“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” ~Pablo Picasso
Lately I’ve been thinking about how similar selling is to art. One could argue that selling IS art and having known some of the world’s best salespeople and trainers, that seems right.
What defines an artist is his/her ability to remain inspired and take that inspiration to their craft. Creativity is present in every endeavor we approach, it’s just how well one uses it that determines the outcome.
As an art history major in college, I studied Pablo Picasso, one of the most prolific artists of our lifetime (or perhaps ever). His impact on modern art cannot be understated. Picasso is regarded as the artist who most defined the revolutionary artistic developments in the opening decades of the 20th Century. He alone is responsible for significant evolution in painting, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. Picasso is the Father of Modern Art.
Picasso’s tools were inspiration, determination and media. Social Selling tools are exactly the same. When you master these Social Selling tools and provide valuable insights during the buyer’s journey, you become the Picasso of Social Selling!
Leveraging Social Selling tools means you never make cold calls; you only deal with buyers who are ready to buy and want help in their purchase process. Social Media allows you to share your insight and educate buyers. Your solution becomes the logical choice.
Social Selling tools help you provide so much value that your community shares your insights to their social networks, creating your own little sales army of inbound leads. But tools are only there to enlighten your path. Like Picasso, you must explore multiple perspectives to break boundaries and create new possibilities with Social Selling.
3 Steps to Completing Your Masterpiece in Social Selling:
1. Look: Investigate what colors people respond to and give them more
- Consume content every single day that resonates with you. Never stop learning.
- Develop your personal brand so that whatever you say online reflects your true nature, integrity and value.
- Consume content every single day that resonates with your ideal customers. Learn more about them to serve them better.
2. Imagine: Gather your colors and draw your outline
“A bad artist copies. A great artist steals.” ~Pablo Picasso
At some point, the act of consuming content compels you to participate. Build on others’ ideas – “steal” great ideas – and bring your own art to the conversation. Begin to draw an outline of what you want to say to the world – what information you can share to educate buyers.
- Words, images and videos are your colors.
- Remix. Take elements of what you see and incorporate them into your own content.
- Always be transparent about where your inspiration came from.
- It’s not about being yours, it’s about keeping the discussion going towards innovation.
3. Invent: Paint your picture
This is where it all comes together using the Social Selling tools of imagination, determination and media. Paint your masterpiece by guiding prospects down the sales funnel using your artistic abilities in Social Selling.
- Maintain a solid, inviting presence on Social Media.
- Spend time each day networking and participating in the conversation.
- Create and sustain a hub (ie: a blog) for your brand so that when buyers have questions, you have the answers.
- Identify buyers in your network and develop leads.
- Your masterpiece becomes the logical choice.
Look – Imagine – Invent. Break boundaries and create new sales opportunities for yourself. Not everyone is a Picasso of Social Selling. You might as well take the lead!