The Importance of Being Expert

by Shannon F. “I know. In fact, I am never wrong.” –Oscar Wilde We like to remind our clients that potential customers are always most in need of a product or service when their company is in a state of flux. During a trigger event, like an office move, a merger, or even downsizing, companies reevaluate their needs and often come up wanting. This means that vendors providing B2B products or services have an opportunity to fill these unmet needs. But how will you connect with companies in a state of flux? One way is to market yourself as an expert. Companies that are changing, evolving, or relocating their facilities almost always seek information before making major decisions. They need answers, and they often welcome a consultant. That’s you. You’re probably already an expert in your field (in case you doubted yourself). You have years or even decades of experience in telecom, equipment leasing, IT, office furniture sales, or whatever it is you do. You’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and you’ve probably been able to help your clients avoid common mistakes. So how do you convey your expertise to potential customers? Here are a few strategies we recommend to our own clients: 1. Offer a free evaluation. Say you work in Managed IT Services. If you offer to take a look at a prospect’s current system and give them a risk assessment or tips for a safer IT relocation, they’ll probably welcome your input. It never hurts to […]

Can social media help you with PRM? Part 1: Twitter

    You already know that B2B prospecting can be accomplished by cold-calling, networking in person, and other means of finding potential buyers for your product or service. But what about social media? Unless you live under a rock on an undiscovered island, you’ve heard that social media can help your business. The thing is, many business owners don’t know exactly how to harness social media as a valuable sales and PRM tool. In this three-part blog series, we’ll explore how three social media platforms can help you find and nurture prospects to grow your sales.   Today, we’ll look at Twitter.   Many of the people who vowed they’d never waste time tweeting are quickly changing their tune, so if you dismissed Twitter as frivolous, you may want to reevaluate this social media tool. The trick is to look a Twitter as a way to connect with and engage your prospects, not pitch your product to them. Focus on getting your audience interested in what you have to say. They’ll naturally become curious about what you have to offer, especially if you offer useful information.   So what should you tweet about?   You only have 140 characters, so make it pithy and memorable. That’s easier said than done, so let’s look at three of the most retweeted tweets in the history of tweeting.   In honor of oil-soaked birds, ‘tweets’ are now ‘gurgles.’ –Stephen Colbert   Yes we can. –Barack Obama, 21 March 2010   RT for a […]