If you’re like me, then you probably get bombarded on social media with unsolicited sales messages from people you don’t *really* know. You may even get tagged in sales posts or have people outright ask if they can share their promo post to your Facebook wall. *Gag*
But out of all of the cold messages you get, how many times do you ignore the message, delete it altogether, unfriend or block the messenger because let’s face it, it’s hella annoying. You don’t like their approach and you don’t want or need their stuff.
Heads up. If you’re going to send a cold message, did you know there is a way to do it that doesn’t turn people off that could work out better for you?
Here’s the truth about cold messaging and how to do it in a way that doesn’t feel like an icky sales strategy… because it’s not and it actually works.
Don’t ask for money in your first message. Although much of selling is just a numbers game, don’t let the first message you send to someone be a message asking them for the sale. While it is important to ask for the sale often and to many people, a common mistake people make is not understanding that in sales you are presenting a solution to someone’s problem or desire. You can’t present a solution (and hence sell) to someone if you don’t know their problems or desires.
Do build rapport. People can tell if you are just copying and pasting the same sales message to any and everyone, and they can tell if you don’t *know* who you’re messaging. When you are sending someone a private message and especially asking for money, they want to feel like it is a personal conversation you are having with them and they want to feel like it’s sincere. Before asking for the sale, get to know the fellow human you’re talking to because it matters to you and they are not just a number.
Don’t make it all about you. If you understand sales, then you understand that selling is all about relationships. Some people believe that as long as you aren’t asking for money in the first message, then it’s okay. Wrong. Your cold message won’t work if it’s a pitch asking them to join your group, share a post to help you, or like your page with no benefit to the person you’re asking. Most people won’t care enough to take action when you’re pitching to them in the first message and why should they? You haven’t done anything for them or established a relationship with them from the beginning.
Do create a win-win situation. Cold messaging can work if it’s a win-win situation for you both. Spend some time doing enough research on the person you’re messaging before you send the first message. Also, how about making the first conversation you have with them a conversation where you actually get to know them and they can get to know you too? Let the first conversation you have with them be a conversation where the two of you ask questions to find out if what you’re wanting from them is even a good fit.
The truth be told, cold messaging can work if it’s done right. What's most important is making sure you build rapport with whoever you’re messaging first or at least know enough about them to know that they could be a good fit for what you are offering.
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