30Sep/112

The Real Reason Salespeople Should Use Social Media

The days of salespeople saying "that social media stuff is useless" haven't gone away, yet. There are a lot of people who don't think they need to use these tools. But salespeople who know how to take advantage of these tools put themselves at a real advantage.

Using Social Media provides salespeople with an opportunity to generate a positive first impression. That's a good thing since the first impression is the most lasting.

Here's what I mean...

It’s now common practice for prospects to “Google” a salesperson before they agree to meet with them. Because Google really likes Twitter and LinkedIn, those sites rank highly in search results. That means you, as a salesperson, have the chance to influence what your prospects think of you before you meet with them.

Why would you NOT take advantage?

WHAT TO DO:

A LinkedIn profile ought to do the following things:

  • Explains what you do for your customers.
  • Provides specific results you’ve produced.
  • Offers recommendations from happy customers.

A Twitter feed should do these things:

  • Shows you engaged with your area of expertise.
  • Reveals information that’s valuable to prospective customers.
  • Leads your customers to information that they'll find valuable.

WHAT NOT  TO DO:

A LinkedIn profile is not a resume.Why would I decide to buy from you if it looks like you're planning to leave at the next opportunity?

By the same token, a Twitter feed should not reveal too much of your mundane day-to-day life. I don't care what you had for lunch. And neither do your customers.

So, get going on this! It's free and easy.

@JebBrooks

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2Jul/081

Using AutoText in Outlook 2003 as a Sales Tool

Do you find yourself typing in the same familiar email to your prospects and clients again and again? Whether it's boiler-plates, generic thank you messages or directions to your business, there is a tool in Microsoft Outlook 2000/2003 "AutoText" that can help you automatically insert text into an email with minimal effort.

Whether you need to automate a paragraph or a three page email, I will show you how you can use AutoText to help save time so you can spend more time selling.

There are four easy steps to create an "AutoText" Entry

1. Type your email into the email body area.

2. Highlight the text you want for your AutoText Entry.

3. Once the text is highlighted... click "Insert > AutoText > New" Or you can simple hit Alt+F3 (Function Key - Not F then 3)

4. Name the AutoText and click OK

Using your AutoText Entries:

1. In a new email start typing the name you gave the AutoText name

2. When the yellow box appears as you type (above), simply hit the Enter key. Your AutoText will then automatically be placed into the email body text.

Option Two: If you can't remember what you named one of your AutoText entries, you can use the Insert AutoText Option.

1. Click: Insert > AutoText

2. Find the name of your AutoText
1) Click the name of the AutoText
2) Click "Insert"
3) Click OK

You can download this in a quick reference guide by clicking here

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