Why We Stopped Using This Selling Technique (Even Though it Was Working)
Episode 750: Show Notes
There are more ways than ever to get in touch with customers and sell your services. But how do you know which methods are right for you and your business? And how do you ensure that you’re implementing them to the best of your abilities? One method that has gained a tremendous amount of traction over the past decade, is social selling. Not only do the stakes of a DM feel lower than getting on a high-pressure sales call, but it’s also more accessible to people with unusual schedules or chronic illnesses. But what are some of the drawbacks of social selling, and are they worth the payoff?
In today’s episode, we talk about why we stopped using social selling and how you can determine whether it’s the right choice for you and your business. We unpack how using social selling affected our boundaries outside of work, our values as a life-first business, and why the downsides of social selling ended up outweighing the benefits. While we believe that social selling can be a great sales tool, we want businesses to consider their options and make informed decisions based on the facts, and what will work best for them. Tune in to hear what our experience with social selling was like, why we stopped, and how to find out whether it’s right for you!
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A Quick Disclaimer About Social Selling
Although we decided that social selling doesn’t work for us, we wanted to issue a disclaimer to reassure listeners that we are absolutely not against the concept of social selling as a whole. It can be an extremely effective tool, especially if you are dealing with limitations like chronic health conditions or a lack of childcare, all of which might prevent you from performing in other ways. It just happened to not be the right choice for us and our business.
Why We Stopped Social Selling
Social selling can take place on any social platform equipped with messaging features — like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and even Twitter. This means you can do it anytime, anywhere, regardless of where you are in the world. And while this can be incredibly convenient and effective it can also have some serious downsides.
One of the biggest drawbacks of social selling is that (typically) you are expected to be available 24/7. You need to be prepared to engage and make a sale at any moment, whether you’re busy at work or relaxing in a hot tub. Here at Boss Project, we made the decision to stop doing social selling in large part due to this lack of boundaries. And although we were seeing good results from social selling in our business, we decided to stop using it because, ultimately, it wasn't in alignment with our values.
Is Social Selling Right for You?
There are a bunch of things you should take into account when deciding which sales strategies are right for you and your business. You should be aware of what conversion rates to expect from each approach and how to determine which ones will be worth your time. While social selling is shown to convert around 15% of customers, sales calls can convert anywhere between 50% and 75% (depending on the quality of the calls, of course!). Here at Boss Project, our sales calls fall squarely within the 50% to 60% bracket. This means we were four times more likely to convert someone when using a sales call, than with social selling.
While the choice was simple for us, things might be different for you and your business. Social selling is a valid technique, especially if you have an unusual work schedule. It’s also great for people who are averse to phone conversations or engaging in sales calls. Each sales tactic has different benefits and trade-offs, and it’s up to you to decide which is best for you.
Being a Life First Business
If you follow us online and are regular listeners of the show, then you will know that we have built our company on the premise that we are a life-first business. However, we did not make this decision lightly, or just because we thought it would be cool. We also didn’t want to implement it as something that only applies to us, while the rest of our team would be beholden to a different set of standards — that would have made us feel hypocritical, icky, and like we weren’t honoring our values at all!
We decided to be a life-first company because it is an integral part of our value system. And because it is our personal, deeply held belief, that actively prioritizing your life will positively impact everything in your life, from your work, to your health, to your personal relationships. If we find that we can’t prioritize our lives because of the way we’re structuring things, then it’s the business that needs to change, not our lives! So, ask yourself what your values are, and let that guide you as you figure out how to find the right sales strategies for your business.
Get in Touch
Just because something is effective, doesn’t mean you need to keep doing it. If you’d like to chat about sales methods and how to run your business in a way that is aligned with your values, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today! We’ll help you make sense of your sales methods by figuring out what’s working for you — and what isn’t. If you’re looking to take the next step in growing your business alongside a like-minded community then you should consider joining our Incubator program. It’s a great opportunity for you to improve your sales processes, hone your skills, and scale your business!
Quote This
If we're going to continue to run a life-first business, and I can't prioritize my life, because of the way we're structuring things, then the business needs to change, not my life.
Highlights
A Quick Disclaimer About Social Selling [0:08:43]
Why We Stopped Social Selling [0:10:13]
Is Social Selling Right for You? [0:16:51]
Being a Life First Business. [0:25:14]
Get in Touch [0:32:10]
Today’s Guest:
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
The Strategy Hour Podcast is a twice weekly show hosted by Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams, the founders of Boss Project. Join us for semi-ranty biz conversations for service providers looking to ethically grow their agency businesses. Episodes cover everything from lead generation to leadership mindset to team culture and beyond.
Key Topics:
Social Selling, Selling, Boundaries, Sales Calls, Values, Alignment
