Sharing is Caring. No, really!

Why is it that social media is so central to our world today?

What is it about these free-flowing markets of ideas that captivates our imagination and gets us scrolling and scrolling endlessly at times.

On the other hand, why on earth are sales professionals so reluctant to share their knowledge on the very same platforms used to connect with their clients and prospects?

Two Scenarios to Consider Here:

1. We really don’t have anything to share.

2. We’re not convinced that we have a voice.

If it is the former, then that is a sad statement indeed. I will include myself in this as I feel guilty of not sharing enough. When we are in a meeting with a prospect, we sure have a lot to say. We can often go on and on about our great offering, but without the passion of an opinion we are just conveying facts, in the hopes that something will resonate with the prospect.

If the latter, then the sales leaders in the team need to give the team more encouragement to know that their voice is meaningful, when they are sharing information of real value.

1. Nothing to share? I doubt that very much.

It is okay and even encouraged to have and share your opinion.

As soon as you know enough to promote your solution in a sales meeting, you should have formed an opinion about why your solution is worth the attention of your prospective client. Certainly, the right amount of discovery needs to be performed to ensure that there is a potential fit, but if in fact there is, then your presumed opinion already is that you have a way to add value and solve some of your client’s issues.

So if you care about their predicament, then share your opinion. Share the fact that you care that they have issues to resolve. Share that you empathize with their need to resolve it. If you really care, then help your client to better frame their challenge in context of everything else they have on their plate.

2. Find your voice. It counts, and I can illustrate that for you here.

One of the challenges I find with sales executives when they are getting started, either in their career in sales or even when starting in a new company or industry is that they feel like they know so much less about their new industry than those that are buying a solution.

In truth, it is a valid concern in the beginning. However, once an account executive (AE) has been in the role for even a few weeks, there is a good chance that they have spoken to more people going through the challenges that the prospect is facing in this project than the prospect will ever face in his/her career. That means that the AE has a collection of perspectives and concerns that can potentially bring value to the prospect. The AE, should by now be able to form an opinion about what kinds of things the prospect should be thinking about when tackling this project.

Providing your prospect with some valuable information in the course of the sales cycle is a great way to create a trusted relationship. Bring something new and valuable to every meeting in fact. That way, the prospect will be less likely to avoid the meetings that often become a time when the prospect would otherwise feel like they need to be the one providing the vendor with an update on the process, decisions, timelines, etc.

So, by now, I hope it is clear that sharing is a great way to show you care. That was me, caring and sharing from my little soapbox.

Sharing on social media will enhance your image as one that cares about the needs of your clients. Share the little (and big) things you learn along the way that can be valuable to them. They do not always need to be related directly to your offering. Peripherally of course, they should be inside of the subject matter, and it should relate to the issues that your target audience will want to consume.

Sharing on social media also shows you have personality and opinions and you are not afraid to share it. People gravitate to authenticity. When your prospects read your posts, you become more of a subject matter expert for them and that lends credibility to the relationship of trust you seek to build.

That’s my opinion.

When preparing for a meeting, I like to ensure that I have formulated an opinion that is specific to this client.

Do you bring your opinion into sales meetings? "Care to share?"