Social Selling for Legal Vendors: The New Frontier

The internet has forever changed the way we do business. Social media is no longer just for being social online and meeting new people. It’s all about “social selling” now. With the countless social media platforms out there (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, etc.) customers are literally at your fingertips. However, social selling isn’t just promoting your products and services on these social media channels, it’s about building relationships and gaining trust with the customer. Social selling for legal vendors can be a way to stand out from the competition. 

At Good2bSocial, we work primarily with law firms and other professional services firms. Recently, however, we have been working with companies in the legal industry who are looking to increase their sales and out distance their competition. These companies are looking to take advantage of digital marketing and social selling techniques to expand their market share and position themselves as leaders in their field.

While the task of nurturing relationships online seems like a daunting task, it’s not very different from the networking that professionals already engage in. Except in this instance, the networking takes place in the digital realm.

Here are three simple steps to social selling for legal vendors:

1. Research

The basis of any lasting relationship is understanding who your customers are and what is important to them. Learning about your prospective customers and their business is the key to developing long lasting business relationships. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help you to find information about your prospects and customers in ways that was never possible before. Not only can you find out what is important to them from a business perspective, but you can also find out what else is important to them. Causes, charities, hobbies and other interest are important ways of connecting with people you know or have yet to meet.

2. Be genuine

Once you find your target audience you need to find common ground with them and use it to start a dialogue. Good salespeople already know that creating a connection with a client is essential for success. The best connections are made when you’re being authentic. People can tell when someone they’re talking to is being fake. The same goes for online relationships as well. Start by monitoring what your targets and customers are posting online. Are they asking questions or need assistance with something? Are there ways you can help by suggesting content, answering questions or making introductions to people that might help? Being genuine means being trustworthy. Developing trust takes time and requires you to be generous and helpful. Earn someone’s trust and you can win a customer for life.

3. Nurture the relationships

The final step is to deepen those relationships to build your credibility as well as to build a social community. People are more likely to trust and buy from people that they feel a connection to. Don’t force your product or services. Social selling is about engaging people in a stress free way. This strategy takes time and effort but the payoff is worth it. Strong bonds equal loyal customers who see you and your product as something more than just a vendor. They see value in your content and someone they can trust.

Social selling is a valuable tool that vendors in all industries can use. In the legal industry, the competition is fiercer than ever and savvy companies need to develop social selling strategies for their sales people as a way to generate new and repeat business. Social selling takes time and effort, but the return on investment can lead to valuable business relationships and meaningful business results.

What are some ways your company is using social selling techniques? Has social selling resulted in new business for your company? Please share your insights with us.

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