Unquestionably the Web 2.0 moniker has been over used, but unfortunately sales folks have been slow to pick-up the opportunities it gives us. So, I will carefully use it one more time.

If anything defines Web 2.0 it is the rise of the social Web. People are connecting an communicating more than ever on the Internet. Long gone are the days of one-way websites and brochure-ware brands. The new Web has people commenting, interacting,friending, following, Tweeting, and getting involved with the products and services they want to buy.

Why aren’t you getting involved with your customers?

Attracting

Social networks have little value without people. You need to have an audience. Not just any audience–a relevant audience. Fortunately, most social media makes this prerequisite a snap. They are designed to get you connected with relevant people. Here are a few key steps to attracting an initial following:

• Complete your profile–this is how people find old classmates, expertise, and friends
• Add what you do–this is a tactful way of selling your services
• Don’t forget the picture–helps feel more connected or confirm they have the right person
• Tell your friends, co-workers, and clients–they make a great foundation and referrals

These four simple steps will easily attract you a loyal following of several hundred folks, and the social proofing you will need to get to an audience of thousands.

Listening

Listening is probably one of the most profitable actions you can take in social selling. Consumers are telling you what they want, expect, and how to close their deal. You just have to be listening for the ques–the invitation to call upon them, the opportunity to help.

In order to do this efficiently you need to set-up a listening post. There are numerous ways to accomplish this, but I have found the best way is with TweetDeck or TweetGrid. The tool is really less important–focus on the words (keywords) that people use to talk about the needs and wants that you can help with.

Engaging

Joining the conversation is the popular mantra of the social media world. Getting in the conversation is how you build a strong audience. Just like Web search, social media search is becoming the cornerstone of how audiences are built.

Every input into your social network–every tweet, every wall post, every Flickr picture–becomes searchable content. The more compelling that content the more people will be attracted to your audience.

Your conversations will help build relationships, trust, and credibility–all the elements of a good sale.

Playing

This is the one element many first time social sellers leave out–Play! No one likes to deal with a person who is always business. Your social network wants to know who you are and what makes you laugh. People like to do business with people like themselves.

I do a lot of business with baseball fans. So, if you are in to music, sports, movies, whatever the interest let people know. You will attract an audience of people that like you, and that always makes it easier to do business.

Tell us how you are social selling…

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