Breaking The Ice

Turning a stranger into a lifelong client isn’t an easy task. It requires earning their trust and proving that you have their best interests in mind. It requires understanding their needs, their budget, their tastes, and even their personality. Traditionally, this means making their experience the best you possibly can after they’ve stepped through your doors. But with the advent of digital marketing, particularly with social media, you can show them that same hospitality before you’ve even had a chance to shake hands. As more and more marketing opportunities on social media present themselves, it’s important not to forget the most critical part of what these platforms are designed for: being social. Yes, you can advertise to thousands for mere pocket change. Yes, you can drive web traffic and promote offers and brand your company at the click of a button. But if you aren’t using your personality to make first contact with potential lifelong customers when they first see you on social media, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Anyone in sales is trained and focused on building relationships. These skills are a big part of defining your business. You’re never the only game in town, so the sales team does their best to make sure the client enjoys shopping with you instead of your competitors. Using that same talent, the sales team should be part of your social media plan. A two-part social media strategy works exactly like traditional marketing. The events, messaging and advertising bring people to you, and then your sales team closes the deal. There’s no substitution for someone getting a chance to actually talk to you and understand who you are before they have to make the trip to your store. And when they know they’re going in to meet someone they’ve already spoken to, they can be excited instead of anxious. And the best part? It’s as simple as having your team check your social media from time to time. 5 to 10 minutes a day when there’s a period of light traffic might be all it takes to answer a question and give a potential customer that little push they need to pick you over the other guy. You have the staff and you have the time, it’s just a matter of putting it in motion. The only caveat is that social media is not the place for a hard sell. If someone asks a question, all they want is an answer. You don’t have to push for an appointment or a sale, they’ll make that decision on their own, and being too aggressive will just turn them off. All they’re hoping for is that they can connect with another person – someone knowledgeable, friendly and excited to help make their purchase a great experience.