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To Do:

q Review the prospect lists you
created on the last page and see
if you can identify obvious and
subtle signals. Once you find
some patterns in keywords, you
Collaborate and Listen… can search and find more
prospects giving these buying
signals.
for Buying Signals q Look over some of your

company’s case studies. When
you see a prospect talking about
4 a problem your company can
solve, offer them a case study
that specifically highlights how
your product has helped others
Want to know where potential customers are in the buying cycle? overcome the same challenge.
Listen up. To your prospects that is. Keep your eyes and ears peeled
for buying signals that show these prospects are either ready to make
a purchase or will likely make one down the line. Some of these signals
will be blatantly obvious, but much of the time, they’ll be very subtle.

Obvious signals
These will be the social media equivalent of someone shouting from a rooftop. For example, let’s say you’re a
CRM software sales rockstar. A potential lead tweets about a hiring spree on his company’s sales team and
how much easier life would be with a CRM platform. Spring into action and make that prospect’s day.

Subtle signals
To spot these signals, you’ll have to put on your detective hat. Let’s use the above scenario again, except this
time, a potential lead just mentions they’ve recently increased their sales team. This potential lead hasn’t
mentioned or necessarily seen a need for CRM software yet, but that’s where you come in.

Don’t expect a home run
Finding a buying signal is just the starting point. You generally can’t go right from there to a pitch- unless you
want to strike out. You have to figure out what information you can provide prospects that will get you on
their radar, but more importantly, will actually help them. You have to deliver the right message at the right
time, and slowly make it around the bases before you can make a run for home plate. If someone is begging
for a solution, go for that big home run. Otherwise, focus on understanding where they are in the sales
funnel and then nurture them by adding the right content.

Did you know?

• Social media generates almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, daily mail, or PPC (Digital Insights)
• 78% of salespeople using social media outsell their peers who weren’t using social media (Forbes)
• On Twitter, frequency and quality matter: 71% of all tweets are ignored and just 23% generate a reply (Search Engine Journal)

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