The document discusses the modern challenges of social selling, highlighting the need for adaptability in a changing environment where traditional methods like phone calls and emails are losing effectiveness. It advocates for a new approach focused on building rapport through non-pitch interactions and using platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to engage potential customers. The emphasis is on understanding prospects better and qualifying leads through genuine conversation rather than aggressive selling tactics.

1. Social Selling with
Ice Breakers
Brian Burns
@brianGburns
Host of “The Brutal Truth About Sales &
Selling” PodCast

2. Are you adapting?
• It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor
the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that
is most adaptable to change.
In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at
the expense of their rivals because they succeed in
adapting themselves best to their environment.
-Charles Darwin

3. The Problem
• What used to work no longer does
• The world has changed
• A new approach is needed

4. The Perfect Storm
• Economic
• Technical
• Cultural

5. Biggest Problem
• Engage with latent prospects
• Leads are lacking
• Access appears to be narrowing
• The phone and email are diminishing in
their effectiveness

6. Modern Sales Paradox
• Everyone is visible
• No one wants to hear a Pitch
• Few pick up the phone or read spam
• Where does this leave us?

7. What are we taught?
• Inbound - Content
• Warm-up the call
• Referrals
• Social Networking

8. Red Ocean Selling
• Active sales cycle
• Highly competitive
• Commoditized

9. Blue Ocean Selling
• 1000x bigger then the Red Ocean
• Less competition
• Leverage technology and adapt

10. New Avenues
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Texting/Cell Phone

11. New Approach - FaCE
• Find and
• Connect
• Engage

12. Find
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Data.com
• Google

13. Connect
• More then just a passive follow
• Invite based on common history and
interest
• Not stock

14. Example LinkedIn Invite
• Hi <name>, I see we are both members of
<these> groups and have X number of
common connects. Since we are both
interested in <topic> I taught it would be
good to connect. If your not interested I
understand completely and please ignore.
Thanks, <me>

15. Chill
• The secret is to not act like a pushy
salesperson
• Act like a park ranger
• Help, guide and be supportive

16. Engage not pitch
• No one wants to be pitched or sold
• People are programed to say no
• Why would you pitch before you know if
they are qualified?

17. Take your time
• Sharing non-company/branded content
• Give at least a week before you engage
• Do not pounce

18. The forgotten step
• We have forgotten to build rapport first
• We need to return to H2H
communications not M2M

19. Ice Breakers
• Non-pitch
• Not - How are you - Do you have 5 min
• Conversation starters
• Non-company or product
• Focused on common interests
• Objective is to qualify not convince

20. Ice Breaker Examples
• I’m doing industry research on <common
topic> and not sure if your the right person
but would like to get your feedback on
<this issue> and <that issue>
• I’m working on a blog post/ podcast/ video/
white paper/ presentation

21. Qualifying questions
• Reverse psychology works to open people
up.
• I sure you may not know, but I thought I
would ask? Does your group have this
<issue>?

22. Leave the door open
• Would it be ok if I check back with you if I
have additional questions?
• If qualified build interest

23. Twitter
• Find
• #
• Bloggers
• Search

24. Twitter Connect
• Follow
• Favor
• Retweet
• Direct Message
• Call out

25. Twitter Icebreaker
• I have a quick question you maybe able to
help with, can I call you?
• I was curious about what your thoughts are
on this <> issue?
• Are you open to helping someone new to
this <> issue?

26. Mistakes
• Moving to fast
• Jumping into the pitch
• Talking instead of listening
• Trying to close before interest is built

27. When Done Well
• You will know if the person is qualified
• You will know their views on your solution
• They will ask you about yourself and what
you do
• They will try to convince you that they
need your solution