Citrix

Social Selling with Ice Breakers

Brian Burns@brianGburns

Host of “The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling” PodCast

Are you adapting?

• It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment. -Charles Darwin

The Problem

•What used to work no longer does

•The world has changed

•A new approach is needed

The Perfect Storm

•Economic

•Technical

•Cultural

Biggest Problem

•Engage with latent prospects

•Leads are lacking

•Access appears to be narrowing

•The phone and email are diminishing in their effectiveness

Modern Sales Paradox

•Everyone is visible

•No one wants to hear a Pitch

•Few pick up the phone or read spam

•Where does this leave us?

What are we taught?

•Inbound - Content

•Warm-up the call

•Referrals

•Social Networking

Red Ocean Selling

•Active sales cycle

•Highly competitive

•Commoditized

Blue Ocean Selling

•1000x bigger then the Red Ocean

•Less competition

•Leverage technology and adapt

New Avenues

•LinkedIn

•Twitter

•Texting/Cell Phone

New Approach - FaCE

•Find and

•Connect

•Engage

Find

•LinkedIn

•Twitter

•Data.com

•Google

Connect

•More then just a passive follow

•Invite based on common history and interest

•Not stock

Example LinkedIn Invite•Hi <name>, I see we are both

members of <these> groups and have X number of common connects. Since we are both interested in <topic> I taught it would be good to connect. If your not interested I understand completely and please ignore. Thanks, <me>

Chill

•The secret is to not act like a pushy salesperson

•Act like a park ranger

•Help, guide and be supportive

Engage not pitch

•No one wants to be pitched or sold

•People are programed to say no

•Why would you pitch before you know if they are qualified?

Take your time

•Sharing non-company/branded content

•Give at least a week before you engage

•Do not pounce

The forgotten step

•We have forgotten to build rapport first

•We need to return to H2H communications not M2M

Ice Breakers•Non-pitch

•Not - How are you - Do you have 5 min

•Conversation starters

•Non-company or product

•Focused on common interests

•Objective is to qualify not convince

Ice Breaker Examples•I’m doing industry research on

<common topic> and not sure if your the right person but would like to get your feedback on <this issue> and <that issue>

•I’m working on a blog post/ podcast/ video/ white paper/ presentation

Qualifying questions

•Reverse psychology works to open people up.

•I sure you may not know, but I thought I would ask? Does your group have this <issue>?

Leave the door open

•Would it be ok if I check back with you if I have additional questions?

•If qualified build interest

Twitter

•Find

•#

•Bloggers

•Search

Twitter Connect

•Follow

•Favor

•Retweet

•Direct Message

•Call out

Twitter Icebreaker

•I have a quick question you maybe able to help with, can I call you?

•I was curious about what your thoughts are on this <> issue?

•Are you open to helping someone new to this <> issue?

Mistakes

•Moving to fast

•Jumping into the pitch

•Talking instead of listening

•Trying to close before interest is built

When Done Well•You will know if the person is

qualified

•You will know their views on your solution

•They will ask you about yourself and what you do

•They will try to convince you that they need your solution