Get ready because we’re gonna be talking about the most common sales mistakes and how you can fix your sales mistakes so you can close more sales in your social media DMs or direct messaging.
Why Selling on Direct Messaging is Important for Small Business
So let’s talk about why selling in the DMs is so crucial because I’m seeing a colossal mistake that women service providers and coaches are making. So many women feel that they can post on social media, and the sales will come flooding into their message box.
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However, that’s not how it works.
If you want to sell through social, you’ll have to be more proactive in the online sales process. And in my Persuade to Profit program, I teach a five-part system you need to have in your business to ensure that you have sales coming in consistently.
How to Be Engaged in the Socials and Direct Messaging
Today we’re going to talk about phase one, which is about being engaged. You’ll want to be well-versed in engagement because you can tap into significant money selling in the DMs. There are people out there looking at your content who may be interested but haven’t reached out to you yet.
Some people want to come onto your live streams and buy from you, but they’re waiting for you to make the first move. Unfortunately, there are also mistakes you can make when contacting those people, so let’s dive in with the biggest mistakes to avoid when connecting with a potential client on social media.
The Three Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Selling on Social Media
Mistake #1: You are going in for sale too soon. I see this all the time in my Facebook and Instagram DMs, and you probably have as well. What you want to remember is the focus of your first point of contact with a prospect isn’t to sell them anything. So, for example, showing up and trying to pitch them a discovery call on your first contact is no Bueno!
They don’t know who you are or what you’re about. That is not what you do for first contact. What you wanna do as the first point of contact is to go in soft. Your first point of contact should be an introduction and to make yourself known.
We have scripts to help you introduce yourself on the socials. For example, poll your social media followers, invite them to a free event or workshop you’re hosting, thanking them for commenting on your post. Those are the first points of contact that work well for starting a relationship.
Mistake #2: Not asking enough quality questions. When you ask quality questions, your prospect will determine the quality of the answers. Get clear on the types and specifics of questions you need to ask prospective buyers to help them.
At this point, you need to learn how to listen. When they respond, ask another question, dig deeper and find out more about them. Find out what they think they need in their businesses to make money. Oftentimes I find out that they have mentors telling them to create funnels and other digital sales elements that they aren’t ready for in their business because they don’t have the basics of sales down. Now they’re stalled because they think they need to accomplish all these funnels, but they don’t understand sales or know how to use technology.
Mistake #3: The third mistake many business owners make is that they don’t assume the sale. When you make that first contact, remember that you’re either going to get an appointment, a sale, or a referral. You’re developing a relationship to sell to them. However, at this point, you want to get some type of relationship element out of the interactions on social media before you pitch the sale.
Now there is a dark side to assuming the sale too seriously. And assuming the sale too seriously means you’re ready to book the sale next step and skip all the intermediate steps immediately. “Let me go in for this sale right now.” is what people will think – this is when they get controlling and weird, making it very uncomfortable.
One of the things that you need to realize in sales is that your sale does not always equate to getting the money right then and there. The sale is about moving people through a process. So you need to know at which stage of the process you are in.
For example: If you recently introduced yourself and they’ve engaged with your content, then the next step would be to ask them some questions. After you’ve asked a bunch of outstanding questions and determined that they’re a good fit, you shouldn’t sell them right away. Your next step may be an appointment or a demonstration to get in front of this prospect. So you have to know what part of the sales process you are in, what part of the sales pro process prospects are in, and know how to move them accordingly. Know what the goal is in each stage.
Let me know if you have terrible DM sales experiences in the comments! I know many of them, and I always have a good time with those funny stories.
Resources that are mentioned or add value to this episode:
- Get the media coverage your business deserves with the 365 Media Pitch System
- Free Facebook Group: High Ticket Sales For Women Coaches and Course Creators
- Persuade To Profit
- Make Money Your Honey Book
- Check out my Live Training Online Here!
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