Crowdwork in Sales: Using Social Media like a Comedian

Sales professionals have access to powerful tools to engage potential customers in ways that feel personalized and interactive. One of them is social media, a platform often underutilized for sales activities.

A lot of salespeople aren't sure what to do when it comes to social media; besides bombing their network with messages or industry-related posts. That's fine, that's table stakes, I guess. But there is a world of people who almost completely rely on social media for their income...

Comedians!

Warming up a cold audience

Stand-up comedians have mastered the art of converting grainy, lukewarm audiences into a laughing riot through a technique called crowdwork. Crowdwork involves spontaneous interactions with the audience, creating in-the-moment content that resonates and entertains. Sales professionals, too, could leverage this unique communication technique in their prospecting activities.

Interpersonal communication theory suggests a correlation between real-time, engaging dialogue and perceived trustworthiness, a crucial aspect in sales. This means staying in the moment, calling out things as they happen, and (in social media) posting about them, engaging with people by tagging them and saying what's true means the audience will warm up and trust you more.

Putting it into action

Consider cold-emailing. You probably think it's a completely useless channel. With an overwhelming number of emails received everyday, how does one ensure their email gets attention? Consider the comedians again! Most standups offer snippets of their performances for free on social media, keeping audiences entertained. Similarly, professionals should consider offering valuable insights or solution previews in the cold-emails, catching attention and encouraging further discussion.

LinkedIn outreach is another area that can benefit from the crowdwork strategy. Instead of generic messages, professionals could make this process personalized and engaging, just like comedians sketching their act based on the audience filaments. One could start an interactive dialogue around industry trends, challenges faced, or share informative links, driving a more engaging, mutually beneficial conversation.

It's all in your head

The psychology behind this is intriguing. Csikszentmihalyi's flow concept suggests that when engaged in a compelling conversation, people tend to lose track of time and are more likely to engage positively. This principle can be used to inspire meaningful conversations, paving a smoother way into the sales pipeline.

Comedians scrupulously stick to the cardinal rule of entertain, delight, and offer value. Similarly, sales professionals need to be entertained in their approach, using social media as a tool to engage and provide value to prospective customers.

Remember, the journey of sales is not a monologue, it’s a dialogue. And comedians sure do have a knack for a riveting dialogue, don't they?