Social Selling: You Can’t Turn a No into a Yes Without a Maybe In Between

The path to the sale has many twists and turns. It’s not always easy to determine where and when you can provide the most value to your target customers along that road. Social Selling, as part of your overall sales process, helps identify where those twists and turns occur and where sales are in danger of going of the cliff.

“You can’t turn a no into a yes without a maybe in between.”
~Frank Underwood, President of the United States,
House of Cards 

Like a lot of people (perhaps you, too), I’ve been watching House of Cards on Netflix. I’m riveted by the stories told and the strategies Frank Underwood comes up with to get what he wants. Even though he’s a dastardly and immoral character, you have to give him a star for his skill in coming out on top. Kevin Spacey plays him masterfully.

When I heard Frank utter the above quote, I was struck by how true it is, especially when it comes to commerce. In this world of consumer mistrust, the road to the sale often starts with “no.” That “no” may just be because they’ve never heard of you before and know nothing about what it’s like to do business with you.

The “no” may also be due to a poor customer experience they’ve had or that they’ve heard about via social media.

Reviving or repairing a brand’s image in the eyes of the consumer takes skill and effort. Getting from a no to a yes can seem like a long journey. The “maybe” in between is where Social Selling thrives.

Where Social Selling succeeds is in the support of the consumer purchase journey: in between the no and the yes.

By delivering quality content that can influence opinions, you and your sales team become the influence agents – the likable experts.

One of the greatest advantages with Social Selling is your ability to leverage content marketing to reach the right customer, with the right message, at the right time. Quality content gets you from no to yes:

• Information: Things that feed their knowledge.
• Inspirational: Things that fuel their fire.
• Entertaining: Things that make them smile.

Expert Social Selling content can take a target customer who knows nothing about you or your business and put you on their radar. Social Selling engagement chaperons the lead and converts them to a sale.

But what if you’re already on their radar and they’ve heard negative things or had a poor experience? Here’s where it gets perhaps more difficult but can also be very rewarding.

Thankfully, with Social Selling strategies and tactics embedded in your process, and salespeople who have solid relationships with customers, these situations occur less and less. However, they still happen.

One of the most gratifying events is to take a customer from loathing you to loving you.

“There’s no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth.” ~Frank Underwood

Never underestimate the power of redemption. Thoughtful transparency CAN win a customer back. Use a little Frank Underwood-style finesse:

• Be humble
• Admit the error
• Authentically explain how it happened
• Ask for another chance to deliver the experience they expected…and beyond

Social Selling brings you closer to yes. It fills in the gaps of how customers perceive your business. It can transform you from an afterthought into a major player. Salespeople develop lasting trust and enjoy the advantage over competitors. Isn’t it time you to straighten the road for your customers?