hands on social selling social aug 31/sep 1, 2009

Your clients are: Unfamiliar, for the most part, with all of the social options out there to achieve the desired impact Forced to justify all expenditures and prove ROI Looking for new ways to connect with and maintain customers Under pressure to perform NOW

Unfamiliar, for the most part, with all of the social options out there to achieve the desired impact

Forced to justify all expenditures and prove ROI

Looking for new ways to connect with and maintain customers

Under pressure to perform NOW

Meanwhile, customers are: Shopping and engaging products via multiple channels Inattentive, unavailable and in control of messages they receive Talking, texting, writing, blogging, tweeting, prognosticating, etc. about brands

Shopping and engaging products via multiple channels

Inattentive, unavailable and in control of messages they receive

Talking, texting, writing, blogging, tweeting, prognosticating, etc. about brands

The question is not “how do you sell social”. Rather, it’s HOW DO YOU NOT SELL SOCIAL!

You are the key to success. You personally are most likely going to be in the sales process for new or existing clients. You must be on board with this. You have to think and act differently. You should use the medium & be able to talk about it. BOTTOM LINE: You need to be a true sponsor within your organization

You personally are most likely going to be in the sales process for new or existing clients.

You must be on board with this.

You have to think and act differently.

You should use the medium & be able to talk about it.

BOTTOM LINE: You need to be a true sponsor within your organization

#1 Do It Yourself

Self Assessment Develop your own plan Adhere to it! Outline your social presence Document an update frequency Know your story Watch your metrics Evaluate regularly

Develop your own plan

Adhere to it!

Outline your social presence

Document an update frequency

Know your story

Watch your metrics

Evaluate regularly

What would clients see? Search for yourself Check your own sentiment How do you compare to competitors? Would you hire yourself?

Search for yourself

Check your own sentiment

How do you compare to competitors?

Would you hire yourself?

Qualifying the customer

Asking the right questions Create your client criteria for social strategy services, i.e.: Are their customers looking for them or talking about them online? Does the decision-maker have an understanding of how social strategy “fits” Is there adequate budget to “go around”? Is the client executing upon social campaigns now? How is this being done? What are the results? What is being measured?

Create your client criteria for social strategy services, i.e.:

Are their customers looking for them or talking about them online?

Does the decision-maker have an understanding of how social strategy “fits”

Is there adequate budget to “go around”?

Is the client executing upon social campaigns now?

How is this being done?

What are the results? What is being measured?

What are the red flags? Warning signs that client is not a good fit: Not a dedicated focus on marketing team (IT making online marketing decisions) No existing Web presence Too much education required Many in-house resources Against social media GUT INSTINCT

Warning signs that client is not a good fit:

Not a dedicated focus on marketing team (IT making online marketing decisions)

No existing Web presence

Too much education required

Many in-house resources

Against social media

GUT INSTINCT

Establish a set of imperatives. This is the information you require of the customer before considering social strategy work. Follow the practice of obtaining this information and save time and money. Follow the money and you generally end up with big headaches.

This is the information you require of the customer before considering social strategy work.

Follow the practice of obtaining this information and save time and money.

Follow the money and you generally end up with big headaches.

The 2 most important thing to do. Understand (or help create) the client’s clear and quantified objectives centered around this effort – what are they trying to achieve. Don’t let the client start with the tactics or technology. If the client says they need a blog, understand why. Your value might come in selling why they don’t need one.

Understand (or help create) the client’s clear and quantified objectives centered around this effort – what are they trying to achieve.

Don’t let the client start with the tactics or technology. If the client says they need a blog, understand why. Your value might come in selling why they don’t need one.

The wisdom of crowds. There are so many options and directions to take, getting a core group together is often a big help early in the sales process. Pull together your people who are online frequently to help, regardless of role within the agency. Make sure that ideas all tie back to the objective.

There are so many options and directions to take, getting a core group together is often a big help early in the sales process.

Pull together your people who are online frequently to help, regardless of role within the agency.

Make sure that ideas all tie back to the objective.

How to price social media engagements

Budgets. Set Realistic expectations On their part AND yours Don’t “give away” online Know what your minimums are to be profitable Be prepared to say NO

Set Realistic expectations

On their part AND yours

Don’t “give away” online

Know what your minimums are to be profitable

Be prepared to say NO

Ways to price. Retainer Project Pay for performance Pay per action Hybrid

Retainer

Project

Pay for performance

Pay per action

Hybrid

Retainer. When to use – type of client New industry/vertical Work that is expected to be ongoing indefinitely What to expect Growth if you perform well Demands from client “ What about me” concerns about service and strategy contributions

When to use – type of client

New industry/vertical

Work that is expected to be ongoing indefinitely

What to expect

Growth if you perform well

Demands from client

“ What about me” concerns about service and strategy contributions

Project-based. When to use – type of client May be used in conjunction with Retainer work What to expect Scope creep Client approvals and/or requirements will impede project timeline Additional project/growth opportunities if you perform well

When to use – type of client

May be used in conjunction with Retainer work

What to expect

Scope creep

Client approvals and/or requirements will impede project timeline

Additional project/growth opportunities if you perform well

Pay per action. When to use – type of client Industry/vertical in which you have a lot of experience and proven success Client with conversions of online sales, forms, calls to unique number from site Client with analytics and end to end conversion measurement in place Client that will allow you the access you need to report on results Client you are confident you can retain for more than 12 mos. What to expect IT push back & challenges getting tracking mechanisms in place Client scrutiny of actions for which you are to be paid

When to use – type of client

Industry/vertical in which you have a lot of experience and proven success

Client with conversions of online sales, forms, calls to unique number from site

Client with analytics and end to end conversion measurement in place

Client that will allow you the access you need to report on results

Client you are confident you can retain for more than 12 mos.

What to expect

IT push back & challenges getting tracking mechanisms in place

Client scrutiny of actions for which you are to be paid

Pay for performance. When to use – type of client Industry/vertical in which you have experience and proven success Client who will pay you a “kicker” for a pre-defined success target What to expect Tracking MUST be in place Performance metrics MUST be clearly defined and agreed to in writing

When to use – type of client

Industry/vertical in which you have experience and proven success

Client who will pay you a “kicker” for a pre-defined success target

What to expect

Tracking MUST be in place

Performance metrics MUST be clearly defined and agreed to in writing

Hybrid. When to use – type of client Client where social strategy calls for some tactics that can be measured all the way through conversion and some tactics that can not Client who can get more budget based on results; marketing isn’t expense but COS What to expect Similar to Pay for performance and Pay per action Retainer services dropped over time

When to use – type of client

Client where social strategy calls for some tactics that can be measured all the way through conversion and some tactics that can not

Client who can get more budget based on results; marketing isn’t expense but COS

What to expect

Similar to Pay for performance and Pay per action

Retainer services dropped over time

Don’t jump into the tactics Effective social strategy is not about putting up a facebook page, creating a twitter account and setting up a LinkedIn company profile

Effective social strategy is not about putting up a facebook page, creating a twitter account and setting up a LinkedIn company profile

Pricing for social strategy vs. tactics Selling strategy: Social media consulting Social recommendations on messaging, methods Active social monitoring These services are usually ongoing rather than one-time When you become an expert, you can sell consulting engagements

Selling strategy:

Social media consulting

Social recommendations on messaging, methods

Active social monitoring

These services are usually ongoing rather than one-time

When you become an expert, you can sell consulting engagements

One-time work. Addictive if you aren’t careful May cause resource constraints Critical to price for profitability Consider it “fat” and not “meat”

Addictive if you aren’t careful

May cause resource constraints

Critical to price for profitability

Consider it “fat” and not “meat”

Social Profile Design & Management

Recurring work. Balance total % carefully amongst clients Don’t put recurring clients on “auto pilot” Bring new opportunities once you have delivered results Identify growth goals Apply resources by tier of client (not all recurring clients are created equal)

Balance total % carefully amongst clients

Don’t put recurring clients on “auto pilot”

Bring new opportunities once you have delivered results

Identify growth goals

Apply resources by tier of client (not all recurring clients are created equal)

Recurring Services Include: Social Monitoring Brand Management Ongoing ideas and recommendations Ongoing Competitive Analysis Off Site Optimization / Link Building

Social Monitoring

Brand Management

Ongoing ideas and recommendations

Ongoing Competitive Analysis

Off Site Optimization / Link Building

Sentiment Management & Reporting.

Protect yourself with assumptions. Include specifics on: What client must provide/deliver Travel expenses Billing methods Rush fees Cancellation fees or other penalties (if appropriate) Delivery expectations Ownership of IP

Include specifics on:

What client must provide/deliver

Travel expenses

Billing methods

Rush fees

Cancellation fees or other penalties (if appropriate)

Delivery expectations

Ownership of IP

Pricing. Understand how clients perceive the services you are offering Value-priced Hourly-priced Commodity-priced Create a consistent method for determining pricing Know the competitions’ pricing

Understand how clients perceive the services you are offering

Value-priced

Hourly-priced

Commodity-priced

Create a consistent method for determining pricing

Know the competitions’ pricing

“ Value” priced services. Specialty services, such as: Usability, wireframes Design Strategy Creative talent and smart thinkers are priceless.

Specialty services, such as:

Usability, wireframes

Design

Strategy

Hourly priced. Based on a set hourly rate Search Ad buying/planning Development Complete the work in the time allotted and you win!

Based on a set hourly rate

Search

Ad buying/planning

Development

Commodity priced. Hosting Email delivery Tough to differentiate you from the other alternatives.

Hosting

Email delivery

How to pitch social media engagements

Know your audience.

Fast, Actionable Items Begin with examples, competitive data Provide overview of high level strategy as well as proposed tactics Low hanging fruit opportunity Recommend to start with listening Great 1 st step if client is “afraid”

Begin with examples, competitive data

Provide overview of high level strategy as well as proposed tactics

Low hanging fruit opportunity

Recommend to start with listening

Great 1 st step if client is “afraid”

Pitching Only invest the time if you are certain the buyer is ready to buy (and not just gathering more intelligence, etc.) When you pitch, give it your all! Designate a project manager Back into timelines Identify additional resources necessary to prepare the pitch and to present Practice, practice, practice.

Only invest the time if you are certain the buyer is ready to buy (and not just gathering more intelligence, etc.)

When you pitch, give it your all!

Designate a project manager

Back into timelines

Identify additional resources necessary to prepare the pitch and to present

Practice, practice, practice.

Be creative. Think outside the Box. Think outside the PowerPoint. Think about the fact you are pitching social – it should look “social”.

Think outside the Box.

Think outside the PowerPoint.

Think about the fact you are pitching social – it should look “social”.

Know your stuff. Create proposals/pitches that are unique for each client Paint the big picture, but be prepared to show social applications as tactical examples Anticipate the questions they will ask and be prepared with an answer

Create proposals/pitches that are unique for each client

Paint the big picture, but be prepared to show social applications as tactical examples

Anticipate the questions they will ask and be prepared with an answer

Q&A