Time to read: 3 minutes. Everyone is a social selling consultant. But how can you tell the real experts from the self-appointed gurus? Beware of misguided social selling consultants. They’ll make claims like, “frequency of blogging and passion are keys to effective online lead generation.” Or, “leads will flow when you engage and show prospects you care in LinkedIn Groups.” Beware: this advise is common but misguided. Make sure your social selling consultant teaches a specific, proven response-driven process to create leads and sales.

Watch out for this

Unfortunately, marketing groups across the globe have fallen victim to a group of dangerous myths:

• Passionate use of social media creates sales
• Engage in ways that educate—and leads will come
• Becoming a thought leader creates leads

But the truth is all of the above ideas are costs-of-entry to effective social selling.

Process is the force multiplier.

HOW you structure what you say/write on social platforms defines your success. Whether it’s business blogging, video marketing or using LinkedIn for sales leads.

Watch out for social selling consultants who will waste your time. They typically suggest:

• telling good stories—without addressing HOW the story will trigger a response from the prospect;
• showing compassion for customers’ without giving them a way to take action on resolving their challenges

Effective social selling is about exchanging educational know-how (content) for becoming a lead—not giving it away and hoping for the best!

When shopping for a social selling consultant beware those who don’t teach a proven methodology to create response.

Here is a free Social Selling Training Cheat Sheet (PDF, immediate download, no registration) to help you pick the right social selling consultant or trainer.

Make sure your consultant teaches a process

Ignore any social selling consultants claiming, “blog passionately and the results will come” or “Place videos on your LinkedIn profile to generate leads.” Because they won’t—unless you structure your words and videos to create response.

When reviewing social selling consultants, find one that shows you/your sales team how to …

1. Teach prospects how to reach goals, solve problems or avoid risks in ways they can act on;
2. create confidence in them and (in doing so) trust in the teacher;
3. guide customers in ways that create more questions; foster hunger for more questions (more of your solutions).

Again, grab my free Social Selling Training Cheat Sheet (PDF, immediate download, no registration) to pick the right social selling consultant for you.

What works: blogging to increase prospects’ success

This proven, effective process gives customers miniature tastes of success … or “results in advance” of purchase. For example, it will help them arrive at “the best fit” for their situation. Overall, this approach works because it helps prospects become more confident buyers.

In other words, this system helps prospects believe what they want (what you sell) can actually happen for them on time, on budget and without pain. It removes the fear from buying.

When shopping for social selling consultant be sure they teach a process that:

1. Attracts prospects to blogs, LinkedIn profiles, InMails and discussions but also
2. gives them reason to become a lead (take action on becoming more confident buyers)

Full disclosure: I’m a social selling consultant and I apply it. Believe it or not, prospects often ask me for the sale. All because of confidence created in their abilities to achieve or improve. It’s what my own free training (lead nurturing) program is all about.

Hang in there

Are you running out of patience shopping for a social selling consultant? Take what I just gave you: this simple, practical way to change-things-up. Use it to get more of what I want from social selling experts, faster and easier.

Now you have a better way to hire a social selling expert who can train your team properly.

Photo credit: Pete Prodoehl