Tweet

How Automated Social Media Actions May Be Costing You Sales and Referrals

Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Crazy busy sales people need all the help they can get to increase sales. Automated social media tools are designed to help these folks. Read how this technology may be costing you sales and referrals.

How Automated Social Media Actions May Be Costing You Sales and Referrals

Crazy busy sales people are constantly juggling numerous activities within their marketing and selling action plans with the goal to increase sales. To help them, some have engaged in automated social media marketing to better balance their time.

Yet this may backfire. Recently a local social media expert reached out to me using an automated tool to connect with her even though I was already connected. I then sent a an email explaining my confusion.

One would think that I would have received some sort of non-automated response (think personal). But I did not. Instead I just received another automated social media message about connecting with her to another social media site. In this case we are not connected.

What I will do is ignore the most recent request until she responds to the original message. However given her past or current behaviors, I doubt if that will happen at least in the near future. Sales Training Coaching Tip: If people buy from people they know and trust (#1 of the three sales buying rules), then any actions that are contrary to positive business ethics probably are not the wisest ones to embrace.

Automation is no excuse for not following up or answering emails that your marketing behaviors generated. Additionally, by relying on automation may create a negative image of your business ethics not to mention general business behaviors.

Bottom line in spite of this person being a social media expert, there is no way I would recommend her for it is my reputation on the line when I make any recommendation. So if you want new sales leads (referrals) from your social media marketing plan or activities, then make sure if you use automated tools to follow-up and as the old saying goes:

Do not place all of your eggs (marketing) in one basket.

Related Articles
  Looking for Sales Leads | Don't Put Everything into the Social Media Basket
  Automated Online Business - Is There Such a Thing?
  WAY SMART Goals Expand into Social Media Marketing
  Resourcing B2B social media
  12 Tips for the Social Media Newbie
  Strategies For Utilizing Social Media Outlets
  Social Media Marketing for Sales, Actions and Leads
  Stress-Free Selling® - Go After the Easy Sales First
  Did You Get Any Referrals Today?
  Apres sale. The real test of a successful sales professional.
  Karma Keys to a Referral-Based Business
  “Should I or shouldn’t I”
  Your 7-Step Year-End Social Media Audit
  10 Tweetlater Tactics to Make Your Twitter Life 100 Times More Productive
  Social Media is NOT about Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin
  13 Signs Your Business is Heading for Social Media Obscurity
  Is helping others the best way to market your company?
  Social Media-Great Place to Make Money as Well As Staying in Touch!
  Is Social Media Killing Your Business?
  Legal Marketing: Social Media and Law Firms

Article Tags: increase sales, media tools, referrals, social media



Related Forum Posts
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - [quote="WebBizIdeas.com":gvtxsu7g]Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff[/quote:gvtxsu7g] Hi Jeff, Thanks for the suggestion. Why don't you start a new post (with a poll) to see if there's enough interest in your idea for a social media section?
Re: UPDATES: New Campaign! New Layout! New Ideas! - GT - thanks for the FYI - I'm not sure if we'll put a link back. Something to consider though! Trent - the new category is "Social Network and Media" which was put in to compliment the Online Businesses category that currently exists. Overall the new categories are: - Looking For, Networking and Events - Review My... - Social Network and Media - Brags and Rants These came as a result of Ringo doing research on other forums and thinking about what could be improved on ours to give a better experience for everyone. I hope you enjoy them! David, I'm looking forward to reading your Brag / Rant!
Re: Marketing 2.0 - What Are Your Thoughts - Hi Shri, Thanks for posting this. I also read it and I believe Social Media is here to stay, until the next best thing comes up. Social media proved to be useful for me many times and I think everyone should use it for their business.
Re: Social Media Marketing Ignorance - [quote="vbn411":7qciluxl]Social Media is space that you have to be in to succeed in our current climate. People are going to be discussing your brand / product whether you like it or not, so you might as well join the conversation and add value. [/quote:7qciluxl] I think that's probably one of the most realistic way to think about it. There's no real textbook way of understanding Social Media, it's the networks of people and their interactions that will exist with or without your input. As for Jennifer, You can always have 2 Facebook pages. Many people do. There is also LinkedIn, which is like a professional networking version of Facebook. The only way to know is to try it.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Death of the Sales Magazine

Ten Things You Can Do To Be a Better Leader

Leading with Discernment

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.