September 5, 2022 Sliding into those DMs and sending private messages through Facebook. But, if you’re not doing it correctly – for your business, that is – you’re going to be getting a lot of colddddd shoulders. Left on Read, as the kids say these days. Nothing worse.  You see, direct messaging on social media is one of the most powerful, modern methods of communication – but too many entrepreneurs shy away from it! I mean, even Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has emphasized the importance of DMs to your algorithm in IG. That’s right. Your reach and impact. But that’s more esoteric. The direct payoff of direct messaging comes from connecting with your prospects – whether they be strangers, acquaintances or friends – in a positive way to bring about a conversation about their business and your services. In other words, SALES CONVERSATIONS. Am I right? So, let’s get into it this week, with my five-step formula to creating high-impact DMs and scripts that sell! (Ooh…Did someone say those pumpkin spice lattes are back??) Grab that joe and… Let’s go!  How many of us have had that sales guy with 20K followers “friend” or “follow” us, only to instantly have a sales pitch land in our DMs. It has no warm up, no relationship building, and no reciprocity. Usually, they haven’t even looked at our FB or IG bio, let alone scrolled through any of our posts or reels. Now there are good ways to DM and horrendous ways to DM. Today we discuss: How do I have profitable conversations on Facebook? It’s actually very simple, but it takes a bit of class, tastefulness, and a genuine desire to connect. The 5 steps are: 1. Start the conversation. 2. Build trust. 3. Watch your tone. 4. Ask questions. Don’t Assume. 5. Make the pitch. Low-risk is best. Now each of these takes a little finesse, so let’s break this down. Don’t worry. I won’t have you hyperventilating like your first text to your high school crush back when flip phones were still a thing.  1. Start the Conversation. I recommend starting the relationship this way: 1. Identify who you want to reach out to 2. Like their most recent post 3. Comment on their latest post and 4. Then direct messaging them mentioning the post that you just like and commented on That creates perfect synchronicity as you start the conversation. They know you’re actually following them, you know about them, and you’re engaging with the material. I can’t tell you the bloopers I’ve had in DMs when the sales guy has called me the wrong name, or tried to pitch me on something that I am more advanced on, misspelling words and making mistakes. He hasn’t even checked my page! Don’t be that guy (or gal). Do your homework and get to know the prospect before cold messaging. Let’s avoid THIS:  With a friend or acquaintance, you’ll basically do the same, but warm it up a bit more. Reference something you share. Or, if you have a specific mutual friend, I advise mentioning them early on in the text convos. 2. Build trust. Start by asking questions related to their content and your product. Don’t be salesy, or pushy … be an authentic, engaging person. You want to get to know them, build rapport and start showing them you actually care. How will they buy from you if they don’t think you care about them or their needs? 3. Watch your tone. It’s so easy to convey tone on video. You can clearly demonstrate excitement or concern. Text doesn’t make that so easy. Ever tried being sarcastic over a direct message? Yeah. It doesn’t work well.  So here’s my challenge for you. Go out of your way to emphasize when you’re being lighthearted. Use LOLs and my favorite … emojis. 😂 4. Don’t assume. Ask Questions. It’s so tempting to start going in for the sale at this point, but hold on. Rushing will lead to you making assumptions. For example, you might say to somebody interested in life insurance something like, “You don’t have life insurance, right?” Not only is it kinda tacky and pushy, it’s making a ton of assumptions. Instead, ask a question with the assumed answer, as if it’s implied. Try this: “Let me guess…” or “Most people I talk to don’t have a life insurance policy that they own. It’s being rented from their employer because the employer is paying for their policy. Is that similar to the case that you have with _____ [their] employer?” Asking them that question or something similar invites them to answer with the correct information about their situation. If they say, yes, that’s me, what do you mean by “renting my life insurance policy,” you have an opening to share how you can help. If they say, “I pay for it myself” – you know now. If they say, “No, I don’t have life insurance,” you have the correct information to take the next step in the conversation. When you assume things, you may be taking the conversation down a path that isn’t right – for either of you. Assumptions kill trust, conversations, and deals. They are the worst. Don’t do it. 5. Make your offer. Once you have a conversation going, you’ve asked good questions, you’ve identified where they’re at in your journey for your product, then you ask the question. Go for the pitch. Try something like this: “Hey, you know, I see that you know you’re a family man, and you know when I asked if you were renting your policy, and you answered [blank]? I would love to help you and your family get protected with the life insurance policy that covers you and your entire family in case anything happens to you. Can I send you over some quotes to see what that would look like?” The key is: it’s very low risk for them. I used information they provided, plus some on their profile (i.e. family man); I used his answers to my questions earlier, and then I asked him if I could have an opportunity to serve him and his family. No hard push. I’m not twisting an arm. I’m simply asking a question, letting him answer, and then taking it from there. I talk to many through DMs who are pitching products. Even if I’m genuinely interested, I walk away if I feel guilted, pressured, or having to take action on the spot. Try that and I’m out. You need to be respectful and not present a high intensity situation of being pushy. Just allow them to take action when they’re ready. BONUS!! I have something super valuable for you. Instead of a written script tutorial, I’m sharing them in my latest YouTube video below. Here, you’ll find specific scripts for multiple scenarios to drive profitable conversations in direct messages. So, take these and run! You can use my exact wording in your conversation to close more deals! Check this out: Drop a comment on my YouTube video and hit subscribe so I know you’re there! I’ll be uploading more helpful videos regularly. And let’s start sending some great DMs!  This week, we’re keeping it simple! Let’s give one KEY TIP to our ideal client. So this week’s content prompt is: “The number 1 x for y [benefit]” Let me give some examples: “The number 1 tip for increasing your living benefits” (life insurance) “The number 1 hack for improving your compound interest” (retirement/accountants) “The number 1 tip for extending the life of your bouquet” (florists) How to try this: For short-form videos: – Original Audio. Talk straight to the camera! In about 30 seconds, tell the audience the one tip, and explain the benefits. Add a trending audio underneath the original audio, and turn down the music volume as much as possible. It’ll help the algorithm push your video out, while keeping your content original. – Trending Audio. There are many trending audios right now that have multiple beats with you gesturing several “points.” Use an audio like this to point to several bubbles of text, for both the HACK and the BENEFIT. Describe it further in the caption. – CTA. Don’t forget to ask the viewers for a response! Ask them what they think of the hack, or ask them to add their own! For a carousel: Create a carousel with the title on the cover slide, and the tip on the second slide. On the third slide, add your IG handle and picture to a graphic and add your CTA. Voila! Instant carousel. P.S. Carousels get saved and shared much more than we think. And white backgrounds with black ink often perform very well (surprisingly), with many shares to IG stories.  Google ‘Helpful Content’ Algorithm Update Launching Soon – This is huge. Google will soon roll out an update that ranks organic content higher than SEO-laden content, the fluffed-up kind, that is merely stuffed with SEOs for the fun of it, without real value. This could be good for high-value business owners and agencies like you, who produce helpful resources. More to come. Read More TikTok is Fast Becoming a Key Search and Discovery Platform for Younger Audiences | Social Media Today – How many times have you heard me talk about TikTok as super important on my channels? Well, it is. It’s even becoming the latest search engine for younger buyers. Now, you may think that doesn’t apply to you, but remember when Facebook was “just for kids?” Now, it’s a major marketing tool for business owners. Check this out! Read More Why Facebook’s Live Shopping Was Never Meant To Be – This editorial (with juicy news included) has an interesting take on the news of Facebook shutting down the QVC style home-network shopping. This follows TikTok doing the same, and seems to be a part of the push for Reels. What’s your take? How does this affect customer mindset as they check out FB? Take a look and see. Read More So, let’s slide into some DMs this week. I dare you! Make it fun, engage in a respectful, genuine way, and see your sales increase!  Happy Labor Day! To your success, Alex Branning Branning Group alex@branninggroup.com |