How Can Sales People Use Twitter?

[margie albert]

If you are a Sales Person and not using Twitter you’re missing some great opportunities. Here are just a few ways to use this great tool to deepen your relationships with your clients and help you stand out against the competition.

1. You can RESEARCH companies and industries on Twitter. Use “twitter search” to listen in to conversations about the specific company you are calling on or learn about the industry in general. What are customers saying? What are the trends? Have employees said anything about the company? Listen, listen, listen.
2. Follow people in the selected industry. Learn what they are reading, articles they are tweeting, the issues they are reporting. Try “twellow.com” to determine who you might want to follow.
3. Is your contact on twitter? If she is, when? What time of day? What is she saying? Can you “meet” her on twitter and begin your relationship there? Use “search people” on twitter to find her.
4. Offer information and become a trust agent (read “Trust Agent” by Chris Brogan if you don’t know what I’m talking about – great book).
5. Twitter is a great way to stay in touch with people when they change jobs! Everyone announces their job changes on twitter and where they are going. You won’t lose track of them again.
6. When you start doing this so will your competitors. You can view this as a threat or an opportunity to listen in on them and learn even more. I vote for the latter.

Use everything you can to get to know your customer better. How are you using Social Media as part of your sales process? Please share you ideas with all of us!