Rob Durant

As Gary V once said - "Give value. Give value! GIVE VALUE! THEN ask." This principle is at the heart of social selling. By consistently offering solutions and demonstrating expertise - with no expectation of anything in return!- trust is earned naturally, paving the way for meaningful connections.

Balancing immediate profits with sustainable growth is crucial in sales. If you allow yourself to get caught up only in the short-term, you will always be chasing the short-term. A well-thought-out long-term strategy is essential, but it requires periodic adjustments. The key is to ensure that the foundational elements guiding your strategy remain intact, so the changes you make are minor and keep you on course. This approach allows you to capture quick wins while maintaining the trajectory towards long-term success.

It used to be that you could use content to "attract and retain the attention of your prospects". These days content is not an inbound play. CONTENT IS AN OUTBOUND PLAY Content serves as proof of who you are, what you know, and what you believe. As you reach out to connect with others, before connecting with you they will look at who you are, and that includes what you've posted. Use content as social proof that you are more than just another seller. Show that you are an informed resource. Prove that you are a trusted seller.

Not everybody thinks mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream in the world. Not everybody even likes mint chocolate chip ice cream. They Are Wrong. But I will allow them to be wrong. (How noble of me. 😉) At the end of the day, it is much better to agree to disagree then to engage in an exchange filled with negativity. I’m reminded of the line from the old (OLD!) Don McClean song, “Everybody loves me, baby. What’s the matter with you?” Not everybody will agree with you. Not everyone will even like you. Sometimes that’s a tough pill to swallow. But on a platform with over 1 BILLION users, in a world with over 8 BILLION people, you will find enough that do want to hear from you. Concentrate on them.

I’m reminded of the old leadership adage, “Praise in public; criticize in private.” While I do not believe you should criticize feedback at all (accept it or ignore it, but never criticize it), you should respond publicly and personally - and succinctly! If you have a lot to say or you find yourself in an extended back-and-forth, offer to have a private conversation.

The appropriate response to feedback, even critical feedback, is gratitude. And that is not always easy to remember. Thank them for taking the time to share their thoughts, or at least be gracious about it. Be grateful they took the time to share - they didn’t have to say anything, and then you would never know how your message is being received (and you are likely to assume incorrectly that it is well received). HOWEVER, simply because you show gratitude does not mean you have to agree with it or change based on it. But at least now you have an idea of how some are receiving your message.