How sales professionals are harnessing the power of Twitter.

What has been your exerience with and what ideas do you have for sales professionals on how to harness the power of Twitter? -Jeff Blackwell

I have been having excellent results with Twitter. In just 1.5 months I've built a following of 850 people. Many of these people are becoming referral and joint venture partners and... I'm also starting to see actual prospects too.

Patience and persistence is key. I have added a component to my Relationship Mastery Selling course to include a range of social media strategies to rapidly produce good sales results. Feel free to contact me to If you'd like to chat about it. breakthroughcoaching@mac.com.

Sincerely,
Howard -freedomcoach

First and foremost...do NOT go to Twitter with the intention/expection of selling something.

Twitter is a community. Approaching twitter users with a selling mentality will turn them off. Instead, go to twitter to meet new people, help others, chat, answer (and ask) questions, interact in whatever way is comfortable to you. Reply (@username at the beginning of your tweet) to others comments and questions. Retweet (RT username) what others say that you'd like to share with your followers. Give, give, and give some more...it WILL come back to you in unexpected ways :)

Peace,
Terri Z -Terri Zwierzynski

TWITTER? Twitter n tweet, my how sweet... Ok... I give...:cu -rattus58

Terri, I just looked and you have +4,600 followers. That is fantastic. Any additional advice you can offer to our members about Twitter would be greatly appreciated. -Jeff Blackwell

Twitter has helped explode my lead generation capability in a very short time. Just a small group of followers have turned into over 20k in sales for me. I've been using some pretty unique social media marketing techniques that I've recently learned from Maria Andros. Maria has over 30,000 followers on twitter.. (She's the one to learn from.)

In addition to what Terri suggested above, my mentality and intention is always to sell in whatever I do, especially online. My APPROACH however is carefully calculated as to not be overbearing and to provide VALUE for the prospect first.

Social media sites like myspace, facebook and twitter (among others) dominate over 40% of internet traffic. Sellers that are not harnessing these prospects and putting them in their sales funnel are leaving thousands upon thousand of dollars on the table.

Maria is actually about to launch a training course that holds you by the hand and navigates you through the social media marketing snags and pitfalls. I am an avid follower. -OmarMartin

What... are you psychic? -rattus58

Even though I registered for Facebook and LinkedIn last year, I just started with Twitter this year. I believe in targeted followers and following so even though I am watching my numbers, for selling it's just as important that they are targeted.

I think a key on Twitter is reciprocity, something Terri is talking about. It takes the form in RT (retweets), recommendations on follow days (I know of just two #followfriday; #women2follow on Wed) and thank others for RTing and recommending you.

I also think it's important to GET rewteeted. I've found good content gets RT: tips, quotations, good website resources.

In just the last month I have attracted a great client, had several people buy my ebook and am talking to 2 people about joint ventures. I've not seen that with other social media sites.

I believe it's here to stay not just a passing fad. So much I just purchased the url: http://www.twitterpatweber.com! Connect with me there.

Great discussion and I hope to learn from others to be even more successful with Twitter. -patweber

Great Thread!

I'm way new to twitter so I appreciate learning from the comments here.

I'm trying to build my twitter footprint by offering specific sales scripts and tips to use during your workday as a sales person. I offer them through Twitter Script-of-the-Day -Tony_B

I haven’t integrated tweet yet, but I will integrating a tweet program with my “dadburn” web site that’s still under construction -DIAMONDSTAR

I'm on Twitter but really haven't used it to sell anything. I think it has brought a bit more traffic to my blog though. I haven't figured out how to do much at Twitter and look forward to reading more tips here. Here's my link on Twitter. http://twitter.com/ozzieblackcat I have a black cat named Ozzie. :) -ozzie

Twitter is an interesting and exciting medium. I think it has great potential but Terry is right, be careful how you approach it. Choose who you follow cautiously, are they on topic and of value or do they "over" tweet? Search the timeline for keywords that are relevant to what your purpose is and find appropriate people to follow. Also, tools to help manage twitter is important. Tweet deck is excellent and you can divide those you follow into groups by topic making it easier to manage.

Good Luck and feel free to follow me: @katiehoke

PS - I follow Terry, she is good! -Kathy Hokunson

Having followed her posts on SalesPractice, I agree wholeheartedly! -Ace Coldiron

Hi All

This is a post I recently put on my blog after a few email questions about Twitter.

I hope you find it useful. Twitter can be amazing for building relationships. As with anything though. You need a purpose and outcome for doing it as many other people have commented.

Here goes let me know if you find it useful.



"Sales Manager Duties: Is being on Twitter one of them? Here are 10 Reasons why it should be.

As a salesmanager your duties are many and varied never more so than now in the new business economy. The question is will updating Twitter be one of them.

Now that is an interesting one. Am I on twitter? the answer is yes. Have I found any value? well yes for a particular part of our business. I help people generate traffic for their sites.
Has it helped directly for our Sales Manager training, it's hard to say at the moment as it's eraly days. We are still testing and measuring.

The value of twitter is it's really rapid communication in 140 characters or less. Now that really does focus the mind.

The question I would ask you is "what would be your outcome for signing up for twitter be is it part of your overall long range plan or strategy?"

If it is, then go for it. If not, could it be?

Lets just think of some top reasons Twitter could help you:

1. It potentially generates leads for you. Period.

2. Its friendly to techno phobes and non geeks.

3. It gives free advertising to you, your product or service
no outrageous PPC fees or yellow page advertising.
Basically it costs nothing to join.

4. You can search for contacts using an advanced search.
Type in a key word and it will bring up all the conversations
going on with that word..amazing?.
So say you are interested in one particular type of customer
e.g. real estate put that in your search. You will then see
a list of people.

Have a look at them and their profile if they look interesting
follow them. Top tip follow the people they follow as well.

5. The law of reciprocity works.If you follow some one they
will follow you back. Therefore a potential new customer.
It is one of the easiest ways to develop a tribe of followers

6. Building relationships to create wealth.
Easy to do with Twitter. Don't just twitter about your
product...boring and a great way to switch people off.
Reveal a little more about you. What you like doing.
Share some free resources, top tips.This way you
wiil get noticed.

I unfollow people who straight away say
" go and look at my free report"

7. Use your communications i.e. Tweets as a way to add value
to potential customers.


8. With a focussed attitude it does not take much time.
Check out ping.fm. Sign up for a free account. You can
even manage to tweet from your phone by SMS text in you
live in the US. In fact with ping.fm you can link all your
social network accounts.

9. Make sure you have a compelling bio that draws people in
and ideally a website url that offers something of value.


10. It enhances your brand and helps people get a sense of you
and your service. It costs very little time or effort.

Twitter is really easy to sign up to. A top tip, go and get yourself a google mail account. It is really easy to do and will help you stream line all those people that start following you when you sign up to Twitter.

There are many guides out there about twitter. Plus some different software programmes some free and some paid that help you generate followers on auto pilot.

Just google twitter guide. Tiffany Dow has a great and useful report that is really low cost.

As with anything, it is about taking action. It won't cost you a dime just some time. Always test it though. Because if it does not result in increased revenue it could turn into just something else to do.

On the other hand connecting with your audience on a regular basis is invaluable. It establishes your brand and makes people appreciate what you have to offer.


Web 2.0 social net working etc is the buzz now. Does it work. Well the answer is yes.

Importantly think about why it is working and what the foundation is. People want to connect at a deeper level. Something we folks in sales forget to always build into our interactions.

We are now entering a different era in the way we are growing as individuals and as a society.

A few hundred years ago it was the "industrial age" then the information era. We are now in the "cultural age" or "age of wisdom" as it is known in some circles.

People want to collaborate and connect. People are exploring and want to grow, it's natural.

Just look at all the open source software on the internet and the growth of Face book and Twitter.

As I said earlier people want to grow. The interest in the law of attraction is a testament, with the result that one of the best selling business books on Amazon for the past two years has been "The Secret".

In case you have not read it go buy a copy. Its based on some established facts and evidence that shows it works. I think that article is for another day!


So where does this leave us in the world of sales and Twitter. May I suggest the opportunity to raise our game and embrace new ways of working and thinking.

For those that do work with the new technologies and ways of thinking, you will excel. Those that don't. Well I think the answer is obvious.

So back to Twitter. Go sign up and enjoy it............and watch what happens.

To you and your success.

Denise

SalesManagersCoach -SalesManagersCoach

Thanks Katie and Ace -- I'm glad to be providing valuable content via Twitter! (although Katie you must be following me with a different twitter ID...I just now followed you @katiehoke)

Jeff asked for some tips on building your Twitter list, etc. My best tip is to sign up for some classes with Mari Smith

Here are some specific tactics that have worked for me:

1. Decide whether you want to personally greet each new follower, or auto-reply (also known as auto-DM) to them. There are pluses and minuses of both. I use an auto-DM via Tweetlater; I thank them and offer them a no-strings downloadable ebook. I used to offer something you had to sign up for...I don't do that anymore (there's been somewhat of a backlash against auto-DMs). Whatever you do, don't auto-DM something like "hi, go visit my website/blog". Instead, give them something, or ask them a question...be creative!
2. Similarly, decide if you want to auto-follow folks who follow you, or sort through them by hand. Again, pluses and minuses for both. I go with the "if you follow me, I'll follow you" philosophy.
3. Make a list of a few words/phrases that your ideal client (or jv partner) would use to describe themselves. Plug these in on Twitter via the "find people" link at the top.
4. Make a second list, this time of words/phrases ideal clients would be twittering about.
5. With the folks you find via steps 3 & 4, choose which ones you want to follow. Things to consider:
   • their bio
   • how many people they follow vs. how many follow them
   • the content of their tweets...do they @reply and RT a lot? or just one-way tweets
6. I reply to ALL DMs (direct messages...think private messages) and @replies addressed to me. One way to tell if a DM isn't automated is if they use your name in it :)
7. Use folks first name when you reply to them.
8. Use the keywords feature on Tweetlater to continue to find new folks worth following (with the keywords from 4. above).
9. Balance your tweets about about 90% free/helpful info, 10% promo. Be generous with RTs. And as noted earlier, if you post good content, IT will get RT'd.

That's off the top of my head...thmbp2;
-Terri Zwierzynski

Hi Denise... :)

Thank you for taking the time to give us an overview of twitter. I'll try it out now that I've a little better understanding of "what" it is... almost like one of my muzzleloading instantmessage blog's that I contribute seems like.

Much Aloha -rattus58

Question reference direct messaging and Black Hat Seo Strategies. If you receive a direct message w/o your name are you discounting that message as spam, though it may appear as a legitimate follower.

I have noticed a trend in reciprocity, follow to be followed.

What I have also been noticing is that some marketers are using soft sale strategies and building lists to drive traffic to their sites, intermittent follows with auto mouse kind of stuff.
Reason I ask is that I have been following different “tweet strategies” on different white hat/black forums, as an active “tweeter” you may be beter versed in answering that question -DIAMONDSTAR

On Wednesday, April 1, ESR will be publishing the results of a survey of how effective the new social media is for 400 B2B salespeople across a broad range of industries and company sizes. You can visit my blog for more information at that time. -davestein

re: direct message w/o my name, I don't consider it spam per se (unless it's a repeating sales message). Just don't feel the need to respond, as it isn't really addressed to me.

re: tweet strategies, are you referring to people who follow, and then as soon as you follow them back, they unfollow? Yes, I consider them to be spammers. If they are doing it automatically, they will be caught by Twitter eventually anyway.

If that's not what you meant, can you please elaborate your question a bit more? -Terri Zwierzynski

I would love to see more on this as well. I find it interesting, but sometimes, I feel like I am intruding. Would love to see more on using this vehicle. Thanks, Jeff! -The Dynamic Business

I am cynical about Twitter as a sales tool -- I commented this in a podcast and blog here: sellinggeek.com -ScoopIrish

Hi Selling Geek

You are right to evaluate if Twitter is the best thing for you to generate "leads".

At the end of the day that is what we want..right..........or is it?............personally I think it depends on your market and what your overall goal is.


People on twitter are either looking for connections or prospects!!


If its prospects

Now unless you get people off twitter and onto your site with an irresistible offer. You are unlikely to convert them or show what you have to offer The best plan of action would be a link to a squeeze page with a free report/teleseminar/podcast etc.

There is a stage before that though which is "build the relationship". My experience is that there are a lot of people on twitter because it is the latest craze and straight away are pitching you. Not the best way to create a sustainable business relationship. Connect with people.Let them get a sense of you and what you are up to . Tell your story that way they might want to find out more. ..and not just now I am having a cup of coffee!! now I am surfing the web!.

I think you catch my drift.

The thing to think about here is what is your outcome for being on twitter does it take you closer to where you want to be. It needs to form part of your overall diversified marketing and sales funnel. I work with a lot of small businesses to help them dominate local markets. Twitter is not my first priority.

So think about your individual market. Would twitter be something they use?

If you are promoting plumbing services maybe not. If it is the latest software possibley yes.

Hope thsi helps -SalesManagersCoach

Hi Selling Geek

You are right to evaluate if Twitter is the best thing for you to generate "leads".

At the end of the day that is what we want..right..........or is it?............personally I think it depends on your market and what your overall goal is.


People on twitter are either looking for connections or prospects!!


If its prospects

Now unless you get people off twitter and onto your site with an irresistible offer. You are unlikely to convert them or show what you have to offer The best plan of action would be a link to a squeeze page with a free report/teleseminar/podcast etc.

There is a stage before that though which is "build the relationship". My experience is that there are a lot of people on twitter because it is the latest craze and straight away are pitching you. Not the best way to create a sustainable business relationship. Connect with people.Let them get a sense of you and what you are up to . Tell your story that way they might want to find out more. ..and not just now I am having a cup of coffee!! now I am surfing the web!.

I think you catch my drift.

The thing to think about here is what is your outcome for being on twitter does it take you closer to where you want to be. It needs to form part of your overall diversified marketing and sales funnel. I work with a lot of small businesses to help them dominate local markets. Twitter is not my first priority.

So think about your individual market. Would twitter be something they use?

If you are promoting plumbing services maybe not. If it is the latest software possibley yes.

Hope this helps -SalesManagersCoach

Hi Selling Geek

You are right to evaluate if Twitter is the best thing for you to generate "leads".

At the end of the day that is what we want..right..........or is it?............personally I think it depends on your market and what your overall goal is.


People on twitter are either looking for connections or prospects!!


If its prospects

Now unless you get people off twitter and onto your site with an irresistible offer. You are unlikely to convert them or show what you have to offer The best plan of action would be a link to a squeeze page with a free report/teleseminar/podcast etc.

There is a stage before that though which is "build the relationship". My experience is that there are a lot of people on twitter because it is the latest craze and straight away are pitching you. Not the best way to create a sustainable business relationship. Connect with people.Let them get a sense of you and what you are up to . Tell your story that way they might want to find out more. ..and not just now I am having a cup of coffee!! now I am surfing the web!.

I think you catch my drift.

The thing to think about here is what is your outcome for being on twitter does it take you closer to where you want to be. It needs to form part of your overall diversified marketing and sales funnel. I work with a lot of small businesses to help them dominate local markets. Twitter is not my first priority.

So think about your individual market. Would twitter be something they use?

If you are promoting plumbing services maybe not. If it is the latest software possibley yes.

Hope this helps -SalesManagersCoach

I dont use twitter. Yet, I do have Facebook connections that do and their posts end up on my Facebook homepage. Funny thing happens when I log into FB and see my homepage filled up with meaningless posts from one friend... I disconnect them. That has been the fate of at least one of the folks that have posted to this thread.

So, my recommendation would be...

1. Spread your tweets out during the day.
2. Make the content of the tweets compelling and fun.
3. And don't turn social media into social greedia.

Social Greedia by Len Kendall (noun) The act of abusing social media tools for the sole reason of making a profit and not giving back to the community or conversation. -jdedwa11

LISTENING... is where you should begin with twitter. Folks have mentioned this in round about ways, but I thought I'd come right our and say it. The social media space is not a place for messing around. It is a place to be observe, listen, engage and contribute to the conversation. Like anything else that you do in your life, (hopefully) research and assess your surroundings.

First, get to know what twitter is by searching for user guides, etc. or going to some popular social media blog sites PR 2.0, and Chris Brogan are solid places to start(go to technorati and search for blogs that cover twitter or SM).

If you find that twitter may the place for you, then register an account. Be yourself. If you work for a company, say it. To follow people who are talking about what you are interested in, go to search.twitter.com and type in topics, names of people, etc. and scope our their profiles and choose to follow, or not. When you type in a topic you will see everyone who has commented on that topic (it's pretty great).

From there engage with the people you're following and those following you. A great way to be involved in the conversation is to offer things that are useful to your followers. I have two accounts, one PR and social media oriented (@lulugrimm) and one for the company I work for (@actionselling). In both accounts I offer articles, tips and tricks for PR folks, folks interested in social media resources and salespeople.

When I got comfortable, I began @replying to people who were chatting in my comfort zone. I thank everyone for every follow, #followfriday, retweet and so on. If you want me to elaborate on the actual use of twitter, but there are plenty of "How to" guides out there.

The important thing to understand, like has been said, is do not use this channel if you are carelessly marketing or want to shove a message down everyones throat. This is a place to chat, just like you would to a networking group or at a social function (just a different platform).

The power of this, as we know from real life, is intense. More so on twitter because you have access to far more people from all corners of the world (5 million to date) than you do at a dinner party.

Last point, which should have been at the top... If you are using twitter for business, you need to have a plan. A social media plan that is. Don't get on there and represent your company if you don't know what you're doing. Ramifications can be serious for your brand.

Thanks to all of you for sharing. Great comments. It's fun when new channels surface. But that's all this is, another channel. It needs to be researched, nurtured and used correctly to be effective. -Lisa Grimm