying FOMO
Maybe it’s the opera. A tennis match. The latest gadget. Whatever your hot new thing is, there’s something so universally poignant about missing it that sociologists have an acronym for it: FOMO, or fear of missing out. Hard not to relate, right?
When you’re selling, it’s possible to position your product or service with equal excitement. Start by identifying everything’s that’s fresh and innovative about it—and let people know. You can also figure out who your most cutting-edge influencers are—and get them to help spread the word. Consider an incentive—or just use your own influence, and let your market do some of the heavy lifting.
4. Building Trust
As nice as “fresh” and “different” are, some people don’t trust them. Ideally, you’d balance these traits with the opposite: past accolades, storied history, establishment. How?
You want to engage with thought leaders—and develop your own leadership. Share relevant content. Make sure it takes a stance. Compile metrics, and craft case studies that highlight your value—but don’t hit people over the head with it. Speak confidently—but without bluster.
These principles aren’t groundbreaking. To anyone with a little social mastery, they might represent the opposite: a simple way to build helpful, magnanimous relationships, spiked with a heavy dose of “human” sense. Try them all and let us know how it goes!
For more tips on how to engage with the right insights and build trusted relationships, download the eBook How Personalized Selling Unlocks Competitive Advantage.
Topics: Modern selling
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