Social Media Isn’t Just on the Internet
Sales people across the internet are being bombarded with people telling them that they need to be on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, FriendFeed, or some other Social Media tool that is currently the new shiny thing. Now here is the thing that they aren’t telling you – If you only are using Social Media tools online and not using them to actually meet people in the real world then you are doing it wrong.
There are probably meetings, tweet-ups, coffee events, or other events that are organized purely over Social Media that you should go to. Meet these weird people from online in person. Shake their hand, introduce yourself, and start building a connection. In the last few months I have met a couple of dozen people in the Phoenix area through social media first then in person later.
Now for the really hard part – Don’t try to sell them anything when you meet them in person. Especially don’t try to sell them anything directly over Social Media. Just be you and get to know people – in time if you do it right and they need whatever it is you are selling, or they know someone who does, then they’ll come to you. Then you can be a salesman.
Thanks to Matthew Petro, Katie Charland, Tyler Hurst, Michael Barber, the guys at RedPear, Jana Knapp, and all the other people who I have met in person after meeting on social media for helping to inspire this post.
Totally should have been first on that list!
Another thing you’ve done well is essentially recruit us to sell for you. This was never your direct intention, but it’s through you and the other Integrum and Gangplankers that I talk almost nonstop about the place. It’s an extremely powerful, yet indirect, way of spreading the message.
yeah this makes a ton of sense.
this is how i got into gangplank in the first place, but its great to get down there and meet everyone face to face. as much as we rely on technology, nothing beats a good ol handshake and conversation.
Thanks for the shout out Chris.
I find that social media makes meeting people in person so much easier – you’ve already got a sense of who they are and what their personality is like. So aside from the obligatory showing off of kid photos (she’s darling by the way), you’re just picking up a conversation that’s been happening already.
I think about this when I hear people complain that they can’t get people to follow them on Twitter, FB, etc. A significant amount of the SM conversations that I get involved in, and people I know on social media, are because of integrating SM with IRL meetings. If people would start reaching out IRL too, their SM conversations would become that much more robust and meaningful.